USA

Picture	Manufacturer	Model	Notes
100_1297	Aeronca	L-3	One of the many light aircraft used for liaison work. Modified Piper Cub kit.
100_0276	Beech	AT-11 Kansas	One of the ubiquitous Beech twin-engine family. This model was used to train navigators.
100_0254	Beech	AT-7A	This advanced trainer was equipped with twin floats. I made this from a much-modified Russian Yak-6 kit.
100_0269	Beech	C-45B	Light transport.
100_0252	Beech	C-45B	The C-45B could carry 8 passengers.
101_0194	Beech	GB Traveler	For years I looked for a kit of this very graceful biplane commonly known as the "Staggerwing". I finally made my own from scratch. The Army called it the UC-43B.
102_0007	Beech	UC-43B	The Staggerwing first flew in the 1930s. The U.S. Army Air Force procured 328 of them in various versions.
100_1956	Beech	Traveler I	The "Staggerwing" also served with the Royal Navy in this colorful livery.
100_0274	Beech	XA-38-BH Grizzly	Impressive-looking attack aircraft with a 75mm. cannon in the nose. Did not enter production.
100_0251	Bell	L-39	Bell modified one of their P-63 Kingcobras to explore the swept-wing configuration for the U.S. Navy. Modified kit.
100_1298	Bell	P-39 Q-5 Airacobra	The Russians liked their Airacobras a lot for ground support, but found they had to reinforce some structural cracking in the rear fuselage.
100_0325	Bell	P-39D Airacobra	One of the hard-fighting P-39s in the Pacific Theatre, showing the weathering typical of the harsh tropical climate.
100_0391	Bell	P-39D Airacobra	The Brits bought some Airacobras, but were disappointed with their speed. It seems that Bell had demonstrated to them a highly-polished plane weighing a ton less than the production model. Naughty, naughty.
100_1029	Bell	P-39D Airacobra	In November 1942, 18 P-39s landed by mistake at Lisbon and were taken over by the Portuguese Air Force.
100_0327	Bell	P-39E Airacobra	One of 3 built, it had squared-off tail surfaces similar to the Mustang's.
102_0008	Bell	P-39N Airacobra	Out of a total of 9,558 Airacobras, no less than 4,924 went to the Russians. The P-39 was pretty much useless against Me 109s and Fw 190s, but they were good at close-support of ground troops. "White 01" was flying in Jan. 1945.
100_1150	Bell	P-39N Airacobra	In the summer of 1943, the Free French got 165 of these to equip one of their fighter groups.
100_0330	Bell	P-39Q Airacobra	This odd paint scheme denoted a P-39 used for training bomber crew gunners.
100_0329	Bell	P-39Q-5-BE Airacobra	This model had an extra belly tank for longer range.
100_2073	Bell	XTDL-1	A single P-39Q-10-BE was diverted to the U.S. Navy for conversion to a radio-controlled drone.
100_0326	Bell	P-400 Airacobra	This was one of the ex-RAF P-39s taken over by the USAAC and redesignated P-400. They retained the British serial numbers and the 20mm. Hispano gun firing through the propeller.
100_0228	Bell	YP-59A Airacomet	America's first jet fighter. It was 24 mph slower than a P-51 Mustang, so it never saw combat.
100_1974	Bell	YP-59A Airacomet	The British swapped one of their Gloster Meteors for this Airacomet, so that each air force could try out the other's first jets. Neither one could do much more than 410 mph, slower than a Mustang (437 mph) and much slower than the Me 262 (540 mph).
101_0198	Bell	P-59 Airacomet	Bell made at least one P-59 trainer with an extra cockpit in place of the armament. Modified kit. This kit came from Rare Plane Detective in Las Vegas. They've got one of the most complete inventories on the Internet. I've bought hundreds of kits from them, especially the older ones that you can't find in regular hobby shops.
100_0331	Bell	P-63 Kingcobra	The Kingcobra was an enlarged version of the Airacobra. In spite of using the same engine and being 2,000 lbs. heavier, it was faster. I've never quite understood that.
100_1088	Bell	P-63 Kingcobra	The Soviets got no less than 2,421 Kingcobras under Lend-Lease. They loved them for their ground-attack capabilities and their sturdiness.
100_1190	Bell	P-63C Kingcobra	France got 300 Kingcobras.
100_1160	Bell	P-63C-5 Kingcobra	Another French Kingcobra.
100_0334	Bell	P-63D Airacobra	One D was fitted with a bubble canopy for better visibility. Modified from a P-63 kit.
100_0332	Bell	P-63F-1-BE Kingcobra	The sole F had enlarged tail surfaces and extra fin area under the tail. Modified from a P-63 kit.
100_0333	Bell	RP-63	The famous "Pinball" aerial target P-63, so named because lights would flash when gunnery trainees hit it with frangible ammunition. The pilot had additional armor, but still...
100_0328	Bell	TP-39Q Airacobra	This was a field modification to convert P-39Qs into two-seat trainers. Extra fin area was added above and below the fuselage. Modified kit.
101_0131	Bell	XFL-1 Airabonita	Bell built one fighter prototype for the Navy with a tailwheel and an arrester hook. It failed its carrier qualification trials. I modified this one from a regular P-39 kit.
100_0324	Bell	XP-39 Airacobra	The prototype Airacobra had side-mounted radiators and a centrally-mounted engine driving the propeller via an extension shaft. It was a very pleasant aircraft to fly, but lacked performance compared to its opponents. Modified kit.
100_0315	Bell	XP-77 Tri-4	Bell's attempt at making a light-weight wooden fighter, but it didn't really have enough performance.
100_0227	Bell	XP-83	This portly twin-engine jet fighter had large fuel capacity to overcome the early jet engines' thirst. Only one was flown. Built from scratch.
100_2080	Bell	XFM-1A	The XFM-1 became the XFM-1A model when it was given a tricycle landing gear. It didn't make any difference—they would still have been sitting ducks. Modified kit.
100_0321	Bell	YFM-1B Airacuda	A heavy fighter with pusher propellers and 37 mm. guns in the engine nacelles. Very poor handling characteristics caused the abandonment of the program.
100_0248	Bellanca	C-27C	Only one of these cargo planes was procured by the Army Air Corps. Built from scratch.
100_2142	Bellanca	28-90B	Bellanca originally built the Model 28-70 in 1936 as a trans-Atlantic racer for a private individual, hence the inordinately large wingspan. The 28-90 was the military model built in 1937, 20 being shipped to China. 21 destined for the Spanish Civil War were intercepted by Mexico, who used them themselves. The otherwise clean lines were marred by numerous guy wires. Built from scratch.
100_1600	Bellanca	YO-50	A contemporary of the Ryan YO-51, another STOL aircraft. The Army procured 3 in 1940. Built from scratch.
100_2237	Boeing	XF7B-1	This proposed U.S. Navy fighter first flew in 1933 but performance on 550 hp was disappointing. Built from scratch.
100_1959	Boeing	XBT-17-BW	Boeing didn't always build big bombers, as this 1942 basic trainer shows. Only one prototype was built, with a 450 h.p. engine. Built from scratch.
100_0233	Boeing	B-17C	Only 38 of the C model were built, before production really got into gear. At this stage, they were still very clean and graceful aircraft.
101_0053	Boeing	B-17C Flying Fortress	The British didn't have much luck with the early B-17s due to mechanical failures and inadequate armament.
100_0307	Boeing	B-17D Flying Fortress	"The Swoose" (part swan, part goose) was the sole survivor of the B-17s based at Clark Field, Manila when the Japanese attacked the day after Pearl Harbor. Its weathered appearance was due to the lack of maintenance during that desperate time.
100_0308	Boeing	B-17E Flying Fortress	By 1943, frontal attacks by German fighters were causing serious losses. In an effort to combat this, a single B-17 was field-converted in England by grafting an entire B-24H nose onto it. The bombardier was relocated to a ventral gondola and powered, remote-controlled twin .50s were installed in the radio compartment. It was successful, but was made unnecessary by the coming of the B-17G with the chin turret. Also known as "Project Reed" after the officer who supervised the work. Heavily-modified kit.
101_0061	Boeing	B-17E Flying Fortress IIA	The Brits installed a 40mm. cannon in the nose of this Fortress as an experiment. Modified kit.
100_0309	Boeing	B-17F Flying Fortress	Perhaps the most publicized B-17 of all, the "Memphis Belle" was the first B-17 to complete 25 missions and live to tell about it.
100_0223	Boeing	B-17F	Some B-17s had to divert to Switzerland and were taken over by that country's air force.
100_0833	Boeing	B-17G	A B-17 operated by the Luftwaffe on clandestine night missions over liberated Europe, parachuting agents and supplies.
100_0311	Boeing	B-17G Flying Fortress	This natural aluminum B-17 had the back end blown off. It was replaced with an olive drab rear end salvaged from another B-17. "Little Miss Mischief".
100_0312	Boeing	B-17G Flying Fortress	A colorful B-17 with over 80 missions and nose art work "A Bit of Lace" signed by famous cartoonist Milton Caniff.
100_0310	Boeing	XB-40 Flying Fortress	Just as a B-24 was made into an escort fighter, so was a B-17F. It carried extra guns in an extra dorsal turret, a chin turret and power-driven twin .50s beam positions, for a total of 16. Twenty were built and used on several missions, but they suffered numerous aborts. It was also found that after the bombing run, they couldn't keep up with the regular B-17s they were supposed to escort because of the extra guns and ammunition. Bad concept.
101_0084	Boeing	XB-29 Superfortress	The 3rd B-29 prototype had 3-bladed propellers (which I robbed from Hellcat kits) and no armament.
101_0092	Boeing	B-29 Superfortress	Due to lingering doubts about the remote-controlled gun turrets, one B-29 was fitted with 4 manual turrets and twin cheek guns. Modified from a standard kit.
101_0099	Boeing	B-29 Superfortress	When the B-29s were switched from high-altitude daylight bombing to low-level night attacks with incendiaries, the flammable Japanese cities were wiped out one by one.
101_0087	Boeing	B-29A Superfortress	Early B-29s had the standard olive drab/medium gray camouflage, and attacked Japan from bases in China. This is one of my very earliest kits, probably 1955.
100_2104	Boeing	XB-38	The XB-38 was a single B-17E which was converted to Allison V-12 engines. Although the Allison offered 1425 hp instead of the usual 1200 hp, top speed only went up 10 mph. It wasn't worth disturbing production and the project ended. Modified kit.
101_0105	Boeing	B-52 Stratofortress	This is the kit that started it all back in Toledo, Ohio on my 10th birthday. Wrong scale and wrong time period, but still a nice-looking aircraft.
100_1312	Boeing	C-73	The Boeing Model 247 impressed into service.
101_0075	Boeing	C-97 Stratocruiser	This was the cargo version of the B-29. It reportedly was capable of hitting 400 mph empty.
101_0127	Boeing	F4B-4	The U.S. Navy version of the P-12. I fixed this one up from a kit that was already built.
100_2296	Boeing	F4B-4	Brazil bought and flew F4B-4s.
100_0317	Boeing	P-12E	One of the last USAAC biplane fighters.
100_1968	Boeing	P-12E	The P-12E was the equivalent Army model of the Navy's F4B.
100_0318	Boeing	P-26A Peashooter	The Filipinos used these against the Japanese Zeroes in December 1941. Brave men, the Filipinos.
101_0180	Boeing	XF8B-1	Boeing designed this long-range shipboard fighter in 1943. Only one prototype was ready by the end of the war and nothing came of the project. I modified a Skyraider kit.
100_2241	Boeing	XPBB-1 Searanger	This giant flying boat could stay up in the air for 72 hours and/or carry a maximum bomb load of 20,000 lbs. A special plant was built for it in Renton, Washington. Only one XPBB-1 was flown before strategy changed and the plane was cancelled. The plant was then used to make B-29s. Built from scratch.
100_1625	Boeing	Y1B-9	The Y1B-9 was a private venture by Boeing. Only 7 were made. Top speed was 173 mph. The "1" meant funding outside the normal fiscal year budget. Built from scratch.
100_2005	Boeing	YL-15 Scout	The same company that built giant bombers and transports also built this tiny liaison aircraft. It was designed to be taken apart and hauled on a standard U.S. Army 2 1/2 ton truck. Dry weight was only 1509 lbs. Fifteen were made, and as of 1957, the 7 survivors were with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Built from scratch.
100_1178	Brewster	B-339 Buffalo	Belgium ordered 40 Buffaloes. They were on their way, but they didn't get there in time. Probably just as well. The British took most of them over.
100_0212	Brewster	Buffalo	The Dutch had 50 of these slow and unwieldy fighters in the East Indies when the Japanese attacked. They didn't have much of a chance against the Zeroes.
100_0404	Brewster	Buffalo	The Brits were also saddled with Buffaloes. They didn't have any better luck with them than anybody else did.
100_0901	Brewster	F2A-1	The U.S. Navy declared 43 of these surplus and they were shipped to Finland. Contrary to most air forces, the Finns liked theirs.
101_0159	Brewster	F2A-2 Buffalo	This fighter was badly outclassed by the Zeroes it tried to oppose. It was unstable when loaded and took 30 minutes to reach 21,000 ft.
100_1316	Brewster	XF2A-1 Buffalo	The prototype Buffalo was painted in this "disruptive" camouflage. Built from scratch.
101_0199	Brewster	SB2A Buccaneer	A scout/bomber. The Navy took 140 of them. The Brits got a few for training and target towing; they called it the Bermuda. Built from scratch.
100_1704	Brewster	XA-38	This ground attack aircraft had serious flaws: grossly overweight, poor aerodynamics, and a top speed of only 279 mph, without armament of any kind. Two were built and were soon scrapped. The Brewster Aeronautical Company then went out of business. Built from scratch.
100_2015	Brewster	XSBA-1	Brewster just didn't have much luck. Their Buffalo fighter tanked wherever it went, and this proposed XSBA-1 Navy dive bomber didn't do much either. A batch of 30 was ordered from the Naval Aircraft Factory, not Brewster, and it took 3 1/2 years to build them. The cockpit must have been claustrophobic. Built from scratch.
101_0196	Bristol	XLRQ-1	The American Bristol Co. (not the British one) built this glider to deliver Marines close to the beaches. The bottom of the fuselage served as the main float. The concept was discarded as being too dangerous for an opposed landing. Built from scratch.
100_2025	Budd	JRB-3 Conestoga	The U.S. Navy in 1942 wanted a stainless steel transport plane. The initial order was for 200, but production delays resulted in a cut to 25. Several were still in use in Central America in 1957. Built from scratch.
100_2019	Cessna	UC-77	These 4-seat monoplanes (AKA Airmaster in civilian life) were impressed into the Air Corps as utility transports. The lack of wing struts was an advanced feature in 1934. Built from scratch.
101_0104	Cessna	UC-78 Bobcat	The "Bamboo Bomber" was made mainly of wood. This looks like a scratch-built, but it's actually a vacu-form.
101_0121	Consolidated	PBY Catalina	Built in larger numbers than all other flying boats combined, the amphibious "Cat" was in action all over the world with many countries.
100_1962	Consolidated	PB 2Y-3 Coronado	A large flying boat operated mainly in the Pacific theater. A total of 210 were built of this version. Built from scratch.
100_1976	Consolidated	XP4Y-1 Corregidor	The single prototype had dummy gun turrets, including a 37 mm. gun in the nose. Cuffs were built into the bow, presumably to cut down on spray. The twin 2,300 hp engines were needed for the B-29 Superfortress, so the Corregidor never went into production. Built from scratch.
100_1636	Consolidated	PT-11D	Consolidated built 21 of these primary trainers with a 200 hp. radial engine. Built from scratch.
100_1637	Consolidated	Y1PT-12	Similar to the PT-11D, but with a 300 hp. engine. Production was only 10, in 1932. Built from scratch.
101_0197	Consolidated	TBY Seawolf	The Seawolf was a competitor of the Avenger. They made 180 of them. Built from scratch.
100_2139	Consolidated	P-30	Only 4 P-30s were made, but the improved P-30A had a production of 50, a pretty good run in 1935. In spite of its large size and 2-man crew, it could do 239 mph. Built from scratch.
101_0102	Consolidated-Vultee	XB-36	This huge bomber was designed early in the war when it looked as though England might fall, and Germany would have to be bombed from American bases instead of English ones. It served right after the war as the mainstay of the Strategic Air Command. This kit involved mainly modifications to the nose.
101_0101	Consolidated-Vultee	XP-81	The XP-81 had a turboprop engine and a jet engine. The single one made had good handling. I built this one from an F-86 Sabre fuselage and other parts.
100_0303	Convair	B-24D Liberator	This is the famous "Blue Streak" which had a long and successful career, and was one of the best-known Liberators.
100_0304	Convair	B-24D Liberator	Another famous Lib was the "Strawberry Bitch" in the strange "desert pink" camouflage used in North Africa. This Revell kit came from Brazil.
101_0071	Convair	B-24D Liberator	This Lib landed in Sicily by error and was captured by the Italians. It was later given to the Germans so they could test it. The "Blonde Bomber II" legend had to be hand-lettered.
000_0010	Convair	B-24G-10-NT Liberator	One of several B-24s captured and flown by the Germans.
100_0300	Convair	B-24H Liberator	Many B-24 units used exotic markings for easier identification in the air.
100_0301	Convair	B-24H Liberator	Old worn-out B-24s were used as lead ships on which other B-24s would form up over England before heading on to Germany. This was an extensive painting job, especially the numerous circles.
100_0220	Convair	B-24J Liberator	A lot of American heavy bombers had to divert to Switzerland after suffering battle damage over Germany. This one was repaired and flown by the Swiss with bright neutrality markings.
100_0299	Convair	B-24J Liberator	Somebody thought it would be a neat idea to graft an entire B-17G nose onto a B-24, maybe for better aerodynamics and a more comfortable bombardier position. It was a failure. For some reason, the aircraft failed to reach high altitude and there was no significant increase in speed. Heavily-modified kit using the nose from the modified B-17 above.
100_0557	Convair	Liberator II	An early B-24 in British service. It had round engine cowlings instead of elliptical, and British 4-gun turrets. I modified a regular B-24 kit.
100_0558	Convair	Liberator V	The British were appreciative of the Liberator's long range, which enabled it to go far out to sea and search for U-boats. It used radar to find them and then would attack with the jury-rigged rocket installations under the nose. Modified kit.
101_0185	Convair	PB4-Y1	The PB4-Y1 was the Navy version of the B-24J Liberator.
101_0124	Convair	PB4-Y2	Although based on the B-24, the PBY-Y2 had no Army equivalent. It had a single tail instead of twins, and featured interesting double .50 gun barbettes on each beam, not to mention two dorsal turrets.
100_0305	Convair	XB-24 Liberator	The second of 18,188 B-24s. It had not yet acquired all the protuberances that later marred its appearance. Modified kit.
100_0302	Convair	XB-41 Liberator	A B-24D was converted into an escort fighter designated XB-21. It carried 14 .50s in additional turrets and beam guns, not much more than the standard 10 guns. It did not achieve operational status due to the advent of long-range escort fighters. Modified kit.
101_0106	Convair	B-32 Dominator	The B-32 was supposed to work with the B-29 just like its predecessors the B-24 and the B-17 did. However, it had so many teething problems that it was cancelled after a few were built.
100_0253	Culver	PQ-10	Radio-controlled aerial target. Built from scratch.
100_0320	Culver	PQ-14A	A very clean-looking remote-controlled aerial target which could also be piloted.
100_1267	Culver	PQ-15	Remote-controlled drone, although it could also be flown by a pilot. Built from scratch.
100_0241	Culver	PQ-8	Another radio-controlled aerial target. It could also be ferried by a pilot. Built from scratch.
100_0240	Culver	XPQ-9	Radio-controlled aerial target with a cockpit. Built from scratch.
100_0277	Curtiss	AT-9 Jeep or Fledgling	Shapely aircraft used for transition training.
100_1032	Curtiss	BF2C-1 Goshawk	Thailand used this small fighter in its air force. The design dated back to 1932.
100_2100	Curtiss	F11 C-2 Goshawk	The F11 C-2 flew with the U.S. Navy and Marines in the 1930's and 251 were also exported to Germany, Bolivia, Columbia, Cuba, and China, where some were still in action against the Japs when W.W.II broke out.
101_0103	Curtiss	C-46 Commando	The Commando was the backbone of "Flying the Hump", taking supplies from India to China.
100_0239	Curtiss	Design 75	This prototype was the progenitor of the thousands of P-36s, Hawk 75s and P-40s which followed. I had to guess at the color; it might have been olive drab.
100_1014	Curtiss	Hawk 75	This was a simplified version of the P-36, meant for export. China got 113 like this on, Thailand 25 and Argentina 30.
100_0217	Curtiss	Hawk 75A	24 of these fought the on-coming Japanese in the Dutch East Indies.
100_0899	Curtiss	Hawk 75A-3	This is one of 36 Hawks that had been shipped to France, had been captured and refurbished by the Germans, and sold to Finland. I hand-painted the insignia for lack of decals.
100_0261	Curtiss	Model 24-B	A flying full-scale model for the XP-55. Only had 275 hp. Modified from an XP-55 kit.
100_1713	Curtiss	O-39	This Curtiss design originated in 1929, but was still in service with National Guard units when war broke out. Only 10 were made. Built from scratch.
100_1714	Curtiss	O-40 Raven	Only 5 of these observation planes were built. They had retracting undercarriages. Built from scratch.
100_1252	Curtiss	O-52 Owl	Observation plane. Built from scratch.
100_1967	Curtiss	P-6E	Fighter built in 1932. Kind of stretching the W.W. period, but must have been a few left in 1939 as trainers or liaison.
100_2141	Curtiss	XF13C-1	Curtiss didn't just design Army fighters. In 1934, they also made this one for the Navy. Built from scratch.
100_2140	Curtiss	XP-31	This graceful little fighter never went beyond the prototype stage. Top speed was only 208 mph. It had advanced features like flaps and leading-edge slots, and antiquated ones like fixed landing gear and struts. Built from scratch.
100_0898	Curtiss	P-36	A P-36 fighter in an interesting camouflage.
100_0306	Curtiss	P-36A	The P-36 was one of the first low-wing monoplanes to be acquired by the USAAC and with its radial engine exchanged for a water-cooled V-12 eventually became the P-40.
100_0335	Curtiss	P-40 Tomahawk	An early P-40 flown by a squadron commander of the 35th Pursuit Group. The early P-40s didn't have the distinctive chin radiators.
100_1011	Curtiss	P-40 Tomahawk IIB	This is the model flown by the famous Flying Tigers, the American volunteers who scored heavily against the Japanese. The planes bore Chinese insignia.
100_2169	Curtiss	P-40 Tomahawk IIB	The Tomahawks were no match for the Messerschmitts over the African desert. Losses were heavy.
100_2109	Curtiss	P-40 Tomahawk IIB	It seems like everybody used the Tomahawk, in this case the Turks in 1942.
100_1084	Curtiss	P-40C Hawk	An earlier P-40 which was delivered in summer colors but over-painted in white by the Russians.
100_0487	Curtiss	P-40D Kittyhawk I	Operated by the British in Africa.
100_0336	Curtiss	P-40D Warhawk	A P-40 flown by Gen. Claire Chennault's son in the 343rd Fighter Group out of Adak, Aleutian Islands. I had no decals, so the "Aleutian Tiger" markings were entirely hand-painted.
100_0337	Curtiss	P-40E Warhawk	One of the 13,738 delivered to the Army, this one reputedly had two bombs mounted in tandem (front-to-back). While this would seem to create bad center-of-gravity problems, that's the way I built it.
100_1083	Curtiss	P-40K	Russia received substantial numbers of P-40s.
100_1144	Curtiss	P-40L	This is a long-fuselage P-40 flown by the Free French in 1943 in Tunisia.
100_0488	Curtiss	P-40M Kittyhawk II	Operated by No. 15 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force, from the Solomon Islands.
100_0340	Curtiss	P-40N Warhawk	More interesting nose art. Didn't have to paint this one, though.
100_0341	Curtiss	P-40N Warhawk	Flown by the 45th Fighter Squadron, 15th Fighter Group from the Ellice Islands in the Pacific, these only had 4 .50s instead of 6, in an effort to reduce weight and improve performance.
100_2110	Curtiss	P-40N Warhawk	The Aussies used P-40s also, like this white-tailed P-40N dive bomber with 2,000 lbs of bombs.
100_0338	Curtiss	TP-40N-30 Warhawk	A few dual-seat trainers were built in 1944. Modified from a regular P-40 kit.
100_0342	Curtiss	XP-40Q Warhawk	A single P-40 was made with bubble canopy and a more powerful engine, but it still couldn't keep up with the Mustangs and Thunderbolts, and did not go into production. Cut down from a P-40 kit.
100_2111	Curtiss	XP-40Q	The third and final version of the XP-40Q featured a redesigned nose which gave it a really racy look. Top speed was 422 mph, still below current Mustangs and with a much lower range. The project was dropped. Modified kit.
100_1945	Curtiss	YP-40F Warhawk	Another one of the numerous experimental P-40 versions with the radiator moved way back. Modified P-40B kit.
100_1703	Curtiss	XP-42	During the war, Curtiss experimented with endless variations of the basic P-36, none of which reached production. Made from a modified P-40 kit. Heavy weathering on all leading surfaces.
100_1302	Curtiss	SB2C-1 Helldiver	This big and heavy dive-bomber did not offer any performance advantage over the famous Douglas Dauntless that it was supposed to replace.
102_0009	Curtiss	XSB2C-2 Helldiver floatplane	One of the first Helldivers had large floats installed, which cut the speed by 50 mph. This must have caused the already terrible handling to get even worse. Good thing this drunken pig on roller skates never went into production. Kit modified with home-made floats.
100_1137	Curtiss	SBC-4 Helldiver	One of the early Helldivers in French colors.
101_0135	Curtiss	SBC-4 Helldiver	This was the first Helldiver, with which the U.S. Navy pioneered dive bombing. There was a later one by the same company.
100_2163	Curtiss	A-25A Helldiver	The U.S. Army also used 900 Helldivers. They called it the A-25A.
101_0134	Curtiss	SC-1 Seahawk	Most Seahawks had floats, but a few were fitted with temporary fixed undercarriages for ferrying.
101_0139	Curtiss	SC-1 Seahawk	A single-seat scout floatplane for use on carriers and battleships, it didn't get into the fight until June 1945.
101_0133	Curtiss	SO3C-1 Seamew	This scout plane had turned-up wingtips to cure instability. It wasn't popular with its crews.
100_0600	Curtiss	SO3C-2 Seamew I	The Seamew was designed as a floatplane, but some had wheels instead, such as this one in British service. They were used as trainers.
101_0142	Curtiss	SOC-1 Seagull	The Seagull was normally a floatplane, but this example had an undercarriage.
101_0143	Curtiss	SOC-3 Seagull	This scout plane had a long and distinguished career, eventually outlasting its proposed replacement, the Seamew. This one is painted in the colors of the U.S. Navy Commander-in-Chief.
100_1275	Curtiss	XF-15 C-1	Curtiss made 3 of these combination jet/propeller fighters for the Navy. Built from scratch.
100_1594	Curtiss	XP-46	This was developed as a potential successor to the P-40, but never went into production. In spite of being smaller and 1,000 lbs. lighter, it was actually slower than the P-40D with the same engine. This is a modified LaGG-3 kit.
100_0262	Curtiss	XP-55 Ascender (see also Northrop XP-56 and Vultee XP-54)	One of several contenders for an unorthodox fighter design (the others were the XP-54 and the XP-56). Wags suggested that the aircraft's name was really "Ass-ender". Bad stall characteristics and poor stability caused some crashes and the project was dropped.
100_2235	Curtiss	XP-60C	In their never-ending quest to come up with a successor for their P-40, Curtiss came up with this P-47 look-alike in 1943, but it went nowhere. Built from scratch.
100_1263	Curtiss	XP-87 Blackhawk	This was Curtiss' proposal for a dedicated night fighter. It lost out to the Northrop Scorpion. Curtiss went out of business and sold their assets to North American Aviation. This was a sad end for the company that had once been the premier supplier of fighter planes to the U.S.
101_0107	Curtiss	YC-30 Condor	Some of the civilian Condors were taken into military service.
100_0323	Curtiss	YP-37	Curtiss tried many different avenues to improve the P-36. This was one of them. Modified from a P-40 kit.
100_2072	Curtiss	XP-40	The first XP-40 was derived from the 10th P-36A. This was the original version before it went through various changes. Modified kit.
100_1709	Curtiss	YP-60E	The P-60 started life as a P-40 with a British Merlin engine. It then went through an incredible series of modifications involving different engines to finally emerge as the sole YP-60E. None of them went into production, and Curtiss lost its place as the pre-eminent American fighter manufacturer. Built from scratch.
100_1710	Curtiss	XP-62	This rather porky-looking high-altitude interceptor was yet another of Curtiss's attempts to provide a successor to the P-40. It was plagued by problems and was scrapped in late 1944 after a few flights. Built from scratch.
100_1711	Curtiss	XF14C-2	Curtiss even tried to get the U.S. Navy interested in this interceptor. Performance was disappointing (it was up against the Grumman F6F and F7F) and the project was cancelled. Curtiss faded from the scene. Built from scratch.
100_0213	Curtiss-Wright	CW-21A Demon	China ordered 3 of these and passed them on to the American Volunteer Group (the Flying Tigers). Unfortunately, all 3 of them flew into a mountain on the ferry flight to Kunming.
100_1009	Curtiss-Wright	CW-21A Demon	The Chinese had a few of their own Demons.
100_0214	Curtiss-Wright	CW-21B Demon	Intended for export, 17 of these aircraft were supplied to the Dutch East Indies Air Force. They did not fare well against the Zeroes.
100_2023	Curtiss-Wright	C-76 Caravan	The C-76 was a real disaster. Made of wood to avoid a potential shortage of aluminum, it first flew on January 1, 1943 and promptly exhibited terrible characteristics such as constant elevator flutter, instability when flying empty, weak wings and lack of power. Worst of all, the wood glue proved to be defective and several crews were killed when their planes fell apart in the air. The contract was cancelled after 14 aircraft. The whole fiasco cost the taxpayers $400 million in W.W. II dollars. Built from scratch.
101_0191	Curtiss-Wright	SNC-1 Falcon	A wasp-waisted trainer obviously based on the CW-21 Demon fighter.
102_0010	Douglas	7B	The 7B was the prototype for the A-20 Havoc series. Modified kit.
100_1107	Douglas	A-20 Boston IV	The Free French flew Bostons in North Africa and Western Europe as part of No. 342 Squadron RAF.
100_1948	Douglas	Boston IV	This is a late-model A-20J which the British called a Boston IV with twin .50s in the rear turret.
100_0507	Douglas	Boston III	The British re-named the Havoc as the Boston. This one served with No. 107 Squadron.
100_1117	Douglas	DB-7-B3	The French were among the first to order the new Douglas Boston. This early model had a narrow tail. The French got 270 of them. Modified kit.
100_1977	Douglas	Dolphin	The Dolphin started life as an 8-passenger amphibian flying boat. The U.S. Army Air Corps, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the Coast Guard and the Royal Australian Air Force ordered a total of 38. Built from scratch.
100_1987	Douglas	B-23 Dragon	The Dragon was an improved version of the Douglas B-18 Bolo, which itself was a slightly modified DC-3. It had more powerful engines (1600 hp vs 1000 hp) and was almost 70 mph faster. The army received 38 of them. Built from scratch.
100_0293	Douglas	A-20C Havoc	This Havoc is shown wearing olive drab and "desert pink" camouflage. It served with the 47th Bomb Group, 12th Air Force, at Mediouna, Morocco in December 1942.
100_1061	Douglas	A-20G Havoc	The Russians installed their own turrets on their Lend-Lease Havocs. They got at least 3,000 of them and appreciated their fine ground-attack qualities.
100_1262	Douglas	A-20G-35-DO Havoc	The invasion stripes on this aircraft were unusual in that the fuselage has an extra black stripe and the tail has stripes too. I modified this kit with a gun nose and a dorsal turret.
100_0291	Douglas	A-20H-DO Havoc	Another aircraft that failed to get the recognition it deserved despite performing brilliantly in all theatres, including Russia, was the Havoc. This one had a belly tank for long-range ferrying and the white insignia was oversprayed with gray to make it less conspicuous at night.
100_0292	Douglas	P-70 Havoc	Due to a lack of purpose-built night fighters, the Havoc was modified and pressed into service. The RAF also used them.
100_0289	Douglas	A-26B Invader	This version was built with a solid nose for ground attack. This one also had .50 caliber gun packs under the wings, for an amazing total of 16 forward-firing .50s, plus 4 more in dorsal and ventral turrets.
100_0287	Douglas	A-26C Invader	Fast and heavily-armed, the A-26 came on the scene late in the war. This model had a clear nose for a bombardier.
100_0243	Douglas	A-4	Another radio-controlled aerial target that had accommodations for a pilot. Built from scratch.
101_0171	Douglas	A4D-1 Skyraider	The Skyraider project started during the war, but it didn't become operational until after. It could carry an impressive amount of ordnance for ground attack.
100_2024	Douglas	B-18A Bolo	The B-18A was based on Douglas' DC-2, but with a deeper fuselage for the bomb bay. Although 350 were built, they were already obsolescent in 1941, and many were lost at Pearl Harbor and the Philippines. The rest were relegated to anti-sub patrols, transport duties, and training. Built from scratch.
101_0109	Douglas	C-47 Skytrain	The legendary DC-3 was the mainstay of the U.S. military transportation system. It served with distinction all over the world, especially on D-Day.
100_1730	Douglas	C-54 Skymaster	The DC-4 was designed for commercial airlines, but the military quickly became interested after Pearl Harbor and took them all. It represented a quantum leap over the DC-3 (C-47). Built from scratch (my largest one).
100_0834	Douglas	DC-2	This DC-2 was taken from the Dutch and became the personal transport of General Christiansen, the Wehrmacht commander in Holland
100_0892	Douglas	DC-2	This DC-2 was donated to the Finns by a Swedish benefactor. They armed it with bombs and a machine gun, and used it to bomb the Russians. Modified kit.
100_0448	Douglas	DC-3 Dakota	This was Field Marshal Montgomery's personal aircraft.
101_0186	Douglas	F3D-2 Skyknight	Design of the Skyknight night fighter started during the war.
100_1274	Douglas	O-38F	This observation plane crashed in Alaska before the war, and was salvaged years later. It now resides at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Built from scratch.
100_0290	Douglas	A-24B Dauntless	Although the Army received almost 800 of the Dauntless dive bomber, it remained fairly obscure, while the Navy version achieved huge fame. Early kit.
100_0606	Douglas	SBD Dauntless	These veterans of the Battle of Midway were passed on to the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
100_1140	Douglas	SBD Dauntless	The Aéronavale also flew the Dauntless.
101_0130	Douglas	SBD Dauntless	While the Devastators were sacrificing themselves at sea level at the Battle of Midway, the Dauntless squadrons came dive-bombing from above and destroyed 3 Japanese carriers in 5 minutes. They came back and got the 4th one later on that day.
101_0136	Douglas	SBD Dauntless	Another color scheme for the Dauntless. Old kit.
100_2108	Douglas	SBD-1 Dauntless	An early Marine Corps Dauntless, with propeller spinner and unusual vertical tail stripes.
100_2164	Douglas	SBD-3 Dauntless	It was very unusual for a U.S. Navy Dauntless to be in light green, but such was the case for this one in 1941.
100_2165	Douglas	SBD-5 Dauntless	Nine went to England for evaluation.
101_0129	Douglas	TBD-1 Devastator	This was the U.S. Navy's first carrier-borne torpedo plane. It ran into disaster at Midway. Gallant attacks on the Japanese carriers caused one entire squadron to be annihilated, and only 5 planes survived out of the 41 in all 3 squadrons.
100_1712	Douglas	XBT2D Skypirate	The Skypirate was designed in 1943 to operate from the new "Midway"-class carriers. Douglas built 2 prototypes, but the dedicated torpedo bomber concept was outdated. Built from scratch.
100_0238	Douglas	XB-42-DO Mixmaster	Douglas developed an extremely clean bomber, with the twin engines buried in the fuselage. For obvious reasons, it was dubbed "The Mixmaster". Built from scratch.
100_0237	Douglas	XB-43-DO Jetmaster	A twin-jet development of the XB-42. Built from scratch.
100_1620	Douglas	YO-31C	The YO-31C was built in 1932 and had a gull wing. The one and only YO-31C was still in use in 1947. Built from scratch.
100_1621	Douglas	Y1O-43	Five of these stylish observation planes were built in 1933 and based in Texas. The wire-braced wing was interesting. Obviously based on the YO-31C.
100_1622	Douglas	O-43A	The Y10-43 kit had 2 fuselages, so I used the second one for the production model of the O-43A, 23 of which were built between 1933 and 1944.
100_1623	Douglas	O-46A	The next development of the O-31/O-43 series of observation planes was the O-46A. It had a 725 hp. radial engine instead of the 600 hp. in-line engines of the previous versions. 90 were made in 1935-1936. Built from scratch.
100_1601	Edo	XOSE-1	The Edo company, well known for its floats, tried its hand at building an entire floatplane. Eight were built but were not accepted by the U.S. Navy. This was my first attempt at making floats out of a wooden dowel. Built from scratch.
100_0247	Engineering Research	XPQ-13	This was yet another aerial target (based on the pretty Ercoupe). Built from scratch.
100_0503	Fairchild	F-91	Fairchild only built a few of these small flying boats, but they got around. The British operated this one for special missions.
100_0879	Fairchild	F-91	Somehow the Spanish Nationalists got hold of one of these rare amphibians. Hand-painted engine nacelle.
100_1699	Fairchild	PT-23	The popular Fairchild Cornell trainer came with different engines. The PT-23 had a radial engine; most had the more graceful in-line engines.
100_0272	Fairchild	PT-26 Cornell	Trainer. The PT-19 open-cockpit version was flown by Bob Harless' Dad.
100_1988	Fairchild	C-82	The C-82 was one of the first American purpose-built cargo planes (as opposed to converted airliners). Design began in 1941, first flight was in 1944, and 223 were made. Built from scratch.
100_1989	Fairchild	UC-61	A utility cargo plane, 4 to 5 seats. The Air Corps procured 995 of the various models. Built from scratch.
100_2030	Fairchild	UC-86	Same as the UC-61, but with an in-line engine. Only 9 were made, in 1942. Built from scratch.
100_0242	Fairchild	XBQ-3	A ground-launched controllable bomb aircraft. Never went anywhere. Built from scratch.
100_1640	Fairchild	XPT-23	By 1942, the US was starting to switch from biplane trainers to single-wing designs. The PT-23 had a large production run of 1125. Built from scratch.
100_0275	Federal	AT-20 Anson II	Fifty Canadian-built Avro Ansons served with the USAAF.
100_1960	Fleetwings	XBT-12	This little-known manufacturer built 25 of these basic trainers for the U.S. Army in 1942.
100_0244	Fleetwings	YPQ-12A	Radio-controlled aerial target. Built from scratch.
100_0246	Fletcher	YCQ-1A	Another aerial target which could carry a pilot. Not accepted. Built from scratch.
100_0270	Ford	YCG-13A	Essentially a Waco G-4 with a tricycle landing gear.
101_0108	Ford-Stout	C-3	Ford Tri-motors also served.
101_0089	G & A (Firestone)	XR-9B	One of those early helicopter designs that didn't go anywhere. Built from scratch.
100_0236	General Motors	P-75A Eagle	Improvements were made in the 5 production Eagles, but performance still fell short of contemporary Mustangs and the project was dropped. There's a survivor in the Air Force Museum annex in Dayton, Ohio. Built from scratch.
100_0235	General Motors	XP-75 Eagle	A long-range escort fighter which used P-40 outer wing panels, Corsair undercarriage, and the tail unit from a Dauntless. The first of 6, it suffered from many shortcomings. Built from scratch.
100_1306	Goodyear	XF2G-1	A special high-performance Corsair was built by Goodyear Aircraft to intercept low-flying kamikazes. Only 10 were built prior to V-J Day.
100_1616	Grumman	FF-1	The "Fifi" was Grumman's first design for the U.S. Navy, starting a long and distinguished line. It was a 2-seat fighter with a top speed of 201 mph. 27 were built; some served as late as 1942 for training. A rare kit from Rare Plane Detective.
100_2311	Grumman	FF-1	The Japs bought an example of the "Fifi" in the 1930's.
100_2215	Grumman	G-23 Dolfin	The Dolfin was the export version of the Grumman FF-1. It was also called Goblin by the Brits. This Dolfin served with the Republicans during the Spanish Civil War and was captured intact by the Nationalists.
100_1995	Grumman	F2F-1	This diminutive fighter was a mainstay on the U.S. Navy's carriers in the 1930s, but had generally been relegated to training duties by the time America entered the war.
101_0141	Grumman	F3F-1	This tubby little fighter was only built in small quantities, but it was the predecessor of the Wildcats and Hellcats that were built in the thousands and turned the tide in the Pacific.
101_0160	Grumman	XF6F-2 F2 Hellcat	This prototype first flew in January 1944, but the 4-blade propeller caused vibration problems, so it was converted to a standard F6F-3.
101_0156	Grumman	XF6F-3 Hellcat	The Hellcat prototype had a spinner. The Hellcat allowed the U.S. Navy to establish air superiority in the Pacific.
100_1587	Grumman	XF6F-3N Hellcat	The prototype Hellcat night fighter. 149 were built.
101_0154	Grumman	F6F-3 Hellcat	A typical Hellcat in 3-color scheme and with a drop tank. Grumman made 12,275.
101_0155	Grumman	F6F-3 Hellcat	This Hellcat has the red-bordered insignia that was briefly used in July and August of 1943.
100_1309	Grumman	F6F-3 Hellcat	This F6F appears in numerous photos.
101_0153	Grumman	F6F-5 Hellcat	This Hellcat had a short-lived shark-mouth paint job. When the skipper found out about it, it had to go (personal markings were not allowed).
101_0158	Grumman	F6F-5 Hellcat	This Hellcat had the usual 5-inch rockets, plus monster 11.75-inch rockets. Modified kit.
100_0605	Grumman	Gannet I	The Brits felt a need to use the name Gannet instead of the much more aggressive-sounding Hellcat. This colorful F6F-3 served with No. 800 Squadron on D-Day.
100_1256	Grumman	F6F-5 Hellcat	The Royal Navy received 930 Hellcats like this one (they eventually adopted the American name).
100_2171	Grumman	F6F-5 Hellcat	The Uruguayan navy kept its Hellcats in front-line service until 1961, perhaps the last of any country.
101_0145	Grumman	XF7F-1 Tigercat	The Tigercat prototype had propeller spinners.
101_0137	Grumman	F7F-3 Tigercat	Designed to serve on the new "Midway"-class carriers, it was overtaken by the jet age and was not built in large numbers.
101_0170	Grumman	XF8F-1 Bearcat	Much smaller than the Hellcat, the Bearcat just missed the war. At one time it held the record for fastest climb to 10,000 ft. (about 2 minutes).
102_0018	Grumman	F8F-1 Bearcat	Even with the cancellation of contracts at the end of W.W. II, 1266 Bearcats were built. The French used them post-war in Indochina.
101_0193	Grumman	F9F Panther	The Panther concept started at the end of the war.
100_1301	Grumman	G-44 Widgeon (AKA J4F-1)	A small, low-powered, general-purpose amphibian. This one is in Coast Guard colors. The Air Force, Navy, Fleet Air Arm, Portugal and Brazil also used them.
100_2116	Grumman	J2F-5 Duck	This Duck had a striped tail and a side star insignia. Most only had one or the other.
101_0138	Grumman	J2F-6 Duck	Probably the first aircraft built by the new Grumman company, the Duck was widely used. This one was built by Columbia Aircraft of Long Island after Grumman ceased production in 1942.
102_0011	Grumman	J2F-6 Duck	The versatile Duck served not only in the U.S., but also Argentina and, in this case, Mexico.
100_2117	Grumman	J4F-1 Widgeon	Known as the Grumman Model G-44, this little amphibian could carry a depth charge, but could not maintain altitude on one engine.
100_0593	Grumman	J4F-2 Widgeon I	15 of these, also known as Gosling Is, went to the British in the West Indies. Old kit.
101_0140	Grumman	JF-2 Duck	This is a Duck in U.S. Coast Guard colors.
100_1708	Grumman	JRF-2 Goose	The Goose was Grumman's first venture in small amphibians. About 340 were made for the military. This one served with the U.S. Coast Guard in Alaska. Built from scratch (the hulls are a little tricky).
101_0152	Grumman	TBF-1 Avenger	The Avenger torpedo bomber first saw action at Midway. Six attacked the Japanese fleet and only one came back, shot to pieces. They did much better later on.
100_2071	Grumman	TBF-1B Avenger	Many Avengers served after the war. This one went to Uruguay in 1946 and was assigned to the Naval Aviation Specialization School.
100_0594	Grumman	TBF-1B Avenger	The British initially re-named the Avenger the Tarpon.
100_2170	Grumman	TBM Avenger	After the war, the Royal Canadian Navy heavily modified some Avengers for the anti-submarine role. Modified kit.
102_0012	Grumman	TBM-3 Avenger	A typical all-blue Avenger later on in the war when camouflage was no longer as important.
102_0013	Grumman	TBM-3R Avenger	This Avenger was rebuilt after the war as a C.O.D. (carrier on-board delivery) aircraft. It could carry mail, 1500 lbs. of spare parts or 7 V.I.P.s. Modified kit.
100_2119	Grumman	TBM-3S Avenger	Ironically, the Avenger, which had raised havoc with the Japanese Navy in W.W. II, served with that same navy after the war. Modified kit.
102_0014	Grumman	TBM-3W-2 Avenger	Avengers continued to serve long after the war. This anti-submarine version was on the Dutch aircraft carrier Karel Doorman. Modified kit.
100_1984	Grumman	AF Guardian	The Guardian was designed in 1944 and first flew in December 1945. It was derived from the TBF Avenger. A total of 387 were built in torpedo, bomber and anti-submarine versions. Built from scratch.
101_0149	Grumman	XF4F-2 Wildcat	The first Wildcat had rounded wing and tail surfaces. It evolved from a biplane design which didn't get very far. Modified kit.
101_0150	Grumman	XF4F-3 Wildcat	The second Wildcat had a propeller spinner and the square-cut wing and tail surfaces found on all production models.
100_2070	Grumman	F4F-3A Wildcat	The French Navy ordered the Wildcat as the G-36A, but France collapsed before they could be delivered and the British took them over as Martlet Is.
100_2242	Grumman	F4F-4 Wildcat	Blackburn Aircraft modified some Wildcats to carry 3 rockets under each wing.
100_0602	Grumman	Martlet II	This, of course, is the famous Wildcat, which the British for some reason felt compelled to call the Martlet.
100_0603	Grumman	Martlet IV	Wildcats were used on D-Day. A total of 600 of this model were supplied to England.
100_0604	Grumman	Martlet VI	The Brits got 370 of the General Motors Wildcat with the taller rudder.
101_0192	Grumman	F4F Wildcat	This is one colorful Wildcat.
101_0148	General Motors	FM-2 Wildcat	When Grumman switched to the Hellcat, General Motors took over and built 5,927 Wildcats, far more than the parent company. The FM-2 had a taller rudder.
101_0147	Grumman	F4F-3 Wildcat	This F4F provided cover during the invasion of North Africa, hence the yellow ring.
101_0146	Grumman	F4F-3S Wildcat	One Wildcat was fitted with floats to provide air cover during island assaults, but they reduced its speed by 60 mph. Besides, the Navy construction battalions had proven that they could build an entire airstrip in a week, so the concept was dropped. I modified a regular F4F kit.
101_0173	Grumman	XF5F-1 Skyrocket	This naval fighter looked promising (383 mph). However, overheating problems and a weak undercarriage finally spelled its doom. Modified from a regular kit.
101_0174	Grumman	XF5F-1 Skyrocket	This was the original Skyrocket, before the nose was lengthened.
100_0263	Grumman	XP-55	An offshoot of the Navy's XF5F-1, the sole prototype XP-55 was destroyed when a turbocharger exploded in flight.
100_1978	Hall	PH-3	The Hall Aluminum Aircraft Corp. built 9 PH-1s, 5 PH-2s and 7 PH-3s for the U.S. Navy and the Coast Guard. Crew of 4. Lots of struts. Built from scratch.
100_2238	Hall	XPTBH-2	This 1937 float torpedo bomber was built in Bristol, PA. The Navy had no funds for such an aircraft. Built from scratch.
100_2011	Harlow	UC-80	Known as the PJC-2 in the civilian market, 4 of these were taken over by the U.S. Army Air Corps. Built from scratch.
100_2157	Howard	DGA-18	Howard was better known for its luxurious and fast business planes, but they also built this primary trainer for the government-sponsored civilian pilot training program. Built from scratch.
100_1630	Howard	UC-70	The Howard DGA-15 became the UC-70 when the Army impressed it into service. Its high speed (almost 200 mph) and luxurious 5-passenger cabin also made it one of the Navy's favorites.
100_0245	Hughes	FX-11	Howard Hughes designed and built this proposed reconnaissance aircraft. In fact, he test-flew it and had a horrendous crash in a residential area. Built from scratch.
101_0113	Interstate	L-6	Small liaison plane. Built from scratch.
101_0195	Interstate	TDR-1	Now here's an interesting concept – use a remote-controlled aircraft to deliver a torpedo. Built from scratch.
100_0249	Interstate	XBQ-4	Known by the U.S. Navy as the XTD3R-1, it was a torpedo bomber flown by remote control or by a pilot. Built from scratch.
100_2144	Kaiser	XBTK-1	A single-seat torpedo bomber, 5 of which were built in Bristol, PA. It first flew in April 1945, but the U.S. Navy passed it over for the competing Curtiss and Martin models. Built from scratch.
101_0077	Kellett	XR-8	This was one of several helicopters developed during the war by different American manufacturers. Built from scratch.
101_0098	Kellett	YO-60	Typical autogyro. The propeller pulls the plane forward and the helicopter blades pull it up. They were quite the rage in the late 1930's. I built this one from a Vigilant cockpit, a landing-gear spat, etc.
100_0278	Lockheed	AT-18 Hudson	The Hudson was produced in numerous versions, including this navigation trainer.
101_0111	Lockheed	C-69 Constellation serial no. 42025	This graceful airliner was just about to reach the airlines when war broke out and the military commandeered them all. It had a long and successful civilian career after the war.
100_0493	Lockheed	Hudson	The British used the Hudson all over the world in many roles. Old kit.
101_0132	Lockheed	Hudson	A typical Hudson which I refurbished from someone else's building efforts.
100_1253	Lockheed	L-133	A futuristic jet fighter that Lockheed proposed during the war. The Army Air Corps was aghast. Some of the work was used in the P-80 project, however. Built from scratch.
100_0480	Lockheed	P-38 Lightning	This early Lightning I was delivered to the RAF for evaluation. The British removed the turbochargers and handed propellers, and were then disappointed in the performance, a result which might have been anticipated.
100_0481	Lockheed	F-4 Lightning	The Royal Australian Air Force operated the photo version and seemed pleased with it. Of course, they had kept the turbos and handed propellers.
100_0353	Lockheed	F-5 Lightning	Lightnings were used extensively in the photo-reconnaissance role. They were painted blue for camouflage.
100_1122	Lockheed	F-5B Lightning	This French Lightning was based at La Marsa, Tunisia. Lockheed built 200.
100_1016	Lockheed	F-5E Lightning	This particular photoreconnaissance aircraft was based in Beijing in 1945.
100_1941	Lockheed	P-38 Lightning	The early P-38s suffered from tail buffeting. This one had the tail assembly raised in an effort (unsuccessful) to solve the problem. Careful filleting of the wing roots finally did the job. Modified P-38F kit.
100_2232	Lockheed	P-38 Lightning	This 36th fighter squadron P-38 was involved in a 1500-mile round-trip attack on Jap shipping in North Borneo.
100_0351	Lockheed	P-38 BTO Lightning	Some Lightnings had radar installed in a lengthened nose for bombing. The BTO stood for Bombing Through Overcast. Modified from a P-38 kit.
100_0349	Lockheed	P-38F-13-LO	The versatile Lightning was even tried out with 2 torpedoes.
100_1216	Lockheed	P-38G Lightning	This P-38G landed by error on an Italian airfield on June 12, 1943. After the American insignia were replaced with Italian ones, Colonel Angelo Tondi attacked a B-17 formation and shot one down. Not too long afterwards, the engines were wrecked by the use of low-octane gas.
100_0344	Lockheed	P-38J Lightning	This Lightning was based at Nuthampstead, England. The Luftwaffe acquired a healthy respect for the Lightning, nicknaming it the "fork-tail devil". 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group, 8th Air Force.
100_0348	Lockheed	P-38J Lightning	Colorful nose art on a P-38 in the China Burma India Theatre, all hand-painted. Three bazooka tubes were fitted on each side of the nose. 459th Fighter Squadron, 80th Fighter Group.
100_0350	Lockheed	P-38J Lightning	A pretty standard Lightning which I built back in the 1950's. Charles Lindbergh went to the Pacific to show P-38 pilots how to double the range of their planes. It is rumored that, although a civilian, he might have shot down at least one Japanese plane that happened to stumble in front of his sights.
100_1946	Lockheed	P-38J Lightning	The P-38 did not carry tail numbers. Europe 1944.
100_0355	Lockheed	P-38J Lightning	The P-38J was even tried on skis. Modified from a regular kit.
100_1994	Lockheed	P-38L Lightning	In 1945-1946, the Italians modified some P-38s into 2-man training aircraft. This was perhaps a little more elegant than the American version with the student pilot in the boom. Modified kit (longer nose).
100_0345	Lockheed	P-38J-5-LO	"Droop Snoot" Lightnings carried a bombardier in the clear nose. Everybody in the formation dropped their bombs when they saw the leader drop his. Modified from a P-38 kit.
100_0352	Lockheed	P-38L Lightning	This P-38 in D-Day invasion stripes sported 6 rocket projectiles under each wing for ground support missions.
100_0354	Lockheed	P-38M Lightning	The P-38 was so versatile that it was converted to a night fighter and used in the Pacific. The radar operator's space was cramped, but maximum speed only dropped by 8 mph in spite of the extra weight and drag. Pretty amazing.
100_1313	Lockheed	RP-38 Lightning	A few P-38s were converted to trainers by installing an extra cockpit on the port boom. Modified from a P-38 kit.
100_0343	Lockheed	XP-38 Lightning	The Lightning prototype had an extremely glossy finish and pointy propeller spinners. The handed propellers rotated in opposite directions to cancel out torque effects.
100_1113	Lockheed	PV-1 Ventura	The French Aéronavale operated this American patrol plane.
101_0123	Lockheed	PV-1 Ventura	A Ventura with drop tanks to extend its range for maritime reconnaissance.
101_0126	Lockheed	PV-1 Ventura	One of the prolific Hudson family, the Ventura was armed for maritime reconnaissance and attack.
100_1950	Lockheed	PV-1 Ventura	This Ventura was flying out of Tarawa in July 1944.
100_1589	Lockheed	PV-1 Ventura	This American maritime patrol bomber is in New Zealand colors, No. 1 Squadron, mid 1943.
100_1590	Lockheed	PV-1 Ventura	The Ventura was also operated by the Australians, No. 13 Squadron, 1944.
101_0119	Lockheed	PV-2 Harpoon	This version had a pair of 20mm. cannon for attacking enemy ships.
100_1697	Lockheed	XP-58	The XP-58 was designed as a bigger and more powerful version of the P-38 Lightning. It was plagued by changes in engine types and missions. Only two prototypes were built. Built from scratch.
100_1698	Lockheed	XP-49	The XP-49 was an upgraded version of the P-38 with 1600 hp. Continental engines. Performance was only marginally better and the production future of the engines was in doubt. Only one prototype was flown. Modified P-38 kit.
100_0232	Lockheed	XP-80 Shooting Star	This, the original Shooting Star, was 20 inches shorter than the production model. Modified kit.
100_0229	Lockheed	YP-80A Shooting Star	Just a little too late to see combat in WW 2, but if the war had gone into 1946, there would have been thousands of them in action.
100_0322	Martin	B-10	Considered the first modern US bomber, but growing obsolescent by the time the war started.
100_0286	Martin	B-26 Marauder	The first B-26 was flown on November 25, 1940, the same day as the first DeHavilland Mosquito. This beautifully streamlined bomber initially suffered numerous accidents due to its high landing speed, and cancellation of the program was discussed on four separate occasions. With special aircrew training, it overcame its problems and eventually became very successful.
100_0285	Martin	B-26B Marauder	A typical B-26 in olive drab camouflage.
100_0835	Martin	B-26B Marauder	This B-26 was being ferried to England when it was lured off course by a fake German radio signal and had to crash-land in Holland.
100_0502	Martin	Marauder II	The British were supplied with several marks of the Marauder. This is a Marauder II, equivalent to the B-26C.
100_1261	Martin	B-26C Marauder	This colorful Marauder was operated by a Free Frech unit. The French roundel surrounded by a yellow (British) ring and with white (U.S.) bars is quite unusual.
100_2214	Martin	B-26E Marauder	A single B-26B was converted to the B-26E. The dorsal turret was moved forward, which would have made it much more useful than the usual position where the field of fire was severely limited by the rear fin. Modified kit.
100_0494	Martin	Baltimore	Martin sold some of these twin-engine bombers to England. This is an old kit from England.
101_0175	Martin	Mauler	This was the competitor to the Skyraider. It didn't do well in carrier qualifications. It also weighed a ton more than the Skyraider on the same power, so its payload was a lot less. I modified a Skyraider kit.
101_0125	Martin	PBM-5 Mariner	Most of the 1,289 Mariners went to the Pacific,where they did great work.
100_1593	Martin	Maryland XA-22	Martin built a single XA-22 for the U.S. Army (which didn't order it into production). France and England bought 330 of them as the model 167 Maryland.
100_2461	Martin	JM-1 Marauder	The Martin B-26 Marauder was known to be a handful because of the high wing loading. But the production lines were running, so some use had to be made of them. The U.S. Navy took 272 of these yellow JM-1's as target tugs. Modified kit.
100_1276	Martin	XB-26H Marauder	This B-26 was specially modified to test the proposed landing gear arrangement for the Boeing B-47 Stratojet. Two main wheels were under the fuselage and the engine nacelles had small auxiliary wheels. The fuselage was heavily reinforced with strakes to take the additional loads. It got the nickname "Middle Creek Puddle Jumper". Built from scratch.
101_0120	Martin	XPB2M-1 Mars	This huge aircraft (wingspan of 200 ft.) was designed as a patrol bomber, but spent its life as an extremely long-range cargo plane. Only 5 were ever built. This kit was made in Allentown, Pa. I found it underneath a display case in my favorite hobby shop in Liège, Belgium and brought it back to its birthplace. I changed it to a twin tail per my references.
101_0183	McDonnell	XFD-1 Phantom	The original Phantom was the first U.S. jet to be designed from the start for carrier operations. It first flew in January 1945, and 60 were built.
101_0187	McDonnell	F2H-2 Banshee	The Banshee followed up on the Phantom.
100_0385	McDonnell	XP-67	This was the fledgling McDonnell Corp.'s first project. Various problems were encountered in testing and these led to dropping the project. The weathering of the paint may have been due to a lack of interest in aircraft that had an unsure future.
100_2012	Meyers	OTW 160	This fragile-looking biplane was used for the C.A.A. war training service from 1940 to 1944. Some 25 were still active in 1957. Built from scratch.
100_1311	Naval Aircraft Factory	N3N-3	The N3N-3 was a long-lived trainer, 816 of them being built. They were the last biplanes in the Navy, lasting into the late 1950's. Built from a modified kit.
100_0268	Noorduyn	C-64A	Light transport.
100_1701	North American	BC-2	One of the numerous Texan family. The basic combat BC-2 model had a 3-blade propeller instead of the usual 2.
100_0284	North American	BT-9	Basic trainer.
100_1581	North American	BT-14	The BT-14 was pretty much the fixed landing gear, lower-powered version of the AT-6 Texan.
100_2018	North American	NA-35	North American didn't just make Mustangs and Texans. They found time to make 4 of these primary trainers, but the design did not go into mass production. Built from scratch.
100_2239	North American	NA-40B	This stylish aircraft was the progenitor of the B-25 Mitchells. Built from scratch.
100_0568	North American	A-36	The British used the A-36 ground attack version.
100_0374	North American	A-36 Apache	Because of its low-altitude engine, the early Mustang could not really be used as a fighter. Instead, it was initially used as a ground-attack aircraft, of all things. This one was in the China Burma India Theatre.
100_0372	North American	XP-51 Mustang	The USAAC got 2 examples for testing at Wright Field.
100_0547	North American	Mustang I	The RAF used some of the early Mustangs.
100_0549	North American	Mustang III	The raised Malcolm hood was introduced to improve the pilot's headroom.
100_0371	North American	NA-73 Mustang I	The British wanted North American to build Curtiss P-40 Warhawks for them, but N.A. made a counter proposal to build a brand-new, more advanced fighter instead. The first one was built in 117 days. This is the 2nd prototype. The Mustang at that time had a low-altitude engine, but was still useful for ground attack and reconnaissance.
100_2200	North American	P-51 Apache	The Brits had the P-51 first, but the U.S. Army soon caught on and ordered 150 as the Apache with 4 20 mm. cannons. It was later re-named the Mustang.
100_0376	North American	P-51 Mustang	Most Mustangs had 6 .50s. This one had 4 20mm. cannons instead.
100_0378	North American	P-51 Mustang	One Mustang was painted in this striking dazzle camouflage.
100_0373	North American	P-51B Mustang	The war-winning Mustang. In 1942, the engine was replaced by a high-altitude Rolls-Royce Merlin (same as in the Spitfires, Hurricanes, Lancasters, etc.) manufactured by Packard. This transformed the Mustang into a thoroughbred with extremely long range and the ability to fight enemy fighters on better-than-equal terms once it got there. By the fall of 1943, the Germans had shifted enough fighter squadrons from the Russian Front to cause losses in the 8th Air Force daylight bombing campaign which could not be sustained. The arrival of the new Mustangs in meaningful numbers in December 1943 changed the picture dramatically. Suddenly, the German fighter pilots found themselves fighting for their lives before they could even engage the bombers.
100_2166	North American	P-51B Mustang	One of the most famous Mustangs was this one flown by Don Gentile, who scored an amazing 16 victories in March and the first week of April 1944, all against the very tough Luftwaffe. Like many P-51Bs, Gentile's only had 4 guns, to increase range, but that was enough to do the job. The .50 caliber gun had extremely good ballistics and hit really hard. Goering himself said "If we'd had a .50 caliber, we could have won the war."
100_0375	North American	P-51B Mustang	One of the far-ranging Mustangs which could reach any target in Germany. By the end of 1944, the Luftwaffe had been so decimated that it often failed to fight.
100_0377	North American	P-51B Mustang	On Feb. 22, 1945, this Mustang was hit in the oil tank while over Germany. It made a belly landing in the Rhine River in Switzerland. It was beyond repair, so the Swiss scrapped it.
100_0224	North American	P-51B Mustang	This Mustang was repaired by the Swiss after a forced landing.
100_0825	North American	P-51B Mustang	This one was stripped of its olive drab paint after it was captured by the Germans.
100_0826	North American	P-51B Mustang	Another P-51. It was used to train Hungarian FW 190 pilots in how best to fight Mustangs.
100_0820	North American	P-51C Mustang	The Germans captured their share of Allied aircraft, including this Mustang.
100_0379	North American	P-51D Mustang	Big long-range wing tanks augmented the Mustang's internal fuel capacity.
100_0380	North American	P-51D Mustang	A 361st Fighter Group Mustang in a very attractive camouflage/bright yellow scheme.
100_0381	North American	P-51D Mustang	A Mustang with D-Day stripes and rocket launchers. An old kit from my teen-age years.
100_1992	North American	P-51D Mustang	A Mustang was apparently fitted with wingtip ram jets to make it even faster. Modified kit.
100_0382	North American	P-51D Mustang	By 1944, there wasn't much need for camouflage any more, since the Germans couldn't launch any real attacks on Allied airfields in England. More and more Mustangs came in natural aluminum. It was a case of "I want you to see me so you'll come up and I can shoot you down".
100_0548	North American	P-51D Mustang	This D is in British colors. Old model.
100_0827	North American	P-51D Mustang	The Luftwaffe repainted this one in their own dark green camouflage to hide it from Allied fighters looking to destroy any aircraft captured by the enemy.
100_2112	North American	P-51D Mustang	History plays funny tricks. This P-51D went to the Chinese Nationalist air force and was inherited by the Chinese Communists in 1949 when they won the civil war. The next year, it was flown against the U.S. Air Force in the Korean War.
100_2113	North American	P-51D Mustang	The Israelis got 25 Mustangs from the Swedish Air Force and used them in the Suez Crisis of 1956.
100_2167	North American	P-51D Mustang	This Filipino Mustang took a lot of hand painting since I had no decals. They flew their Mustangs until 1959.
100_2115	North American	P-51D Mustang	Mustangs stayed in services until the 1960s, like this one from Uruguay.
100_0551	North American	P-51F	A special model built to British load factors (lower factor of safety). Weight was saved with smaller wheels, a 3-blade prop, the use of plastics and simplification of the structure. A longer low-drag cockpit was fitted. Only a few were built before the war ended.
100_0550	North American	P-51H Mustang	The P-51H was the final version. With a more powerful engine and weight-saving measures, it was able to hit 487 mph.
100_0383	North American	P-51H-5-NA Mustang	All aircraft manufacturers are always striving to better their products. The H model had a more powerful engine, some weight savings, and aerodynamic refinements. It could do 487 mph, 50 mph more than a standard P-51D. It came too late to fight in Europe, but participated in the final battles against Japan.
100_0384	North American	XP-82 Twin Mustang	Extreme long-range missions were very difficult on a pilot, so N.A. mated two Mustangs together to carry a relief pilot.
100_0313	North American	AT-6 Texan	Well over 10,000 of these advanced trainers were built, and a lot of them are still flying today. This is one of the kits I built back in the 1950's as a teenager.
100_2103	North American	XAT-6E-NT Texan	It's kind of a shock to see a Texan without a radial engine, but such was the case. AKA Temco YT-35-TP, 3 were made from regular Texans, judging by 1942 serial number. Modified kit.
100_0297	North American	B-25 Mitchell	One of the earliest Mitchells in which the wing dihedral went all the way to the tips instead of stopping at the engines. Modified kit.
100_1063	North American	B-25 Mitchell	The Russians received substantial numbers of Mitchells.
100_0298	North American	B-25B Mitchell	One of the 16 B-25s used in the Doolittle raid against Tokyo and other Japanese cities in April 1942. Wooden dummy guns were installed in the tail in an effort to scare off enemy fighters. As it turned out, the Japanese were taken totally by surprise and never even got close to intercepting any of the raiders. The Japanese Army murdered 250,000 Chinese civilians in retaliation for the bombing.
100_0499	North American	B-25C Mitchell	Known as Mitchell IIs in British service, this particular one was operated by No. 320 Squadron. Flying personnel were Dutch who had converted from their Fokker T.VIII floatplanes.
100_0296	North American	B-25C-35 Mitchell	A B-25 serving with the 488th Bomb Squadron, 340th Bomb Group against Sicilian targets. The yellow ring around the white star was used temporarily during the invasion of North Africa in November 1942 (Operation Torch).
100_1008	North American	B-25H Mitchell	The Chinese Air Force flew this version of the Mitchell with the 75mm. cannon and the attack nose full of .50s.
100_0295	North American	B-25J Mitchell	A very colorful B-25 of the "Air Apaches" (499th Bomb Squadron, 345th Bomb Group) in the Pacific. This had the solid attack nose with 8 .50s, which was installed in the field as a kit.
100_1255	North American	F-86 Sabre	The preliminary concept for the Sabre started around the end of the war.
101_0190	North American	FJ-1 Fury	This naval jet fighter was the progenitor of all the swept-wing Furys and Sabres.
102_0015	North American	FJ-1 Fury	This Fury is depicted in natural aluminum finish prior to application of paint and insignia. Only 33 were built, and they only flew front-line service for one year—1948.
100_0821	North American	Harvard	The French Air Force had some Harvards; this one was captured and used by the Germans.
101_0115	North American	O-47	One of the fairly large observation planes which were used until the Army decided to switch to the smaller and more nimble liaison types. What looks like Japanese insignia was probably just on there for war games.
100_1031	North American	P-64	This cannon-armed fighter was the export version of a North American Aviation trainer. Thailand ordered 6 which were on the way when the Japanese invaded. They were intercepted by the US government, returned to the USA and used at American fighter training schools. Modified from a Boomerang kit.
100_2205	North American	PBJ-1D	This was the Navy equivalent of the Army's B-25C Mitchell, oddly painted in olive drab instead of navy blue. It had ventral anti-submarine radar and various extra antennas. Modified kit.
101_0122	North American	PBJ-1D	This one had radar, which I added. It's the Navy model of the B-25D.
101_0118	North American	PBJ-1H	This is the Navy version of the B-25 Mitchell. It appears to have had carburation problems on both engines.
100_1273	North American	XB-28	North American hoped that the XB-28 would be the successor to their B-25. Only two were made. They had remote-controlled dorsal and ventral turrets. Built from scratch.
100_0216	Northrop	8A-3N	The Dutch bought some of these American attack planes.
100_0283	Northrop	A-17A	The Army had 129 of these attack planes.
100_2221	Northrop	A-17A	The French purchased 93 A-17As in 1939, but they had not yet been delivered when France fell in 1940. The British picked them up and named them the Nomad. This one ended up as a target tug for the Royal Canadian Air Force.
100_2146	Northrop	XFT-1	An unsuccessful U.S. Navy fighter. No production. Built from scratch.
100_1624	Northrop	BT-1	The BT-1 was not very successful due to low-speed handling problems. Only 55 were built before Northrop became a division of Douglas Aircraft. It was redesigned and became the excellent Dauntless. This BT-1 was given a tricycle landing gear and was the first to land on a carrier. Modified Dauntless kit.
100_1257	Northrop	F-89 Scorpion	The concept for this all-weather interceptor started at the end of the war.
100_1277	Northrop	MX-324	Another rocket-powered flying wing design. Built from scratch.
100_0491	Northrop	N-3PB	This floatplane was designed by the Northrop company, which had just been founded in 1939. Norway ordered 24 but was invaded before they were delivered. They went to England, where they were operated by No. 330 Squadron.
100_0492	Northrop	N-3PB	Another aircraft, also operated by No. 330 Squadron, but with Danish flashes on the wings and under the tail.
100_0288	Northrop	N-9M	Experimental flying wing.
100_2213	Northrop	P-61A Black Widow	This P-61A flew in the Guadalcanal area in the summer of 1944. The extreme weather conditions caused almost all the paint to come off the upper surfaces.
100_1266	Northrop	P-61A Black Widow	This early P-61 carries invasion stripes, but only on the bottom.
100_0258	Northrop	P-61A-5-NO Black Widow	The dorsal turret with four .50s was often deleted since the four 20mm. belly cannons were more than adequate to do the job. The turret caused tail buffeting problems, and who needed the extra weight?
100_0256	Northrop	P-61B Black Widow	Black Widows were also used for intruder missions in Burma, as evidenced by the 5- inch bazooka rocket launchers under the wings.
100_0257	Northrop	P-61B Black Widow	This Black Widow was fitted with four long-range auxiliary tanks for prolonged night patrols.
100_0259	Northrop	XP-61 Black Widow	The Black Widow was the first American night fighter to be designed as such from the outset. It was the favorite aircraft of our German exchange student Stefan Krojer.
100_0255	Northrop	XP-61C Black Widow	The XP-61C was a P-61A re-engined with more powerful motors. Two were built.
100_1949	Northrop	XP-61E	The XP-61E (two built) were the prototypes for a long-range fighter to escort bombers over Russia. With a maximum weight of 46,180 lbs. it wouldn't have been much of a dogfighter. The contract went instead to the F-82 twin Mustang which was over 100 mph faster and had a ceiling that was almost 10,000 ft. higher. Modified from a P-61 kit.
102_0016	Northrop	XF-15	After the failure of the XP-61E, the first prototype was re-configured into a long-range reconnaissance aircraft, the XF-15. The Air Force ordered 175, but scaled it back to 36. They only lasted 2 years. Modified kit.
101_0112	Northrop	XB-35	This unique flying wing lost out to the B-36, but was resurrected 50 years later as the B-2 stealth bomber.
100_2328	Northrop	YB-49	This was the jet-powered version of the XB-35. It was never put into production but was resurrected 50 years later as the Northrop B-2 stealth bomber.
100_0266	Northrop	XP-56	Northrop's entry in the unorthodox fighter competition. This is the original prototype, the Model N2B.
100_0267	Northrop	XP-56 (see also Curtiss XP-55 and Vultee XP-54)	The second XP-56 was extensively modified to overcome various problems. The aircraft still was hazardous, and the project was dropped.
101_0090	Northrop	XP-79B	Northrop was always interested in flying-wing designs. The XP-79 flew in 1945 on two turbojets, but crashed. Built from parts box pieces.
100_1618	Northwestern	XPG-1	This was a Waco CG-4 glider powered by two 175 hp. Franklin engines to assist in take-off and to extend the range after casting off. The idea didn't take hold—only 2 were built. Modified Waco kit.
101_0181	Piasecki	HRF-1	Piasecki pioneered this twin-rotor layout. I bought a "Flying Banana" kit and modified the nose to represent the early Navy version.
100_2463	Piasecki	H-21	The French Navy also used the "Flying Banana."
101_0114	Piper	L-4	This Piper Cub served on floats. I picked it up in a Prague department store.
101_0110	Piper	L-4A Cub	This little Piper wears the yellow ring for Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. It operated from the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Ranger. The Army acquired thousands of them.
101_0097	Platt-Le Page	XR-1A	This design did not go into production. Built from scratch.
100_0250	Radioplane	OQ-3	9,403 of these tiny radio-controlled aerial targets were built to train gunners. Marilyn Monroe worked at the factory. There's a famous photo of her holding a propeller. Built from scratch.
100_1997	Republic	AT-12 Guardsman	This was the 2-seat bomber escort version of the P-35 fighter. Most were used as trainers. Customers included the Japanese Navy, Russia, Sweden and the U.S.
100_1046	Republic	EP-106	The EP-106 was the export version of the P-35. Sweden got 120 of them. They had ordered another 60, but these were requisitioned by the US and used by the Army Air Corps.
100_0230	Republic	F-84 Thunderjet	Design was completed in late 1944, but the prototype didn't fly until after the war.
100_2085	Republic	F-84 Thunderjet	Later versions of the Thunderjet had wing-tip drop tanks and served in many Allied air forces.
100_0234	Republic	JB-2 Loon	A straightforward copy of the German V-1.
100_0362	Republic	P-47B Thunderbolt	Early production model.
100_1993	Republic	P-47B Thunderbolt	One of the early P-47s was at one time fitted with this unusual car-door cockpit entry instead of the usual sliding hood. Modified kit.
100_0359	Republic	P-47D Thunderbolt	Brazil sent a fighter group to fight alongside the Allies in Italy. They were armed with P-47s such as this one, laden with bombs, rockets and extra gas tanks. I overpainted the US insignia after they dried.
100_0363	Republic	P-47D Thunderbolt	At least one P-47 was fitted with skis. Modified kit.
100_0364	Republic	P-47D Thunderbolt	A colorful P-47 with D-Day invasion stripes.
100_2202	Republic	P-47D Thunderbolt	This aircraft was Lt. Col. Francis Gabreski's. He was the leading P-47 ace, with 31 victories. The invasion stripes on the fuselage were unusual in that the white stripes were outlined in black on the rear fuselage instead of being separated by full-width black stripes. Another anomaly—his plane had national insignia under both wings.
100_0365	Republic	P-47D Thunderbolt	At one point, P-47 noses were painted white to distinguish them from Focke-Wulf 190s.
100_0366	Republic	P-47D Thunderbolt	One of my early efforts from the 1950's.
100_2204	Republic	P-47D Thunderbolt	The Brits used the P-47 Mark 1 in Southeast Asia. No. 135 squadron was a South African squadron.
100_0486	Republic	P-47D Thunderbolt	A Thunderbolt II operated by No. 30 Squadron, RAF, over Burma in 1944.
100_0823	Republic	P-47D Thunderbolt	This P-47 was captured by the Germans, then re-captured by US forces in late 1944.
100_0828	Republic	P-47D Thunderbolt	This captured P-47 kept its gray belly instead of having it repainted yellow.
100_1136	Republic	P-47D Thunderbolt	Later in the war, the Free French got some Thunderbolts for ground-support missions.
100_2203	Republic	P-47D Thunderbolt	P-47D-22-RE. Aircraft belonging to Free French 4th squadron, 1944.
100_2168	Republic	P-47D Thunderbolt	It is a little-known fact that 200 P-47s were shipped to Russia in 1944-45. By that time, the Mustang had taken over as the premier long-range U.S. fighter. The Russians probably used them for ground support. The P-47 was rather sluggish at the low altitudes where Russian dogfights took place.
100_2118	Republic	P-47D Thunderbolt	The P-47 carried a long-range tank, 2 bombs and 2 bazooka tubes for ground attack in Europe in 1944.
100_0360	Republic	P-47D-10 Thunderbolt	This one belonged to the 376th Fighter Squadron, 361st Fighter Group. Its extra fuel tank allowed it to escort bombers all the way to Berlin.
100_0367	Republic	P-47D-25 Thunderbolt	This much-photographed P-47 flew with the 82nd Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group from Duxford, England.
100_0361	Republic	P-47-D-30 Thunderbolt	The early P-47Ds had fairings behind the canopies and were called "Razorbacks". These were changed to bubble canopies, but amazingly, the "D" designation never changed. The "Torrid Tessie" legend was hand-painted—no decals.
100_2286	Republic	P-47G-15-CU "Doublebolt"	Curtiss was given the job of converting two P-47Gs to trainers and couriers. They carried full armament. Modified kit.
100_0368	Republic	P-47N Thunderbolt	The N had bigger wings, larger fuel capacity and of course, even more weight. It was meant for the Pacific and joined combat there in the final months of the war.
100_0358	Republic	TP-47G Thunderbolt	Two trainers were built. Modified kit.
100_0357	Republic	XP-47B Thunderbolt	Known as the "Jug" (for Juggernaut), this was the largest and heaviest single piston-engine fighter ever built. It was fast, sturdy, and had tremendous diving acceleration which enabled it to catch many an enemy trying to evade by going straight down.
100_0370	Republic	XP-47H Thunderbolt	Another attempt at more speed was the installation of a Chrysler V-16 water-cooled engine. It was fast enough (490 mph) but the engine never reached production.
100_0369	Republic	XP-47J Thunderbolt	With several streamlining refinements, the J reached 504 mph on August 4, 1944, making it the first propeller-driven fighter to go over 500 mph. No production was undertaken.
100_0356	Republic	YP-43 Lancer	Several hundred Lancers were made, notably for China and for reconnaissance, but they soon gave way on the production lines to the P-47.
100_2473	Republic	XF-12 Rainbow	This graceful reconnaissance plane had an astounding speed of 460 mph by virtue of four 3250 hp engines. Only two were built. One crashed early on in the testing program, and the other was retired after 5 years and ended up as a target at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland. The Air Force by this time had gotten into jets and no orders were placed for the XF-12. Built from scratch.
101_0179	Ryan	FR-1 Fireball	Fitted with a radial engine and a turbojet, this fighter-bomber was overtaken by the end of the war and only 69 were built.
101_0178	Ryan	FR-1 Fireball	Another Fireball in an attractive paint scheme.
100_1315	Ryan	PT-22 Recruit	This is the PT-16 with a radial engine instead of an in-line. Built from scratch.
100_0211	Ryan	STM-S2	This trainer was used against the Japanese in the Dutch East Indies. Brave pilots and extreme maneuverability allowed them to survive for a while, but they eventually succumbed to superior numbers.
101_0189	Ryan	XF2R-1 Dark Shark	Big turboprop fighter with an auxiliary jet engine.
101_0093	Ryan	YO-51	The American counterpart to the Fieseler Storch STOL aircraft. Only 3 were procured. Built from scratch.
100_0319	Ryan	YPT-16	Stylish primary trainer.
100_1961	Seversky	BT-8	Seversky (soon to be Republic) built the first purpose-made basic trainer for the U.S. Army in 1936.
100_1015	Seversky	P-35	The Seversky Aircraft Corp., soon to become Republic, supplied some of these stubby little fighters to China.
101_0176	Sikorsky	HNS-1 Hoverfly	The Navy had its own version of the Sikorsky R-4 in this attractive color scheme. Built from a kit brought back from Prague by my son Michael.
101_0182	Sikorsky	HO2S-1	The Navy acquired some R-5 helicopters and gave them a new designation.
101_0157	Sikorsky	JRS-1	Sikorsky didn't just build helicopters. They made 12 of these amphibians for the Navy and the Army.
101_0095	Sikorsky	vs-300	This was Sikorsky's first really functional helicopter, and it was test-flown by Mr. Sikorsky himself. Built from scratch.
101_0086	Sikorsky	XR-5	This was Sikorsky's second successful design, after the R-4. Built from scratch.
101_0066	Sikorsky	XR-5A Dragonfly	This was the American Sikorsky R-5 helicopter with British equipment.
101_0096	Sikorsky	XR-6A	This was an improved version of Sikorsky's R-4. Built from scratch.
100_1639	St. Louis	YPT-15	One of the ubiquitous trainers that all countries have. 13 were made in 1940. Built from scratch.
100_2145	Spartan	Zeus	A few of these planes with the delightfully improbable name were manufactured and went to Mexico armed with 2 machine guns and 250 lbs. of bombs. During the war, Spartan was owned by billionaire Paul Getty. Afterwards, it switched to making house trailers. Built from scratch.
101_0184	Stearman	NS-N2S Kaydet	The Navy called their Kaydets by a different designation.
100_0294	Stearman	PT-13 Kaydet	One of the most common primary trainers in the US arsenal.
100_1281	Stearman	XA-21	Stearman, better known for their trainers, tried their hand at a ground attack plane. One example was built for evaluation and it was not accepted. Built from scratch.
100_0282	Stinson	L-1B	Liaison aircraft painted in fictitious markings for war games.
100_2154	Stinson	L-1 Vigilant	The Brits used 108 of the L-1 Vigilant also. I always enjoy building Vigilants from scratch, although the canopy is a challenge. The elegant lines seem to come out well, and it's a big liaison plane, about half again as big as a typical fighter. Built from scratch.
100_1991	Stinson	L-1A Vigilant	At least one Vigilant was equipped with EDO floats and 4 wheels. Built from scratch.
100_1990	Stinson	L-1B Vigilant	Another version of the Vigilant was this shiny natural aluminum ambulance. Built from scratch.
100_1604	Stinson	L-13	First flown in 1945, this is the ski version, of which 28 were made. Total production of the L-13 was 302. Built from scratch.
100_1631	Stinson	YO-54	The Army only bought 6 YO-54's, but it led to the L-5 Sentinel, built in greater numbers. Built from scratch.
100_2155	Stinson/Vultee	AT-19 Reliant	All 500 of these advanced trainers went to the British. This one retained its original American serial number. Built from scratch.
101_0117	Taylorcraft	L-2	That's a lot of D-Day stripes for this little liaison plane. Modified from a Piper Cub kit.
100_2013	Timm	N2T-1	The U.S. Navy used this plywood plane as the N2T-1 trainer. The civilian pilot training program knew it as the PT-220C Tutor. Built from scratch.
100_1635	Verville	YPT-10	The YPT-10 was the military version of the Sportsman. Only 4 were supplied to the Army. Built from scratch.
100_0608	Vought	Chesapeake	Some of these Vindicators were purchased by the Brits, who called them the Chesapeake.
100_2069	Vought	F4U Corsair	The "Jolly Rogers," VF-17, was the first U.S. Navy squadron to take their Corsairs into combat.
100_0585	Vought	F4U Corsair	The British were using the Corsair on their carriers well before it received qualification on US carriers. This is obviously one of my early kits.
100_0586	Vought	F4U Corsair	Another British Corsair, a little nicer.
100_0587	Vought	F4U Corsair	Another British Corsair, this one flown by a New Zealand squadron.
100_0824	Vought	F4U Corsair	This British Corsair was forced down in Norway and captured by the Germans. It sure made an interesting model, with lots of hand-painting.
100_1582	Vought	F4U-1 Corsair	Vought built one Corsair as a 2-seat trainer. It did not go into production.
100_2292	Vought	F4U-7 Corsair	The Corsair was the longest-produced American fighter; the last ones were built in 1952. This colorful example served with the French Aéronavale during the 1956 Suez Canal Crisis.
101_0188	Vought	F6U-1	A tiny proposed naval jet fighter.
101_0172	Vought	OS2U-2 Kingfisher	Some Kingfishers came with wheel undercarriages instead of floats. Modified kit.
101_0177	Vought	OS2U-3 Kingfisher	A lot of these excellent scout planes were built—1,218 of them. It was used for scouting, spotting gunfire, air-sea rescue, and even dive bombing.
100_0607	Vought	OS2U-3 Kingfisher I	The British Navy received 100 of these fine scout seaplanes.
100_1695	Vought	SBU Corsair	Although 125 were built for the U.S. Navy, this scout bomber was relatively unknown. Vought was enamored of the name "Corsair." It was also used for the O2U reconnaissance plane, the F4U fighter and the A7 jet fighter. Built from scratch.
100_2210	Vought	SB2U-1 Vindicator	A more colorful Vindicator, this one served on the U.S. carrier Saratoga in early 1938. It carried an extra fuel tank instead of a bomb.
100_1308	Vought	SB2U-3 Vindicator	A contemporary of the Douglas Devastator, this Navy bomber was obsolescent at the start of W.W. II and didn't last long. Their nickname was "wind indicator".
100_2143	Vought	V-141	This started life as the Northrop 3A. Vought bought the design and named it the V-141. It never went into production, but oddly enough, Japan bought the prototype. Built from scratch.
101_0100	Vought	V-173	Low-powered test version of the XF5-U1, a proposed STOL Navy fighter. Scratch-built from the bases for two 1950's Revell "world map" display stands. I recently found out that these display stands are quite valuable.
100_1132	Vought	Vindicator	This Vindicator carries the markings of the French Aéronavale.
100_1303	Vought	XF4U-1 Corsair	The prototype Corsair was appreciably shorter than the production model. I cut this one down from a standard kit. This was the first U.S. fighter to exceed 400 mph.
100_1304	Vought	XF4U-1 Corsair	Very early "birdcage" Corsair, before the bubble canopy was fitted.
100_1305	Vought	XF4U-1 Corsair	Early Corsair with 3-blade prop and 5-inch rockets. Old kit.
100_2201	Vought	FG-1D	Corsairs kept on flying well after the war. This one went to the Fuerza Aérea Salvadoreña, El Salvador.
101_0128	Vought	XF5-U1	The "Flying Flapjack" flew but did not go into production. It was meant to be a very short take-off and landing aircraft. Makes a great kit with its huge props.
100_0281	Vultee	A-35A-1-VN Vengeance	Although built in fairly large numbers and used in many theaters, this aircraft somehow failed to get much recognition.
100_0522	Vultee	Vengeance	The Brits got quite a few of the Vengeance. This one was a target tug.
100_0314	Vultee	BT-13A Valiant	Vultee built almost 7,000 of these trainers, but they did not achieve the fame of the Texan.
100_2098	Vultee	XA-19A	One of the A-19s (serial no. 38-555) was experimentally converted from the regular radial engine to a Lycoming Flat 12. This resulted in a much longer nose and a larger tail fin, radically changing its appearance. It was later reconverted to radial power. Built from scratch.
100_1996	Vultee	YA-19	Vultee used their V-1 airliner as the basis for the YA-19 ground attack aircraft. A total of 216 were built in many variants, including V-12 engines and floats. It was used by Brazil, China, Russia, Turkey and the U.S.
100_1293	Vultee	P-66 Vanguard	Vultee had the interesting idea of making fighters, basic trainers, basic combat trainers and advanced trainers from the same basic airframe. This was the fighter version; out of 144, 129 went to China under Lend-Lease. I made this from a CW-21 kit.
100_0578	Vultee	Vengeance	The Vengeance in British service was as obscure as the US version. You just never hear much about it.
100_1705	Vultee	XA-41	A contemporary of the Skyraider and Mauler, the XA-41 did not fare as well. It was late in the war and production was cancelled after the single prototype. Built from scratch.
101_0094	Vultee	XP-54 Swoose Goose (see also Curtiss XP-55 and Northrop XP-56)	This was Vultee's entry in the unorthodox fighter contest (the others were the XP-55 and the XP-56). It had a nose section that moved up and down so that the armament could be brought to bear, and a seat that worked as an elevator to get the pilot up into the cockpit. It won the contest but did not go into production. Built from Sabre and Airacobra wings, wooden dowel and He 177 propeller.
101_0116	Vultee-Stinson	L-5B Sentinel	Small ambulance plane.
100_0273	Waco	CG-4	The most widely-used American glider. Thousands were made. Here, a British and an American paratrooper are talking.
100_0497	Waco	CG-4	The Brits also used the Waco glider.
100_2029	Waco	UC-72	The Air Force commandeered 43 of these in 15 different configurations, ranging from 3 to 8 seats. The unequal-length wings were unusual. Built from scratch.
100_1638	Waco	YPT-14	Waco built 13 of these in 1940. Built from scratch.