A-10 Thunderbolt II Diecast Model, USAF 23rd TFW, 74th TFS Flying Tigers, #82-0665
AF-A00144Product Details
Air Force 1 Smithsonian Series A00144 |
| 1:144 Scale | Length | Width | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II | 4.5" | 4.75" |
On December 17th, 1941, the American Volunteer Group aka "Flying Tigers" was officially incorporated into the United States Army Air Force as part of the 23rd Fighter Group. The AVG's 1st Fighter Squadron then became the 74th Pursuit Squadron and was later redesignated 74th Fighter Squadron. In 1944 the squadron traded its famous P-40 Warhawks for the P-51 Mustang and was flying the P-47 Thunderbolt when it finally left China to return to the US. Stationed primarily at bases in the Southern states of the US, the squadron transitioned through the F-86 Sabre, F-89 Scorpion and A-7 Corsair II before upgrading to the A-10 Thunderbolt II that it flies today.
A-10 #82-0665 was operated by the 74th Tactical Fighter Squadron (as they were then known) in 1989 from England Air Force Base, Louisiana. Its tail bore the markings of the 74th TFS while the nose was adorned with a shark's mouth, paying homage to the squadron's rich ancestory and those reknowned shark-mouthed P-40 Warhawks of WWII.