North American P-51 Mustang

The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts. The Mustang was conceived, designed and built by North American Aviation (NAA) in response to a specification issued directly to NAA by the British Purchasing Commission. The prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out on 9 September 1940, 102 days after the contract was signed and first flew on 26 October.

                 

At the start of the Korean War, the Mustang was the main fighter of the United Nations until jet fighters such as the F-86 took over this role; the Mustang then became a specialized fighter-bomber. Despite the advent of jet fighters, the Mustang remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s. After World War II and the Korean War, many Mustangs were converted for civilian use, especially air-racing, and increasingly, preserved and flown as historic warbird aircraft at airshows.

• The Mustang had a Rolls-Royce Merlin V-1650 engine.
• With a maximum speed of 437 mph, its cruising speed was 275 mph.
• The wingspan was 37 feet.

The present price of a single P-51 Mustang can go upto $40,00,000...!!!