Kittyhawk I AK752 served in the RCAF and received Canadian serial 1028. Found on a farm in Lethbridge, Alberta in 1975, it was restored by Col Pay, becoming the first warbird P-40 in Australia as VH-KTH. It was sold to Montana collector James Smith in 1994, and is still airworthy but rarely seen. Although it wore its proper Canadian markings in Australia, it now has a Flying Tigers sharkmouth with its construction number painted on the tailfin.

The Beech 17 Staggerwing was the Gulfstream of its day, a luxury executive aircraft with prices starting at $14,000 in 1934. During WWII of course it found military applications as a light transport aircraft, and this example was built for the US Navy in 1943 as a Beech GB-2, 33028. It was withdrawn from use in 1946 but started a second life as N17643 in 1958.

This airworthy A-37, military serial 69-6439, saw operational service with the USAF in Vietnam, and then with the South Vietnamese air force. Captured at Bien Hoa in 1975 it was impressed in the Vietnamese People's s Air Force. One of serveral A-37s purchased by Colin Pay in 1989, it was restored as VH-IVI and sold to John Smith who now displays it in his private museum. A spare J85 engine is in the foreground.

First flown in 1929, the Lincoln-Page PT trainer was developed from the earlier LP-3. This airworthy example has a Warner engine. The military markings are completely fictitious.

1975 aircraft wearing the Mooney logo on the fin. It was repaired after a landing accident during a training flight in 2013.

An inflatable aeroplane, developed under an improbable 1950s military project. One of several versions, the Goodyear GA-468 was designated AO-3 (AO for fixed wing observation) by the US Army.

Two Neptunes stored in Neptune Aviation Services' boneyard at their Missoula home base. The one in front is N949RR, which still has a "Patron 69" badge below the cockpit. The one hiding behind the bushes is N63819 (ex BuNo 147965).

Three of four Neptunes stored in Neptune Aviation Services' boneyard at their Missoula home base. The closest one is N63819 (ex BuNo 147965), which has all its US Navy markings painted out. Behind it on the left is N714AU (ex BuNo 148339), still coded LZ-14, and on the right is N949RR (ex BuNo 147949), coded PJ-3. The wingtip on the far right belongs to Fokker F-27 N222DG. The tailfin of the fourth Neptune N362RR (ex BuNo 148362) can also be seen.

Tail sections of two Neptunes stored in Neptune Aviation Services' boneyard at their Missoula home base. The one behind is N63819 (ex BuNo 147965).

One of four Neptunes stored in Neptune Aviation Services' boneyard, 700m east of their Missoula hangar. Like most Neptunes there this one still carries its US Navy markings, with some bits painted out. Below the cockpit it has faint silvery "University of Nevada - Reno" and "Fire Science Academy" titles and logo. This aircraft was the only one in the boneyard that could reasonably be photographed. The Neptune behind is N714AU (ex BuNo 148339), which still carries code LZ-14.

Parked very close together, so this ex NSF Electra is hiding behind the wing of a former NASA Electra. Both aircraft were stored at Neptune Aviation Services' airtanker base and both were sold to Air Spray later in the year. This N308D became C-FLXT.

It may be hard to believe, but this Neptune is not a spares ship. It is undergoing restoration to flight, after many years of storage and neglect. It made its first post-restoration flight on 6 Dec 2007 and became Tanker 42 (N442NA) a week later. Unfortunately its career would not be long - a bit more than a year later, on 25 Apr 2009, it crashed into high ground in the Oquirrh Mountains near Stockton Pass, UT, during a positioning flight from Missoula, MT to Alamogordo, NM. In this photo it still carries its former US Navy markings, with faded MASDC inventory number PA011 still on the nose.

This once proud Neptune, one of many in the NAS fleet at the time, unfortunately crashed shortly after take-off from Reno-Stead, NV on 1 Sep 2008.

Former NASA Electra seen here stored at Neptune Aviation Services' airtanker base. Later in the year it was sold to Air Spray and became C-FLJO.

This Neptune is being restored to flight, after many years of storage and neglect. It made its first flight on 6 December 2007 and became Tanker 42 (N442NA) a week later. Unfortunately its career would not be long - it crashed into high ground in the Oquirrh Mountains near Stockton Pass, UT, during a positioning flight from Missoula, MT to Alamogordo, NM. In this photo it still carries its former US Navy markings, without registration, but still with very faded MASDC inventory number PA011 on the nose and US Navy BuNo 150283 under the tailplane.

The Robin was a popular three-seat touring aircraft. This is one of a number of still airworthy examples out of 769 buit from 1928 to 1930.

A gorgeous airworthy 1917 Curtiss Jenny in the off-the-beaten-track Stonehenge Air Museum in Northwest Montana. Its service history is unknown.

The Seafire 46 and 47 were the only operational Spitfire variants to have contra-rotating propellers. 114 of them were built and they saw service in the Korean War. This rare survivor, even airworthy, lives in the middle of nowhere near the US-Canadian border, in one of those slightly eccentric plane museums founded by wealthy American collectors, in this case, James Smith. In the background is a Goodyear Inflatoplane.

Built in 1974.