Operations: C.A.F. Headquarters

CAF Objectives

• To preserve, in flying condition, a complete collection of combat aircraft which were flown by all military services of the United States during World War II.
• To provide museum buildings for the permanent protection and display of these aircraft as a tribute to the thousands of men and women who built, serviced and flew them.
• To perpetuate, in the memory and in the hearts of all Americans, the spirit in which these great planes were flown in the defense of our nation.
• To establish an organization having the dedication, enthusiasm and espirit de corps necessary to operate, maintain and preserve these aircrafrt as symbols of our American military aviation heritage.

Aircraft Information

CAF aircraft fly. This—along with the fact that its fleet consists of over 145 airplanes representing more than 60 different types (including planes from several foreign countries)—is what makes the CAF different from other aviation museums. Of the over 145 aircraft operated by the CAF, about 100 are in flying condition at any given time. Restoration and maintenance of these sixty-year-old-plus airplanes is always ongoing.

Many of the aircraft are rare, including the only flying example of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress, the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver and the Bell P-39 Airacobra fighter. Others—such as the Consolidated B-24/Lb-30 Liberator, Bell P-63 Kingcobra fighter, Douglas SBD Dauntless and North American P-51C Mustang—are one of only two or three of that type left flying today.

Because CAF aircraft fly, they go to the people and appear annually at airshows all across the country. Many of the CAF airplanes are also on display in museums operated by CAF Units. 14 to 20 CAF aircraft are on exhibit at the American Airpower Heritage Museum, located at CAF Headquarters in Midland, Texas. The display changes quarterly, so there is always something to see.

For more information—including a complete history, library archive and complete listing of aircraft—visit www.commemorativeairforce.org.
    

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