Unique Aircraft Spotted at the Oshkosh Airshow 2019

Lindsay Bjerregaard

Boeing 747

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To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boeing 747—which coincides with EAA celebrating 50 consecutive EAA fly-in conventions in Oshkosh—this 747 cargo aircraft from UPS towered over the center of the air show.

Airbus Vahana

Lindsay Bjerregaard/Aviation Week

Urban Air Mobility was a big theme at this year’s EAA AirVenture, which included Airbus displaying its Vahana electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) concept.

U.S. Forest Service Special Mission Aircraft

Lindsay Bjerregaard/Aviation Week

The U.S. Forest Service showcased a variety of special mission aircraft used for aerial firefighting and other special missions, such as search and rescue, tree seeding and wildlife telemetry. Pictured here are the Short C-23 Sherpa, DeHavilland DHC-2 Beaver and Canadair CL-215.

Eisenhower’s Air Force One

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This L-26 Aero Commander served as President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Air Force One in the 1950s. The aircraft type is the smallest in size to ever serve as Air Force One.

Millennium Phenom

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This Star Wars-themed Embraer Phenom 100, dubbed the “Millennium Phenom,” features fun touches for fans of the sci-fi movie franchise.

Ford Flivver Replica

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Despite being best known for its cars, Ford displayed a replica of the Ford Flivver #1, which was a single-seat aircraft that Henry Ford dubbed the “Model T of the Air.”

OpenSky M-02J

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This Japanese experimental glider is inspired by an aircraft flown in the anime film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

Doc B-29 Bomber

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“Doc,” the Boeing B-29 Superfortress four-engine heavy bomber, was one of the big draws at Boeing Plaza this year. The aircraft, first built in 1944, was fully rebuilt between 2000-2016.

Boeing 787

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An all-female crew flew this United Airlines Boeing 787 to EAA AirVenture to celebrate Women in Aviation International’s annual WomenVenture event, which provides networking opportunities for women in the industry at Oshkosh.

A brief look at some of the interesting aircraft at the Oshkosh airshow this year, including special mission planes, pop culture-inspired designs and historic restorations.

Lindsay Bjerregaard

Lindsay Bjerregaard is MRO Editor, Americas, for Aviation Week’s MRO portfolio. Her coverage focuses on MRO technology, workforce, and product and service news for aviationweek.com, Aviation Week Marketplace and Inside MRO.