Sharing the hangar together with the later unlucky P-63F Kingcobra, N6763

This Navion was built in 1946 and is now part of the Commemorative AF SoCal Wing. There was no public access to this restoration area and, unfortunately, the port side of the plane was even more blocked.

This example was built in 1947 and it is unclear to me if it actually flew with the Civil Air Patrol. In any event it now wears Coastal Base 11 markings from Pascagoula, Mississippi and is now part of the Commemorative AF SoCal Wing

Previously 53-4175

This PT-19 was built at Hagerstown, MD and taken on by the USAAF as 42-34531. In October 1955 a CoA was issued for the plane as N50426 and it flew privately for many years until becoming part of the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum, Dallas, TX in November 2019. It is now part of the very friendly Commemorative Air Force SoCal wing at CMA.

This SNJ-4 was delivered to the US Navy in September, 1942 as 10148 and it flew from Waldron Field, Corpus Christi, TX. In March 1946, after 3,011.7 h with 705 Training Squadron, it was decommissioned. Not too much is known but it went to the Royal Saudi AF as L-212 in October 1952. In March 1959 a CoA was issued for N6411D and sold to an unknown owner before finally being acquired by the CAF for restoration in 1982. The SoCal wing received the plane in many pieces on a truck from CAF in Midland, Texas and a six year careful restoration returned this beautiful aircraft to flying condition.

In 1945 this FR15 was transported by ship to Karachi where it served with the RAF Far East Air Force as NH749 and then with the Indian AF as 54 before finishing its service as an instructional airframe. In 1977 the frame was recovered from Patna Air Base, India and transported by ship back to England and restored back into NH749 markings. The plane made its first post-restoration flight in 1983 as G-MXIV. In 1985 it moved to the US and was registered N749DP. From the end of 2012 it has been operated by the Commemorative AF SoCal Wing at CMA.

This B-25 was intended for the USAAF as 44-30988 but entered service in March 1945 with the USN as 35857. Its service life was short being retired in March 1947 but by July was flying for the Saint Louis Flying Service as N5865V. Then followed a long list of owners and operators before arriving at the Commemorative AF SoCal Wing to begin a decades-long, deep restoration. In May 2016 the first post-restoration flight took place with the plane painted to represent VMB-611 B-25 35243/MB 11, which was lost along with its seven man crew during a strike on the Kibawe Trail near Davao in May 1945.

There was some sort of an event taking place at the CAF SoCal wing the following day and so Minsi III was towed out of the hangar for an engine run-up and test. I wasn't allowed onto the ramp whilst the engine was running and so the pictures are quite back-lit. However, here she is being towed back into the main hangar after the tests were fininshed. This airframe fell into disrepair after WWII and was discovered as a derelict hulk in Minnesota with the data plate missing. As a result the true identity of the plane may never be known.

This C-46F was one of 234 that rolled off the assembly line in Buffalo NY. It flew with the USAAF as 44-78663 from bases in the SE US as a transport and glider tow plane until declared surplus in the early 50s. It then flew for Meteor Air Transport and was put to work hauling clothing to Detroit and car parts to New Jersey. After Meteor's demise the plane changed hands many times before being acquired by the CAF in February 1978 and assigned to the East Texas Wing. The newly formed So Cal Wing gave the plane a permanent home at Camarillo, arriving in the spring of 1982.

Later put on display on the Boeing Plaza.

"By ReQuest" as flown by Col. B.O. Davis of the 332nd FG parked during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2024. The Red Tails flown by Tuskegee Airmen had an impressive combat record. Built at Dallas, this P-51C was delivered to the USAAF as 42-103645. It served as a trainer in Florida during WW2. Declared surplus in 1945, the aircraft was bought for $1 by Montana State College. In June 1965 it was auctioned off by the college and stored in a junkyard, later being donated to the CAF. The Mustang flew on 10 May 2001 after restoration. It crashed in 2004, resulting in a rebuild to fly again in 2009.