"The Fairey Aviation Company in England built 1,702 Fireflies as a carrier-based Naval fighter and recon airplane, later used in anti-submarine warfare. It was powered by a Rolls-Royce Griffon engine. Its wing used Youngman flaps both in slow flight and cruise. Built into the leading edge of the wing were wing-root radiators. Fireflies first saw action in 1944 in Germany and were the first British aircraft to fly over Japan, shooting down numerous Japanese aircraft. The aircraft continued service in Korea and other conflicts into the early 1970s. This aircraft was rescued in 1991, when it was removed from a pole it had been mounted on in New South Wales, Australia, since 1967.

Currently there are only four flying Fireflies in the world, so you can imagine my surprise when "Capt. Eddie" Kurdziel taxied in at Oshkosh 2002. The crowds immediately swarmed him. Very few Americans have seen a Firefly. This is the only one based in the United States. The beautiful restoration, primarily done by Tim Fries of Q.G. Aviation in Ft. Collins, Colorado, took eight years and more than 40,000 working hours. The attention to detail and uniqueness of this treasure earned recognition at Oshkosh 2002, as Grand Champion Warbird–post World War II. But the really amazing thing about this airplane is its owner and pilot. "Capt. Eddie" spent nearly every hour of the Oshkosh AirVenture week shaking hands and answering questions as thousands of people stopped by the flight-line to see the airplane. His enthusiasm and love of life are contageous. It's one thing to own nice things–it's another to share them."