A general view of the Warbirds area, with the Ford 5-AT-E in military colours in the foreground and the Greenland Expedition DC-3 N99FS next to one of the three B-17Gs.

This privately owned Canberra must be unique. It is B.20 from Australia, and was only registered in the USA last December. Previously it was A84-229, represented by the registration marks N229CA.

Big Ass Bird II, recently restored Republic P-47D N4747P painted as 44-32773. In fact this is 44-90368, a Venezuelan Air Force P-47 which came to the USA via the Salis collection in France.

British visitors to Oshkosh are rare, but here CASA 1-131E G-JUNG rests beside its owner's tent near the ultra-light runway, while a Fisher Classic lands over a typical Wisconin barn. The owner is a US resident ex-patriate Briton.

Beech E.17B N48974, owned by James C Spriggs of Aguila, AZ.

Save a Connie's L.1049H makes a graceful pass under an almost cloudless sky.

This replica of Granville Gee Bee R-2 NR2101 is being built for Steve Wolf, who already flies a replica of the Pitts Samson, powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-985 which will be used in the R-2. Almost complete, NR2101 lacks various sheet metal fairings. The original R-2 was built in 1932 with a 535 hp P & W Wasp, partnering the 800 hp Wasp-powered R-1 NR2100. Jimmy Doolittle took the R-1 to a world speed record at 294 mph in 1932, and both were to fly in the 1933 National Air Races. Russell Thaw crashed the R-2 on landing at Indianapolis and smashed a wing. Within minutes Russ Boardman took off in the R-1 and lost control, being killed in the ensuing crash. The R-2 was rebuilt, but Jim Haizlip cartwheeled it, and that was the end of the pair of barrel shaped racers. It is to be hoped Steve Wolf fares better.

The Chester 'Goon' N93Y is preserved in the Western Reserve Museum. It was built by Art Chester for the 1938 National Air Races, and had a six-cylinder Menasco Buccaneer engine. The wings, which spanned only 18ft 6in, were fully cantilever, and the undercarriage retracted into the fuselage. The Goon was flown to first place in the 1939 'Greve' race, at 263.39 mph, and took third place in the 1939 Thompson Trophy. Art Chester was killed in 1949, but the Goon survives, without an engine.

Tony Le Vier's Keith Rider R-4 Firecracker NX261Y, one of Planes of Fame Museum's contributions to the Golden Age of Air Racing exhibit. This was built in 1936 and raced by Le Vier in 1938 to win the Greve, but failed in other pre-war races and was not raced again.