September 8, 2012 Bob Odegaard Killed In Practice

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By Russ Niles, Editor-in-Chief

Experienced warbird and airshow pilot Bob Odegaard was killed Friday when his Super Corsair reportedly failed to recover from an aerobatic maneuver and crashed in Valley City, N.D. Odegaard was practicing for an airshow scheduled for Saturday. The show was cancelled. Odegaard owned an FBO in Kindred, N.D., but was perhaps best known for his warbird work.

The Super Corsair was one of only 10 built and had a four-row 28-cylinder Wasp 4360 engine that delivered 3,500 takeoff horsepower. Only two were left and Odegaard owned them both. They were developed to counter Kamikaze aircraft in the late days of the war in the Pacific. Odegaard's most famous aircraft might be Duggy, a former Canadian Department of Transport DC-3 painted bright yellow with a smile below the cockpit. Odegaard used Duggy as a means of outreach for young people interested in flying.