Warbird Information Exchange

I know I am about to embark on a very difficult journey, but I am nonetheless determined.

I am looking for help in getting started in restoring my own WWII warbird. Specifically, I am looking for a P-51 that is in very basic condition, I intend to do a full resoration and therefore do not want to buy one already there. I am very new to this so I am really looking for help in how I can find these aircraft or if anyone has any leads on any (perhaps some sitting on abandoned strip in Pacific somewhere or northern Africa?).

Any help anyone can give would be greatly appreciated.

Brandon Lausser

That's a reasonably complicated and definately quite expensive place to start. A basic airframe is going to run you well over a quater mil to a half mil just for starters. Figure another $75K to 125K for a powerplant and prop and you can see what kind of numbers you will be draining from your bank accounts. If you think your local MB/Jag/Lexus type mechanics are expensive, a high quality, warbird competent and with a good industry reputation, sheetmetal guy is going bug your eyes out.

If you are looking for a bird to learn on and hone your skills, there are tons of much simpler, easier and cheaper to restore aircraft out there that are not going to be 6 or 7 digit drains on your bank account.

http://www.courtesyaircraft.com/

Click on "inventory" and then "warbird projects".

Should give you some idea of how much Mustang project you can expect for $450,000.

As Craig has already alluded to, by choosing a project you'll quite probably be choosing the more expensive route to Mustang ownership.

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Hi blausser! Welcome to the board.

Courtesy Aircraft has a good P-51 project for sale.

http://www.courtesyaircraft.com/N51JY%2 ... 0Specs.htm


Like cvairwerks said, It is a very expensive proposition. The least expensive P51 project I've seen was the few remains of a firey crash, and it was still pushing 100k.

The chances of you finding an unclaimed P51 anywhere, well, they are pretty slim. If you do happen to find something like that on the planet, it will cost you more than the project listed above just retreiving it.

If you're rich and can take a few years off of work, you're gonna have a good time and come out with a Mustang.

If not, I recommend starting with a different bird. Restore it, and move up to something bigger. Do that a few times, and in 20 years, you might have what you want. Thats what I am doing.

On another note, operating almost any warbird is very expensive, very, very, expensive. Especially P51's, Bearcats, Corsairs, Ect. I've heard that a P51 just sitting in the hangar is going to suck up 40-50k a year.

Good luck on your search! You have come to the right place. If anyone has a clue to where the kind of bird is that you want, they definately post here.

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Deep Thoughts,
Jack Handy

I agree, the P51 is not the best to start with if you have have never done a restoration, the project that Courtesy has for sale is missing some important parts and at $450,000 you can expect to add another 400-500 thousand or more in parts and outside labor to get ready to fly, My dad has done lots of sheetmetel work on warbirds including mustangs, I have seen the bills to our customers for the custom work, ouch!!! If you have the funds available great, I would start with something less complicated Like a T-6 or Stearman. Hope the info helps.

There is another route to Mustang ownership. That is as a homebuilt project. Before anyone says you're and I are crazy, consider that a ground up project is nothing new and the numbers are growing. Face it, most flying Mustangs today are nothing more than flying data plates. New longerons and skins are a basic restoration. All new wings are getting more common. Remember one more thing, the term "Experimental" is no longer a dirty word. I see this as a logical progression for the lack of existing "original" airframes. It's not a question of How? it is a question of when. somebody is going to do it. Why not someone like yourself? BTW- I've had NAA parts and assembly drawings for years P-51A thru D. Dare I say a group of dedicated enthusiasts working things out together?

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Charles Neely

About 8 years ago I found a complete, but rough P51 in the US. I have not heard of it being sold since. I know of a current Spitfire project, with fuselage, wings, runout engine, but in need of a lot of parts and work. You probably need $400K to $800K to talk seriously about these.Are you an A&P or a pilot? Bill G.