![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/FurtherReviewHeader.png)
Birds of Prey
By Charles AppleThe Spokesman-Review
Three-quarters of a century ago, Americans rose to the challenge of World War II by filling the skies with fearsome – yet beautiful – birds of steel.
World War II wasn’t won in battle alone. The engineering know-how and industrial might of the United States was a big key to the Allied victory.
That’s particularly evident in the thousands of aircraft the U.S. produced in the walk up to and during the war itself. While quality vehicles were produced by other nations – Britain’s Supermarine Spitfire, German Messerchmitts and Foke-Wulfs and Japanese Zeroes – America’s aviation industry churned out one superior design after another, from heavy bombers to long-range bombers to agile fighters to durable carrier-based aircraft.
One such example is the P-51 Mustang.
![the P-51 Mustang](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/MustangLedeArt.jpg)
The plane was originally designed for use by Britain’s Royal Air Force, which had an urgent need for fighters during the Blitz on London. The U.S. Army Air Corps had to be sweet-talked into taking delivery of the Mustang.
Once it was in the air, however, the P-51 proved to be an outstanding machine. The aircraft was fast, agile, capable of taking enemy fire and – best of all – had a long range, which increased their value as escorts to vulnerable bomber runs deep in German territory.
By the end of the war, the P-51 Mustang had become the second most-commonly built aircraft in the U.S. arsenal.
![the P-51 Mustang](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/MustangLedeArt.jpg)
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/Key.png)
B-17 Flying Fortress
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/B-17_FlyingFortress.jpg)
Type: Bomber
Manufacturer: Boeing
First flight: July 28, 1935
Cost per plane: $238,329
Number manufactured:
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/B-17_Chart.png)
12,731
P-39 AIRACOBRA
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/P-39_Airacobra.jpg)
Type: Fighter
Manufacturer: Bell Aircraft
First flight: April 6, 1938
Cost per plane: $50,666
Number manufactured:
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/P-39_Chart.png)
9,584
P-40 WARHAWK
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/P-40_Warhawk.jpg)
Type: Fighter
Manufacturer: Curtiss-Wright
First flight: Oct. 17, 1938
Cost per plane: $11,892
Number manufactured:
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/P-40_Chart.png)
13,738
P-38 LIGHTNING
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/P-38_Lightning.jpg)
Type: Fighter
Manufacturer: Lockheed
First flight: Jan. 27, 1939
Cost per plane: $97,147
Number manufactured:
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/P-38_Chart.png)
10,037
B-24 LIBERATOR
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/B-24_Liberator.jpg)
Type: Bomber
Manufacturer: Consolidated Aircraft
First flight: Dec. 29, 1939
Cost per plane: $297,627
Number manufactured:
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/B-24_Chart.png)
18,482
F4U CORSAIR
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/F4U_Corsair.jpg)
Type: Fighter
Manufacturer: North American Aviation
First flight: Aug. 19, 1940
Cost per plane: $109,670
Number manufactured:
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/F4U_Chart.png)
12,571
B-25 MITCHELL
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/B-25_Mitchell.jpg)
Type: Bomber
Manufacturer: North American Aviation
First flight: Aug. 19, 1940
Cost per plane: $109,670
Number manufactured:
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/B-25_Chart.png)
9,984
P-51 MUSTANG
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/P-51_Mustang.jpg)
Type: Fighter
Manufacturer: North American Aviation
First flight: Oct. 26, 1940
Cost per plane: $50,985
Number manufactured:
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/P-51_Chart.png)
15,875
P-47 THUNDERBOLT
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/P-47_Thunderbolt.jpg)
Type: Fighter/bomber
Manufacturer: Republic Aviation
First flight: May 6, 1941
Cost per plane: $85,000
Number manufactured:
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/P-47_Chart.png)
15,686
TBF/TBM AVENGER
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/TBF_Avenger.jpg)
Type: Torpedo Bomber
Manufacturer: Grumman and General Motors
First flight: Aug. 1, 1941
Cost per plane: n/a
Number manufactured:
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/TBF_Chart.png)
9,835
F6F HELLCAT
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/F6F_Hellcat.jpg)
Type: Fighter
Manufacturer: Grumman
First flight: June 26, 1942
Cost per plane: $35,000
Number manufactured:
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/F6F_Chart.png)
12,275
B-29 SUPERFORTRESS
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/B-29_Superfortress.jpg)
Type: Strategic bomber
Manufacturer: Boeing
First flight: Sept. 21, 1942
Cost per plane: $639,188
Number manufactured:
![](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/s.cdpn.io/2795626/B-29_Chart.png)
3,970
Sources: World War II Foundation, Armed Forces History Museum, National Museum of Naval Aviation, National Museum of the United States Air Force, Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, MilitaryFactory.com, World War II Database
Photo Sources: U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army Air Force, U.S. Navy, Library of Congress, Lockheed Martin, Royal Air Force