B-25 in the Backyard - by Wally Soplata (Paperback)

The Only In America book is a remarkable true story of one man's dedication to preserving historic aircraft from World War II and other periods.

Walter A.

Soplata, a workaholic father and his aviation-obsessed son, single-handedly saved nearly 20 complete airplanes and countless pieces of others from being scrapped.

The book details the story of their accomplishments, including an experimental F2G Corsair that won the Cleveland National Air Races in 1947, an XP-82 Twin Mustang, an F-82E Twin Mustang, an X-prototype Skyraider, a stainless steel BT-12, and an F7U Cutlass.

The author's ingenuity and determination are on full display as he worked in a large scrapyard taking apart hundreds of warplane engines and collecting whatever he could find and afford.

This is a must-read for anyone interested in aviation history or the incredible stories of individuals who have made a difference in their fields.