Warbird Awards @ Oshkosh

[bdk]

One of the paper drop tanks is a real one, one of three that exist in the world. The other is one that Bob manufactured. You cannot tell the difference.

Wow! Sounds like a well deserved winner.

I have a friend that builds RV-6's. He took one of his to OSH a few years ago and was very disappointed that he didn't win anything. He does fantastic work (shoots all the rivets from the inside to avoid dimpling the exterior for instance), and has probably built 25 of them so far.

The RV-6 that won that year had all the rivet heads filled with bondo and was primed and sanded as smooth as glass. His contention was that anyone could bondo bad metalwork smooth, so he felt his airplane showed better craftsmanship.

Needless to say, he never went back (plus they chased him away from his own airplane on the show line because he was drinking a can of coke next to it...).

I guess my point is that you can spend all that time and money for a show and more often than not get nothing. Imagine spending $1.5M on a Mustang, reskinning the entire thing yourself, and going home emptyhanded! Unless you are in the business, you probably wouldn't do another. My hat is off to the restorer/owners that do this- I wouldn't for one! Although if I ever bring my T-6, maybe I'll enter my roach of an airplane if it helps someone else to get a well deserved award.

I've been bring my roach for 16 years to OSH. I've never won a thing, but have had a big hoot flying in the afternoon shows. Those fancy sparklie/shiny jobs just sit there and wish they were flying!!

[James Church]

That's some 'roach' you have Vlado! Any chance you'll be able to make our big bash at Willow Run this weekend? Sorry I missed you at Oshkosh.
Jim

[Randy Haskin]

Imagine spending $1.5M on a Mustang, reskinning the entire thing yourself, and going home emptyhanded! Unless you are in the business, you probably wouldn't do another. My hat is off to the restorer/owners that do this- I wouldn't for one!

How many guys do expensive restorations just so they can win an award at Oshkosh? That sounds kind of ridiculous to me.

If that were *my* newly-restored Mustang, my pride would be in that beautiful airplane that I was strutting around in, not in some ribbon I won from EAA.

[bdk]

How many guys do expensive restorations just so they can win an award at Oshkosh? That sounds kind of ridiculous to me.

Yes, if you interpret my statement that way. I'm not saying that but for Oshkosh they wouldn't have done a nice restoration. If seems to me that a lot of show quality restorations are debuted at Oshkosh. What other big name shows are there that give similar awards? The Rolls Royce Trophy is relatively new.

It seems to me that a lot of people get wrapped up in the politics and prestige of shows for a stupid little ribbon.

[Mike]

Perhaps it is a little more than just a 'stupid little ribbon' - an award-winning aircraft, when it comes up for sale, is likely to fetch a premium over one which hasn't won an award, plus it is good publicity for a restoration shop, enabling them to perhaps attract more future business than they might otherwise.

[jaybird]

Anything so subjective as a judging contest should not be taken too seriously (although some turn that seriousness into extra $$ which is the obvious devious entity). Maybe that's why I like racing so much....so very little rules and he who crosses the finish line 1st, wins. Plane (mispelled on purpose) & simple!!

One authentic piece that jumped out at me right away with "Sweet & Lovely" was the welded aluminum wingtips vs. the fiberglass tips on almost every other Mustang there.......although the rougher aluminum tips are less aesthetic, they certainly add character