Great Planes

Douglas Skyraider

The Douglas Skyraider was a propeller-driven bomber and ground attack weapons system, unglamorous but almost perfectly suited to its various roles. In the closing years of World War II it was realized that fighter airplanes had become so advanced, so speedy, that the great weight of the rear gunner, his turret, and his equipment in torpedo and dive bombers were redundant. Douglas was given a contract to construct a single-engined, single seat bomber and attack airplane for use aboard Navy carriers, and they came up with a winner. It was a big airplane with a radial engine, and it could carry a huge load of ordinance -- a better bomb load than a B-17, or a nuclear weapon. First flown in 1945, it was finally retired after service in Korea and Vietnam, sometime in the 1960s.

P-40 Warhawk

P51 Mustang

North American B-25 Mitchell

The B-25, nicknamed "the sweetheart of the forces," was one of the stars of World War II. Known for its adaptability, this bomber was flown by the Air Force, the Navy and the Marines.

F-15 Eagle

F-16 Fighting Falcon

F/A 18 Hornet

PBY Catalina

The wings were of taut canvas covered with dope. The wings were thick to provide lift and carried thousands of gallons of fuel, providing long range and flying time, exactly the requirement for a reconnaissance aircraft. Range could be increased to 4,000 miles by cutting one engine. The metal fuselage had to be unusually strong because every marine take off and landing bounces the ship around and stresses all the joints. The result was a sleek hull that was an airplane on top and a boat on the bottom. The initial Navy order was for 60, in 1936, and they were called PB-Ys -- "PB" for patrol boat, "Y" for Consolidated. When war broke out the British bought them and called them the Catalina. The name stuck. They were used in every theater of the war and in every imaginable role. One even managed to launch torpedoes at the Japanese fleet during the Battle of Midway.