Commemorative Air Force Capital Wing

08/22/2026

Chinook at CJR. 🇺🇸 God bless our military!

08/22/2026

Chinooks at Culpeper Regional Airport (CJR) 8/22/26🫡🇺🇸 Go Army!

08/22/2026

Two Chinooks, four Black Hawks and two Apache were practicing today.🇺🇸🫡

08/07/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GDjKBwX2x/?mibextid=wwXIfr

On 7 August 1941, a legend was born.

It was on that day that Grumman's new torpedo bomber took to the air for the first time, but its debut was anything but smooth. Chief engineer and test pilot Robert Leicester "Bob" Hall lifted the XTBF-1 (Bu. No. 00373) from the runway, only to discover the prototype was difficult to control. The aircraft was overweight, its center of gravity was too far aft, and it exhibited poor directional stability. Recognizing the seriousness of the problems, Hall wisely ended the flight after only a brief evaluation.

Rather than abandoning the design, Grumman's engineers went back to work. The Wright R-2600 engine was moved forward with a redesigned engine mount to improve the center of gravity, a distinctive triangular dorsal fin fillet was added to increase yaw stability, and weight-saving measures were introduced throughout the airframe. The changes transformed the aircraft's handling and paved the way for production. In October 1941, nearly two months BEFORE the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Navy officially assigned the name Avenger to its newest torpedo bomber.

The XTBF-1 had originated from a 1939 U.S. Navy requirement for a successor to the aging Douglas TBD Devastator. Grumman answered the call with a rugged, three-man aircraft powered by a single Wright R-2600 radial engine and featuring an internal bomb bay capable of carrying a torpedo or bombs. The production TBF Avenger would prove to be one of the Navy's most successful carrier aircraft of World War II, serving in every major theater of the conflict. As Grumman shifted its focus to producing the F6F Hellcat, General Motors' Eastern Aircraft Division assumed most Avenger production under the TBM designation, ultimately manufacturing roughly three-quarters of the nearly 9,900 Avengers built.

Interestingly, no Avenger still flying today is a TBF. They are all TBMs. The CAF operates three... can you name all of them?

07/09/2026

Lockheed Lodestar N21G is one of the seven Lockheed Lodestars that are still in flying condition. Learn more on the Platinum Fighters website.

07/04/2026

06/14/2026

Sentimental Journey at Warrenton yesterday!