Hampton, Va, March 1, 1935
General Headquarters (GHQ) Air Force was inaugurated at Langley Field, with Brigadier-General Frank M Andrews in command. The creation, for the first time in the U.S., of anything called an "air force" is being hailed as a major step toward making the US Army Air Corps (USAAC) an independent service on equal terms with the US Navy and US Army.
The U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC)
(The Wild Blue Yonder)
By Robert Crawford
U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) ::
Boeing/Stearman Model 75/PT-13 Basic Trainer 1933
Boeing P-26 Peashooter Monoplane Fighter 1934
Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress Heavy Bomber 1937
North American T-6 Texan (Harvard) Monoplane 1937
Lockheed P-38 J Lightning 1938
North American B-25J Mitchell Medium Bomber 1938
Curtis-Wright P-40B Tiger Shark Pursuit Fighter 1938
Douglas A-20G Havoc Medium Bomber 1938
Consolidated B-24J Liberator Heavy Bomber 1939
Curtiss P-40E Warhawk Fighter/Bomber 1940
Republic P-47 D Thunderbolt "the Jug" 1941
Douglas A-26C Invader Attack Series 1941
Martin B-26 Marauder Medium Bomber 1941
Boeing B-29 Superfortress Strategic Bomber 1942
Washington, DC, June 20, 1941 ::
The US Army Air Corps is renamed the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), under the command of Major-General Henry H "Hap" Arnold.
U.S. Army Army Air Forces (USAAF)::
North American P-51D Mustang Pursuit Fighter 1942
Northrop Black Widow P-61 Pursuit Night Fighter 1942
Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star First Turbojet Fighter 1944
Douglas A-1H Skyraider Dive-bomber/Torpedo-carrier 1945
North American F-86 Sabrejet Jet Fighter 1947
Washington, DC, November 5, 1948 ::
The marking "USAF" is officially approved for all US warplanes except those operated by the US Navy, Maarine Corps, Army, National Guard and Military Air Transport Service (MATS).
U.S. Air Force (USAF) ::
Lockheed T-33A Trainer "T-birds" 1948
Cessna L-19/01 Bird-Dog FAC (Forward Air Control) 1950
North American F-100D Super Sabre (Supersonic Fighter) 1953
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter (Tigermeet '91) 1954
McDonnell RF-101B Recon Voodoo All-weather Interceptor 1954
Cessna A-37B Dragonfly Attach Jet Fighter 1955
Republic Aviation F-105G Wild Weasel Tandem Fighter 1955
Republic Aviation F-105D Thunderchief Supersonic Fighter1955
Lockheed U-2 Reconnaissance Plane 1955
General Dynamics F-111A Swing Wing Fighter 1960
Fairchild Republic Company A-10 Thunderbolt II (Warthog) 1972
McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle 1972
Northrop F-5E "Tiger II" 1973
General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon 1975
Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter 1981
General Dynamics F-16 Air Force Advanced Technology Fighter 1982
U.S. Army ::
Bell Helicopter Division AH-1S HueyCobra Attack Helicopter 1965
Bell OH-58 Kiowa (Bell 206 Jet Ranger) Helicopter 1968
Hughes Helicopters AH-64A Apache Advanced Attack Helicopter 1975
U.S. Marine Corps ::
Bell UH-1C "Huey Hog" Helicopter 1956
North American Rockwell OV-10A Bronco (COIN) (LARA) 1964
McDonnell-Douglas AV-8B Harrier (Bumblebees) 1981
U.S. Navy ::
Douglas TBD-1 Devastator Carrier-based Torpedo-bomber 1935
Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina Flying Boat 1935
Grumman F-4F Wildcat Carrier-based Fighter 1937
Vought "Kingfisher" 0-S2U Observation Floatplane 1937
Douglas SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber 1938
Chance Vought F4U-1A Corsair Carrier-based Fighter 1940
Curtis Helldiver SB2C Carrier-based Dive-bomber 1940
Grumman (General Motors) TBM-1C Avenger Torpedo-bomber 1941
Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat Carrier-based Fighter 1942
Grumman F7F-3 Tigercat Twin Engine Fighter 1943
Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat Carrier-borne Fighter 1944
Grumman F9F-5 Panther Jet Fighter 1947
McDonnell F2H-2 Banshee Fighter/Ground Attack 1947
Douglas AD-4W Skyraider (Able Dog)(Guppy) 1951
Sikorsky H-19 Rescue Helicopter 1952
Chance Vought F-8U Crusader Fighter 1955
Grumman A-6E Intruder Subsonic All-weather Attack 1960
McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II MiG Ace 1961
Grumman EA-6B Prowler Electronic Warfare (EW) 1968
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Attack Fighter (Hornet) 1978
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Blue Angels' Hornet 1987
McDonnell Douglas OA-4M SkyHawk 1973
Civilian ::
Ryan Airlines M-2 "Spirit of St. Louis" 1926
Sikorsky S-55 Sabena Multi-purpose Helicopter 1952
