August: Heart of America Wing Air Expo
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Specifications: Engine: 1490 HP Allison V-1650-7 Liquid cooled and also the Packard built Rolls Royce Merlin Cruise Speed: 362MPH Maximum: 437MPH Range: 1300 miles Production: 15,000+ Armament: Six .50 Cal machine guns and up to 1000 of bombs The North American P-51 Mustang was used as a fighter to escort bombers and to provide strafing air-to-ground support
Specifications: Engine: 1490 HP Allison V-1650-7 Liquid cooled and also the Packard built Rolls Royce Merlin Cruise Speed: 362MPH Maximum: 437MPH Range: 1300 miles Production: 15,000+ Armament: Six .50 Cal machine guns and up to 1000 of bombs The North American P-51 Mustang was used as a fighter to escort bombers and to provide strafing air-to-ground support
Specifications: Engine: 2x450HP Pratt&Whitney R-985 Cruise Speed: 175 MPH Maximum: 225mph Range: 1,200 miles Produced: 9000 (1937 to present) Variants: AT-7 "NAVIGATOR" NAVIGATOR TRAINING AT-11 "KANSAN" BOMBARDIER TRAINING
Specifications: Engine: 2x450HP Pratt&Whitney R-985 Cruise Speed: 175 MPH Maximum: 225mph Range: 1,200 miles Produced: 9000 (1937 to present) Variants: AT-7 "NAVIGATOR" NAVIGATOR TRAINING AT-11 "KANSAN" BOMBARDIER TRAINING
Specifications: Engine: 2x450HP Pratt&Whitney R-985 Cruise Speed: 175 MPH Maximum: 225mph Range: 1,200 miles Produced: 9000 (1937 to present) Variants: AT-7 "NAVIGATOR" NAVIGATOR TRAINING AT-11 "KANSAN" BOMBARDIER TRAINING
"Little Beautiful Doll" 1946 Ercoupe 415-C
Owned & Operated by Richard McClure of Basehor, Kansas. Barn find - took 7 years to restore. "Little Beautiful Doll" is painted to honor WWI P-51 Big Beautiful Doll flown by Colonel John D. Landers 85 HP Continental - 4 Cylinder Engine 2 seats 1320 lbs max Approx 850 lbs Dry Weight 415 - C & CD Models qualify as LSA Designed to be the safest plane to fly - First general aviation plan to use tricycle gear - Spin Proof through coordinated control surfaces - Drives like a car (using steering wheel) - No rudder pedals (some were equipped at pilot's request) - Aluminum construction (most were wood and fabric at that time) Total number of Ercoupes (all models) built = 4,028 Ercoups involved in the war effort: - 3) Model 415-C were procured by the United States Army Air Force - First used as a man-carrying aerial target - First test plane used to test RATO (rocket assist take off) - USA Coastal (for German submarines) patrolled by Civil Air Patrol
"Little Beautiful Doll" 1946 Ercoupe 415-C
Owned & Operated by Richard McClure of Basehor, Kansas. Barn find - took 7 years to restore. "Little Beautiful Doll" is painted to honor WWI P-51 Big Beautiful Doll flown by Colonel John D. Landers 85 HP Continental - 4 Cylinder Engine 2 seats 1320 lbs max Approx 850 lbs Dry Weight 415 - C & CD Models qualify as LSA Designed to be the safest plane to fly - First general aviation plan to use tricycle gear - Spin Proof through coordinated control surfaces - Drives like a car (using steering wheel) - No rudder pedals (some were equipped at pilot's request) - Aluminum construction (most were wood and fabric at that time) Total number of Ercoupes (all models) built = 4,028 Ercoups involved in the war effort: - 3) Model 415-C were procured by the United States Army Air Force - First used as a man-carrying aerial target - First test plane used to test RATO (rocket assist take off) - USA Coastal (for German submarines) patrolled by Civil Air Patrol
"Little Beautiful Doll" 1946 Ercoupe 415-C
Owned & Operated by Richard McClure of Basehor, Kansas. Barn find - took 7 years to restore. "Little Beautiful Doll" is painted to honor WWI P-51 Big Beautiful Doll flown by Colonel John D. Landers 85 HP Continental - 4 Cylinder Engine 2 seats 1320 lbs max Approx 850 lbs Dry Weight 415 - C & CD Models qualify as LSA Designed to be the safest plane to fly - First general aviation plan to use tricycle gear - Spin Proof through coordinated control surfaces - Drives like a car (using steering wheel) - No rudder pedals (some were equipped at pilot's request) - Aluminum construction (most were wood and fabric at that time) Total number of Ercoupes (all models) built = 4,028 Ercoups involved in the war effort: - 3) Model 415-C were procured by the United States Army Air Force - First used as a man-carrying aerial target - First test plane used to test RATO (rocket assist take off) - USA Coastal (for German submarines) patrolled by Civil Air Patrol
"TEXAN" ADVANCED TRAINER Specifications: Engine: 600HP P&W R-1340 Wasp Radial Maximum Speed: 205MPH Range: 750 miles Production: 15,495 There were 3 phases to training pilots. Primary, Basic, and Advanced. Advanced training in the At-6/SNJ was the last stage before flying single engine fighters.
Built by Boeing at the Renton factory in Washington, B-29A serial number 44-62070 was delivered to the USAAF in Kansas in 1945. Modified to a TB-29A standard, it served as an administrative aircraft before being placed in "desert storage". It was returned to active duty in 1953. The airplane was retired in 1958 and placed at the U.S. Navy Naval Weapons Center and bombing range at China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station in California as part of a group of 36 B-29s. The Commemorative Air Force, then known as the Confederate Air Force, acquired it in 1971 and registered it as a civilian aircraft. It was flown to CAF headquarters at Harlingen, Texas on 3 August 1971 and re-registered as N529B in August 1981.
Built by Boeing at the Renton factory in Washington, B-29A serial number 44-62070 was delivered to the USAAF in Kansas in 1945. Modified to a TB-29A standard, it served as an administrative aircraft before being placed in "desert storage". It was returned to active duty in 1953. The airplane was retired in 1958 and placed at the U.S. Navy Naval Weapons Center and bombing range at China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station in California as part of a group of 36 B-29s. The Commemorative Air Force, then known as the Confederate Air Force, acquired it in 1971 and registered it as a civilian aircraft. It was flown to CAF headquarters at Harlingen, Texas on 3 August 1971 and re-registered as N529B in August 1981.
Curtis SB2C "Helldiver" Dive Bomber
Specifications: Engine: 1900 Wright R-2600 twin Cyclone radial Maximum Speed: 295 Cruise Speed: 158 Range: 1165 miles Production: 7,140 Armament: Two 20mm cannon forward and two .30 cal machine guns in the rear cockpit. Bomb load 2,000 lbs Introduced to combat in November 1943
Built by Boeing at the Renton factory in Washington, B-29A serial number 44-62070 was delivered to the USAAF in Kansas in 1945. Modified to a TB-29A standard, it served as an administrative aircraft before being placed in "desert storage". It was returned to active duty in 1953. The airplane was retired in 1958 and placed at the U.S. Navy Naval Weapons Center and bombing range at China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station in California as part of a group of 36 B-29s. The Commemorative Air Force, then known as the Confederate Air Force, acquired it in 1971 and registered it as a civilian aircraft. It was flown to CAF headquarters at Harlingen, Texas on 3 August 1971 and re-registered as N529B in August 1981.
"Spooky 71" Douglas AC-47 Gunship
"Spooky 71" was the call sign for the AC-47D in which John L. Levitow earned the Congressional Medal of Honor on February 24, 1969. This airplane is a recreation of that gunship. The AC-47 was a ground attack aircraft from the Viet Nam war. It was ideal for defending villages, fire bases and forts during the night because of its slow speeds and ability to stay on target all night long. Spooky 71 was armed with three General Electric MXU-470/A minigun modules. Each minigun is a six barrel, 7.62mm gatling gun capable of firing 6,000 rounds a minute. This gave the gunship the ability to fire up to 18,000 rounds a minute if all three guns were put on line at once. However the miniguns were normally used one at a time. In addition to its blistering firepower, the AC-47 provided illumination to the troops below with parachute dropped flares. A typical combat load would include at least 15,000 rounds of ammunition and 45 to 60 flares. There were 47 AC-47D's built, 41 of which went to war in Viet Nam. Of these, 12 were shot down and the rest were given to the Republic of South Viet Nam as part of the "Vietnamization" of the conflict. The AC-47's were phased out of the U.S. Air Force by 1969. Commonly known as "Puff", AC-47s flew nearly 5,000 missions defending 3,926 friendly positions in Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia. Not one was ever overrun when a gunship was on scene. They are credited with inflicting between 50,000 and 75,000 hostile casualities. As one veteran of the 101st airborne put it, "They either killed Charlie or made him run away, either way, the shooting stopped and hte position was held." THE SPOOKY SQUADRON TOPEKA, KS
The Pitts Special (company designations S1 and S2) is a series of light aerobatic biplanes designed by Curtis Pitts. It has accumulated many competition wins since its first flight in 1944. The Pitts biplanes dominated world aerobatic competition in the 1960s and 1970s and, even today, remain a potent competition aircraft in the lower categories. Curtis Pitts began the design of a single-seat aerobatic biplane in 1943–1944. The design has been refined continuously since the prototype first flew in September 1944; however, the current Pitts S2 still remains quite close to the original in concept and in design. Several of the aircraft that Curtis Pitts built had a picture of a skunk on them and were called "Stinkers". After she bought it, aerobatic performer Betty Skelton called the second aircraft that Curtis built, "Lil' Stinker". The prototype S-2, which was the first two-seat Pitts, was "Big Stinker", the prototype Model 11 (later called S1-11B) was "Super Stinker", and the prototype Model 12 was the "Macho Stinker". In 1962 Curtis Pitts set up Pitts Enterprises to sell plans of the S-1C to homebuilders.
Built by Boeing at the Renton factory in Washington, B-29A serial number 44-62070 was delivered to the USAAF in Kansas in 1945. Modified to a TB-29A standard, it served as an administrative aircraft before being placed in "desert storage". It was returned to active duty in 1953. The airplane was retired in 1958 and placed at the U.S. Navy Naval Weapons Center and bombing range at China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station in California as part of a group of 36 B-29s. The Commemorative Air Force, then known as the Confederate Air Force, acquired it in 1971 and registered it as a civilian aircraft. It was flown to CAF headquarters at Harlingen, Texas on 3 August 1971 and re-registered as N529B in August 1981.
Built by Boeing at the Renton factory in Washington, B-29A serial number 44-62070 was delivered to the USAAF in Kansas in 1945. Modified to a TB-29A standard, it served as an administrative aircraft before being placed in "desert storage". It was returned to active duty in 1953. The airplane was retired in 1958 and placed at the U.S. Navy Naval Weapons Center and bombing range at China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station in California as part of a group of 36 B-29s. The Commemorative Air Force, then known as the Confederate Air Force, acquired it in 1971 and registered it as a civilian aircraft. It was flown to CAF headquarters at Harlingen, Texas on 3 August 1971 and re-registered as N529B in August 1981.
Built by Boeing at the Renton factory in Washington, B-29A serial number 44-62070 was delivered to the USAAF in Kansas in 1945. Modified to a TB-29A standard, it served as an administrative aircraft before being placed in "desert storage". It was returned to active duty in 1953. The airplane was retired in 1958 and placed at the U.S. Navy Naval Weapons Center and bombing range at China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station in California as part of a group of 36 B-29s. The Commemorative Air Force, then known as the Confederate Air Force, acquired it in 1971 and registered it as a civilian aircraft. It was flown to CAF headquarters at Harlingen, Texas on 3 August 1971 and re-registered as N529B in August 1981.
"Diamond Lil" Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Built at Consolidated San Diego as B-24A. Intended for RAF as AM927. Involved in landing accident during training flight. Returned to San Diego for repairs and not sent to England. Converted to use as transport aircraft, flying between San Diego, Fort Worth, New York, and Washington D.C. Following WW2, sold to Continental Can Co. and used as executive airplane until 1955. Then sold to Petroleos Mexicanos. Purchased in 1969 by CAF. In 1971 restored in livery of 98th Bomb Group, Pyramiders of the 9th Air Force. Converted in 2006 to B-24A. Since 2012 wears livery of "Diamond Lil." Along with 44-44052, one of only two airworthy B-24s.