Part 6: World War II Exhibits

Hi Everyone..!!
Hope you have enjoyed looking at the World War 1 Planes. Incase you have missed the following is the link to it.

World War I : World War I

The following are World War 2 Exhibits.... ::

Miniature Models:

1. Lockheed P-38L Lightning
          Originally conceived as a high-altitude interceptor to meet a 1937-vintage Army Air Corps requirement, Lockheed's Model 22 was to become one of the best-known fighters of World War II. The most distinguishing feature of the P-38 was its podded fuselage and unusual twin-boom tail assembly. Initially an innovative approach to the original Air Corps specification, it later would prove ideal for the Pacific Theater and the long, over-water flights that often were entailed.

2. Nakajima Ki-43-IIIa Hayabusa

          Nakajima’s Ki-43 Hayabusa (“Peregrine Falcon”) entered service with the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (I.J.A.A.F.) in late 1941 and served until the end of World War II.  When production ended in August 1945, Nakajima and Tachikawa had built 5,919 Ki-43s, making the Hayabusa the I.J.A.A.F.’s most-widely produced aircraft.  Known to Allied pilots by the codename Oscar, the Hayabusa was perhaps the most maneuverable fighter of World War II – even more maneuverable than the Imperial Japanese Navy’s legendary Mitsubishi Zero (for which the Hayabusa was often mistaken). The Hayabusa, however, shared the Zero’s shortcomings: Inadequate offensive firepower and inadequate defensive armor, deficiencies that proved increasingly lethal for Japanese pilots from 1943 on.

3. Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX

             At the time of its first flight in 1936, the Spitfire was one of the world's fastest military airplanes. Just four years later, dashing and distinctive elliptical-winged Spits tangled with marauding German fighters and bombers during the Battle of Britain.

Never a long-range machine, the Spitfire was nonetheless ideal for scrambling into the air at a moment's notice to defend the British Isles from attack. Spits were even used to intercept and destroy speedy V-1 "Buzz Bombs" launched from mainland Europe. The trusty fighter had a long life with the Royal Air Force -- in service at the beginning of World War II and still patrolling the skies on V-E (Victory in Europe) day and beyond.

4. Yakovlev Yak-9U Frank

               Developed from the earlier Yakovlev fighters that included the successful Yak-3 and Yak-7, the Yak-9, when it first entered combat in 1942, was simply a lighter version of the former. The Yak-9 eventually was built in many different versions. Most were optimized for ground attack.

The Museum's Yak-9 is a rare, rebuilt original aircraft. Doug Champlin first learned of it during a trip to Russia in 1992. Shortly afterwards, Art Williams was hired to find and acquire it. Williams traveled to Novosibirsk, Siberia, and after consummating the acquisition, arranged for the Yak-9 to be transferred to Moscow via the Siberian railroad. The trip took four days under constant guard.

5. Republic P-47D (F-47) Thunderbolt

                    Republic's immense and powerful P-47 Thunderbolt was one of the truly great fighters of World War II. Designed by Alexander Kartveli, the P-47 was to play a major role in World War II and be built in greater numbers than any other U.S. fighter, including the North American P-51.

In combat, the P-47 was an effective air-to-air fighter -- but it was an even more effective air-to-ground weapon. It had great diving speed and a tremendous payload capacity.

The Museum of Flight's P-47D is a "re-imported" aircraft representing just one of the many Thunderbolts that were sent to Latin American countries as part of post-war military assistance programs.

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