garbs wrote:
To no one's surprise, the Bf 109G-6 won Grand Champion WWII. It also got a Phoenix Award, as did the Lysander that Dave Hadfield flew all the way from Ontario. Reserve was a beautiful C-47 based in the US but owned by Hugh Mathys from Switzerland. Word is that he maintains this plane to honor all the Americans who lost their lives to keep Europe free. Must have been some issue with Doug Matthews F-86, as it took Best Jet. There was no Post WWII Grand Champion. Best helicopter was the H-34 and the Ericson "Allischmidt" got Best Foreign Fighter, despite all of the mods. Surprised the rest haven't been posted yet.
The awards/naming can seem somewhat goofy a times. In 2015, for instance, one P-51 was handed a "Most Authentic Restoration" award, while the actual most authentic warbird of them all competing that year was another P-51, but which received the higher step up "WWII Reserve Grand Champion" award. Doug Matthews' newly-restored F-86 is absolutely gorgeous, and it wasn't necessarily restored for period-accuracy/authenticity. When you sit in the cockpit it looks like you're sitting in a modern jet, with a very nice simplified and clean layout, a mostly glass screen instrument panel, and modern switches/indicators, etc. - it looks like it would be a great routine cross-country flyer. In addition to the awards that Garbs has mentioned, Legacy Warbirds' TF-51D Mustang N74978, restored by Cal Pacific Airmotive, won "Best Fighter" and a "Judges Appreciation" award, and Mark Holmquist's blue and red Staggerwing N19493, recently restored by Westfall Aviation, won "Antique Grand Champion". In addition to the "Phoenix Award", the Lysander also won "Best Liaison". Hangar180's beautiful military amphib L-20A Beaver was given a "Keep 'Em Flying" award. I have yet to see posted what award the TP-40N N692CK may have received. It is pretty neat to hear that Hugh Mathys' C-47 N150D won "WWII Reserve Grand Champion"!