Bits and Pieces made its first Oshkosh appearance this year since 1992.

EAA's Canadian members may recognize it as the name of EAA's monthly e-newsletter that covers recreational aviation in the Great White North. Others may recognize it as an aircraft design that helped propel the early homebuilt movement.

Bits and Pieces, a 1952 Corben Baby Ace (CF-RAC) recognized as Canada's oldest flying registered homebuilt, arrived to Oshkosh Monday after a 700-mile flight from Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

The owners, Bob Revell, EAA 52805, and Tom Dietrich, EAA 65325, haven't brought Bits and Pieces to Oshkosh since 1992, but they chose to have it flown here this year to commemorate Dietrich's 40th consecutive year attending the annual EAA fly-in.

"We had the plane flown to Oshkosh out of celebration," Dietrich said. "We've had a lot of people stop by and tell us how much they enjoy it. The ladies really seem to like the baby blue color," he joked.

Pilot Brian Harrington flew the plane in from Canada.

Gus Chisholm, of Goderich, Ontario, completed construction of Bits and Pieces in 1958, and the plane made an appearance at the first EAA fly-in held in Rockford, Illinois, in 1959. It has been flying in its original condition ever since thanks to the efforts of volunteers at The Tiger Boys' Aeroplane Works & Flying Museum in Guelph. Both Revell and Dietrich are Tiger Boys.

Dietrich and Revell have flown in 11 different antique airplanes from the museum's collection in the past. Eight have won awards, including a 1941 Tiger Moth DH.82C that won three different times. "I don't think that's ever been done," Revell said with a smile on his face.

For the past 35 years, The Tiger Boys have tracked down the remains of old airplanes and turned the wrecks into better-than-new condition.

Bits and Pieces is just one of their eight antique aircraft in flying condition. Others include a 1935 Taylor E-2 Cub (the first Cub in Canada); a 1937 Thruxton Jackaroo (four-seat Tiger Moth, one of only two still flying); a 1940 World War II RCAF Fleet Finch biplane trainer; a 1985 Sindlinger Hawker Hurricane; and three World War II-era Tiger Moths. The group also has 35 antique aircraft currently in, or awaiting, restoration.

Bits and Pieces departed Oshkosh on Thursday, but if you would like to learn about it or any of the other Tiger Boys, visit www.TigerBoys.com.
Bits and Pieces is also the inspiration and namesake of EAA's Canadian online newsletter Bits and Pieces. Subscribe by visiting www.eaa.org/subscribe.