Other planes may be more glamorous, but the Grumman Wildcat has prestige. More Medal of Honor winners piloted Wildcats than any other fighter planes in WWII. In fact, Butch O’Hare, whom the Chicago airport is named after, flew a Wildcat, and so did Joe Foss, a governor of South Dakota and first commissioner of the American Football League.

When you look at the Grumman Wildcat, you might notice one wing is folded. This is the result of a strategic design element that allowed the U.S. Navy to store and transport more aircraft per carrier. The Wildcat has 1200 horsepower and is very light. Some pilots were nervous to fly them because of their ground-handling capabilities; they could be a bit squirrely, but were ultimately great performers.