This is a P-38L built by Lockheed at Burbank which was taken up by the USAAF in July 1945 as 44-53232, painted to represent a P-38J of the 55th FS based at Wittering and Kings Cliffe in England. In fact the aircraft was immediately converted to an F-5G reconnaissance variant but was civilianised in 1946 as N66678 and was raced as #11, named "City Slicker". Sold to the Honduran AF as FAH505 in 1949, in returned to the US in 1960 and after storage at Kelly AFB, TX, it was ferried to the USAFM in May 1961 and soon displayed in the current scheme outdoors

Written off January 1981. Photographer unknown

The squadron markings are in red behind the cockpit window. Photo by Joop Dianet

Photographer unknown

Constructed as B-26G-11-MA 43-34581 by Martin at Baltimore, MD, in October 1944 it was delivered to Casablanca where it joined the Free French forces as s/n 334581, flying 37 combat missions by the end of WWII. After storage at Mont de Marsan, it was transferred to the Air France airline school at Vilgenis as a ground trainer in 1951. In June 1965 it was airfreighted by C-124 from Chateauroux AB to the USAF Museum where it initially went on display with its true serial, but by 1982 was repainted as now seen in the marks of a B-26B of the 387th BS/556th BG, 9th AF

Ca.1952: TOS USAF as C-119F. Ca.1956 converted to C-119G. Assigned to 302nd Troop Carrier Wing, Clinton County AFB, OH. 2 Aug '71: Unit moved to Lockbourne AFB, OH. Ca.1973: TOS Republic of China Air Force as s/n 3109. 1995:  Air Force Academy Museum, Gang Shan, Republic of China AF.

In 1945, A-20 43-22200 was modified as a CA-20G staff transport, but early in 1946 it was civilianised and operated with the registration N63004 till donated by the Bankers Life & Casualty Co of Chicago to the USAFM in 1961. My 1973 photo here shows the aircraft as it was displayed then with correct serial, but by 1994 it was repainted to represent a Havoc of the 312th BG/389th BS "Roarin' 20s" which flew the type in the Southwest Pacific

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

Assigned to the 196TRS California ANG, this RF-4C on final has it's photoflash doors open which was a rare sight to me. I understand they put flares & chaff in the unit after the photoflash were not needed anymore.

"GRIZZLY" RF-4C conducts a low approach down runway 32

Sep '58 to Nov '59: Specially modified for the mid-air retrieval of space capsules re-entering the atmosphere from orbit. 19 Aug 60: Made the world's first midair recovery of a capsule returning from orbit when it snagged the parachute lowering the Discoverer XIV satellite at 8,000 feet altitude, 360 miles southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii. Mov '63: Flown to the Air Force Museum at Wright Field, Wright-Patterson AFB, waiting there for the new museum to open. August '71: Placed on display at the Air Force Museum.

Any help on the location is appreciated. Photographer unknown

Sep '58 to Nov '59: Specially modified for the mid-air retrieval of space capsules re-entering the atmosphere from orbit. 19 Aug 60: Made the world's first midair recovery of a capsule returning from orbit when it snagged the parachute lowering the Discoverer XIV satellite at 8,000 feet altitude, 360 miles southwest of Honolulu, Hawaii. Mov '63: Flown to the Air Force Museum at Wright Field, Wright-Patterson AFB, waiting there for the new museum to open. August '71: Placed on display at the Air Force Museum.