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Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX W/Cdr. - J.E. JohnsonWearing full D-Day identification markings, Spitfire MK329 JE-J 'Junior' was the personal mount of RAF ace pilot James Edgar 'Johnnie' Johnson, one of the RAF's top scoring fighter aces of WWII and one who's impressive tally of 34 confirmed aerial victories was scored exclusively against Luftwaffe single engined fighters. Flying extensively in support of the D-Day landings, Johnson and the squadrons under his command would be employed in aggressively clearing the skies of northern France of Luftwaffe fighter opposition, something they proved rather effective at doing. In fact, by D-Day, Johnson was one of the most successful Allied air aces still flying operationally, with his victories showing no sign of abating. Johnson and his No.127 (RCAF) Wing were one of the first fighter units to be sent to operate from forward landing bases in France following the successful Normandy landings, which is where the unusual story of this particular aircraft comes from. It appears that Spitfire Mk.IX MK329 was something of a hybrid machine and not the one Johnson actually flew in combat, but more of a hack airframe.It is reputed that once his unit had been sent to operate in France, he used this Spitfire to fly back to the UK on unofficial 'Beer Runs', returning to their temporary home with two beer kegs attached under the wing of his aircraft. This practice was frowned upon by the RAF top brass, so units came up with ingenious ways around the restrictions, using standard external fuel tanks which had been thoroughly washed out for the purpose of transporting their beer, however, despite their very best endeavours, the beer still had a nasty aftertaste of fuel. It is thought that as Johnson was particularly highly regarded by both his men and his superiors, a blind eye may have been turned on his unofficial Spitfire sorties and the refreshing ordnance they ferried. There are few details regarding the actual production and service career of Spitfire MK329 in existence, which Johnson described in his memoirs as being a collection of components from various different Spitfires, something of a mix and match airframe. This is borne out by the fact that its seri

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Avro Lancaster Mk 1 Bomber RAAF - NX611 "G for George"Postage Stamp Collection"G for George" is an Avro Lancaster Mk I bomber, squadron code AR-G and serial number W4783, operated by No.460 Squadron RAAF during World War II. It is now on permanent display at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, Australia."George" flew almost 90 combat missions over occupied Europe with No.460 Squadron, and its second most prolific surviving Lancaster, behind "S for Sugar" of No. 467 Squadron RAAF (137 operations). Most operational Lancaster were shot down before they had reached 20 operations.Upon its retirement from combat duty in 1944, "George was flown to Australia by an all-RAAF crew of Bomber Command veterans. The bomber played a major part in raising War Bonds during a round-Australia publicity trip. After the war, it stood in the open air at RAAF Base Fairbairn, its fate uncertain, before being moved to the Australian War Memorial in 1955.This Die-cast metal airplane model comes in 1:150 scale with plastic stand and is approximately 5.5 inches long with 8 inch wingspan.

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Curtiss P40 Warhawk -USAAF- 2nd Lt. Kenneth M Taylor - Wheeler Field, Pearl Harbor Raid - 7th December, 1941Wingspan 6.2"Having been posted to the US Army Air Corps’ 47th Pursuit Squadron at Wheeler Field on Honolulu Island in April 1941, Second Lieutenant Kenneth Taylor quickly showed his flying abilities and was given the position of flight commander soon after his arrival. In late November, the 47th Pursuit Squadron and their Curtiss P-40B fighters were sent to nearby Haleiwa Field for aerial gunnery exercises, shooting at flag targets and perfecting their aim. At the end of a busy period, Taylor and his squadron mate friend George Welch were granted weekend leave, so on the evening of 6th December and wearing full black tie dress, they headed for the Officers Club at Hickham Field, expecting a ‘real good time’. In the morning, while still sleeping off the effects of the previous night, the pair woke to the sound of low flying aeroplanes, explosions and machine gun fire - Wheeler Field was under attack. Pulling on their tuxedo trousers, Taylor rang ahead to Haleiwa and told them to prepare his and Welch’s fighters, before jumping in his Buick and traveling the ten minutes to the airfield at high speed. Immediately taking to the air and heading back towards Wheeler, the pair chased the Japanese aircraft towards Pearl Harbor, raking any aircraft which entered their sights with machine gun fire.

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M4A1 Sherman 'Beute Panzer'Having the opportunity to capture a fully working example of your enemy’s latest battle tank is a situation which was highly prized by all the combatant nations during the Second World War, allowing their capabilities to be assessed and to ascertain the most effective ways of destroying them. This detailed evaluation would usually be carried out by a specialist Military High Command unit well behind the front lines, but getting your war prize back there during the heat of battle could be a challenging process. This particular early Sherman tank was captured by 1st Company, 501st Heavy Tank Battalion in Tunisia, during operations to counter the Anglo-American invasion of French North Africa in late 1942 and must have looked rather conspicuous parked amongst the German Tiger 1 and Panzer III tanks which were heading towards the fighting. The fascinating hand painted warning on the side of the Sherman is basically warning German troops not to remove any items from the enemy tank, as it has been commandeered by German Military High Command and is destined to be sent back to Germany for test and evaluation. In addition to the rather crudely applied Balkenkreuz markings on the turret of the Sherman, the unit responsible for securing such a significant trophy also ensured their details were included in the hand painted warning on the hull sides of the tank, presumably knowing that the message would be seen by thousands of military personnel during its journey back to Germany and wanting their achievement recognized.The German Army had first en

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C130 Hercules - Variant H - United States Coast Guard Postage Stamp CollectionDie-cast metal plane with plastic stand The C-130® Hercules® is a medium/long-range versatile combat transport aircraft that is regularly sent on missions in the harshest environments. No other aircraft in history can match its versatility, flexibility and relevance. The C-130 is one of the most widely used transport aircraft by military forces worldwide. With over 1 million hours flying, it has remained in continuous production longer than any other military aircraft.The HC-130H Hercules® version is operated by the United States Coast Guard primarily acquired for long-range overwater search missions, support airlift, maritime patrol, North Atlantic Ice Patrol and command and control of search and rescue. The HC-130H can exceed 2,600 nautical miles (4,815km) in low-altitude flight with a mission endurance of up to 14 hours. Equipped with Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), Omega, Loran-C, Global Positioning System (GPS), radar and guidance aids all enhance the HC-130's effectiveness during long-range maritime patrols. It is also have the capability of air dropping rescue equipment to survivors at sea or over open terrain.

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Supermarine Spitfire MK. II RAF - Battle of BritainPostage Stamp CollectionThe Supermarine Spitfire is a single-seat fighter aircraft used by the RAF and many Allied countries during World War II. Designed by R.J. Mitchell and produced by Supermarine, the Spitfire was designed with remarkably thin elliptical wings with the thinnest possible cross-section, which enabled it to travel at speeds that exceeded those of other aircraft fighters of its time. Equipped with a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, and 8 x 0.303" Browning machine guns, the Spitfire was a fast and maneuverable fighter and was the only fighter aircraft to be in continual production and development before, during and after the war.During the Battle of Britain, which was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces, the Spitfire was part of an important battle tactic, where the Spitfire squadrons were sent up to engage the German fighter escorts, leaving the Hurricane to attack the German bombers. The spitfire Mk IIa, serial P7966 D-B "Manxman" was the aircraft of Wing Commander Douglas Bader, a RAF Fighter Ace, when he started leading the Tangmere Wing in March of 1941. The P7966 was one of the first to carry CO Bader's initials on the fuselage instead of standard code markings. This Die-cast metal airplane model comes in 1:93 scale with plastic stand and is approximately 3 3/4 inches long with 4 3/4 inch wingspan.

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Messerschmitt BF 109 - Adolf GallandPostage Stamp CollectionThe Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a single-seat fighter aircraft that was the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force during World War II. It was considered the most advanced structural design and aerodynamics of the time, with a low-wing, leading edge slats, a closed cockpit and retractable landing gears. It is the most produced fighter aircraft in history, with a total of 33,984 airframes produced from 1936 up to April 1945.German Ace Adolf Galland flew the Bf 109 during the campaign against France in 1940 and was commander of Fighter Wing JG62 during the Battle of Britain, by the end of which he had destroyed 58 enemy planes. In November 1941 he was promoted to the post of commander of the Luftwaffe's Fighter Arm, and a year later he was promoted to major general, becoming at age 30 the youngest general in the German armed forces.

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Vought F4U Corsair - VFM-214 "Black Sheep" - Pappy BoyingtonPostage Stamp CollectionDie-cast metal plane with plastic stand The F4U Corsair was a naval fighter aircraft used by the United States Navy and Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean War. Its excellent capabilities and performance made it very successful for the USMC. The F4U had a long production life span and was last produced in 1952. It had a max speed of 417 mph and carried six .50 caliber machine guns or four 20mm cannons, as well as a pair of 2000 lb. bombs and air rockets.F4U aircraft #86 was piloted by Maj. Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, Commanding Officer of the VMF-214 "Black Sheep" Squadron who fought their way to fame in the Pacific Theatre of World War II. Flying out of their home airfield out of Vella Lavella, the "Black Sheep" piled up a record 203 planes destroyed or damaged, troop transports and supply ships sunk, and ground installations destroyed in their first 84 days. Boyington himself claims a record 28 total kills. He was shot down on January 3, 1944 and was a prisoner of war for 20 months until the Japanese surrender. He was awarded both the Medal of Honor and Navy Cross on October, 1945. The mid-1970s television show "Baa Baa Black Sheep" was very loosely based on his memoirs.

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Vought F4U Corsair - USN #167Postage Stamp CollectionDie-cast metal plane with plastic standThe F4U Corsair was a naval fighter aircraft used by the United States Navy and Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean War. Its excellent capabilities and performance made it very successful for the USMC. The F4U had a long production life span and was last produced in 1952. It had a max speed of 417 mph and carried six .50 caliber machine guns or four 20mm cannons, as well as a pair of 2000 lb. bombs and air rockets.F4U aircraft #86 was piloted by Maj. Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, Commanding Officer of the VMF-214 "Black Sheep" Squadron who fought their way to fame in the Pacific Theatre of World War II. Flying out of their home airfield out of Vella Lavella, the "Black Sheep" piled up a record 203 planes destroyed or damaged, troop transports and supply ships sunk, and ground installations destroyed in their first 84 days. Boyington himself claims a record 28 total kills. He was shot down on January 3, 1944 and was a prisoner of war for 20 months until the Japanese surrender. He was awarded both the Medal of Honor and Navy Cross on October, 1945. The mid-1970s television show "Baa Baa Black Sheep" was very loosely based on his memoirs.

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B-1B Lancer - Boss Hawg - USAF Postage Stamp Collection The Rockwell International (now Boeing) B-1B Lancer is a four-engine, supersonic, swing wing, jet powered, heavy strategic bomber. Used by the United States Air Force, it is primarily a low-level penetrator. The B-1B has long range capability and travels at high altitude with speed of Mach 1.25, and at low level speed of Mach 0.92. The B-1B celebrated its first flight on December 23, 1974 and became operational in 1986 with USAF Strategic Air Command as a nuclear bomber. In early 1990s B-1B fleet was reassigned to Air Combat Command and aircrafts were converted to use conventional and all-weather guided “smart” munitions. Its first combat mission occurred in 1998 during Operation “Desert Fox” in Iraq. In 1999 it was again deployed to support Operation “Allied Force” in Kosovo. Commonly called the “Bone”, derived from “B-One”, the B-1B holds 61 world records for speed, payload and distance. And while inventory of the B1-B was reduced from 91 aircraft, 67 still remain in service, and are expected to continue service until 2030. B-1B Lancer named “Boss Hawg” Tail# 84-0051 is 10th B-1B produced. This Die-cast metal airplane model comes in 1:221 scale with plastic stand.

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UH-1 US Army Huey Medevac Postage Stamp CollectionDie-cast model with plastic display stand Developed by Bell Helicopter, the “Huey” was nicknamed after the phonetic sound of its original designation, the HU-1 Iroquois. In 1962 the designation was changed to UH-1, but “Huey” remained and became so popular that Bell began casting the name on the helicopter’s anti-torque pedals. The Huey was developed in 1952 in order to meet the United States Army’s requirement for a medical evacuation and utility helicopter. With its first flight on October 20, 1956, the Huey began arriving in Vietnam in 1963. Used for MEDEVAC, command and control, and air assault, Hueys became, more than any other aircraft, a symbol of the Vietnam War. The Huey’s ability to carry patients inside the aircraft was a key element in the reduction of mortality and morbidity. Medical personnel could begin treatment during the flight to a field hospital, reducing the average delay until treatment to one hour, helping to reduce the mortality rate to 1 death per 100 casualties. With the unmistakable sound of its blades, the sound of an approaching Huey was said by those that served in Vietnam to be the sound of rescue, the sound of freedom and the sound of going home.

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