When the United States Army Air Forces adopted the North American P-51 Mustang, the cost per plane was a seemingly affordable $50,000 – about the cost today of a luxury SUV. However, adjusted for inflation, the P-51 would cost around $700,000 today, but it was still worth every penny.
P-51 Mustang pilots shot down a total of 4,950 enemy aircraft, while more than 250 of its pilots achieved ace status and had an average rate of 7.69 air-to-air kills.