Aircraft to be Showcased at Several Upcoming Events

The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) Capital Wing recently announced that their TBM Avenger has returned to flight status. It had been grounded for several months due to maintenance inspections and mechanical issues.

The TBM-3E Avenger, which later adopted the nickname of Dorris Mae, was built under license by General Motors in 1945. It was immediately transferred from the production line in New Jersey to a military ship in preparation to invade mainland Japan, scheduled for December 1945. The aircraft served in the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy in California, Virginia, California, and Pennsylvania until October 1952, and was soon after used as a “fire bomber” for the Royal Canadian Navy.

The Avenger was the largest and heaviest single-engine bomber used during World War II.

The CAF’s Stars & Stripes Wing purchased Dorris Mae for $64,000 in 2001. They spent 13 years restoring and configuring the aircraft to its original WWII form. This paid off in April 2014, when it was returned to flight at Culpeper Regional Airport in Virginia.

More recently, Dorris Mae was downed for a mechanical issue and several inspections, including the 5-year propellor removal and check. After completing successful flight tests, the CAF was able to bring the Avenger back to life in time for their Capital Wing’s 2024 Tour.

Rides in the warbird will be offered for two passengers at a time, one behind the pilot in the observer seat and one up in the turret.

“This is your chance to experience a flight in the largest and heaviest single-engine bomber of World War II,” the CAF stated. “This is a rare opportunity to feel the power and history of this iconic aircraft firsthand.”

Dorris Mae will be showcased on September 28 at the Leesburg Airshow, October 5 and 6 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and October 26 and 27 for the Warbird Showcase in Culpeper, Virginia.

Visitors have the opportunity to take a ride in several other historic aircraft at these events.

FMI: www.capitalwingwarbirdrides.org, www.commemorativeairforce.org