Our Warbirds
The Capital Wing flys four different types of WWII warbirds. Each has a unique and fascinating history. And all are available for warbird rides.
General Motors TBM Avenger
Torpedo Bomber
Our TBM-3E Avenger “Doris Mae” is a Grumman-designed aircraft built under license by General Motors in New Jersey in 1945. (Yes, General Motors Built aircraft in WWII.) The TBM Avenger is the largest and heaviest single-engine bomber of WWII.
Our TBM would see service in the US Navy and Marine Corps at various stations in Florida, Virginia, California and Pennsylvania before being stricken from service in October of 1952. She had flown over 1,100 hours in service to the United States.
After being transferred to the Canadian Royal Navy and then flown as a "fire bomber," our Avenger was purchased by the Commemorative Air Force in 2001. Restoration to WWII configuration was completed in April 2014 when she was returned to flying status and based at Culpeper Regional Airport, Culpeper, VA.
Warbird rides are available for two passengers, one in the observer seat behind the pilot and one in the turret.
Stinson OY-1 Sentinel
Our Stinson OY-1 is a liaison/observation aircraft, one of many small "bird dog" airplanes employed by all military branches of the US in WWII. It is the largest warbird of this type.
The views from the Stinson's "all glass" cockpit are outstanding, providing a nice, stable platform for photography.
Our Stinson OY-1 was built in 1943 and delivered to the US Marine Corps in Quantico, VA just 30 miles from where she is hagared today. Eventually our Stinson was loaded on the escort carrier White Plains in 1944 and sailed to the south Pacific. She flew off the deck of the White Plains and was the first warbird to land on the island of Saipan, where she conducted several combat observation missions during the Battle of Saipan in June 1944, making our Stinson OY-1 an extremely rare warbird.
A warbird ride is available for one passenger in the Stinson who sits in the original seat behind the pilot where US Marines conducted combat reconnaissance in 1944.
Fairchild UC-61 Forwarder
Our Fairchild UC-61 Forwarder is a 1930s design of the Fairchild Aircraft Company in Hagerstown, MD. During WWII the US Coast Guard employed this type in anti-submarine patrols off the Atlantic coast.
Our Fairchild was built in 1946 and features roll-down windows, gull wings, and an "inverted" 200-hp engine. (The cylinders are on the bottom, not the top.)
The Fairchild is available for warbird rides and is the only warbird in our fleet that carries up to three passengers: one or two adults, one adult and two children, or two adults and one child. It is also the only aircraft where children ages 5-12 can fly with a parent or guardian on board.
Good views are available from any seat.
Vultee BT-13 Valiant
Our Vultee BT-13 Valiant served as a basic trainer in WWII and was designed to introduce pilots to the flight tactics they would need to fly a fighter in combat. This warbird had more power and was much more maneuverable than the primary trainers they started on.
Our 1943 BT-13 is painted in the livery of the aircraft most often flown by the late BG Charles McGee when he was in training with the Tuskegee Airmen. In fact, BG McGee flew this BT-13 on one of his visits to the Capital Wing.
The BT-13 is virtually identical in size to the advanced trainer North American T-6 and has similar performance characteristics, except it has a smaller engine and non-retractable gear.
A warbird ride in our BT-13 provides a fighter-like experience at a more affordable cost.
Other Warbirds
The Capital Wing brings its Warbird Showcase event to numerous airports throughout the mid-Atlantic region during the summer months. In addition to our own warbirds, we usually bring other aircraft for the public to enjoy. Some are available for warbird rides. Here are just a few of the warbirds you may see at one of our Warbird Showcase events.
