At the end of World War II there was an immense task for the U.S. government to handle in the victory. As part of the huge military machine created to fight the war, now lay the job of dealing with the huge fleet of now surplus combat airplanes and aviation materiel no longer needed.

Before the war even ended, a surplus disposal program was created, and a small part of the disposal program was an initiative to offer surplus warplanes to qualifying educational institutions across the USA. For a modest fee, any high school or college or vocational school could obtain a complex, modern fighter or bomber to aid in the aviation, mechanical, or engineering courses being offered. There is no known number of how many aircraft ended up being transferred by the Reconstruction Finance Corp. (RFC) or its successor, the War Assets Administration (WAA). However, it is known that by mid-1946, over 1,500 educational institutions had received surplus aircraft or aircraft components such as engines, propellers, flight instruments, or aircraft radio equipment.

This program was initiated by the Surplus Property Board in May 1945. The initial program was limited to educational or public health institutions. In December 1945, it was recognized that state and local governments might want to establish war memorials, so the program was expanded to authorize such transfers using the same process.  In May 1946, the program was further expanded to include non-profit, tax-exempt organizations, which widened it out to include veteran groups, Boy Scout Troops, and aviation-related clubs.  Through the entirety of the program there were two requirements: the receiving organization had to certify that the aircraft were for non-flight purposes, and if/when the organization sought to dispose of the aircraft, it had to scrapped (with certain exceptions).

In the decade that followed, most of these educational and memorial warplane transfers became white elephants. By the early 1950s, nearly all schools, cities, and organizations were looking to shed themselves of what was now considered “junk.” Most of these aircraft ended up being scrapped. However, there were some fortunate ones that survived to segue to civil aviation, or made it to established museums. The roots of the warbird industry today can be found in this pool of discards.

Two other nuances that should be noted: Prior to May 1945 when the transfer program was initiated, there were numerous direct transfers from the AAF and USN to technical schools for use in training. These pre-date the RFC/WAA transfers but are included here if identified, just for completeness. Also, there have been identified several private individuals that purchased surplus combat aircraft for “exhibition” non-flight purposes that were not part of the RFC/WAA transfer program either, but they are also included here if known.

Go to this page for a closer look at the RFC and WAA transfers for educational, memorial, and civic purposes. 

Below is a list of surplus fighters and bombers that have been identified to have been transferred by the U.S. government to various educational, governmental, or non-profit entities. The files of several individuals were essential to the compiling of this list, first among them being  Nicholas A. Veronico and the late Bill Larkns. Other sources include Michael O’Leary, contributors to the WIX and Aero Vintage Forums, and various other internet sites. It is obviously not a complete list. It is, instead, a starting point. There is do doubt much information and photos out there about other such transferred war surplus aircraft. If such information and photos are passed along, they will be added to the growing list.

Significant contributors: Nicholas A. Veronico, William T. Larkins, John Dienst, Chris Brame, ‘Mark Allen M’ (WIX), Dan Hagedorn, Michael O’Leary, David Gansz, plus many others who contributed bits and pieces. 

If you wish to contribute or comment on this page, please pass along via this email.