Reported as both 42-4949 and 42-19027 both of which were recovered by David Tallichet in the early 70s. Under restoration at Planes of Fame Air Museum. The long length of the rear-retracting, non-steering nosewheel can be seen. The gaps in the wing root are for the oil cooler and radiator intakes. The automobile type door frame is visible. This model was fitted with the V-1710-85 engine and a slightly larger Aeroproducts propeller, but it made little difference to the low top speed, rate of climb and poor performance at higher altitudes.

Inside Planes of Fame Air Museum's B-17G under restoration. This aircraft was delivered as 44-83684 on 7 May 1945, too late to see action in WW2. It went into storage in Texas and was converted to a DB-17G drone director aircraft to control radio-operated QB-17 target aircraft. In this role it participated in the 1951 Op Greenhouse nuclear tests and flew the last operational mission for the USAF on 6 Aug 1959. The staggered waist gun positions can be seen with the starboard gun moved forward by three fuselage frames. The seated Plexiglas windows afforded more comfort at combat altitude.

Shusui (Swinging Sword) on display at Planes of Fame Air Museum. Japan acquired manufacturing rights for the Me-163 but no intact examples reached, all being sunk aboard submarines. A single engine and instruction manual reached Japan, which managed to construct a functional copy within months. MXY8 Akigusa training gliders were completed, and the prototype J8M1 powered by a Toko Ro.2 rocket motor took to the air on 7 Jul 1945 but crashed after the engine flamed out, killing the pilot. The 900 kmh interceptor would have been armed with two wing-mounted 30mm cannon and flown by 312 Kokutai.

Inside the hangar at Planes of Fame Air Museum. Built at Inglewood, CA, this Mustang was taken on charge by the USAAF with s/n 44-73415. It went to the RCAF in 1951. Later sold into private hands, it competed a number of times at the National Championship Air Races at Reno. On 2 Sep 2017, "Voodoo" piloted by Steve Hinton set a speed record by clocking 554.69 mph and an average of 531.53 mph, becoming the fastest piston-engine aircraft in the world. The aircraft was donated to the museum in Dec 2017.

Val awaiting restoration at Planes of Fame Air Museum. The D3A1 was powered by a 1,070 hp Kinsei 44 radial engine and could carry a 250kg GP bomb. Kido Butai embarked 141 Vals of which 51 from Zuikaku and Shokaku flew the first strike against airfields at Oahu and the fleet at Pearl Harbor and 78 from Akagi, Kaga, Soryu and Hiryu flew the 2nd strike. Renowned for its dive bombing accuracy, the Val dominated the early Pacific War but suffered after late 1942. This D3A2 Model 22 with a Kinsei 54 engine was assigned to Zuikaku Air Group. It was abandoned on Ballale airfield and recovered in 1968.

Airworthy SBD-5 at Planes of Fame Air Museum. This combat veteran was delivered on 18 Jun 1943. It went from Pearl Harbor to Espiritu Santo, being assigned as NZ5062 to No. 25 Sqn RNZAF. The unit was based at Piva Airfield from Mar 1944, flying missions over Bougainville and against Rabaul, by which time the Japanese bastion had been considerably weakened. The museum acquired USMC BuNo 28536 in 1959 and it was restored to flight in 1987. The SBD-5 was the most numerous model, with 2,965 being built. This model saw a single cowl flap on both sides and the pilot's telescopic sight deleted.

Only Zero in the world with an original Sakae engine prior to its flying display at Planes of Fame Air Museum. This A6M5 Model 52 was built by Nakajima in May 1943. It was assigned to 261 Kokutai or Tora (Tiger) unit formed at Kagoshima on 1 June 1943. The unit moved to Saipan in Feb 1944, whence the aircraft was captured at Asilito. After attrition 261 Kokutai was disbanded on 10 July 1944 and the surviving personnel joined 201 Kokutai. The Zero was shipped to the USA aboard USS Copahee, after which it was evaluated in mock combat. Charles Lindbergh and Corky Meyer also flew this Zero.

Up close with Maverick's Mustang at Planes of Fame Air Museum. This aircraft was constructed at Dallas in 1944 as a P-51K. Two Eastman Kodak K-24 aerial cameras were mounted near the tail for photo recce. These cameras with interchangeable lenses could carry up to 56 feet of film that would take a 5" square photo by day or night. There is no reliable record of the Mustang's use by the USAAF during WW2. Tom Cruise flew this aircraft in Top Gun 2.

Airworthy Avenger at Planes of Fame Air Museum. This aircraft was delivered to the USN as a TBM-3E on 19 Jul 1945. It was assigned as a replacement aircraft for CV-13 USS Franklin, which was severely damaged on 19 Mar 1945 by bombs from a D4Y Judy. The carrier did not return to service by the time the war ended and the Avenger was stored at different naval facilities. It was stricken from the Navy in 1950 and acquired by the museum in 1959. The Avenger is painted with a white diamond on the tail representing VT-5 assigned to CVG-5 aboard USS Franklin in 1945.

Airworthy P-51D "Spam Can" in the colors of 462nd FS, 506th FG based at Iwo Jima in 1945 as flown by Capt JJ Grant inside the hangar at Planes of Fame Air Museum. The 506th FG was tasked with Very Long Range (VLR) missions over Japan, with inclement weather en route as much a threat. This aircraft was delivered on 26 July 1945 and immediately went into storage. In 1947 it went to the 31st FG serving under SAC. Later it served with ANG units in Tennessee, Vermont and West Virginia. The museum acquired the Mustang in Nov 1957, making it the longest privately-held P-51D under the same owner.

Mohawk under restoration to fly at the Planes of Fame Air Museum. These ungainly-looking aircraft served the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, near the East German border, over the DMZ and in Op Desert Storm.

Aft section on display at the Planes of Fame Air Museum. Lettering on the Type 22 fuselage denotes this Zero was a war effort contribution. At the time, Japanese towns and villages, occupied territories, companies, schools, associations and individuals contributed. Naming ceremonies were conducted when several aircraft were christened together. The tail code and blue slanted band belong to Tainan Air Group, with two horizontal bands indicating this was flown by a chūtai leader. This Naval Air Group produced famous aces like Hiroyoshi Nishizawa, Saburō Sakai, Jun-ichi Sasai and Toshio Ōta.

On display at Planes of Fame Air Museum in the markings of 2./JG 400. A two-wheeled red and white dolly that was attached to the retractable skid is visible in front of the replica. It would be jettisoned as the Komet became airborne. Flight testing for the world's first operational rocket-powered fighter was carried out by Erprobungskommando (EKdo) 16 at Bad Zwischenahn. A bad landing was fatal. Operational fighters were flown by JG 400 under command of Luftflotte Reich, with its Staffeln typically moving in the axis of Brandis to Salzwedel, Nordholz and finally Husum to end the war.

On display at Planes of Fame Air Museum. The F4U-1A had the higher canopy with reduced framing as compared to the F4U-1 "Birdcage," which improved forward visibility. It benefited from a water injected P&W R-2800 engine. Field modifications were made to some F4U-1As to fit bomb racks.

Volksjäger on display at the Planes of Fame Air Museum. This He-162 of 2./JG 1 "Oesau" was flown by Staffelkapitän Ltn Gerhard Hanf from Leck. It carries the wolf's head emblem of III./JG 77, which was Hanf's previous unit based in Romania. The engine unit is painted in RLM 81 and the tail fins in RLM 76. After its capture, the aircraft went to Cherbourg in dismantled condition to be shipped to the USA. The He-162 was flown only once at Muroc Dry Lake by legendary test pilot Bob Hoover and donated to the Univ. of Kansas. It was acquired by Eddie Fisher and then Ed Maloney for the museum.

Airworthy Warhawk at Planes of Fame Air Museum. This combat veteran was delivered on 22 Jun 1943 to the RCAF. It destroyed a Japanese Fu-Go fire-balloon bomb over British Columbia on 10 Mar 1945. After the war it went to several private owners, being acquired by the museum in 1960 and restored in 1980. The aircraft has featured in the films "Pearl Harbor" and "Valkyrie." It is painted in the markings of the 325th FG. This MTO Group wore a black and yellow checkertail on its P-40s, P-47s and P-51s. The N was the fastest Warhawk after the plane was lightened and the rear canopy squared off.

Airworthy P-2 inside the hangar at Planes of Fame Air Museum. The Swiss Air Force needed a trainer to allow easy transition to its Bf-109s. The P-2 was designed using a Bf-109 undercarriage and Argus As 410 engine, first flown on 27 Apr 1945. This P-2 was taken on charge by the Swiss Air Force. Sold to a private owner in the UK in 1981, it found its way to the USA and was acquired by the museum. It is painted in Luftwaffe colors and is being used by the museum's pilots to transition to the Hispano HA-1112-M1L.

Rare FB-5 with the emblem of VF-6B on display at Planes of Fame Air Museum. Originally A-7104, this is one of just 27 constructed for the U.S. Navy. They were delivered from the Boeing factory in Seattle on 21 Jan 1927 by placing the aircraft on a barge in Seattle Harbour and sent to the awaiting CV-1 USS Langley, from where they made their first flights. FB-5s were USN's first fighters intended for carrier operations. These aircraft served with VF-1 on USS Langley, VF-6B aboard USS Saratoga, VF-3B at San Diego and finally with Marine squadron VF-6M "Red Devils."

On display at Planes of Fame Air Museum.

"Lucky Lady II' on display at Planes of Fame Air Museum. This SAC aircraft created history, being the first to complete a nonstop flight around the world. The standby B-50A from 63rd BS "Sea Hawks," 43rd BG took off from Carswell AFB on 26 Feb 1949 and landed back on 2 Mar 49 after flying 23,452 miles in 94 hours, 1 min. The 43rd ARS supplied four pairs of KB-29M tankers to refuel the B-50A four times, losing one. Capt James Gallagher and his crew received DFCs, the Mackay Trophy and Air Age Trophy. The B-50A was damaged BER on 13 Aug 50 after all engines failed, breaking off the tail.