Aircraft Anniversaries

Happy Birthday!

A variety of aircraft are celebrating at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021

BY HAL BRYAN

Every year, EAA AirVenture Oshkosh becomes home to thousands of aircraft. Some of them are here to be displayed or perform in one of the air shows, while others form the centerpieces of thousands of campsites. In some cases, though, there’s another reason, one that’s cause for specific celebration — the anniversary of an aircraft type’s first flight or introduction. At the time of this writing, we know of several types that are here to celebrate this year, including some holdovers from last year — the AirVenture that wasn’t.

So, as you walk the convention grounds, when you see one of these airplanes, be sure to stop and wish it a happy birthday. In addition, two of EAA’s divisions, the Vintage Aircraft Association and the International Aerobatic Club, are celebrating their 50th anniversaries this year, so take some time to help them celebrate as well.

STINSON AIRCRAFT CO.

The Stinson Aircraft Co. was founded in 1920 by Eddie Stinson and went on to produce a variety of popular civil aircraft, as well as liaison aircraft like the L-5. (Pictured: a 1928 Stinson SM-2.)

TAYLORCRAFT AVIATION

Formed in 1935 as the Taylor-Young Airplane Co. and renamed in 1939, Taylorcraft produced sport aircraft like the BC-12 series, as well as the forerunner to the venerable Piper Cub.

ERCO

The Engineering and Research Corp. (ERCO) was founded by Henry Berliner in 1930, and produced the first Ercoupe after designer Fred Weick joined the company in 1936.

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AERONCA CHIEF

Production on the Aeronca Chief, a light, two-seat touring airplane, began in 1936, and, though it was eclipsed in numbers by the company’s Champ, it remains a popular vintage type to this day.

CESSNA 120 AND 140

The Cessna 140, followed almost immediately by the 120, was a practical, mostly metal, two-seat, side-byside touring airplane that first flew in 1945.

GLOBE SWIFT

The sleek and sporty two-seat Globe GC-1 Swift was introduced in 1946 as a cross-country airplane meant to capitalize on the expected postwar general aviation aircraft sales boom that never materialized.

PIPER PA-22 TRI-PACER

The Vintage Aircraft Association is celebrating “22s in ’21,” marking the anniversary of the 1950 first flight of the popular Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer, the tricycle-gear version of the PA-20 Pacer.

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KOLB AIRCRAFT CO.

The Kolb Aircraft Co. was founded in 1980 by designer Homer Kolb, EAA 378, to produce a series of ultralight aircraft kits, beginning with the Kolb Flyer that he’d designed in 1970.

PITTS SPECIAL

Legendary designer Curtis Pitts, EAA 15785, started working on the classic S-1 aerobatic biplane in 1943, and the popular design continues to be refined to this day.

SKYBOLT

The Steen Skybolt is a classic homebuilt biplane designed by schoolteacher Lamar Steen that first flew in 1970. More than 400 have reportedly been built, all from plans.

BAKENG DUCE

The parasol-wing, open-cockpit Bakeng Duce, designed by Jerry Bakeng, first flew in 1970. The rights to the airplane changed hands in 1999, and the spelling of the name changed to Deuce.

VAN’S RV-8 AND RV-7

Van’s Aircraft, led by Dick VanGrunsven, EAA Lifetime 3204, introduced the RV-8, a tandem two-seater, in 1995, followed by the side-by-side RV-7 (pictured) in 2001. More than 10,000 RVs have been built and flown.

SONERAI

John Monnett, EAA Lifetime 15941, designed and flew the Sonerai single-seat air racer back in 1971, more than 25 years before founding Sonex Aircraft here in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

LOCKWOOD AIRCAM

The AirCam, a twin-engine, open-cockpit taildragger, was originally built in 1995 by designer Phil Lockwood, EAA 211596, as an aerial photography and observation platform for the National Geographic Society, which used it in the Congo Basin.

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