Designed as a short-range, high-performance interceptor, the Spitfire became a symbol of Britain’s resistance against Germany during the Battle of Britain. Its positive impact on morale and superlative performance in combat have led some to call it “The Airplane that Saved the World.”
Arguably the most iconic American fighter of WWII, the Mustang is a testament to America’s ingenuity and industrial capabilities. North American Aviation designed the Mustang in 1940 to satisfy a British order, the prototype’s first flight taking place just 149 days after contract signing.
A long-range patrol aircraft designed in the mid-1930s, the PBY became one of the most important aircraft of the war. From spotting the German battleship Bismarck, to locating the Japanese fleet off Midway, to its vital roles in air-sea rescue and sinking enemy submarines, the PBY was the war’s most successful flying boat.
Instantly recognizable for its inverted gull-wing, the Corsair was amongst the most powerful and unusual fighter aircraft designs of the war. Capable of outfighting even the finest enemy aircraft, the Corsair is also a crowd favorite here at the museum.
Although outmatched by many adversaries at the time, the Curtiss P-40 was the best fighter the US Army could field on the eve of WWII. Even so, it held the line while faster and more capable aircraft were developed and produced. P-40s comprised more than half of the US Army Air Forces’ fighter strength until July 1943!
The Wildcat was America’s primary front-line, carrier-based fighter at the start of the war. Although the airplane was outmatched by its adversaries, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps pilots developed superior tactics which soon allowed Wildcat squadrons to stifle the Japanese advance.
Originally designed as a Torpedo Bomber, the Avenger moved past its inauspicious combat debut at the Battle of Midway to become the most effective and widely-used naval attack aircraft of its kind during WWII. The type also served as a carrier-based, conventional bomber and anti-submarine warfare aircraft as well.
The B-25 Mitchell medium bomber launched into history just four short months after Pearl Harbor when James Doolittle, then a USAAF Lt Col, led a one-way raid with 16 B-25’s from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet against the Japanese Home Islands.
Although the Supermarine Spitfire often overshadows its role in the Battle of Britain, the Hawker Hurricane accounted for 60 percent of the Luftwaffe’s losses during that period. The Hurricane was the more stable gun platform and saw service in almost every theater during WWII.
By far the most ubiquitous of the US military’s primary trainers in WWII, the Boeing-Stearman Kaydet could accommodate a student and an instructor in its tandem open cockpits. While the type was relatively easy to fly, it also proved a challenge, making it an excellent training platform.
Designed by the Bell Aircraft Corporation, the unusual, mid-engined P-39 Airacobra holds the record for the highest number of enemy aircraft victories attributed to any U.S.-built fighter in history. The lack of an efficient turbo-supercharger for its engine meant that the airplane did not perform well at high altitude. However, in the hands of Soviet pilots at low altitude over the Eastern Front, the P-39 made a massive contribution to the war effort.
Nicknamed the ‘Wooden Wonder’ due to its primarily wooden construction, the de Havilland Mosquito was amongst the fastest aircraft in the world following its introduction in 1941. The aircraft was capable of reaching speeds exceeding 400 mph while carrying up to 4,000 lbs of bombs.