North American P-51 Mustang vs Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk and North American P-51 Mustang are WWII American fighter warbirds — the P-40 the rugged early-war Allison fighter, the P-51 the higher-performance Merlin escort.
Live Market Snapshot
Current asking-price market, aggregated across multiple marketplaces · refreshed daily
- For sale now
- 8
- Listed on 2+ marketplaces
- 7
- Source marketplaces
- 3
- Model years available
- 1944–2024
- For sale now
- 2
- Listed on 2+ marketplaces
- 1
- Source marketplaces
- 2
- Model years available
- 1942–1943
Live data from AeroGurus, aggregated daily across the used-aircraft market. Figures are current asking prices, not appraisals — confirm with a pre-buy inspection.
Safety Record
Absolute counts scale with fleet size — the most-produced types log more events without being less safe. Compare the % fatal.
| NTSB (1982–now) | North American P-51 Mustang | Curtiss P-40 |
|---|---|---|
| All events | 1 | — |
| Serious | 0 | — |
| Fatal | 0 | — |
| Fatalities | 0 | — |
| % Fatal | 0% | — |
Full Specs Comparison
| Spec / Model | North American P-51 Mustang | Curtiss P-40 |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
| Price Range | $503,200 – $3,500,000 | $3,005,028 |
| Category | Warbirds | — |
| Model Specifications | ||
| Seats | — | 1 |
| Cruise Speed | 315 kts (583 km/h) | — |
| Range | 1,434 nm (2,656 km) | — |
| Max Gross Weight | 12,100 lbs (5,489 kg) | — |
| Engines | — | 1 x Piston |
Which Should You Buy: North American P-51 Mustang or Curtiss P-40?
Bottom line: Choose the P-40 for a (relatively) more attainable, rugged WWII fighter with strong shark-mouth character; choose the P-51 for higher performance, range and the larger flying fleet/support. P-40 = attainable/rugged; P-51 = performance/fleet.
Pick the P-51 Mustang if…
- Budget matters — from $503,200 vs $3,005,028, you save ~$2,501,828.
Pick the P-40 if…
- More inventory — 2 listings vs 1.
Auto-generated from current market data and published specs. Confirm with a pre-buy inspection and professional appraisal.