Participants
Bombers
Grumman TBM “Avenger”
The TBM saw its first combat in WWII during the Battle of Midway as a low level torpedo bomber against the Japanese fleet. As the war in the Pacific progressed and the US gained the upper hand, there developed a shortage of targets as most of the the enemy shipping was on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The Avenger was then turned into a low level bomber to support the Marines and soldiers in the island hopping campaign of the US military on the road to Japan. Another important role for the TBM was that of anti-submarine hunter in the Atlantic, helping to turn the tide against the dreaded U-boat. The TBM is the Eastern aircraft Division of General Motor’s license built version of the Grumman TBF. 7,546 TBMs were built by Eastern.
Dave Tinker of Monroe, MI enroute to an air show in his TBM, “Ida Red”, which will again be appearing at this year’s event. Make sure you visit the Avenger on the ramp and note the size of the aircraft, and the crew locations for the pilot, radio operator, and tail gunner. This TBM is painted in the gray that was used by the anti-submarine aircraft working from the jeep carriers in the North Atlantic that did the convoy protection duty.
Boeing B-17G “Flying Fortress”
For many persons the Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress” is considered to be the most famous American bomber of World War II, and during that conflict was used extensively to attack both military and industrial targets in Europe, and especially Germany. Attesting to the large scale on which the air war was fought during this conflict, over 4,700 B-17s were shot down by either anti-aircraft artillery or enemy fighters. This was 37% of all “Flying Fortresses” that were produced between 1935 and 1945.
The “Yankee Lady” is a B-17G, of which 8,680 were produced, making it the most produced model, and what is also considered to be the definitive “Flying Fort.” With its (13) .50-caliber machine guns, chin, top, ball and tail turrets; waist and cheek guns, the B-17G was indeed a “Flying Fortress”. It was also valued by the air crews that flew it into combat for its ability to withstand heavy combat damage and still return them safely home.
This will be the third year in a row the “Yankee Lady”, which is owned and operated by the Yankee Air Force from Belleville, MI, will return to The Indianapolis Air Show. This attests to her popularity among the air show crowd each year.
Yankee Lady will be offering rides during Air Show weekend. Click here for more information.
North American B-25J “Mitchell”
The B-25 was made famous by sixteen B-25s that participated in the famous raid on Tokyo led by Lt. Col. James Doolittle from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet on April 18, 1942. This was accomplished in spite of the fact that the B-25 was never envisioned or designed to take off from an aircraft carrier. This year we will have the training version of the J model, which was the last B-25 production version manufactured by North American Aviation (NAA), at the show. Almost 4,400 B-25Js were built, far more than any other model of the aircraft. The B-25J was an improved B-25H but looked like a cross between a B-25C and a B-25H, with the solid gun nose of the H model replaced by a ‘greenhouse’ with one fixed and one flexible .50-cal. machine gun in the nose for the bombardier to sit, while still retaining the four .50 cal. package guns in the fuselage.
The TB-25J on pictured above was built at the North American Aviation facility in Kansas City, KS and was ready for delivery in August 1945, but because the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) contract for B-25’s had been cancelled, the aircraft has placed in storage at Altus, OK. It was removed from storage in 1948 and assigned to Bolling Field, D.C. where it was converted to a pilot trainer and re-designated as a TB-25J. For the next 11 years it carried out pilot training duties at Bolling, Kelly, Offutt, and Wright-Patterson Air Bases, at which point in 1959 Serial Number 45-8898 was released for disposal in and stricken from USAF inventory.
Sold for surplus for $2,202 in 1959, this B-25 sat derelict in Texas until 1983 when it was purchased by a new owner and totally restored. After passing through a third owner, TB-25J 45-8898 was purchased by the Tri-State Warbird Museum in 2004.
Big, noisy on take-off and always fun to watch fly!
New to the Indianapolis Air Show!!
Lockheed PV-2 “Harpoon”
The Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon was introduced late in WWII as a follow up patrol bomber to the PV-1 Ventura, which was used extensively by both the US Navy and British as a land based anti-submarine/shipping aircraft. The Harpoon could carry up to 3,000 lbs of bombs or depth charges and normally had 5 forward (7 with the dorsal turret rotated forward) firing .50 caliber machine guns for strafing attacks. Harpoons served in the Central Pacific and in the Aleutian Islands and then later with various Naval reserve squadrons during the 1950’s.
“Hot Stuff”, the PV-2 which is owned and operated by The American Military Heritage Foundation at the Mt. Comfort Airport, makes a high speed pass. This PV-2 arrived at Mt. Comfort in early 1980 and has been flying to various air shows in the US ever since. Like many WWII aircraft that are still flying today, she had commercial uses after the war that prevented her from being scrapped and being lost forever, which in her case was to spray for insects, especially fire ants, in the southern US, before being purchased by the AMHF.
Consolidated B-24A “Liberator”
Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego, CA, began design on the B-24 in 1938 to try to improve on the performance of the Boeing B-17 which was just coming into service at the time. The B-24 incorporated the new Davis airfoil and the high aspect ratio wing design, Fowler wing flaps, the first tricycle landing gear on a heavy bomber, and distinctive twin tails.
The B-24 was employed in operations in every combat theater during World War II, and because of its great range and endurance, it was particularly suited for such missions as the famous raid from North Africa against the oil industry at Ploesti, Rumania on August 1, 1943. This feature also made the airplane suitable for long over-water missions in the Pacific Theater. More than 18,000 Liberators were produced in three different locations: San Diego, TX and Ft. Worth, TX by Consolidated and at Willow Run, MI by Ford Motor Company. The Ford plant was built specifically for the mass production of the “Liberator” and also produced “kits” for assembly of the aircraft in other locations.
“Ol 927” is the oldest B-24A type aircraft in existence today, being the 25th off of the assembly line and actually manufactured as an LB-30 (LB designating “Liberator British) for the Royal Air Force. En route to England the aircraft suffered an accident and had to be rebuilt by Consolidated, which remanufactured her as a transport aircraft. She was then operated by Consolidated Aviation as a company transport for the duration of WWII, during which time she was known as “Old 927”. After the war she was owned by Continental Can, PMEX, and finally the CAF, which purchased her in 1967. During the winter of 2006-2007 this aircraft was returned to her original B-24A configuration, repainted, and given the name “Ol 927.”
Do not miss this rare opportunity to see and hear the world’s oldest B-24A take to the air at the show this year. “Ol 927” is owned by The Commemorative Air Force and is operated by The B-29/B-24 Squadron of the CAF out of Midland, TX.
This group will be offering B-24 rides during Air Show weekend. Click here for more information.
Back by popular demand!
