Gallery — Jeffrey A. Setaro

Betty Jane

January 12, 2012 By Jeff Leave a Comment

The North America P-51 Mustang is widely considered to be one the greatest fighter aircraft ever produced, it certainly is one of the most recognizable and legendary of the Second World War.

In all 16,766 Mustangs were built — making it most widely produced American fighter aircraft in history, of those only a handful of the early P-51B or P-51C Mustangs are still flying… They’re easily recognizable thanks to their “razorback” configuration as opposed to the more numerously produced P-51D with its “bubble canopy”.

The Collings Foundation’s TP-51C Mustang “Betty Jane” serial number 42-103293 was built by North American at its Dallas facility in 1943 and rebuilt in 2002-2003 as a 2 seat version of the P-51C — to the best of my knowledge the “Betty Jane” is the only fully dual-controlled TP-51C Mustang flying today.

Filed Under: Gallery Tagged With: Betty Jane, Collings Foundation, Connecticut, Mustang, North American, TP-51C, Waterbury-Oxford Airport

Aluminum Overcast

January 10, 2012 By Jeff Leave a Comment

By the time production of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress ended in May 1945, 12,731 had been built by Boeing, Douglas, and Lockheed subsidiary Vega Aircraft. Of those fewer than 50 remain… Only about dozen are still airworthy.

I’ve photographed two of them the Nine-O-Nine and the Aluminum Overcast. The Aluminum Overcast is owned by Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and has been touring the United States since 1994 I caught up with her onAugust 19 & 20, 2008 at the Waterbury-Oxford Airport in Oxford, Connecticut.

For more information about the Aluminum Overcast and her tour schedule visit: http://www.b17.org/.

Filed Under: Gallery Tagged With: Aircraft, Aluminum Overcast, B-17G, Boeing, Connecticut, Experimental Aircraft Association, Flying Fortress, Waterbury-Oxford Airport

Wings of Freedom 2008

January 10, 2012 By Jeff Leave a Comment

The Collings Foundation’s annual Wings of Freedom tour a living history display that brings the backbone of American air power in Europe during World War II — the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Consolidated B-24 Liberator, and North American P-51 Mustang to dozens of cities each year.

I used to make the trip up to Waterbury-Oxford Airport with my Father, he was a Word War II veteran and loved seeing the aircraft he see fly overhead “by the hundreds” while he was in England up close. Sadly he passed away just a few months after these photos were taken.

For more information about the Collings Foundation and the Wings of Freedom tour visit their web site at: http://www.collingsfoundation.org/.

Filed Under: Gallery Tagged With: Aircraft, B-17G, B-24J, B-25J, Betty Jane, Boeing, Collings Foundation, Connecticut, Consolidated, Flying Fortress, Liberator, Mitchell, Mustang, Nine O Nine, North American, Tondelayo, TP-51C, Waterbury-Oxford Airport, Witchcraft, World War II

Wings of Freedom 2007

January 9, 2012 By Jeff Leave a Comment

Of the 18,482 B-24 Liberators built during World War Two just 17 remain, of those just three are airworthy. It’s a similar story for the B-17 Flying Fortress and the B-25 Mitchell, of thousands built during the only handful remain, that’s one the reason I take every opportunity I can to photograph these great old planes… We shouldn’t forget them or the men flew them, it’s their courage an sacrifice that preserved the freedoms we enjoy.

These photos were taken at Waterbury-Oxford Airport on August 7, 2007. For more information about the aircraft and the Collings Foundation that operates them as flying museums visit their web site at: http://www.collingsfoundation.org/

Filed Under: Gallery Tagged With: Aircraft, B-17G, B-24J, B-25J, Boeing, Collings Foundation, Connecticut, Consolidated, Flying Fortress, Liberator, Mitchell, Nine O Nine, North American, Tondelayo, Waterbury-Oxford Airport, Witchcraft, World War II

Wings of Freedom 2006

January 9, 2012 By Jeff Leave a Comment

I captured these photos of World War II era aircraft, a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress, a Consolidated B-24J Liberator and a North American B-25J Mitchell at Waterbury-Oxford Airport on August 8 & 9, 2006. The Collings Foundation operates them as flying museums, that tour the country visiting dozens of cities every year.