What did an airworthy P51 D cost in 1970?

[treadigraph]

Thanks! It would seem my memory predates my birth by some considerable distance! It is actually from reading something recently, though i can't remember what and about which period it was describing.

Re the "ex Battle of Britain Spitfire IX", pretty certain Battle of Britain will be a reference to the film. Edit: it isn't is it, predates the film!

[meleagertoo]

I wonder which Lanc and Walrus were for sale bottom right corner of the image in post #10

[Planemike]

Originally Posted by meleagertoo

I wonder which Lanc and Walrus were for sale bottom right corner of the image in post #10

<br />Me thinks there maybe some connection with Charles Church. Purchaser...??

[treadigraph]

Originally Posted by Planemike

<br />Me thinks there maybe some connection with Charles Church. Purchaser...??

Sabre G-ATBF, Walrus G-AIZG and Lancaster G-ASXX all Bill Fisher/Historic Aircraft Preservation Society would be my guess. Spitfire might be Seafire VP441.

[Mechta]

Sport Aviation, the magazine of the American Experimental Aircraft Association may be a better place to look for a Mustang for sale. There was already a fledgling warbird movement, and pdfs of the magazines can be seen here Sport Aviation back issues by EAA members. The likelihood is some of the articles from time would give a good insight into restoring and operating WW2 fighters at the time.
It would also be worth researching Cavalier Aircraft and the Cavalier Mustang, as the company was refurbishing and updating P-51s for use as executive transports and counter insurgency aircraft around that time.
Wison 'Connie' Edwards said he never paid more than $15000 for any of his Mustangs (some from Guatemala). The article doesn't say if they were airworthy or not, nor what it cost him to get them to the USA. The one in question last flew in 1983. $15000 Mustangs

[Jhieminga]

Originally Posted by ORAC

1974 price close enough? Maybe take it down one or two K? The $15K price in 1970 was before an extensive overhaul.

I had a look around at that site but couldn't find a page with a relevant price, good find!
Interesting to see that $15K in 1971 is about $94K today (https://www.in2013dollars.com/us/inf...4?amount=15000). I think most people would jump at the chance to purchase an airworthy P-51 at that price 😉

Edit: I could not remember what the other big warbird broker was apart from Courtesy, it's Platinum of course: https://www.platinumfighters.com/fighters/ I see that I need to save a bit more... $3,5M for a P-51B...

[Geriaviator]

Maybe stretching the warbird definition, but ex-RAF Tiger Moths were available for £50 each in 1946. My father remembers them tipped on their noses and packed into a hangar like sardines -- which is why most of the Tigers I encountered had dented chins.

[treadigraph]

Originally Posted by Geriaviator

My father remembers them tipped on their noses and packed into a hangar like sardines

Sounds like A J Whittemore and then Rollasons at Croydon - there were around 200 originally, many picketed outside and some of which blew away in a gale. I've seen pics of them wingless and nose down in the hangar and I think Rollasons were still turning them out with CofAs into the '60s; some went to the US eventually and others into Europe, the delightful I-BANG being one of them - returned to Redhill for the Tiger Club show circa 1987. The Tiger Club operated quite a few of them and still has G-ACDC (well a many times rebuilt airframe painted as G-ACDC )

[Sue Vêtements]

Cheap back then? Isn't there a story of someone going to the boneyard and asking for a B17? They told him to chooe one and take it round the pattern to check it out. Apparently he'd never flown (doubtful) or maybe had only flown single engine, but gave it a try anyway. Unfortunately he smacked it up on landing, so they said "Not a problem sir, We'll just put that down to wind damage. Go get another one"

I've seen the pics of B17 tails as far as they eye could see and they'll just make you want to





It's heartbreaking

[Planemike]

Wow..........they will make a few saucepans.....!!!

[Discorde]

That's uncanny, Ken! Here's my post from November last year:

https://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/650...l#post11338956

[POBJOY]

Ex Film Spit

Originally Posted by Dr Jekyll

An ex Battle of Britain MK IX would certainly be unique.

They will be talking about the film !!!

[moss_cohen]

According to Wikipedia, it cost around $51,000 in 1941. Using the Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator, that would end up around $136,000 in 1970. Granted, that doesn't take into account what market demands would be for an antique WWII era plane in 1970, but that does seem to be a decent dollars for dollars comparison.

[DHfan]

As the advert was 3 years before the film was released, I think not.

[pax britanica]

re the 'stored ' B17s . Not heartbreaking at all . One can look at them and say with pride that they won the war for us or alternatively better in a scrap yard than dropping bombs.

Like the B52s etc today a monument to Americas amazing capacity to mass produce even complex things .at quite extra ordinary rates , Liberty ships almost daily , B17s /24s thousands and thousands
DC3s , largest number ever made for a commercial aircraft? Sherman tanks, inferior to the panzers but not when its five versus one. Looking back with hindsight the factories of America (inc dockyards ) pretty much won WW2

[Commander Taco]

I remember seeing an advert back in 1970 for a P-51D for sale at Toronto Island Airport. The aircraft needed an overhaul of both engine banks but was otherwise airworthy. Asking price was CAD$11,000.

[Downwind.Maddl-Land]

Originally Posted by Asturias56

that was before Mr Wilson.................

"This will not affect the Pound in your pocket...." (or words similar to that!) 🤭🤣

[Dr Jekyll]

Originally Posted by pax britanica

re the 'stored ' B17s . Not heartbreaking at all . One can look at them and say with pride that they won the war for us or alternatively better in a scrap yard than dropping bombs.

Like the B52s etc today a monument to Americas amazing capacity to mass produce even complex things .at quite extra ordinary rates , Liberty ships almost daily , B17s /24s thousands and thousands
DC3s , largest number ever made for a commercial aircraft? Sherman tanks, inferior to the panzers but not when its five versus one. Looking back with hindsight the factories of America (inc dockyards ) pretty much won WW2

What is a bit heartbreaking is how valuable even one of them would be now, if only as a source of spares. If only people had realised how scarce they were becoming just a few years earlier than they did.

[chevvron]

P-51Ds were still in use with the air force of the Dominican Republic into the '60s. Don't know how they were disposed of when they were retired.

[treadigraph]

Originally Posted by chevvron

P-51Ds were still in use with the air force of the Dominican Republic into the '60s. Don't know how they were disposed of when they were retired.

Dominican Mustangs were acquired by several American organisations/individuals between about 1970 and 1985, notably Brian O'Farrell in Miami,.Gordon Plaskett in California and Cavalier Aircraft in Florida.

The Nicaraguan P-51s and P-47s were acquired by Will Martin of Illinois in the 1960s; his book "So I Bought Myself an Airforce" is a terrific read, several aircraft didn't survive the various ferry flights, though I think all the pilots did. Must read it again.