Although it lasted only a few years, World War II involved hundreds of different types of aircraft and was the most prolific period of airplane production ever. Dozens of countries ultimately became combatants in the war and of these, many flew military aircraft. This collection of 1/72 scale models represents over 400 of these aircraft, probably the most complete collection of its kind. These models were constructed by Dr. Logan Holtgrewe over a period of seven years. You will find this collection in the World War II gallery of the Personal Courage Wing.

Dr. H. Logan Holtgrewe was a teenager during World War II and was greatly influenced by it. “Like most young men, I had a profound interest in the daily news from newspapers, radio and the weekly editions of LIFE magazine, all of which recounted the events of the conflict, especially the air war.”

The model-building project began in the early 1990s when he began to accumulate kits of World War II airplanes. Each of the models in this collection was carefully researched before it was built to ensure the greatest possible accuracy in the replication of its airframe, coloration, camouflage, and insignia. Many of these models were built from high quality commercial kits. Where no suitable quality kit was available, Holtgrewe scratch-built the model from wood, styrene plastic, and brass using dimensional data and photographs from multiple reference sources. As a group, these models capture the dramatic expansion of aeronautical technology that transpired before and during the war.