b'F-16 Viper andHeritage FlightThe P-38 Lightning, dubbed the fork-tailed devil by terrified enemies, was one of the most influential fighters of WWII. The twin-engine plane was first conceived by Lockheed in 1937 and officially introduced in 1940. The P-38s guns and supercharged engines that could power it to 400 miles per hour made it a formidable weapon in the American arsenal. P-38s went on to fly more than 130,000 missions over Europe, the Mediterranean, the Pacific, North Africa and the Aleutian Islands.The P-47 Thunderbolt was one of the heaviest and most heavily-armed fighters of WWII. Built by Republic Aviation, the P-47 was instrumental as a ground-attack aircraft asthe allies made their push from the beaches of Normandy into Germanys heartland. The plane remained in service through the 1950s, with other countries continuing to utilize them for years.The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk anchored Americas aerial arsenal during the early years of WWII. Recognizable thanks to the fearsome shark teeth painted around the air intake, the fighter was especially valuable in the China-Burma-India Theater, where it was made famous by Gen. Claire Lee Chennaults Flying Tigers. The plane was upgraded The Douglas Aircraft Companys A-1 Skyraider was onethroughout the war, but was eventually overtaken by newer aircraft like the P-51 Mustang and the P-38 Lightning.of the most versatile and beloved aircraft in Americas post-war arsenal. The Skyraider sprang from the Navys decision to combine the jobs of dive-bombing and torpedo missions into one platform, but eventually became indispensable asa close-air support aircraft. WWII ended shortly after the first Skyraiders were ordered, but the aircraft was used in Korea and Vietnam and entered service for American allies across the globe.JBMDLAir and Space Open HousePower In The Pines 2023 25'