SMITHFIELD —The rumble of World War II aircraft will arrive at North Central State Airport tomorrow, when the Collings Foundation’s fleet — a B-17 Flying Fortress, a B-24 Liberator, a B-25 Mitchell and a P-51 Mustang — flies in for a three-day visit, which will be open to the public.

The aircraft are scheduled to land at 2 p.m. and will depart Wednesday at noon. They will be parked at Landmark Aviation, 380 Jenckes Hill Rd., Lincoln.

Smithfield resident George Sutcliffe, a decorated World War II fighter pilot whose exploits were portrayed in a recent History Channel episode, said he has been invited to “fly escort” to the bombers. Sutcliffe, who flew a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter in the war, will be flying in a rare dual-control P-51 fighter.

The foundation, which has branded the visit part of its “Wings of Freedom Tour,” said the P-51, a “C” model, and the B-24, a “J” model, are the sole surviving examples of their type still flying. The B-25 is one of only a handful still flying, the organization said.

Visitors can climb through the aircraft for a donation of $12 for adults, $6 for children under 12.

Those who want the experience of actually flying in one of the aircraft can do so by paying a fee, which is tax-deductible.

The cost of a 30-minute flight in the B-17 and B-24 is $425. For the B-25, it’s $400 for the front fuselage and $325 for waist gun section. P-51 flights are $2,200 for a half-hour, and $3,200 for an hour.

Reservations and information on the flights are available at (800) 568-8924.

The hours for ground visits are 2 to 5 p.m. tomorrow; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday; and 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday.

The flights are usually scheduled before or after the ground visits.

The Collings Foundation is a nonprofit educational organization that focuses on history. The group visits 35 states each year and is in its 19th year of operation.

The foundation’s Web site for information is www.collingsfoundation.org/media.

tmorgan@projo.com