Arizona Warplanes

I’ve participated in a good number of air shows where a handful of former front-line Warplanes may still be seen aloft. Many have been retired to museums, or they are now standing as gate guardians outside their former airbases. These Warplanes are a significant part of our modern history, and they deserve to be remarked upon and remembered. For that reason, I felt there was a need for a handbook that could be used as a guide for aviation enthusiasts to point the way to where you can find those surviving Warplanes in the state of Arizona. Many examples of aircraft that saw service with the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC), the United States Army Air Force (USAAF), the United States Navy (USN), and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) have been or are currently being salvaged and preserved in Arizona, particularly where they are of significant historical interest. As an aviation enthusiast, I have learned over the years that there are a lot of us who have an interest in military aircraft and aviation history. Unfortunately, many retired warplanes which helped to make this history happen have completely disappeared, particularly those from the early years. Fortunately, a good number of retired warplanes continue to exist, preserved in aviation museums and in some cases as gate-guardians in a wide variety of locations. Volunteers working in many of these museums have been successful in preserving a good number of them, although many are still being sought and in some cases, being restored to flying condition again. As an aviation artist, photographer and enthusiast, I have attempted to keep track of where these warplane survivors are presently located, and to try to identify at least one each of every warplane ever flown with a military pilot at the controls. For those of like mind, the purpose of this handbook is to provide a simple checklist of the classic heritage aircraft that have been preserved in Arizona. The book includes a number of photographs to try and illustrate an example of each warplane preserved in Arizona wherever possible, and to list the locations in the state for where one can find an example of surviving aircraft now. It is exciting to see the actual numbers of restored warplanes increasing as a few rare examples are being recovered from their crash sites in the bush, traded for, or bought back from owners who have been flying them in other countries. In a few outstanding cases, accurate replicas, such as the X-15, have been constructed and are making a welcome appearance. One of the aims of this book is to identify what Arizona’s retired warplanes on active service looked like and to help an enthusiast track down more detailed information such as a serial number or museum location which might be helpful in identifying an aircraft. Aircraft are listed in this handbook alphabetically by manufacturer, number and type. The data is also appended with a list of most of the current aircraft found in the various collections and air museums in Arizona.