In February, the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum announced the addition of a rare 1942 Douglas SBD Dauntless/A-24B to its growing fleet of naval aircraft. Acquired from the Lone Star Flight Museum in Houston, Texas, the dive bomber joins the Fagen Fighters’ growing collection that already includes an SB2C Helldiver, F6F Hellcat, FM-2 Wildcat, and SNJ trainer. On June 20, 2025, warbird pilot Charlie Hainline ferried the Dauntless from Houston to Granite Falls, touching down at 12:30 p.m. The aircraft will now undergo some light maintenance and tender loving care from the museum’s restoration team to prepare it for Victory at Sea, Fagen Fighters’ upcoming naval aviation gathering taking place August 16–17. Click HERE for more information.
Originally built in 1942 by the Douglas Aircraft Company as an A-24B, this airframe was delivered to the U.S. Army Air Forces before being transferred to the Fuerza Aérea Mexicana (Mexican Air Force). After its military service, it was sold to a Mexican aerial photography firm. In 1972, it was placed on static display at the Admiral Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, Texas. The Lone Star Flight Museum acquired the aircraft in 1994 and began an extensive in-house restoration that spanned 12,000 labor hours. Completed in June 1997, the aircraft was returned to flying condition and repainted in the livery of the more well-known naval version, the SBD Dauntless. Today, it remains one of just a few airworthy A-24B/SBD-5 aircraft left in the world, a rare survivor from the 3,640 produced—2,965 for the U.S. Navy and 675 for the U.S. Army Air Forces.
The aircraft’s debut at Victory at Sea will mark a fitting homecoming to the skies. The two-day event will feature a powerful lineup of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft in flight and on display, offering visitors an immersive sensory experience of naval aviation history. For more information, visit the Fagen Fighters event page or on the museum’s website.
