Taken on Charge with the US Army with s/n 51-16608 in 1953, this Retriever was transferred to the Navy in 1958 as 147595. Stored at Litchfield Park, AZ from 1962. Registered N9685Z in 1975. Donated to Pima in 1981, restored in the 1961 colours of HU-1, Atsugi Naval Air Facility, Japan and initially displayed indoors but later moved outside where it deteriorated. Restored again and returned under cover in 2020 - it now looks superb and so much better without the extensive latex glazing protection used outdoors in the unforgiving Arizona sun.

Reconstructed from the parts of several P-40s, this aircraft is now finished in the 1942 colours of the 7th FS, 49th FG, New Guinea. P-40E 41-25163 was built by Curtiss at Buffalo in 1941 and had been intended for the RAAF but was diverted to the USAAF in New Guinea. In December 1942 it suffered a landing accident at 17 Mile Drome near Port Moresby. It is claimed that parts were used for this rebuild, completed by the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) at Albion Park Airfield, NSW in 2017

The Tigercat narrowly missed WWII but operated successfully as a night fighter and on night ground interdiction missions during the Korean War. Phased out of Marine service by 1954, several were sold for aerial firefighting. Of the 364 F7Fs built, fewer than 10 remain. This one became N7627C with Cal-Nat in 1962. Damaged when the gear folded in a landing at Grass Valley, CA the same year, it went on to Sis-Q of Santa Rosa in 1969. Now immaculately presented in the marks of VMF(N)-533, MCAS Cherry Point, NC around 1952

Registered in 1959 as N3771A and intended for the Honduran AF, but sale fell through. During static restoration in the late 1970s at Mojave, it is reported that the data plate was inadvertently swapped for that of F4U 97349, leading to it being painted as that aircraft. Displayed at the National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola as such from the mid-1980s. Loaned to Pima by 1997 and now displayed with its correct identity.

By 1945 several squadrons of Privateers were conducting operations from the Philippines to the Aleutian Islands. The PB4Y-2 with its distinctive single tail was much better equipped than the earlier PB4Y-1, which was basically just an adapted B-24, and stayed in Navy service after the war for missions such as weather reconnaissance and signals intelligence, before being retired around 1955. Several were then modified as civilian air tankers used in fighting forest fires until 2002. This one was tanker 'C30', registered N3739G, now restored in the colours of VPB-120, Shemya Island, AK in 1945

After a raid on Japanese forces at Wewak in May 1944 this A-20 was damaged by ground fire and forced to land in the Bumbura Swamp near Annamberg in the Ramu Valley of New Guinea. Abandoned on site. The largely intact airframe was lifted out by a Mi-26 helicopter and recovered by the RAAF Museum for use as a parts source for A-20 A28-8 and A-20 42-86786 in 1994. Moved to the RAF Museum, Hendon in 2005 where restoration was begun and passed to Pima in 2018. Now finished in the colours worn prior in 1944 while operating with the 89th BS, 3rd BG, Fifth Air Force, Nadzab, New Guinea.

Built 1941 and allocated to the Bombadier Training School, Midland, TX in 1942, later transferred to 4122 AAFBU. Crashed at Hensley Field, TX in December 1946, repaired and based at Hill AFB, UT. Sold as N6953U in 1957 and converted for civil use in 1960 by the removal of gun turret and bomb-bay doors. Joined the Pima museum as early as 1975

Ended its service career as a ground instructional airframe, hence designation, but restored to its 1970s colours as operated as an F-5B by the 58th TFTW, Williams AFB, AZ

Converted to a Landseaire by Southern California Aircraft Corporation at Ontario, CA in 1952 and registered N68740. Moved to Pima by 2016 and restored in the colours of R Canadian AF, No. 5 (BR) Sqdn, 1944

Wrecked in a landing accident at Brooks Field, TX in April 1942. Stored by various museums and eventually restored by 2011 at Pima in its 22nd Observation Squadron marks

The Yale was effectively a T-6 Texan with fixed undercarriage. The 119 used by the Royal Canadian AAF were built for export to France but were diverted to Canada after France fell to Germany in 1940. This example was Stuck off Charge in 1946 and sold, being stored in the open on the Simmons farm in Canada. Auctioned in 1970, it was registered N4735G but was donated to Pima in 1974

One of four Ki-115 suicide attack aircraft captured at Nakajima's No. 1 Plant, Ota, Gamma Prefecture at the end of WWII. Over 100 were built from wood and thin steel to save resources and were intended to be dropped from bombers. Allocated FE-156 by the US authorities, changed to T2-156 and taken into storage, soon being transferred to the NASM facility at Silver Hill, MD. Loaned to Pima by 2017

Built by Boeing Aircraft Company at Everett, Washington and first flown on 12th June 1994, this is the first 777 to be produced. It remained on test with Boeing till sold to Cathay in 2000

The unmissable bulk of the Super Guppy. Most of the airframe for the conversion by Aero Spacelines in 1965 came from a former Pan American Airways Boeing Stratocruiser, N1038V. However, the wings, engines, and forward fuselage came from one of the Air Force's experimental turbo-prop powered YC-97J aircraft, 52-2693. It continued in use by NASA until 1991 when it was replaced by a younger Super Guppy (N951NA ex F-GEAI)

Last flew in the late 1950s with the 156th FIS, North Carolina ANG. Plans in the mid-1990s by private owner to return it to flight not accomplished and sold to Pima in 2003. Restored in the marks of the 51st FIW, Suwon AB, with which it flew in 1952 during the Korean War

Built by WSK for the Polish AF around 1960. Acquired by the USAF in the 1980s and flown by civilian contractors with registration N822JM for research by the Defense Test and Evaluation Support Agency at Kirtland AFB, Albuquerque. Displayed next to its Korean adversary, the F-86 Sabre, in DPRK markings

Taken on charge with the USCG as 232 in 1946 and later reserialled 1232. Sold as N4925E. Loaned to Pima museum in 1990. Displayed in silver colours till refurbished in original livery in 2020

Contracted as P2V-7 Bu Aer 135593 in 1955 but supplied to the Royal Canadian AF as 24113. It was acquired by Flying Firemen as CF-MQW in 1972 and converted as a tanker but failed to gain certification and was sold on to Johnson Flying Service, Missoula, MT as N14448. From 1975 it joined Black Hills Aviation, Alamogordo, NM as tanker 'A16' but was was damaged beyond repair the same year. On being moved to Pima, it was restored using parts from SP-2H 147957. Another SP-2H, 150281, is held in store by the museum.

Photographer unknown

The Searchmaster was primarily used by Indonesia for maritime reconnaissance, but several of this Nomad version were also purchased by the US Customs Service for border patrol duties, including this aircraft. A total of 170 Nomads were built in Australia by 1984 when production ended.