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What a North American P-51 Mustang costs, how far it flies, and what it costs to keep

PlaneFox tracks 5 North American P-51 Mustang aircraft for sale and re-reads every one of them from the broker and dealer sites it watches, so the figures below move when the market moves. Every number on this page is measured from those live listings, not taken from a published price guide.

How far can a North American P-51 Mustang fly?

A North American P-51 Mustang flies about 1,434 nm, roughly 2,656 km, which is about 4 h 33 min in still air at typical cruise.

More questions about the North American P-51 Mustang

How much does a North American P-51 Mustang cost?
Used North American P-51 Mustang prices vary depending on year of manufacture, airframe hours, avionics and overall condition. Browse the current North American P-51 Mustang listings on PlaneFox to see real-time asking prices from European brokers and private sellers.
What is the price range for a used North American P-51 Mustang?
North American P-51 Mustang prices depend heavily on year, airframe hours, engine time since overhaul and equipment level. Check the live North American P-51 Mustang listings on PlaneFox to see the current asking-price range from brokers and private sellers.
How many North American P-51 Mustang aircraft are for sale right now?
PlaneFox lists 5 North American P-51 Mustang aircraft for sale right now, gathered from the broker and dealer sites it watches. The count moves through the week as those sources are re-read. Because PlaneFox reads the same listings repeatedly over time, it also shows which have cut their asking price and which have sold.
Where can I find a North American P-51 Mustang for sale?
Every North American P-51 Mustang PlaneFox can see is on this page — 5 of them, gathered from the broker and dealer sites it re-reads continuously. Most are listed in United Kingdom (2), followed by United States (2). Each listing links straight through to the seller, so a North American P-51 Mustang in another country is worth considering rather than filtering out.
What should I check when buying a used North American P-51 Mustang?
On a used North American P-51 Mustang, check airframe hours, engine time since overhaul, avionics generation and damage history before anything else. PlaneFox recommends a pre-purchase inspection by an EASA Part-145 shop that knows the type, which typically costs EUR 1,500 to EUR 3,500. Under 1,500 airframe hours is low-time and above 3,500 means budgeting for higher maintenance; most piston engines run a 2,000-hour TBO, so past 1,500 to 1,700 hours since overhaul expect the overhaul within one to three years at EUR 25,000 to EUR 45,000. Read the full logbook history for prop strikes, gear-up landings and structural repair, and confirm ADs and SBs are complied with.

About the North American P-51 Mustang

Aircraft overview

The North American P-51 Mustang is a single-engine, piston-powered fighter designed by North American Aviation, with its first flight on 26 October 1940 and wartime production concentrated from 1941 to 1945. Built for fighter, escort, reconnaissance and ground-attack duties, it became closely associated with long-range bomber escort operations in the Second World War, particularly after adoption of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine built under license by Packard. For today’s buyer, the P-51 Mustang is not a conventional personal aircraft but a historic warbird: acquisition decisions are shaped as much by provenance, restoration quality and operating support as by performance.

Performance & specifications

Figures vary by variant and configuration, but the widely operated P-51D is the usual reference point. It is powered by a Packard V-1650-7 liquid-cooled V12 producing about 1,490 hp. Published maximum speed is approximately 437 mph, with practical cruise commonly discussed around the low-300 mph range depending on power setting, altitude and engine management. Service ceiling is about 41,900 feet. Range depends heavily on tanks and mission profile; with external drop tanks, wartime ferry or escort ranges could exceed 1,000 nautical miles. Typical P-51D weights include an empty weight around 7,600 lb and normal loaded weight around 10,100 lb, leaving useful load dependent on fuel, oil, equipment and armament status.

Cabin & avionics

The original P-51 Mustang cockpit is a single-seat military fighter environment with limited baggage space, high workload and systems that require type-specific training. Dual-seat TF-51 conversions exist and are valued for instruction, transition training and passenger carriage, but they are not the standard configuration. Avionics vary widely across restored aircraft. Many examples retain period-style panels while discreetly adding modern communication, navigation, transponder and ADS-B equipment. Garmin GTN or GNS units, modern radios, intercoms, engine monitoring and emergency locator transmitters are more typical than integrated glass suites such as Garmin G1000 or Garmin Perspective.

Buying & value

On the used market, the North American P-51 Mustang occupies the high-end warbird segment, where condition and documentation drive value. Buyers should examine restoration history, airframe identity, logbook continuity, corrosion control, wing and fuselage structure, coolant system condition, landing gear rigging, propeller status and Packard Merlin overhaul time. Authenticity can add value, while practical upgrades such as dual controls, modern avionics, improved cooling details and maintainability modifications may broaden usability. Commonly encountered variants include the bubble-canopy P-51D, earlier P-51B/C models, dual-seat TF-51 conversions and rarer late-production versions such as the P-51H.

5 North American P-51 Mustang aircraft are for sale on PlaneFox today.

See all 5 listings