Fighters And Bombers Descend On Oshkosh

A pair of P-40s feature the shark/tiger mouths that suit them so well.

Not one but two Grumman F7F-3 Tigercat heavy fighters turned up at Oshkosh. Powered by two 2,800-hp Pratt & Whitney engines, each of the carrier-capable Navy fighters could reach 450 mph.

These two Tigercats were built in 1945 and withdrawn from service by 1954. Many were used for fighting forest fires. 

The two Tigercats are parked with wings folded next two Douglas Skyraiders carrying underwing armament typical of that used for the Vietnam War.

Three Corsairs grace the parking area at Oshkosh. The one most distant is an F4U-7 in a striking gray color scheme. It was used in the TV serial Baa Baa Black Sheep.

This F4U-4 Corsair flies as "Korean War Hero." It was originally restored by Joe Tobul and his son Jim, but crashed on its way to an air show in 2002, killing Joe. Jim stored it for six years, then rebuilt it to its present condition. 

The Douglas A-26K Counter Invader "Special Kay" is believed to be the only one of its type flying today. Originally a B-26, it was one of 40 converted by the On Mark Engineering Co. in Van Nuys, California, into one of the most deadly fighting machines of the Laotian portion of the Vietnam War. Upon arriving in Thailand as a B-26K, the "B" designation for "bomber" upset that country’s authorities, so the aircraft were redesignated "A" for "attack." 

The A-26K carried a big ordnance load and yet could loiter over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos to interdict truck traffic headed south. Only six Ks still exist. Special Kay was the last off the production line and is the last to remain airworthy.

This Yak 9-UM was built by the Yakovlev factory in 1994 using original jigs, one of a number of replicas that it manufactured for wealthy enthusiasts as an extension of the original production line. The powerplant is an Allison V1710.

Yankee Lady is a B-17G–110–VE, USAF SN 44-85829. It was delivered in 1945 and placed into storage. After a checkered career, and just escaping the smelter, it was purchased by the Yankee Air Force for $250,000 in June 1986 and underwent a nine-year restoration. Today it hops rides at air shows.