Painted to represent B-25H 43-4381 "Dog Daize" of the 82nd BS, 12th BG operating in Indochina in 1943/44, this is really 43-4999. After storage and post-war disposal, it was sold on to the Dominican Air Force with s/n 2502, returning to the US as N3970C in 1952. It became derelict at West Trenton-Mercer County Airport, NJ after another Latin American sale fell through and was eventually seized by the airport authorities for non-payment of fees. In 1970 it was donated to the Bradly Air Museum and survived damage in the 1979 tornado, undergoing restoration from 1986 to 1993

Delivered to the US Army in 1962 as a CV-2B and named "The Ruptured Duck" while based at Fort Benning GA, this Caribou was reassigned to the USAF in 1967 and operated from Cam Rahn AB with the 458th TAS. On return from Vietnam, in 1976 it transferred to the 150th TAS at McGuire AFB, NJ then the 135th TAS, Martin State, MD. In 1980 it went back to the US Army with the National Guard here at Bradley Field, coming under the control of the Connecticut Aviation Classification Repair Activity Depot in 1990 in these unusual colours. Given to museum by 1992 having made the last flight by a C-7

This B-29 was recovered from the Aberdeen Proving Ground by the Bradley Air Museum in 1973 and although damaged in the 1979 tornado, was restored between 1998 and 2003 (using the rear fuselage of 44-61739). Although the aircraft was too late to see war service, it was painted to represent 46-1566 (without serial) which had flown with the 468th BG/58th BW from Tinian.

Beautifully restored, this early F-100 was another local resident, operated by the CT ANG's 118th TFS/103rd TFG from 1959 to 1964

This is a single Lockheed Model 10 built as an XR2O-1 for the Secretary of the Navy with BuNo 0267. Post war it flew as N57573 with various corporate operators and airlines, including a short period with Provincetown-Boston Airline in early 1962. It joined the Wings and Wheels Museum in Orlando in the early 1980s and was later transferred to its current location, where it was restored in these Northwest Airlines colours by 2010

It's 49 years since I'd been to this collection, back then known as the Bradley Air Museum. At that time, the only surviving VS-44 of the three built was lying dismantled and unrestored at the Naval Air Museum, Pensacola, having been donated by Antilles Air Boats who had used it to ferry passengers among the Virgin Islands until damaged beyond repair in January 1969 on hitting rocks while taxiing at Charlotte Amalie. In 1983 it was transferred on permanent loan to NEAM, first being shipped by barge to Sikorsky Memorial Airport, Stratford, CT where restoration took place between 1987 and 1997

Photo by Tom Hildreth.

The Curtiss O-52 Owl was the last of the US Army's O series observation aircraft, ordered into production only in 1940. It was found to be unsuitable for combat, and this aircraft was used as a subject in a military photography course at Yale University. Photo by: Andreas Feininger / Life

Photographer unknown

Preserved at the New England Air Museum at Bradley International Airport. Photo by Tom Hildreth.

'Doman Helicopters, Inc, flew its first passengers in a Doman LZ-5 'air taxi' on July 13th, in Danbury, Connecticut. There were seven passengers taking the historic initial flight. The LZ-5 is a commercial version of the YH-31 evacuation ambulance which carries four litters plus an attendant and the pilot.' This was the first LZ-5 prototype, first flown on 27 April 1953. Three were built. 52-5779 was also N13458. It is said that the US Army used 52-5779 and 52-5780 around Washington, DC as VH-31s, but that seems rather unlikely. Photo from: Vertical Flight Society

Photo by Tom Hildreth.

Photo by Tom Hildreth.

This Jug is in reality 45-49458 and is on display at this super museum.

K-28 was delivered to the U.S. Navy in December 1942 and was assigned to Blimp Squadron ZP-14 to serve as an anti-submarine convoy escort. After the war, K-28 was renamed 'Puritan' and used as a testing platform by Goodyear as well as touring most eastern and midwestern states before retirement and storage in 1948. Only the control car gondola survived and it has been painstakingly and wonderfully restored to be on display at this super museum.

On display at this super museum.

Photographer unknown - w/o 9 december 1987

This Canberra is part of the National Museum of the United States Air Force Loan Program and is on loan to NEAM.

After decomissioning, this Kaydet became N66722 and then N374RA and is now on display at this super museum.

This Tracer was built as a WF-2 and TOC with the US Navy around 1959. It was redesignated as a E-1B in July 1962 and permanently wfu in November 1977. It then joined the inventory of National Naval Aviation Museum-Loan Program at NAS Pensacola. It is on loan at the New England Air Museum and presently undergoing restoration there.