Built for John S Phipps, New York in 1937. Citizens of North Carolina raised money to donate it to Britain as an ambulance, but following Pearl Harbor it is seen here being presented to the US Navy instead. Supposedly it would accommodate four stretcher cases, two sitting cases and a medic. Entered service as a JRF-1, BuNo 07004. According to Geoff Goodall, it was struck off charge at Cherry Point - in North Carolina - in July 1944. Photo by: Thomas McAvoy / Life

A close-up shot of a visiting celebrity reveals the serial in small print in the Technical Data Block below the windscreen. The 112th Observation Squadron of the Ohio National Guard was 'federalised' in November 1940 and equipped with O-47s at Pope Field, North Carolina for anti-submarine patrols. The code for the unit is apparently 12NG. Photo by: Thomas McAvoy / Life

The first of nine PH-1 production aircraft for the US Navy. Delivered to Anacostia twelve days before the given photo date, and this is indeed the Anacostia River with a wing of the Roosevelt Hall visible on the far left. A8687 saw overseas service at Coco Solo, Panama, and Pearl Harbor. Hit and sunk by its own mooring buoy in a strong wind at French Frigate Shoals atoll, Hawaii on 27 October 1936. Salvaged but written off. Photo from: Hall

Suspended in the NASM Golden Age of Flight Hall. Built in 1927, this Mailwing was the prototype for Pitcairn mail planes that led to the creation of Eastern Air Lines. First use of the type as a mail plane was by Texas Air Transport on Contract Air Mail Route 21. The PA-5 was successful on the CAM 19 New York-Atlanta route, flying mail by night in seven hours, one-third the time it took by train. Eastern Air Lines used this aircraft till 1934. It was sold and converted to carry passengers, being repurchased and restored as a gift for Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker till donated in 1957 to NASM.

Flight deck of AA "Flagship Vermont" on display at NASM. Last of the piston engine Douglas airliners, the DC-7 came about due to the need by American Airlines to match TWA's L-049 Constellation that outpaced AA's DC-6. The newly designed DC-7 had R-3350 engines similar to the L-049 but with four-bladed propellers. Its fuselage was like the DC-6B but stretched by 40 in. Capable of cruising at 360 mph, the DC-7 had excellent range, covering LA to NYC in 8 hr and the westbound leg in 8 hr 45 min. AA placed an order for 25 DC-7s that met the development cost, later adding nine more aircraft.

Suspended in the Golden Age of Flight Hall at NASM. This homebuilt racer with a Continental C-85 engine was designed by Steve Wittman. Originally named "Chief Oshkosh," it was heavily modified and renamed "Buster." It had a long racing career from 1931-54 in the National Air Races and other events, usually finishing in the top five in its class. The aircraft was displayed in Building 24 at Silver Hill before moving to the Mall. Wittman designed several aircraft during his career, being inducted posthumously in the National Aviation Hall of Fame. Oshkosh Airport was renamed in his honor.

On display at the Sea-Air Gallery at Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Delivered to the USN in 1944, this is the sixth SBD-6 of 450 built, which was the last production model. It was identical to the SBD-5 but fitted with the more powerful 1,350 hp Wright R-1820-66 engine, making it slightly faster with a better service ceiling and range. The armored shield for the twin .30-cal machine guns is visible, as is the Yagi radar antenna under the wing. The carburetor intake scoop on top of the cowl has been deleted on this variant which is painted in the standard three-color camouflage.

Quite a unique moment, unexpectedly this formation appeared, old and new in formation near the Thomas-Jefferson memorial. Strikingly, the green colour of the Sea King is slight different compared of the colour of its successor, the Patriot. The VH-3D Sea King (BuNo 159359) is together with 159357 (which was seen earlier this day) is one of the last operational Sea Kings of HMX-1.

"Glamorous Glennis" suspended at Smithsonian NASM. This was the first aircraft to go supersonic on 14 Oct 1947, flown by Capt C. Yeager. The X-1 was dropped around 23,000 ft. by a modified B-29 flown by Maj R. Cardenas. After climb the flight plan was to reach Mach 0.97 but the sound barrier was crossed that day to attain a speed of Mach 1.06 after levelling off at 43,000 ft. The X-1 was powered by a 26.5 kN Reaction Motors XLR11-RM3 rocket engine with four combustion chambers burning LOX and ethyl alcohol. The combustion chambers could be turned on and off individually but not throttled.

A few minutes after take-off from Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (DC), this Huey (former BuNo 158562) was in a north-bound hurry over the Potomac into the direction of the Thomas-Jefferson memorial. After its career with the US Marine Corps, the Huey arrived at AMARG on 26 Jan'11 with inventory code 7H0057. After some 7 months of storage, the USAF selected the Bell for conversion. It was taken from AMARG on 18 Aug'11 and was moved to Fleet Readiness Center East Cherry Point (NC) for depot-level maintenance overhaul. During '14 it was taken on strength of the 1st Helicopter Squadron at Andrews.

168280 from FY2011 is the first presidential Osprey (LRIP Lot 15). It flew first on 23 Jan'13 and was delivered to Marine Helicopter Squadron (HMX) ONE 'the Nighthawks' on 3 May'13. The Marine One Osprey's replaced a small number of CH-46 and CH-53s within HMX-1 and are used as support aircraft. They lack the white paint at the top of the fuselage (thus the nickname "white tops") that the VIP transport helicopters have. On 11 Aug'13 two MV-22Bs made their presidential debut ferrying Secret Service agents, White House staff, and members of the media from CGAS Cape Cod to Martha's Vineyard (MA).

Wow, this Black Hawk could be just a US Army one, but when going into detail, the word Army on the tail section is removed, the marking on the engine housing is not US Army, and the crew clearly show a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) patch. And indeed, this UH-60M belongs to the FBI. The fiscal year of the serial is not 100% confirmed

The construction number of this Osprey is unconfirmed. The tilt-rotor is coming from the Lor Rate Initial Production Lot 115 series and was part of the US Navy FY2011 budget. As they are support aircraft, the are named "Green Tops", the other assetts of HMX-1 are named "White Tops" and these transport the VIPs. HMX-1 operates a dozen MV-22Bs.

The construction number of this Osprey is not known. The Marine Helicopter Squadron (HMX) ONE MV-22Bs are identical to those used by the USMC in the fleet, they only differ from their paint job.

This is VH-92A System Demonstration Test Article 2, the fourth Patriot built. It is former Sikorsky test registration N313SX and was first noted in mid-2019. 169180 is one of 23 VH-92As that the US Navy budget procured, of which 21 will be operational aircraft and two will remain test aircraft. The 21 aircraft are operated by Marine Helicopter Squadron (HMX) OBNE, based at Quantico (VA). The squadron runs a detachment at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (MD). The VH-92As replace the venerable VH-3D Sea King and VH-60N of HMX-1.

This FY2019 Patriot carries a plate with a six on the "clip", I don't know what that means. Normally such clips are used for plates with two, three or four star marks. This 169187 is former Sikorsky test registration N335SX.

Passing The Washington Monument, how classic can it be?