U.S. Air Force Special Operations Commemorative Edition

RV-8 serial number 82803, registered as N876ND, is dedicated to my friends Neil and Debra Florio who served in the Air Force in the 1970's. Both Neil and Debra joined the Air Force after graduating from high school. They left their small hometowns in search of adventure. Debra [Herndon] was from Woodhull, Illinois. Neil came from Hudson, New York. They quietly and honorably served their country and fell in love at Mather Air Force Base in California. Neil was a medical corpsman while Debra worked in flight operations. This RV-8 also commemorates the Air Force Special Operations Command based at Hurlburt Field in Florida. The airplane was certified in the experimental catagory and test flown in July of 2009. At the 2009 AirVenture in Oshkosh an Outstanding Workmanship award was presented to David Wilson for this airplane. It's now based in Naples, Florida where it's owned by a Air Force veteran.

N297NW -- US. Air Force Wright Brothers Centennial Edition [flight tested in 2003]

Above are pictures of the second Vans RV-8 that I built and completed in 2003. I also received an Outstanding Workmanship Kit Built award at the 2003 EAA Oshkosh Air Venture. See here for the official results. The airplane was dedicated to my mother Elizabeth and to my home town of East Liverpool, Ohio. An official Air Force celebratory patch commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers first powered flight is displayed on the rudder. More on these topics later. Today this airplane is owned by a former Air Force wing commander whose son is an active duty pilot. During the 2009 AirVenture at Oshkosh this airplane was a participant in the 37 ship world record diamond formation.

N297DW -- U.S. Air Force Commemorative Special Edition [flight tested in 2001]

Below are pictures of the first RV-8 that I built and completed in 2000. I received an Outstanding Workmanship Award for the kitbuilt class at the 2001 EAA Oshkosh Air Venture. The airplane commemorates all who have served in the Army Air Corp and U.S. Air Force. The paint scheme is stylistic in nature and not specific to a particular airplane or unit. Today this airplane is owned by a former naval aviator and is based in Maine. See here for the official results.