Part of a contingent of 54FS Eagles on a 2 week det to MCAS El Toro

This P-63E, previously on show at the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton, has been painted to represent an RP-63A 'Pinball' manned aerial gunnery practice target aircraft. It is actually 43-11728

After the war a large number of B-29s were put in long-term storage at Robins AFB where they remained until the outbreak of the Korean War when returned to service. This one was built at the Bell Bomber Plant in Marietta, GA. After serving with the Army Air Corps and later the USAF, it was sent in 1956 to the Army proving grounds at Aberdeen, MD. It sat derelict until 1983 when it was recovered by the museum but service records had been lost by then

This Fortress did not see operational wartime service, but in July 1950 was fitted with special drone control equipment at Olmsted AFB, PA to become a DB-17G. Operated with the 3200 Proof Test Wing from Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands on nuclear tests in 1951 and transferred to Patrick AFB, FL in 1955 where additional drone equipment was fitted, bringing it to DB-17P standard. Flown by the Missile Test Center, it was one of the last military B-17s active. Flown to Bunker Hill AFB in July 1961 and displayed at the Grissom Air Museum in olive drab, named "Miss Liberty Belle". To Robins 2015

Delivered to the USAAF in August 1945 as a standard A-26B, this Invader served at various air bases including Turner AFB, GA, before arriving for conversion to a TA-26B at Robins in November 1946. It served with a number of units until 1951 when assigned to support the Air National Guard headquarters as a VB-26B VIP transport at Andrews AFB, MD. When the aircraft was retired in 1972, it was the last Invader in USAF service. It was transferred to the museum in May 2017 from the Smithsonian where it had been in storage

This BT-13 was delivered to the AAF in February 1944 to the 3034th AAF Base Unit (Basic Pilot School) Gardner Field, CA. It served at several training fields in California before being declared surplus in September 1945 when it was sold and passed to several civilian owners. In 1989 it was transferred from the USAF Museum in Dayton to the Museum of Aviation

The Kaydet on display here was delivered to the AAF in February 1943, assigned to the 2164th Base Unit, Tuskegee Army Air Field, AL. It was later dropped from the inventory in August 1945 at Eagle Field, TX as surplus. Civilianised as N9634 and then becoming CF-DQL in 1953, it operated as a crop duster and was substantially damaged in flying accidents on two actions. Having passed through various hands it was sold by Conair to Hawkins & Powers after 1971 and reverted to N9634. Acquired by the museum as one of their first aircraft in 1982

Like the C-46 and C-7, it is not possible to get a decent photo of the Museum of Aviation's C-47 which now crammed indoors in the invasion marks of 81st TCS/436th TCG 9th AF, Membury, UK. It is in fact US Navy R4D-6 BuNo 50811 which was previously displayed outdoors at Pensacola (my 1979 photo here)

A Cornell which was delivered to the USAAF in May 1942 and delivered to the 306th Elementary Flying Training Detachment at Bruce Field, TX. It was disposed of as surplus in April 1945 at Capital City Airport, Lansing, MI and later registered N54255. It was acquired by the Museum in 1986 and flown to Robins AFB for display

This basic trainer was delivered to the USAAF in July 1942 and delivered to the Tucson Army Air Field, AZ and later served at Minter Army Air Field, CA. It was declared surplus in September 1944 and acquired by the museum in 1986 through an exchange after an extensive restoration. Prior to that, it had been registered N2860D

A support aircraft for the large USAF deployment to New Zealand for the RNZAF 21st anniversary air show. 52-978 was withdrawn from use in 1971 and subsequently scrapped. Photo from: Air Force Museum of New Zealand

Part of a large USAF contingent to attend the 21st anniversary of the RNZAF. Photo from: Air Force Museum of New Zealand

54FS F-15D on short final for 34R at the now closed MCAS El Toro

Now seriously hemmed in at the Museum of Aviation, this C-46 was abandoned at Karachi in November 1944 and eventually sold to the Indian government in October 1946. Wfu 1950, stored and sold in 1954 as N68851, subsequently flying as HK-829 with Lineas Aereas del Caribe of Colombia from 1956, CC-CND with Trans Chile from 1957 and CC-CDC with Lineas Aereas Sud Americana from 1963 before going into storage at Miami and Opa Locka (see my photo here). Bought by Haiti Air Freight in 1986 and registered HH-DGA. Wfu again and stored 1990, moving to the museum in August 1991

Date range is an estimate. Photographer unknown

Date range is an estimate. Location needs confirmation as the church to the left does not look familiar. Photographer unknown

This F-4 was delivered to the 33rd TFW at Eglin AFB, FL in April 1967 but deployed to SE Asia in July with the 435th TFS, 8th TFW at Udorn RTAFB, soon moving to Ubon RTAFB. Credited with downing two MiG-17s during a mission in November 1967 and another in February 1968 having been transferred to the 555th TFS "Triple Nickel" (the aircraft is now preserved with the 'FY' tail code of that unit). Later assigned to the 432nd TRW at Udorn then the 3rd TFW at Kunsan AB, Korea in August 1972. It was then flown by various units in the US, lastly the 89th TFS at Wright Patterson AFB, OH. To museum 2008