It's a bird, it's a plane......................

It's Nainoa birthday and he turned three today! We had a busy day today starting with his kinder gym class in the morning,. Then we went to visit Nana's and then we went to an airplane musem. Jonathan took the day off as he has before on Nainoa's birthday to join the celebration! After lots of debating on where to go we ended up at the Yanks Air Museum (there is also the Planes of Fame Museum near by). This museum has the largest private collection of American WWII fighters and dive bombers in the world. At the start of WWII an independent flying school was contracted by the Army Air Forces to provide primary flight training for Army Air Cadets at the Chino Airport. Some of the aircraft currently on display are the only surviving example of its type, while many others are rare in that only a few of that type exist today. The museum has about 120 planes and growing. The museum has a large collection of original factoryplans and all aircrafts are restored to as close to factory standards. The neat thing is that these aircraft are restored so that they are flyable.

Bell 47B1 Helicopter ( Jonathan says it's like the one on M*A*S*H)

Where bombs were dropped from? The smaller hole says gun camera.

Notice anything about this plane? It has no propeller and that's b/c it's a Model 11 Ohka single seat Kamikaze-suicide bomber. These would be carried out to 20 miles or less to their target and dropped to their doom along with the pilot. These could reach up to 750 mph.

This is a Lower Ball Turret and measures less than four feet in diameter. This would have been found protruding from the lower fuselage of a B-17 or B-24 and carried 500 rounds of amo. The operator was known as the belly gunner. I can't imagine what is was like to be prety much under a wing of a plane with nothing but air under you and war planes coming at you.

P-40E-1 Warhawk single seat fighter.

Jonathan pushing the boys around.

F6F-5 Hell Cat single seat carrier based fighter.

This is the restoration hanger where some of the work is being done. They have hundered of parts to different planes they will restore someday. They have on site mechanics working to restore these.


These were neat to look at b/c the wings were made of wood along with the propeller.



Mahoney-Ryan B-1 Brougham.This is considered the sister ship of Charles Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis" and it is considered the only flying example in the world.



The Beech D-17S Staggerwing in its military form. Several engine choices were available for the Staggerwing but the favorite was the Pratt & Whitney R-985 radial. Seen at the Yanks Air Museum.

UC-40A Electra Jr. Utility transport-Two pilot and six passengers. The most famous 10E was purchased by Purdue University for Amelia Earhart. She and her plane vanished in July 3, 1937 suring her flight around the world.