Question of the Day: War Birds

The will roar over Long Island's skies Saturday and Sunday, bringing a grand variety of military war planes into view for thousands on Jones Beach and beyond.

It's a great opportunity to learn about the flying machines that turned the tide of WWII and help to forge the future of flight as we know it. Many have ties to Long Island.

What's your favorite War Bird, and why? (Need a refresher or a primer? Follow the links for a crash course in WWII aviation and impress your friends on the beach.)

Is it the B-17 "Flying Fortress?"

The B-25 "Mitchell Bomber?" Or the B-29 "Superfortress."

Could it be the Douglas C-47 "Skytrain?" (The famed transport plane of the Airborne divisions landing in Normandy on the D-Day Invasion?)

Or is it one of these fighter planes, the ones that began with "P" for "Pursuit:"

• The P-40 that defended the skies over Pearl Harbor from attacking Zeros and Vals, and saw earlier duty in China as part of the Flying Tigers?
• The Lockheed P-38 Lightning, the twin-boomed workhorse credited for shooting down Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto in April, 1943.
• The P-47 "Thunderbolt" that so effectively supported ground troops?
• Or the P-51 "Mustang , that broke the back of the German Luftwaffe?

Or is it on of these glimmering blue fighters of the Pacific:

• Grumman's Hellcat;
• Vought's Corsair?

Which is your favorite? Why? Did we leave one out? Let us know and we'll add a link.