Quiet Birdmen Airshow operations at Camarillo, June 12, 2006

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Airplanes that participated in the Quiet Birdmen Airshow and Barbecue on Monday, June 12, took off and landed at the Camarillo Airport. The vintage warbirds of the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force were joined by the Curtiss P-40N Warhawk and Douglas SBD Dauntless of the Planes of Fame Museum at Chino, Wayne Getchell's Hawker Sea Fury, and the sole airworthy Curtiss SB2C Helldiver, as well as several aerobatic performers.

Curtiss P-40N Warhawk, NL85104 was ordered by the Army Air Corps as 42-105192. It was delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force as 858. Fred Dyson bought it and 42-106396 at Boeing Field, Seattle, Washington on October 23, 1947. It was owned by W. Bridges in Jackson, Mississippi from 1952 to 1954. Louis Rice of Marysville, California bought it in 1954 and very quickly sold it to Richard Rowlette of Riverside, California. Walter Brockin, also of Riverside, acquired it in 1955 and then sold it to W. Keith Larkin of Weather Modification Company in San Jose, California. It was damaged in a wheels up landing near Denver, Colorado in 1958. The Air Museum in Ontario restored it to static display condition in 1959. Restoration of the airframe was begun in 1977. It made its first flight after restoration in 1981, when it acquired its current registration. It is powered by an Allison V-1710 twelve-cylinder engine.

Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless, NX670AM of the Planes of Fame Museum. It was built as Navy BuNo 28536 but delivered to the Royal New Zealand Air Force as NZ5062. After the war it was used as a wind machine by MGM Studios. Wings from another SBD were recovered from Guadalcanal to return this Dauntless to flying condition in 1987. It flew its first flight after reconstruction on February 7, 1987. It is powered by a Wright R-1820 radial engine.

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, N1078Z Minsi III. Its Grumman construction number is A-5634. John Sandberg recovered it from the Fergus Falls Airport in Minnesota in 1962. It was subsequently owned by Lloyd Nolan and Ed Messick.

General Motors FM-2 Wildcat, N5833 has been restored in the colors of a Royal Navy Martlett. It originally carried U.S. Navy BuNo 86819. Its General Motor construction number is 5877. It crashed in 1955 while flying as a sprayer for Butler Aviation of Redmond, Oregon. The rebuild project took many years and the airframe passed therough the hands of several owners. It received its current registration in August 1983. It was returned to the air on April 24, 1987 by Air Group One at Ramona, California. It spent a short while in the hands of Military Aircraft Restoration Corporation at Chino. It is now registered to the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum and based with the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force at Camarillo.

Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless, NX670AM

Convair C-131D Samaritan, N131CW flew for the Air Force as 54-2809. It is part of the collection of the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force.

Polikarpov I-16 Type 24, N30425 was built in Russia in 1939. Its construction ID is 2421645. It is one of three registered in the United States. It is one of six I-16s that were recovered by the Alpine Fighter Collection of Wanaka, New Zealand. Three I-16s remain in New Zealand. It has been registered to the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum since March 26, 2002.

Beautifully polished Douglas A-26C Invader, N126HK served the Army Air Forces as 44-35788. Its construction number is 29067. L.B. Smith Aircraft Company of Miami, Florida registered it as N8058E. It was stored in the open at Charlotte, South Carolina from 1962 to 1972. John Stokes of San Marcos, Texas acquired it in 1977 and sold it to Joe Mabee of Midland, Texas. The Experimental Aircraft Association Aviation Foundation of Oshkosh, Wisconson acquired it in 1983. Sanders Lead Company Incorporated of Troy, Alabama restored it from 1987 to 1994. It has been registered to Howard Kack and the A-26 Company Incorporated of Van Nuys as N126HK since April 19, 2001. It made its first flight after restoration in August 2004.

Douglas A-26C Invader, N126HK

Check out the mirror finish on Douglas A-26C Invader, N126HK.

Douglas A-26C Invader, N126HK

The only airworthy Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver, NX92879 belongs to the Commemorative Air Force and is based in Texas. It served the U.S. Navy as BuNo 83589. Ed Maloney and The Ontario Air Museum acquired it in May 1963 and sold it to the Confederate Air Force at Harlingen, Texas in 1970. It was registered as N92879 and restored to airworthy condition in Ontario, California before its delivery to the CAF in November 1971. It flew for the CAF as USN #5. It crashed after an engine failure at Harlingen in August 1985. It flew again on September 27, 1988. It flies now as USN #32.

Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver, NX92879

Thirty-five years ago: SB2C-5 NX92879 is seen here at the Chino Airport in April 1971, a few months before delivery to the CAF.

Ventura County Sheriff's Department Bell 205A-1, N205VC #8 was built in 1969. Its construction number is 30066. It has been registered to the Sheriff's Department since December 15, 1998.

Douglas A-26C Invader, N126HK

A flight of four North American Texans returns from performing the "Missing Man" salute.

Hawker Sea Fury FB Mk II, N260X has been a regular participant in Southern California airshows for over a quarter of a century. It still has a Bristol Centaurus engine with a five-bladed propeller. It was delivered to the Royal Australian Navy as WH587 on March 7, 1952. It was retired on September 3, 1963. G. Grieg of Sydney bought it in 1963 and sold it to Lord Tefgarne of Sydney in 1964. Grant Weaver of San Jose, California gave it its current registration in May 1965 and flew it as Race #33. Stan Booker of Fresno, California bought it in 1967 and sold it to James R. Fugate of Aurora, Oregon in 1969. Sherman Cooper of Merced, California bought it in 1971 and sold it to Westernair of Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1972. Ellsworth Getchell and Gretchell Aircraft Incorporated of San Jose, California acquired it on July 7, 1975.

Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat, N7825C originally wore Navy BuNo 122674. Its Grumman construction number is D.1227. It was built in 1948. E. Weiner of Los Angeles registered it under its current tail number in 1958. It was bought by Leo Demeers of Aurora, Oregon in 1963. Richard Tobey of Newport Beach, California in acquired it in 1966 and then sold it to Paul Finefrock of Hobart, Oklahoma in 1969. Gary Levitz picked it up later that year. It has belonged to the Confederate Air Force since 1972. It underwent a major rebuild from 1989 to 1991. It made its first flight after the rebuild on December 17, 1991.

Curtiss C-46F Commando, N53594 China Doll served the Army Air Force as 44-78663. Its Curtiss construction number is 22486. Riddle Airlines operated it from August 1960 to July 1963. Zantop Air Transport operated it from July 1963 to September 1966. After flying for Ortiner Air Services it was acquired by the Confederate Air Force of Midland, Texas in 1991. It is registered to the American Airpower Heritage Flying Museum and based with the Southern California Wing of the Commemorative Air Force at Camarillo.

North American SNJ-5 Texan, N1038A War Dog was built in 1944. Its U.S. Navy Bureau Number was 90917 and it still wears that number on its tail. It has been a familiar sight on the airshow circuit for many years. It is owned and piloted by John Collver.

Martin 404, N636X was operated by Airliners of America in the colors of Pacific Air Lines. It was delivered to TWA on July 16, 1952, registered as N40429. Its name was Skyliner Peoria. In 1959 it was sold to California Airmotive Corporation. Subsequently it was owned by E. F. McDonald, James McAlister, Montex Drilling Corporation, Airworld Incorporated, Whitesell Construction Corporation, Joe Simpkins Oil, Tiffany Industries Isd., Phase II Incorporated, and Sun & Wind Incorporated. It is currently registered to Skylease Incorporated of Wilmington, Delaware. It has not flown in some time.

North American SNJ-5 Texan, N12377 is registered to Richard Ferdon of Simi Valley, California. Its Navy BuNo was 85086.

North American SNJ-4 Texan, N86WW Sugarfoot was delivered to the U.S. Navy as BuNo 27255 in 1955. It entered the civil register as N9528C. It has been registered as N86WW since January 24, 2005.

North American AT-6D Texan, N8540P Miss Universe has been registered to Jason Somes of Simi Valley since October 26, 2005.

Douglas DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor. Its Douglas construction number is 34370 and it was delivered to the Army Air Corps as C-47B, 45-1100. It is based at the Van Nuys Airport.

Douglas DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor.

Seventeen years ago: The same DC-3C was registered as N541GA when I photographed it at the Santa Barbara Airport in March 1989.

North American T-28B Trojan, N6255 served the U.S. Navy as BuNo 138340 and it has been restored with that tail number. It has been registered to Viper Aviation Incorporated of Montecito, California since July 8, 1998.

Zlin 50LX, N6660K Tumbling Bear flown by Rob Harrison lives up to its name. It was built in 1996. Its serial number is 0075.

Pitts S-2T, N57BC was built by Aviat Aircraft Inc. in 2002. Its construction number is 6042. It is owned and flown by Bill Cornick.

North American SNJ-5 Texan, N1038A War Dog

Ventura County Sheriff's Department Bell 212, N212VC was built in 1975. Its construction number is 30693. It has been registered to the Sheriff's Department since April 26, 2001.

Sukhoi SU-26MX, N360MJ is flown by Doug Jardine of the Canadian Aerobatic Team.

Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee, N75108 sports a polished aluminum finish. It has been registered to Christian Haga of Thousand Oaks, California since may 29, 1996.

Douglas DC-3C, N814CL Mainliner O'Connor.

North American SNJ-5 Texan, N1038A War Dog

Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat, N7825C

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat, N1078Z Minsi III

Curtiss P-40N Warhawk, NL85104

Hawker Sea Fury FB Mk II, N260X

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat N1078Z Minsi III, Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat N7825C, Curtiss P-40N Warhawk NL85104, and Hawker Sea Fury FB Mk II N260X form up before flying past the ranch.