Up to OJB's Airshow Page World War II, 2026 Other World War II era aircraft flown this year included the P-51 Mustang, Avenger torpedo bomber, and the (recently built replica) Soviet Yak-3 named "Full Noise".  The Mustang is almost as iconic as the Spitfire and has been at most air shows I have been to. It was introduced in 1942 and was most successful at escorting bombers due to its exceptional range and performance at high altitudes.  This is a close up of the Mustang pilot after returning from flying a display. This Mustang, NZ2423, is ex-RNZAF and returned to New Zealand after 67 years, when it was displayed at the previous air show.  The Avenger is a torpedo bomber which was introduced just before the attack on Pearl Harbour. This good timing lead to the name "Avenger", which comes from the intention of the Americans to use it to avenge that attack!  Taking photos of fast moving aircraft at moderate distances in windy, cloudy conditions can be challenging, but this one turned out very sharp. I admit I did do a bit of enhancement before displaying it here, but I do that for every photo, and the original needs to be good to start with.  This photo shows the Grumman TBF Avenger pilot after flying a display. Here are some specs for the Avenger:
Crew: 3
Length: 40 ft 1⁄8 in (12.195 m)
Wingspan: 54 ft 2 in (16.51 m)
Width: 19 ft (5.8 m) folded
Height: 16 ft 5 in (5.00 m)
Wing Area: 490 sq ft (46 m^2)
Gross Weight: 15,536 lb (7,047 kg)
Engine: Wright R-2600-8 Twin Cyclone 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine
Power: 1,700 hp (1,300 kW)
Maximum speed: 278 mph (447 km/h, 242 kn)
Cruise speed: 215 mph (346 km/h, 187 kn)
Range: 905 mi (1,456 km, 786 nmi)
Service Ceiling: 22,600 ft (6,900 m)
Rate of Climb: 1,075 ft/min (5.46 m/s)
Guns: 1 x 0.30 in (7.62 mm) nose-mounted M1919 Browning machine gun (on early models) or 2 x 0.50 in (12.7 mm) wing-mounted M2 Browning machine guns, 1 x 0.50 in (12.7 mm) dorsal-mounted M2 Browning machine gun, 1 x 0.30 in (7.62 mm) ventral-mounted M1919 Browning machine gun
Rockets: Up to eight 3.5-Inch (89 mm) Forward Firing Aircraft Rockets, 5-inch (127 mm) Forward Firing Aircraft Rockets or High Velocity Aerial Rockets
Bombs: Up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs or 1 x 2,000 lb (907 kg) Mark 13 torpedo or Mark 24 mine (Fido) acoustic homing torpedo.  The Yakovlev "Yak" 3 "Full Noise" was built in Russia in 1993 and has an Allison V-1710 V12 engine instead of the orignal Soviet Klimov engine. it was brought to New Zealand in 004 and overhauled. Its debut was at Wanaka in 2012.  The original Yak3 was a successful World War II Soviet fighter and was very competitive against its German opponents. Here are some specs for the original aircraft:
Length: 8.5 m (27 ft 11 in)
Wingspan: 9.2 m (30 ft 2 in)
Wing area: 14.85 m^2 (159.8 sq ft)
Empty weight: 2,105 kg (4,641 lb)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 2,697 kg (5,946 lb)
Engine: Klimov VK-105PF2 V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine
Power: 960 kW (1,290 hp)
Maximum Speed: 646 km/h (401 mph, 349 kn) at 4,100 m (13,500 ft)
Combat Range: 550 km (340 mi, 300 nmi)
Service Ceiling: 10,400 m (34,100 ft)
Time to Altitude: 5,000 m (16,000 ft) in 4 minutes 30 seconds
Time for 360 Degree Turn: 17 seconds
Guns: 1 x 20 mm ShVAK cannon, 2 × 12.7 mm Berezin UBS machine guns
Sources: Warbirds Over Wanaka 2026 Programme, Wikipedia. |
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