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P-47D-30-RE, serial number 228901, G8-N, "The Eyes of Texas"516 viewsThis P47D was assigned to pilot Capt. Joseph Z. Matte, 378th Fighter Squadron, 362nd Fighter Group, Ninth Air Force, Rennes, France, August 1944.
Capt. Matte finished the war with 7 kills, 1 probable, 1 damaged (all air).He destroyed numerous on the ground with gun-fire and bombs. He flew 99 missions.
Capt. Matte was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Distinguished Flying Cross with one oak leaf cluster, and Air Medal with 18 oak leaf clusters.
He was from Port Arthur, TX.Jul 16, 2006
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P-47D-27-RE Thunderbolt #605, "OH JOHNNIE".542 viewsThis P-47D was assigned to pilot Lt. Raymond Knight, 346th Fighter Squadron, 350th Fighter Group, 12th Air Force in April 1945. The aircraft was named after his wife. They were from Houston, TX.
This P-47D was originally with the Brazilian Air Force operating in Italy with the US 12th Air Force as were many of these aircraft flown by the 350th Fighter Group. The Brazilian Air Force usually assigned letters and numbers on their cowlings. The USAAF added a number just aft of the cowling. Often, our numbers were converted Brazilian style letters. Hence, our zeros looked like the letter D, eights looked like the letter B and so on. The irregular placement and style of these numbers was typical fo the 350th Fighter Group.
In April of 1945, Lt. Knight led several low level strafing attacks against airfields in northern Italy. During the attack on Ghedi airfield, he went in alone to find the location of the enemy aircraft, drawing heavy fire in the process. He then led his flight in the attack, destroying five aircraft. He returned to base to lead another attack against Bergamo airfield. As before, he went in alone to locate the enemy aircraft, drawing heavy fire. He then led his flight destroying eight aircraft. During this attack, his aircraft was heavily damaged. The next day, he led another attack against Bergamo to destroy the remaining aircraft and again his aircraft was severly damaged. Lt. Knight was killed trying to bring his damaged aircraft home when it crashed in the mountains. For these actions he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Lt. Knight flew 84 missions destroying 24 enemy aircraft before his death.Jul 16, 2006
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P-47D-25-RE581 viewsThis P-47D-25-RE was assigned to pilot Major Hal G. Shook of the 506th Fighter Squadron, 404th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force in October 1944.
The invasion stripes on this aircraft have been overpainted with olive drab on the upper surfaces. Also of note, this is the only armed and operational P-47D seen without landing gear covers on the main wheels.Jul 16, 2006
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P-40B Warhawk428 viewsThis P-40B was the first prototype Curtiss provided for flight evaluation at Wright-Patterson in 1940. This version was exported to the RAF and designated Tomahawk IIA.Jul 15, 2006
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P-51D Mustang E2-Y481 viewsP51D, serial number 414460, E2-Y was assigned to pilot John W. Johnston of the 375th Fighter Squadron, 361st Fighter Group, Little Walden, England, 1945.
John W. Johnston is the father of Austin Scale Modelers Society member Jack Johnston.
The notch out of the fuselage national insignia is on both sides of the aircraft. This aircraft also had the rearward facing radar installed on the vertical stabilizer.
Special thanks to Jack Johnston for excellent photo references.Jul 15, 2006
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P-51D CL-M "Katydid"551 viewsP-51D, serial number 414223, was assigned to Lt. Col. Elwyn Righetti, 338th Fighter Squadron, 55th Fighter Group.
Righetti was the top straffer ace who had 27 aircraft destroyed on the ground as well as 7.5 in the air.
RiP-51D CL-M "Katydid" was one the most weathered aircraft one will see photographs of. The spinner stripes were even crooked. This model represents the aircraft in December 1944.
Jul 15, 2006
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P-51D-10-NA, Old Crow379 viewsP-51D-10-NA was assigned to Capt. Clarence "Bud" Anderson, 362nd Fighter Squadron, 357 Fighter Group, in December 1944.
In November 1944, this aircraft was overall olive drab upper surfaces and neutral gray under side. Anderson's off-handed remark to his ground crew to the effect that he would like to have the aircraft in natural metal resulted in the overnight removal of the paint by his crew using gasoline rags to remove all but the name and kill markings. Jul 15, 2006
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P-51B-10-NA, VF-P, Reggie's Reply583 viewsThis was the assigned aircraft of Capt. John T. Godfrey, 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group in April 1944.
This new aircraft was presented to him on his return from leave. Twenty black swastikas under the cockpit showed Godfrey's tally at the time. The aircraft was named after Godrey's brother Reggie who was lost in the Atlantic when his ship was torpedoed by a German submarine, hence Reggie's Reply. Jul 15, 2006
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P-47M-1-RE452 viewsP-47M-1-RE, serial number 4-21175, 63rd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group was given this special marking for the Paris Air Show in May of 1945.
The port side of the aircraft had Hub Zemke's kill marks below the canopy although Zemke never did pilot this particular aircraft. Lt. Paul C. Dawson was the aircraft's pilot.Jul 15, 2006
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P-47M Thunderbolt560 viewsP-47M, serial number 4-21116, HV-J was in the 61st Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, Boxted England 1945.
It was assigned to pilot Lt. Russell S. Kyler, and it was named 'Lorene' after the pilot's sweetheart.
Russell Kyler currently lives south of Austin, Tx. He has been to King's Hobby and visited with their staff.Jul 15, 2006
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P-40E Warhawk461 viewsThis P40E, "Bob's Robin", #94, was flown by Lt. Robert H. Vaught, 9th Fighter Squadron, 49th Fighter Group, Australia, Summer 1942.
Lt. Vaught flew from a jungle air strip. On one mission, he was bitten shortly after takeoff by a snake that had crawled into his cockpit. He managed to land the aircraft and survived the venomous bite.Jul 15, 2006
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F-84G Thunderjet, FS-229707 viewsThis F-84G 51-1226 was flown by Major Don Gravenstive, CO of the 492nd Bomber Squadron, 48th Fighter Wing, USAFE, Chaumont, France, 1952Jul 15, 2006
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