Antiques, Classics and Contemporary Aircraft at AirVenture 2026
1935 PASPED SKYLARK W1
Photos by Ken Kula
The EAA’s Vintage Aircraft Association presents a huge amount of aviation history each year during the AirVenture Oshkosh celebration of flight. Hundreds of privately-owned or museum-maintained aircraft arrive at Wittman Regional Airport to be judged and displayed.
Why is there an EAA’s Vintage Aircraft Association? Their reasons for being: “Our mission is to encourage and aid the retention and restoration of antique, historical, classical and contemporary aircraft, and to improve aviation safety and education”. Three main aircraft categories exist, and are basically identified by years of manufacture:
Antique Aircraft- Constructed by the original manufacturer (or licensee) on or before August 31, 1945
Classic Aircraft- Constructed from September 1, 1945 through December 31, 1955
Contemporary Aircraft- Constructed from January 1, 1956 through December 31, 1970
Here are slightly more than three dozen photos of different types of aircraft, with their year of manufacture… some of the manufacturer’s names are not common, but over time rights of each design’s ownership were sold/transferred to other companies to carry on building these types.
Please note that all of these aircraft are more than 50 years old and are still in flyable condition, mainly due to their owners’ dedication!!
1917 KLESSIG STANDARD J-1
1927 SWALLOW
1928 FORD 5-AT-B
1935 STINSON SR-6B
1937 DOUGLAS DC-3
1937 STINSON SR-9
1938 RYAN AERONAUTICAL SCW-145
1939 BEECH D17S STAGGERWING
1942 BOEING PT-17
1944 HOWARD DGA-15P
1945 CESSNA T-50
1945 DOUGLAS DC-3C
1945 GRUMMAN G-44A
1946 AERONCA 7AC
1946 CESSNA 120
1946 DART GC
1946 FAIRCHILD 24W-46
1946 STINSON 108
1947 NORTH AMERICAN NAVION
1948 AERONCA 15AC
1948 CESSNA 170
1948 SILVAIRE LUSCOMBE 8F
1948 TEMCO GC-1B SWIFT
1949 CESSNA 195A
1949 DHC-2 BEAVER MK.1
1952 BEECH C35 BONANZA
1954 BEECH C-45H
1954 PA-22-135 TRIPACER
1955 PIPER PA22-150 TRIPACER
1956 CESSNA 172
1957 FORNEY F-1
1958 MOONEY 20A
1960 PIPER PA-24-250 COMMANCHE
1961 CESSNA 310G
1961 CESSNA 320 SKYNIGHT
1964 BEECH D95A
1964 CESSNA 150D
1966 MOONEY M20E
HONORABLE MENTIONS – REPLICAS OF A FEW MORE VINTAGE AIRCRAFT AT AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2026
EAA’S REPLICA OF THE RYAN NYP IN WHICH CHARLES LINDBERG FLEW ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN IN 1927
REPLICA OF A DOUGLAS WORLD CRUISER, NAMED THE “SEATTLE II”. THE ORIGINAL WORLD CRUISER “SEATTLE” WAS ONE OF FOUR (ACTUALY TWO MADE THE ENTIRE TRIP) US ARMY AIR CORPS AIRCRAFT WHICH MADE THE FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION AROUND THE WORLD FLIGHT IN 1924. SEE MORE INFORMATION HERE.
THE MOSS QED GEE BEE RACER REPLICA. JIM MOSS BUILT THIS DURING HIS LAST YEARS OF LIFE, IT FIRST FLEW IN 2013. THE ORIGINAL GEE BEE R-6 RACER WAS BUILT IN 1934. FOR MORE ON THIS AIRCRAFT, SEE PHOTORECON’S STORY HERE
