Give the Gift of Flight: Support the CAF’s ‘12 Planes of Christmas’

As the saying goes, it is better to give than receive. And if you are a warbird fan, consider making a gift to the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) in support of those beautiful vintage designs with the round engines that make us swoon during airshows and fly-ins.

Each year the CAF designates “12 Planes of Christmas,” which allows for targeted donation.

The aircraft selected are in need of restoration, repair, or maintenance to help the organization preserve these rare historical artifacts. This year’s 12 come from around the country—and you may recognize a few favorites.

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Donations can be made to directly support a particular aircraft, or you can contribute to the CAF’s Restoration Grant Fund, which is a dollar-for-dollar matching program designed to get the most critical restoration projects back in the air more quickly.

The 12 Planes

1. P-40 Warhawk (N1226N)

The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is one of the most admired fighters from World War II.

The CAF Warhawk sporting the shark-tooth nose honors Brigadier General David Lee “Tex” Hill, who was a member of the legendary Flying Tigers, the American Volunteer Group based in China who battled Japanese forces in 1939 before the U.S. entered the war. You will find P-40s on display in aviation museums, but fewer than 30 of them remain airworthy. To keep the CAF P-40 among them, the Texas-based aircraft needs new radiators to prevent the Allison V-1710 engine from overheating.

2. PT-17 Stearman Jake (N75849)

Thousands of military aviators began their pilot careers in the open cockpit of a PT-17 Stearman. 

PT stands for “Primary Trainer.” The airplane has bright-yellow wings because when an airplane made an “unscheduled off-airport landing” the color was easy to spot from the air. The CAF Indiana Wing’s airplane, Jake, honors the 95th Aero Squadron, the famous “Kicking Mule” group. The airplane is in need of a complete engine overhaul to stay airworthy.

A gift to support Jake counts double, as Indiana Wing members will match up to $5,000 for this project. In addition, donors who give $250 or more will receive a commemorative Stearman challenge coin as a thank-you.

3. B-24 Liberator Diamond Lil (N24927)

The B-24 was the most produced bomber during WWII as a total of 18,000 rolled out of the Consolidated Aircraft factory in San Diego and many more out of the Ford plant in Willow Run, Michigan. But only two are airworthy today, and one of those is Diamond Lil.

Built in 1941, Diamond Lil was one of the first Liberators to enter combat. B-24s were used in every theater of the war. Diamond Lil was saved from the scrapyard to become one of the first aircraft to be flown by the CAF as part of its AirPower History Tour.

For the past year Diamond Lil has been undergoing restoration, which includes the replacement of control cables, pulleys, and fabric on the control surfaces. The flight controls are next up. 

Diamond Lil has her fans. A benefactor has offered to match up to $10,000 in donations.

4. SNJ-5 (N7300C)

Known as the “Pilot Maker,” the SNJ-5 was flown by Navy and Marine trainees to prepare them for combat aircraft. This SNJ-5 Texan was built in Dallas in 1943, and today is part of the CAF Gulf Coast Wing fleet.

This aircraft is a favorite on the airshow circuit. It recently received a new engine and avionics, and now needs a spare propeller to keep it available during the upcoming airshow season.

5. PBY Catalina 79 Yankee (N7179Y)

Part boat, part airplane, the PBY Catalina did everything from patrolling the sea looking for enemy submarines to rescuing downed airmen. The CAF Lake Superior Squadron’s PBY-6A 79 Yankee honors this proud legacy.

According to the CAF, the aircraft was delivered to the U.S. Navy on September 20, 1945—too late to be part of the war effort. It passed through several hands, then as happens with military surplus aircraft in peacetime, became a ramp queen.

The Lake Superior Squadron is undertaking the restoration of the aircraft back to airworthy status. This year’s goal is to fund the reconditioning of the hydraulic systems.

According to the CAF, when the restoration is complete, 79 Yankee will honor Lieutenant Howard Ady’s PBY. It is the aircraft that spotted the Japanese fleet at the Battle of Midway in June 1942—the event heralded as the turning of the tide in the Pacific War.

Donations to the PBY Catalina will be matched by an anonymous donor up to $2,000.

6. BT-13 Valiant (N113BT)

Before pilots climbed into Mustangs or Thunderbolts, they learned to fly in the rugged Vultee BT-13 Valiant. More than 11,000 were built, and nearly every World War II Army Air Forces pilot earned his wings in one.

Sometimes known as the “Vultee Vibrator” for the way the canopy shook in flight, the BT-13 was an intermediate trainer between the PT-17 Stearman and the T-6.

The CAF Razorback Wing is restoring its 1941 BT-13A to honor the young aviators who trained at Walnut Ridge Army Airfield in Arkansas. The airfield was one of the busiest training bases in the U.S. during the war. Between 1942 and 1944, over 5,300 cadets came through, and 42 were killed in training.

The BT-13A is a work in progress, as the next phase of the restoration will be wiring, hydraulic and fuel lines, control cables, and the livery. The aircraft will then be painted in the historic blue-and-yellow scheme.

7. TBM Avenger Doris Mae (N40402)

The Grumman TBM Avenger was one of the most successful carrier-based torpedo bombers in the U.S. arsenal. It is famously known as the aircraft flown by Lieutenant. George H.W. Bush, who was one of the youngest pilots in the Navy and went on to become the 41st president of the United States.

Built in 1945, the CAF’s Doris Mae continues to fly and give rides. The aircraft underwent an 18-month restoration, and the next mission is to rebuild her supply of vital spare parts, such as a starter, magnetos, and other key components needed to keep it in the air.

8. AT-6 Texan Nella (N6253C)

The AT-6 Texan Nella, short for “Fifinella,” is dedicated to the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) of World War II.

Between June 1943 and December 1944, Nella trained hundreds of women at Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas—the only all-female military flight training base in U.S. history. Over 25,000 women applied to be WASPs, and only 1,074 made the cut.

Nella proudly bears the signatures of former WASP pilots who have flown her and continues to share the famous unit’s story at airshows and women-in-aviation events across the country.

Nella flies an average of 200 hours per year and is in need of a replacement engine, which is a project undertaken approximately every 1,200 hours. The CAF has already purchased a spare engine, thus shortening the downtime to “remove and replace.”

The funding is for specialized labor, tools, and ancillary parts—the final $10,000 for this $140,000 project.

9. Ike’s Bird (N30U)

Then Lieutenant Colonel Dwight D. Eisenhower learned to fly when stationed at Fort Lewis in Washington state in 1939— and he wasn’t about to let something like becoming the president of the United States take him out of the cockpit.

During his presidency Eisenhower relied on an Aero Commander L-26B to ferry his family from Washington, D.C., to the family farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The aircraft, known as Ike’s Bird, is now under the care of the CAF Tampa Bay Wing.

For the past 20 years the chapter has used the twin-engine aircraft to give free rides for veterans and first responders no longer able to climb into WWII bombers or fighters. Ike’s Bird needs an interior refurbishment to restore its cabin to presidential standards.

10. PT-19 ‘Silver Streak’ (N46876)

The Spirit of Tulsa squadron would like your help supporting the maintenance required for its 1942 Fairchild PT-19. The aircraft, serial number 42-83431, was used as a trainer stateside and sold as surplus to civilians after the war.

The open-cockpit, low-wing design was restored to airworthiness by the squadron and given the nickname “Silver Streak.”

This year’s goal is to fund essential maintenance and preservation work, such as fabric care, engine servicing, and airframe inspections for the 83-year-old airplane.

Fun fact: The PT-19 prototype, the M-62, beat out 17 other designs for the Army contract during a fly-off competition at Wright Field in 1939. 

11. A6M3 Zero (N712Z)

Fast and fierce, the Mitsubishi A6M3 Zero was Japan’s most produced carrier-based fighter of World War II. More than 10,000 were built, but fewer than six remain in airworthy condition. The CAF Southern California Wing is the proud operator of one. The aircraft was recovered from Babo Island, New Guinea, in 1991, spent some time in Russia being restored, then was sold and shipped to the U.S.

The aircraft spent time at the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, California, before being acquired by the CAF. It still carries its wartime tail code (X-133) and is a movie star— look for it in the 2001 film Pearl Harbor.

This grand old lady is showing her age, and after 30 years in flight the Zero needs a complete landing gear overhaul that requires parts that must be hand-fabricated because no replacements exist anywhere in the world. A donation will help keep this ultra-rare warbird in the sky.

12. SNJ-4 (N27585)

The CAF Music City Wing’s SNJ-4 Texan turned many a Navy and Marine “nugget” into an aviator. Today she travels the airshow circuit helping bring back memories and create new ones for the children and grandchildren of veterans who have a connection to the airplane.

The aircraft has undergone an extensive engine restoration and now requires fresh paint. The intent is to return her to wartime colors. Each donor supporting the SNJ-4 project will receive a special thank-you gift:

• $25 donation: SNJ Pin
• $50 donation: Music City Wing Challenge Coin
• $100 donation: SNJ T-shirt

To make a donation to support these aircraft, visit 12PlanesOfChristmas.org. The CAF notes that every gift, no matter the amount, is appreciated.