Inside the hangars of the Commemorative Air Force Southern California Wing (CAF SoCal) in Camarillo, California, a rare and legendary warbird is undergoing a complete transformation. The aircraft, a Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat (BuNo. 122674)—the last piston-engine fighter designed for the U.S. Navy—is being restored from the inside out under the watchful eye of John McMahon, the wing’s Maintenance Officer and a veteran A&P mechanic with over four decades of experience. “I’ve been in aviation for over 40 years now,” McMahon said. “At CAF in Camarillo, I’m the maintenance officer, which means I’m responsible for all our aircraft—14 of them—and keeping them flying is always our goal.” To donate to support the restoration of this aircraft, click HERE.
A Legacy in the CAF
The CAF SoCal Wing’s Bearcat was acquired in the early 1990s. “It was a CAF airplane—I think since 1991—but before that, it had a problem and ended up in Chino, California,” McMahon recalled. “It was brought back to just ferry status back then and flown to Camarillo.” A restoration followed, completed in 1993, and the Bearcat quickly became a fixture on the airshow circuit. It flew regularly until 2020, when McMahon grounded the aircraft for a comprehensive inspection and, ultimately, a full teardown. “She was very tired and needed a lot of love,” he explained. “I was going to take it down for a shorter restoration, but we just kept finding more and more problems, so it was time to take it all the way down.”
Discovering the Depth of the Work
Once the project began in earnest, the team discovered a long list of issues that needed to be addressed—from failing aileron linkages to worn-out plumbing. “The only thing I didn’t remove was the fuel bladder,” McMahon noted. “That was a fairly recent install. But everything else came out.” The aircraft had also endured an engine failure in 2009 that led to an emergency landing at Burbank Airport. “That was before my time, but I do know it was a brilliant emergency landing by Steve Barber,” he said, referring to the late CAF SoCal pilot and longtime supporter. “The engine was removed, overhauled, and reinstalled, and some upgrades were made back then.”
Most recently, the current engine—a Pratt & Whitney R-2800—was removed and sent out for an IRAN (Inspect and Repair As Necessary). “It wasn’t due for overhaul, but it was using way too much oil,” McMahon explained. “Round motors are notorious for that, especially the rear cylinders, which run hotter and wear the valves faster.”
Building It Better Than Before
As with many restorations, the scope of work expanded as more issues came to light. “We had aileron linkage problems, wing fold lockdown problems—the list is massive,” McMahon said. “So we removed all the plumbing, replaced around 50% of the tubing, and completely overhauled all three landing gear legs.” The restoration is also a rare opportunity to make meaningful upgrades. “We’re repainting every square inch, inside and out,” he said. “That’s one reason for taking it all the way down—to gain access and bring it back as close to new as we can. I don’t have Red Bull money, but I have CAF money, and we can still bring it to a really nice status.” The cockpit is also being modernized, shedding outdated systems in favor of more reliable and serviceable components. “We’re going to install an electrically actuated Halon fire suppression system and remove any vacuum-driven gauges,” McMahon said. “We’ll be putting in an AV-30E system, updating the radios, the transponder, ADS-B—things that make the airplane safer and more supportable.”
Current Status and Challenges Ahead
The Bearcat now rests on its landing gear again, with its outer wing panels reinstalled. “We recently got enough linkage in to fold the wings and install the panels,” McMahon said. “But we’re still working on finishing those linkages and installing the ailerons. This aileron system doesn’t use cables—it’s all pipe linkages with bearing connections, and most of those bearings were trashed. The elevator and rudder systems are the traditional cable driven type . All of the cables and pulleys will be replaced.”
Flight control surfaces have been inspected and overhauled as needed. “The rudder had massive problems and was completely rebuilt. The flaps are in good shape, and the rest have been recovered or repaired.” One of the biggest milestones McMahon hopes to reach soon is performing gear swings. “The big push now is to get the cockpit back together so we can do that,” he said. “Then it’ll be time to mount the engine and keep moving forward.”
Manpower: The Limiting Factor
Despite the solid progress, restoration work is slowed by a shortage of skilled volunteers. “I get asked all the time, ‘When will it fly?’” McMahon said. “But the truth is, I need qualified manpower. I really need licensed A&Ps or people with aviation backgrounds. I can teach a lot, but if you’re coming from the automotive world, it’s just not the same.” He emphasized that restoring vintage warbirds isn’t just about parts—it’s about understanding the aircraft. “The Bearcat store’s been closed for a while,” he joked. “You have to use what you have and figure out how to succeed. That’s the hard challenge, but it’s also where my passion lives.”
Looking Ahead
Though there’s no firm timeline for the Bearcat’s return to flight, McMahon and the CAF SoCal team remain committed to seeing it through. The goal is to fly the aircraft to a dedicated paint facility once restoration is complete and bring the fighter back into the public eye where it belongs. “These old airplanes need a lot of love, and this is how you do it,” McMahon said. “You don’t reinstall old hardware. You replace it, rebuild it, or fabricate it. If you do that now, you don’t have to rebuild it again later. It’s all about making it as reliable as you can.”
As work continues, CAF SoCal is actively seeking additional help—both in volunteers and donations—to ensure the Bearcat roars back to life once more. For updates on the Bearcat project and information on how to support or volunteer, visit www.cafsocal.com. To donate to support the restoration of this aircraft, click HERE.
Which R-2800 engine variant she has?