National Museum of the U.S. Air Force Visit: World War II Era

By Fred Harl

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force has an extensive World War II Era collection, which includes aircraft, weapons and other equipment from Allied and Axis Powers.  A wide variety of military equipment, much of it nearly 70 years old, has been preserved in this priceless collection and well-packed into the exhibition hall.  Life-sized dioramas put you into the scene of a field maintenance operation or even a mishap in a Yale trainer. Put yourself in a B-29 or a Schweizer T-3 training glider, and everything in between.  Here is just a very small sample of the World War II Era Gallery:

Northrop P-61C Black Widow

Consolidated OA-10 Catalina

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Douglas A-12G Havoc

Douglas A-20G Havoc ground crew diorama

Curtiss C-46D Commando

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt

Messerschmitt Me-262A Schwalbe

Focke-Wulf FW190D-9

North American P-51D Mustang

Messerschmitt Bf-109G-10



Martin B-26G Marauder

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt

North American A-36A Apache

De Havilland DH-98 Mosquito



Supermarine Spitfire Mk.VC



Curtiss AT-9 Jeep/Fledgling

Bristol Beaufighter

Bell P-63E King Cobra

Douglas A-24

North American B-25B Mitchell

Douglas B-18 Bolo

Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero

North American BT-9B Yale



Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIa

Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress

Curtiss P-40E Warhawk