INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Of these, 29 are in long-term storage, 54 are in active restoration hangars, 159 are still airworthy, 66 are on static museum displays, and
nine are difficult to categorize with public information
The list receives weekly serial-number updates from owners, insurers, registrars, and the public.More than 8,000 of the roughly 15,000 P-51s
helped: North American Aviation delivered more than 15,000 Mustangs, saturating the post-war surplus market at bargain prices
When the US Army Air Forces declared thousands redundant after V-J Day, civilians paid as little as US$3,500 per aircraft, towing the
fighters to farms or racetracks instead of scrapping them.The War Assets Administration and Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) handled
WWII aircraft storage, sales, and scrapping
By summer 1945, the RFC had 30 sales depots and 23 sales centers, with 117,210 aircraft transferred as surplus
Commercial airlines purchased DC-3s and C-54s, while transports and trainers were sold for civilian use or the Allies
as the largest single supply source of P-51 parts in the world
The seller claimed they had enough parts to fill 6-8 semi-trucks
Sholz put the starting bid at $150,000, but rumors at the time were swirling that the bid price would likely reach $400,000-800,000, even
The cost of the restoration project was already expected to far exceed the purchase price
According to the online community at GlobalAir.com, a restoration would cost at least $1.5 million!There are still about 150 P-51 Mustangs
in the air thanks to global support systems in the US, the British Commonwealth, and South Africa that exchange Merlin parts, pilot
museums.The flying cadre could be eroded soon due to factors like shrinking pilot pools, fuel policy changes, and aging engines
The mighty Mustang, one of the fastest piston-powered planes ever made, will need financial, technical, and educational support to survive
for future generations.Read the complete article here.Source: Simple Flying
