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Yanks Air Museum

Established in 1973, Yanks Air Museum focuses on preserving and restoring American aircraft. Yanks is one of two museums located on the grounds of Chino Airport (the other being Planes of Fame Air Museum.) The museum boasts a collection of nearly two hundred aircraft.

I visited Yanks on September 22 during their Museum Day promotion. Yanks was one of many museums across the United States offering free admission through a partnership with Smithsonian Magazine. I personally enjoy aviation museums and couldn’t pass on this opportunity.

Legends Hangar

This hangar stores numerous civilian aircraft that flew during the Golden Age of Aviation. In addition, several World War II planes are kept here.

Almost every single American and Candadian World War I pilot trained in a JN-4D Jenny. Following the war, many civilians were able to purchase surplus aircraft and use them for barnstorming. Its simplicity and availability transformed the Jenny into a classic icon of the Golden Age.

Another World War I trainer, the S-4C Scout prepared pilots to fly more advanced fighters. Swift and agile, the Scout also managed to win an air race in 1924.

Highly imitated for its success, the Swallow TP was a simple, rugged, low-cost sport plane.

The 4-D Junior Speedmail was used for a variety of applications such as mail delivery and crop dusting.

Only seven examples of the YPT-9B Cloudboy were produced.

The Brunner-Winkle Bird BK could take off in less than 100 feet of runway. It handled well and was popular amongst many famous aviators. Charles Lindbergh purchased a Bird for his wife Anne, who wanted to learn how to fly.

Designed and produced in Canada, the Fleet Model 7 was a rugged trainer popular with many flying schools.

A legend of the Golden Age, the Gipsy Moth set records in multiple areas. In 1930 the aviatrix Laura Ingalls managed to execute 344 loops in just over one hour.

The Ryan B-1 Brougham is the sister plane to the Spirit of St. Louis. It was idolized as the “Flying Utopia.”

The Command-Aire 3C3 won the 1930 All American Derby race. A year later, Command-Aire became a victim of the Great Depression.

Its roomy cabin and low price made the Robin C-1 the perfect plane for the private customer. The aircraft was also known for setting multiple endurance records, such as staying aloft for nearly an entire month.

The Kellet KD-1 first flew in 1934 and was briefly used for mail delivery by Eastern Air Lines. It was briefly evaluated by the US military but never accepted.

A training biplane for the United States Navy, this N3N was also configured as a seaplane. The N3N was finally retired in 1961, ending three decades of flight operations.

The Vultee Valiant was the most numerous American trainer of World War II. Several were later modified to resemble Japanese aircraft for the Tora! Tora! Tora! film.

The P-38 Lightning was the only American aircraft in production throughout the entirety of the war years. Perhaps the most legendary exploit of this twin-boom fighter was when a group of Lightnings intercepted and shot down Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto, the architect of the Pearl Harbor attack. Several P-38s, like this one, was modified for photo reconaissance.

The first Mustangs were P-51As equipped with the Allison engine, which performed poorly at high altitude. Once the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine was installed, the P-51 was able to escort high-flying bombers all the way to Berlin. The Mustang also saw combat in the Pacific Theater. Postwar, the planes supported UN operations in Korea and many still fly today as air racers.

The only flying P-47M Thunderbolt in the world resides in the Legends Hangar. Designed by Republic Aviation, the P-47 saw extensive service during World War II, escorting bombers and attacking ground targets. Rugged and reliable, it’s no surprise that 0.7% of Thunderbolts were lost in battle.

During World War II, the Germans launched thousands of V-1 flying bombs against London. The V-1s were also known as buzz bombs due to the sound produced by their pulse jets.

Starfighter Hangar

A large number of military aircraft spanning World War II to the modern day are located in this hangar.

The P-39 Airacobra is distinctive for its tricycle landing gear and 37mm nose cannon. Many P-39s were delivered to the Red Army Air Forces, who used them effectively against the German Luftwaffe.

The P-39 was further developed into the P-63 Kingcobra. With better alternatives to choose from, the USAAF did not adopt the Kingcobra for combat and instead used them as flying targets.

Yanks Air Museum has not one, but two, P-47 Thunderbolts. This particular aircraft is a P-47D. Earlier variants of the P-47 lacked the bubbletop canopy.

The SBD Dauntless dive-bomber became famous for sinking four Japanese carriers during the Battle of Midway. The Dauntless was nicknamed “Slow But Deadly” and sank more Japanese shipping than any other Allied bomber in the Pacific.

The F4F Wildcat was the Navy’s primary fighter during the early battles of the Pacific War. Although designed by Grumman, some Wildcats were produced by General Motors. These were known as FM-2 Wildcats.

During World War II, the Japanese designed the MXY-7 Ohka. Essentially a piloted bomb, once within range of an Allied ship, the Ohka would be dropped from a bomber and rockets would propel the craft towards its target.

The swept-wing F-86 Sabre dueled with the MiG-15 in the skies over Korea. In 1958, a Taiwanese Sabre became the first aircraft to shoot down another plane using an air-to-air missile.

The Navy’s first operational jet fighter, the FJ-1 Fury saw brief service and was retired in 1953.

This F9F Cougar was modified to be a RF-9J for reconaissance activities. The Blue Angels flew the Cougar from 1955 to 1957.

This Bell OH-13 Sioux is configured for medical evacuations.

Also known as “Huey,” the UH-1 Iroquois remains iconic for its participation in the Vietnam War and subsequent appearances in films.

The Hawker Harrier is unique for its ability to take off vertically. Designed by the British (who have since retired it), the Harrier remains in service with the United States, Italy, and Spain.

The F-5E Tiger II won the International Fighter Aircraft competition and was exported to 19 countries. This particular F-5E bears the markings of the Republic of China Air Force.

The first USAF fighter capable of supersonic level flight, the F-100 Super Sabre set several speed records. The F-100 also participated in the early phase of the Vietnam War, where it almost never enountered opposing aircraft.

The F-11 Tiger is the first jet plane to shoot itself down with its own bullets.

A light attack jet, the A-4 Skyhawk participated in the Vietnam War, Yom Kippur War, Falklands War, and Gulf War.

Designed to intercept Soviet bombers, the F-106 Delta Dart is the world’s fastest single-engine fighter.

Intended to defend the carrier fleet against Soviet aircraft, the F-14 Tomcat never saw action against the Soviets. Having been retired by the United States over a decade ago, the Tomcat continues to fly with the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force.

Excelling in air superiority with over 100 victories, no F-15 Eagle has ever been shot down by an opposing aircraft.

An all-weather multirole fighter, the F-16 Fighting Falcon equips the airforces of 26 nations. This aircraft bear the markings of the USAF Thunderbirds, who continue to show off the F-16’s maneuverability at airshows.

The F/A-18 Hornet is the current workhorse of the United States Navy. The Hornet is versatile with an ability to serve both fighter and attack roles. The aircraft on display features livery of the Blue Angels, the Navy’s flight demonstration team.

Restoration Hangar

Aircraft in need of assembly and repair are placed in the restoration hangar.

Replacing the SBD Dauntless, the SB2C Helldiver saw action in the later battles of the Pacific Theater and contributed to sinking the world’s two largest battleships.

The F4U Corsair was a fast aircraft and participated in both World War II and the Korean War. The Japanese nicknamed the plane “Whistling Death.” The Corsair excelled at both air combat and ground attack.

Entering service in 1942, the TBF Avenger was primarily a torpedo bomber although it could also be armed with bombs, depth charges, or rockets. Avengers were used against both surface ships and submarines, taking part in operations across the Pacific and Atlantic. Postwar, several TBFs were modified to fight wildfires.

The F6F Hellcat scored a kill ratio of 19:1, the highest of any Allied aircraft. The Hellcats are most known for their accomplishments in the Pacific although several were used against the Germans in Europe.

The P-40 Warhawk saw service on all fronts during World War II.

Boneyard

Aircraft in queue for restoration reside in the museum’s boneyard.

During World War II, the C-46 Commando provided supplies from India to China by flying over the Himalayas.

A navalized version of the B-24 Liberator, the PB4Y-2 Privateer was heavily armed and designed for lone patrol missions.

A transport aircraft, the C-123K Provider flew covert operations in Southeast Asia and Central America.

The C-131F Samaritan was utilized for medical evacuation and VIP transport.

The A-6E Intruder is the world’s first all-weather attack aircraft. The Intruder utlized a Target Recognition Attack Multisensors (TRAM) system to locate and range targets. During the Vietnam War, it proved able to attack targets in the middle of the night with pinpoint precision.

Scanning the skies for incoming Soviet attacks, the EC-121 Warning Star was equipped with a variety of surveillance tools.

Equipped with a spinning radome, the E-2C Hawkeye is a carrier-based airborne early warning (AEW) platform designed to monitor airspace and direct aircraft.

Replacing the A-4 Skyhawk, the A-7 Corsair II was based on the F-8 Crusader. USAF Corsair IIs flew nearly 13,000 missions during the Vietnam War, losing a mere six aircraft.

A supersonic tactical bomber, the F-105 Thunderchief was heaviest single-engine aircraft in history. During the Vietnam War, the Thuds were the primary strike aircraft. Several were modified for Wild Weasel operations against North Vietnamese air defenses.

The F-4 Phantom II was the primary American fighter during the Vietnam War and saw additional action in the Middle East. The F-4 remains in service today with Egypt, Greece, Iran, Japan, South Korea, and Turkey.

The heaviest aircraft to operate off an aircraft carrier, the A-3 Skywarrior served as a long-range nuclear bomber. The plane was notable for not having ejection seats. This Skywarrior was modified to be a KA-3B aerial tanker.