Aircraft of the Show

Here are a just a few of the aircraft that have been a part of the Leesburg Airshow.

P51- Mustang

The North American P-51 Mustang was an American long-range single-seat fighter aircraft that entered service with Allied air forces in the middle years of World War II. The P-51 became one of the conflict’s most successful and recognizable aircraft. The P-51 flew most of its wartime missions as a bomber escort in raids over Germany, helping ensure Allied air superiority from early 1944. Once sold at surplus auction for $2,000, a restored P-51 easily exceeds $1 million in value today.

SNJ/T6 Texan

The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s. Designed by North American Aviation, the T-6 is known by a variety of designations depending on the model and operating air force. The USAAC designated it as the “AT-6” and the US Navy the “SNJ”. The T-6 was known as “the pilot maker” because if its role preparing pilots for combat.

Grumman TBF Avenger

The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air and naval services around the world. The Avenger entered U.S. service in 1942, and first saw action during the Battle of Midway. Despite the loss of five of the six Avengers on its combat debut, it survived in service to become one of the outstanding torpedo bombers of World War II. Greatly modified after the war, it remained in use until the 1960s.

Japanese “Kate” Bomber

The aircraft operated by Japanese Bomber, LLC is a 1943 SNJ-4 aircraft that has been modified to resemble the Nakajima “Kate” bomber. Kate is the plane’s Allied reporting name. Nakajima B5N was the standard carrier torpedo bomber of the Imperial Japanese Navy for much of World War II. Primarily a carrier-based aircraft, it was also occasionally used as a land-based bomber. The B5N carried a crew of three: pilot, navigator/bombardier/observer, and radio operator/gunner.

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