Mexico: Warplanes of the Second World War preserved

Warplanes of the Second World War preserved in Mexico

The aim of this website is to locate, identify and document Warplanes from the Second World War preserved in Mexico.  Many contributors have assisted in the hunt for these aircraft to provide and update the data on this website.  Photos are as credited.  Any errors found here are by the author, and any additions, corrections or amendments to this list of Warplane Survivors of the Second World War in Mexico would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at hskaarup@rogers.com.

Aviones de combate de la Segunda Guerra Mundial conservados en México

El objetivo de este sitio web es localizar, identificar y documentar aviones de combate de la Segunda Guerra Mundial conservados en México. Muchos contribuyentes han ayudado en la búsqueda de estos aviones para proporcionar y actualizar los datos en este sitio web. Las fotos son tan acreditadas. Cualquier error encontrado aquí es por el autor, y cualquier adición, corrección o enmienda a esta lista de sobrevivientes de aviones de combate de la Segunda Guerra Mundial en México sería bienvenida y se puede enviar por correo electrónico al autor a hskaarup@rogers.com.

History

The first manned flight of an aircraft in Latin American took place in January 1910. The Arma de Aviacion Militar was created in 1915, and in 1944 it became the Fuerza Aerea Mexicana (FAM).

The Military Aviation Museum (MUMA) has a number of Second World War aircraft in its collection, including a Douglas DC-3, a North American B-25 Mitchell (the FAM flew three B-25Js donated by the USA in 1945), a Beech Model 18, a North American T-6G Texan, and a Fairchild-built P-47D Thunderbolt (painted in the colours of Escuadron Aereo de Pelea 201, which flew attack sorties from the Philippines as part of the Fuerza Aerea Expeditionara Mexicana (FAEM) during the Second World War. At the end of the war, the EAP left its Thunderbolts in the Philippines, and 25 new P-47D-35-RA Thunderbolts were transferred from the USAAF. These aircraft remained in service with the EAP until 1958..

(USAAF Photo)

Mexican Air Force Captain Radames Gaxiola Andrade stands in front of his Republic P-47D Thunderbolt with his maintenance team at Clark Field in the Philippines, after he returned from a combat mission.  Captain Andrade was assigned to the Mexican air force's Escuadron 201. Members of the Escuadron 201 fought alongside U.S. forces during the Second World War.

(USAAF Photo)

Republic P-47D-30-RA Thunderbolt, USAAF (Serial No. 44-33721) from Escuadrón 201 (201st Squadron), Fuerza Aérea Expedicionaria Mexicana (FAEM), Mexican Expeditionary Air Force, over the Philippines during the summer of 1945.  The squadron was attached to the 58th Fighter Group of the United States Army Air Forces during the liberation of the main Philippine island of Luzon, flying 785 sorties in 96 combat missions.

(National Archives Photo)

Republic P-47D-30-RA Thunderbolt, USAAF (Serial No. 44-33710) from Escuadrón 201 FAEM, Mexican Expeditionary Air Force, Clark Field in the Philippines

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(PurpleThursday Photo)

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44-33721), 201st Squadron, in the MUMA.

(André Du-pont Photo)

Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Serial No. 44090205), Santa Lucia Air Force Base, mounted on a memorial cairn.

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Aviation Museums in Mexico

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Ciudad Lerdo, Museo Francisco Sarabia.

Guadalajara, Museo del Ejércition Y Fuerza Aérea, Mexican Air Force Museum.

Mexico City, MUTEC Museo Technologico de la Comision Federal de Electricidad.

Puebla, Museo del Ejército y Fuerza Aérea Mexicanos.

Santa Lucia, Museo Militar de Aviacion, Military Aviation Museum.

Torreón, Museo Nacional de la Aviación y el Espacio, la Ciencia y la Technologia.

Veracruz, Museo Naval México.

Xalapa, Museo Interactivo de Xalapa.

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Second World War warplanes preserved in Mexico

North American P-51D-25NA Mustang (Serial No. 44-72934), "Shangri-La", Reg. No. XV-HVL, Humberto Lobo, Monterey.

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