1

2
 Welcome to the 2011

Th
Found
perm
Greetings As the new Museum Director, I would like to welcome flying
is to p
all of you to our annual Warbirds Over the Beach Air Show. This year we

HISTORY
gener
are pleased to include our B-17 “Chuckie” and one of the only two flying and g
Lancaster Bombers from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum to the sk
the lineup of planes in the air show.
The or
years
One of the most famous Allied bomber of World War II, the Lancaster
starte
had impressive flying characteristics and operational performance.
The Lancaster was the RAF’s only heavy bomber capable of carrying the It was
12,000-lb Tallboy and 22,000-lb Grand Slam bombs. The aircraft superbly Museu
demonstrated its right to fame with the daring and precise raids on the aircraf
Gerald Yagen, President contin
Ruhr dams in May 1943, and also the sinking of the German battleship few an
Tirpitz in November 1944. Founded
Jerry Yagenin at
2005, the Military Aviationrine
Museum
Spitfiredisplays
the controls of his Superma Mark IXeand in sear
provides a permanent home for dozens of Second World War and
Our B-17 “Chuckie” started its military career when it was delivered to
the USAAF in January 1944. Although military records on our aircraft are
Gree
earlier vintage flying aircraft in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The
tings to all of our many visitors and participants for His fir
previo
museum’s ongoing mission is to preserve, restore,
not available, Vega-built B-17s were consistently sent to combat with the our annual display of Warbirds Over the Beach.and fly these
We welcome the pla
historic
all of you aircraft
and hope and to allow a new generation to experien
that it will be a memorable occasion that ce and team o
8th and 15th Air Forces in Europe. all of
uslearn
willfrom whatrememb
forever their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfather
er and treasure. Warbirds Over the s P-40E
might have
Beach endured on the lonely airfields
will be a weekend for everyone to experien and incethe skiesfrom
so compo
In addition to seeing flight demonstrations by these two vintage bombers, very farhalf
from
a time them a
everyone can turn back the clock and experience a time from the first
the first ofhome.
the last century when our country was unified with
gone o
its’ allies for a common cause. A cause which was quite clear and
half of the last century. A time when our country was unified with its The founder
much simpler to of the museum
underst and. It has spentwhen
is a time yearsthat
collectin
generatig and
on is Later s
allies for a common cause, which was quite clear and much simpler to restoring
rapidly these
fading beautifu l aircraft. Ascertainly
time went
into the past, but will on, the
never passionn.
be forgotte acquire
understand. It is a time whose generation is rapidly fading into the past fortechnolo
The obtainingy g and
andrestoring
developm these rare aircraft
ent of multiple eventual
new lywill
aircraft laidnever
the rare Ch
but will certainly never be forgotten. The technology and development foundati
again on for today’s
be repeated . These Military Aviation
artifacts Museum
of history owner’
were.discarde
In the process,
d by the
of multiple new aircraft will never again be repeated. These artifacts of it was learned
thousan ds after thatthethewar,
real discover
only to ybe wastreasur As it tu
not just
edthe aircraft
today and
history were discarded by the thousands after the war, only to be treasured painstak
themselv ingly reconstr
es, but uctedthey
the history and were
restored
partto
oftheir former
carrier
and the brillianc
stories of thee. In addi
today and painstakingly reconstructed and restored to their former They
braveare
mentheand
realwomen
stars ofwhotheflew
show!them. lowest
brilliance. They are the real stars of the show.
OurThe
thanks go outAviation
Military to the many reenacto
Museum rs, musicia
is truly a living ns, support ers,
museum that As time
voluntee
continuers and
s to everyon
grow. e that
newhas helped
A big thank you goes out to the many attendees, Several aircraft aretonearing
make this such a huge
full restoration rare air
success.
and willIbehope youtowill
thehave as much enjoyme Museum
musicians, supporters, re-enactors, veterans, staff, added museum ’s collectio n innt experien
the comingcing
weeksour
air
andshow as At
months. wethe
have just the
vendors, volunteers, and everyone that has helped same time, five additional structures are under
had prepari ng it for the stor
construc tion, including the Great War Hangar. This building will
to make this event such a huge success. I hope your entertainment.
serve as home for a new collection of World War One aircraft The Mil
you will have as much enjoyment experiencing
currentl
Sincerely,y under construction around the country.
to grow
our air show as we have had preparing it for you.
to the m

This year’s event is sure to be a memorable David Hunt

Bring your family and friends often and enjoy exploring what’s new structur
square f
in history. Buy a family membership and return as often as you would
occasion. David Hunt, Director constru
like. ForAviation
Military information about scheduled flight demonstrations, seminars,
Gary Powers, Museum Director and visiting aircraft, please call the museum at (757) 721-PROP
Museum Bring yo
or visit www.MilitaryAviationMuseum.org. of time.
seminar
Military
area of V
3
 King George of England when the summer bringing visitors to the Museum from the Beach. allowed!”
the box was first cast.

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4
 Virginia Beach artist Sam Welty
created the custom artwork for the
2011 Warbirds Over the Beach air
show. Sam is well-known throughout
Hampton Roads for his custom,
hand-painted large wall murals and
window paintings. One of Sam’s most
famous pieces is “A Celebration of
Saturday, May 21, 2011
American Heroes,” the 60’x180’ mural
depicting the Atlantic Fleet on the back of the Flagship Motel 10:00 AM-1:00 PM « HANGAR STAGE
in Virginia Beach. And several of Sam’s murals can be enjoyed Theresa Eaman
throughout the Military Aviation Museum lobby and second floor
display area. Ultimate Abbott & Costello
This year’s Warbirds Over the Beach artwork features four of Hampton Roads Metro Band
the museum’s Army Air Corp aircraft: the B-17 Flying Fortress, The Victory Belles
the B-25 Mitchell, the P-40 Curtiss, and the P-51 Mustang. They
are flying over the Virginia Beach oceanfront circa 1942 with Frank Sings Frank
the grand Cavalier Hotel and the Norfolk Southern Railway in
the foreground. 1:00 PM-3:30 PM « AIR SHOW
You can purchase copies of the 2011 poster in the museum’s gift
shop, and visit Sam Welty online to see more of his amazing artwork:
www.AngelFire.com/art2/largemurals/.
3:00 PM-7:00 PM « HANGAR STAGE
Theresa Eaman
Ultimate Abbott & Costello
The Victory Belles
12:15pm AT-6 Texan Trainers Formation Flights
Frank Sings Frank
12:40pm C-47 Takes Off for Paratrooper Drop
1:00PM WAIVER IN EFFECT – Field Closed 7:00 PM-10:00 PM « WWII Hangar Dance
1:10pm

US Trainers & Liaison Flights:
Stearman, Ryan, Stinson
Super Band USA
Frank Sings Frank
1:25pm European Trainers & Liaison Flights:
Tiger-Moth, Chipmunk, Fieseler Storch, Theresa Eaman
Dragon Rapide Ultimate Abbott & Costello
1:45pm Pacific Theatre Flights:
PBY Catalina, TBM Avenger, FM2 Wildcat,
The Victory Belles
AD-4 Skyraider, FG-1D Corsair, Val
2:20pm Corsair Attack on Val and Pilot Capture
2:30pm European Theatre Flights (US): Sunday, May 22, 2011
B-17 Flying Fortress, B-25 Mitchell,
P-51 Mustang, P-40 Kittyhawk 10:00 AM-1:00 PM « HANGAR STAGE
2:55pm European Theatre Flights Theresa Eaman
(British, German, Russian): Junkers Ju-52,
Focke Wulf 190, Yakovlev Yak 3, Spitfire, Ultimate Abbott & Costello
Hurricane, MIG 3, Lancaster Bomber
The Victory Belles
3:20pm All Flights Land
Frank Sings Frank
4:00pm Field Open


All times listed are approximate and subject to change due to
weather conditions and advance printing deadlines of this book. 1:00 PM-3:30 PM « AIR SHOW
3:00 PM-5:00 PM « HANGAR STAGE
The Victory Belles
Frank Sings Frank
Ultimate Abbott & Costello
Saturday, May 21 at 8:00pm (Premier Broadcast)
Sunday, May 22 at 6:00pm (Encore Broadcast)
WINGS is produced and published by the Military Aviation Museum. © 2011.
Graphic Design: Shari James, Historical Research: Felix Usis

5
 1941 Curtiss P-40E “Kittyhawk”

One of the most popular and successful American aircraft of the

Second World War was the Curtiss P-40. It was made famous by
the American Volunteer Group, also known as the ‘Flying Tigers,’
in Burma. Led by Col. Claire Chenault, the Flying Tigers destroyed
286 Japanese airplanes while losing only 12 of their own in slightly
over 6 months of combat.
The museum’s Curtiss P-40 was manufactured in Buffalo, New
York during 1941 and was delivered to the United States Army Air
Corps. The Air Corps assigned serial number 41-35918 to the aircraft
and passed it on to Great Britain under the Lend-Lease program,
where the British changed its serial number to ET-564 Kittyhawk
IA. Great Britain subsequently transferred the aircraft to the Soviet
Union in April 1942, where it was then assigned to the Murmansk
region of Northern Russia to defend the homeland from the German
Nazi invasion launched from Norway. The aircraft was lost in action
near the Arctic Circle and lay abandoned on the frozen tundra for
fifty years. It was occasionally vandalized and pieces cut off for
scrap metal, wires, or anything of use by the local inhabitants of this
remote area. It was recovered in 1992 and acquired by the museum
Engine: Allison V1710-39 in 1996. Final restoration work was completed, and it had its first
Horsepower: 1,150 hp test flight in over 50 years in 2003. This P-40E is painted to replicate
Max Speed: 360 mph the colors of David Lee “Tex” Hill’s airplane that he flew when he
Range: 650 miles led the famous mission over the Salween Gorge, which trapped the
Ceiling: 29,000 ft. Japanese troops and ended their advance into Kumming, China. “Tex”
Wing Span: 37 ft. 3.5 in Hill had 12¼ victories while flying with the American Volunteer Group
Armament: 6 x .50 caliber Browning and was the leader of the 2nd Pursuit Squadron, the Panda Bears.
machine guns; 2,000 lbs. of bombs Before “Tex” Hill passed away, he autographed ‘his’ plane on the
inside of a baggage compartment door of the fuselage, where it can
be seen today.

WWII Airborne Demonstration Team Foundation

For the first time, Warbirds Over the Beach is featuring a WWII parachute
team in its lineup of entertainment and education. The WWII Airborne
Demonstration Team Foundation joins us from Frederick, Oklahoma. This
group of dedicated volunteers was formed to honor the memory of the men
who served in the Airborne units of the United States Army during WWII.

The Team employs a model based on a WWII para-

trooper team which travelled throughout the United
States in 1944-1945. At that time, the paratroopers
would perform dynamic airborne operations for the
public in order to generate War Bond sales. Now,
the Airborne Demonstration Team performs similar
jumps to educate people about this unique group of
infantrymen while generating excitement and interest
in military history and research.
Today, the WWII Airborne Demonstration Team
Foundation utilizes a 1942 C-47A and a 1941 DC3
Cargo plane. The C-47 aircraft actually participated
in the 1944 invasion of Europe. The Team is based in
Oklahoma, and in addition to public demonstrations,
it holds monthly training sessions and jump schools
twice a year.

6
 1944 de Havilland DH-89A Dragon Rapide
The de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide was the most successful British-built passenger airliner of the 1930s. The prototype flew in
April 1934, and over two hundred were built before the outbreak of World War II. At the start of the war, the British requisitioned many of
these aircraft dubbing them the de Havilland Dominie, and they were used for passenger duties and radio navigation training. By the end
of the war, nearly 750 were built, and many survived the war to go on to commercial services.
The Royal Family Flies a Rapide
During World War One, Prince Edward, Prince of Wales, became
a pilot and served on the front lines. Prince Edward continued flying
and pursuing his interest in aviation following the war. In 1935, he
purchased a de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide. The aircraft was
specially built for the Prince and was painted in the bright red and
blue colors of the Royal Guard. The aircraft was also outfitted with
red leather seats that included the Prince of Wales’ feathered crest
embossed on the back of each. He used the six-passenger aircraft for
official trips to the royal family homes.
When Prince Edward was installed as King Edward VIII on
January 20, 1936, he became the first English monarch to fly in
an aircraft when he traveled from Sandringham to London for his
Accession Council.
The romance between Edward and American Wallis Simpson that
first blossomed in 1931, continued on in private after he became king.
They traveled to the quiet homes of the Royal family and most likely
even used the Royal Dragon Rapide for such getaway jaunts. Despite
their love, marriage was impossible because of Simpson’s position as
a divorcée.
On December 11, 1936, King Edward shocked the world with the
announcement of his intention to abdicate the throne in order to “marry
the woman I love.” His brother Albert, then Duke of York, became
King George VI. King Edward VIII became the Duke of Windsor after
his abdication and during World War Two, he governed the Bahamas
with his wife Wallis, Duchess of Windsor. He passed away in Paris in
1972, at the age of 77 and his wife followed him in death 14 years later.
The Museum’s Dragon Rapide
The museum’s de Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide was built at
Brush Coachworks, Ltd. under a Royal Air Force (RAF) contract in
1944. It was supplied to the Air Council with military serial HG724
and delivered to the 18 Maintenance Unit at RAF Dumfries, Scotland,
in March 1944. Its service history records do not exist any longer, but
it is known that the aircraft was placed into storage in February 1947.
After the RAF declared it surplus equipment, the aircraft was sold
to Newman Aircraft Company, Ltd, of Hatfield, England in August 1947.
The aircraft was completely rebuilt and professional “dope girls”
completed the fabric sewing and doping during their weekends off.
Newman Airways operated the aircraft on regular flights to the
Channel Islands on weekends with round-trip flights between Croydon,
Jersey and Guernsey.
In March 1951, the aircraft was transferred to Midland Metal Spinning
Company, Ltd. in Wolverhampton, and in May 1962, the Civil Aviation
Authority was notified of an ownership change, as it had been sold
abroad. It was flown to Dublin, Eire, in June. In September 1962, it
was re-registered to Aer Tura’s Toeranta and remained there until its
Irish registration was cancelled in June 1964.
The aircraft was next acquired by the Aero Club of Lorraine at
Luneville, France, and re-registered in February 1965. It was sold
again in 1968 to Centre Ecole Regional de Parachutisme Sportif de
Nancy-Lorraine, where it remained until its French registration was
cancelled in November 1972.
The Dragon Rapide was imported to the United States and sold in
early 1973. That November, it was acquired by Doyle W. Cotton, Jr.
and W. F. Watson. They registered it as N89DH with a Certificate of
Airworthiness on July 2, 1982. The aircraft was painted as X7454
to represent the 27th Air Transport Service of the Eight Air Force in
England. The aircraft joined Cotton’s private collection of aircraft at his
museum in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, but his collection was auctioned
off on October 3, 1987, and the Rapide was sold to Robert Hood of
Joplin, Missouri, where it was hidden away for over 20 years.
The Military Aviation Museum acquired the Dragon Rapide in
2008 and sent it to Avspecs in New Zealand for a restoration process
that lasted two years. It is painted in the royal colors of the King’s
Guard. The registration of the plane is G-ADDD, as the King favored
double letters like these. The aircraft’s interior is plush and eloquently
designed. Taking great care to mirror the details in Prince Edward’s
Rapide, the back of each of the six passenger seats even features the
feathered bloom symbol for the crest of the Prince of Wales.
Engine: Two Gipsy Queen Engines
Horsepower: 200 hp
Max Speed: 160 mph
Range: 556 miles
Ceiling: 19,500 ft.
Wing Span: 48 feet
Passengers: Six
7
 1945 TBM-3E “Avenger”
Engine: Curtis Wright R2600-20
Horsepower: 1,900 hp
Max Speed 267 mph
Range: 1,130 miles w/ internal fuel
2,130 miles w/ all extra fuel tanks
Ceiling: 31,000 ft.
Wing Span: 52 ft. 2 in. - 19 ft. (wings folded)
Armament: 2 x 12.7mm forward-firing,
1 x 12.7mm dorsal-mounted,
and 1 x 7.62mm ventral-mounted
machine gun; up to 2,000 lbs. of
bombs in bomb-bay; Wing-mounted
rockets/drop tanks/radar pod
In the late 1930s, the United States Navy began searching for a
replacement for the Douglas Devastator. The search ended when
Grumman presented the XTBF-1 prototype. Production of the TBF
Avenger began in 1941, and by June 1942, the U.S. Navy flew these
planes into combat during the Battle of Midway. Their popularity
presented a problem for Grumman, and they had to contract out
much of the production to General Motors Corporation. Of the 9,836
Avengers built, 7,546 actually came off the assembly line at General
Motors. The Avengers built by General Motors were designated
TBMs. The final Avengers rolled off the General Motors assembly
lines in 1945 and remained in naval service well into the 1950s.
The Avengers were used as torpedo dive bombers, which would
hunt and destroy enemy U-boats. They were often accompanied
by F4F Wildcat fighters that would strafe surfaced U-boats with
gunfire forcing them to submerge, negating the large anti-aircraft
guns mounted on the U-boats. Once the U-boat was submerged, the
Avenger would follow behind with a Fido torpedo that could detect,
target and destroy the submarine.
Aircraft carriers could carry many of these aircraft because of the
small amount of space they occupied once the wings were folded. Jet
Assisted Take-Off (JATO) engines were sometimes used to allow the
Avengers to use short runways on ships and land. Many other militaries
used Avengers including Canada, Britain, France, and New Zealand.
Recent research has provided us a story of where the Military Aviation
Museum’s 1945 TBM-3E Avenger (BuNo 53454) was stationed. It was
delivered to Naval Air Station (NAS) San Diego and listed as a ‘Pool’
8
aircraft. This meant it was ready to be assigned to any
squadron at a moment’s notice. In July 1945, it was
dispatched to Guiuan Airfield (Samar Airfield), Samar
Province, Philippines, again as a ‘Pool’ aircraft, and remained
there until February 1946, when it was shipped to Pearl
Harbor.
Upon arrival at Pearl Harbor, it was again listed as a
‘Pool’ aircraft and remained as such until July, when it
was sent for maintenance and repair. In November 1946,
it was transferred back to NAS San Diego. In April 1947,
this Avenger was transferred to NAS Olathe at Olathe,
Kansas, and in October 1947, it was assigned to a
Naval Air Reserve Training (NART) squadron at NAS Squantum in
Boston, Massachusetts. It remained at NAS Squantum until August
1948. In September 1950, it was transferred to NAS Norfolk, Virginia.
It went on to Miami in April 1951 with Anti-Submarine Squadron 22
and deployed aboard the USS Palau (CVE-122), in February 1952.
The Avenger was transferred to an anti-sub squad aboard the USS
Monterey (CVL-26) in August 1952. This transfer was to transport
the aircraft back to Norfolk. The TBM remained at NAS Norfolk until
January 1953, and then it went on to NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. It
languished in the Texas sun until September 1953, when it was assigned
to Advanced Training Unit 400 ‘Anti-Submarine.’ Upon completion of its
duties training aircrews in the intricacies of Anti-Submarine warfare,
it was once again flown to NAS Corpus Christi in December 1953
and put into storage at Litchfield Park, Arizona in February 1954. The
U.S. Navy officially retired the aircraft on April 2, 1956, with only
1,227 hours logged.
Civilian duty for the Avenger began in Boise, Idaho, where it was
registered as N7030C with Idaho Air Tankers (1963-1964). Navy
TBMs were converted to handle slurry drops, becoming the first aircraft
dedicated solely to aerial firebombing capable of dropping 600 gallons
of retardant on a single sortie. In 1966, it was transferred to Reeder
Flying Service in Twin Falls, Idaho, and it remained there nearly
twenty years. During the mid 1980s, the plane headed back to Texas
where it was on display in Corpus Christi until 1992. It was sold
again six years later, where the restoration process began in East
Troy, Wisconsin. After the mechanical restoration was completed, the
aircraft was given a test flight by John Lake in July 1999. It was then
sent to the paint shop for its current colors.
The paint scheme represents the early anti-submarine markings of
blue/gray upper surfaces and light gray undersides. The final touch was
to represent the aircraft flown by U.S. Navy ‘ace’ Captain Richard “Zeke”
Comier of Composite Squadron 1 (VC-1), based on the USS Card.
The Avenger was acquired by the Military Aviation Museum and
delivered in January 2001. The last restoration work placed the rear
gun turret back to working condition in 2001. On January 10, 2010,
the Avenger flew over the commissioning of USS George H. W. Bush
(CN-77) in Norfolk, Virginia. Former President Bush was the youngest
Naval Aviator when he received his Navy Wings of Gold before the age
of 19. He flew a TBM with Torpedo Squadron 51 (VT-51) aboard the
USS San Jacinto (CVL-30) and was shot down by the Japanese. Thus,
the flyby during the commissioning of the carrier that bears his name.
 1940 Bücker Bü – 133C “Jungmeister”

Introduced and first flown in 1935 by Carl Bucker, the Bü-133C

Jungmeister was a sport and training biplane. The upper and lower
panels were equipped with ailerons that were interchangeable, and
the outer wing panels had an 11-degree sweep-back. The fuselage
was a steel tube consisting of welded pipes covered with a metal
shell, whereas the middle body of the fuselage and the tail unit were
covered with fabric.
The Jungmeister erupted onto the aerobatic scene in the mid
1930s and quickly achieved legendary status, becoming unbeatable
in competition due to its unrivalled handling characteristics and agility.
From the 1936 Berlin Olympics onward, this classic biplane won at
almost every international competition.
Engine: Siemens SH14 seven Later, in preparation for the Second World War, the German Luftwaffe
cylinder radial piston relied heavily on the Jungmeister for aerobatic and combat maneuver
Horsepower: 185 hp training. The Bü-133 models were produced by CASA in Spain and
Max Speed: 150 mph A-G für Dornier-Flugzeuge in Switzerland.
Range: 311 miles The museum’s Bücker Bü-133C, (serial number 38), was Swiss
Ceiling: 14,756 ft. built in 1940. The Swiss Air Force used it for combat and fighter
Wing Span: 21 ft. 7 in training until 1968, when it was sold to the Swiss Aero Club, and later
Armament: None sold again to a German flying club. ‘The Fighter Collection of Duxford’
then purchased the Bü-133C and registered it in Great Britain. While
flying with the ‘Fighter Collection,’ it was given the current colors
and marking of LG+01. It was obtained for the Military Aviation
Museum and received the US registration N-38BU in 1990.

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9
 1943 North American SNJ-4
The Navy SNJ-4, also known as the AT-6 in the Army, is an airplane
used by more air forces than any other. A brilliant concept, developed
and modified through a decade, it has resulted in more than 17,000 flying
machines, many of which are still flying 50 years later. This versatile
aircraft has performed in the unexpected roles of fighter, dive-bomber,
ground attack machine, observation aircraft and extensive anti-guerilla
suppression roles. It is the best loved single-engine training aircraft
of all time.
In World War II, if you learned to fly in combat, odds are you learned
in this plane. To the Americans, it was the Texan or SNJ-4, to the British,
the Harvard, and the Australians, the Wirraway. But all came from the
same illustrious line.
The museum’s SNJ-4 was delivered to the U.S. Navy on January 25, 1943.
The following month, it was operated by VJ-7 at Naval Air Station
San Diego. It was then reassigned to Station Operations at Dutch
Harbor in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. At that time, this was a combat
area because of the Japanese invasion of the islands. The plane was
probably used as a utility aircraft by the local Naval Flight officers.
On July 4, 1946, the aircraft was officially stricken from naval records.
After the war, this aircraft was provided to South Africa Air Force
(SAAF) for pilot training. The SAAF was also a major user of the
aircraft in the ground-attack role, particularly against SWAPO guerilla
forces in southwest Africa and against Mozambique incursions across
their frontiers.
The airplane was surplus from active duty with the South African
Air Force in November 1995. At auction in late 1996, the SNJ-4 was
purchased and shipped to the United States.
Once in Virginia, the plane was reassembled over three months by
the Fighter Factory. Some minor alterations had to be made to bring the
aircraft up to today’s standards and gain its U.S. airworthiness certificate.
Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340
Horsepower: 550 hp
Max Speed: 205 mph
Range: 750 miles
Ceiling: 21,500 ft.
Wing Span: 42 ft. 4 in.
Armaments: Under-wing bombs
and rockets; Cowl
and wing-mounted
.30 cal machine guns
10
1956 Beechcraft T-34A
“Mentor”
Engine: Continental IO-550B
Horsepower: 300 hp
Max Speed: 252 mph
Ceiling: 18,600 ft.
Range: 500 miles
Wing Span: 32 ft. 10 in
Armament: None
The Beechcraft Model 45, T-34 Mentor is a propeller-driven, single-
engine military trainer. The T-34 Mentor began as a private venture
designed by Walter Beech shortly after the Second World War. He felt
that there was a market for a military trainer based on the Model 35
Bonanza, which had been flying for about a year. Beech hoped to sell
it as an economical alternative to the North American T-6/SNJ Texan,
then in use by all services of the U.S. military and the United Kingdom
throughout the 1940s. The last T-34B was completed in October 1957.
Then, after 15 years, in 1973, the T-34C Turbo-Mentor, powered by a
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25 turboprop engine, was developed.
Mentor production re-started in 1975 for deliveries of T-34Cs to the
U.S. Navy.
The Beechcraft Company manufactured the Military Aviation
Museum’s T-34 in 1956. Little is known about this aircraft, a Model
45, serial number G-778. It was originally delivered to the United
States Air Force (USAF) as a T-34A-BH (55-0221). It is believed that
it was deemed surplus in October 1964. But between its USAF service
and 1975, very little is known. Since April 1975, the T-34A spent most
of its time in Virginia and North Carolina as it passed through four
owners registered as N56GP. It was used at public air shows in formation
aerobatics. During the years, it was brought up to T-34B standards
with a new engine. The museum acquired it in August 2000.
In 2004, the FAA grounded the entire civilian fleet of T-34s due to
a series of crashes caused by in-flight structural failures in simulated
combat flights. Since then, the grounding has been lessened to a
series of restrictions on the permitted flight envelope. About 100 of
the over 1,300 T-34s built
remain in military service
today as trainer aircraft.
T-34C Mentors continue to
fly in the trainer role at NAS
Oceana in Virginia Beach,
Virginia.
North American SNJ-2
 1952 De Havilland DHC-1
“Chipmunk”
Engine: de Havilland Gipsy Major 10 MK.2
Horsepower: 145 hp
Max Speed: 138 mph
Range: 280 miles
Ceiling: 15,800 ft.
Wing Span: 34 ft. 4 in
Armament: None
Nicknamed “Chippie,” the DHC-1 Chipmunk was developed just
after WWII by de Havilland Canada to replace the de Havilland Tiger
Moth as a single engine basic trainer aircraft. The Chipmunk first flew
on May 22, 1946. Initially, 218 were built for the Royal Canadian Air
Force. After changing to the Gipsy Major 10 engine, 740 planes were
built for the RAF’s primary pilot training bases, designated T-10. The
first RAF Chipmunks were delivered to the Oxford University Air
Squadron in 1950. Soon thereafter, the Chipmunk became standard
equipment in all 17 University Air Squadrons and was chosen as
the basic type for the 20 or so Reserve Flying Schools of the RAF
Voluntary Reserve. The last of the Chipmunks were delivered in
October 1953.
Today, more than 500 Chippie airframes remain airworthy, with
more being rebuilt every year. The museum’s DHC-1 Chipmunk
served a long military career with the RAF College Cranwell. It
appears today in its 1955 paint scheme when attached to 663 AOP
Squadron based at RAF Hooton Park, Cheshire, England.
1949 AT-28D Trojan
In 1948, the United States Air Force (USAF) held a design competition
for a trainer to replace the T-6/SNJ Texan, which would combine
primary and basic training characteristics in a single airplane. North
American Aviation (NAA) won this competition with the T-28 Trojan.
In practice, the T-28A was found to be less satisfactory as a trainer
than had been hoped, and the USAF eventually adopted the lower-
powered T-34 to provide the 30-hour course for the students before
they passed on to the T-28A.
In 1952, the Navy was impressed enough with the Trojan and
contracted to build an improved version. A more powerful model,
the T-28B, was developed as a training aircraft for the United States
Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. This model was powered by a
1,425 hp Wright R-1820-863 radial piston engine and had a top speed
of 340 mph. In 1959, 245 surplus “A” models were shipped to France
and were modified with the R-1820 engine, structural improvements,
and armament for combat use. These converted airframes were
referred to as T-28Ss, T-28Fs, or FENNEC models. The T-28 remained
as a training aircraft with the USAF until the early 1960s.
Some of the many different adaptations made to the Trojan for
specific training purposes include tail hooks for landing on carriers,
more powerful engines, sliding cockpits, and under-wing armament
points for attack training. The T-28’s service career in the U.S. military
ended with the phase in of the T-34C turboprop trainer in early 1984.
After success of the FENNEC models in combat in Algeria in the
early sixties, many older T-28As were converted and designated as
T-28Ds. This conversion of the T-28A involved a re-engine with the
R-1820-56S, and the addition of six wing hard points.
The museum’s T-28D ‘Trojan’ was built in 1949 as a T-28A-NA
trainer, USAF serial number 49-1634. In 1951, it was returned to
the factory to be transformed into an attack version of the T-28 as
N9978C. During its modification, a Curtis Wright R1820-863, 1425
hp engine and wing mounted guns were installed. U.S. registration
was cancelled in 1971 when it was transferred to the Zaire Air Force.
Between December 1977, when it left the service of the Zaire Air
Force, and August 2000, when it was acquired by the museum, it
passed through many owners.
Engine: Wright Cyclone R-1820-863
Horsepower: 1,425 hp
Max Speed: 343 mph
Range: 1,060 miles
Ceiling: 35,500 feet
Wing Span: 40 ft. 1 in.
Armaments: 2 x 7.62 mm machine guns
11
 Boeing P-26D “Peashooter”

The Boeing P-26 ‘Peashooter’ fighter was a single

seat, pursuit aircraft. The first Peashooter flew
in March 1932, at a time in aviation advancement
between the bi-plane and the monoplane. The
transition between one era and another proved
to be a difficult period.
To placate conservative elements in the
USAAC, the Boeing included several obsolete
features that hampered its development potential.
Aviation experts of the time were dubious
about the value of retractable landing gear. It was
believed that any reduction in drag would be
offset by the added weight of the retraction
mechanism. The early retractable landing gears,
which were manually operated, were also
notoriously prone to malfunction. Therefore,
the Peashooter was designed with fixed landing
gear in streamlined fairings called spats.
Still, the aircraft was a milestone in many respects. It was Boeing’s
first monoplane fighter and the USAAC’s first all-metal fighter
Engine: Pratt & Whitney R 1340--7
constructed entirely of aluminum. Horsepower: 600 hp
Max Speed 230 mph
The Peashooter was operated by six countries: Republic of China, Range: 635 miles
Guatemala, Panama, Philippines, Spain, and the United States. The Ceiling: 27,400 ft.
service history of the P-26 lasted an amazing 23 years, with the first Wing Span: 28 ft.
aircraft delivered to USAAC squadrons in December 1933, and the last Armaments: 2 x 7.62 mm machine guns
being retired from the Guatemalan Air Force in 1956.
Only two original Boeing P-26 Peashooter aircraft exist in the world
today. Both aircraft were obtained from the Guatemalan Air Force. It
is believed that there are only five P-26 replicas in the world today, of The standard paint scheme used on the P-26 was very bright and
which the Military Aviation Museum’s is one. the aircraft would have been easily identifiable by an enemy during
The museum’s P-26D (NX26PX, s/n 32-06) was built by Mayocraft aerial combat. This peacetime color scheme is blue for the fuselage
of Bolton, Massachusetts in 2006. The aircraft is painted to represent with the wings and tail painted yellow. In combat areas, like the
the 1st Pursuit Group, 94th Pursuit Squadron, based at Selfridge Field, Philippines, the color was changed to olive drab, making it more
Michigan, circa 1935-36. difficult to be located.

305 Squadron Living History Group

305 Squadron Living History Group is a member unit of
the WWII Polish Living History Group, which is dedicated to
educating the public about the deeds of the armed forces of
Poland during the Second World War. Their goal is to honor and
preserve the history of the Polish Air Force (PAF) that served
in exile with the British Royal Air Force from 1939-1945. 305
Squadron attends various living history events and air shows
throughout the year. They focus on portraying 305 Polish Bomber
Squadron, but depending on the event, they can represent any of
the PAF Squadrons that served in exile.

12
 1945 Goodyear FG-1D Corsair

U.S. Marines stationed in the Pacific during WWII

called the Corsair “Our Workhorse,” while the Japanese
forces referred to it as “Whistling Death,” and for good
reason. Camouflaged in indigo-blue, the plane was
difficult to see from the ground until it was too late.
The Corsair was one of most maneuverable planes built
during the war, becoming the first radial engine fighter
to surpass 400 mph and capable of outfighting the
best fighters the Japanese employed. The FG-1D was
equipped with an impressive array of armaments, as
well. It was equipped with six Browning M2 .50 caliber
machine guns, up to eight 5-inch HVAR rockets and
the ability to carry two 1,000 lb. bombs. The Corsair’s
combination of ruggedness, maneuverability, and firepower
quickly made it the premier fighter in the Pacific.
The museum’s FG-1D was produced by Goodyear
under license from the Ought Aircraft Company in May
1945 and delivered to the U.S. Navy two months later
under the Bureau of Aeronautics Number 92508. Not
much is known about the naval history of BuNo. 92508. However, due to
the extremely low engine time and excellent body condition after its 13 Engine: Pratt & Whitney R2800-8W
years of military duty, it is not likely that the aircraft was used in combat. Horsepower: 2,250 hp
In fact, the museum’s FG-1D is believed to have one of the lowest total Max Speed: 425 mph
flight times of any remaining Corsairs flying today. Range: 1,015 miles normal
2,100 miles w/ external fuel tanks
In 1964, the Corsair was purchased by a family in Santa Rosa,
Ceiling: 37,000 ft.
California. Underestimating the power and speed of the aircraft, it was
Wing Span: 41 ft.
exchanged for a North American AT-6 trainer in March 1968. After a
quick refurbishment, the plane flew in the opening ceremonies of the
Armaments: 6 x Browning M2 .50 cal machine
Reno Air Races that same year. Less than one year later, the Corsair guns; 8 x 5 in. HVAR rockets;
was sold again and ferried to Stratford, Connecticut. The plane changed 2 x 1,000 lbs. bombs or
hands several more times and was based with subsequent owners in 160 gal. external tanks
Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, and finally Virginia. It was purchased by the
museum in 1999.
During 2001, the Fighter Factory undertook a massive project to restore Navy in 1939 and earned his wings the following year. In 1943,
the FG-1D back to its original wartime configuration. It was repainted Lt. Beacham was assigned to the VF-17 fighter squadron. The now
to replicate the colors and markings of a former local resident, Ray famous Skull and Crossbones adorned the nose of the Corsairs in
Beacham, who was born in Norfolk, Virginia. Beacham joined the U.S. this squadron and can be seen on the museum’s FG-1D, as well.

The War Correspondent Association

The War Correspondent Association represents photographers
and media correspondents who worked in war zones to relay
the photographs and stories of World War Two to the people
back home. The group’s goal is to promote the men and women
who “got the story” and sent it across the world and home to
America. Too often these individuals are forgotten when people
think of those who served during World War Two.

13
 1943 PBY-5A “Catalina”

The plane was sold to a company in Palmer, Alaska, in 1977. It was

initially used to ferry passengers to fishing sites throughout the state,
and in 1978, it had bulk liquid cargo tanks installed, allowing it to
haul as much as 1,500 gallons of fuel to remote parts of Alaska.
The FAA has no record of ownership change over the next seven
years, but it is believed that some of the records were removed for
legal reasons. In September 1985, the PBY was seized by U.S. Marshals
as part of a drug-smuggling case. It was forfeited to the federal
government and sold the following year. The new owner removed the
bulk fuel tanks and began restoring it to World War Two specifications.
Six years later, the aircraft was sold to an individual in Florida who
planned to operate it in Europe. It was painted with the U.S. Navy
wartime two-tone blue and white color scheme with the International
The Military Aviation Museum’s PBY-5A Catalina was built for
Red Cross insignia and sent to Milan, Italy in May 1995. While in
the U.S. Navy by Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft Company at their San
Europe, it toured air shows for two years before it was sold and
Diego plant. It completed its acceptance flight in October 1943 and
ferried to South Africa. In South Africa, the interior was rearranged to
was registered as Bureau of Aeronautics Number (BuNo) 48294. It
accommodate 15 passengers, from the original nine.
was delivered to Fleet Air Wing (FAW) 14 at Naval Air Station San
Diego in November 1943. In the summer of 1999, the aircraft began its flight back to the
United States to appear at the Oshkosh Air Show, but it never reached
Two weeks after arriving at NAS San Diego, the PBY undertook
its final destination. Instead, it ended up stopping in England where it
the longest flight of its wartime career, 19.2 hours, as it flew non-stop
was stored until the museum obtained it in late 2001.
from San Diego to NAS Norfolk. Once in Norfolk, the aircraft was
accepted by Headquarters Squadron (Hedron) 5-2. At this year’s Warbirds Over the Beach Air Show, the museum
is proud to reintroduce the PBY-5A fresh from restoration work in
In December 1943, the PBY flew wartime patrols from Agadir,
Canada. As the aircraft had changed owners and purposes over the
French Morocco, south to the Canary Islands, north to the Strait of
years, it had strayed from its original Navy roots. The plane once
Gibraltar, and as far west as the Azores. Late in 1944, the squadron
again sports the U.S. Navy’s standard three-toned color camouflage
was transferred to the Caribbean, and at the end of that year, it was
scheme and markings of Second World War aircraft that served our
transferred to NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island, to undertake patrols
country so well.
and anti-submarine sweeps protecting the approaches to New York.
The aircraft’s armaments were removed in 1945 following the war,
and it was loaned to the U.S. Coast Guard. While with the USCG, it was
stationed in nearby Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and later in Biloxi, Engine: 2 x Pratt & Whitney 1830-92
Mississippi, and Miami, Florida. In January 1946, the PBY spent the Horsepower 1,200 each
better part of a year undergoing a major overhaul and refurbishment Max Speed: 179 mph
at NAS Seattle, Washington, and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This Range: 2,520 miles
PBY Catalina saw little flying time after that, and it was formally Ceiling: 15,800 ft.
stricken from the Navy’s inventory in 1956 with 3,567 flying hours. Wing Span: 104 ft.
In 1961, the plane ended up in Little Rock, Arkansas, where it Armaments: 3 x .30 cal machine guns;
gained its civilian registration: N9521C. It stayed there until 1967, and 2 x .50 cal machine guns;
during those years, the nose turret was removed, cargo doors replaced up to 4,000 lbs. of bombs
the side blisters, and a new seat arrangement was installed. Following or depth charges
all the modifications, the aircraft received its airworthiness certificate
in December 1967.

Luftwaffe Aircrew Reenactors Association

The Luftwaffe Aircrew Reenactors Association (LARA) is a proud member of the three major
venues of WWII Combat Aviation living history groups. Working closely with the USAAF &
RAF re-enactors, the LARA celebrates its 10th year in 2011 representing the men and women who
worked in and around some of the greatest combat aircraft in history. Strictly a non-political group,
the LARA has members worldwide, including the United States, England, Greece and Australia.
 www.luftwaffereenactors.com

14
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34

Bill Riley and Joe Ziegler transform themselves into Bud

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time and give you the opportunity to interact with the famous
comic duo. Sit back and laugh as they perform the vaudeville
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“Who’s On First?”
Bill Riley is an actor, comedian, and musician from Paterson,
New Jersey (Lou Costello’s hometown). He moved to Baltimore
in 1985 and is currently Director of Broadcasting at The Sheffield
Institute for the Recording Arts.
Joe Ziegler was born in Baltimore and has been a professional
performer since the age of fifteen. Joe and his wife, Sherry, have
won numerous awards for their portrayal of another famous
duo – Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy.
Riley and Ziegler have performed as Abbott and Costello
since 1994. In May 2004, it was their great pleasure to perform
in Washington, DC at the Disabled American Veterans’ Dinner
as part of the WWII Monument Celebration and Dedication
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Jason Crutchley began working with the team as their sound Printing Today
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15
 Museum Expansion
Continues to Breathe New Life
into Military Aviation History
Since the Military Aviation Museum’s inception in 2005, its hangar doors facing the cross-winds taxiway, which can be manually
founder and group of dedicated volunteers and employees have opened onto grass parking for the lightweight wood and fabric
continued to search for new ways to showcase a growing collection airplanes. The hangar’s exterior is clapboard wood. Turn-of-the-
of vintage military aircraft. In 2008, the museum first approached the century windows let in the light brightening the interior, and the tin
City of Virginia Beach for approval to add several new structures to roof is reminiscent of many of the older barns still found throughout
the property. The hangars completed in 2006 were filled to capacity, Pungo. The inside of the hangar is finished in exposed wood with
and more aircraft were on the way. Plus, maintenance of these rough wooden beams.
fully-operational, flying aircraft was becoming increasingly difficult,
This unique World War One hangar was designed to be flexible,
as planes had to be flown back and forth to the Fighter Factory’s
with open spaces for as many as 18 colorful biplanes and triplanes.
maintenance facility in Suffolk, over 30 miles away. While this
And the grass area just outside the hangar doors makes it the perfect
proved to be an inconvenience for planes undergoing regularly
place to park the aircraft, allowing the public to rent the hangar for
scheduled maintenance and inspections, it could become dangerous
private functions.
for aircraft experiencing mechanical difficulties.
In January 2009, the city approved permits for the construction
of several new buildings. Three of these are now open for you to
Fighter Factory Maintenance Building
In April 2011, the Fighter Factory officially relocated from its
explore and the site is being prepared for a fourth construction slated
Suffolk location, where it had operated since 1996, to the Military
for this summer. If you have not taken the stroll to the west end of the
Aviation Museum. The Fighter Factory’s new home is 16,000 square
property to tour our new buildings, it is well worth the walk.
feet, which is 25% larger than the Suffolk facility. The building
includes open hangar space, workshops, parts storage rooms, a small
World War One Hangar paint room, offices, and a visitor entry area, where you can watch the
Airplanes were very basic at the beginning of the First World War, team of mechanics in action.
and most hangars were rudimentary barn structures converted to
The maintenance building features a pre-war era design based on a
store these new flying machines. On the front lines of France, they
1937 hangar at the Waukesha County Airport in Wisconsin. In 1955,
were often wooden frames covered in canvas, so they were easy to
that hangar was disassembled and moved to Poplar Grove Airport in
relocate as the fighting lines moved with the ground battles.
Illinois, where it sits today as the Wings and Wheels Museum.
The Military Aviation Museum’s new 15,000 square foot hangar
The Fighter Factory still maintains its former work hangar and two
now houses the Great War airplanes. The building was designed by
smaller hangars at the Suffolk Municipal Airport to serve as storage
Steven Atkin, an architect in England, who is familiar with historic
for aircraft recently purchased and awaiting reconstruction.
airplanes and European Aviation from both wars. It features smaller
16
Warehouse
The final of the three new buildings on the museum property is the
warehouse building. This 10,000 square foot metal clad structure is the first
of three such buildings that will be at the museum to house disassembled
airplanes, engines and spare parts. It’s green and brown camouflage markings
are reminiscent of those often used during World War Two.

1939 German Hangar

The next structure to take shape is the German Luftwaffe hangar. In 2004,
the museum purchased Hangar 6 from the Cottbus Army Airfield, in Cottbus,
Germany, a small town southeast of Berlin. The 1939 hangar is a steel
structure approximately 10,000 square feet in size with a wood clad roof. It
was designed to be easily dismantled, transported by railroad, and re-erected
as the German troops moved eastward through Europe. This particular hangar
was still at the Cottbus Airfield when the Russian Red Army attacked Berlin in
the last days of the war. With the Russian control of East Germany following
the war, the hangar was used as storage for Soviet helicopters and parts.
After the hangar was shipped to Virginia, cleaned, and prepared for
re-assembly, museum employees found extensive combat damage on the
steel beams from heavy machine gun rounds and tank shells. Then in March
2011, another historical find was made. On one of the steel beams, we found
a message inscribed by someone we assume to be a Polish worker enslaved
to work at the airfield. The message reads:
ANUSIA (Anna or Annie)
WACLAW (Annie’s last name, or a man’s first name)
TU PRACOWAL (The last letters “ALI” are missing,
meaning “Worked Here”)
10.14.1944 (a few months before the end of the war)
Currently, the pieces are being sorted and prepared to be resurrected next
to the Fighter Factory hangar at the west end of the property.

17
 FRANK
SINGS
FRANK
Frank Cubillo is the voice and energy behind a Frank
Sinatra-style entertainment act called “Frank Sings Frank.”
Frank retired from the United States Marine Corps in 2009
after serving 37 years. A New York native who now calls
Virginia Beach home, Frank has been singing all his life. His
repertoire includes over 150 “Standards” and all of Sinatra’s
Greatest Hits. Complete with a tux and Sinatra’s trademark
Fedora, Frank sings and performs with an energy and style all
his own, guaranteed to have you tappin’ your feet and singing
along with this upbeat entertainer. Frank has performed as a
main entertainer at Virginia Beach’s Beach Street USA and on
the J.P. “Gus” Godsey radio talk show on WHKT 1650 AM.
www.franksingsfrank.com
The Victory Belles, direct from New Orleans, are a charming vocal
trio who will take you on a nostalgic journey through World War
Two-era musical classics. Take a trip down memory lane as you
enjoy such hits as Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, Don’t Sit under the
Apple Tree, Chattanooga Choo Choo and I’ll Be Seeing You, all
sung in rich three-part harmony. The Victory Belles have performed
at Warbirds Over the Beach the past two years. They regularly
perform at the National WWII Museum’s Stage Door Canteen and
travel the world entertaining GIs, including a recent trip to Japan
to perform for the USO. The Victory Belles were also proud to
be selected to sing the National Anthem at the home of the Super
Bowl XLIV Champion New Orleans Saints!
www.victorybelles.org

The Annual
Warbirds Over the Beach
Air Show is sponsored in
memory of The Greatest
Generation by Atlantic
Shores, the Premier
Retirement Community.

Premier Retirement Living

Keep‘em flying!
1200 Atlantic Shores Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
Phone 757.716.2000
www.AtlanticShoresLiving.com

B rokers
P rotected . T
18
 1944 Boeing B-17 Bomber “Flying Fortress”
The Military Aviation Museum spent several years searching for a
B-17 Bomber for its growing collection of World War Two aircraft.
Even though over 12,000 were built, today there are only 13 left that
are capable of flying, and Chuckie is the only airworthy B-17 Pathfinder
in existence.
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber
developed in the 1930s for the U.S. Army Air Corp. It was formally
introduced and placed into service in April 1938, and during the war,
the B-17 aircraft dropped more bombs than any other U.S. aircraft. The
Air Corps flew the B-17 in the strategic bombing campaigns against
German industrial and military targets and against Japanese shipping
channels and airfields in the Pacific.
The earliest history of this Flying Fortress, serial number 44-8543,
is unclear. It was built by Vega Aircraft Corp. in Burbank, California, in
October 1944 and was modified as a special radar-equipped Pathfinder.
With the special radar equipment, it could be used to develop blind
flying procedures and equipment for BTO or “Bombing Through
Overcast.” Typically, one Pathfinder B-17 would lead the formation
of standard equipped aircraft. When the Pathfinder dropped its bombs,
so did the others.
Military records have disappeared over the years, but it appears this
B-17’s initial purpose was for training or testing. The aircraft was never
sent overseas during World War II, and it seems to have spent its war
years in Ohio.
Very early in its career, this B-17 suffered two accidents. The first
accident happened on February 12, 1945, after just two months of
service. While assigned to the Air Technical Services Command
Engineering and Procurement Division, Flight Test Branch, at Wright
Army Air Field in Ohio, the aircraft crashed while taking off on an icy Engine: 4 x Wright R-1820-97
runway. It drifted off the side of the runway causing the landing gear to Horsepower: 1,200 hp each
come in contact with the snow just as the airplane reached flying speed. Max Speed: 287 mph
It spun and tilted forward, damaging the chin turret and the inboard Range: 3,750 miles w/ aux. tanks
propellers. When the tail settled, the force drove the tail wheel into the Ceiling: 35,600 ft.
fuselage damaging bulkheads and stringers in the vicinity of the tail Wing Span: 103 ft. 9 in.
wheel, radar dome, and the 2nd and 3rd propellers. Armaments: 13 x .50 cal Browning M2 machine
The second accident occurred five months later on July 9, 1945, at guns; up to 17,600 lbs. of bombs.
Dayton Army Air Field in Ohio. As the pilot was taxiing out onto the
runway, the B-17’s left wing struck the propeller of a P-47 Thunderbolt
parked next to it. The incident damaged the left outer wing panel and
the deicer boot of the B-17, but the P-47 was undamaged. surplus B-17s were purchased by a man in northeastern Alabama and
converted into crop dusters. The planes were flown as fire ant bombers
In September 1945, it was designated a TB-17G and stationed at
in a decade long battle with the dangerous pests migrating through the
Patterson Field, Ohio, with the All Weather Flying Center. While there,
southeast.
it is believed that the aircraft participated in low visibility landing
research and testing. The aircraft flew in this capacity until 1951 when After several years without a mission, Dr. William Hospers of
it was reassigned to a test bed by the USAF. After 1951, it was loaned Fort Worth, Texas, bought the aircraft in 1979 and restored it to its
to the Federal Telecommunications Corp. at Westchester Airport in New original military configuration and the markings of a wartime 486th
York, where it carried special equipment and was used for research for Bomb Group B-17G. He named it Chuckie, after his wife Charlyn.
several years. Eventually, a museum was formed around the B-17G, the Vintage
Flying Museum. With the passing of Dr. Hospers in March 2010,
The B-17 was eventually stored at Davis-Monthan AFB in
it seemed appropriate for the path of B-17G 44-8543 to take yet
Arizona until sold to the American Compressed Steel Corp. in August
another turn. It joined the folds of the Military Aviation Museum in
1959 for $5,026. At that time, it received the civil registration number
October 2010, finally arriving safely at its new home on January 22,
of N3701G, the same number it wears today. It was sold to a new owner
2011, after a seven-hour cross-country flight.
in February 1961 and went into service hauling fresh dairy products
from Florida to the Bahamas, returning with cucumbers or other fresh The Military Aviation Museum continues to perform restoration
vegetables. Locals dubbed it the “pickle bomber” and N3701G was work on the B-17, ensuring that Chuckie’s appearance mirrors those
used for this unusual mission until 1963. In that year, it and two other that flew during the Second World War.
19
 VIP Veterans Honor Us
During the 2011 Warbirds Over the Beach
air show, several highly decorated World War Two
veterans will be on-hand to tell their stories.

Please take the time to meet them

and hear their accounts of their
service to our country.

Anderson was decorated 25 times; his awards include two Legions

of Merit, five Distinguished Flying Crosses, the Bronze Star, 16 Air
Medals, and the French Croix de Guerre.
In 1990, Col. Anderson co-authored an autobiography entitled
To Fly and Fight. The Historian of the Air Force described it as “the
finest pilot memories of WWII.”

Captain Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk

Van Kirk joined the Army Air Corps
Aviation Cadet Program in October 1941,
Colonel Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson and in April 1942, he received both his
Anderson is a WWII Triple Ace fighter pilot and a veteran military commission and navigator wings and
experimental test pilot. He learned to fly at age 19, gaining his private transferred to the 97th Bomb Group, the
pilot’s license in 1941. first operational B-17 Flying Fortress unit
in England. This crew flew 11 missions
In January 1942, he entered the U.S. Army Aviation Cadet Program,
as the lead aircraft responsible for group
receiving his wings and commission in September 1942. From
navigation and bombing. They also flew
November 1943 through January 1945, he served two combat tours
General Clark to Gibraltar for his secret
escorting heavy bombers over Europe in the P-51 Mustang. He flew
North African rendezvous with the French prior to Operation Torch,
116 combat missions and destroyed 16 1/4 enemy aircraft in aerial
and in November 1942, they flew General Eisenhower to Gibraltar to
combat, plus another one on the ground.
command the North African invasion forces.
Col. Anderson’s extensive flight-testing background spans 25 years.
After German reinforcements began pouring into the Port of
At Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, he was a fighter test pilot and later
Bizerte, Tunisia, a new mission emerged. On November 16, 1942,
became Chief of Fighter Operations. Anderson made the initial flights
the crew led an attack that took the Germans by complete surprise
of an experimental program to couple jet fighters with the wingtips
at Sidi Ahmed Air Base at Bizerte. Van Kirk returned to the United
of a large bomber to achieve range extension. He also conducted the
States in June 1943 after flying a total of 58 missions. He served as a
initial development flights on the F-84 Parasite fighter modified to be
navigation instructor at Wendover Field, Utah, until late 1944 when
launched and retrieved from the B-36 bomber. He has flown over 130
he began training in the B-29 Superfortress.
different types of aircraft and has logged over 7,500 flying hours. Col
20
 On August 6, 1945 at 2:45am, the B-29 Superfortress, Enola Gay,
lifted off for Hiroshima, Japan, and history’s first atomic bomb attack.
As navigator, Van Kirk guided the historic mission precisely to its
rendezvous. This amazing precision was planned and led primarily
by 509th Group CO and Pilot Col. Paul W. Tibbets, Bombardier Maj.
Thomas W. Ferebee and Navigator Capt. Theodore “Dutch” Van Kirk.
Van Kirk’s decorations include the Silver Star, the Distinguished
Flying Cross, and 15 Air Medals.
Doolittle Raiders
Doolittle Raiders Lt. Col. Richard E. “Dick” Cole
and Maj. Thomas C. “Tom” Griffin
History often tells the story of the famous Doolittle Raid. Following
the attack on Pearl Harbor, this group of 80 brave men volunteered
to fly B-25 bombers from an aircraft carrier—a feat never before
attempted—to targets in Japan. Two men who experienced all this
first-hand are at Warbirds Over the Beach to tell visitors about their
experience.
Dick Cole enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 1940. After
acceptance for Flying Training, he attended Parks Air College in
East St. Louis, Illinois, and Randolph and Kelly Flying Schools in
San Antonio, Texas. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in
July 1941 and assigned to the 34th Bombardment Squadron, 17th
Bombardment Group at Columbia, South Carolina.
Cole volunteered and took part in the Doolittle Raid. Following
the Raid, he remained in China until June 1943, flying bombing and
transport missions over The Hump.
In October 1943, he volunteered for the First Air Commando
Group and took part in the aerial invasion of Burma flying missions
in support of General Wingate and the commando ground forces. In
June 1947, he served in the Far East flying administrative and cargo
missions. He became jet-qualified and rated as a Command Pilot
during peace-time service in Ohio, Washington, D.C., North Carolina,
California, and Venezuela.
Cole’s decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross with two
Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Bronze
Star, the Air Force Commendation Medal, a Presidential Unit Citation,
and the Chinese Army, Navy, Air Corps Medal Class A 1st Grade.
Tom Griffin was commissioned through the University of Alabama’s
Reserve Officer Training Corps program and entered military service
in July 1939 as a Second Lieutenant. In 1940, he requested relief
from active duty to enlist as a flying cadet. At that time, Griffin was
assigned to the 17th Bombardment Group in Pendleton, Oregon.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, his group immediately began
anti-submarine patrols off the coast of Oregon and Washington. In
February 1943, he volunteered for the Doolittle Raid. Griffin served
as the navigator on B-25 number nine, the Whirling Dervish. His
aircraft bombed the Tokyo Gas and Electric Company in the southern
part of that city. As the ninth bomber to appear over Japan, the air
defenses were well prepared. After making their strike, his crew headed
to China, but they ran out of fuel and were forced to bail out in a thun-
derstorm over China, behind the Japanese lines. The crew eventually
made their way to Chunking and returned to combat duty.
Griffin later served as a B-26 navigator in North Africa, and on
July 4, 1943, shortly before his 26th birthday, he was shot down over
Sicily and captured by the Germans. He remained a prisoner of war
for 22 months until released in April 1945.
Griffin’s decorations include the
Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal
with three Oak Leaf Clusters and Chinese
Army, Navy, Air Corps Medal, Class A,
1st Grade.
William J. “Wild Bill” Guarnere
Guarnere is a veteran of Easy Company,
2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry
Regiment (PIR) attached to the 101st
Airborne Division of the United States
Army during World War Two.
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Guarnere quit high school to work
for Baldwin Locomotive Works making Sherman tanks. In mid-1942,
he enlisted in the paratroops and started training at Toccoa, Georgia.
He joined Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry
Regiment, 101st Airborne Division making his first combat jump
on D-Day as part of the Allied invasion of France. He earned the
nickname “Wild Bill” because of his reckless attitude towards the
Germans. A terror on the battlefield, he fiercely attacked the Germans.
On June 6, 1944, he joined Lieutenant Winters trying to secure the
village of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. As the group headed south, they
heard a German supply platoon coming and took up an ambush
position. Guarnere opened fire first killing most of the unit.
Guarnere was shot in the leg by a sniper in mid-October 1944
while securing the line on “The Island” on the south side of the
Rhine. While recovering from his injuries in England, he did not want
to be assigned to another unit, so he walked out of the hospital in
severe pain. He was caught, court-martialed, demoted to private,
and returned to the hospital. A week later, they sent him back to
Holland to be with his outfit, and he arrived at Mourmelon-le-Grand,
just outside Reims, just before the company was sent to the Battle of
the Bulge in Belgium on December 16. While holding the line just up
the hill southwest of Foy, a massive artillery barrage hit the men, and
Guarnere lost his right leg.
Guarnere received the Silver Star for combat during the Brecourt
Manor Assault on D-Day and was later decorated with two Bronze
Stars and two Purple Hearts.
Guarnere returned to the United States in March 1945. He wrote
Brothers in Battle, Best of Friends: Two WWII Paratroopers from
the Original Band of Brothers Tell Their Story, with Edward “Babe”
Heffron and Robyn Post, outlining activities of Easy Company. He
was portrayed in the HBO miniseries, Band of Brothers, by Frank
John Hughes.
21
 Strutter
Air Show
Poster
The World War One poster for this fall’s
air show was painted by artist Russ Smith of
Matthews, North Carolina. This is the same
artist that provided last year’s air show poster
of yellow German triplanes.
Russ Smith provided a painting of two
Sopwith 1½ Strutter aircraft in U.S. Navy
Mark Your markings flying over the Cape Henry entrance

Calendars to the Chesapeake Bay. Along the shoreline

are the two lighthouses that are still there
Now! today. In the distance is a U.S. Navy battleship
from the beginning of the last century.
Sopwith Strutter aircraft were the first
USN wheeled aircraft to be launched from
an American naval ship. They were used as
light observation types and powered by a
130 hp clerget engine. The U.S. Battleship
Texas flew such planes from a platform
attached over the gun barrels of the turret.
They had no way of recovering the planes,
so they had to land ashore and be ferried
back to the ship on a small launch.
The museum has such a Sopwith Strutter,
which is the same aircraft that was used in
the recent film titled “Fly Boys” about a
squadron of American pilots flying during
the First World War. It is the primary aircraft
flown in the movie and is remembered as
part of the long musical session where the
leading man takes a young French maiden
on her first aircraft flight.
Copies of such posters will soon be
available for sale in the museum gift shop
and will also be used as the air show t-shirt.
Russ Smith will display his artwork for
sale at the annual air show this fall.
www.RussellSmith.com

22
23
 North American p-51 Mustang Curtiss p-40E “kittyhawk” Grumman TBM Avenger

Supermarine spitfire de havilland DRAGON RAPIDE de havilland dh-82a “tiger moth”

Mikoyan-gurevich mig-3 yakovlev yak-3m lavochkin la-9

Focke Wulf-190 Focke-Wulf fw-44 “stieglitz” Junkers ju-52

Douglas AD-4 SKYRAIDER north american snj-2 NOrth american snj-4

Boeing p-26 “peashooter” WACO CLASSIC YMF-5 TG-4A Training Glider

Boeing B-17G FLYING FORTRESS

24
The Beautifully Restored Aircraf
 PBY-5A “Catalina” Grumman fm2 Wildcat goodyear fg-1d “corsair”

hawker “fury” dhc-1 “chipmunk” HAWKER “HURRICANE” MK-IIB

polikarpov I-153 polikarpov I-15bis polikarpov i-16 “RATA”

NOrd Messerschmitt 108 NOrd Messerschmitt 208 Fieseler fi-156 storch “stork”

RYAN PT-22 North American t-28D “trojan” Beechcraft t-34b “mentor”

bell p-63 “king cobra” (static) bücker Bü-133 “jungmeister” Stearman pt-17 “kaydet”

North American B-25J “Mitchell”

ft of the Military Aviation Museum 25

 2010

Snapshots

26
27
 1945 North American P-51D Mustang

In April 1940, the North American Aircraft Company was given

120 days by the British Purchasing Commission to produce a flying
advanced fighter prototype. With the laminar-flow wing to reduce drag,
ducted coolant radiator under the fuselage and wide-track landing
gear, the 1150 hp Allison engine easily achieved outstanding marks
from the British for the North American P-51 Mustang I variant.
Equipped with four .50 caliber and four .303 caliber guns, the design
of the Mustang allowed it to carry sufficient amounts of ammunition,
as well as two to four times the amount of fuel as its rivals, making it
ideal for long range missions. As the war progressed, air-to-air combat
began to occur at higher altitudes. The thin air at these heights greatly
reduced the performance of the Allison engine and the Mustang was
reduced to low altitude recon and photographic missions. The U.S. Air
Force realized the capabilities of the Mustang and began placing large
orders of different variants of the P-51 in 1942.
North American began to test the Rolls Royce Merlin 60-series
engine (a Packard license-built version) in Mustangs late in 1942. The
most highly produced variant of the Mustang was the P-51D, with over
8,000 produced. Visibility was improved with a new sliding Plexiglas
“bubble” canopy. The P-51D’s firepower was substantially increased
with the addition of two more .50 cal M2 Browning machine guns,
bringing the plane’s total to six. Previous problems with guns jamming
were addressed with upright mounting, as opposed to the angled
mounting of previous versions. The aircraft’s targeting was also
improved with the K-14 gun sight. This innovative sight system
required the pilot to dial in the wingspan of the aircraft he was chasing,
along with the range. An analog computer would calculate a targeting
ring on the sight that the pilot would use to determine if he was on
target. This was a major factor in many of the Mustang’s aerial combat
Engine: Packard V 1650-7
Horsepower: 1,695 hp
Max Speed: 437 mph
Range: 1,300 miles
Ceiling: 42,000 ft.
Wing Span: 37 ft.
Armaments: 6 x .50 cal Browning machine guns;
2,000 lbs. of bombs;
6 x H.V.A.R rockets
victories. These improvements, along with the aircraft’s substantial
range and speed, made the P-51D a perfect choice for nearly any
situation.
The museum’s P-51D was completed in 1945, serial number
44-72483, and was immediately sent to England where it was assigned
to the Eighth Air Force. In September 1947, it was transferred to
Sweden, and in 1955, the Swiss sold it to Nicaragua. Seven years later,
Nicaragua sold this P-51 to Maco Sales in Illinois. It changed ownership
several times from 1962 until it was purchased by the Military Aviation
Museum in 2004. It was painted in its “Double Trouble Two” scheme
with black and yellow checkers on the nose to represent the aircraft
flown by Deputy Commander “Wild” Bill Bailey of the 353rd Fighter
Group that flew from England during WWII.

Hochgebirgsjäger Battalion 4
5th Kompanie / Hochgebirgsjäger Battalion 4 is one of the premiere mountain
troop reenactment groups in the country. In 1942, the original Independent
High-Alpine Battalions were formed within the Gebirgsjäger organization. They were
skilled Alpinists who trained for operations in the highest mountain peaks fighting
in Italy and the French Alps alongside the German paratroopers. Hochgebirgsjäger
Battalion 4 was active in Greece, Italy, Norway and the French Alps in the Mont
Blanc area where they fought at altitudes over 16,000 feet. For more information,
contact Hauptmann “Papa” Kiser at bergfuhrer@hotmail.com.

28
 Avro Lancaster Mk X
The Avro Lancaster Mk X Bomber at this year’s Warbirds Over the
Beach is from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (CWH) in
Hamilton, Ontario.
The Lancaster was the most outstanding heavy bomber of the Second
World War. Powered by four Rolls Royce or Packard-built Merlin
engines, it was the only aircraft capable of carrying the 22,000 lb. “Grand
Slam” bomb. Between 1942 and VE Day, Lancasters participated
in 156,000 sorties and delivered two-thirds of Bomber Command’s
total bomb weight. The Lancaster won a place for itself in history with
the daring and precise bombing raids on the Mohne and Eder dams in
May 1943 and with the all but impossible feat of sinking the German
battleship Tirpitz, in a well-defended Norwegian fjord.
Of the 7,366 Lancasters built during World War Two, only two are
stillflying today.The CWH Lancaster, C-GVRA, was one of the 422
Mk Xs built at Victory Aircraft in Canada between 1943 and 1945. It saw
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service with the No. 107 Rescue Unit at
Torbay, Newfoundland as a maritime patrol/
search and rescue aircraft until retired by
the RCAF in 1964. With assistance from
the Sully Foundation, it was acquired by
Canadian Warplane Heritage from Goderich
Legion in 1977, and following years of
restoration, flew again for the first time on
September 24, 1988.
The CWH Lancaster is painted in the wartime RCAF markings of
the 419 Squadron aircraft in which P/O Andrew Mynarski of Winnipeg
was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for attempting to rescue
the trapped rear gunner from his blazing turret in June 1944.
Engine: Four Packard Merlin 224s
Horsepower: 1,640 hp each
Max Speed: 280 mph
Range: 3,000 miles
Ceiling: 23,500 ft
Wing Span: 102 ft.
Armaments: 8x 7.7mm Browning machine guns
14,000 lb or 22,000 lb Grand Slam bomb
29
 1944 North American B-25J-25-NC

Engine: 2 x Wright R 2600-29

Horsepower: 1,700 hp
Max Speed: 275 mph
Range: 2,500 miles (with aux. tanks)
Ceiling: 25,000 ft.
Wing Span: 67 ft. 7 in.
Armaments: up to 18 .50 cal machine guns;
6,000 lbs. of bombs
The museum’s B-25J-25/27-NC “Mitchell,” United States Army
Air Force (USAAF) serial number 44-30129 (North American C/N
108-33414), was built in Kansas City, Kansas, and delivered to the
USAAF in late 1944.
Originally, the plane was equipped with a dome in the nose and
surveillance equipment in the fuselage. Following the Second World
War, it was first converted into a training aircraft with the removal of the
surveillance equipment and re-designated a TB-25J, then modified into
a TB-25K. Norton Air Force Base, now San Bernardino International
Airport, California, was home to this Mitchell for several years, where
it was finally re-designated as a TB-25N trainer. By December 1957,
it was declared surplus and stored at Davis-Monthan AFB. The USAF
removed the aircraft from the inventory in 1958.
It was registered with a series of civilian owners over the years.
The first was P. J. Murray, of Oxnard, California, who purchased this
B-25 from the USAF in June 1958. He registered it with the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) and received the registration number
it has today (N7947C). The next owner was American Investments
Syndicate, La Mesa, California, who transferred ownership internally
multiple times from 1958 until 1962. Mr. C. C. Wilson, of San Diego,
California, purchased it from the last registered owner of AIS in
November 1962 and sold it almost immediately in January 1963.
Arthur Jones of Skidell, Louisiana, purchased the B-25 in January
1963. He began to use our B-25, then named “Wild Cargo,” to fly
exotic animals (rare snakes and other creatures) from Latin America
to stores in the United States. On one such flight into Lumpkin
Field in Cincinnati, the bomber had 1,500 snakes aboard for the
Cincinnati Zoo, when the pilots experienced both an engine problem
and a landing gear malfunction. After landing on the belly of the plane,
the airport needed three days to round up most of the snakes. The owner
never returned to claim the plane, court action ensued. The local
sheriff’s office eventually auctioned it off, and it was purchased by
Cincinnati Aircraft Inc, of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Walter Soplata, who had a large collection of aircraft, purchased
the plane in September 1964, and with the help of his son, dismantled
the aircraft and took it to his house in Newbury, Ohio. After almost
three decades of sitting on his property, Soplata sold the plane to
Steven A. Detch of Vintage Aircraft, Inc. in December 1990.
The museum acquired the B-25 in October 1997, but the plane
remained with Vintage Aircraft, Inc. at Air Acres in Woodstock, Georgia,
for restoration. During the restoration, the clear nose was restored on
the aircraft, which made the aircraft a B-25J again.
Still known as “Wild Cargo,” this B-25 flew for the first time since the
landing gear accident in 1963 on November 19, 2005. Eventually, it was
flown to the Fighter Factory facility in Suffolk, Virginia, for additional
work in preparation for final painting in Canada. The painting was
complete in August 2008, and it arrived at the Military Aviation Museum
on August 29th.

30
 Focke-Wulf FW-190 A-3
Engine: BMW 801-D2
Horsepower: 1,677 hp
Max Speed: 408 mph
Range: 560 miles
Ceiling: 37,400 feet
Wing Span: 34 ft. 6 in.
Armaments: 4 x 20 mm cannons; 2 x 7.92 mm
machine guns; 6x 73 mm rockets;
1,100 lbs. of bombs
The most recent arrival at the Military Aviation Museum is the
Focke Wulf FW-190 A-6, “White 11.” The museum originally acquired
this airplane in Germany in April 2005, from Cipriano Kritzinger. The
aircraft was previously constructed in Bacau, Romania, and is powered
with a substitute ASH-82 radial engine. For the past five years, it
has been under restoration and test modification at Meier Motors in
Bremgarten, Germany, where Achim and Elmar Meirer have been
rebuilding and test flying this very rare aircraft. It has already attended
several air shows in Europe, being flown by Marc Mathis of France.
In March 2011, Don Anklin of the Fighter Factory went to Germany
to assist in the disassembly and packing of the aircraft into an ocean
shipping container for transport to Virginia.
In April 2009, Steven Atkin of Great Britain painted the aircraft after
researching suitable paint schemes in Germany. Steve also assisted
in repainting the museum’s Spitfire in Suffolk, Virginia, and adding
the proper markings onto the Wild Cargo B-25. The paint scheme
selected for the new Focke Wulf was that of Oberstleutnant (equal to
Lt. Col. in U.S. Air Force) Georg “Murr“ Schott, Staffelkapitaen of
I./JG 1. Schott began his career in the Spanish Civil War with the German
Condor Legion. He flew a Messerschmitt Bf-109C for the Second
Staffel and downed three enemy fighters in December 1938 (two
Polikarpov I-16s and one Polikarpov I-15). The museum has examples
of such Russian-built aircraft in its collection and on display.
In 1940, Schott claimed his first victory in World War II flying
a Bf-109E Messerschmitt bringing down a Hawker Hurricane on
May 19th near Lille, France. On the same day, Schott recorded another
victory over a Hurricane in the Battle of La Cateau. In the French
campaign, he claimed five total victories over three Hurricanes and
two French Morane MS-406 aircraft. During the Battle of Britain
he claimed eight victories. The first was against a Spitfire over
Sheerness on September 2nd and another was against a Spitfire over
Biggin Hill in October 1940. The last aerial victory was over a Spitfire
near Bologne in January 1941.
In April 1943, he was appointed to lead the first Staffel as
“Staffelkapitaen,” whose main task was the interception of daytime
American bombers in Western Germany. At this time, he flew the
“White 11” Focke Wulf FW190 A-6. On June 22, Schott brought
down his first bomber, a B-17, over Recklinghausen. In July, a Hawker
Typhoon near Scheveningen could not escape him, followed by a
B-17 over Leek. Victory number twenty, which would be his last,
was another B-17 over Schiedam. On September 27th, 1943, he was
shot down in aerial combat while attacking four-engine bombers over
the North Sea. He successfully bailed out and managed to climb into
his life raft. An intensive search proved futile. Both the dinghy and
Schott´s remains were washed upon the shore of the island of Sylt two
weeks later.
The paint scheme of the FW-190 A8/M is standard day fighter
camouflage which depicts how the plane was painted in late August 1943.
It is painted in standard day fighter camouflage. The black cat on the
left side of the fuselage was an identification marking for Schott’s
airplane and meant bad luck when it crossed your path. In other words,
it was not wise to cross this fighter’s path! The unique identifying
characteristic to this scheme is the checkerboard pattern on the
plane’s engine cowling, used only with the fighter planes of I./JG 1.
This was consistent throughout the whole German Luftwaffe. First
seen in the summer of 1943, the first Staffel used black-and-white
checkerboards, the second Staffel used red-black checkerboards, and
the final third Staffel used yellow-black checkerboard patterns. These
were the so called “Staffelfarben.” These same colors were also used
in the call sign of the planes (i.e. “White 11”). Later in August 1944,
the recognition markings were all changed into black-and-white bands
for all Staffels.
31
 1944 FM-2 Wildcat
The Grumman Aircraft Company first test flew this retractable gear
monoplane fighter in 1937. This advanced carrier-based aircraft was
initially accepted by the U.S. Navy in 1940, and in 1941, the name
“Wildcat” was officially adopted. With a top speed of 322 mph, the
Wildcat was out-performed by the more nimble 331 mph Japanese
Mitsubishi Zero. It was the Wildcat’s ruggedness and tactics that gave
it an air combat kill-to-loss of 6 to 1 for the entire war.
Four Marine Corps Wildcats played a prominent role in the defense
of Wake Island in December 1941. Naval and Marine Corps aircraft
were the fleet’s primary air defense during the Battles of Coral Sea
and Midway. Land-based Wildcats also played a major role during
the Guadalcanal Campaign of 1942-43. Lt. Butch O’Hare was able to
shoot down five Mitsubishi twin-engine bombers attacking the USS
Lexington carrier off Bouganville in 1942 in just a few short minutes.
He became the U.S. Navy’s first fighter ace and was awarded the
Congressional Medal of Honor by President Roosevelt. Today, O’Hare
International Airport in Chicago is named in honor of him.
The museum’s FM-2 Wildcat was built at the General Motors/Eastern
Aircraft plant in New Jersey in 1944, and it was first assigned to
San Pedro, California, and then to the Norfolk region as a training aircarft.
On July 3, 1945 it was transferred to a small training field in Pungo, Virginia.
32
As the war ended, it was still stationed in Virginia and served with
various training commands throughout the Navy. Without ever having
served overseas or in combat, it was stricken from the records and sold
to an Eastern Airlines pilot in 1952. It was then sold to its next owner
in Delaware 10 years later.
This Wildcat that served with the Navy during the Second World War
(at the small airfield that was located behind the Pungo Pizza Restaurant
on Princess Anne Road), was acquired by the Military Aviation Museum
in 2010 and made its first appearance back in Virginia in over 60 years at
last year’s Warbirds Over the Beach air show.
It is the most original example of a Wildcat still flying today. It has
folding wings, operated by small hand cranks imbedded in the wing
fold mechanisms, and the retractable landing gears require 31 turns of
the hand operated wheel in the cockpit. It is powered by its original
Wright R-1820 radial engine that produces 1,350 horsepower. During
the war, it was armed with four 50-caliber wing mounted machine
guns and could carry two 250 lb. bombs or six rockets.
Following last year’s air show, the aircraft underwent a restoration
process with the Fighter Factory, including a new paint scheme matching
the Atlantic colors, to restore it to its original condition as when it first
left the factory in 1944.
Engine: Wright R-1820-56
Horsepower: 1,350 hp
Max Speed: 322 mph
Range: 1,350 w/ external tanks
Ceiling: 35,600 ft
Wing Span: 38 ft.
Armaments: 4 x .50 cal machine guns;
6 x 5 inch HVAR rockets
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The ORIGINAL SUPERBAND

The Original SuperBand of Virginia joins Warbirds Over the
Beach for the third year. This group of gifted and rambunctious
entertainers always livens up the weekend with the sounds of
World War Two.
Dr. Frank Foster personally composed much of the music for
The Original SuperBand. Having performed with, and directed,
the famous Count Basie Orchestra, he draws his musical influence
from the years he spent performing with such renowned jazz giants
as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Wynton Marsalis, Lionel Hampton,
Buddy Rich, and the Tonight Show Band.
The band performs a versatile range of musical styles including
dance, swing, and contemporary music to highlight the many
talents of this diverse and experienced group of musicians. Any
music enthusiast, young or seasoned, will experience delight and
awe as The Original SuperBand brings the decades of big band
music back to life.
A few of SuperBand’s recent venues include: Deja Blu Jazz
Supper Club, Hampton University Jazz Fest, Attucks Theater,
Octoberfest and political events. Over the years, band members have
performed with groups and stars like Count Basie, The Platters,
Peaches and Herb, Lionel Hampton, and three United States
Presidents. Combined, these musicians have helped compose and
play original recordings selling over 13 million records.

33
 1948 Lavochkin La-9 1943 Hawker Hurricane
The Lavochkin La-9 (La-130), also known by NATO as “Fritz”, was
the most powerful of the Lavochkin piston fighters. Development of
the Lavochkin La-9 began in 1945 as a redesign of the La-7 all-metal
structure. The removal of the wooden structure lightened the aircraft
enough so that it could be fitted to carry substantially greater quantities
of fuel and still be not much heavier than the La-7. The three 20mm
cannons of the La-7 were replaced with four 23mm cannons.
Very little is known about the Military Aviation Museum’s
Lavochkin La-9 (c/n 828), acquired in 2010. It is the only airworthy
example from amongst a very small group of survivors (estimates
range from 3-5 airframes worldwide with 6,528 built). Apparently,
the museum’s La-9 served in the People’s Republic of China Air
Force during the Korea conflict. The aircraft was retired from the
Chinese Air Force circa 1960 to the Beijing University of Aeronautics,
where it was displayed along with an La-11. Discussion began in
1986 to bring the aircraft to the west, in what proved to be prolonged
negotiations. The aircraft did not arrive at Duxford for the Old Flying Engine: Packard Merlin 29 V12
Machine Company until 1996. Horsepower: 1,300 hp
Max Speed: 330 mph
It was registered to Classic Aviation, Ltd. (Basle, Switzerland) as
Range: 486 miles
G-BWUD in June 1996. The aircraft’s travels were not over however,
Ceiling: 36,000 ft.
as it was decided to ship the aircraft to New Zealand for restoration.
Wing Span: 40 ft.
The airframe was received at Pioneer Aero Restorations Ardmore
facility in November 2000.
Armaments: 12 x .303 in machine guns

The aircraft finally returned to the air in March 2010. Initially restored
in an authentic Peoples Liberation Army paint scheme reflecting
its service history, the aircraft’s plumage was later altered to
represent a Russian aircraft meeting regulations regarding the use
of national insignia.
The first Hurricane models were entered into service with the Royal
Air Force in December 1937. As the outbreak of the war became
more apparent, there was an urgency to produce the fighters, and they
decided to build the aircraft at the Canadian Car and Foundry plant
in Fort William, Canada. Over 14,000 Hurricanes were built between
Britain and Canada and were used by more than 15 countries. The
Hurricanes fought for the RAF alongside the Spitfires during the
Battle of Britain and were responsible for destroying more enemy aircraft
during the Battle of Britain than all other defense systems combined.
The museum’s Hurricane MkXII-B was built by the Canadian Car and
Foundry in 1943. It was originally assigned to Eastern Air Command
in 1943 and sent to 129 Squadron in Dartmouth. It moved around
Canada for several years until it was taken out of service in Swift
Current, Saskatchewan, in October 1946. The plane sat derelict on a
farm in Saskatchewan from 1948 to 1965 when it was purchased by
a new owner in Vancouver, Washington. This owner performed a long
term restoration and first flew the plane in May 1994.
The museum purchased the Hurricane in 2001. In 2007, it was sent
back to Canada for restoration work, including a new paint scheme to
replicate the Hurricane flown during the Battle of Britain by American
Engine: ASh-82FN John Haviland. Haviland volunteered for the RAF at age 19. During
the Battle of Britain, he was in a mid-air collision but was able to land
Horsepower: 1,850 hp
his Hurricane. He was the only American-born pilot to fly in the Battle
Max Speed: 430 mph
of Britain to survive the end of the war. Afterwards, he returned to the
Range: 1,080 miles
United States, attended college in Colorado, and then moved to Virginia
Ceiling: 35,500 ft.
where he became a professor in the engineering department at
Wing Span: 32 ft. 2 in.
the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He was awarded the
Armaments: 4 x 23mm Nudelman-Suranov; Distinguished Flying Cross in 1945.
NS-23 cannons

34
 Hawker Fury Mk I
Engine: Rolls-Royce Kestrel IIS
Horsepower: 525 hp
Max Speed: 207 mph
Range: 305 miles
Ceiling: 28,000 ft.
Wing Span: 30 ft.
Armaments: 1 x .303 Vickers machine gun
The Military Aviation Museum’s Hawker Fury (N31FY, s/n WA6)
is a replica built by Westward Airways (Lands End) Ltd. completed
in 1982. It is considered a replica due to the many new parts in its
construction, but Westward Airways was able to find and use many
original parts. The most exciting is the engine; Westward managed
to find a very rare original Kestrel engine. This aircraft is the only
airworthy example of this historic biplane fighter in the world.
After its completion, it made some very rare public appearances
between 1993-1996. At the time, it was registered as OO-HFU. The
aircraft stalled and crashed during a slow, low level pass at a Belgian
air show in 1996 and was very badly damaged. Fortunately, the pilot
suffered only minor injuries.
The aircraft was completely rebuilt and was test flown again in
2000. This time it was under British registration, G-BKBB, and it was
an airworthy but static display in the Shuttleworth Museum at Old
Warden in the UK from 2000 to 2003. This Fury made its last flight
in 2003, when it flew back to Belgium. It was stored and maintained
in full airworthy condition in Belgium until the museum acquired the
Fury in 2009 and had it shipped to America.
It is painted, as were most Royal Air Force aircraft of the time,
in all silver with the squadron markings on the side. The Military
Aviation Museum Hawker Fury Mk I, K1930, is painted as the aircraft
flown by the Commanding Officer, Squadron Leader L. H. Slatter
of 43 Squadron, circa early 1932 at Tangmere.
1949 Douglas AD-4 “Skyraider”
In mid-1944, the U.S. Navy was looking for a replacement for their
obsolete SBD Dauntless dive-bomber. By March 1945, Douglas had
redesigned, built, and flown the new Dauntless II. The Navy bought
the initial production order just before the end of the war in the
Pacific. The term “Able Dog” for the Skyraider was originally coined
from the phonetic alphabet for ‘AD.’ The first version of the AD-1 had
gradual improvements made to its design, which eventually led to the
introduction of the AD-4 Skyraider in 1949.
There were seven different models of Skyraiders built and several
versions of each type. Skyraiders were used for combat in all weather
situations, refueling, target towing, troop transportation, medical transport,
photo reconnaissance, submarine detection, and other missions. The
final Skyraider rolled off the Douglas assembly lines in February 1957.
Skyraiders continued to serve through the Vietnam War, and the Navy
retired its last Skyraider in April 1968. The aircraft also served with various
overseas foreign governments such as South Vietnam, Sweden, and France.
The museum’s Douglas AD-4 Skyraider was built in 1949. During
its first tour of duty, it was part of the VA-55 squadron that was deployed
in the Korean War. Its third and final tour of active duty ended in
February 1956 with the Marine Corps Squadron VMAT-20. It then
spent 10 years on static display in Atlanta, Georgia, before being
purchased in 1966 and restored back to flying condition. It was sold
several more times, and the Military Aviation Museum acquired the
plane in August 2000.
In the spring of 2001, it was repainted to replicate the airplane
flown by VA-195 Commanding Officer Harold “Swede” Carlson.
LCDR Carlson led the VA-195 Squadron on the torpedo strike of the
Hwachon Dam. In 1951, the Chinese Communist Forces were using
the sluice gates in the Hwachon Dam to flood the lower Pukhan River,
preventing the United Nations Forces from crossing the river and
proceeding northward. Skyraiders dropped Mk-13 torpedoes on the sluice
gates, preventing the Chinese Communist Forces from controlling
the flow of the Hwachon River. The attack earned them the nickname
“Dambusters.” The Skyraiders attack on May 1, 1951, was the last
time the United States Navy used torpedoes in an actual act of war.
Engine: Wright Cyclone R-3350-26WD
Horsepower: 2800 hp
Max Speed: 370 mph
Range: 1,386 nautical miles with external tanks
Ceiling: 27,500 ft.
Wing Span: 50 ft.
Armaments: 4 x 20mm cannons; up to 12,500 lbs.
of ordnance with 17 attach points
35
 1947 Fieseler Fi-156 Storch “Stork”
Engine: Argus As 10 C-3
Horsepower: 240 hp
Max Speed: 109 mph
Range: 239 miles
Ceiling: 15,090 ft.
Wing Span: 46 ft. 9 in.
Armaments: 1 x 7.93mm machine gun
In April 1942, the French company Morane-Saulnier, operating
under German control, began to manufacture a number of German
aircraft. The Morane-Saulnier plant at Puteaux, in the suburbs of Paris,
France, was directed to build the Storch. In October 1943, the Fieseler
Werke in Kassel, Germany, started producing the Focke Wulf FW-190
and production of all Storch types were shifted to France. At the same
time, production commenced at Leichtbau Budweis in the Protectorate
of Bohemia and Moravia (better known as Czechoslovakia). Leichtbau
Budweis built one Storch in 1943 and 72 the following year before
production was transferred to another Czech firm, Benes-Mraz in
Chozen, where the plane was built under the name K-65 Cap.
The Military Aviation Museum’s Storch is one such aircraft. It is
believed that the basic fuselage was built, but not completed, while the
Germans still occupied France as it bears a German data plate with the
werksnummern 2631 (serial number). While aircraft construction was
never really halted by Morane-Saulnier, it did slow down from June
1944 until the end of the war. The end of the Second World War disrupted
in this plane’s completion, and the fuselage was left to gather dust.
Upon the conclusion of the Second World War, the French government
decided to keep a number of German designs in production to rebuild
both its military and its aircraft industry. Thus, 925 Fi-156s were
ordered under their new designation, the Morane-Saulnier MS-500 Criquet.
Windhund Living History Group
6.Kompanie, 116.Panzer Div. “Windhund” Living History Group is a German WWII re-enactor group based on the East Coast. They
portray Panzergrenadieres and related combat units circa March 1944 of 6.Kompanie, 2.Battalion, 60.Regiment, 116.Panzerdivision.
 www.windhund116.webs.com.
36
Construction commenced beginning with the leftover sections from
earlier production. By then, Morane-Saulnier had made slight modifications
to the aircraft. During the war, wings were made of wood because of
material shortages. After the war, damaged and surplus aircraft were
scraped and melted down, and the French constructed the newer wings
from aluminum. The museum’s Storch was completed with metal
wings in 1947 for the French military. It was the 751st off the production
line. Thus, two serial numbers were assigned the airframe: the first for
the original airframe construction during the German occupation, and
the second for the final production by Morane-Saulnier.
The factory completion date was May 23, 1947. With obscure documents
comes interesting information, like the names of the first two pilots
who were believed to be Monsieurs Goujon and Frantz. The delivery
date to the military at Rouen is reported to be December 22, 1947.
The museum’s aircraft was further modified in 1950-1951, into a
photo-reconnaissance airplane. This modification added a vertically
placed camera behind the pilot, with a ‘parachute sender’ and explains
why this plane has a different shaped lower fuselage from other Storches.
(A ‘parachute sender’ is a parachute release system to parachute the film
canister to awaiting ground intelligence personnel.) Records indicate
that this modification was completed in February 1951 and delivered
to Châteauroux Air Station in March 1951. It was also modified later
in its military career to lay cable or telephone line. Because of its low
speed capabilities, the aircraft could reel out cable from the bottom of
the fuselage for a few miles. By 1966, it was deemed surplus and the
French military sold it.
The new owner, Herr Hans-Joachim Meier, partially restored the
aircraft and painted it in Luftwaffe North African Corps green / gray
colors with the radio code letters or ‘Stammkennzeichem’ of ‘EA+ML.’
In 2001, it was brought to the US. The museum’s aircraft was painted
to represent a Storch (DL+AW) used by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
in his North African Campaigns.
 1949 Junkers Ju-52
The Junkers Ju-52 (nicknamed Tante Ju - “Auntie Ju” - or “Iron Annie”)
was a transport aircraft manufactured in Germany from 1932 until
1945. It was in both civilian and military service during the 1930s
and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with well over a dozen air carriers
as an airliner and freight hauler. In a military role, it flew with the
Luftwaffe as a troop and cargo transport and briefly as a medium
bomber. The Ju-52 continued post-war service with military and civilian
air fleets well into the 1980s.
The Military Aviation Museum’s Junkers Ju-52 was built under
license by CASA at its plant in Getafe, Spain. The official nomenclature
for the aircraft was CASA 352 and only 170 were built. The Spanish
Air Force (SAF) assigned it serial number T2B 176. Originally, it
was believed to be CASA 352L serial number 67, built in May 1950.
Further research revealed a second data plate, inside the cabin under
multiple layers of paint, which matched a second data plate on the
outside of the fuselage indicating CASA serial number 77 with
construction date of January 1949. It was overhauled in 1971-1972,
and by 1976, it had only accumulated 1500 flight hours with the SAF.
In November 1976, the Material Disposal Agency of the SAF
placed sale advertisements for a CASA 352L. The Confederate Air
Force (CAF) spearheaded a successful fundraiser to procure the aircraft.
Upon purchase, the trans-Atlantic flight from Spain to the US was
commenced. The first stop was Biggin Hill, England, where auxiliary
fuel tanks, oil tank, and the LF radios were installed. By then,
winter weather had set in over the North Atlantic, and the flight was
postponed.
In July 1980, a ten day, 8000-mile flight to Harlingen, Texas
began. A northern Atlantic route was chosen via Scotland, Iceland,
Greenland, Baffin Island (where they were fined $50 for dripping
excessive oil on the ramp), and Quebec. The aircraft first touched
down in the United States in Bangor, Maine, where they landed
during an air show, and then flew on to Harlingen, Texas, by way of
Midway Airport (Chicago), Denver, and southeast to Texas.
1st Canadian Parachute Battalion
The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion 1942-1945 is a non-profit, educational organization with the purpose of facilitating the development
of, and participation in, battle reenactments and living history of the World War II era. In a spirit of volunteerism, the members of the
Battalion seek to contribute to a broader understanding of the lives, the issues and the experiences faced by the 1st Canadian Parachute
Battalion and their families during the period of 1942 to 1945.
Engine: 3 x BMW 132-A3
(Pratt & Whitney)
Horsepower: 725 hp each
Max Speed: 171 mph
Range: up to 800 miles with aux. fuel tanks
Ceiling: 18,500 ft.
Wing Span: 29 ft. 4 in.
Armaments: 1 x 13 mm M131 machine gun in dorsal
position; 2 x 7.92mm M15 machine guns
Initial restoration, maintenance, and flying were accomplished by
the Colorado and Southern Lake Michigan (SoLaMich) Wings of
the CAF. The aircraft was stripped and repainted as a Ju-52 of the
7th Staffel KGzbV1, 1st Bomber Wing of Special Operations. After
further research, the tactical/operational markings of ‘1Z+AR” and
markings for the invasion of Crete on May 21, 1941, were added.
Luftwaffe Lieutenant Franz Lankenau flew the original aircraft in
these markings on approximately 250 missions in Poland, Norway,
Netherlands, France, Greece, Crete, and Russia. He donated his log
book to the CAF and supplied much of the information required for
the restoration. He also provided pictures of the coats of arms on the
nose nacelle: Brandenburg, for the city where the Staffel was first
based and Hapsburg, for their commanding officer.
“Alte Tante Ju” (meaning Old Auntie Junkers) became well known
throughout the country at air shows. Engine problems grounded the
plane for about 8 years in 1990. It began flying again May 1998 after
another restoration that included converting to P&W 1340 engines,
3 blade constant speed props, complete rewiring and circuit breaker
panels, and new control and instrument panels.
The museum obtained the Ju-52 from the CAF in 2010. The best
count indicates there are seven Ju-52s flying in the world, and the
museum’s is the only one on this continent.
www.1canpara-hq.org.
37
 1943 Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXe
Engine: Rolls-Royce Merlin 66
Horsepower: 1,720 hp
Max Speed: 404 mph
Range: 434 miles
Ceiling: 42,500 ft
Wing Span: 32 ft. 6 in.
Armaments: 2 x 20mm hispano cannons
2 x .50 cal Browning M2 machine guns
up to 500 lbs. of bombs
In 1943, the largest single contract for Spitfires was being produced
at the Castle Bromwich factory near Birmingham, England. One of
these aircraft was Royal Air Force (RAF) registered MJ730, a Mark
IXe Spitfire, first test flown by Alex Henshaw, the factory’s chief test
pilot, in December 1943. Within a few weeks, it was dismantled and
crated for shipping to the port of Casablanca in North Africa. The
first operational unit that MJ730 served with was 417 Squadron of
the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). There, its first mission was
escorting a group of U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) B-25 Mitchell
bombers during the Italian campaign. It was involved with the allied
landings at Anzio and flew 15 sorties over twenty-four days.
In May 1944, the aircraft was transferred to No. 154 Squadron RAF,
and its fuselage squadron identifying code letters were changed to
HT-W. It operated from the island of Corsica on 95 missions flying
bomber escorts for the American forces over Northern Italy and in
support of the invasion in Southern France. During the operations
from Corsica, the MJ730 was filmed in color by William Wyler (who
was the famed director of the Memphis Belle documentary and later
Ben Hur) for an Army movie about the use of P-47 Thunderbolts in
the Italian campaign.
After the fighting in Northern Italy, in October 1944, MJ730 was
transferred again to No. 32 Squadron RAF at Kolomaki, Greece. The
aircraft was chosen by Squadron Leader George Silvester (DFC) as
his personal aircraft. During the Second World War, it was common in
the RAF for the squadron commander to put his initials on the side of
the airplane as fuselage squadron identifying code letters, indicating
that it was his personal airplane – ‘hands off’. The ground crew asked
the commanding officer what identifier he wanted applied to his
personal airplane (our MJ730). Corporal airframe fitter, Graham Tylee,
of No. 32 Squadron, was the ground crew member who usually painted
the squadron code letters on all newly arrived aircraft. Below is his
account of how the ‘?’ came about. It is taken from a letter he wrote to
a researcher about the aircraft’s history.
38
Graham Tylee wrote: “I would find out from the engineering
officer what letter was allocated to the aircraft. I liked to
paint (I had a steadier hand in those days) and normally
did this myself. I remember having a template made with
small holes in suitable places.” When the CO came back from
satisfactorily test flying this aircraft, Cpl Tylee asked what
code letter should put be put on the Spitfire. “...he jokingly
said that there was a bit of a question mark over which
identity letter to give his Spitfire...because he was neither
A Flight nor B Flight.”
The ground crew took the initiative and Corporal Tyler
painted a large ‘question mark’ where a code letter would
normally be positioned. The CO (Squadron Leader G. Silvester
DFC) was amused by this and said it could stay. It was thenceforth
known by squadron personnel as ‘The CO’s Query’.
Second World War pilots and ground crew at one of the 32 Squadron’s
annual reunion weekends at RAF Northolt, confirmed Graham Tylee’s
account. Furthermore, Betty Silvester, Squadron Leader Silvester’s
widow, produced documents and photographs in which her husband
referred to MJ730, in its GZ-? coding, as ‘His kite’. Although there is
at least one other Second World War squadron using a ‘?’ coding on
a Spitfire, it was not the start of a Commanding Officer’s tradition.
The war ended with the aircraft being flown by No. 249 Squadron
RAF from Yugoslavia in harassment of the retreating German forces.
After the war, it was ferried to RAF Brindisi in Italy. Here it was stored
for almost a year before being sold to the newly-reformed Italian
Air Force. The aircraft underwent a major overhaul by Aeronautica
Machhi at Varese and was accepted by the Italian Air Force at Centocelle
Airport on the outskirts of Rome.
In 1951, MJ730 was among a batch of Spitfires sold by the Italian
government to Israel. The Israeli Air Force assigned the number 66 to
the aircraft and it served in an Operational Training Unit (OTU) at the
Ramat David Airfield.
It was finally decommissioned in June 1956, when most of Israel’s
other Spitfires were sold to Burma. MJ730 was saved to provide
young Israeli children with a subtle desire to become fighter pilots.
It was moved to a playground at a kibbutz in Kabri, near the border
of Lebanon.
It was here that the aircraft was found in a dilapidated condition
during the early 1970s and transported back to England in 1978. A
firm in the south of England began the initial restoration work, but in
August 1986, the project was sold to Fred Smith, founder and President
of Federal Express. The work was completed in November 1988, and
it was immediately offered for sale.
David Pennell, an electronics manufacturer in Birmingham, England,
purchased it. Pennell preferred the current paint design used in early
1945 in Greece and Yugoslavia. The aircraft spent the next ten years
in the Midlands area performing at many charity events and memorial
functions.
In 1998, the Military Aviation Museum learned about the possible
availability of this aircraft. An inspection in England was arranged and
a contract was signed at the May 1999 Duxford airshow. The aircraft
finally arrived at the Fighter Factory facilities in Suffolk, Virginia, in
early 2000.
 Mk V Fuel Bowser

The Military Aviation Museum recently added a 1938 Royal Air Force
Fuel Bowser. Bowser is a generic term for a tanker, and during the
Second World War, the RAF utilized several different designs for
portable aircraft refueling tankers to meet the demands of its growing fleet.
Both towable and self-propelled bowsers were used throughout the war,
and the museum’s bowser, the Mk V, is a unique, three-wheeled self-
propelled unit. It was built by Thompson Brothers in Bristol, England.
The Mk V carried two fuel tanks and one oil tank allowing it to service
a variety of aircraft and other military vehicles. Many of these units
were used well into the 1990s at civilian airfields. This particular bowser
was used by the famous RAF North Weald Airfield, near Essex. The
field was an important fighter station during the Battle of Britain

601 Squadron
601 Squadron (County of London), RAF, Recreated was founded in 1991. It is a group of dedicated individuals striving
to accurately recreate a wartime squadron of the RAF. Many members are ‘old salts’ of the hobby, having ten, or even
twenty years of experience in historical re-creation. The original 601 Squadron was dubbed the “Millionaire’s Squadron”
and included prominent individuals such as Roger Bushell (‘Big X’ of Great Escape fame), Max Aitken, the American
Billy Fiske, and Willie Rhodes-Moorehouse. 601’s history was very active during the Second World War seeing action
in France, the Battle of Britain, the Western desert, Malta and Europe. They flew Blenheims, Hurricanes, the ill-fated
Airacobras and the famous Spitfire.
The group focuses on the early war years with an emphasis on the Battle of Britain. While striving to accurately portray
the pilots involved in the squadron, they also place great emphasis on the airmen. Without the stout service of the common
everyday “erk” – from fitter to rigger and mechanic – a normal squadron would not be airworthy. All of the historians
in the unit understand and deeply appreciate the significance of the Battle of Britain and the aircrew that played a part
defending Britain during those pivotal summer months.

Der Erste Zug

Der Erste Zug is a living history and research organization dedicated to portraying the common German Landser of WWII
with the highest possible level of accuracy and realism that materials and circumstances allow. Their goal is to better educate
themselves and the general public about an important part of world history that is often overlooked or misinterpreted. The
group is committed to historical accuracy, and they carefully research and document their uniforms, equipment, personal
items, food, and more. This historical impression extends beyond the material culture to include important details such as
personal mannerisms, military protocol, tactical proficiency, and use of the German language whenever possible. For more
information and an extensive database of research articles, please visit www.DerErsteZug.com.

39
 HAMPTON ROADS THERESA EAMAN
METRO BAND

The Hampton Roads Metro Band, originally called the Norfolk

Fire Division Firemen’s Band, was formed in the early 1930s by
its first conductor, Pacific Romeo. After his death in 1970, he was
succeeded by Hal Peterson. In 1981, the Norfolk Fire Department
was no longer able to sponsor the band, and at this time, it adopted
its present name, Hampton Roads Metro Band.
Over the years, the Band’s membership grew and shrunk and
grew again. Conductors included several notable retired military Photo: KC Gibson

musicians and music educators. The current conductor, Dick

Schroeder, assumed the post in 2005. Currently, there are over 45
members and the Band proudly continues to provide music for the
citizens of Hampton Roads.
www.hrmetroband.org
Theresa Eaman began performing jazz standards in her early
teen years in Reading, Pennsylvania. A classically trained
vocalist, she specializes in jazz standards and re-enacting the
music of the World War II era. She presents the listener with
We are pleased renditions of all their favorites featuring the stylings of the
to support original recordings, while incorporating her own personal
touches. Theresa’s performances celebrate an era where music
the 3nd Annual made people laugh, cry, and fall in love.
www.kaufcan.com

Warbirds Over the Beach Theresa has performed in New York City, San Diego, California,
and throughout Pennsylvania and Idaho, where she currently
resides. She has appeared at Warbirds Over the Beach since
its inaugural year in 2009, and we welcome her back again for
the 2011 event.

www.JazzDiva.net
Photo: KC Gibson

3416 North Landing Road

Your only criteria for selecting a
law firm should be its commitment Virginia Beach, VA 23456
to do all the right things to help (757) 430-6844
you succeed. We can. And we will.

40
41
 Grossdeutschland
Grossdeutschland is one of the oldest World War Two
reenactment units with over 30 years of experience in Living
History interpretation. The unit has participated in Living History
Displays throughout the Eastern United States and has won
numerous awards and accolades from prestigious institutions
such as the Aberdeen Proving Grounds (MD), Ft. Indiantown
Gap (PA), Jamestown Historical Foundation (VA), Picatiny
Arsenal (NJ), and West Point Military Academy (NY). Members
organize and attend battle reenactments, volunteer with period
restoration projects, and educate the general public on life in
the German Army. Grossdeutschland is unique in that they
focus their efforts on a Unit Impression — not an individual
one. By doing so, they can best represent the German Army as
it was during the tumultuous days of World War II. Currently,
they have a growing and stable membership base of over 130
people on the East Coast.

Third Kompanie, Dietrich’s Warriors

Dietrich’s Warriors is a historical society that strives to preserve
and strengthen the bonds between present day and yesteryear.
They concentrate on the Waffen-SS soldier assigned to the 1st SS
Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, 1st Panzer Grenadier
Regiment, 3rd Company. Formed in 2009, the group began with
only five members. They are headquartered in the Mid-Atlantic
region, and members assemble nationwide to participate in
some of the most authentic World War II reenactments and
living history programs.  www.lahpanzer.com.

Panzer Aufklärungs Abteilung 11

This WWII German reenactment group portrays Heer (army)
soldiers of the 11th Panzer Division’s reconnaissance regiment.
Their primary goal is to study and teach others about one of the
United States’ most capable military adversaries through the
demonstration of authentic small unit tactics and the display of
uniforms, weapons, and equipment. Based in Northern Virginia,
Panzer Aufklärungs Abteilung 11 has members from Pennsylvania
to North Carolina. They participate in public and private tactical
events, living history displays, and other military demonstrations.
 www.11thpanzer.com

1st SS Aufklärung
The 1st SS Aufklärung is a group of non-political history
enthusiasts who portray combat soldiers of the 1st SS
Leibstandarte at public displays and private reenactments. They
are located primarily in the Mid-Atlantic/Virginia area but
have members from all across the East Coast. They represent
a small Aufklärung or reconnaissance Gruppe and join forces
with the 1st Btl. SS-Pz. Gren. Rgt. II “LSSAH” Stab and 2nd
SS “Das Reich” to form the battle group “Sonnenwende.”
 www.1stlahrecon.com

HQ Company, 116th Infantry, Reg. 29th Division, AEF

This is a World War One re-enactor unit that is part of the Great
War Association. Their goal is to portray the average WWI
Doughboy. The recreated HQ Company was formed in 1986
to commemorate the sacrifice of brave soldiers whose heroism
was displayed during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in 1918.
www.harrellshistory.org//WW1/HQ_company/index1.htm

42
 Just As Planes Have Evolved,

I hope there’s a place, way up in the sky,

Where pilots can go, when they have to die.
A place where a guy can buy a cold beer
For a friend and a comrade, whose memory is dear;
A place where no doctor or lawyer can tread,
Nor a management type would ere be caught dead;
So Has Your Computer Technician
Just a quaint little place, kind of dark, full of smoke,
Where they like to sing loud, and love a good joke; On-Site Computer Service
The kind of a place where a lady could go At Your Home & Business
And feel safe and protected, by the men she would know. • Network Installations & Security
There must be a place where old pilots go, • Industry-Certified Professionals
When their paining is finished, and their airspeed gets low, • Disaster Planning & Recovery
• Same-Day Appointments
• PCs, Networks & Servers
Where the whiskey is old, and the women are young,
And old songs about flying and dying are sung,
Where you’d see all the fellows who’d flown west before,
And they’d call out your name, as you came through the door.
Who would buy you a drink, if your thirst should be bad,
And relate to the others, “He was quite a good lad!” Call Toll Free: 1-800-905-4335
Or Visit Us Online: www.geeksoncall.com

And then through the mist, you’d see an old guy

You had not seen in years, though he taught you to fly.
He’d nod his old head, and grin ear to ear;
And say,

“Welcome, my son, I’m pleased that you’re here.”

“For this is the place where true flyers come,”
“When their journey is over, and the war has been won.”

JANITORIAL SUPPLIES * FOODSERVICE * PAPER *CHEMICALS

“They’ve come here at last to be safe and alone”
“From the government clerks and the management clone,”
“Politicians and lawyers, the Feds and the noise,”
“Where all hours are happy, and these good ole boys”
“Can relax with a cool one, and a well deserved rest;”
“This is heaven, my son… You’ve passed your last test!”

476 Viking Drive #102

Virginia Beach, VA 23452
(757)622-0355

43
 Each month, the Military Aviation Museum works
hard to bring you guest speakers, flight demonstrations,
and other special events celebrating aviation history. Visit the
museum’s Web site often for the most up-to-date list of events.
You can always purchase your tickets online, too.
www.MilitaryAviationMuseum.org

May 30 – Memorial Day Flyover 12:30 – 1:30pm

MAY 2011 For the past five years, the museum has participated in a Memorial Day flyover with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. In
recognition of the 100th Anniversary of Naval Aviation, three historic naval aircraft will be selected for the flight. Most likely
it will be the museum’s Corsair and the newly restored Wildcat, which operated out of the Pungo Naval Airfield during the end
of World War Two. The third naval aircraft is yet to be selected. Planes launch at 12:30, flyover the Veterans Memorial at the
Convention Center at 1:00 and arrive back in Pungo at 1:30.

May 31 – NAS Oceana Tours Begin Daily May 31 – September 2 (excluding July 4th) 11:00am – 2:00pm
For the second year, visitors can tour NAS Oceana on board the museum’s double-decker English bus. The three-hour tour
leaves from the 24th Street Kiosk on Atlantic Boulevard. Visit the kiosk for tickets.

June 4 – Virginia Beach Crime Solvers Annual Pig Pickin’

JUNE 2011 Attend the annual Crime Solvers Pig Pickin’ on Saturday afternoon. Enjoy BBQ, entertainment, flight demonstrations, and
help raise funds for the Crime Solvers.

June 18 – Hangar Talk and Flight Demonstration 11:00am

Bill Greenwall, USAF Retired, will speak at the museum on Saturday, June 11. He was a B-17 Bomber pilot during World War
Two and will speak about the “Lemay Box” formation and his War experiences. A flight demonstration of one of the museum’s
aircraft will follow the presentation.

August 1-5 – Warbirds & Wings Aviation Summer Camp 9:00am – 4:00pm each day
AUGUST 2011 Bring your children to the museum for this unique summer camp, where they will learn the fundamentals of airplane flight and
rockets and get ground crew training. They will also build gliders and model airplanes, and take field trips to the museum’s
Fighter Factory and the Virginia Air & Space Center. Perfect for children age 9-14.

August 27 – Wings & Wheels

It’s time for the annual Wings and Wheels car show at the museum. Come see vintage cars alongside our military aircraft from
the same era.

September 16-October 16 – Aviation History through Art

SEPTEMBER 2011 Leading aviation artists will submit work for display and judging. Browse the gallery of paintings telling the stories of aviation
from World War One and World War Two.

September 24-25 – Radio Controlled Airplanes

Each year, the Tidewater RC Club ascends upon the museum with their elaborate aircraft. Enjoy a beautiful fall day in Pungo
while you watch these planes (and maybe one of the museum’s life-sized versions) buzz overhead.

October 1 – Porsche Car Show

October 2011 Have an interest in cars of a certain caliber? Then come to the Porsche Car Show. Dozens of cars from throughout the years
will be on display.

October 7-9 – Biplanes & Triplanes World War One Air Show
Back for another year, the Biplanes and Triplanes Air Show is our way of celebrating the men fighting throughout Europe
during the earliest days of aviation. The museum’s collection of reproduction aircraft from England, France, Germany, and
the United States will be on display. Also enjoy period entertainment and re-enactors and see planes from other museums and
personal collections visiting from around the country.

November 25-27 – Trains and Planes

NOvember 2011 The Military Aviation Museum, in association with The Tidewater Division of the National Model Railroad Association, is hosting
its annual model train show. Santa will fly in to meet and greet with kids, too. See the museum Web site for more information
as the date approaches.
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 BECOME A MUSEUM MEMBER!
Office Use Only
Member Number:
Expiration Date: MUSEUM MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
501 (c)(3) Tax Deductible Foundation

Member Name: ________________________________________________Age:_____________________

Address:_______________________________________________________________________________

City:_______________________________________State:________________Zip:___________________

Phone:____________________________________Email:_______________________________________

Occupation:____________________________________________________________________________

Signature: ______________________________________________________Date:___________________

 INDIVIDUAL $50.00
Annually  METHOD OF PAYMENT
 Check (Payable to Military Aviation Museum)
 Family $80.00  Mastercard  Visa
ANNUALLY
(Family members are those Name on Card: _______________________________________________________
residing in your household)
Account No. ____________________________________Exp. Date: ____________
 Please automatically renew my
membership for subsequent Signature: ___________________________________________________________
years until I cancel.

Become A Museum Volunteer!

We are looking for enthusiastic individuals who would like to become volunteer members of our museum!
These positions might be as a tour docent, historical interpreter or just to help us out. It’s fun. It’s exciting.
All it takes is a little time and enthusiasm on your part. If you are interested in participating in such a
non-compensated position, please fill out and mail this form in today. Hope to see you...on the flight line!

Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________________________

City:__________________________________________State:_______________Zip:____________________

Phone:_____________________________ Email:________________________________________________

Prior Aviation Experience:___________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

Veteran: _________________________________Branch_____________________Duty:_________________

MailTo: Military Aviation Museum, 1341 Princess Anne Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23457 Or Fax To: (757) 204-2682

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 SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!

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47
 397 Little Neck Road, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
(757) 340-9777

Serving the needs

of Tidewater and Southeast Virginia
LIFE INSURANCE
LONG T ERM CARE INSURANCE
INVESTMENTS
E MPLOYEE BENEFITS

Louis D. Strom
Registered Representative
loustrom@friedenagency.com

Registered Representative/Securities offered through Signator Investors, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC.
The Frieden Agency is independent of John Hancock and Signator Investors, Inc.
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154-03132009-16373934