Few airplanes stimulate the imagination of aviation enthusiasts as much as the North American P-51 Mustang. Conceived in 1940 during times of war, this elegant fighter is soon to become one of the Second World War’s most critical aircraft, altering how the Allies battled in the air.
The Mustang was renowned for its speed, long legs, and brute firepower, and as a result, it was a terrifying presence in Europe as well as in the Pacific. But the reason the Mustang is so extraordinary is not simply its record during the war—it’s how it has remained alive decades on, not only in museums, but thundering through the skies in airshows and etched in the minds of those who appreciate it.
The history of the Mustang starts with a problem. Allied bombers required an escort that could keep up and go the distance in deep enemy country. Early Mustangs, equipped with the Allison V-1710 engine, couldn’t perform at high altitudes where most of the combat occurred. All that changed overnight when the engineers installed the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, turning the aircraft virtually overnight into a high-altitude fighter with a top speed of more than 400 mph.
The most renowned of them all, the P-51D, had six .50 caliber machine guns and a Merlin built by Packard. It became the workhorse of the U.S. Eighth Air Force, escorting bombers, engaging enemy fighters in dogfights, and even strafing ground targets. Aviation historians tend to label it as the game-changer of the war, a fighter capable of doing everything.
When the war was over, the Mustang’s combat service wound down, but its tale did not end there. With over 15,000 produced, many were disposed of cheaply by the government, some for as little as a few thousand dollars. Though some became scrap or were abandoned, others were saved by private owners, and this formed the basis of what would later become a committed restoration community.
These days, restoring a Mustang is a labor of love and no small financial outlay. No longer a bargain warbird, the Mustang is now in the realm of the million-dollar collector. Unrestored examples have commanded multiple millions of dollars in recent years, and flying restorations have sold for three to five million dollars. Workshops such as AirCorps Aviation combine traditional craftsmanship with contemporary technology—3D scanning, bespoke fabrication, and skilled hands—to bring these machines back to the skies and make them fly better than they did in the 1940s.
Money and spares, however, don’t keep the Mustang alive—it’s the individuals behind them. Organizations such as the Commemorative Air Force are committed to keeping and flying these aircraft. With the world’s largest collection of flying WWII planes, they regard the Mustang as a showpiece and living memorial. Among their stars is “Red Nose,” a meticulously restored P-51D that still flies today, attending airshows and memorial events as a tribute to those who once operated them.
For veterans, the Mustang is not just a plane—it’s a memory. When a restored Mustang made an appearance at 101-year-old veteran pilot Jim McCubbin’s home, it awakened memories of dogfighting and high-stakes missions, bringing history to life before his eyes. For spectators at air shows such as Warbird Rides Days, climbing into the cockpit of a Mustang is like reaching out and touching the past, a way of sensing the vibration of history with the hum of the engine.
Even today, over eight decades on, there are still about 311 Mustangs intact, with over 150 still flying and dozens more in restoration. While this is a fraction of the number once produced, it is an impressive survival rate due to dedicated pilots, restorers, and historians committed to preserving them. They are not easy to keep—just the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine demands remarkable skill and attention—but the global community of enthusiasts guarantees the know-how and encouragement keep on coming.
The fact is, the skies of the future will not ring with the rumble of Mustangs indefinitely. Costs increase, pilots get older, and the task of keeping eighty-year-old planes aloft only becomes more difficult. But for the present, the P-51 serves as a living testament to a day when bravery, ingenuity, and persistence altered the face of history.
So long as there are individuals who will restore, fly, and cherish it, the Mustang will never stop flying as anything less than a warbird—it will always be a living, breathing embodiment of freedom and heritage.