The production of United States military aircraft during World War II ranges from trainers, fighters, and bombers to jet-powered fighters. The industrial capability was so great that in 1944 alone, the U.S. built more planes than the Japanese did from 1939 to 1945. In order to finance production costs, the United States had to utilize war bonds and income tax increases. According to reporting by Norwich University, US citizens bought over $185.7 billion worth of bonds at 75% face value, shouldering a great deal of the financial burden of World War II.
By World War II’s end, the number of aircraft in the United States Air Force grew to roughly 300,000. The B-29 Superfortress and P-47 Thunderbolt represented some of the best aircraft that the American military had to offer during WWII, making them fairly expensive planes for the time. The B-29 Superfortress was outfitted with remote-controlled gun turrets, pressurized crew compartments, and advanced radar systems. This plane was used to drop the two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (Here are WWII bombings that involved the most planes.)
24/7 Wall St. reviewed the average unit cost per fighter or bomber each year of the war from Craven, W.F. and Cate, J.L.’s (1983) “The Army Air Forces In World War II” to determine how much American fighters and bombers cost during World War II. Production figures of U.S. aircraft per year came from the Army Air Forces Statistical Digest: World War II, December 1945 edition. We weighted the annual average cost by the annual aircraft production and ranked the planes by their overall average unit cost throughout WWII to find the overall average unit cost.
Information on the manufacturer of each aircraft and crew came from several military historical sources. (Because annual production numbers were not available for the C-47 Skytrain, its cost figure is a simple average of each year’s average cost – not weighted.) The planes on this list cost between $2,537 per unit to $539,818 per unit. (Also see, the most mass-produced American planes in WWII.)
Why This Matters
World War II played a huge part in the industrial revolution within the United States as the country fully mobilized its industrial resources to out-produce its enemies. A number of tanks, aircraft, and maritime vessels were produced and each contributed greatly to the war effort. As a result, World War II was a unique time for the economy. Some of the biggest manufacturers on this list are some of the largest companies producing military equipment today – such as Boeing and Lockheed.
Scroll below to see the production cost of every American plane in WWII: ranked
19. Piper L-4 Grasshopper
- Average cost per plane: $2,537
- Total built during WWII: 5,611 — #16 most out of 52 planes
The Piper L-4 Grasshopper was an aircraft used for communication. It could fit a crew of 1 and was manufactured by Piper Aircraft Corporation.
18. Stinson L-5 Sentinel
- Average cost per plane: $9,090
- Total built during WWII: 3,590 — #19 most out of 52 planes
The Stinson L-5 Sentinel was an aircraft used for communication. It could fit a crew of 2 and was manufactured by Stinson.
17. T-6 Texan
- Average cost per plane: $25,839
- Total built during WWII: 15,094 — #3 most out of 52 planes
The T-6 Texan was a trainer aircraft. It could fit a crew of 2 and was manufactured by North American Aviation.
16. North American P-51 Mustang
- Average cost per plane: $52,541
- Total built during WWII: 14,501 — #4 most out of 52 planes
The North American P-51 Mustang was a fighter plane. It could fit a crew of 1 and was manufactured by North American Aviation.
15. Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
- Average cost per plane: $54,472
- Total built during WWII: 13,738 — #5 most out of 52 planes
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was a fighter plane. It could fit a crew of 1 and was manufactured by Curtiss-Wright Corporation.
14. Bell P-39 Airacobra
- Average cost per plane: $64,047
- Total built during WWII: 9,588 — #10 most out of 52 planes
The Bell P-39 Airacobra was a fighter plane. It could fit a crew of 1 and was manufactured by Bell Aircraft Corporation.
13. Beechcraft AT-7
- Average cost per plane: $75,574
- Total built during WWII: 5,775 — #15 most out of 52 planes
The Beechcraft AT-7 was a trainer aircraft. It could fit a crew of 2 and was manufactured by Beechcraft.
12. Douglas A-20 Havoc / Boston
- Average cost per plane: $85,890
- Total built during WWII: 7,385 — #14 most out of 52 planes
The Douglas A-20 Havoc / Boston was a light bomber plane. It could fit a crew of 3 and was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company.
11. Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
- Average cost per plane: $90,982
- Total built during WWII: 15,585 — #2 most out of 52 planes
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was a fighter plane. It could fit a crew of 1 and was manufactured by Republic Aviation Corporation.
10. Douglas C-47 Skytrain
- Average cost per plane: $100,897
- Total built during WWII: 10,692 — N/A
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain was a transport plane. It could fit a crew of 3 and was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company.
9. Lockheed P-38 Lightning
- Average cost per plane: $104,225
- Total built during WWII: 9,536 — #11 most out of 52 planes
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a fighter plane. It could fit a crew of 1 and was manufactured by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation.
8. North American B-25 Mitchell
- Average cost per plane: $143,761
- Total built during WWII: 9,816 — #9 most out of 52 planes
The North American B-25 Mitchell was a medium bomber plane. It could fit a crew of 5 and was manufactured by North American Aircraft Corporation.
7. Douglas A-26 Invader
- Average cost per plane: $180,991
- Total built during WWII: 2,449 — #23 most out of 52 planes
The Douglas A-26 Invader was a light bomber plane. It could fit a crew of 3 and was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company.
6. B-17 Flying Fortress
- Average cost per plane: $212,632
- Total built during WWII: 12,692 — #6 most out of 52 planes
The B-17 Flying Fortress was a heavy bomber plane. It could fit a crew of 10 and was manufactured by Boeing.
5. Martin B-26 Marauder
- Average cost per plane: $213,396
- Total built during WWII: 5,157 — #17 most out of 52 planes
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a medium bomber plane. It could fit a crew of 7 and was manufactured by Glenn L Martin Company.
4. B-24 Liberator
- Average cost per plane: $227,695
- Total built during WWII: 18,190 — #1 most out of 52 planes
The B-24 Liberator was a heavy bomber plane. It could fit a crew of 10 and was manufactured by Boeing.
3. Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando
- Average cost per plane: $232,155
- Total built during WWII: 3,144 — #22 most out of 52 planes
The Curtiss-Wright C-46 Commando was a transport plane. It could fit a crew of 4 and was manufactured by Curtiss-Wright Corporation.
2. Douglas C-54 Skymaster (DC-4)
- Average cost per plane: $280,051
- Total built during WWII: 1,089 — #31 most out of 52 planes
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster (DC-4) was a transport plane. It could fit a crew of 4 and was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company.
1. Boeing B-29 Superfortress
- Average cost per plane: $539,818
- Total built during WWII: 3,763 — #18 most out of 52 planes
The Boeing B-29 Superfortress was a very heavy bomber plane. It could fit a crew of 1o and was manufactured by Boeing.
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