The Biggest, Most Expensive Military Planes Ever Produced

15. Mustang P-51

Commenced to Serve: 1950 1957 was the retirement year. Price: $570,000* The P-51 Mustang, created by North American Aviation, played a significant role in WWII and the Korean War as an aircraft used by the USAAF, RAF, RNAF, and RCAF. The 1949 design of the Mustang was the first. North American Aviation's first plan was to simply construct an outdated Curtiss P-40 design.

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P-51 Mustang | Twitter.com / @bishesh_tweets Executives, however, had a change of heart and suggested the more contemporary Mustang—which is unrelated to the Ford vehicle of the same name. These long-range, single-seat fighter-bombers had over 50,000 constructed. During World War II, each unit cost $50,985, or $570,000 in modern currency. Although it continued to operate with the Dominican Air Force until 1984, the Mustang was formally retired in 1957.