Aviation

Ford Trimotor was the world’s first luxury airliner when it took to the skies in the late 1920s. Nicknamed the “Tin Goose”, it featured an aluminum corrugated sheet-metal body and wings and was powered by three 420-hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial engines. Due to its rugged dependability Admiral Byrd chose it for his attempt to be the first person to fly over the South Pole, which he did on November 28, 1929.

Served as a high-altitude escort fighter and a low-level fighter-bomber for the allied forces during World War II. It was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single piston engine. The plane was designed and built around its powerful 2000 horse power Pratt and Whitney radial engine. Due to its thick and massive appearance, it came to be known as ‘The Jug.’

Air Force One is the official call sign for any Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States, though the term most commonly refers to the two Boeing 747 jets bearing the iconic Water and Steel Blue livery.

The Boeing 747 Air Force One, houses an executive suite and private office for the President, as well as a medical annex and communications room featuring at least 19 televisions and 87 telephones. The plane can fuel in midair, contains countermeasures against anti-aircraft missiles and features special shielding to protect the electronics from an electromagnetic pulse resulting from a nuclear attack.

UH-1 Huey® commonly referred to as the ‘Huey’, the Bell® UH-1 Iroquois is arguably the most famous helicopter in the world. Created primarily for utility and medical evacuation purposes, the UH-1 first flew in 1956 and entered combat service during the Vietnam War. A Hollywood icon, the Huey has been featured in many motion pictures and television series.

The Blue Angels is a flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy. Formed in 1946, the unit is one of the oldest formal aerobatic teams in the world.

The F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet is the newest highly capable, affordable and available tactical aircraft in U.S. Navy inventory. The Super Hornet is the backbone of the U.S. Navy carrier air wing now and for decades to come.

Sikorsky® UH-60 Black Hawk® Since being introduced to the Army in 1979 this medium-lift, multi-role helicopter is now used in more than 28 countries world-wide. It has fought its way in and out of countless combat zones to deliver and extract troops, save lives, provide critical supplies and perform as an aerial firefighter and border patroller.

The supersonic F-14 Tomcat is a twin-engine, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. It was developed for the US Navy to counter Soviet MiG Fighter jets. The Tomcat is a two person crew consisting of a pilot in the front seat and a Radar Intercept Officer (RIO) in the back seat.

Capable of carrying over 20,000 lbs., the Sikorsky Skycrane is one of the strongest heavy-lifting helicopters in the world. A firefighting workhorse, the Skycrane can also be fitted to hold 2,650 gallons of water – which it can refill with its hydraulic snorkel system in 45 seconds!

The fastest next-generation helicopter in the world, the Sikorsky® S-97 Raider® features twin four-blade contra-rotating main rotors and a rear pusher propeller, allowing for a top speed of 276 MPH. What makes the Raider even more unique is its ability to turn its rear propeller on and off for ''Whisper Mode'', allowing it to sneak up on targets.

The Lockheed® P-38 Lightning served the US Army in World War II. Recognizable by its distinctive twin boom/central nacelle design, the P-38 was nicknamed the ‘fork-tailed devil’ by axis pilots. Used both as a long-range fighter and fighter/bomber, the P-38 was instrumental in many important WWII missions.

Is an American single-engine ground attack aircraft made famous in combat during World War II by the First American Volunteer Group (AVG) of the Chinese Air Force in 1941-1942, nicknamed the Flying Tigers. While the P-40 could not match the maneuverability of the opposing Japanese fighters, it was faster in a dive, sturdy and had an excellent roll rate.

The U-2 Dragon Lady^® is a high-altitude surveillance aircraft, designed to fly at 70,000 feet and featuring a 103 foot wing span. The U-2^® served the United States during the Cold War and at peak altitude, it could not be tracked by radar, nor shot down.

Is both a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft used by the United States Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy. Its tiltrotor design allows the Osprey to takeoff and land like a helicopter, then fly as a fixed-wing, turboprop aircraft.

Was flown in World War I by the famous Manfred Von Richthofen. The plane's tri-wing design allowed for superior maneuverability which was critical to WWI dogfighting. Due to the triplane's crimson color, Richthofen was dubbed the 'Red Devil' by the WWI French (this nickname was changed to 'Red Baron' after the war).

The consolidated B-24 Liberator, first flown in 1939, began active service in 1941 and was the most produced American aircraft of World War II, with 18,482 built. The Liberator was used in every theater of the war and for a variety of missions from long-range bombing and submarine patrol, to transporting high priority cargo and VIPs.
DIAMOND LIL was the 18th production B-24 built.
Today Diamond Lil is one of two airworthy B-24s.