ShawFest offers historical perspective of aircraft

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Daniel Phelps
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  ShawFest 2010 will offer spectators the chance to see a wide variety of military aircraft spanning the history of military aviation.

Some of the planes that will be on display here include:

The North American B-25 Mitchell will be one of the aircraft performing in the air show. The design for the B-25 was accepted August 10, 1939, as part of the Army Air Corps search for a medium bomber. It was made immortal April 18, 1942, when it became the first U.S. aircraft to bomb the Japanese mainland. This was the aircraft flown by Lt. Col. James Doolittle. It was the heaviest plane at the time to be flown from a ship at sea. Today, approximately 34 remain flying, most as warbirds, and at least one as an aerial camera platform in Hollywood.

The C-123 is one the static displays that will be here at ShawFest. It was first flown on October 14, 1949. It was designed as a heavy assault cargo glider for the U.S. Army. The aircraft quickly became popular for its ruggedness and reliability hauling cargo and troops. The C-123 is still popular today, both with small freight companies and on the war bird circuit.

The P-51 Mustang is one of the other historical aircraft flying at ShawFest. The first Mustang took to the air on October 26, 1940 as an advanced version of North American Aviation's P-40 designed in 1933. It reached speeds around 382 miles per hour, exceeding the speeds of the old design. It quickly became one of the aviation world's elite aircraft. They destroyed more than 4,900 enemy aircraft in World War II in the European theatre and were used as dive-bombers, bomber escorts, ground attackers, interceptors, trainers and transports.

The C-47 will be one of the static displays here. The design of the plane was taken from the commercial aircraft DC-3 when the Army recognized its potential as a military transport. A number of changes were made and the order for more was put in 1940. It was used to fly cargo over the Himalayas and as a paratroop carrier in campaigns from Normandy to New Guinea. It was one of the prime movers during World War II. The plane was also used as a fighting machine during the Vietnam War and for cargo during the Berlin Airlift. Since its first flight on December 17, 1935, this aircraft has seen more than 70 years of continuous service.

The F-16CJ Fighting Falcon is the jet that is flown by our Viper Demo Team. The first F-16 flew in December of 1978 as the F-16A. It was built under an unusual agreement between the United States, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway. The F-16 has been continuously upgraded throughout its production history. The various roles of the F-16 were deployed during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, where it flew more sorties than any other aircraft. Since Sept. 11, it has been one of the largest air components in the overseas contingency operations.

Come out and take advantage of this unique opportunity to see history.

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