WOB - 2011 by Military Aviation Museum

Welcome to the 2011

Greetings

As the new Museum Director, I would like to welcome all of you to our annual Warbirds Over the Beach Air Show. This year we are pleased to include our B-17 “Chuckie” and one of the only two flying Lancaster Bombers from the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum to the lineup of planes in the air show. One of the most famous Allied bomber of World War II, the Lancaster had impressive flying characteristics and operational performance. The Lancaster was the RAF’s only heavy bomber capable of carrying the 12,000-lb Tallboy and 22,000-lb Grand Slam bombs. The aircraft superbly demonstrated its right to fame with the daring and precise raids on the Ruhr dams in May 1943, and also the sinking of the German battleship Tirpitz in November 1944. 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 not available, Vega-built B-17s were consistently sent to combat with the 8th and 15th Air Forces in Europe. In addition to seeing flight demonstrations by these two vintage bombers, everyone can turn back the clock and experience a time from the first half of the last century. A time when our country was unified with its allies for a common cause, which was quite clear and much simpler to understand. It is a time whose generation is rapidly fading into the past but will certainly never be forgotten. The technology and development of multiple new aircraft will never again be repeated. These artifacts of history were discarded by the thousands after the war, only to be treasured today and painstakingly reconstructed and restored to their former brilliance. They are the real stars of the show. A big thank you goes out to the many attendees, musicians, supporters, re-enactors, veterans, staff, vendors, volunteers, and everyone that has helped to make this event such a huge success. I hope you will have as much enjoyment experiencing our air show as we have had preparing it for you. This year’s event is sure to be a memorable occasion. Gary Powers, Museum Director

HISTORY

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Gerald Yagen, President

Founded in at 2005, the Military Jerry Yagen Aviationrine Museum the controls of his Superma Spitfiredisplays Mark IXeand provides a permanent home for dozens of Second World War and earlier vintage flying aircraft in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The Gree tings to all of our many visitors and participants for museum’s ongoing mission is to preserve, restore, fly these our annual display of Warbirds Over the Beach.and We welcome historic and to allow a new generation to experien ce and all of you aircraft and hope that it will be a memorable occasion that all of whatrememb their fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfather uslearn willfrom s forever er and treasure. Warbirds Over the might have endured on the lonely airfields Beach and incethe will be a weekend for everyone to experien skiesfrom so a time very farhalf from the first ofhome. the last century when our country was unified with its’ allies for a common cause. A cause which was quite clear and The founder the museum spentwhen much yearsthat simpler collectin to of g and underst and. It has is a time generati on is restoring these beautifu l aircraft. rapidly Ascertainly fading time went into on, the the past, passionn. but will never be forgotte fortechnolo obtainingy g and The these rare andrestoring aircraft developm eventual ent of multiple lywill laidnever the new aircraft foundati again on for today’s be repeated Military . These Aviation artifacts Museum of history In the process, were.discarde d by the thousan it was learned ds after the that thewar, real discover only to ybe wastreasur not just edthe today aircraft and painstak ingly reconstr themselv uctedthey es, but and were the history restored former partto brillianc oftheir and the stories of thee. They are theand realwomen stars ofwho theflew brave show! men them.

OurThe thanks go outAviation to the many Military reenacto rs, musicia Museum is truly support a living ns, ers, museum that voluntee and everyon e that continuers helped s to grow. make this Several such a huge newhas aircraft aretonearing full restorati on success. hope youtowill as much enjoyme and willIbe experien added thehave our museum ’s collectio n innt the comingcing weeks air as At wethe have andshow months. same time, five additional structures are under had prepari ng it for construc tion, including the Great War Hangar. This building will your entertainment. serve as home for a new collection of World War One aircraft currentl Sincerely,y under construction around the country. Bring your family and friends often and enjoy exploring what’s new David Hunt

in history. Buy a family membership and return as often as you would David Hunt, Director like. ForAviation information about scheduled flight demonstrations, seminars, Military and visiting aircraft, please call the museum at (757) 721-PROP Museum or visit www.MilitaryAviationMuseum.org.

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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 American Heroes,” the 60’x180’ mural depicting the Atlantic Fleet on the back of the Flagship Motel in Virginia Beach. And several of Sam’s murals can be enjoyed throughout the Military Aviation Museum lobby and second floor display area. This year’s Warbirds Over the Beach artwork features four of the museum’s Army Air Corp aircraft: the B-17 Flying Fortress, the B-25 Mitchell, the P-40 Curtiss, and the P-51 Mustang. They are flying over the Virginia Beach oceanfront circa 1942 with the grand Cavalier Hotel and the Norfolk Southern Railway in the foreground. 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/.

12:15pm 12:40pm

10:00 AM-1:00 PM « HANGAR STAGE Theresa Eaman Ultimate Abbott & Costello Hampton Roads Metro Band The Victory Belles Frank Sings Frank

1:00 PM-3:30 PM « AIR SHOW 3:00 PM-7:00 PM « HANGAR STAGE Theresa Eaman Ultimate Abbott & Costello The Victory Belles Frank Sings Frank

AT-6 Texan Trainers Formation Flights C-47 Takes Off for Paratrooper Drop

1:00PM

WAIVER IN EFFECT – Field Closed

1:10pm

US Trainers & Liaison Flights: Stearman, Ryan, Stinson

1:25pm

European Trainers & Liaison Flights: Tiger-Moth, Chipmunk, Fieseler Storch, Dragon Rapide

1:45pm Pacific Theatre Flights: PBY Catalina, TBM Avenger, FM2 Wildcat, AD-4 Skyraider, FG-1D Corsair, Val 2:20pm

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Corsair Attack on Val and Pilot Capture

2:30pm European Theatre Flights (US): B-17 Flying Fortress, B-25 Mitchell, P-51 Mustang, P-40 Kittyhawk 2:55pm

European Theatre Flights (British, German, Russian): Junkers Ju-52, Focke Wulf 190, Yakovlev Yak 3, Spitfire, Hurricane, MIG 3, Lancaster Bomber

3:20pm

All Flights Land

4:00pm

Field Open

All times listed are approximate and subject to change due to weather conditions and advance printing deadlines of this book.

7:00 PM-10:00 PM « WWII Hangar Dance Super Band USA Frank Sings Frank Theresa Eaman Ultimate Abbott & Costello The Victory Belles

Sunday, May 22, 2011 10:00 AM-1:00 PM « HANGAR STAGE Theresa Eaman Ultimate Abbott & Costello The Victory Belles Frank Sings Frank

1:00 PM-3:30 PM « AIR SHOW 3:00 PM-5:00 PM « HANGAR STAGE

Saturday, May 21 at 8:00pm (Premier Broadcast) Sunday, May 22 at 6:00pm (Encore Broadcast)

The Victory Belles Frank Sings Frank Ultimate Abbott & Costello

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.

Engine: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armament:

Allison V1710-39 1,150 hp 360 mph 650 miles 29,000 ft. 37 ft. 3.5 in 6 x .50 caliber Browning machine guns; 2,000 lbs. of bombs

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 in 1996. Final restoration work was completed, and it had its first test flight in over 50 years in 2003. This P-40E is painted to replicate the colors of David Lee “Tex” Hill’s airplane that he flew when he led the famous mission over the Salween Gorge, which trapped the Japanese troops and ended their advance into Kumming, China. “Tex” Hill had 12¼ victories while flying with the American Volunteer Group and was the leader of the 2nd Pursuit Squadron, the Panda Bears. 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 paratrooper 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.

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: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Passengers:

Two Gipsy Queen Engines 200 hp 160 mph 556 miles 19,500 ft. 48 feet Six

1945 TBM-3E “Avenger”

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.

Engine: Horsepower: Max Speed Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armament:

Curtis Wright R2600-20 1,900 hp 267 mph 1,130 miles w/ internal fuel 2,130 miles w/ all extra fuel tanks 31,000 ft. 52 ft. 2 in. - 19 ft. (wings folded) 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

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. Later, in preparation for the Second World War, the German Luftwaffe relied heavily on the Jungmeister for aerobatic and combat maneuver training. The Bü-133 models were produced by CASA in Spain and A-G für Dornier-Flugzeuge in Switzerland. The museum’s Bücker Bü-133C, (serial number 38), was Swiss built in 1940. The Swiss Air Force used it for combat and fighter training until 1968, when it was sold to the Swiss Aero Club, and later 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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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: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

Pratt & Whitney R-1340 550 hp 205 mph 750 miles 21,500 ft. 42 ft. 4 in. Under-wing bombs and rockets; Cowl and wing-mounted .30 cal machine guns

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, singleengine 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 10

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 lowerpowered 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: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

Wright Cyclone R-1820-863 1,425 hp 343 mph 1,060 miles 35,500 feet 40 ft. 1 in. 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 constructed entirely of aluminum. The Peashooter was operated by six countries: Republic of China, Guatemala, Panama, Philippines, Spain, and the United States. The service history of the P-26 lasted an amazing 23 years, with the first aircraft delivered to USAAC squadrons in December 1933, and the last 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 which the Military Aviation Museum’s is one. The museum’s P-26D (NX26PX, s/n 32-06) was built by Mayocraft of Bolton, Massachusetts in 2006. The aircraft is painted to represent the 1st Pursuit Group, 94th Pursuit Squadron, based at Selfridge Field, Michigan, circa 1935-36.

Engine: Horsepower: Max Speed Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

Pratt & Whitney R 1340--7 600 hp 230 mph 635 miles 27,400 ft. 28 ft. 2 x 7.62 mm machine guns

The standard paint scheme used on the P-26 was very bright and the aircraft would have been easily identifiable by an enemy during aerial combat. This peacetime color scheme is blue for the fuselage with the wings and tail painted yellow. In combat areas, like the Philippines, the color was changed to olive drab, making it more 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.

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 years of military duty, it is not likely that the aircraft was used in combat. In fact, the museum’s FG-1D is believed to have one of the lowest total flight times of any remaining Corsairs flying today. In 1964, the Corsair was purchased by a family in Santa Rosa, California. Underestimating the power and speed of the aircraft, it was exchanged for a North American AT-6 trainer in March 1968. After a quick refurbishment, the plane flew in the opening ceremonies of the Reno Air Races that same year. Less than one year later, the Corsair was sold again and ferried to Stratford, Connecticut. The plane changed hands several more times and was based with subsequent owners in 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 the FG-1D back to its original wartime configuration. It was repainted to replicate the colors and markings of a former local resident, Ray Beacham, who was born in Norfolk, Virginia. Beacham joined the U.S.

Engine: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

Pratt & Whitney R2800-8W 2,250 hp 425 mph 1,015 miles normal 2,100 miles w/ external fuel tanks 37,000 ft. 41 ft. 6 x Browning M2 .50 cal machine guns; 8 x 5 in. HVAR rockets; 2 x 1,000 lbs. bombs or 160 gal. external tanks

Navy in 1939 and earned his wings the following year. In 1943, Lt. Beacham was assigned to the VF-17 fighter squadron. The now famous Skull and Crossbones adorned the nose of the Corsairs in 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.

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 Military Aviation Museum’s PBY-5A Catalina was built for the U.S. Navy by Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft Company at their San Diego plant. It completed its acceptance flight in October 1943 and was registered as Bureau of Aeronautics Number (BuNo) 48294. It was delivered to Fleet Air Wing (FAW) 14 at Naval Air Station San Diego in November 1943. Two weeks after arriving at NAS San Diego, the PBY undertook the longest flight of its wartime career, 19.2 hours, as it flew non-stop from San Diego to NAS Norfolk. Once in Norfolk, the aircraft was accepted by Headquarters Squadron (Hedron) 5-2. In December 1943, the PBY flew wartime patrols from Agadir, French Morocco, south to the Canary Islands, north to the Strait of Gibraltar, and as far west as the Azores. Late in 1944, the squadron was transferred to the Caribbean, and at the end of that year, it was transferred to NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island, to undertake patrols 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, Mississippi, and Miami, Florida. In January 1946, the PBY spent the better part of a year undergoing a major overhaul and refurbishment at NAS Seattle, Washington, and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This PBY Catalina saw little flying time after that, and it was formally stricken from the Navy’s inventory in 1956 with 3,567 flying hours. In 1961, the plane ended up in Little Rock, Arkansas, where it gained its civilian registration: N9521C. It stayed there until 1967, and during those years, the nose turret was removed, cargo doors replaced the side blisters, and a new seat arrangement was installed. Following all the modifications, the aircraft received its airworthiness certificate in December 1967.

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 Red Cross insignia and sent to Milan, Italy in May 1995. While in Europe, it toured air shows for two years before it was sold and ferried to South Africa. In South Africa, the interior was rearranged to accommodate 15 passengers, from the original nine. 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 its final destination. Instead, it ended up stopping in England where it was stored until the museum obtained it in late 2001. At this year’s Warbirds Over the Beach Air Show, the museum is proud to reintroduce the PBY-5A fresh from restoration work in Canada. As the aircraft had changed owners and purposes over the years, it had strayed from its original Navy roots. The plane once again sports the U.S. Navy’s standard three-toned color camouflage scheme and markings of Second World War aircraft that served our country so well.

Engine: Horsepower Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

2 x Pratt & Whitney 1830-92 1,200 each 179 mph 2,520 miles 15,800 ft. 104 ft. 3 x .30 cal machine guns; 2 x .50 cal machine guns; up to 4,000 lbs. of bombs or depth charges

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

The Ultimate Abbott & Costello Tribute Show

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Bill Riley and Joe Ziegler transform themselves into Bud Abbott and Lou Costello to bring you their unique Tribute Show. Vintage dress and an authentic recreation of the team’s mannerisms and vocal stylings will transport you back in time and give you the opportunity to interact with the famous comic duo. Sit back and laugh as they perform the vaudeville and burlesque routines, including the classic baseball routine, “Who’s On First?”

Printing Then...

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 Ceremony. Jason Crutchley began working with the team as their sound engineer and announcer in 2002. In 2004, Jason joined Bill and Joe as “Scoop Fields - Ace Press Agent.”

www.UltimateAandC.com

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O f f i c i a l P r i n t e r o f t h e 2 0 1 1 Wa r b i r d s O v e r t h e B e a c h P r o g r a m

Museum Expansion Continues to Breathe New Life into Military Aviation History Since the Military Aviation Museum’s inception in 2005, its founder and group of dedicated volunteers and employees have continued to search for new ways to showcase a growing collection of vintage military aircraft. In 2008, the museum first approached the City of Virginia Beach for approval to add several new structures to the property. The hangars completed in 2006 were filled to capacity, and more aircraft were on the way. Plus, maintenance of these fully-operational, flying aircraft was becoming increasingly difficult, as planes had to be flown back and forth to the Fighter Factory’s maintenance facility in Suffolk, over 30 miles away. While this proved to be an inconvenience for planes undergoing regularly scheduled maintenance and inspections, it could become dangerous for aircraft experiencing mechanical difficulties.

hangar doors facing the cross-winds taxiway, which can be manually opened onto grass parking for the lightweight wood and fabric airplanes. The hangar’s exterior is clapboard wood. Turn-of-thecentury windows let in the light brightening the interior, and the tin roof is reminiscent of many of the older barns still found throughout Pungo. The inside of the hangar is finished in exposed wood with rough wooden beams.

In January 2009, the city approved permits for the construction of several new buildings. Three of these are now open for you to explore and the site is being prepared for a fourth construction slated for this summer. If you have not taken the stroll to the west end of the property to tour our new buildings, it is well worth the walk.

Fighter Factory Maintenance Building

World War One Hangar

Airplanes were very basic at the beginning of the First World War, and most hangars were rudimentary barn structures converted to store these new flying machines. On the front lines of France, they were often wooden frames covered in canvas, so they were easy to relocate as the fighting lines moved with the ground battles. The Military Aviation Museum’s new 15,000 square foot hangar now houses the Great War airplanes. The building was designed by Steven Atkin, an architect in England, who is familiar with historic airplanes and European Aviation from both wars. It features smaller

This unique World War One hangar was designed to be flexible, with open spaces for as many as 18 colorful biplanes and triplanes. And the grass area just outside the hangar doors makes it the perfect place to park the aircraft, allowing the public to rent the hangar for private functions.

In April 2011, the Fighter Factory officially relocated from its Suffolk location, where it had operated since 1996, to the Military Aviation Museum. The Fighter Factory’s new home is 16,000 square feet, which is 25% larger than the Suffolk facility. The building includes open hangar space, workshops, parts storage rooms, a small paint room, offices, and a visitor entry area, where you can watch the team of mechanics in action. The maintenance building features a pre-war era design based on a 1937 hangar at the Waukesha County Airport in Wisconsin. In 1955, that hangar was disassembled and moved to Poplar Grove Airport in Illinois, where it sits today as the Wings and Wheels Museum. The Fighter Factory still maintains its former work hangar and two smaller hangars at the Suffolk Municipal Airport to serve as storage for aircraft recently purchased and awaiting reconstruction.

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 .

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 runway. It drifted off the side of the runway causing the landing gear to come in contact with the snow just as the airplane reached flying speed. It spun and tilted forward, damaging the chin turret and the inboard propellers. When the tail settled, the force drove the tail wheel into the fuselage damaging bulkheads and stringers in the vicinity of the tail wheel, radar dome, and the 2nd and 3rd propellers. The second accident occurred five months later on July 9, 1945, at 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. In September 1945, it was designated a TB-17G and stationed at Patterson Field, Ohio, with the All Weather Flying Center. While there, it is believed that the aircraft participated in low visibility landing research and testing. The aircraft flew in this capacity until 1951 when it was reassigned to a test bed by the USAF. After 1951, it was loaned to the Federal Telecommunications Corp. at Westchester Airport in New York, where it carried special equipment and was used for research for several years. The B-17 was eventually stored at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona until sold to the American Compressed Steel Corp. in August 1959 for $5,026. At that time, it received the civil registration number of N3701G, the same number it wears today. It was sold to a new owner in February 1961 and went into service hauling fresh dairy products from Florida to the Bahamas, returning with cucumbers or other fresh vegetables. Locals dubbed it the “pickle bomber” and N3701G was used for this unusual mission until 1963. In that year, it and two other

Engine: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

4 x Wright R-1820-97 1,200 hp each 287 mph 3,750 miles w/ aux. tanks 35,600 ft. 103 ft. 9 in. 13 x .50 cal Browning M2 machine guns; up to 17,600 lbs. of bombs.

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 a decade long battle with the dangerous pests migrating through the southeast. After several years without a mission, Dr. William Hospers of Fort Worth, Texas, bought the aircraft in 1979 and restored it to its original military configuration and the markings of a wartime 486th Bomb Group B-17G. He named it Chuckie, after his wife Charlyn. Eventually, a museum was formed around the B-17G, the Vintage Flying Museum. With the passing of Dr. Hospers in March 2010, it seemed appropriate for the path of B-17G 44-8543 to take yet another turn. It joined the folds of the Military Aviation Museum in October 2010, finally arriving safely at its new home on January 22, 2011, after a seven-hour cross-country flight. The Military Aviation Museum continues to perform restoration work on the B-17, ensuring that Chuckie’s appearance mirrors those 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 Colonel Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson Anderson is a WWII Triple Ace fighter pilot and a veteran military experimental test pilot. He learned to fly at age 19, gaining his private pilot’s license in 1941. In January 1942, he entered the U.S. Army Aviation Cadet Program, receiving his wings and commission in September 1942. From November 1943 through January 1945, he served two combat tours escorting heavy bombers over Europe in the P-51 Mustang. He flew 116 combat missions and destroyed 16 1/4 enemy aircraft in aerial combat, plus another one on the ground. Col. Anderson’s extensive flight-testing background spans 25 years. At Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, he was a fighter test pilot and later became Chief of Fighter Operations. Anderson made the initial flights of an experimental program to couple jet fighters with the wingtips of a large bomber to achieve range extension. He also conducted the initial development flights on the F-84 Parasite fighter modified to be launched and retrieved from the B-36 bomber. He has flown over 130 different types of aircraft and has logged over 7,500 flying hours. Col 20

Van Kirk joined the Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet Program in October 1941, and in April 1942, he received both his commission and navigator wings and transferred to the 97th Bomb Group, the first operational B-17 Flying Fortress unit in England. This crew flew 11 missions as the lead aircraft responsible for group navigation and bombing. They also flew General Clark to Gibraltar for his secret North African rendezvous with the French prior to Operation Torch, and in November 1942, they flew General Eisenhower to Gibraltar to command the North African invasion forces. After German reinforcements began pouring into the Port of Bizerte, Tunisia, a new mission emerged. On November 16, 1942, the crew led an attack that took the Germans by complete surprise at Sidi Ahmed Air Base at Bizerte. Van Kirk returned to the United States in June 1943 after flying a total of 58 missions. He served as a navigation instructor at Wendover Field, Utah, until late 1944 when he began training in the B-29 Superfortress.

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.

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 thunderstorm 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 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.

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.

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.

Mark Your Calendars Now!

Russ Smith provided a painting of two Sopwith 1½ Strutter aircraft in U.S. Navy markings flying over the Cape Henry entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. Along the shoreline are the two lighthouses that are still there 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

North American p-51 Mustang

Curtiss p-40E “kittyhawk”

Grumman TBM Avenger

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

Supermarine spitfire

Boeing B-17G FLYING FORTRESS

The Beautifully Restored Aircraf

PBY-5A “Catalina”

Grumman fm2 Wildcat

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”

ft of the Military Aviation Museum

goodyear fg-1d “corsair”

North American B-25J “Mitchell”

2010 Snapshots

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: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

Packard V 1650-7 1,695 hp 437 mph 1,300 miles 42,000 ft. 37 ft. 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.

Avro Lancaster Mk X

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 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

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: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

Four Packard Merlin 224s 1,640 hp each 280 mph 3,000 miles 23,500 ft 102 ft. 8x 7.7mm Browning machine guns 14,000 lb or 22,000 lb Grand Slam bomb

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1944 North American B-25J-25-NC

Engine: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

2 x Wright R 2600-29 1,700 hp 275 mph 2,500 miles (with aux. tanks) 25,000 ft. 67 ft. 7 in. 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.

Focke-Wulf FW-190 A-3

Engine: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

BMW 801-D2 1,677 hp 408 mph 560 miles 37,400 feet 34 ft. 6 in. 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.

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: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

Wright R-1820-56 1,350 hp 322 mph 1,350 w/ external tanks 35,600 ft 38 ft. 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 Machine Company until 1996. It was registered to Classic Aviation, Ltd. (Basle, Switzerland) as G-BWUD in June 1996. The aircraft’s travels were not over however, as it was decided to ship the aircraft to New Zealand for restoration. The airframe was received at Pioneer Aero Restorations Ardmore facility in November 2000. 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.

Engine: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

Packard Merlin 29 V12 1,300 hp 330 mph 486 miles 36,000 ft. 40 ft. 12 x .303 in machine guns

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.

Engine: ASh-82FN Horsepower: 1,850 hp Max Speed: 430 mph Range: 1,080 miles Ceiling: 35,500 ft. Wing Span: 32 ft. 2 in. Armaments: 4 x 23mm Nudelman-Suranov; NS-23 cannons 34

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 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 his Hurricane. He was the only American-born pilot to fly in the Battle of Britain to survive the end of the war. Afterwards, he returned to the United States, attended college in Colorado, and then moved to Virginia where he became a professor in the engineering department at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1945.

Hawker Fury Mk I

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.

Engine: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

Rolls-Royce Kestrel IIS 525 hp 207 mph 305 miles 28,000 ft. 30 ft. 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.

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.

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.

Engine: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

Wright Cyclone R-3350-26WD 2800 hp 370 mph 1,386 nautical miles with external tanks 27,500 ft. 50 ft. 4 x 20mm cannons; up to 12,500 lbs. of ordnance with 17 attach points 35

1947 Fieseler Fi-156 Storch “Stork”

Engine: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

Argus As 10 C-3 240 hp 109 mph 239 miles 15,090 ft. 46 ft. 9 in. 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.

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.

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

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.

Engine: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

3 x BMW 132-A3 (Pratt & Whitney) 725 hp each 171 mph up to 800 miles with aux. fuel tanks 18,500 ft. 29 ft. 4 in. 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.

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. www.1canpara-hq.org. 37

1943 Supermarine Spitfire Mk IXe 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.”

Engine: Horsepower: Max Speed: Range: Ceiling: Wing Span: Armaments:

Rolls-Royce Merlin 66 1,720 hp 404 mph 434 miles 42,500 ft 32 ft. 6 in. 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

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 selfpropelled 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.

THERESA EAMAN

HAMPTON ROADS 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 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.

We are pleased to support the 3nd Annual Warbirds Over the Beach

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www.hrmetroband.org

Photo: KC Gibson

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 renditions of all their favorites featuring the stylings of the original recordings, while incorporating her own personal touches. Theresa’s performances celebrate an era where music made people laugh, cry, and fall in love. 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

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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;

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Just a quaint little place, kind of dark, full of smoke, Where they like to sing loud, and love a good joke; The kind of a place where a lady could go And feel safe and protected, by the men she would know. There must be a place where old pilots go, When their paining is finished, and their airspeed gets low,

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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!”

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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.” “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!”

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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 2011

May 30 – Memorial Day Flyover 12:30 – 1:30pm 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 2011

June 4 – Virginia Beach Crime Solvers Annual Pig Pickin’ 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 2011

August 1-5 – Warbirds & Wings Aviation Summer Camp 9:00am – 4:00pm each day 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 2011

September 16-October 16 – Aviation History through Art 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 2011

October 1 – Porsche Car Show 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 2011 44

November 25-27 – Trains and Planes 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 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:_________________

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