Aircraft

The P-38 Lightning was the only successful twin-engine air superiority fighter of the war. It served in both Europe and the Pacific. P-38s were preferred in the Pacific because flying was either over dense jungle or the ocean; the safety of a second engine was…

In 1939, the U.S. Army Air Corps put in an order for new class of “medium” bomber. The proposal called for a twin-engine plane capable of flying 300 mph, carrying a 3,000-pound bomb load, and having a 2,000-mile range. Four aircraft manufacturers designed and built airplanes…

The SBD Dauntless was the most effective U.S. dive bomber of WWII. It sank more Japanese shipping than any other Allied bomber. Navy and Marine SBD squadrons were credited with sinking Japanese carriers in the Battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal. SBD units…

The P-47 was one of the toughest Allied planes during WWII and had the most firepower from its eight .50 caliber guns in its wings (3,400 rounds.) It was even more effective as a ground attack aircraft; it was capable of carrying as much as…

The Grumman F3F-2 was the last Navy and Marine biplane fighter. It entered service in 1936, and retired from front-line service in 1941. Its short operational life served to underscore its role in the Navy’s transition from biplanes to monoplanes. A total of 147 F3Fs…

This Navy Corsair was built by Brewster and Co., Aircraft Division, in Long Island City, NY. The company produced military aircraft from the 1930s until the end of WWII. In 1940, the Vought aircraft company designed one of the best all-around Navy fighters of the war:…

The Grumman F7F Tigercat was designed to meet a 1941 Navy requirement for a twin engine fighter that could get to altitude fast, had long range, a lot of firepower. The first flight was in December 1943 but the aircraft failed carrier landing tests because…

The amphibious Consolidated PBY Catalina was a versatile, highly-effective military aircraft before, during and after WWII. They were used in anti-submarine warfare, bombing missions, convoy escort duties, search-and-rescue missions, and cargo transport. The last active military PBYs were not retired from service until the 1980s. PBY…

An aircraft company better known for producing biplanes hit an aviation home run in 1938 when it unveiled the iconic design of this much-respected WWII fighter/bomber. The Chance Vought Corsair’s unique bent or inverted gull-wing design was driven by two needs: a bigger propeller to make…

The Grumman Avenger torpedo bombers built for the Navy originally carried the designation of TBF. The Avenger came into service in 1942 to replace the Douglas Devastator, but in its first combat at Midway in June 1942, it fared badly. Five out of six were…

The Skyraider was designed during World War II to meet United States Navy requirements for a carrier-based, single-seat, long-range, high performance dive/torpedo bomber, to follow-on from earlier types such as the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver and Grumman TBF Avenger. Designed by Ed Heinemann of the Douglas…

The L-5 is one of a series of liaison/observation planes that had great utility on the battlefield. Their green paint helped camouflage them on the ground or from the air when flying over forests or fields. These aircraft were built in Wayne, IN, by the Stinson…