70+ aircraft for the World War II Victory Capitol Flyover in Washington, DC

Source: ww2flyover.org

In honor of the 70th Anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe), the Arsenal of Democracy is hosting a tribute to the men and women at home and abroad that made victory possible. A giant flyover of at least 70 aircraft is to take place over Washington DC on Friday, May 8, 2015.

Such a massive gathering and display of warbirds is a rare sight, even in the largest airshows around the world.

A victory gala will be held at the National Air & Space Museum on May 7, and a selection of the flyover aircraft will be at the Smithsonian’s Udvar Hazy Center at Washington Dulles International Airport for a one-day exhibition.

More information can be found on the Arsenal of Democracy Flyover’s website.

A list of participating aircraft is already available from the website, but is subject to changes depending on funding, technical or weather constraints:

Trainer Formation

• Boeing PT-17 Kaydet
• North American AT-6 Texan
• Beech AT-11 Kansan
• Assembled trainers and liaison aircraft: accompanying the flight of training aircraft will be the liaison aircraft, a range of small aircraft used by the military for forward observation.

Pearl Harbor

• 3x Curtiss P-40 Warhawk

Doolittle Raid

• 5x North American B-25 Mitchell

Guadalcanal Campaign

• P-39 Airacobra
• P-63 Kingcobra

Battle of Midway

• 3x Grumman F4F Wildcat
• Douglas SBD Dauntless
• Consolidated PBY Catalina

Yamamoto Shootdown

• Lockheed P-38 Lightning

Ploesti Raid

• Consolidated B-24 Liberator
• 3x North American P-51 Mustang

Escorting the bombers

• 3x North American P-51 Mustang

Big Week

• 3x Boeing B-17 Fortress

D-Day

• Douglas C-53 Skytrooper
• 3x Douglas C-47 Skytrain
• 2x Douglas A-26 Invader

Mariannas Turkey Shoot

• Grumman F6F Hellcat
• 3x Grumman TBF Avenger
• Grumman F8F Bearcat
• Curtiss SB2C Helldiver

Battle of the Bulge

• Republic P-47 Thunderbolt

Iwo Jima

• 4x Vought F4U Corsair

Final Air Offensive

• 1x Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Missing Man Formation

• Grumman TBF Avenger
• Vought F4U Corsair
• Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
• North American P-51 Mustang