He has 17 warbirds--World War II fighters such as the Rare Bear, a Grumman F8F Bearcat that has set records as the world's fastest piston-driven plane, hitting 528 mph.

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World War II Spitfire and Mustang fighters added a note of nostalgia, and a modern, helium-filled Zeppelin airship bobbed and dipped above the crowd.

BBC: air show

In a particularly ferocious battle in Najaf, Iraq, in 2007, he recalled in a military article how U.S. fighters had to resort to World War II-style tactics to persevere.

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It also contains items and interviews with Sir Douglas Bader - one of the deadliest RAF fighters - who flew from Duxford during World War II.

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During World War II, for instance, some sections became hideouts for French Resistance fighters, while other areas were converted by German soldiers into bunkers.

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