Twins win big at Oshkosh

The top warbird awards at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture show at Oshkosh in late July went to Tom Reilly for his rebuilt North American XP-82 Twin Mustang, N887XP, which won the Grand Champion Post-World War II trophy, and Rod Lewis of San Antonio, Texas, whose de Havilland Mosquito FBVI, N474PZ, took the Grand Champion World War II title. The Gold Wrench award for the rebuild of the latter went to Avspecs of Ardmore, Auckland, New Zealand. Reserve Grand Champion Post-World War II went to Eddie Kurdziel from Del Mar, California for his Fairey Firefly AS6, N518WB, with the Gold Wrench being awarded to QG Aviation of America at Fort Collins, Colorado, which recently completed the rebuild of the Firefly following a landing accident in 2012.

Bringing the XP-82 in to land at Wittman Field is Ray Fowler, pilot in command in the left-hand seat of a Mustang! NIGEL HITCHMAN