The CAF Will Be Providing Warbird Rides In A World War II P-51 Mustang And A Navy Helldiver

There will be opportunities at AirVenture to take rides in several historic aircraft. The most obvious will be EAA’s Ford Tri-motor and Bell-47 helicopters. This year, the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) is also going to be there with a couple of historic airplanes to provide some very special rides.

The CAF will fly its P-51 Mustang, “Red Nose,” and SB2C-5 Helldiver, “The Beast,” to Fond du Lac airport as part of EAA AirVenture 2016 from Monday July, 25 until Sunday July, 31. Fond du Lac is only a 30 minute drive from Wittman Regional Airport, and buses run on a regular schedule from the AirVenture site.

Rides will be available on both of these historic aircraft. The CAF Dixie Wing will have a rides desk at the CAF Headquarters tent located on Boeing Plaza at EAA AirVenture. The CAF SB2C Helldiver Sponsor Group will partner for the week with the Dixie Wing, which will provide ground support to the pilots of the old Navy bomber. The rides aren’t cheap, but it’s an experience you’ll never forget.

The P-51, “Red Nose", based at the CAF Dixie Wing in Peachtree City, Ga., has a long and colorful history, dating back to the closing days of WWII. It rolled out of the North American Aviation factory in April of 1945, and was accepted by the United States Army Air Force.

Lloyd P. Nolen, then of "Mustang and Company," bought the aircraft with three friends in 1957, for $2,500. This signified the unofficial start of the CAF. Later that year, someone painted "Confederate Air Force" on its tail and the name stuck. In December of that year she was repainted with invasion stripes and at this time the members referred to the aircraft as "Old Red Nose." She was officially donated to the CAF in 1977 and became part of the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum collection in 1991.

The CAF Helldiver is the only SB2C still flying from about 7,200 Helldivers built. She is an SB2C-5, the last production variant of this aircraft. She was utilized by the Navy from July 5, 1945 through Aug. 31, 1948, and was declared surplus a month later. A CAF member purchased the aircraft from the Planes of Fame museum and donated her to the CAF in 1971. The current colors and markings are those of the aircraft carrier, ‘U.S.S. Franklin CV-13.’ Known as, “The Beast,” the aircraft is based at the CAF West Houston Squadron in Houston, Texas.

(Images from CAF press release)

FMI: www.dixiewing.org/OSH2016/