This A-24B-10-DT built by Douglas at Tulsa, OK was in fact allocated USAAC serial 42-54582. The A-24 Banshee was basically the naval Dauntless modified for Army use as a dive-bomber, encouraged by the effectiveness of the Luftwaffe with such aircraft in Europe. Postwar this machine was converted as a mosquito sprayer as N4488N, later being used as Fire Tanker '60'. In the early 1970s it was restored to represent an SBD-5 and went on show at the Marines museum in Quantico, VA. By 2004 it was displayed as A-24 41-15786 which crash-landed on Java in February 1942

Just two of the 2,371 AT-10 twin-engine trainers constructed between 1942 and 1944 survive. The type was designed to be built using non-strategic materials with most of the aircraft including, remarkably the fuel tanks, made of plywood. This example, one of the 600 made under contract by Globe Aircraft, is actually 42-35143

This Grasshopper was built as an O-59A by Piper and was allocated USAAC serial 42-36790. By 1994 it had been registered N5777N and joined the USAFM the following year where it was presented to represent an L-4 that flew in support of the Allied invasion of North Africa in November 1942

Actually 42-34023, registered N1070N postwar

Constructed as P-47D-15-RA 42-23278 by Republic at Evansville, IN and registered N5087V and N347D postwar, this "Razorback" (later P-47Ds had a bubble canopy) was donated to the USAFM by Republic in 1964, having appeared at the Paris Air Show the previous year. By 2004 it had been repainted as the P-47 in which Col. Neel Kearby won the first Medal of Honor awarded to a US fighter pilot, with 22 kills in the Pacific theatre before being shot down over New Guinea in March 1944. The actual fin of his aircraft, named after his red-haired wife, was recovered from the wreck site is shown alongside

Built as an N2S-5 by Boeing, BuNo 60591 was apparently allocated but not taken up, this Kaydet joining the USAAC as PT-13D 42-17800 instead. Postwar it was registered to the Boeing company in Wichita as N41766 and in 1958 was delivered to the USAF Museum with Being Vice-President aboard what was the company's last biplane flight. Until 2013 it was displayed in the standard blue/yellow training colours but following restoration was presented as it left the production line, with BuNo on tail and USAAC serial on left-side TDB, but records show that 60591 actually became 42-16550

Of the 203 Owls ordered in 1940 for the USAAC for observation duties, four survive. This two-seater type , the last in the 'O' series before the 'L' designation replaced it, had forward and rear firing machine guns. They were used for anti-submarine searches in the Americas and through lend-lease also on the Eastern Front in Europe by the Soviets. However it was quickly realised that its performance was inadequate, leading to its relegation to courier-type duties

This Chickasaw was on show at the USAF Museum by 2005. It is painted as an H-19A known as Hop-A-Long, one of two to make the first transatlantic helicopter flight, travelling during the summer of 1952 from Westover AFB, MA, to Scotland in five stages. They then carried on to finally reach their allocated unit in Germany, the 9th ARS at Wiesbaden. In fact it is UH-19B 52-7587

Actually 49-1067 which was used as a JF-86A from 1954, ferried to the museum in 1961 and now marked to represent F-86A 49-1236 of the 4th FG, the jet in which Lt Col Bruce Hinton became the first to shoot down a MiG-15 over Korea in December 1950

Now painted in false colours as a 'Shoski Tiger' of the 4503rd TFS which combat tested the F-5 in Vietnam from 1965 to 1967. In reality it is the third of the three YF-5A prototypes, 59-4989 and from 1970 till around 2002 was displayed in its correct natural metal finish - see my 1973 photo here

This Thunderjet, superbly presented as a colourful F-84G of the 58th FBW's commander during the Korean War, is in fact F-84E 50-1143 which itself flew many combat missions in Korea with the 27th Fighter Escort Group and 136th FBW Texas ANG. The latter was the first ANG ever unit to enter combat. In late 1963 it came to the USAFM and was painted as now seen by 2012

Northrop converted 350 F-89Ds to J models, Air Defense Command's first fighter-interceptor to carry nuclear armament, its air-to-air rockets having a nuclear warhead. The aircraft on display, 52-1911, was the last in service with an operational unit when provided for preservation by the Maine ANG in July 1969. It is painted to represent F-89J 53-2509 assigned to the 449th FIS in the late 1950s, based at Ladd AFB, near Fairbanks AK. Hence it carries red arctic markings

Starfires were employed in the air defense of the continental United States in the 1950s. The F-94C had no guns but twenty-four rockets in a ring around the radome, shielded by retractable doors, with an additional 24 in wing pods if installed. This example is 50-0980 which from 1951 served the 3550th CCTW, 332nd FIS, 97th FIS and 109th FIS, going to Davis Monthan for storage in 1958. By 1974 it was in the adjacent Pima museum but was transferred to the USAFM by 1988 where it was marked as F-94C 50-1054 of the 60th FIS, Otis AFB, MA

The F-86D 'Sabre Dog', initially designated the F-95, incorporated a sophisticated electronic system replacing the second crew member carried by other interceptors of the time and air-to-air missiles instead the classic gun armament. This one is really 50-0477 and was no stranger to Wright Field, spending a year there from August 1952 with the Wright Air Development Centre as an EF-86D. Redesignated JF-86D in 1955 and roaded to the museum in 1970, on show as an F-86D assigned to the 97th FIS at Wright Patterson AFB during the mid-1950s

This is B-25D 43-3374, converted to the F-10 photo recon version for the 91st Photo Mapping Sqdn. It was used in South America in 1944 to map the coastline and inland areas. Back in the US it was used for training then stored at Davis Monthan in December 1957. But at the end of the month it was ferried to NA at Inglewood for modification to resemble Jimmy Doolittle's B-25B, one of several that were to follow. Presented to Doolittle at Las Vegas in April 1958 and flown by several of his Raiders when ferried to Dayton for the USAF Museum. B-25D engine exhausts are different, so hidden by covers

This is actually P-39Q 44-3887, converted to an RP-39Q two-seat operational training version with armament removed and redesignated TP-39Q in 1945. Disposed of as surplus in 1946, it was restored to single-seat P-39Q status in 1966 and flown to the UASFM. By 1977 it was marked as P-39D 41-7073 flown by the 57th FS, Adak Island, during the harsh conditions of the Aleutians Island campaign of autumn 1942. They attacked the Japanese forces which had invaded Attu and Kiska islands, the weather claiming more casualties than combat

Actually L-17A 47-1347 which served the 53rd FW, Pennsylvania ANG at Middletown PA as a liaison aircraft. Flown to the UASFM in April 1986 and painted as 48-928, a Ryan-built L-17B used by the Air Force ROTC program at Bradley University, IL in 1959 then the Chanute AFB Aero Club as N7635B until it crashed in the Seven Mountains in November 1963

One of the last to be completed, this Me 262 'Yellow 5' was surrendered to Allied forces at Munich-Riem in May 1945 and ferried on to Lechfeld by a Luftwaffe pilot. Flown on to Cherbourg via St Dizier and Melun, it was shipped as "Watsons Wizzers 111/Screamin' Meemie" to the US aboard HMS Reaper with 40 other captured aircraft. Barged to NAS Patuxent River and allocated BuNo 121442 for ten hours of flight tests in January 1946, these were curtailed after three engine failures. Abandoned in 1952, it was moved to the nascent USAF Museum in 1957. Restoration was accomplished from 1976 to 1979

Actually T-28B BuNo 140048 assigned to NAS Norfolk and sent to MASDC for storage in 1976. In August 1981 it was transferred out to the US Army Aviation Engineering Flight Activity, Edwards AFB, going back to MASDC around 1986 but ferried to Wright Patterson for the USAF Museum in March 1987. It is painted as a VNAF aircraft assigned to Bien Hoa AB in 1962, where USAF pilots trained and flew combat missions with VNAF crews in Operation Farm Gate

In researching WW2 Japanese aircraft, it is difficult to determine serial numbers as we know them, but it seems that the tail codes are as near as we get. The wreck of this Nakajima-built naval A6M2 was found in Papua New Guinea, near Kavieng on New Ireland, probably one of the aircraft operated there by the 6th and later the 253rd Kokutai. Assembled locally for display as a composite with another wreck c1964, it was extracted to Australia in 1967. Since 2004 it has been painted as a section leader's aircraft from the carrier Zuiho during the March 1943 Battle of the Bismarck Sea