Gallery: Warbirds, Always A Crowd Favorite, Return To Oshkosh
Brett SchaufJuly 25, 2023
Last Of Its Kind
Credit: Brett Schauf
Oshkosh, WI
This Republic Aviation P-47D Thunderbolt was built in 1944. It is the last surviving flightworthy razorback P-47D from the Evansville plant.
Texan With A Sting
Credit: Brett Schauf/Aviation Week
Oshkosh, WI
This T-6 Texan is based in Sweetwater, Texas, at the WASP Museum. After Pearl Harbor, 28 experienced female pilots volunteered to deliver newly built trainer aircraft to flight schools in the southern U.S. These civilian women formed the first female squadron of the Women Air Service Pilots (WASP) in the late summer of 1942. Ultimately, 1,074 more women served with the WASP.
Texan Tails
Credit: Brett Schauf/Aviation Week
Oshkosh, WI
North American T-6 Texan Trainers are parked in line on Warbird Ally. Serving as a trainer aircraft for the United States Air Force and Navy as well as the Royal Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force for decades, the T-6 is a popular warbird at airshows. Nearly 15,500 T-6s of all variants were built.
This B-25 Panchito, operated by the Delaware Aviation Museum Foundation, is on static display at EAA Airventure 2023. An F-22 Raptor is making an overhead show pass in the background. The Panchito is a B-25J model gunship version. The Mitchell B-25 went into production before the start of World War II and served in both theaters through the war's end.
Naval F4U-4 Corsair
Credit: Brett Schauf/Aviation Week
Oshkosh, WI
The single-pilot Vought F4U-4 Corsair is powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 producing 2,450 hp. It had a maximum payload of 4000 lb. of bombs or eight 5-in. rockets as well as six .50-caliber machine guns or four 20-mm cannons.
American Honor Foundation owns and operates this P-51D Mustang. The aircraft was manufactured in 1944 at North American Aviation's Dallas plant. Although this aircraft did not fly in World War II, it did see active duty with the U.S. Air Force until 1957. In 2008, a new V-1650-9 Merlin engine was installed when the aircraft underwent a complete restoration.
P-40 Warhawk
Credit: Brett Schauf/Aviation Week
Oshkosh, WI
Tim Savage owns and operates this 1943 P-40 Warhawk fighter/attack aircraft. This aircraft saw combat with the Royal Australian Air Force and crashed in 1944. It was rescued in 2001 in New Zealand and restored from 2006-09. An Allison V-1710 V-12 powers the aircraft. Curtis-Wright produced more than 13,700 P-40s from 1939-44.
Heritage Flight
Credit: Brett Schauf/Aviation Week
Oshkosh, WI
Two P-51 Mustangs join up with a Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. The Air Force Heritage Flight Foundation was formed in December 2010, bringing together modern fighter and attack aircraft flying with vintage warbirds as a living memorial to all who have or are serving.
T-28 Trojans
Credit: Brett Schauf/Aviation Week
Oshkosh, WI
Two T-28 Trojans sit on the ramp as the F-22 Raptor taxis out for its airshow performance. Manufactured by North American Aviation, the T-28 was a radial-engined military trainer used by the U.S. Air Force and Navy. It became the primary trainer in the 1950s and served as such into the early 1980s.