Thanks for the compliments, chaps. I'm a few days behind and I need to do some catching up!
Chino - the short version. If you are ever in Los Angeles and have a day to spare, rent a car and go to Chino! Two world-class museums almost side-by-side with over three hundred aircraft - Planes of Fame and Yanks Air Museum.
Chino - the longer version. I drove from Santa Monica to Chino - 60 miles and about one hour, if you avoid the rush hour. I went to Planes of Fame first. As I drove in, I noticed flags at half-mast. Then I realized it was Sept. 11 - being on holiday, I hadn't been paying attention to dates.
There are 147 aircraft listed on their web page - I'll post pictures of the ones that most appealed to me.
Boeing P-26A
Seversky AT-12
Heinkel He-100D replica
RAF nostalgia
Mitsubishi J2M3 Raiden (Jack)
An airworthy 1/3 scale test aircraft for the Northrop XB-34
Bell YP-59A Airacomet - the first US jet, being restored to airworthiness
B-50 Lucky Lady II forward fuselage - I saw the aft fuselage at Valle.
This aircraft made a non-stop round the world flight in 1949. The museum plans an airworthy restoration by reuniting the fuselage halves and mating them with the wings of a KC-97
Anyone need some Gnat spares?
After leaving Planes of Fame, I had lunch at Flo's Airport Cafe and then went to Yanks Air Museum