Wright B, World Cruiser replica to Join AirVenture 2026 “Pioneers of Flight”
By EAA Staff
Discover aviation history at Oshkosh this year, as two aircraft reproductions that commemorate major aviation milestones will join the growing number of aircraft participating in the Pioneers of Flight display in the Vintage aircraft area at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026.
Seattle World Cruiser on floats by Jim Larson
A first-time visitor to Oshkosh will be the Seattle II, a replica built a decade ago to commemorate the famed Douglas World Cruiser aircraft that made the first successful global circumnavigation flight in 1924. The reproduction was completed in 2013 and first flown in 2014.
After the airplane is transported to Oshkosh, it will be mounted on its floats to match the original 1924 configuration and placed in the Pioneers of Flight area for AirVenture week. After the fly-in, the airplane will be displayed on loan in the EAA Aviation Museum.
Replica Wright B Flyer
Returning to Oshkosh will be the Wright B Flyer based at the National Aviation Heritage Area in Dayton, Ohio. This design from 1910 honors the development of the Wright brothers’ designs in the short period following the successful 1903 inaugural flights at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.The Wright B will also re-create the earliest days of powered aviation with flights during the AirVenture afternoon air shows on Tuesday, July 21, and Thursday, July 23. These flights will take place with weather and operational considerations permitting.
The Pioneers of Flight display at AirVenture 2026 features original and reproduction aircraft from the first 25 years of flight that followed the Wright brothers’ initial success in December 1903. The group that will be based in AirVenture’s Vintage aircraft area represents innovations by American and international designers.
Advance tickets for AirVenture 2026 are now available at EAA.org/Tickets, with early-bird discounts currently in effect.
