When you look back at the industrial history of the United States, many of the most iconic and successful American products were produced in response to wartime demands.  One of the most famous is a fighter plane that was initially designed and built to fulfill a British contract, but ultimately became the plane that enabled our air forces to control the skies over Europe during World War II.  This 1944 North American P-51 fighter for sale by Platinum Fighter Sales in Redondo Beach, California, is a meticulously restored example of a Mustang with a combat history.  This ready-to-fly veteran, nicknamed “Sierra Sue II,” is being offered for $4,000,000.  Thanks to Mitchell G. for this historic tip!

Most people don’t know that the famous P-51 Mustang wasn’t even intended to be an American plane.  It was, in fact, designed for the British in less than six months from the signing of the contract to the first test flight.  Britain was in dire straits in its war with Germany and had approached North American Aviation about manufacturing the P-40 Warhawk under license.  The company was reluctant to produce an aircraft designed by another firm that they also felt was already obsolete.  In response, North American offered the British a new, more capable fighter, which they happily accepted.  When America’s entry into World War II was all but certain, our air forces quickly adopted the plane as our own.

Early versions were powered by the water-cooled Allison V-1710 turbosupercharged engine.  While a reliable powerplant, the nature of its design limited its ceiling to around 15,000 feet.  This did not match the demands of combat at the time, so experiments were begun to install the more powerful and much more altitude-friendly Rolls-Royce Merlin in later Mustangs.  The combination was a hit, and Mustangs were soon upgraded to carry more fuel to provide the range needed to escort bombers deep into Europe.  The air dominance made possible in large part by the Mustang helped to bring Germany to its knees.

When the war concluded, many of the planes were retained and provided service in the Korean War until fighter jet production met the demands of a new type of war.  Mustangs by the thousands were either scrapped or sold off to other countries.  Some of these planes managed to serve as front-line fighters until the early 1980s.  A few managed to survive after being sold to civilians after their armament was removed.  These planes, along with many that were repatriated from other countires formed the large contingent of vintage military aircraft that have populated air shows for decades.

The Mustang you see here has a very interesting history.  Produced in November 1944 by North American Aviation in Inglewood, California, the plane was shipped to Belgium in time to catch the tail end of the war in the European theater.  It was then assigned to the 402nd Fighter Squadron and piloted by 1st. Lt. Bob Bohna.  It wasn’t long before the plane was nicknamed “Sierra Sue II” after a girl in his high school.  Unfortunately, the description does not include any description of what happened to the original “Sierra Sue.”  It does say that the plane flew escort missions for B-17 bombing missions, took some shots at a ME-262, and found itself patrolling the skies of Paris when V-E Day rolled around.

From there, this Mustang followed the circuitous path of many surplus aircraft.  It was sold to Sweden, where it was flown by their military from 1947 through 1952.  Then, it was sold to Nicaragua and patrolled the hot and humid skies there until 1961.  It was then put on display until 1971.  Things took a different turn when it was sold by Nicaragua to an air racer and repatriated back to the United States.  After being modified and painted red, the plane was restored to its original condition from 1977 through 1983.  It graced many airshows after that but was again restored to factory specifications in 2011.  Emerging in 2014 for its first flight, the airplane was flown to the famed EAA Airventure in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where it received two major awards.

The plane is described as being correct to its April 1945 appearance and functioning down to the smallest detail.  The level of craftsmanship is displayed in the photographs posted here and in the many you see on the seller’s website.  While there is a fair amount of time on the Roush Aviation rebuilt Packard Merlin engine, it appears that an experienced pilot could climb into this iconic aircraft and head out with little concern.

While the $4,000,000 price tag is steep, this is likely one of the best examples of this famous fighter and is in the preferred late-war configuration.  These planes were the pinnacle of piston-driven fighter technology when the war ended, and even managed to rack up a respectable kill ratio on early MiGs during the Korean War.  Flying one would be the dream of many pilots, and the fantasy of those of us without the training and experience to handle such a craft.  At the rate of inflation we seem to be experiencing, you could also look at this as an incredible investment.  Warbirds such as this one will always demand a hefty premium.

If you could afford to fly this P-51 D, what would your plan of ownership be?  A museum?  Airshows?  Throw some clothes in a duffel bag and chase the sunset?  Please share your dreams in the comments.