1945 Air Forces Fair Photography (De Haan)

This collection consists of seventeen 2.75 x 4.5 inch black and white negatives, with corresponding digital inkjet print enlargements, of military aircraft on display at the US Army Air Forces Fair at Wright Field, Ohio, held October 13-14, 1945. Also included is one digital inkjet print photograph of American Philip E. Johnson posed with Charles Chung, head of Chinese aircraft procurement and support of the American Volunteer Group (AVG) and Liang Po, a Chinese engineer sent to the United States to learn about various aircraft parts repair and servicing. US Army Air Forces operational and experimental aircraft pictured include the Beech XA-38 Grizzly (Model 28) (s/n 43-14407), Bell YP-59A Airacomet "Mystic Mistress" (s/n 42-108783), Bell XP-77, Bell XP-83 (s/n 44-84990), Cornelius XFG-1 (s/n 44-28060), the Northrop MX-324 prototype, a Lockheed P-38L Lightning (s/n 44-246490) modified as a specialized ground strafing version, a Loon Missile (JB-2, KUW-1, LTV-2, MX-544) with booster assembly, and a cutaway display model Pratt & Whitney WASP Major R-4360-4 Engine. Captured Japanese aircraft pictured include a Mitsubishi A6M5 Reisen (Zero Fighter) Zeke (Type 0 Carrier Fighter 52) and a Kugisho MXY7 Model 11 Ohka (Cherry Blossom) Baka (Crazy). Captured German aircraft pictured include a Bachem Ba 349 (BP 20) Natter (Adder), Heinkel He 162 Spatz (Sparrow, Volksjäger, People's Fighter), Junkers Ju 290 A "Alles Kaputt" (WkNr 110196, US registration FE-3400), Junkers Ju 388 L-1 (WkNr 560049, US registration FE-4010, later T2-4010), Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a Schwalbe (Swallow) (US registration FE-111), a V-1 (FZG 76) Buzz Bomb, and a V-2 Missile.

Images have been assigned NASM Archives image reference numbers in the order in which they were received from the donor.