Linda and I hosted the boys at Air Show 1999.

Nolan says, "Hey Kado, check out this bad boy!"  That bad boy is a M2 Browning Heavy Machinegun .50 caliber.   Sometimes called the "Ma Deuce" or simply the 50 cal.  John Browning first designed the M2 towards the end of WWI.   Its design is so good that it is still in use today with few modifications.  This machinegun was used on the ground, air and sea.  It will fire incendiary, armor piercing and tracer ammunition.

This 5 inch anti-aircraft artillery piece rests in front of the CAF museum in Midland, Texas.

Noalan and Kaden stand in front of a CAF replica of an Imperial Japanese Navy single engine torpedo bomber.  It is the B5N2, code named Kate.  Employed by both the IJ Army and Navy it was both land based and aircraft carrier based.  Early in WWII it was the best single engine bomber from any country.  As a torpedo bomber it carried the Long Lance torpedo which was more powerful, more accurate and more reliable than the torpedo used by the Allies.  This is the aircraft model that was used during the torpedo attack on the battle ships at Pearl Harbor and also as a medium altitude level bomber.  It was operated by a crew of three.

Nolan and Kaden were into being Indians the day we visited the museum.  We had fun :)

This is the Boeing B17 "Sentimental Journey".  I purchased a ride in her some time other than the air show.

This is the view from the bombardier's position during take off.  It felt like being strapped on the hood of a pickup that was going 150 mph.  The picture was taken just as we lifted off from about 50 feet above the ground.

Nose art from another B17, the "Memphis Belle".

A wide shot of the B17 "Thunderbird".

Nose art of "Show Me", a medium twin engine bomber the Mitchell B25.

Nolan and I "fly" a WWII aircraft computer flight simulator.

This is a Grumman F4F3 Wildcat.  It was primarily a carrier based fighter that flew in defense of the fleet and escorted strike groups of torpedo bombers and dive bombers.  At the beginning of WWII it was the best carrier based fighter the US Navy had and was considered inferior to the IJ Navy's Zero.  After developing wingman tactics such as the Thatch Weave the navy was able to hold their own against the Zero.

Another F4F3.

Ahhhhh, the Chance Vought F4U Corsair.    "Gull wing" shaped wings gave this fighter its distinctive look.   The Japanese called it "Whistling Death" because of the sound it made in a dive and because they had no aircraft that could challenge it.  Designed for the US Navy it was allocated to land bases for the US Marine air squadrons when the navy was unable to develop reliable methods of launching and recovering the Corsair on a carrier.   After the Corsair was given to the British in a lend lease agreement the British were able to develop suitable methods of carrier operations and were successful with the F4U.  They passed on their methods to the US Navy and the Corsair was then assigned to carrier ops by the US Navy.  It was so successful that it became the longest term of duty for any WWII US aircraft and was deployed for combat until the end of the Korean War in the 1950's.

The US fighter that had the highest kill to death ratio in WWII was the Grumman F6F Hellcat.  Another US Navy plane it was developed as a replacement for the aging F4F Wildcat.  Grumman's aircraft were considered so reliable and ruggedly built that the company became known as the "Grumman Iron Works".

The Grumman F8F Bearcat was deployed at the end of WWII and did not see combat.  Smaller and more maneuverable than the F6F Hellcat, the F8F could also climb faster and had a top speed faster than the F6F.

The Grumman FM2 was based on the earlier F4F Wildcat design but with a few improvements to its engine.  It was used until the end of WWII primarily on escort carriers.

I'm not sure but I think Kaden said something like, "Dayum, them planes is loud!!!"

Are we having fun in the sun?

Country come to town :)

The Republic P47 Thunderbolt.  Nic named "the jug" because its appearance resembled a milk jug.   Developed as a high altitude level bomber escort fighter it gained its reputation moving mud as a dive bomber and ground attack aircraft.  If you look closely you can see 4 machineguns in each wing for a total of 8 of those big Browning .50 cals.  Many of the gun camera films you see from WWII where a train is being strafed and the engine blows were filmed during combat from P47's.

The North American Aviation P51 Mustang was a high altitude escort fighter designed to help bombers fly deep missions into Germany during WWII.  Touted by many to be the best fighter of the war it was, indeed, very successful.  However, its early performance was disappointing.  North American accepted a commission from the US Department of Defense to design an aircraft with high altitude capabilities that would make it competitive with German produced intercepter fighter aircraft.  The primary mission would be to escort high altitude level bombers deep into Germany.  The P47 had a disappointingly short range and could not escort bombers all the way into Germany.  North American Aviation did an incredible job in just 100 days creating the original design of the P51 Mustang but the original Allison engine it was fitted with lacked the high altitude performance the aircraft was designed for.  It was only after the P51 was matched with the British designed Rolls-Royce Merlin engine that it lived up to the war department's expectations.  Packard Motors built the Rolls-Royce engine under license in the USA for the Mustang and the rest, as they say, is history.

A little known but important aircraft for the US Navy during WWII was the Curtiss SB2C dive bomber.  Lovingly referred to by it's pilots as the "son of a bi**h second class" (SB2C?  get it?) because of its difficult handling characteristics.  The CAF currently has the only operational SB2C in the world.  Flown off carriers in the Pacific Theater of Operations the Helldiver performed many air to ground strike missions supporting troops on the ground.

The Grumman TBF Avenger was a torpedo bomber developed to replace the antiquated TBD Devastator that was in use at the start of WWII.  The TBF had an enclosed bomb bay that carried a single torpedo or several bombs.  The Avenger was first used in combat at the battle of Midway and continued in use until the end of the war mainly by US Navy and Marine air squadrons.

What air show would be complete without a Japanese fighter nic named the Zero?  The American code name Zero came from the Japanese model designation which was the Reisin Model "0" Mitsubishi A6M.   Considered the best carrier based aircraft from any nation at the beginning of WWII it surprised the Allies completely.  Many of the Allied military experts of the day did not believe the Japanese were capable of designing and producing a superior aircraft but indeed they did.  The A6M2 had a range of over 2,000 miles compared to a few hundred miles for most Allied fighters.  It was also faster, climbed better and was the most maneuverable of all fighters of that time.  After the initial shock of competing with a superior aircraft, the Allies eventually learned how to defeat the Zero.   Some of the sacrifices made to gain speed and maneuverability were the lack of pilot armor and no self sealing fuel tanks.  That meant when hit by even a short burst of fire from an attacking fighter the Zero would often burst into flames and blow up.  Produced throughout the war the Zeke (another Allied nic name) would end the war as an improved aircraft but no where near the level of the best Allied planes of the day.