Scheduled To Appear

P-40 Warhawk.

A WWII American fighter. Served in every combat theater during the war. This type was made famous by the American Volunteer Group flying in China during the WWII, also called the Flying Tigers. The pilot is Tony Banta, 2003 Grand Champion at Watsonville.

Vultee BT-13

With retractable landing gear and a powerful engine, the Vultee V-54 basic combat trainer was too lavish for the cash-strapped United States Army Air Corps of 1938. So Vultee redesigned the aircraft and made it less complicated. The first order for 300 new BT-13 Valiants was placed in September of 1939, and it would become the most widely-used American training aircraft of World War II. The Vultee BT-13 had a continuous canopy with its crew of two sitting in tandem behind dual controls. It was also equipped with blind flying instruments to teach new pilots the basics of flying at night or in foul weather.

Yak-11

The Soviet Air Forces most widely used trainer through the end of the 1950's. Approximately 4500 were built and flown in all Warsaw Pact countries and Soviet influenced air forces. This airplane has sometimes been equated in importance with the American T-6 Texan trainer. Approximately 120 remain in airworthy condition. The pilot is Kent Carlomagno.

B-25

WW II B-25 BOMBER “MAID IN THE SHADE” RETURNS TO THE SKIES AFTER 28-YEAR RESTORATION

The B-25 “Maid in the Shade” is the only Arizona Wing plane that has a known combat record. During World War II in late 1944 this aircraft flew out of Serraggia Airbase on the east coast of Corsica. It was with the 57th Bomb Wing, 391st Bomb Group, 437th Squadron where it was assigned Battle Number 18. It flew 15 bombing missions over Italy.

This plane was manufactured at the North American Aviation plant in Kansas City and delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force on June 9, 1944. It then was flown to Hunter Field, Savannah, Georgia on June 24 then onto Morrison Field, Florida where it was readied for deployment to the Mediterranean Theatre of Operation.

On July 7, 1944, this aircraft departed Morrison Field and followed the southern route through Brazil, then across the Atlantic to Africa where it was delivered to the 3rd Air Facility Depot. Later that fall it was picked up by the 319th Bomb Group, 437th Squadron at Serraggia Airbase, Corsica. There it was assigned Battle Number 18. The plane then proceeded to fly 15 combat missions over Italy between November 4 and December 31, 1944. The majority of the targets were railroad bridges.

About the North American B-25J “Mitchell”

Named after General Billy Mitchell, the Army Air Corps' most famous figure of the 1920’s and 1930’s, the North American B-25 proved to be one of the most important American weapons of World War II. The twin-engine bomber became standard equipment for the Allied Air Forces in World War II, and was perhaps the most versatile aircraft of the war. It became one of the most heavily armed airplanes in the world, and was used for high-and low-level bombing, strafing, photo reconnaissance, submarine patrol and even as a fighter. It was also the aircraft that completed the historic raid over Tokyo in 1942 under Jimmy Doolittle’s command. Subsequently, it saw duty in every combat area, being flown by the Dutch, British, Chinese, Russians and Australians in addition to our own U.S. forces. Although the airplane was originally intended for level bombing from medium altitudes, it was used extensively in the Pacific theater of operations for bombing Japanese airfields from treetop level and for strafing and skip bombing enemy ships.

More than 9,800 B-25Js were built during WW II. The twin-tail, mid-wing land monoplane was powered by two 1,700-hp Wright Cyclone engines. Normal bomb capacity was 5,000 pounds. Some versions carried a 75 mm cannon in the conventional bombardier's compartment. One version carried fourteen forward-firing .50-caliber machine guns for strafing.

Rides are available in this aircraft, from Sep. 2 - 7 for $425 per person.