Warbird Information Exchange

I'm looking for actual production costs of WWII combat aircraft (fighters, bombers, transports) from all nations.
Currently I have the most popular American aircraft, such as the P-51, P-40, P-38, etc. But I have ran into a complete wall when it comes to finding out any other nations actual aircraft costs.
Any sites, email address or other sources would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Dano

Any idea what a Boeing PT-17 cost to manufacture?

Dan

I just happen to have a source of info from a project
I did years ago, and it says the original cost for the
PT-17 was $11,000 each.

Bela P. Havasreti

I wonder what that would work out to once it was corrected for inflation? The Air Force sold mine (it was flyable) in 1949 for $107.88!

Dan

snj-5,
Does your project include other aircraft costs?
Thanks,
Dano

Keep in mind that there might have been Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) that was not included in the price. Engine and avionics for example are typically GFE.

bdk is absolutely right... Items like:

Engine
Propeller
Armament
Seat(s)
Oil Cooler
Ancilaries / Accesories
Instruments / Avionics
Brakes
Wheels
Tires
etc. etc.

were all GFE.

The "original" costs data often quoted is for the
airframe alone. GFE costs were seperate and
not part of the quoted amount.

I do have original costs for other WW-II aircraft,
but only for types for which the original cost is
commonly (?) known....

For example (these are averaged over the production
run of each type):

PT-22 = $10,000
BT-13 = $20,000
T-6/SNJ = $27,000
P-38 = $97,000
P-40 = $44,000
P-47 = $85,000
P-51 = $54,000
B-25 = $96,000
B-26 = $227,000
Beech 18 / C-45 / SNB = $67,000
DC-3/C-47 = $165,000
A-26 = $192,000
B-17 = $276,000
B-24 = $310,000
B-29 = $543,000 (last post-war production run)

I suspect some carefully constructed Google queries might
garner results for whatever aircraft type you were interested
in.

Bela P. Havasreti

Works for me.
One can only do so much, so these numbers, with or without the GPE, etc will have to do.
Thanks a bunch!
<S> Dano

If I remember the story right, the Navy was paying Boeing about 12,000.00 for an N2S and they thought Boeing was ripping them off. So they ordered the Naval Aircraft Factory to design a replacement and build it in house. The N3N was born and the Navy supposedly paid 33,000.00 per plane !