On May 8th, 2015, the National Mall in Washington DC will experience a “sky parade” in which an assortment of aircraft from World War II will be flown over the city to commemorate WWII veterans. The event will be in honor Veteran’s Day and those World War II veterans who fought oversees as well as those who constructed the battle machinery (tanks, aircraft and ships) here at home. During World War II, the US built more than 300,000 airplanes. A recent article from Air & Space/Smithsonian highlights 25 of these airplanes, detailing how each played a role in the war. Below are five of these aircraft:
P-40 Warhawks and Flying Tigers
P-40s were immortalized after General Claire Chennault’s American Volunteer Group flew the planes across the Pacific during World War II to protect China from Japan. On the day of Pearl Harbor, pilots like George Welch flew the P-40 (one of the few planes left on the island by 9 a.m that morning) and destroyed 4 Japanese planes. During WWII, the P-40 proved indispensable.
B-25s
The B-25 was a versatile aircraft with many functionalities. During WWII, pilots flew this plane to destroy key military infrastructure in enemy territory as well as flying the planes to transport troops from base to base.
The Douglass Dauntless
These aircraft became known as heroes of Midway when their pilots dropped bombs on Japanese carriers during the battle. The Wildcats and Devastators distracted the enemy aircraft while the Dauntlesses pushed through and successfully destroyed the enemy targets in the water.
Mustangs
The P-51 Mustang was known for its endurance. During WWII, the plane was completing flights that were over 2,000 miles long without refills at a speedy pace. In Europe, the P-51s were famous for being associated with the 332nd Fighter Group, known more commonly as the Red Tails. This was the first African American fighter unit.
P-47s
Even with the arrival of P-51s in Europe, the 56th fighter group in the Eighth Air Force continued using the P-47s as bomber escorts. The P-47 Thunderbolts’ most notable accomplishment was their performance in the Battle of the Bulge to help stop Nazi forces from advancing.
from Don Mathis, Skyward http://ift.tt/1OWFsPF
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