cafsocal

With a deep sense of pride and anticipation we announce the decision by the Commemorative Air Force HQ to entrust the SoCal wing with the restoration of the P47N Thunderbolt, N47TB.

In a 2002 accident, an engine fire in the CAF’s P-47 forced an extremely skilled emergency landing. The pilot walked away with minimal damage and a heck of a story to tell, the P47’s damage was a little more extensive, consisting of collapsed undercarriage, a broken wing and fire damage forward of the cockpit, requiring extensive repair.

In the intervening 12 years, tremendous work has been done towards repairs to the airframe, however much more needs to be done to return the aircraft to flying condition; and the CAF SoCal restoration crews as well as our general membership, are brimming with enthusiasm and justified pride for having been selected as the guardians of this noteworthy aircraft.

The CAF’s P-47 was built at the Republic Aviation Factory in Evansville, Indiana and is powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-59B 2,600HP  twin-row radial engine.

According to the Warbird Registry, this P47N S/N 45-53436 has been part of the Commemorative Air Force since 1962, most recently registered as N47TB “Meat Chopper”. The original “Meat Chopper” served with the 464th FS/507th FG in 1945 based on Ie Shima in the Pacific theater.

An interesting account of this aircraft’s history with the Guatemalan Air Force can be found HERE.

The airframe is currently hangared at the CAF facilities in Dallas, TX  and will be transferred over to the Camarillo Airport as soon as further arrangements can be made. We will bring you updates to the process as appropriate.

Donate to help this Meat Chopper get back in the air and honor those who sacrificed so much for our freedom!

We’re off to a great start with our first air show of the 2018 season.

ManO’War, the YAK3 and the two Grumman cats made the trip out to NAF El Centro for aerial demonstrations, while the PBJ presented a static display and “290” and the Aircoupe went along to offer rides to VIP personnel.

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The folks at the Naval Air Facility were extremely gracious hosts, as has become their tradition, put on a fantastic show for the community and capped it all off with a magnificent fireworks display. Even the mucky weather failed to put a damper on a great airshow.

A big thank you goes out to all our volunteers who made our 2018 air show debut a success – from the pilots who took time from work schedules to ferry aircraft, to the ground crew who made sure the aircraft were ready for the event, and those who came along as support staff – it’s “work” but as you can see it’s a fun kind of work.

We look forward to the remainder of our 2018 season and already anticipating being back to NAF El Centro for 2019 – our home, away from home!

Thirty five-plus students from the Oxnard High School Aviation Academy visited the aircraft at the museum. 

In 45 minutes the group got a good insight into various aspects of aviation and our warbird  

The docents were impressed  with the enthusiasm and engagement level of the student. “I wish they taught  us this (history of WWII aircraft) in schools”, said a junior student. 

We look forward to having them visit us again. 

The annual Model Fest gathering at the CAFSoCal hangars was another great success.
With a variety of vendors representing a multitude of modeling interests, the well attended event was a crowd pleaser.
Mark your calendars for the 2019 Modelfest
Sunday February 24, 2019.

The annual maintenance requirement for the SNJ has been completed.  It is once again available for rides!

If you have any questions about a ride in this lovable war bird, call our museum (805) 482-0064

During the annual maintenance on the AT-6 SNJ, a surprise signature was found behind the air filter on the engine. 

In 1954, Dorothy Gardner took a moment to place her name on the inside of the air intake!

She’s been flying along with 290 all these years!

It’s likely others had noticed this signature on the old bird before, but many if not most of us were not aware it existed. 

What a fantastic find. A real connection to all the people that have played a part in this warbird’s history. 

Thank you Dorothy, we’ll keep her flying for you!

And he’s already got the right gear.

Mickey’s visit to the museum was a real treat. And it wasn’t  too hard getting him out of the cockpit…, really, it wasn’t!

Here’s a great  video produced by Newbury Park High School senior Aaron Rohrer, highlighting Commemorative Air Force Museum Southern California Wing as a part of his hometown of Camarillo.

In this documentary, Aaron gives a brief overview of the museum from the perspective of current volunteers featuring the PBJ with stories about the plane and what it means to the museum.

Although we don’t all relish the idea of being in front of the camera, we were pleased to make ourselves available to Aaron and feel he did a great job showcasing our museum and volunteers.

Thanks for sharing the video Aaron, and good luck with your future endeavors!

CAF SoCal volunteers marked a very successful 2017 with a well attended Holiday Party.

The highlight of the celebration was a presentation by Cpt. Charlie Plumb and Dick Rutan.

Charlie gave a very captivating and inspiring speech in his usual style focused on overcoming adversity and the importance of a selfless attitude.