EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015: Warbirds - Trainers of the 1930s and 1940s

Fred Harl and Carmelo Turdo

The Aero Experience will wrap up our year-round coverage of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2015, sponsored by Air Associates, with a series covering the many warbird types seen during our ten days on the grounds.  We will present the warbirds in their eras of service, roughly parallel to the major conflicts, including the Cold War, in which they served.  Most of the aircraft were produced during the covered time period and served in some military capacity in combat or non-combat roles, and others were representative of the type but are replicas or civilian equivalents.    

This first feature will include trainers from the 1930s-1940s period that helped produce tens of thousands of pilots and other crew members who served in World War II.  Included here are the Boeing Stearman A75/N2S series, Fairchild PT-19, Ryan PT-22, AT-6/SNJ Texan and Harvard, and the Cessna T-50 Bobcat.