Story and photos by Scott Jankowski
AirVenture always features an amazing and varied array of all types of Warbirds spanning many different eras. In this article we will focus on the propeller and rotor powered warbirds that were present at AirVenture 2026. All types of warbirds from trainers, transports, observation, liaison, bombers, fighters, and helicopters were present either parked on the North End of the field, which is the designated warbird parking area, and also at show center, Boeing Plaza.
Trainers are the most popular warbird to be seen due to the fact they are the most economical to own and operate. Several examples of the Beechcraft T-34A/B Mentor, the North American T-6 Texan/SNJ/Harvard and another North American product the T-28A/B Trojan. Several examples of the Consolidated Vultee BT-13A Valiant flew in the warbird portion of the airshow. Foreign built trainers this year included several examples of the De Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk, Italian built Siai Marchetti SF-260 (one in the former colors of the defunct Alitalia Airlines). Other foreign built trainers included Chinese built Nanchang CJ-6A’s and Russian built Yak-52’s.
Liaison and Observation aircraft are also very popular this year including several examples of the North American L-17/U-18 Navion, plenty of Cessna TO-1A/305A Bird Dogs also flew in the afternoon airshows. Other Cessna aircraft included the L-19E and Cessna 305F Bird Dogs were also seen and flew in the afternoon airshow. Additional aircraft included the Piper L-4 Grasshopper which is the military version of the Piper J-3 Cub. A welcome return visitor was the turboprop powered North American OV-10D Bronco which was used as a light attack and observation aircraft used extensively in the Vietnam War and in Desert Storm.
Transport aircraft flew in the daily Warbird airshows and included several C-47A/B Skytrains which can be found at both the Warbirds section and Vintage section of the field. Other Skytrain’s present included 2 of the 138 DC-3’s built for commercial airlines that were pressed into United States Army Air Force service during World War II and designated the C-49B/J. Another very popular transport Warbird to be seen were several examples of the Lockheed C-45H & TC-45G Expeditor. The Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation had their very popular Douglas C-54D Skymaster named “The Spirit of Freedom” which is a veteran of the Berlin Airlift. One of the first-time visitors to AirVenture this year was the newly restored Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina owned by the American Heritage Museum which is also a highly decorated German U-boat hunter in World War II.
Several light; medium and heavy bombers were part of AirVenture 2026. Flying in the Friday afternoon airshow was an example of the main Torpedo Bomber the United States Navy used in World War II, the General Motors TBM-3E Avenger. Also flying in the Friday afternoon airshow were several different examples of the Douglas A-26B Invaders redesignated the B-26 in 1948. North American B-25 Mitchell Bombers are always seen. this year several annual attenders returned with a few new aircraft. There were several B-25J Mitchells, including the yearly participant “Devil Dog” operated by the Commemorative Air Force and is configured to represent a United States Marine Corps PBJ-1J. First time visitor to AirVenture was a newly restored North American B-25D Mitchell “Destination Tokyo”. This 1942 built Mitchell is painted in the exact color scheme used by the Doolittle Raiders and stopped at Oshkosh on its way to its new home overseas. Welcome additions to the bomber lineup a pair of Boeing B-17G Flying Fortresses were present this year and included the locally based and built by Lockheed Vega, “Aluminum Overcast”. The other B-17G, “Sentimental Journey” is operated by the Commemorative Air Force. Gosshawk Limited had their Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer at AirVenture again this year, the only flyable example in the world. To round out the bombers and seen flying overhead multiple times a day was one of only 2 flyable Boeing B-29 Super Fortresses in the world, “DOC”. They were offering rides from the nearby Appleton International Airport.
The always popular fighter type aircraft were also seen, but fewer in numbers compared to previous years. These aircraft were featured in the Friday afternoon airshow and included several different examples of the iconic North American P-51C/D Mustang, including “Was That Too Fast” which is painted to represent an F-51D from the Korean War. There were plenty of Chance Vought/Goodyear F-4U-4/F4U-5, and FG-1D Corsair, different aircraft flew in the daily airshows. Single examples of the General Motors FM-2 Wildcat and F-8F Bearcat were seen flying on Friday. Making a return appearance was the Commemorative Air Force’s Bell P-63A King Cobra. The meticulously restored and rare Republic P-47D Thunderbolt (Razorback variant) named “Bonnie” was present. The Flying Bulls from Austria had their beautifully restored Lockheed P-38L Lightning on static display and as a featured performer in the airshow.
Helicopters are growing popularity with several different airframes present including a combat veteran Sikorsky UH-34D Seahorse.
The Warbird Community has always been a vital and key component of AirVenture and will continue to be for years to come. These important parts of Aviation History are mostly owned and operated by private individuals, which can be quite costly. The next time you see a Warbird Owner please thank them for keeping these important parts of our history flying. It takes a tremendous amount of dedication to keep these beautiful aircraft in flying condition. Until next time, “Blue Skies To All!”
