Fighters Draw The Crowds At AirVenture

An F-16 flies close formation with P-51D Mustang “Baby Duck” in the markings of Capt. Herbert G. Kolb, a West Point graduate who was credited with 14.5 ground kills while serving in the U.S. Army 8th Air Force, 353rd Fighter Group, 350th Fighter Squadron, based at Raydon, England in 1944-45. The original "Baby Duck" was lost in action later in World War II. The aircraft here was acquired by Mustang Historic Military Aircraft, LLC, and is maintained and operated by Warbird Heritage Foundation. It was restored to airworthy condition by Tab-Air, Inc., of East Troy, WI.

“Baby Duck” taxis in with paint intact after its close formation flying with the F-16.

“Alabama Rammer Jammer” heads this line-up of P-51D Mustangs.

An increasing number of Curtiss P-40s of all models are taking to the skies. Powered by an Allison engine they lacked the all-round performance of the P-51 Mustang, but were well suited to lower-level operations in the desert and Asia. Many also served in Russia, and old airframes are still being recovered there.

The British Royal Air Force was thought to have been the first to apply shark-mouth markings to the P-40, but the motif was made famous by Chennault’s Flying Tigers in China.

Now you know what marine pilots dream about – an FG-1D Corsair fighter, seen here with its cranked wings folded for carrier operations. About 34 Corsairs remain flyable in the world today.

The British Hawker Sea Fury has proven popular in private hands in the U.S., particularly for air racing. It’s Bristol Centaurus sleeve valve engine is commonly replaced by a Pratt & Whitney radial, as in this example on the flight line at Oshkosh.

This P-51D bears two identities: “Dakota Kid II” and “Long Island Kid.” The re-born “Dakota Kid” is a “parts” airplane rebuilt from the ground up at Tri-State Aviation in Wahpeton, North Dakota. The wings and flying surfaces were rebuilt by Bob Odegaard of Odegaard Aviation in Kindred, North Dakota, and the remainder of the total restoration project was undertaken by Jerry Beck and his crew at Wahpeton, North Dakota. Both identities were used on P-51Ds flown by Captain Noble Peterson, who was credited with three known kills and four probable over his two tours of duty in the UK in 1944.

P-51D Mustang “Baby Duck” taxis out for another mission at Oshkosh.

Just some of the jet fighters and trainers at Oshkosh. No fewer than three F-86D Sabres roared through the skies, along with numberous Czech Aero Vodochody L-39 trainers.