Our Aircraft

N3N Biplane

This yellow Navy N3N-3 biplane, N4009A, was built by the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia, PA, on April 1, 1941.

The aircraft was in active service as a primary trainer at the Naval Air Station, Glenview, Illinois, from 1942 until 1945. These aircraft earned the nickname “YELLOW PERIL” due to their ability to shame inattentive pilots and contribute to them “washing out” of training. It was sold as surplus to L.H. McCurley in 1946. McCurley replaced the original 225 horsepower engine with a 600 horsepower Pratt & Whitney R1340 engine. The front cockpit was removed and a hopper installed for its spraying duties. McCurley used 4009A as a crop duster in the Central Valley of California until 1958 when he contracted with the United States Forest Service to use the plane for fighting forest fires. A shortened canopy from at BT-13 was installed at that time and in 1958 4009A became California Air Tanker number 9. After McCurley’s death, 4009A became the property of James Barr of Brown’s Valley, CA. Mr. Barr removed the 600 hp Pratt and Whitney engine and replaced it with the current Pratt and Whitney R985- 450 hp supercharged engine. Barr sold the aircraft to L.B. Mathews of Reno, Nevada In 2005, Commemorative Air Force High Sierra Squadron leader, Charlie Gillespie, purchased 4009A and donated the plane to the Commemorative Air Force. The aircraft has since been restored to its original military configuration, with the exception of the 450 horsepower engine and a metalized fuselage. The plane currently resides at Reno Stead Airfield, where High Sierra Squadron members have worked tirelessly to keep the plane in top condition.

L-19 Bird Dog

The L-19 Bird Dog flown by the High Sierra Squadron was built by Cessna in 1957.

It was purchased new from Cessna by the French Air Force. During its tenure with the French Armée de l'Air, it flew a combat tour in Algeria where it acquired the bullet holes in the right wing. After the war it returned to France where it remained until 1983. The aircraft was purchased by Jim Lawrence, disassembled, and shipped back to the United States where he did a full restoration. It is painted like the L-19 that Lawrence flew in Vietnam. Note the door painting:
Listed are the pilots and observers from his unit that did not make it home.

The High Sierra Squadron obtained N32BD in September of 2017.