by Susan Halterman, Curator
(Click on any image for a larger view)
The genesis of the DVHAA's current aircraft collection took place in the victorious atmosphere immediately following World War II. The Allied command, having vanquished its German and Japanese foes, scoured the former enemy inventory for what became known as "War Prizes": examples of current or advanced aircraft to be taken to the States for testing.
Some of these aircraft were procured by the Army Air Forces; some by the Navy. The most famous operation was probably that of "Watson's Whizzers", a group of AAF Air Technical Intelligence personnel operating in occupied Germany. Led by Col. Harold E. Watson, they scoured the countryside for advanced German aviation examples, notably jets and flying wing technology. Our Me 262b was one of the aircraft procured by Watson's group, at Lechfeld, Germany and sent to Wright Field in Ohio. It was subsequently transferred to the U.S. Navy and tested at Patuxent River.
It is here that our story and David Ascher's intertwine. David Ascher was a young man of sixteen when he joined the Navy in 1928. Shortly after his enlistment, he received an assignment to Rockaway Naval Air Station, and his budding interest in naval aviation led him to attend aviation technical school. He became an aviation mechanic and became a plank owner at the new reserve base at Floyd Bennet Field, where he worked in all phases of aviation, from refueling to overhauling engines. He filled his off-duty hours by taking flying lessons and earned a civilian pilot's license in 1937.
After the outbreak of WWII, Ascher received a commission as an Ensign and was assigned to set up Aviation Service Units to facilitate the transfer of aircraft across the country to the Pacific war zone. In 1944 he was transferred to the Pacific Theater himself, and assigned to Carrier Aircraft Service Unit 31 as Maintenance Officer.
After the war, David was transferred to NAS Willow Grove as Aircraft Maintenance Officer and was reunited with many of his former shipmates and friends from Floyd Bennet. These connections would prove to be invaluable in establishing his outdoor display of aircraft.
Whatever Happened To…?
Longtime members and area residents may remember some unusual aircraft parked in our display area. Since 1946, there have been aircraft displayed here at Willow Grove. Naturally, outdoor display takes its toll. Over time, some of the rarest aircraft have been moved to other museums.
Curtiss TP-40E "Kittyhawk"
The first aircraft placed on outdoor display at Willow Grove was a CurtissTP-40E “Kittyhawk” dual control airplane. Donated to a local high school from the Air Force following WWII, the school gave it back to Willow Grove NAS. In 1946, David Ascher, a maintenance officer at Willow Grove NAS, placed it outdoor display after repainting it as a Flying Tiger aircraft (in honor of the many Navy pilots who flew with the outfit.) Ascher’s men also covered over the aft cockpit with sheet metal. This aircraft is now on display at The Museum of Aviation at Warner Robins AFB in Georgia and is still in single-seat configuration.
Arado 196
The P-40 proved to be such a hit with the public that Ascher obtained several more aircraft, especially Axis aircraft waiting to be scrapped at Pax River after testing. The Arado 196 (seaplane from German cruiser Prinz Eugen) was offloaded from the Eugen at Philadelphia. The Prinz Eugen subsequently sailed out to the Pacific, where it was destroyed during nuclear testing in the Bikini Atoll. The Ar 196 was restored in 1978-80. Subsequently, it was crated and moved to the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida. It remains there, but still in pieces.
Mitsubishi A6M2 "Zero"
Willow Grove’s Mitsubishi A6M7 “Zero” was acquired by the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum in 1962. It was lent to the Bradley Air Museum in Connecticut for restoration. The restoration was later completed at the San Diego Aero-Space Museum, where it remains today.
Nakajima B6N2 “Jill”
The Nakajima B6N2 “Jill” was displayed here until 1981, at which time it was transferred to the Air & Space Museum in Washington D.C. Currently,
it is not on public display.
Kawanishi N1K2-Ja “George”
The Kawanishi N1K2-Ja “George” was transferred to the Smithsonian in 1983 and stored at the Paul Garber Facility until 1991. At that time, it was loaned to the Champlin Fighter Museum in Mesa, Arizona for restoration. The restoration was completed in November 1994 and the aircraft is now on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum.
Nakajima “Kikka”
The rarest aircraft to be displayed at Willow Grove was a Nakajima “Kikka”, a Japanese jet based loosely on the Me 262. Only two or three were produced in Japan just before the end of the war. The only remaining examples (two incomplete airframes) are in the Smithsonian, not on public display. It is believed that the Willow Grove aircraft was transferred to Norfolk NAS in the late 1940s and eventually wound up in the Smithsonian.
Kawanishi N1K1 “Rex”
The Kawanishi “Rex” was seaplane variant of the “George”. The aircraft is now located at the National Museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola, FL.
Messerschmitt 262-B1a
We are fortunate to have retained the Messerschmitt 262-B1a for our museum. This is one of the world’s rarest aircraft; with only three 2-seat versions known to be in existence worldwide. This is the only two-seat trainer version to survive. One other two-seater is a night fighter version (Me 262-B1a/U1) and is held in a collection in South Africa. The third two-seater, designated Avia CS-92, is at the Czech Republic's Vojenské Muzeum, Kbely Air Base. It was built after the war.
