BGuthrie Photos: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- World War II gallery

OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- World War II gallery:

Bruce Guthrie Photos Home Page: [Click here] to go to Bruce Guthrie Photos home page.

Recognize anyone? If you recognize specific folks (or other stuff) and I haven't labeled them, please identify them for the world. Click the little pencil icon

underneath the file name (just above the picture). Spammers need not apply.

Slide Show: Want to see the pictures as a slide show? [Slideshow]

Copyrights: All pictures were taken by amateur photographer Bruce Guthrie (me!) who retains copyright on them. Free for non-commercial use with attribution. See the [Creative Commons] definition of what this means. "Photos (c) Bruce Guthrie" is fine for attribution. (Commercial use folks including AI scrapers can of course contact me.) Feel free to use in publications and pages with attribution but you don't have permission to sell the photos themselves. A free copy of any printed publication using any photographs is requested. Descriptive text, if any, is from a mixture of sources, quite frequently from signs at the location or from official web sites; copyrights, if any, are retained by their original owners.

Help? The Medium (Email) links are for screen viewing and emailing. You'll want bigger sizes for printing. [Click here for additional help]

Share: Facebook Twitter Digg
[1] NMUSW2_070702_002.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[2] NMUSW2_070702_008.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[3] NMUSW2_070702_009.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[4] NMUSW2_070702_020.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[5] NMUSW2_070702_025.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[6] NMUSW2_070702_044.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[7] NMUSW2_070702_049.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[8] NMUSW2_070702_056.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[9] NMUSW2_070702_058.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[10] NMUSW2_070702_062.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[11] NMUSW2_070702_064.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[12] NMUSW2_070702_071.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[13] NMUSW2_070702_076.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[14] NMUSW2_070702_079.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[15] NMUSW2_070702_082.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[16] NMUSW2_070702_086.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[17] NMUSW2_070702_096.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[18] NMUSW2_070702_100.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[19] NMUSW2_070702_109.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[20] NMUSW2_070702_114.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[21] NMUSW2_070702_116.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[22] NMUSW2_070702_125.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[23] NMUSW2_070702_127.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[24] NMUSW2_070702_132.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[25] NMUSW2_070702_135.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[26] NMUSW2_070702_144.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[27] NMUSW2_070702_152.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[28] NMUSW2_070702_154.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[29] NMUSW2_070702_157.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[30] NMUSW2_070702_167.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[31] NMUSW2_070702_168.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[32] NMUSW2_070702_172.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[33] NMUSW2_070702_176.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[34] NMUSW2_070702_183.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[35] NMUSW2_070702_191.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[36] NMUSW2_070702_196.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[37] NMUSW2_070702_213.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[38] NMUSW2_070702_217.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[39] NMUSW2_070702_224.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[40] NMUSW2_070702_228.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[41] NMUSW2_070702_237.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[42] NMUSW2_070702_240.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[43] NMUSW2_070702_243.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[44] NMUSW2_070702_252.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[45] NMUSW2_070702_260.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[46] NMUSW2_070702_264.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[47] NMUSW2_070702_268.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[48] NMUSW2_070702_272.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[49] NMUSW2_070702_275.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[50] NMUSW2_070702_282.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[51] NMUSW2_070702_290.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[52] NMUSW2_070702_294.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[53] NMUSW2_070702_298.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[54] NMUSW2_070702_304.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[55] NMUSW2_070702_315.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[56] NMUSW2_070702_323.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[57] NMUSW2_070702_327.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[58] NMUSW2_070702_334.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[59] NMUSW2_070702_336.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[60] NMUSW2_070702_345.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[61] NMUSW2_070702_350.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[62] NMUSW2_070702_361.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[63] NMUSW2_070702_367.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[64] NMUSW2_070702_373.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[65] NMUSW2_070702_379.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[66] NMUSW2_070702_382.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[67] NMUSW2_070702_386.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[68] NMUSW2_070702_392.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[69] NMUSW2_070702_402.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[70] NMUSW2_070702_409.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[71] NMUSW2_070702_414.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[72] NMUSW2_070702_420.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[73] NMUSW2_070702_426.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[74] NMUSW2_070702_432.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[75] NMUSW2_070702_437.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[76] NMUSW2_070702_444.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[77] NMUSW2_070702_448.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[78] NMUSW2_070702_451.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[79] NMUSW2_070702_455.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[80] NMUSW2_070702_461.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[81] NMUSW2_070702_471.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[82] NMUSW2_070702_475.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[83] NMUSW2_070702_484.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[84] NMUSW2_070702_492.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[85] NMUSW2_070702_499.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[86] NMUSW2_070702_501.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[87] NMUSW2_070702_511.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[88] NMUSW2_070702_523.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[89] NMUSW2_070702_527.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[90] NMUSW2_070702_533.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[91] NMUSW2_070702_537.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[92] NMUSW2_070702_545.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[93] NMUSW2_070702_551.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[94] NMUSW2_070702_567.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[95] NMUSW2_070702_570.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[96] NMUSW2_070702_587.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[97] NMUSW2_070702_599.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[98] NMUSW2_070702_604.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[99] NMUSW2_070702_609.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[100] NMUSW2_070702_615.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[101] NMUSW2_070702_618.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[102] NMUSW2_070702_622.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[103] NMUSW2_070702_625.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[104] NMUSW2_070702_628.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[105] NMUSW2_070702_635.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[106] NMUSW2_070702_640.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[107] NMUSW2_070702_643.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[108] NMUSW2_070702_654.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[109] NMUSW2_070702_657.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[110] NMUSW2_070702_660.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[111] NMUSW2_070702_670.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[112] NMUSW2_070702_677.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[113] NMUSW2_070702_680.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[114] NMUSW2_070702_685.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[115] NMUSW2_070702_692.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[116] NMUSW2_070702_699.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[117] NMUSW2_070702_702.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[118] NMUSW2_070702_705.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[119] NMUSW2_070702_712.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[120] NMUSW2_070702_716.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[121] NMUSW2_070702_723.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[122] NMUSW2_070702_732.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)	[123] NMUSW2_070702_738.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)
[124] NMUSW2_070702_739.JPG Medium (Email) (Bigger?)

Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. NMUSW2_070702_025.JPG: Boeing B-29 Superfortress: Bockscar: The B-29 on display, Bockscar, dropped the Fat Man atomic bomb on Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945, three days after the atomic attack against Hiroshima. Bockscar was one of 15 specially modified "Silverplate" B-29s assigned to the 509th Composite Group. Most B-29s carried eight .50-cal. machine guns in remote controlled turrets, two .50-cal. machine guns and one 20mm cannon in a tail turret, and up to 20,000 pounds of bombs. Silverplate B-29s, however, retained only the tail turret and had their armor removed to save weight so that the heavy atomic bombs of the time could be carried over a longer distance. Designed in 1940 as an eventual replacement for the B-17 and B-24, the first B-29 made its maiden flight on Sept. 21, 1942. In December 1943 U.S. Army Air Forces leadership committed the Superfortress to Asia, where its great range made it particularly suited for the long over-water flights against the Japanese homeland from bases in China. During the last two months of 1944, B-29s began operating against Japan from the islands of Saipan, Guam and Tinian. With the advent of the conflict in Korea in June 1950, the B-29 returned to combat. Although vulnerable to MiG-15 jet fighter attacks, the Superfortress remained effective against several types of targets throughout the Korean War. Bockscar was flown to the museum on Sept. 26, 1961. Bockscar: Prologue to the Mission: By August 1945, U.S. Navy submarines and aerial mining by the Army Air Forces (AAF) severely restricted Japanese shipping. The AAF controlled the skies over Japan and the AAF's B-29 bombing attacks crippled its war industry. A plan for the invasion of Japan had been drawn up; Operation Olympic was scheduled for November 1945. Estimates of Allied casualties ranged from 250,000 to a million with much greater losses to the Japanese. To repel invaders, Japan had a veteran army of some two million ready, an army that had already shown its ferocity and fanaticism in combat. Some 8,000 military aircraft were available that could be used for devastating Kamikaze (suicide) attacks on U.S. ships. The draft had been extended to include men from age 15 to 60 and women from 17 to 45, adding millions of civilians ready to defend their homeland to the death, with sharpened sticks if necessary. Experience throughout the Pacific war had shown that Japanese combat casualties had run five to 20 times those suffered by the Allies, particularly in the battles of the Philippines and Okinawa. Whatever the predicted Allied losses, the potential Japanese military and civilian casualties would have been staggering. Whether Japan would have surrendered prior to the invasion without the use of the atomic bombs is a question that can never be answered. Using the history and projections available to him, President Truman made the decision to use the atomic bomb in an effort to end the war quickly, thus avoiding a costly invasion. Bockscar: The Aircraft: The Boeing-designed B-29 #44-27287 was built by the Glenn L. Martin Co. at Omaha, Nebraska ,at a cost of about $639,000. It was accepted by the USAAF on April 19, 1945 and was delivered to the 393rd Bomb Squadron at Wendover Field in the Utah salt flats. There aircrews of the 509th Composite Group were engaged in intensive training under a cloak of secrecy. In June, aircraft and crew flew to Tinian Island in the Marianas. From there, Bockscar, named for its pilot Frederick C. Bock, flew five bombing missions. On four of these, a 10,000 pound bomb loaded with high explosives was dropped. Nicknamed "pumpkin" bombs because of their shape and color, these were of the same size and shape as the actual "fat man" atomic bomb dropped at Nagasaki. After Japan surrendered, Bockscar and the 393rd Bomb Squadron was reassigned to Roswell Field, New Mexico. in error, The Great Artiste was named in some official reports as the Superfortress that dropped the atomic bomb at Nagasaki. This mistake was discovered when preparations were being made to preserve the aircraft for later museum display. When the discrepancy was found, it was Bockscar that was retired in September 1946 to the desert storage facility at Davis-Monthan field near Tucson, Arizona. There it remained until September 1961 when it made one more flight, to Wright-Patterson AFB to become part of the growing collection of display aircraft at the U.S. Air Force Museum. Today about a million visitors each year view Bockscar, the aircraft that ended the world's most costly war. Bockscar: The Aftermath of the Mission: Even after the second atomic bomb attack, disagreement raged within the Japanese government between the peace advocates and those who urged continued resistance. An attempted coup by militant extremists failed and on August 14 Japan surrendered unconditionally. In a break with tradition, Emperor Hirohito announced the surrender in a recorded radio message. Japan accepted the terms of the July 26th Potsdam Declaration calling for an unconditional surrender, terms which the Japanese had rejected previously. This was the first time the Japanese people had ever heard their emperor's voice, and some Japanese officers committed suicide upon hearing his decision. On August 28th, U.S. aircraft began landing the first occupation forces at Tokyo. B-29s now were flying relief missions, dropping food, medicine, and other supplies to U.S. and Allied prisoners at some 150 Japanese prisoner of war (POW) camps. Americans generally felt no moral dilemma over the dropping of the atomic bombs. The surrender ended more than a decade of Japanese aggression in Asia and the Pacific. After three and one-half years of brutal warfare following Pearl Harbor, Americans anxiously awaited the homecoming of our surviving service personnel and a return to peacetime normalcy. To an American POW working in a coal mine near Nagasaki when the atomic bomb detonated, the bomb meant survival. He weighed only 98 pounds after 40 months of captivity.
2. NMUSW2_070702_044.JPG: Fat Man Atomic Bomb: The Fat Man atomic bomb was the weapon that ended World War II. Delivered by the B-29 Bockscar over Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945, the 10,000 pound weapon was detonated at an altitude of about 1,800 feet above the city. It yielded an explosive force of 20,000 tons of TNT, about the same as the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Because of Nagasaki's hilly terrain, however, the damage was less than at the relatively flat city of Hiroshima. Fat Man was an implosion type weapon using a sphere of plutonium placed in the center of a hollow sphere of high explosive (HE). Numerous detonators located on the surface of the HE were fired simultaneously to produce a powerful inward pressure on the plutonium, squeezing it, and increasing its density. This implosion created a chain reaction condition and an atomic explosion. A demilitarize, postwar Mk III bomb, the weapon on display is painted and configured to represent the Fat Man dropped on Nagasaki. The yellow color allowed observers to easily track the bomb after it was dropped. During assembly at Tinian, all of the openings and cracks in the bomb casing were sealed to protect the delicate parts inside from atmospheric changes when the B-29 reached high altitude.
3. NMUSW2_070702_056.JPG: Curtiss C-46D Commando. The C-46 was developed from the new and unproven commercial aircraft design, the CW-20, which first flew in March 1940. Deliveries of AAF C-46s began in July 1942 for the Air Transport Command and Troop Carrier Command. During World War II, the USAAF accepted 3,144 C-46s for hauling cargo and personnel and for towing gliders. Of this total, 1,410 were C-46Ds. The C-46 gained its greatest fame during WWII transporting war materials over the "Hump" from India to China after the Japanese had closed the Burma Road. C-46 flights on the treacherous air route over the Himalayas began in May 1943. The Commando carried more cargo than the famous C-47 and offered better performance at higher altitudes, but under these difficult flying conditions, C-46s required extensive maintenance and had a relatively high loss rate. In Europe, C-46s dropped paratroopers during the aerial crossing of the Rhine River near Wesel in March 1945. C-46s saw additional service during the Korean War. The C-46D on display is painted as a C-46 flying the Hump in 1944. This aircraft was retired from USAF service in Panama in 1968 and was flown to the museum in 1972. The C-46D was an improved version of the -A model. The aircraft was primarily designed as a troop carrier and had cargo/paratroop doors on both sides of the fuselage. The nose section was also redesigned to incorporate additional radios and flight instruments. The C-46D had the same model Pratt & Whitney engine as the C-46A but had a top speed nearly 30 mph slower. The engines were fitted with 4-blade propellers designed for decent cruise performance and large gross weight takeoffs. The -D model had a maximum gross weight more than a ton greater than the -A model, but the two aircraft had essentially the same cruising speed. The C-46D remained in service with the USAF well into the 1960s. The museum's C-46D was retired in 1968 and was among the last C-46s in USAF service. The museum has C-46D-15-CU (S/N 44-78018) on display in the Air Power Gallery.
4. NMUSW2_070702_058.JPG: "Bockscar" again
5. NMUSW2_070702_062.JPG: Douglas A-20G Havoc
6. NMUSW2_070702_071.JPG: Consolidated OA-10 Catalina. The OA-10 was the U.S Army Air Forces' version of the PBY series flown extensively by the U.S. Navy during World War II. It was a twin-engine, parasol-mounted monoplane equipped with a flying boat hull, retractable tricycle landing gear and retractable wing-tip floats. The OA-10 operated primarily for air-sea rescue work ("DUMBO" missions) with the USAAF's Emergency Rescue Squadrons throughout WWII and for several years thereafter. During the war, OA-10 crews rescued hundreds of downed fliers. The prototype Catalina first flew on March 28, 1935, and the production version was built in both seaplane and amphibian versions. The Consolidated Aircraft Corp., along with Canadian Vickers Ltd. and the Naval Aircraft Factory, produced nearly 2,500 Catalinas; of these, the USAAF received approximately 380. The Brazilian Air Force was one of several Allied nations that received Catalinas during the war. It operated this Catalina in a variety of roles in the Amazon Basin until 1981. Flown to the museum in 1984, it was restored and painted as an OA-10A assigned to the 2nd Emergency Rescue Squadron in the Pacific Theater during WWII.
7. NMUSW2_070702_100.JPG: Northrup P61C Black Widow The heavily-armed Black Widow was the United States' first aircraft specifically designed as a night-fighter. The P-61 carried radar equipment in its nose that enabled its crew of two or three to locate enemy aircraft in total darkness and fly into proper position to attack. The XP-61 was flight-tested in 1942 and the delivery of production aircraft began in late 1943. The P-61 flew its first operational intercept mission as a night fighter in Europe on July 3, 1944, and later was also used as a night intruder over enemy territory. In the Pacific, a Black Widow claimed its first "kill" on the night of July 6, 1944. As P-61s became available, they replaced interim Douglas P-70s and Bristol Beaufighters in all USAAF night fighter squadrons. During World War II, Northrop built approximately 700 P-61s; 41 of these were C models manufactured in the summer of 1945 offering greater speed and capable of operating at higher altitude. The Black Widow on display was presented to the museum by the Tecumseh Council, Boy Scouts of America, Springfield, Ohio, in 1958. It is painted and marked as a P-61B assigned to the 550th Night Fighter Squadron serving in the Pacific in 1945.
8. NMUSW2_070702_109.JPG: MXY7-K1 Trainer. Late in World War II, the Dai-ichi Kaigun Koku Gijitsusho (1st Naval Air Technical Arsenal) at Yokosuka, Japan, designed the MXY7-K1 to teach less experienced pilots to fly the Model 11 "Ohka" (Cherry Blossom) kamikaze suicide rocket bomb. The Ohka was carried to the target under a G4M "Betty" bomber. When the Betty/Ohka combination reaching Allied shipping, the Ohka pilot would detach, ignite the rocket motor, and dive into a ship. This trainer version was carried aloft and then released for practice flights. Unlike the Ohka, the MXY7-K1 had a landing skid and flaps. In place of the warhead and rocket motors of the Ohka, the MXY7-K1 used water ballast that was expelled before landing. Even so, it challenged novice pilots with its high, 130 mph landing speed. A total of 45 MXY7-K1 trainers were completed by the end of WWII.
9. NMUSW2_070702_116.JPG: Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to the [unnamed] donor for his participation in the atomic raid against Nagasaki.
10. NMUSW2_070702_132.JPG: "Bockscar" again
11. NMUSW2_070702_144.JPG: Interstate L-6 Grasshopper. The Interstate Co. entered the aviation industry in 1940 with the S-1B "Cadet," a tandem seat liaison airplane. When the United States entered World War II, the U.S. Army Air Forces contracted with Interstate for 250 S-1B aircraft, designating the prototype as the XO-63. It was the last airplane to use the "O" (for observation) designation. Later, the USAAF designated the production airplane as the L-6. The aircraft, however, had significant overheating problems that were only partially solved. It had the dubious distinction that fewer L-6s were built than any other USAAF liaison aircraft. The USAAF used the L-6 as a utility transport, liaison and training aircraft in the United States but never shipped it overseas. After the war, the remaining L-6s were sold as surplus.
12. NMUSW2_070702_152.JPG: Sikorsky R-6A Hoverfly II: The Sikorsky-designed R-6A two-seat observation helicopter was a refined version of the R-4, the first Air Force helicopter to serve in a combat zone. First flown in October 1943, the R-6A used the same rotor and transmission system as the R-4, but it had a more powerful 235-hp Franklin O-405-9 engine. With its fuselage completely redesigned to reduce air resistance and improve pilot visibility, the R-6A bore little resemblance to its boxy-looking predecessor. Sikorsky constructed the first six test helicopters (one XR-6 and five XR-6As), but Nash-Kelvinator built another 219 R-6As in 1944-1945 under a Sikorsky license. Although primarily an observation and liaison helicopter, many R-6As could carry litters for medical evacuation in capsules on each side of the fuselage. Other special equipment included bomb racks for up to 650 pounds and floats for operation from water. The helicopter on display was acquired by the museum in 1986.
13. NMUSW2_070702_167.JPG: Sikorsky R-4B Hoverfly Developed by Igor Sikorsy from his famous VS-300 experimental helicopter, the R-4 became the world's first production helicopter, and the U.S. Army Air Force's first service helicopter. The prototype XR-4 made its initial flight on Jan. 13, 1942, and as a result of its successful flight tests, the USAAF ordered three YR-4As and 27 YR-4Bs for service testing and flight training. Of these, one went to Burma and one to Alaska, while several others were assigned to the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and British Royal Navy. They showed such promise that the USAAF ordered 100 R-4Bs. The R-4 was first used in combat in May 1944. In a letter to a friend, Col. Philip G. Cochran, commanding officer of the 1st Air Commando Group, wrote "Today the 'egg-beater' went into action and the damn thing acted like it had good sense." The R-4B on display was donated to the museum by the University of Illinois in 1967.
14. NMUSW2_070702_172.JPG: Douglas A-20G Havoc Flown by the Allies in the Pacific, the Middle East, North Africa, Europe and Russia, the versatile A-20 went through many variants. The A-20G, which reached combat in 1943, was produced in larger numbers than any other model. By the time production ended in September 1944, American factories had built 2,850 "solid nose" A-20G models. Attacking with forward-firing .50-cal. machine guns and bombs, the A-20G lived up to its name by creating havoc and destruction on low-level strafing attacks, especially against Japanese shipping and airfields across the Southwest Pacific. In 1961 the Bankers Life and Casualty Co. of Chicago, Ill., donated this A-20G to the museum. It is painted to represent "Little Joe" of the 5th Air Force, 312th Bomb Group, 389th Bomb Squadron, with 150 missions. Originally trained to fly P-40s, the men of the 312th transitioned to the A-20G in the field. Calling themselves the "Roarin' 20s," the men of the 312th fought their way across the Southwest Pacific from New Guinea to the Philippines.
15. NMUSW2_070702_176.JPG: Republic P-47D (Razorback Version) The P-47 was one of the most famous U.S. Army Air Forces fighter planes in World War II. Although the P-47 was originally conceived as a lightweight interceptor, it became a heavy fighter-bomber -- the P-47's maximum weight was over 17,000 pounds, while the comparable P-51 Mustang's was about 12,000 pounds. The prototype made its first flight in May 1941, and Republic delivered the first production P-47 in March 1942. In April 1943 over Western Europe, the Thunderbolt flew its first combat mission. During WWII, the Thunderbolt served in almost every war theater and in the forces of several Allied nations. Used as a high-altitude escort fighter and a low-level fighter-bomber, the P-47 quickly gained a reputation for ruggedness. Its sturdy construction and air-cooled radial engine enabled the Thunderbolt to absorb severe battle damage and keep flying. By the end of WWII, more than 15,000 Thunderbolts had been built. The P-47D "Razorback" Thunderbolt on display is an early version of the "D," nicknamed for the ridge behind the cockpit (later P-47Ds had a bubble canopy). It is painted to appear as the Thunderbolt Col. Neel Kearby flew on his last mission. Col. Kearby named all of his aircraft Fiery Ginger after his red-headed wife Virginia. Recovered from the crash site and obtained by the museum, the actual vertical fin of Fiery Ginger IV is also on display. This aircraft was donated by Republic Aviation Corp. in November 1964.
16. NMUSW2_070702_191.JPG: Cessna UC-78B Bobcat Dubbed the "Bamboo Bomber" by the pilots who flew them, the UC-78 was a military version of the commercial Cessna T-50 light transport. Cessna first produced the wood and tubular steel, fabric-covered T-50 in 1939 for the civilian market. In 1940 the U.S. Army Air Corps ordered them under the designation AT-8 as multi-engine advanced trainers. Cessna built 33 AT-8s for the Air Corps and production continued under the designation AT-17 to reflect a change in equipment and engine types. In 1942 the U.S. Army Air Forces adopted the Bobcat as a light personnel transport and designated those delivered after Jan. 1, 1943, as UC-78s. By the end of World War II, Cessna produced more than 4,600 Bobcats for the USAAF, 67 of which were transferred to the U.S. Navy as JRC-1s. In addition, Cessna produced 822 Bobcats for the Royal Canadian Air Force as Crane 1s. The UC-78 on display is one of the 1,806 UC-78Bs built for the USAAF and was acquired by the museum in 1982.
17. NMUSW2_070702_196.JPG: Messerschmitt Me 262A Schwalbe Developed from a 1938 design by the Messerschmitt company, the Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational turbojet aircraft. First flown under jet power on July 18, 1942, it proved much faster than conventional airplanes. Development problems (particularly its temperamental engines), Allied bombings and cautious Luftwaffe leadership contributed to delays in quantity production. On July 25, 1944, an Me 262 became the first jet airplane used in combat when it attacked a British photo-reconnaissance Mosquito flying over Munich. As a fighter, the German jet scored heavily against Allied bomber formations. U.S. Army Air Forces bombers, however, destroyed hundreds of Me 262s on the ground. Of the more than 1,400 Me 262s produced, fewer than 300 saw combat. Most Me 262s did not make it to operational units because of the destruction of Germany's surface transportation system. Many of those that did were unable to fly because of lack of fuel, spare parts or trained pilots. The Me 262A on display was brought to the United States from Germany in July 1945 for flight evaluation. Restored by the 96th Mobile Maintenance Squadron, Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, in 1976-1979, it is painted without operational unit markings as an aircraft that has just left the production line.
18. NMUSW2_070702_213.JPG: Stinson L-5 Sentinel The L-5 was the military version of the commercial Stinson 105 Voyager. The U.S. Army Air Forces purchased six Voyagers in 1941 as YO-54s for testing, and quantity orders for Sentinels began in 1942. Between 1942-1945, the USAAF ordered 3,590 L-5s, making it the second most widely used USAAF liaison aircraft. The unarmed L-5, with its short field takeoff and landing capability, was used for reconnaissance, front-line aeromedical evacuation, delivering supplies, laying communications wire, spotting enemy targets, personnel transport, rescue and even as a light bomber. In Asia and the Pacific, L-5s remained in service with the U.S. Air Force as late as 1955. Donated by Dr. Robert R. Kundel of Rice Lake, Wis., the L-5 on display was restored by the "Oriole Club" 133rd Tactical Airlift Wing, Minnesota Air National Guard. Delivered to the museum in 1977, it is marked as an L-5 of the 25th Liaison Squadron serving in New Guinea in 1944.
19. NMUSW2_070702_217.JPG: North American P-51D Mustang The Mustang was among the best and most well-known fighters used by the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. Possessing excellent range and maneuverability, the P-51 operated primarily as a long-range escort fighter and also as a ground attack fighter-bomber. The Mustang served in nearly every combat zone during WWII, and later fought in the Korean War. Origins: In 1940 the British approached North American Aviation to license-build Curtiss P-40 fighters for the Royal Air Force. North American offered to design a better fighter, which flew as the NA-73X in October 1940. Production of the aircraft -- named Mustang I by the British -- began the following year. Mustangs for the USAAF: In the summer of 1941, the USAAF received two Mustang Is under the designation XP-51. Although flight tests of the new fighter showed promise, the USAAF did not immediately order the Mustang. After the personal intervention of Gen. Hap Arnold, however, the USAAF retained 55 Mustangs from a British order. Most of these became F-6A photo-reconnaissance aircraft, which equipped the first USAAF Mustang units, the 154th and 111th Observation Squadrons in North Africa in the spring of 1943. In March 1942 the USAAF accepted the first production P-51A fighters. Although excellent at lower levels, the P-51A's Allison engines severely limited performance at high altitude. The USAAF employed P-51As in the China-Burma-India theater, where most combat took place at low altitude. In April 1942 the USAAF ordered an attack version equipped with dive brakes and bomb racks, the A-36 Apache. A-36s entered combat in June 1943 and served in North Africa, Italy and India. A Winning Combination: In the fall of 1942, Mustangs in the United States and Great Britain were experimentally fitted with British Merlin engines. One in the United States flew a remarkable 441 mph at 29,800 feet -- about 100 mph faster than the P-51A at that altitude. Mass production of the Merlin-powered P-51B and P-51C soon followed (nearly identical, North American produced the "B" in Inglewood, Calif., and the "C" in Dallas, Texas). In December 1943 the first P-51B/C Mustangs entered combat in Europe with the 354th Fighter Group "Pioneers." By the time of the first U.S. heavy bomber strike against Berlin in March 1944, the USAAF fielded about 175 P-51B/C Mustangs. Along with P-38 Lightnings, these P-51s provided sorely needed long-range, high-altitude escort for the U.S. bombing campaign against Germany. "Bubble-top" Mustang: The P-51D incorporated several improvements, and it became the most numerous variant with nearly 8,000 being built. The most obvious change was a new "bubble-top" canopy that greatly improved the pilot's vision. The P-51D also received the new K-14 gunsight, an increase from four to six .50-cal machine guns, and a simplified ammunition feed system that considerably reduced gun jams. The P-51D arrived in quantity in Europe in the spring of 1944, becoming the USAAF's primary long range escort fighter. The versatile Mustang also served as a fighter-bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. Few Luftwaffe aircraft could match the P-51D -- by the end of the war, Mustangs had destroyed 4,950 enemy aircraft in the air, more than any other USAAF fighter in Europe. P-51Ds arrived in the Pacific and CBI theaters by the end of 1944. In the spring of 1945, Iwo Jima-based P-51Ds started flying long-range B-29 escort and low-level fighter-bomber missions against ground targets in Japan. Continuing Development: North American eventually developed a considerably lightened Mustang, which became the P-51H. With a remarkable top speed of 487 mph, it was 50 mph faster than the P-51D. Although it was in production before the war ended, the P-51H did not reach frontline units in time to see combat. With the last of 555 P-51Hs completed in 1946, the production run of the Mustang ended with over 15,000 of all types built. Korean War: Although Mustangs continued in service with the newly-formed U.S. Air Force and many other nations after the war, more advanced jet fighters relegated them to secondary status. Many of the USAF's Mustangs (redesignated the F-51) were surplused or transferred to the Reserve and the Air National Guard (ANG). At the start of the Korean War, however, the Mustang once again proved its usefulness. After the initial invasion, USAF units were forced to fly from bases in Japan, and F-51Ds could hit targets in Korea that short-ranged F-80 jet fighters could not. Mustangs continued flying with USAF, South Korean Air Force (ROKAF), South African Air Force (SAAF) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) fighter-bomber units on close support and interdiction missions in Korea until they were largely replaced by F-86F jet fighter-bombers in 1953. Epilogue: F-51s flew in the Reserve and ANG until they were finally phased out in 1957. Obtained from the West Virginia ANG in 1957, the aircraft on display was the last Mustang assigned to a USAF tactical unit. It is painted as the P-51D flown by Col. C.L. Sluder, commander of the 325th Fighter Group in Italy in 1944. The name of this aircraft, Shimmy IV, is derived from the names of his daughter, Sharon, and his wife, Zimmy.
20. NMUSW2_070702_228.JPG: Junkers Ju 88D-1/Trop w/Fritz X Guided Bomb
21. NMUSW2_070702_237.JPG: Fritz X Guided Bomb The "Fritz X" (or PC 1400 X) was a 3,450 lb. armor-piercing bomb fitted with a radio receiver and control surfaces in the tail. It was intended for use against heavily armored ships and/or ground targets. When dropped from 20,000 feet, an altitude above the most effective anti-aircraft defense, it could penetrate about 28 inches of armor. Aided by flares in the bomb's tail, the bombardier could follow its fall after release and could send radio signals which moved the control surfaces and produced minor changes in the bomb's course. Later operational Fritz X bombs were wire-guided instead of radio-controlled to prevent jamming. The first operational use was on August 29, 1943 -- over the Mediterranean -- and the most famous employment of Fritz X was the sinking of the Italian battleship Rome off Sardinia on September 9, 1943, to prevent its surrender to the Allies. Between April 1943 and December 1944, about 1,386 of these weapons were produced; 602 were expended in testing and training. Its combat use was limited by the small number of Luftwaffe aircraft available to carry it and by its relatively poor accuracy, which averaged about 20% against Allied shipping.
22. NMUSW2_070702_252.JPG: BK-5 50mm Cannon The BK-5 was an adaptation of a tank gun and was intended primarily for use against Allied heavy bombers. Its magazine held 22 rounds, and the gun had a rate of fire of 45 rounds per minute. BK-5 cannon were installed in some Me 410 twin-engine interceptors and experimentally in the Me 262 fighter, but the war ended before testing with the latter aircraft could be completed. Only about 300 of the guns were produced and combat usage was limited. When Reich Marshal Hermann Goering was captured and questioned on May 10, 1945, he mentioned the BK-5 experiments translated as follows: "You might find around Germany some jet airplanes equipped with anti-tank guns. Don't blame me for such monstrosities. This was done on the explicit orders of the Fuehrer. Hitler knew nothing about the air. He may have known about the Army or Navy, but absolutely nothing about the air. He even considered the Me-262 to be a bomber and he insisted it should be called a bomber."
23. NMUSW2_070702_260.JPG: Messerschmitt Me 163B Komet The German Me 163, a rocket-powered defensive fighter, was one of the most unusual aircraft of World War II. Fortunately, its potential impact was minimized by technical problems and the small number produced. The Me 163 was the end result of a long line of tailless research aircraft designed by Dr. Alexander Lippisch. The first Me 163A prototypes were tested in 1941, but powered flight testing of the more advanced Me 163B was delayed until August 1943 due to engine and fuel problems. Although the Komet's rocket engine gave it a exceptional climb rate, range was severely limited by its high fuel consumption. Furthermore, the fuels used were extremely hazardous and sometimes exploded without warning, killing a number of pilots. Production Me 163Bs were not ready for operational use until July 1944. The Luftwaffe planned to have small units of Komets dispersed to intercept Allied bomber formations, but only 279 Me 163Bs were delivered by the end of the war. The sole operational Komet group, JG 400, scored nine kills while losing 14 of its own aircraft. Sabotage and Defiance: This Me 163B (S/N 191095) may have been sabotaged while under construction, perhaps by the forced laborers building it in Germany. A small stone was wedged between the fuselage fuel tank and a supporting strap (which could have eventually caused a dangerous fuel leak), and there was contaminated glue in the wing structure (which could have caused a failure of the wing in flight). Inside the aircraft's skin are these words, perhaps written by a defiant French laborer: "Manufacture Ferme" means "Plant Closed." "Mon coeur est en chomage" translated directly means "My heart is not occupied" (as opposed to France being occupied by the Germans). The aircraft on display was owned and restored by the Canadian National Aviation Museum and acquired by the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in 1999.
24. NMUSW2_070702_275.JPG: V-2 on Meilerwagen The V-2 was the first practical modern ballistic missile. Its operation was complex and involved specialized transport and launching equipment. Unlike the V-1 flying bomb operated by the Luftwaffe, the German army operated the V-2 rocket. Erecting, servicing, and launching a V-2 took from four to six hours and required some 32 different trailers and vehicles carrying fuel, batteries, pumps, spare parts, radios and other equipment. The entire operation required hundreds of soldiers, with the launch team alone needing more than 100 people to service and test the rocket, survey the site, run the support equipment and command the process. In all, more than 10,000 people and 3,000 vehicles were devoted to V-2 activities. The German army developed the V-2, known also as the A4 missile, as an alternative to super-long-range artillery, which the Treaty of Versailles prohibited after World War I. Designed by rocket pioneer Wernher von Braun, the V-2 was a breakthrough in missile technology but failed to prevent Germany's defeat in World War II. The rocket was inaccurate, which made it a poor military weapon but an effective terror device. Though the rocket was destructive, killing almost 3,000 people in England and probably even more in Belgium in the last year of the war, the German forced-labor system could not produce enough V-2s to affect the outcome of the war. In any case, the comparatively small power of V-2 attacks could not match the massive effect of Allied strategic bombing. After the war, the German rocket team and many captured missiles were brought to the United States, where V-2 technology helped to build the technological base for human spaceflight and advanced strategic missiles.
25. NMUSW2_070702_282.JPG: Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman Manufactured by the Noorduyn Aviation Ltd., Montreal, Canada, the UC-64A was a 10-place, single-engine utility transport. First flown in 1935, the Norseman was designed for rugged Canadian bush country operations; it could be equipped with wheels, floats or skis. Before World War II, Noorduyn delivered 69 to the Royal Canadian Air Force as trainers. After service testing seven YC-64s, the U.S. Army Air Forces adopted the aircraft in 1942 as a light transport. Noorduyn produced 762 Norseman for the USAAF before the war ended. Of these, 749 were UC-64As. Noorduyn produced the last Norseman in late 1959. Designed for and used in arctic areas, the Norseman was also employed in Europe and the Pacific during the war. On Dec. 15, 1944, a UC-64A disappeared on a flight from England to France with bandleader Maj. Glenn Miller on board. The aircraft was never found. The Norseman on display was acquired by the museum in March 1981. It is marked as a Norseman based in Alaska late in WWII.
26. NMUSW2_070702_304.JPG: Cushman Airborne Scooter In the late stages of the war in Europe, Allied paratroopers used scooters like this one to maintain contact between units, increase their mobility and haul small loads. The Cushman Motor Works designed the Model 53 Airborne Scooter to be airdropped by parachute or carried by glider, and it had a hitch to pull a model M3A4 general-purpose utility cart. By adding certain equipment, the cart could be converted to carry a .30-cal. or .50-cal. machine gun or an 81mm mortar, though the scooter often could not pull a heavy load. The M3A4 cart on display has original hand-ropes for manual towing by up to four men. Cushman made nearly 5,000 airborne scooters for the military beginning in 1944. The rugged, simple Model 53 could travel through a foot of water, climb a 25 percent grade and had a range of about 100 miles. The Cushman scooter and hand cart on display in the museum's Air Power Gallery were donated by Lt. Col. (Ret.) Frederick M. Serfass, Douglasville, Penn., in 2003.
27. NMUSW2_070702_323.JPG: Beech UC-43 Traveler One of the most distinctive U.S. Army Air Forces aircraft was the UC-43 Traveler, a light transport biplane with negative or backward staggered wings. In June 1939 Beech delivered three examples of its popular commercial Model 17 Staggerwing aircraft for evaluation under the designation of YC-43. These were later assigned to the U.S. air attaches at the American Embassies in London, Paris and Rome. Early in World War II, the need for a compact executive-type transport or courier aircraft became apparent, and in 1942 the Army ordered the first of 270 Model 17s for service in this country and overseas as UC-43s. These differed only in minor details from the commercial model. To meet urgent wartime needs, the government also purchased or leased additional Staggerwings from private owners including 118 more for the USAAF plus others for the Navy. The aircraft on display, donated by Maj. Richard River, USAF (Ret.), of Chillicothe, Ohio, was flown to the museum in May 1974. Procured by the Army during WWII, it was assigned to the Navy as a GB-2. It is painted as a UC-43 assigned to the 8th Air Force in England in 1943.
28. NMUSW2_070702_327.JPG: Martin B-26G Marauder Although the Marauder did not make its first flight until Nov. 25, 1940, its design showed such promise that the Air Corps ordered 1,131 B-26s in September 1940. The B-26 began flying combat missions in the Southwest Pacific in the spring of 1942, but most were subsequently assigned to Europe and the Mediterranean. Bombing from medium altitudes of 10,000 to 15,000 feet, the Marauder had the lowest loss rate of any Allied bomber -- less than one-half of one percent. U.S., British, Free French, Australian, South African and Canadian aircrews all flew the B-26 in combat. By the end of World War II, B-26 crews had flown more than 110,000 sorties and had dropped 150,000 tons of bombs. In 1945, when B-26 production was halted, 5,266 had been built. The Marauder on display was flown in combat by the Free French during the final months of WWII. It was obtained from the Air France airline's training school near Paris in June 1965. It is painted as a 9th Air Force B-26B assigned to the 387th Bomb Group in 1945.
29. NMUSW2_070702_334.JPG: Flakvierling 38 20mm Anti-Aircraft Gun The Flakvierling 38 was a German antiaircraft gun used during World War II. It consists of four 20mm Flak 38s set on a quadruple mounting with collapsing seats, folding handles and ammunition racks. The mount has a triangular base with a jack at each leg for leveling the gun. The tracker traverses and elevates the mount manually using two handwheels. The gun is fired by a set of two foot pedals -- each of which fires two diametrically opposite Flak 38s -- and can be operated either automatically of semi-automatically. It was widely used against low-flying Allied aircraft and was often installed in flak towers and other permanent mounts. The gun on display was captured in 1945 by the 2nd Armored Division, in the Ruhr Valley in Germany. It was restored by museum volunteers.
30. NMUSW2_070702_345.JPG: Republic P-47D (Bubble Canopy Version) Renowned for its ruggedness, firepower and speed, the massive Republic P-47 was one of the most famous and important USAAF fighters during World War II. Produced in larger numbers than any other U.S. fighter, the Thunderbolt -- affectionately nicknamed the "Jug" -- served as a bomber escort and as a very effective ground attack fighter. Origin: The Thunderbolt was the end result of a series of radial-engine fighters developed in the 1930s by Russian �migr�s Alexander de Seversky and Alexander Kartveli. Although the P-47 design originated as a small, inline-engine lightweight interceptor, changing requirements drastically altered the project. The considerably larger prototype XP-47B weighed over twice as much as the original concept. Into Service: The first production version, the P-47B, entered service in the spring of 1942. Production and development problems limited the 171 built to training use only. The follow-on P-47C corrected some of the vices of the P-47B, and it started coming off the production line in September 1942. Hitting Its Stride -- The P-47D: With over 12,500 built, the P-47D became the most-produced and widely-used model of the Thunderbolt. The early P-47Ds were similar to the P-47C, with the most important change being additional armor around the pilot. Although they were fast and had an excellent roll rate, early P-47s suffered from poor climbing performance and short range. Over the course of its production, the P-47D was greatly improved. A more efficient propeller significantly increased the climb rate. Internal fuel tank capacity became larger and new wing mounts carried droppable fuel tanks or bombs in addition to those on the underside fuselage mount. Late-model P-47Ds received more wing mounts to carry a total of 10 air-to-ground rockets. The Thunderbolt became even faster with engine water injection, which allowed higher emergency horsepower. The most visible change during the P-47D production run was the new "bubble-top" canopy, which provided much better all-around vision for the pilot. The Thunderbolt in Combat: The USAAF and several Allied nations used the P-47 in nearly every combat theater. Through 1943 in Europe, the P-47C and P-47D equipped the majority of 8th Air Force fighter groups in England (and one in the 15th Air Force in Italy) as a long-range escort fighter. But since they couldn't escort USAAF heavy bombers all the way to some targets, longer-ranged P-51 Mustangs gradually replaced them in the escort role (with the sole exception of the 56th Fighter Group). The rugged and heavily-armed P-47D proved to be ideal for ground attack, though, and it became the backbone of the fighter-bomber force in the 9th Air Force in western Europe and the 12th Air Force in southern Europe. In the Pacific, several 5th Air Force fighter groups flew the P-47D against Japanese air and ground forces in New Guinea and the Philippines in 1943-1944. Later, five groups in the 7th Air Force (and, in the closing weeks of the war, the 20th Air Force) flew the much longer-ranged P-47N as an escort fighter for B-29s against the Japanese homeland. The P-47D did not arrive in the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater until late spring 1944, but it flew as an effective fighter-bomber in several units there, including the famous 1st Air Commando Group. Many Allied countries also flew the P-47D in combat in WWII, including Brazil, Free France, Great Britain, Mexico and the Soviet Union. The Long-Legged P-47N: Range continued to be a problem for the Thunderbolt until the introduction of the P-47N, which breathed new life into the P-47 design. The P-47N had a more powerful engine and introduced a new wing which, unlike the P-47D's, carried two 96-gallon internal fuel tanks. The P-47N was 40 mph faster and could fly over 800 miles farther than the P-47D. The first production models appeared in September 1944, and over 1,800 were built. During the war, the P-47N was only used in the Pacific Theater. Post-War Use: P-47Ds and P-47Ns continued to serve in the USAAF (after 1947, the U.S. Air Force) as initial equipment for SAC, TAC and ADC squadrons. In 1948 the Thunderbolt was redesignated the F-47. As more jet fighters came into the inventory, the USAF phased out the F-47 in 1949, but the Air National Guard continued to use it into the mid-1950s. During the Korean War, the USAF theater commander, Lt. Gen. George Stratemeyer, requested that F-47s be sent. But, due to the shortage of spare parts and logistical complications, his request was denied. Many countries in Latin America, along with Iran, Italy, Nationalist China, Turkey and Yugoslavia continued to operate the Thunderbolt, some into the 1960s. Of the grand total of 15,683 P-47s built, approximately two-thirds reached operational commands overseas and 5,222 were lost in action, including 1,722 non-combat losses. In 1.35 million combat hours flown, the combat loss was less than 0.7 percent, an exceptionally low figure attesting to the strength of the aircraft. The Museum's Aircraft: The aircraft on display is a P-47D-40 (S/N 45-49167), and it was built at the Republic plant in Evansville, Ind. In the late 1940s, it was transferred to the Peruvian air force. The aircraft later came to the museum in 1981. It is painted as the P-47D-30 Five by Five flown by Col. Joseph Laughlin, commander of the 362nd Fighter Group, 9th Air Force, in early 1945.
31. NMUSW2_070702_350.JPG: Douglas C-47D Skytrain Few aircraft are as well known or were so widely used for so long as the C-47, or "Gooney Bird" as it was affectionately nicknamed. The aircraft was adapted from the DC-3 commercial airliner. The U.S. Army Air Corps ordered the first C-47s in 1940, and by the end of World War II, procured a total of 9,348. C-47s carried personnel and cargo, and in combat, towed troop-carrying gliders and dropped paratroops into enemy territory. After WWII, many C-47s remained in U.S. Air Force service, participating in the Berlin Airlift and other peacetime activities. During the Korean War, C-47s hauled supplies, dropped paratroops, evacuated wounded and dropped flares for night bombing attacks. In Vietnam, the C-47 served again as a transport, but it was also used in a variety of other ways which included flying ground attack (gunship), reconnaissance and psychological warfare missions. The C-47D on display, the last C-47 in routine USAF use, was flown to the museum in 1975. It is displayed as a C-47A of the 88th Troop Carrier Squadron, 438th Troop Carrier Group, which participated in the invasion of Europe on D-Day, June 6, 1944.
32. NMUSW2_070702_361.JPG: Waco CG-4A Hadrian The CG-4A was the most widely used U.S. troop/cargo glider of World War II. Constructed of fabric-covered wood and metal, the CG-4A was crewed by a pilot and copilot. It could carry 13 troops and their equipment or a jeep, a quarter-ton truck or a 75mm howitzer loaded through the upward-hinged nose section. Usually, C-46s and C-47s were used as tow aircraft. Flight testing began in 1942, and the CG-4A first went into operation in July 1943 during the Allied invasion of Sicily. It also participated in the D-Day assault on France on June 6, 1944, and in other important airborne operations in Europe and in the China-Burma-India Theater. Until late in the war, gliders were generally considered expendable in combat and were abandoned or destroyed after landing. Fifteen companies manufactured over 12,000 CG-4As, with 1,074 built by the Waco Aircraft Co. of Troy, Ohio. The glider on display was built by the Gibson Refrigerator Co. in Greenville, Mich., and accepted by the U.S. Army Air Forces in July 1945.
33. NMUSW2_070702_386.JPG: Lockheed P-38L Lightning P-38 Lightning Development: The P-38 was originally conceived as an advanced, high-performance twin-engine interceptor. On Feb. 11, 1939, Lt. Ben Kelsey set a coast to coast record of 7 hours, 48 minutes in the sleek prototype Lightning, but crashed while landing. Despite the accident, development continued and the first of 13 service test YP-38s flew on Sept. 16, 1940. Early model P-38s experienced turbulent airflow over the tail and problems at high dive speeds, known as compressibility, but later modifications corrected these difficulties. The first major production version was the P-38E, which had a 20mm cannon rather than the earlier 37mm cannon. Production of the E began in September 1941 and 210 were built. The next version, the P-38F, introduced pylon racks that could carry either bombs or droppable fuel tanks, greatly extending its range. Production of the G began in August 1942, followed by the P-38H in May 1943, which had a more powerful version of the Allison V-1710 engine. The P-38J, introduced in August 1943, was considerably improved over earlier models. It had better cockpit heating (a notable problem on earlier models), more efficient cooling for its engines, a flat bulletproof windscreen, additional fuel in the wings, and increased maneuverability. P-38 Lightning in Service: The versatile Lightning performed many different missions during World War II, including dive bombing, level bombing, bombing through clouds, strafing, photo reconnaissance and long range escort. It first went into large-scale service during the North African campaign in November 1942, where the German pilots named it "Der Gabelschwanz Teufel" ("The Forked-Tail Devil"). When the Lightning began combat operations from England in September 1943, it was the only fighter with the range to escort bombers into Germany. The Lightning truly shined in the Pacific theater; seven of the top eight scoring USAAF aces in the Pacific flew the P-38. On April 18, 1943, the long range of the enabled USAAF pilots to ambush and shoot down an aircraft carrying Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who was the planner of the Pearl Harbor raid and the commander of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The P-38 became the standard USAAF fighter in the Pacific theater until the closing months of WWII. The Museum's Aircraft: The final production version was the P-38L, which could carry two 300-gallon drop tanks. Deliveries of the L began in June 1944 and continued until August 1945. Of the 10,038 P-38s built, 3,923 were P-38Ls. The P-38L on display, painted as a P-38J with the 55th Fighter Squadron based in England, was donated to the museum in 1961 by the Kaufmann Foundation, Philadelphia, Penn. The top hats on the left side of the aircraft represent the nine bomber escort missions flown by its pilot, 2Lt. Royal D. Frey, with the yellow hat signifying five and the white hats one each.
34. NMUSW2_070702_402.JPG: North American A-36A Apache Unofficially named the "Invader," the A-36A Apache dive bomber was the first U.S. Army Air Forces version of the Mustang (the Mustang was officially developed for Britain in 1940). The first A-36 flew in September 1942, and North American completed production of 500 A-36As in March 1943. Assigned to the 27th and 86th Bombardment Groups (Dive), the A-36A first saw action against the island of Pantelleria in June 1943. During the Italian campaign, A-36A pilots flew bomber escort and strafing missions as well as ground support bombing attacks. A-36As also served with the 311th Fighter Bomber Group in India. In 1944 bomb rack equipped P-51s and P-47s replaced the A-36A when experience showed that these high-altitude fighters were more suitable for low-level missions than the A-36As. The aircraft on display was obtained from Charles P. Doyle of Rosemount, Minn., in 1971. Restored by the 148th Fighter-Interceptor Group, Minnesota Air National Guard, it is painted as the A-36A flown by Capt. Lawrence Dye, 522nd Fighter-Bomber Squadron, in Tunisia, Sicily and Italy.
35. NMUSW2_070702_409.JPG: Consolidated B-24D Liberator The B-24 was employed in operations in every combat theater during World War II. Because of its great range, it was particularly suited for such missions as the famous raid from North Africa against the oil industry at Ploesti, Rumania, on Aug. 1, 1943. This feature also made the airplane suitable for long over-water missions in the Pacific Theater. More than 18,000 Liberators were produced. The B-24D on display flew combat missions from North Africa in 1943-1944 with the 512th Bomb Squadron. It was flown to the museum in May 1959. It is the same type airplane as the "Lady Be Good," the world-famous B-24D that disappeared on a mission from North Africa in April 1943 and was found in the Libyan Desert in May 1959. The Consolidated B-24D was the first Liberator model to enter large scale production -- 2,698 were ordered in 1940-1942. The B-24D was essentially a B-24C with improved engines and some minor production differences. The first 20 D models built were from a block initially ordered as B-24A (40-2349 to 40-2368). Initially, the B-24D was armed with eight .50-cal. machine guns: the A-6 tail turret, Martin top turret, and one each at the nose (some aircraft had two nose guns positions), waist (left and right) and tunnel positions. The tunnel gun (lower aft fuselage) was replaced by a remote-controlled Bendix belly turret, and it was soon replaced by a Sperry ball turret. The single nose gun was augmented by left and right cheek mounted guns for late model B-24Ds. The museum has B-24D-160-CO, S/N 42-72843, on display in its Air Power Gallery. Some artifacts from the ill-fated "Lady Be Good" are on display nearby.
36. NMUSW2_070702_414.JPG: Flak 36 88mm Multipurpose Gun The Flak 36 is a German artillery piece used during World War II. It was primarily an antiaircraft gun but could be adapted to antitank and general artillery use. It consists of a single 88mm gun on a mount equipped with three systems of fire control: antiaircraft, direct (line of sight) and indirect fire. The cruciform (cross-shaped) mount is provided with two hinged outriggers for stability when firing in directions other than front and rear. The gun was widely used against high-flying Allied aircraft. The term "flak" has been used by the AAF and USAF from WWII to the present to describe antiaircraft fire. Its origin is the German phrase for antiaircraft defense cannon: FLiegerAbwehr Kanone.
37. NMUSW2_070702_426.JPG: Macchi MC.200 Saetta (Lightning) Developed in the mid-1930s for the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force), the Saetta was one of its principal fighters during World War II. The prototype made its first flight in December 1937, and by Italy's entry into WWII in June 1940, some 156 were in service. A total of 1,151 were produced. The Regia Aeronautica first employed the Saetta against the British on the Mediterranean island of Malta. Italian pilots also flew the MC.200 in Greece, North Africa, Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union. The U.S. Army Air Forces fought against MC.200s in North Africa and over Italy itself. The MC.200 on display was transferred from the Regia Aeronautica's 372nd Squadron in Italy to the 165th Squadron in North Africa during November 1942, just in time to be abandoned at Banghazi airfield following the battle of El Alamein. It appears that, in the press of circumstances, it remained in its 372nd markings. Captured by British forces, it was subsequently shipped to the United States where it was exhibited around the country to sell war bonds. Later obtained by the New England Air Museum, in 1989 it was purchased by a private owner who had it restored in Italy by a team from Aermacchi, the original builder, before its acquisition by the museum. It is displayed in the markings of the 372nd Squadron of the Regia Aeronautica that it carried at the time of its capture.
38. NMUSW2_070702_444.JPG: Piper L-4A "Grasshopper" The L-4A, originally designated the O-59, was the military version of the famous Piper J3 Cub. The U.S. Army Air Forces ordered the first O-59s in 1941 for tests in conjunction with its growing interest in the use of light aircraft for liaison and observation duties in direct support of ground forces. Between 1941 and 1945, the USAAF procured almost 6,000 Piper Aircraft. During World War II, Grasshoppers performed a wide variety of functions throughout the world such as artillery fire direction, pilot training, glider pilot instruction, courier service and front-line liaison. The L-4 on display is painted and marked to represent an L-4 that flew in support of the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942. It was placed on display in April 1995.
39. NMUSW2_070702_448.JPG: Section of a wing from a P-63 which apparently crashed near Nome, Alaska, one of about 5,000 P-39s and P-63s ferried over the ALSIB route between September 1942 and September 1945.
40. NMUSW2_070702_455.JPG: Consolidated B-24D Liberator
41. NMUSW2_070702_461.JPG: Fieseler Fi-156C-1 Storch (Stork) Designed in 1935, the Storch was widely used during World War II by German military forces for reconnaissance, liaison and aeromedical transport. High-ranking officers also used Fi 156s as personal transports. Notable features of the Storch included its good maneuverability, extremely low stalling speed of 32 mph, and excellent short field takeoff and landing characteristics. Between 1937 and 1945, the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) accepted almost 2,900 Fi 156s. Other countries using the Fi 156 included Sweden, Finland, Switzerland and Italy. The most famous Storch mission was the hazardous rescue of deposed Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in 1943 from a tiny rock-strewn plateau at a remote lodge high in the Apennine Mountains. This aircraft is painted as the Storch used by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in North Africa. Built in 1940, it was exported to Sweden where it remained until 1948. The last German to fly it before its acquisition by the donors in 1973 was German WWII ace Erich Hartmann. The aircraft on display was donated to the museum by Lt. Col. Perry A. Schreffler and Maj. Robert C. Van Ausdell, Santa Paula, Calif., and delivered to the museum in 1974.
42. NMUSW2_070702_471.JPG: Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Xi The Mark XI was essentially a Mark IX Spitfire interceptor modified for photographic reconnaissance with cameras, a more powerful engine and a larger oil tank in the nose. All guns and armor were removed and the fuel capacity was greatly increased; speed was the unarmed Mark XI's defense. A total of 471 Mark XIs were built between April 1943 and January 1946. Great Britain and its allies flew various photo-reconnaissance versions of the Spitfire with great success in all theaters during World War II. A total of 20,351 Spitfires of all types were eventually built, plus 2,408 Seafires modified to operate from aircraft carriers. The U.S. Army Air Forces' 14th Photographic Squadron of the 8th Air Force operated Spitfire Mark XIs from November 1943 to April 1945, flying hazardous long-range reconnaissance missions over mainland Europe. Placed on display in 1993, this aircraft is painted as a 14th Photographic Squadron Mark XI at Mount Farm airfield in England.
43. NMUSW2_070702_475.JPG: DeHavilland DH 98 Mosquito The famous British Mosquito -- known to many as "Mossie" --was a versatile aircraft used extensively during World War II. Constructed primarily of plywood with a balsa wood core, it had excellent speed, altitude and range. First flown on Nov. 25, 1940, the Mosquito entered production in mid-1941 and was produced until well after the end of the war. Almost 8,000 Mossies were built in Great Britain, Canada and Australia. Although best known for their service with the Royal Air Force, Mosquitoes were also flew in several U.S. Army Air Force units as photographic and weather reconnaissance aircraft and as a night fighter. During the war, the USAAF acquired 40 Canadian Mossies and flew them under the American F-8 (photo reconnaissance) designation. In addition, the British turned over more than 100 Mosquitoes to the USAAF under Reverse Lend-Lease. These aircraft retained their British designations. The aircraft on display is a British-built B. Mk. 35 manufactured in 1946 (later converted for towing targets) and is similar to the P.R. Mk. XVIs used by the USAAF. It was flown to the museum in February 1985. This Mosquito, serial RS709, has been restored to a Mk. XVI configuration and painted as NS519, a weather reconnaissance aircraft of the 653rd Bombardment Squadron based in England in 1944-1945. Mosquito Markings: Just before D-Day (the June 6, 1944, invasion of France), black and white stripes were applied almost overnight to a vast majority of U.S. and British aircraft to clearly identify them during the Normandy landings. In the rush to mark all the aircraft, masking and spraying sometimes gave way to more expeditious method of painting them by hand. Invasion stripes, like the ones being applied by the ground crewman in the museum's exhibit, would have completely encircled the wings and fuselage. The 25th Bombardment Group adopted a red tail for their Mosquitoes in August 1944 and removed the invasion stripes from the upper wing and upper fuselage surfaces in September 1944.
44. NMUSW2_070702_492.JPG: Stearman (Boeing) PT-13D Kaydet The PT-13 was a standard primary trainer flown by the United States and several allied nations during the late 1930s through World War II. In 1933 Lloyd Stearman designed the forerunner of the Kaydet, the Model 70, for the civilian market. Three years later, the U.S. Army Air Corps adopted a militarized version, designated the PT-13. In 1938 Boeing purchased the Stearman Co., which continued producing the Kaydet. There were many nearly identical models of the Kaydet. While the PT-13 was powered by a Lycoming engine, a Kaydet with a Continental engine received the designation PT-17, and with a Jacobs engine, the PT-18. A later version which featured a cockpit canopy was designated the PT-27. Well-liked by the students who flew, the Kaydet trained many thousands of pilots during WWII. Following WWII, the USAAF phased out the Kaydets in favor of more modern trainers. Of 10,346 Kaydets ordered for the United States and its allies, 2,141 were PT-13s for the USAAF. The PT-13D on display, donated in 1959 by the Boeing Airplane Co., was the last Kaydet produced.
45. NMUSW2_070702_501.JPG: Bristol Beaufighter Mk.1c The British Bristol Beaufighter filled the need for an effective night fighter in the U.S. Army Air Forces until an American aircraft could be produced. The Beaufighter had first entered operational service with the Royal Air Force in July 1940 as a day fighter. Equipped with a very early Mk IV airborne intercept radar, the powerful and heavily armed night fighter version entered service just as the Luftwaffe (German air force) began its "Blitz" night attacks against London in September 1940. Beaufighter crews accounted for over half of the Luftwaffe bombers shot down during the Blitz. When the USAAF formed its first radar-equipped night fighter squadron in January 1943, the only American night fighter available was the makeshift Douglas P-70, a modified A-20 bomber using the U.S. version of the Mk IV radar. After initial training in the P-70, the first USAAF night fighter squadrons went to war in the more capable British Beaufighter. The 414th, 415th, 416th and 417th Night Fighter Squadrons received more than 100 "reverse Lend-Lease" Beaufighters. They arrived in the Mediterranean during the summer of 1943, achieving the first victory on July 24. Through the summer, they conducted daytime convoy escort and strike missions, but thereafter flew primarily at night. Although purpose-built American P-61 Black Widow night fighters began to replace them in December 1944, USAAF Beaufighters continued to fly night cover for Allied forces in Italy and France until the closing days of the war. The museum's aircraft was built under license by the Fairey Aviation Co. in Stockport, England, and delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force in 1942. It is marked as the USAAF Beaufighter flown by Capt. Harold Augspurger, commander of the 415th Night Fighter Squadron, who shot down an He 111 carrying German staff officers in September 1944.
46. NMUSW2_070702_511.JPG: Curtiss AT-9 Jeep/Fledgling The AT-9 advanced trainer was used to bridge the gap between single-engine trainers and twin-engine combat aircraft. The prototype first flew in 1941, and the production version entered service in 1942. The prototype had a fabric-covered steel tube fuselage and fabric-covered wings, but production AT-9s were of stressed metal skin construction. The AT-9 was not easy to fly or land, making it particularly suitable for teaching new pilots to cope with the demanding flight characteristics of a new generation of high-performance, multi-engine aircraft such as the Martin B-26 and Lockheed P-38. Although the AT-9 originally bore the nickname "Fledgling," it was more widely known as the "Jeep." Four hundred ninety-one AT-9s and 300 AT-9As were built before production ended in February 1943. The aircraft on display was not complete when the museum acquired it. Some of the parts used to restore it were taken from another incomplete AT-9, while other parts had to be built from "scratch" by museum restoration specialists.
47. NMUSW2_070702_527.JPG: Beech AT-11 Kansan The AT-11 was the standard U.S. Army Air Forces World War II bombing trainer; about 90 percent of the more than 45,000 USAAF bombardiers trained in AT-11s. Like the C-45 transport and the AT-7 navigation trainer, the Kansan was a military version of the Beechcraft Model 18 commercial transport. Modifications included a transparent nose, a bomb bay, internal bomb racks and provisions for flexible guns for gunnery training. Student bombardiers normally dropped 100-pound sand-filled practice bombs. In 1943 the USAAF established a minimum proficiency standard of 22 percent hits on target for trainees. Typical combat training missions took continuous evasive action within a 10-mile radius of the target with straight and level final target approaches that lasted no longer than 60 seconds. After Sept. 30, 1943, the AT-11 usually carried a Norden Bombsight and a C-1 automatic pilot, which allowed the bombardier student to guide the aircraft during the bombing run. The AT-11 on display is one of 1,582 ordered by the USAAF between 1941 and 1945, 36 of which were modified as AT-11A navigation trainers. It was donated to the museum by the Abrams Aerial Survey Corp., Lansing, Mich., in 1969, and is painted to represent a trainer in service during the autumn of 1943.
48. NMUSW2_070702_537.JPG: Beech AT-10 Wichita In 1940-1941 Beech Aircraft designed an advanced, multi-engine trainer that could be easily manufactured on a large scale. To conserve scarce metals needed for combat aircraft, Beech built the airframe out of plywood with only the engine cowlings and cockpit enclosure constructed of aluminum. The fuel tanks also were made of wood and covered with neoprene, a synthetic rubber. The extensive use of wood permitted Beech to subcontract the production of many components to furniture makers and other firms. The AT-10 had superior performance among twin engine trainers of its type, and over half of the U.S. Army Air Force's pilots received transitional training from single- to multi-engine aircraft in them. Between 1941 and 1943, Beech built 1,771 AT-10s and Globe Aircraft Corp. (which became Temco after World War II) built 600 in Dallas, Texas. The museum placed this AT-10 on display in June 1997.
49. NMUSW2_070702_545.JPG: Bell P-63E Kingcobra This World War II fighter was developed from the P-39 Airacobra, which it closely resembles. The U.S. Army Air Forces never used the P-63 in combat, although some were used for fighter training. Many P-63s were exported as lend-lease aircraft; the Soviet Union received 2,456 and Free French forces obtained 300. Since the P-63's low-level performance was adequate, it was widely used by the Soviets for such missions as "tank busting." Bell produced 3,305 P-63s, 13 of which were P-63Es. The most unusual P-63 variations were the RP-63A and RP-63C "pinball" versions developed late in WWII. Aerial gunnery students fired at these manned target aircraft using .30-cal. lead and plastic frangible machine gun bullets which disintegrated harmlessly against the target's external armor plating. Special instruments sent impulses to red lights in the nose of the "pinball" aircraft, causing them to blink when bullets struck the plane. The P-63E on display was donated by Bell Aircraft Corp. in 1958. Although it lacks the armor plate and other "pinball" features, it is marked and painted in the unusual color scheme of an RP-63A.
50. NMUSW2_070702_551.JPG: Douglas A-24 In 1940, after the amazing success of the German Stuka dive bombers in Poland, the U.S. Army Air Corps ordered 78 of the U.S. Navy's Douglas SBD "Dauntless" dive bomber, designating it as the A-24. Fifty-four went to Australia, where in 1942 they had a less-than-glorious combat record flying against Japanese targets in Java and New Guinea. The A-24s were regarded as "too slow, too short ranged, and too poorly armed." They were relegated to non-combat missions after five of seven airplanes were lost and one was badly damaged on a mission over Buna, New Guinea. In 1942 the U.S. Army Air Force received 90 more A-24s diverted from a Navy SBD-3 contract. These aircraft were essentially the same as the initial A-24s but received the SBD-3A designation during production. The National Museum of the United States Air Force has an A-24 on display in the Air Power Gallery. The Army Chooses a Dive Bomber: German success with dive bombers in Poland and France convinced the U.S. Army to acquire its own dive bombers, and in 1941 the Army Air Corps ordered the Douglas Dauntless, which was already in production for the U.S. Navy. Designated the A-24, it came without the tail hook used for carrier landings, and a pneumatic line replaced the solid tail wheel on some of them. First assigned to the 27th Bombardment Group (Light) at Hunter Field, Ga., A-24s participated in the Louisiana maneuvers during September 1941. Shipped to the Southwest Pacific: As war with Japan seemed imminent in the fall of 1941, the Army rushed the personnel of the 27th to the Philippine Islands to bolster American defenses, and 52 of their crated A-24s followed on another ship. However, the Japanese attacked before the airplanes arrived, and the A-24s were diverted to Australia for assembly. Most of the 27th's pilots were flown back to Australia to fly the A-24s back to the Philippines, where the enlisted mechanics waited to service them. Assembling the A-24s in Australia: The 27th Bombardment Group's A-24s arrived in Brisbane, Australia, in poor condition. Used heavily during the Louisiana maneuvers, many had been crated for shipment with worn out tires in and mud still caked on their wheels. In addition, they lacked the trigger motors and solenoids need to fire the forward guns, and their rear gun mounts broke easily. Australian mechanics machined the necessary solenoids or fixed firing handles for the forward guns, strengthened the rear gun mounts, and replaced worn out tires with truck tires. However, by this time the Japanese had almost conquered the Philippines, where the 27th's enlisted men remained trapped. Put into the 1st Provisional Air Corps Regiment, these men fought the Japanese on the ground, and the survivors were subjected to the Bataan Death March. Attacking the Japanese in Java: The pilots in Australia separated into the 16th, 17th and 91st Bombardment Squadrons and prepared to defend Java, but only the 91st had aircraft ready to fly there. Departing for Java with just 15 repaired A-24s, they arrived on Feb. 17, 1942, but accidents and need of repairs left only seven aircraft ready for combat. Without fighter protection, the 91st flew heroically against Japan's best aircraft, but their A-24s had worn-out engines, no armor plating, and no self sealing fuel tanks. Referring to themselves as "Blue Rock Clay Pigeons," the 91st attacked the enemy harbor and airbase at Bali and damaged or sunk numerous ships around Java. After the Japanese shot down two A-24s and damaged three so badly they could no longer fly, the 91st received orders to evacuate Java in early March, ending a brief but valiant effort. Disaster in New Guinea: The A-24s left in Australia were assigned to the 8th Bombardment Squadron, 3rd Bombardment Group, to defend New Guinea against a Japanese attack. On July 26, 1942, seven A-24s attacked a convoy off Buna, but only one survived: the Japanese shot down five of them and damaged the sixth so badly that it did not make it back to base. Regarded by many pilots as too slow, too short-ranged and too poorly armed, the remaining A-24s were relegated to non-combat missions. In the United States, the A-24s became training aircraft or towed targets for aerial gunnery training. The more powerful A-24B was used later against the Japanese forces in the Gilbert Islands.
51. NMUSW2_070702_587.JPG: North American B-25B Mitchell The B-25 medium bomber was one of America's most famous airplanes of World War II. It was the type used by General Doolittle for the Tokyo Raid on April 18, 1942. Subsequently, it saw duty in every combat area being flown by the Dutch, British, Chinese, Russians and Australians in addition to U.S. forces. Although the airplane was originally intended for level bombing from medium altitudes, it was used extensively in the Pacific area for bombing Japanese airfields from treetop level and for strafing and skip bombing enemy shipping. The B model design eliminated the tail gunner position of the B-25 and B-25A and added a dorsal (top) and ventral (bottom) turret. These turrets each had a pair of .50-cal. machine guns. The ventral turret was retractable, but the increased drag caused by the turrets reduced the top speed of the B-25B by about 30 mph at cruise speed. The museum has B-25D-30-NC (S/N 42-3374) on display. This aircraft was modified to B-25B configuration by North American Aviation for the 10th anniversary of the Tokyo Raid. It is painted as Col. Doolittle's aircraft (S/N 40-2344). The B-25 medium bomber was one of America's most famous airplanes of World War II. It was the type used by Gen. Jimmy Doolittle for the Tokyo Raid on April 18, 1942. Subsequently, B-25s saw duty in every combat area being flown by the Dutch, British, Chinese, Russians and Australians in addition to U.S. forces. Although the airplane was originally intended for level bombing from medium altitudes, it was used extensively in the Pacific Theater for bombing Japanese airfields and beach emplacements from treetop level, and for strafing and skip bombing enemy shipping. Built by North American Aviation, the B-25 first flew on Aug. 19, 1940, and the U.S. Army Air Corps accepted the first five B-25s in February 1941. By the end of the war, North American Aviation had built a total of 9,816 B-25s at its California and Kansas plants. During its long career, the B-25 experienced a number of modifications. The first major change occurred with the G model that included a 75mm cannon and two fixed .50-cal. guns in the nose. The H model was the first to add additional forward firing .50-cal. guns in cheek blisters. In the J version, the most numerous variant, the aircraft returned to its initial arrangement as a level bomber, reverting to a transparent nose that included one flexible and two fixed .50-cal. guns. Driven by requirements in the Pacific, however, field-modified Js and finally production versions once again featured a solid nose that housed eight fixed .50-cal. guns for low-level attack. In this configuration, the J model could devastate vehicles and shipping with up to 14 forward firing heavy machine guns. The airplane on display, actually a RB-25D (S/N 43-3374), was removed from storage at Tucson, Ariz., and rebuilt by North American Aviation at Inglewood, Calif., to the configuration of the lead B-25B flown by Lt. Col. Doolittle on the Tokyo Raid. It was then flown to the museum, arriving in April 1958. Doolittle Tokyo Raiders: In the spring of 1942, America's morale slumped from numerous Japanese successes, and the country desperately needed a victory. Capt. Francis S. Low, a U.S. Navy submariner, suggested an attack against the heart of Japan using U.S. Army Air Forces medium bombers flown from a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. The difficult task of training for and leading the raid went to Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, a brilliant aviator and compelling leader. The top secret plan called for the B-25s to take off about 450 miles from Japan, bomb selected targets at such locations as Yokohama and Tokyo, and then fly another 1,600 miles to friendly airfields in mainland China. The operation was risky -- medium bombers had never been flown from a carrier, and sailing so far into enemy territory endangered the U.S. Navy task force. At dawn on April 18, 1942, the task force, commanded by Admiral William "Bull" Halsey, was steaming west through rough Pacific seas, about 650 miles away from Japan. On the deck of the USS Hornet sat 16 B-25s. Unfortunately, the task force encountered an enemy patrol boat, and no one knew if it had radioed a warning to Japan before being sunk. Col. Doolittle and Admiral Halsey discussed their difficult choice -- cancel the raid or launch earlier than planned and risk running out of fuel. Doolittle chose to attack, and all 16 aircraft took to the air. Upon reaching the Japanese homeland, the Raiders dropped their bombs on oil storage facilities, factory areas and military installations, and then headed out across the East China Sea. As their fuel gauges dropped, the Raiders knew they could not reach their designated airfields. One by one, they ditched at sea, bailed out, or crash-landed in China (one crew diverted to the Soviet Union). Fortunately, with the help of the Chinese people, most of the Doolittle Raiders safely reached friendly forces (Japanese forces later executed as many as a quarter million Chinese citizens in retaliation for this assistance). When authorities released news of the attack, American morale zoomed from the depths to which it plunged following Japan's many early victories. Although the brilliant strike caused relatively little physical damage, it stunned the Japanese population -- their embarrassed leaders had promised the mainland would never be attacked. The Japanese transferred four fighter groups from the front lines to defend mainland Japan. To prevent future American attacks on the homeland, Admiral Yamamoto ordered the disastrous attack on Midway Island, which became the turning point in the war in the Pacific. Doolittle Raid: The Mission and the Man: In January 1942, General Henry Hap Arnold selected Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle to lead Special Aviation Project No. 1, the bombing of Japan. Doolittle, who enlisted in the Army in 1917, became a flying cadet, and received his commission in 1918. In the late 1920s and earl 1930s, he won the prestigious Schneider, Bendix, and Thompson aviation trophies. He made the first blind flight in 1929 during which he took off, flew, and landed while being completely dependent on aircraft instruments. Lt. Col. Doolittle left the Army Air Corps in 1930, but when the war appeared imminent, in 1940, he returned to active duty. Although the Doolittle Raid of April 19, 1942 caused only minor damage, it forced the Japanese to recall combat forces for home defense, raised fears among the Japanese civilians, and boosted morale among Americans and our Allies abroad. Doolittle Raid: The Training: The crews selected for the mission received their training at Eglin Field, Florida. Lieutenant Henry L. Miller, a Navy pilot from Pensacola Naval Station, provided assistance on how to take off with 300 feet, the available distance on the carrier USS Hornet. The crews also practiced cross-country and night flying, navigating without radio references or landmarks, low level bombing, and aerial gunnery. They completed their training in mid-March, and later flew to San Francisco to board the carrier. Doolittle Raid: The Bomb Sight: Instead of the Norden Bomb Sight, which was ineffective at low altitudes, Captain C. Ross Greening, pilot and armament officer for Doolittle's group, designed a replacement bomb sight (seen in the nose of the aircraft). This bomb sight was connected to the cockpit through the pilot direction indicator, allowing the bombardier to give the pilot aircraft turn directions without relying on voice communication. Using materials costing 20 cents, the metal working shops at Eglin Field, Florida, manufactured the bomb sights. Doolittle Raid: The Aircraft Carrier: The newly built aircraft carrier USS Hornet was chosen to carry Doolittle's B-25s toward Japan. In March, it sailed to Alamdea Naval Air Station near San Francisco to load the Army Air Forces aircraft, 72 officers and 64 enlisted men. On 2 April 1942, not wanting to sail at night because of the inexperienced crew, the Hornet's Captain, Marc A. Mitscher, left the secret mission in broad daylight.
52. NMUSW2_070702_599.JPG: Bell P-39Q Airacobra The P-39 was one of America's first-line pursuit planes in December 1941. It made its initial flight in April 1939 at Wright Field and by the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, nearly 600 had been built. Its unique engine location behind the cockpit caused some pilot concern, but this proved to be no more of a hazard in a crash landing than with an engine located forward of the cockpit. The P-39's spin characteristics, however, could be quite a problem if recovery techniques were ignored. The Airacobra saw combat throughout the world, particularly in the Southwest Pacific, Mediterranean and Russian theaters. Because its engine was not equipped with a supercharger, the P-39 performed best below 17,000 feet altitude, and it often was used at lower altitudes for such missions as ground strafing. When P-39 production ended in August 1944, Bell had built 9,584 Airacobras, of which 4,773 had been allotted to the Soviet Union. Russian pilots particularly liked the cannon-armed P-39 for its ground attack capability. Other P-39s served French and British forces. The National Museum of the United States Air Force has a P-39Q on display in its Air Power Gallery. The P-39 was one of America's first-line pursuit planes in December 1941. It made its initial flight in April 1939 at Wright Field, Ohio, and by the time of the Pearl Harbor attack, nearly 600 had been built. Its unique engine location behind the cockpit caused some pilot concern at first, but experience showed that this was no more of a hazard in a crash landing than with an engine located forward of the cockpit. The P-39's spin characteristics, however, could be a problem if proper recovery techniques were ignored. Fighting the Japanese in Alaska: From September to November 1942 pilots of the 57th Fighter Squadron flew P-39s and P-38s from an airfield built on land bulldozed into Kuluk Bay on the barren island of Adak in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. They attacked the Japanese forces which had invaded Attu and Kiska islands in the Aleutians in June 1942. The number one foe that claimed the most lives, however, was not the Japanese but the weather. The low clouds, mist, fog, driving rain, snow and high winds made flying dangerous and lives miserable. The 57th remained in Alaska until November 1942 and then returned to the United States. Wartime Service: The Airacobra saw combat throughout the world, particularly in the Southwest Pacific, Mediterranean and Russian theaters. Because its engine was not equipped with a supercharger, the P-39 performed best below 17,000 feet altitude. It often was used at lower altitudes for such missions as ground strafing. When P-39 production ended in August 1944, Bell had built 9,584 Airacobras, of which 4,773 were sent to the Soviet Union through lend-lease. Russian pilots appreciated the cannon-armed P-39 for its ground attack capability. Other P-39s served with Free French and British forces. The Museum's Aircraft: This P-39Q is painted as a P-39D flown by Lt. Leslie Spoonts of the 57th Fighter Squadron on Adak Island during the Aleutians Campaign. The P-39Q on display was obtained by the Air Force Museum Foundation from Hardwick Aircraft Co., El Monte, Calif., in 1966.
53. NMUSW2_070702_609.JPG: Doolittle Raider Goblets These 80 silver goblets commemorate the 80 men who flew the Doolittle Raid were against Japan in April 1942. Over the years, these goblets have taken a highly symbolic place in the history of military aviation. In December 1946 Gen. James "Jimmy" Doolittle and his fellow Raiders gathered to celebrate his birthday, and that event turned into an annual reunion. In 1959 the city of Tucson, Ariz., presented the Doolittle Raiders with this set of silver goblets, each bearing the name of one of the 80 men who flew on the mission. During halftime at an Air Force Academy-University of Colorado football game, Doolittle turned them over to the superintendent of the Academy for safekeeping. The Air Force Academy displayed these goblets between Raider reunions. In 1973 Richard E. "Dick" Cole, Doolittle's copilot during the 1942 raid, built this portable display case to transport them. At every reunion, the surviving Raiders meet privately to conduct a solemn "Goblet Ceremony." After toasting the Raiders who died since their last meeting, they turn the deceased men's goblets upside down. Each goblet has the Raider's name engraved twice -- so that it can be read if the goblet is right side up or upside down. The president of the Hennessy Co. gave Doolittle a bottle of Hennessy Very Special cognac -- vintage 1896, the year of Doolittle's birth. When there are only two Raiders left, these two men will open the bottle and once again toast their departed comrades. In 2005 the surviving Doolittle Raiders decided to make the National Museum of the United States Air Force the permanent home for these historic goblets.
54. NMUSW2_070702_628.JPG: North American B-25B Mitchell
55. NMUSW2_070702_640.JPG: Curtiss P-40E Warhawk The P-40 was the United States' best fighter available in large numbers when World War II began. P-40s engaged Japanese aircraft at Pearl Harbor and in the Philippines in December 1941. They also served with the famed Flying Tigers in China in 1942, and in North Africa in 1943 with the 99th Fighter Squadron, the first African American U.S. fighter unit. The solid, reliable Warhawk was used in many combat areas -- the Aleutian Islands, Italy, the Middle East, the Far East, the Southwest Pacific and some were sent to Russia. Though often slower and less maneuverable than its adversaries, the P-40 earned a reputation in battle for extreme ruggedness. It served throughout the war but was eclipsed by more capable aircraft. More than 14,000 P-40s were built, and they served in the air forces of 28 nations. The aircraft on display is a Kittyhawk (the export version of the P-40E built for the RAF). It is painted to represent the aircraft flown by then-Col. Bruce Holloway, a pilot in both the Flying Tigers and its successor Army Air Forces unit, the 23rd Fighter Group. This P-40 was obtained from Charles Doyle, Rosemount, Minn. The P-40, developed from the P-36, was America's foremost fighter in service when World War II began. P-40s engaged Japanese aircraft during the attack on Pearl Harbor and the invasion of the Philippines in December 1941. They also were flown in China early in 1942 by the famed Flying Tigers and in North Africa in 1943 by the first AAF all-black unit, the 99th Fighter Squadron. The P-40 served in numerous combat areas -- the Aleutian Islands, Italy, the Middle East, the Far East, the Southwest Pacific and some were sent to Russia. Though often outclassed by its adversaries in speed, maneuverability and rate of climb, the P-40 earned a reputation in battle for extreme ruggedness. At the end of the P-40's brilliant career, more than 14,000 had been produced for service in the air forces of 28 nations, of which 2,320 were of the E series.
56. NMUSW2_070702_643.JPG: Mitsubishi A62M Zero The Allies' main opponent in the Pacific air war, the Zero is the most famous symbol of Japanese air power during World War II. The fighter first flew in April 1939, and Mitsubishi, Nakajima, Hitachi and the Japanese navy produced 10,815 Zeros from 1940-1945. Zeros were produced in greater number than any other aircraft. Its distinctive design and historical impact make the Zero an important machine in air power history. The Zero got its name from its official designation, Navy Type Zero Carrier-Based Fighter (or Reisen), though the Allies code-named it "Zeke." The Zero was the successor to the A5M Type 96 "Claude." Mitsubishi designed the A6M from Navy requirements set out in 1937 for a fighter that was fast, maneuverable and had great range. Designed as a carrier-borne fighter, it was exceptionally light compared to its opponents. This requirement was not only necessary to provide maneuverability but also was caused by the Zero's low-powered engine. Lack of interservice cooperation in engine development limited the horsepower available to Japanese designers. Other consequences included omitting armor protection for the pilot, not using self-sealing fuel tanks, and building lightweight wings as an integral part of the fuselage. The A6M first saw combat in China in the late summer of 1940, and it quickly helped Japan dominate the air in Asia. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, 125 Zeros from six aircraft carriers participated. In the early part of the war, Allied aircraft such as the Curtiss P-40 and Seversky P-35 were at a disadvantage in a dogfight with a Zero flown by a skilled pilot, and the A6M became a well-known and dangerous opponent. The Japanese advantage, however, began to disappear as American tactics evolved. American pilots gained experience fighting the Zero in China with the American Volunteer Group, known as the Flying Tigers, and at the Battle of Midway. The key to fighting the Zero was to stay out of dogfights, and instead use superior armament and hit-and-run diving attacks against the relatively fragile A6M. American fighters introduced in 1943 were more powerful (2,000-hp engines), faster, and had much more firepower than the Zero. As Allied pilots used their heavily-armed aircraft to advantage, the Zero's dominance ended. At the same time, the number of American aircraft and pilots increased, and the number of experienced Japanese aircrew shrank. While development of the Zero continued by adding self-sealing tanks, armor plate and increasing horsepower to 1,150 hp, the later Zero was much heavier and thus less nimble. Weight increased 28 percent, but horsepower increased only 16 percent, degrading overall combat performance. Beginning around October 1944 during the battle for the Philippines, Zeros were used in kamikaze attacks. Kamikazes used A6Ms more than any other aircraft for these suicide missions. This Nakajima-built A6M2 was placed on display in 2004. It was found in Papua New Guinea, near the city of Kavieng on New Ireland, and was probably one of the aircraft delivered to Rabaul and operated at Kavieng by the 6th Kokutai (Squadron) and later by the 253rd Kokutai. It is painted to represent a section leader's aircraft from the aircraft carrier Zuiho during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, March 1943, in which Allied air power won a major victory over Japanese sea power. American and Australian aircraft sank four Japanese destroyers and 15 troop ships, and shot down more than 50 Zeros, preventing Japanese reinforcements from reaching New Guinea.
57. NMUSW2_070702_657.JPG: Focke-Achgelis Fa-330 Bachstelze (Sandpiper) The Fa 330 rotary wing kite, built in Germany during World War II, operated on the principle of the autogyro. It provided an elevated observation platform for one man while being towed behind a surfaced submarine. While aloft, the pilot kept in contact with the submarine by telephone. The Fa 330 was attached to the submarine by a steel cable working from a winch on the deck. During a normal return to the sub, the winch wound in the cable until the Fa 330 was on the deck. There was an emergency procedure, however, by which the pilot could jettison the blades and rotor hub. When the rotor assembly separated, it automatically opened a parachute attached to both the machine and the pilot. The pilot then released his safety belt and the aircraft dropped into the sea, leaving the pilot descending alone by parachute. The Fa 330 on display, one of very few in existence of the 200 constructed, was bought to the United States at the end of WWII.
58. NMUSW2_070702_670.JPG: Douglas B-18 Bolo The Douglas Aircraft Co. developed the B-18 to replace the Martin B-10 as the U.S. Army Air Corps' standard bomber. Based on the Douglas DC-2 commercial transport, the prototype B-18 competed with the Martin 146 (an improved B-10) and the four-engine Boeing 299, forerunner of the B-17, at the Air Corps bombing trials at Wright Field in 1935. Although many Air Corps officers judged the Boeing design superior, the Army General Staff preferred the less costly Bolo (along with 13 operational test YB-17s). The Air Corps later ordered 217 more as B-18As with the bombardier's position extended forward over the nose gunner's station. Though equipped with inadequate defensive armament and underpowered, the Bolo remained the Air Corps' primary bomber into 1941, and the Japanese destroyed some B-18s during the surprise attacks on Dec. 7. By early 1942, improved bombers like the B-17 replaced the Bolo as first-line bombardment aircraft. Many B-18s were then used as transports, or modified as B-18Bs for anti-submarine duty. Stationed at Wright Field from 1939 to 1942, the B-18A on display was acquired and restored by the museum in 1971. It is painted as a B-18A serving with the 38th Reconnaissance Squadron in 1939. The Douglas B-18 was originally designed and built as the DB-1 (Douglas Bomber #1) for the Army Air Corps 1934 requirement for a long range bomber. The DB-1 was based on the Douglas DC-2 and retained many of the latter aircraft's features, including the wing and aft fuselage. The DB-1 was in competition with the Martin Model 146 (an enlarged B-10) and the Boeing Model 299. Although the Boeing entry was clearly superior, the DB-1 was initially favored by the Army General Staff for two reasons. First, the Boeing Model 299 crashed during testing. The crash was the result of pilot error but was technically disqualified from the competition. Second, the DB-1 could be built for about half the cost of the Model 299 (B-17). The General Staff considered the B-17 too expensive and opted for an order for 99 B-18s and only 13 Y1B-17s in 1936. Thirty-five more B-18s were ordered in 1937, including the last B-18, which had a power nose turret and was designated DB-2 by Douglas. The Army continued to favor the B-18 into the late 1930s when 217 more were ordered as improved B-18As in 1937-1939.
59. NMUSW2_070702_692.JPG: Schweizer TG-3A The TG-3A is a two-place, dual-control glider manufactured for the U.S. Army Air Forces by the Schweizer Aircraft Co. during World War II. In 1942 the USAAF evaluated a prototype derived from the Schweizer SGS 2-12 high-performance sailplane. After testing three XTG-3s, the AAF ordered 110 TG-3As from Schweizer (50 more were ordered from Air Glider but only one was built). Student glider pilots normally received about six hours dual instruction in the TG-3As before being trained in the large CG-4A cargo glider. The TG-3As wings are made of spruce and mahogany plywood covered with fabric. It is equipped with spoilers (used to increase descent rate) as well as ailerons. The fuselage is constructed of welded chrome-molybdenum steel tubing which is also fabric covered. The landing gear is a single unsprung wheel with a disc brake. In addition, there are skids on the nose, tail and wing tips. The TG-3A on display was donated by Henry A. Shevchuk. It was restored by the Spartan School of Aeronautics, Tulsa, Okla., and delivered to the museum in December 1980.
60. NMUSW2_070702_699.JPG: Link Trainer Crude pilot training aids had been designed even before World War I, but none had any significant training value. Edwin A. Link provided a giant step forward when in 1931 he received a patent on his "pilot maker" training device. He had perfected his design in the basement of his father's piano and organ factory in Binghamton, N.Y. Organ bellows and a motor provided the means for the trainer, mounted on a pedestal, to pitch, roll, dive and climb as the student "flew" it. Ironically, most of his first sales were to amusement parks. In 1934, after a series of tragic accidents while flying the air mail, the Army Air Corps bought six Link trainers to assist in training pilots to fly at night and in bad weather relying only on instruments. The World War II era brought orders for thousands of Link trainers from the United States and many foreign countries. Although Army Air Forces aviation cadets flew various trainer aircraft, virtually all took blind-flying instruction in a Link. Movement of the trainer is accomplished by vacuum operated bellows, controlled by valves connected to the control wheel (or stick) and rudder pedals. An instructor sat at the desk and transmitted radio messages which the student in the Link heard through his earphones. Inside the "cockpit," the student relied on his instruments to "fly" the Link through various maneuvers while his navigational "course" was traced on a map on the desk by the three-wheeled "crab." Slip stream simulators gave the controls the feeling of air passing over control surfaces and a rough air generator added additional realism during the "flight." The trainers were realistic enough that a humorous but unlikely story circulated that one student, told by his instructor that he had run out of fuel on a night flight, broke his ankle when he leaped from the trainer as though parachuting to safety. The complexity of flight simulators has grown with that of military and civilian aircraft. No one knows how many lives, aircraft and training dollars have been saved by flight simulators, but those savings can be traced back to Link's "Blue Box," which pointed the way to today's highly sophisticated and complex trainers.
61. NMUSW2_070702_702.JPG: Douglas B-18A Bolo
62. NMUSW2_070702_712.JPG: Seversky P-35A The P-35, a forerunner of the Republic P-47, was the U.S. Army Air Corps' (USAAC) first production single-seat, all-metal pursuit plane with retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit. The USAAC accepted 76 P-35s in 1937-1938, and assigned all but one of them to the 1st Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Mich. Sweden also purchased 60 improved aircraft (designated EP-106), but the United States diverted a second order for 60 to the USAAC in 1940 and assigned them to the 17th and 20th Pursuit Squadrons in the Philippines. These aircraft, redesignated P-35As, were all lost in action early in the war. Ironically, the Japanese Navy ordered 20 two-seat versions of the P-35 in 1938, and these became the only American-built planes used operationally by the Japanese during World War II. The aircraft on display, the only known surviving P-35, served with the 94th Pursuit Squadron, 1st Pursuit Group. The aircraft was restored by the 133rd Tactical Airlift Wing, Minnesota Air National Guard, with assistance from students of the Minneapolis Vocational Institute. It is marked as the P-35A flown by the 17th Pursuit Squadron commander, 1Lt. Buzz Wagner, in the Philippines in the spring of 1941.
Multi Column: Number of columns of thumbnails to appear per page (normally defaults to 3): [1 col] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]
AAA "Gem": AAA considers this location to be a "must see" point of interest. To see pictures of other areas that AAA considers to be Gems, click here.
Bigger photos? To save server space, the full-sized versions of these images have either not been loaded to the server or have been removed from the server. (Only some pages are loaded with full-sized images and those usually get removed after three months.) I still have them though. If you want me to email them to you, please send an email to guthrie.bruce@gmail.com and I can email them to you, or, depending on the number of images, just repost the page again will the full-sized images.
Generally-Related Pages: Other pages with content (OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force) somewhat related to this one: [Display ALL photos on one page]:
- 2012_OH_NMUSAF_WWIIA: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- World War II gallery (307 photos from 2012)
- 2012_OH_NMUSAF_WWI: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- World War I gallery (187 photos from 2012)
- 2007_OH_NMUSAF_WWI: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- World War I gallery (36 photos from 2007)
- 2012_OH_NMUSAF_Space: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Space gallery (14 photos from 2012)
- 2007_OH_NMUSAF_Space: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Space gallery (9 photos from 2007)
- 2007_OH_NMUSAF_Addon: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Presidential and Experimental hangar (84 photos from 2007)
- 2012_OH_NMUSAF: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Miscellaneous (18 photos from 2012)
- 2007_OH_NMUSAF: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Miscellaneous (18 photos from 2007)
- 2007_OH_NMUSAF_Field: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Exhibition field (38 photos from 2007)
- 2012_OH_NMUSAF_Cold: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Cold War gallery (161 photos from 2012)
- 2007_OH_NMUSAF_Cold: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Cold War gallery (37 photos from 2007)
- 2012_OH_NMUSAF_Art: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Art work (93 photos from 2012)
- 2007_OH_NMUSAF_Art: OH -- Dayton -- Natl Museum of the United States Air Force -- Art work (24 photos from 2007)
Same Subject: Click on this link to see coverage of items having the same subject: [Military (Non-Events)] [Museums (History)]
2007 photos: Equipment this year: I used the Fuji S9000 almost exclusively except for the period when it broke and I had to send it back for repairs. In August, I bought a Canon Rebel Xti, my first digital SLR (vs regular digital) which I tried as well but I wasn't that excited by it. Trips this year: Two weeks down south (including Graceland, Shiloh, VIcksburg, and New Orleans), a week at a time share in Costa Rica over my 50th birthday, a week off for a family reunion in the Wisconsin Dells (with sidetrips to Dayton, Springfield, and Madison), a week in San Diego for the Comic-Con with a side trip to Michigan for two family reunions, a drive up to Niagara Falls, a couple of weekend jaunts including the Civil War Preservation Trust Grand Review in Vicksburg, and a December journey to three state capitols (Richmond, Raleigh, and Columbia). I saw sites in 18 states and 3 other countries this year -- the first year I'd been to more than two other countries since we lived in Venezuela when I was a little toddler. Ego strokes: A photo that I took at the National Archives was used as the author photo on the book jacket for David A. Nichols' "A Matter of Justice: Eisenhower and the Beginning of the Civil Rights Revolution." I became a volunteer photographer at both Sixth and I Historic Synagogue and the Civil War Preservation Trust (later renamed "Civil War Trust").. Number of photos taken this year: 225,000.
Connection Not Secure messages? Those warnings you get from your browser about this site not having secure connections worry some people. This means this site does not have SSL installed (the link is http:, not https:). That's bad if you're entering credit card numbers, passwords, or other personal information. But this site doesn't collect any personal information so SSL is not necessary. Life's good!
Limiting Text: You can turn off all of this text by clicking this link: [Thumbnails Only]
Photo Contact: [Email Bruce Guthrie].