MAY / JUNE 2022
AWARD WINNING WACO FLYING BATHTUB MIRROR IMAGE LUSCOMBE
AMERICAN EAGLE
RE-BORN
The Vintage Aircraft Association is celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanzas built between 1947 and 1970. Forums and other events hosted by the American Bonanza Society held in their tent located just to the north of the Theatre in the Woods.
EAAVINTAGE.ORG EAA® AirVenture® Oshkosh™ 2022 | July 25 - July
Message From the President
May/June 2022
SUSAN DUSENBURY, VAA PRESIDENT
STAFF Publisher: Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board Vice President of Publications, Marketing, Membership,
History Book Look Back VAA President Susan Dusenbury
and Retail: Jim Busha / jbusha@eaa.org Senior Copy Editor: Colleen Walsh Copy Editors: Tom Breuer, Jennifer Knaack Proofreader: Tara Bann Graphic Designer: Cordell Walker
AS YOU READ THIS the final preparations for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2022 are, for the most part, complete. As I reflected on the upcoming events taking shape for our week on Wittman field, I took pause when I reviewed the not-yet-finalized agenda for Vintage in Review. Vintage in Review is one of our most popular activities and is chaired by the very capable Ray Johnson, who is assisted by his equally capable wife, Judy. Over the years these two have managed to put together some really remarkable as well as spectacular programs for our members and guests. When talking to Ray about this year’s Vintage in Review, I kept wondering exactly when this entertaining program begin. I decided to take a dive into the “history books” (really old issues of Vintage Airplane magazine!) to see what I could find on the subject. From what I found and with the help of VAA Executive Assistant Amy Lemke, I was able to cobble together some of the history of the Vintage in Review program. The first mention of Vintage in Review, which was then called Interview Circle, was in 1980, and it was chaired by 2019 EAA Vintage Hall of Fame inductee John Turgyan. Amy and I gleaned several other Interview Circle chairmen from our research. They included Paul Stephenson, Dan Neuman, Kelly Viets, and Ray’s immediate predecessor, Charlie Harris. Of these, I knew John, Kelly, and Charlie. Years ago, when I flew my Culver Cadet to Oshkosh I was interviewed by both Kelly and Charlie. Charlie went west a few years
ago, but that interview with me and my Cadet was the start of a decades-long friendship. Charlie so often told me that those times in Interview Circle were primarily about the pilot/restorer. To Charlie the airplane was secondary; it just gave all of us a reason to get together as friends. Obviously, Ray had a big act to follow when he took over the chairmanship of Interview Circle from Charlie. In all honesty, Ray is a natural for the job and has continued to maintain those fine standards set by Charlie and his other predecessors.
When talking to Ray about this year’s Vintage in Review, I kept wondering exactly when this entertaining program begin. I decided to take a dive into the “history books” (really old issues of Vintage Airplane magazine!) to see what I could find on the subject.
ADVERTISING Advertising Manager: Sue Anderson / sanderson@eaa.org
CONTACT US Mailing Address: VAA, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903 Website: EAAVintage.org Email: vintageaircraft@eaa.org Phone: 800-564-6322
Visit EAAVintage.org for the latest in information and news.
Current EAA members may join the Vintage Aircraft Association and receive Vintage Airplane magazine for an additional $45/year. EAA membership, Vintage Airplane magazine, and one-year membership in the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association are available for $55 per year (Sport Aviation magazine not included). (Add $7 for International Postage.) Foreign Memberships Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars. Add required foreign postage amount for each membership. Membership Service P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 Monday–Friday, 8 AM—6 PM CST Join/Renew 800-564-6322 membership@eaa.org EAA AirVenture Oshkosh www.EAA.org/AirVenture
CONTINUED ON PAGE 64
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1
Contents FE AT UR E S
12 A Pleasing Portal to the Past Roger James’ wonderful Waco YKC By Sparky Barnes
22 Rare Resurrection Frank Pavliga’s American Eagle By Connor Madison
34 The Other Snoopy The Woodard Piper Apache By Budd Davisson
44 From the Junkyard to the Sky Rescuing an Aeronca C-3 relic By Sparky Barnes
52 But … It Was Just a Ground Loop! Dan Kepkowski breathes life back into a dead Luscombe By Budd Davisson
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May/June 2022
May/June 2022 / Vol. 50, No. 3
COLUM NS 01
Message From the President
By Susan Dusenbury
04
Vintage Board of Directors Election
07
Friends of the Red Barn
08
How to? Fabricate a Wood Wingbow By Robert G. Lock
10
Good Old Days
60
The Vintage Mechanic Assembly, Rigging, Control Surface Checks, and Inspections By Robert G. Lock
64
Flymart
COV ER S Front Connor Madison captures Frank Pavliga’s American Eagle near Broadhead, WI.
Back The classic lines of a Piper Apache grace the back-cover as it cruises over the Wisconsin countryside.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? Send your thoughts to the Vintage editor at jbusha@eaa.org. For missing or replacement magazines, or any other membership-related questions, please call EAA Member Services at 800-JOIN-EAA (564-6322).
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON
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VAA Election 2022
2022 VAA Board of Directors Election STEVE NESSE
Director
Steve was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota, and grew up on a farm near there. Having a deep interest in aviation, he received his private certificate in 1967. In 1975 he purchased a 1946 Navion from his father. After joining EAA in 1967 at Rockford, Steve has attended 54 consecutive EAA conventions. A charter member of VAA Chapter 13, Steve has served as its vice president and president. Currently he serves as chairman of the Tall Pines Café at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. He served two years as an adviser to the Vintage board and later as a director. In 1991 he accepted the duties of secretary of the Vintage board of directors and served in that position for 29 years. He is now a director and is seeking another term. In 2021 he had the honor of being named to the Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame.
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May/June 2022
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DAN WOOD
Secretary
Dan caught the flying bug from his father, who owned Taylorcrafts back in the 1940s. His first flight, at the age of 9, was with his uncle in a Brantly helicopter. Dan earned his private pilot certificate in 1978 in a Cessna 150 while living near Lansing, Michigan. After he received a degree in aircraft engineering at Western Michigan University in 1986, he earned his A&P mechanic certificate in 1995. He has owned a Cessna 172, Cessna 182 and an Aeronca Champ. He currently owns a Cessna 170 and a Cessna 170 project. His Cessna 170 has received awards at AirVenture, SUN ’n FUN, Blakesburg, the Southeast Fly-In, and local fly-ins. Dan is the current vice president/treasurer/tech adviser of EAA Chapter 6 in Newnan, Georgia, with previous stints as its president, secretary, and newsletter editor. He has also flown Young Eagles. Dan joined EAA in 1988, joined VAA in 1994, and has attended numerous EAA conventions. He started volunteering at AirVenture in 2008 in the Classic Aircraft Judging group and has since moved to the Contemporary Aircraft Judging group, where he currently is the vice chairman for Contemporary Awards. Dan and his wife, Debbie, live in Newnan, Georgia.
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SUSAN DUSENBURY Vice President
Susan began flying at the age of 15 from a small private airfield located near Andrews, South Carolina. She earned her private pilot certificate while in high school and continued flying during her college years, where she earned her commercial, flight instructor, multiengine and instrument certificates and ratings. Susan graduated from Francis Marion University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and from Florence-Darlington Technical College with a degree in aircraft maintenance technology. Susan has been an active member of the Carolinas-Virginia Antique Airplane Foundation (VAA Chapter 3) since her teenage years. Susan retired to her farm in North Carolina after flying night freight for 25 years. When not flying her 1953 Cessna 180 from her farm airport (Dusenbury Field), she spends time with her Carolina Dog named Taylor, works around the farm, and works on her Cessna 180, Culver Cadet, Taylor J-2, and Stinson SR-6.
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May/June 2022
Friends of the
RED BARN 2022
DEAR FRIENDS,
For one week every year a temporary city of about 50,000 people is created in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on the grounds of Wittman Regional Airport. We call the temporary city EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. During this one week, EAA and our communities, including the Vintage Aircraft Association, host more than 500,000 pilots and aviation enthusiasts along with their families and friends. As a dedicated member of the Vintage Aircraft Association, you most certainly understand the impact of the programs supported by Vintage and hosted at Vintage Village and along the Vintage flightline during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh every year. The Vintage flightline is 1.3 miles long and is annually filled with more than 1,100 magnificent vintage airplanes. At the very heart of the Vintage experience at AirVenture is Vintage Village and our flagship building, the Red Barn. Vintage Village, and in particular the Red Barn, is a charming place at Wittman Regional Airport during AirVenture. It is a destination where friends old and new meet for those great times we are so familiar with in our close world of vintage aviation. It’s energizing and relaxing at the same time. It’s our own field of dreams! The Vintage area is the fun place to be. There is no place like it at AirVenture. Where else could someone get such a close look at some of the most magnificent and rare vintage airplanes on Earth? That is just astounding when you think about it. It is on the Vintage flightline where you can admire the one and only remaining lowwing Stinson Tri-Motor, the only two restored and flying Howard 500s, and one of the few airworthy Stinson SR-5s in existence. And then there is the “fun and affordable” aircraft display, not only in front of the Red Barn but along the entire Vintage flightline. Fun and affordable says it all. That’s where you can get the greatest “bang for your buck” in our world of vintage airplanes!
PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE DAHLGREN
For us to continue to support this wonderful place, we ask you to assist us with a financial contribution to the Friends of the Red Barn. For the Vintage Aircraft Association, this is the only major annual fundraiser and it is vital to keeping the Vintage field of dreams alive and vibrant. We cannot do it without your support. Your personal contribution plays an indispensable and significant role in providing the best experience possible for every visitor to Vintage during AirVenture. Contribute online at EAAVintage.org. Or, you may make your check payable to the Friends of the Red Barn and mail to Friends of the Red Barn, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Be a Friend of the Red Barn this year! The Vintage Aircraft Association is a nonprofit 501(c)(3), so your contribution to this fund is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Looking forward to a great AirVenture 2022!
www.EAAVintage.org
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How To? ROBERT G. LOCK
Fabricate a Wood Wingbow A WINGBOW IS ACTUALLY a lamination of
spruce wood, although some factory wingbows were made of steamed oak—pretty difficult to duplicate. Wood laminations are a series of thin strips, piled together, formed and glued, thus taking a predetermined shape. Laminations are used to fabricate fuselage bulkheads or any other part that requires an intricate shape. When restoring my Command-Aire, I was faced with laminating wingbows’ for both upper and lower wings. But the task was not as easy as it appeared, as the wingbows curve was not flat but rather followed the wing ribs’ negative camber. Forming these bows would require that I fabricate a complicated fixture to hold the laminations in a precise shape. I surmised that the original factory really did not do this, so I decided to disassemble a wingbow on an old wing. Finding nails in each lamination, I soon discovered that each wingbow was actually fabricated on the fully assembled wing, which made good sense. So here is how it was done. First, when cutting strips of spruce for the lamination, plan on using just one piece of solid wood per bow. That way the moisture content will be the same in each lamination. It is important that laminations be within 2 percent moisture content with each other; therefore, I make sure that all strips are cut from the same piece of wood. I have found that 1/8-inch-thick strips can be bent into shape without soaking, so that is what I use. Soaking the strips to accomplish bending changes the moisture content of the wood, and there is a delay in gluing because said strips must thoroughly dry before bonding. In Figure 1, the spar ends are left square rather than being tapered so two nails could be driven into the spars to hold laminations in place. Here, the first lamination is in place, clamped to the leading and trailing edges. Both surfaces must be coated with adhesive, and then the next lamination will be laid in place.
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May/June 2022
FIGURE 1
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 3
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ROBERT G. LOCK
The next lamination is laid in place and the laminations continued until the desired thickness is reached. Figure 2 shows the first lamination coated with glue in preparation to receive the next spruce strip. After the strips are built up, the lamination is securely clamped for a good adhesive cure, which is overnight. Figure 3 shows a number of small “C” clamps applying pressure to the structure. After allowing the wingbow to thoroughly cure (be sure to observe the minimum curing temperature for the adhesive being used, as this temperature will vary between adhesives). Synthetic resin glue (Resorcinol) requires a minimum curing temperature of 70 degrees, while some epoxy resins will still cure at a temperature of 50 degrees. I never allow the temperature to drop below 70 degrees no matter what type adhesive I am using, which is a good rule to follow. Figure 4 shows the wingbow lamination cured and removed from the wing. The bow looks like a flat lamination, but it has a curvature to follow the negative camber of the wing ribs. When removed, there should be no spring-back in the lamination. At this point the spar ends can be tapered to the desired configuration after removing the four nails. It is always necessary to use more adhesive on the strips so it will be squeezed out when clamps are applied. Figure 5 shows glue on the shop floor under the lamination, assuring that there was, in fact, excess adhesive squeezed out. After the wingbow has been cleaned of any waxed paper that may have been used to keep it from sticking to the structure, it is carefully fitted to the wing tip, care taken to assure proper fit. Figure 6 shows the wingbow glued to the wing structure. Figure 6 also shows the first step in initial shaping of the bow using a hand plane. The plane will take off wood at a rapid rate with less sanding dust than using a disc sander. However, once the bow has been rough shaped, the next step will be to carefully sand using a 6-inch disc sander. Care must be taken not to remove too much material, as this mistake is difficult to repair. Figure 7 shows intermediate sanding step. Note that the spar ends are tapered before the wingbow is glued in place. It is just easier to cut, plane, and sand the spar taper before the bow is in place. The final sanding is done by hand using emery paper strips as shown in Figure 8. After this final sanding is done, the wingbow is essentially completed. However, plywood gussets must be installed over the spars and onto the bow to assure strength of assembly. Negative camber of wing ribs can easily be seen in this photo. Figure 9 shows the wingbow in place with all ribs in place and triangular gussets bracing the bow at critical attach points. The plywood gussets bridging spars and ribs to the bow have not been installed at this point, nor has the plywood leading edge. I’ll show that in another column.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 8
FIGURE 9
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Good Old Days
From the pages of what was ... Take a quick look through history by enjoying images pulled from publications past. 10
May/June 2022
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CLICK HERE
AP
L
TO SEE A VIDEO ABOUT THE WACO YKC
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM RAEDER
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May/June 2022
A E
G N I S
ROGER JAMES’ WONDERFUL WACO YKC
TO
TH
E PA S T
BY SPARKY BARNES
PO
T R
L A
Roger and Jetta James of New Carlisle, Ohio, were joyous to be at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 with their 1934 Waco YKC — and not only because it was awarded the Antique Reserve Grand Champion Silver Lindy. Its flight path to Oshkosh was filled with challenging, triumphant, and poignant moments, and was ultimately the fruition of a long-held dream. Roger’s restoration of this shimmering vermilion 1934 Waco YKC consumed the spare moments in his life for a span of 17 years (nearly 31,000 hours). “It was beautiful flying in it! It was very comfortable, and I felt so at ease,” Jetta said. “This airplane has been a labor of Roger’s love, and now it’s gorgeous. I’m thrilled that it’s finally finished and he can enjoy it.” It wasn’t his first restoration project. Roger long ago honed his skills, patience, and tenacity for lavish restorations through his work with D&D Classic Auto Restoration in Covington, Ohio, creating automobiles that receive top awards at prestigious shows (such as the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance). Nor was the Waco his first airplane project. Roger, now 76, took his first flying lesson at age 22 in an Aeronca L-3 he bought as a basket case and restored. “I still own and fly that L-3,” Roger said. “It’s a neat little airplane, and I’ve restored it twice.”
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DISCOVERING THE WACO
The genesis of the Waco YKC restoration was innocent and unplanned. It suddenly became a light on Roger’s horizon when he visited Waldon “Moon” Spillars’ hangar one day. “I’m a partner in D&D Classic, and we do a little bit of aviation work as well as autos. After I painted Moon’s Staggerwing fuselage at the shop, he wanted me to go over to his hangar and look at the other parts. This fuselage was hanging in the top of his hangar, and I asked him what it was. He said, ‘That’s a Waco I was restoring, but I got this Staggerwing, and this is going to be my last airplane.’ I told him if he wanted to part with it to let me know,” Roger said. “The next morning, he was on the doorstep of the shop when I got there and said, ‘Are you serious about that Waco? If you’ll finish painting my Staggerwing, you can have the Waco.’ So that’s how I ended up with it.” That was in 2002, and the Waco basically consisted of a bare fuselage frame and landing gear, some wing spars and ribs, one old window frame and the windshield, and the old instrument panel and data plate.
PAPER SNAFU
One seemingly insurmountable hurdle for Roger was establishing an unbroken chain of ownership. He ended up having to tread a tortuous path to an attorney’s office to solve the problem. “It was very difficult to get registration for this airplane, and it was very frustrating,” Roger said. “The Waco was last registered to Rushmore Flying Service in 1949, and a captain out of the Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi sold the airplane to two privates — or tried to — and the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) kicked it out, saying the captain had to have a power of attorney from Rushmore Flying Service in order to sell the airplane. The privates went back and forth for a year and a half with the CAA, but nothing ever happened. They went overseas and left the Waco with a guy at the airport outside the Air Force base, who said he’d keep it inside until they got back. Well, the airplane was left outside and abandoned.”
There was no excuse for any earth-bound feeling with a Waco in the hangar. — BESSIE OWEN, AERIAL VAGABOND TOP: NC14139 as it appeared when Roger first acquired it.
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The Waco was neglected for years until Robert E. Lee of DeLand, Florida, salvaged it. “In early 1969, a friend of mine, Paul Hofacker, bought three Wacos from Lee and took them home to Brookville, Ohio. When Moon acquired this Waco from Paul in 1994, he actually went to South Dakota and found the daughter of the guy that owned Rushmore Flying Service. She had a power of attorney and signed a bill of sale to Moon from Rushmore Flying Service. But the FAA didn’t accept it,” Roger said. “So I mailed letters out to the last known addresses and got them back. I sent them in to the FAA, but they didn’t accept that either. So I ended up having to hire a lawyer, and he did just what I had done, but on his letterhead — and the FAA accepted that!”
TOP: NC14139 in its hangar at George’s private turf strip at Bonnymede. BOTTOM: George Fiske Hammond with NC14139 in 1934.
A REMARKABLE REVELATION
When Roger traveled to the West Coast with one of his classic auto clients, they spontaneously paid a visit to one of the client’s friends, Seth Hammond. Roger was astounded by what he saw in Seth’s office at Santa Barbara. There was an overwhelming array of aeronautical treasures and memorabilia, replete with a Rose Parrakeet hanging from the ceiling. Though he didn’t notice it immediately, there was a gem, a touchstone of sorts, hidden in plain sight among the myriad items there. The history he’d sought about his Waco would soon be ciphered from cherished pages of the past. “Seth told me that his father, George Fiske Hammond, had been an aeronautical engineer and had worked for Ryan Aeronautical in San Diego, California. He was part of the design team for Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis and designed its streamlined cowling and spinner,” Roger said. “I took photos of all the pictures on the walls, and when I got back home, I looked more closely at them and saw my Waco! Talk about fate; I was just there on a cold call with one of my clients, visiting one of his friends. And that friend’s father bought NC14139 new! Seth and his wife, Tannis, were just as surprised when I told them I was restoring NC14139.”
GEORGE FISKE HAMMOND
George purchased NC14139 on November 21, 1934, from H.C. Lippiatt, a Waco dealer in Burbank. George had previously taken flight instruction from “Red” Harrington in a Jenny; Earle Ovington, the United States Post Office Department’s “first aeroplane mail carrier,” had flown George down to San Diego to take lessons. By the early 1930s, George was flying a Travel Air 4000 (NC477N) on a regular basis to the Channel Islands from his 1,400-foot turf strip at his family’s estate (Bonnymede) in Montecito. He continued flying to the islands when he bought NC14139 (and later in his Staggerwing NC15490, in which he flew George Putnam to San Miguel).
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ROGER JAMES
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George was especially devoted to the Herbert “Herbie” Lester family, who lived in isolation on San Miguel Island, and he frequently carried mail, groceries, and other goods to them. He winged his way across typically rough seas, often in windy and foggy conditions, to the island, whose coastline harbored the bones of shipwrecks. An intrepid pilot, George was essentially a voluntary lifeline for Herbie, his wife, Elizabeth, and their daughters, Marianne and Betsy. A short airstrip (less than 1,000 feet long) bearing Hammond’s name was established in “The Kingdom of San Miguel,” as Herbie fondly named his island home. Herbie penned a letter to George in November 1934: “Accept our heartfelt congratulations on the wonderful new Waco Cabin Cruiser you now own. It is as fine both inside and outside as any Rolls Royce … it certainly looked great out on Hammond Field. I’m delighted that Hammond Field will be printed on the Government maps. I appreciate your kindness and generosity to fly me back home yesterday with your rare skills in 27 minutes in your splendid Waco Cabin plane.” On one occasion, George landed the Waco on Cuyler’s Harbor Beach on San Miguel and went for a swim. “I did it once, but that was very bad for the airplane because the sand got into parts of the wings and in the bearings of the wheels,” George said in a 1979 interview. George detailed these and numerous other flights in his personal aviator’s logbook, which Seth and Tannis shared with Roger.
AVIATOR’S LOGBOOK
TOP: George in first row on left side with Charles Lindeberg in the center next to him. BOTTOM: George steps out of his Staggerwing with the leather-and-canvas mail bag (which Herbie had made for him), and greets the Lester family on San Miguel Island.
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George’s first recorded flight in the Waco YKC was November 11, 1934, from Burbank to Saugus and Palmdale and return. Eager to share the thrill of flying his new Waco, George invited passengers to go up for a hop. One of them was aviatrix Bessie Owen, who first joined him on a flight from Bonnymede to Carp on December 14, 1934. He wrote that they “reached 19,000 altitude in 3/4 hour.” On December 23, Bessie accompanied George on a round-trip flight from Bonnymede to San Miguel Island. Bessie flew with him again on February 3, 1935, during which they made several beach landings. On March 16, George invited Bessie and several other passengers to fly from Bonnymede to San Miguel Island, Santa Rosa Island, and Santa Cruz Island. The next day, Bessie flew with George from Bonnymede to Burbank, Goleta, and Carp and return. After just a couple of flights, Bessie must have formed a favorable impression of the Waco’s impressive performance and ease of handling. In February 1935, she purchased a 1933 Waco UIC (NC13423), powered by a 210-hp Continental R-670. Bessie delighted in flying it on numerous aerial adventures in Europe, the Philippines, Africa, the Middle East, India, and China. In her book, Aerial
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ROGER JAMES
Vagabond, she elucidated her inspiration to embark upon such flights: “I was feeling earth-bound again. Santa Barbara, with all its beauty of sea and mountains, had lost its enchantment for me. … There was a quick cure for my restlessness. … All it required was a mapped-out route … and my little vermilion Waco. … The Waco and I had seen all parts of the United States together. We had made an extensive tour of Mexico. After that, we knew we could depend upon each other. There was no excuse for any earth-bound feeling with a Waco in the hangar. So I spread out maps and began to sketch my course.” As for George, his entries indicate he generously hopped numerous other passengers, and even allowed one in particular, a “J. Goux,” to solo the ship. George also stretched the Waco’s long legs by flying across the Unites States twice, and touring Mexico as well. Perhaps inevitably, some flights created a bit of consternation. He encountered dense coastal fog on numerous occasions, and a few other flights were a bit more perilous. In October 1935, on a flight with passengers from San Diego to Encinitas, he made a forced landing because a “cylinder head blew off.” In November, he was flying solo in the rain from Carp to Clover when the “#4 cylinder head broke up.” But those flights were outnumbered by pleasant, even serene flights — whether thousands of feet above the earth or simply flying at night “in the moonlight.” One can just imagine this Waco silhouetted by the moon’s glow in a dark velvet sky, its Jacobs humming an old familiar, euphonic tune in George’s ears as he silently embraced the other-worldly solace of night flying. He sold his Waco to Lawrence D. Gardner of Santa Paula in March 1936 and delivered it to him on April 27. All told, George had logged 550 hours and 23 minutes in NC14139 during the year and a half he owned it. He continued plying the skies in his new Staggerwing and several other airplanes.
FAST-FORWARD TO A GLORIOUS RESTORATION
SPECS 1934 Waco YKC ATC No. 533 Not eligible to be flown by a sport pilot. UPPER WINGSPAN: LOWER WINGSPAN: LENGTH: CHORD: HEIGHT: GROSS WEIGHT: EMPTY WEIGHT: PAYLOAD (WITH FULL FUEL): SEATS: ORIGINAL ENGINE: FUEL: OIL: TOP SPEED: CRUISING SPEED: LANDING SPEED: CLIMB AT SEA LEVEL: CEILING: CRUISING RANGE:
33 feet, 3 inches 28 feet, 3 inches 25 feet, 4 inches 57 inches 8 feet, 6 inches 2,850 pounds 1,800 pounds 550 pounds 4 225-hp Jacobs L-4 50 gallons 4 gallons 149 mph 130 mph 50 mph 850 fpm 15,500 feet 480 miles
The magnitude of a Cabin Waco restoration can be daunting and even overwhelming at times. Throughout the years, helping hands were extended to Roger from members of the National Waco Club, the Vintage Aircraft Association, and the American Waco Club. Additionally, Roger was able to source some parts through the Waco Historical Society. Others who helped included his own family; his detail-oriented A&P/IA Bill Knisely; and Dave and Jeanne Allen of Colorado. The Allens often collaborated with Roger on several aspects of NC14139’s restoration, as they were restoring their own 1934 Waco YKC (NS14137).
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACK FLEETWOOD, JIM RAEDER
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Roger decided the best way to energize himself at the start of the project was to bead-blast, prime, cover, and paint the original stabilizers, rudder, and elevators before tackling the complexities of the fuselage and wings. The fuselage required replacement tubing and fittings aft of the cabin, so Roger built a jig in order to complete those repairs. Since there were no wood stringers or formers with Roger’s project, and no Waco drawings of those parts, he turned to his friend Paul, who also had a YKC project, for assistance. Paul shared original parts and made some templates that Roger used as patterns to make new ones. Jetta temporarily stepped away from her supportive role in the comfort zone of her kitchen and lent a helping hand by sanding the stringers. “I hated when he had to cover up all those beautiful wood pieces,” she commented with a smile. Fortunately, the original windshield frame could be restored and used, but new panes and windows were needed. “My youngest son, Chuck, is an artisan with acrylic,” Roger said. “He works with Jeff and Becky Rogers’ crew at Airplane Plastics in Tipp City, Ohio, so he was able to fabricate those pieces.”
WING PANELS
The wing panels were labor-intensive; all new wood spars, ribs, and wingtip bows were meticulously built. Two new 25-gallon fuel tanks were made and installed in the upper wings. One ongoing challenge was determining the correct sizes and types of hardware that needed to be used, which was done mostly by trial and error. Luckily, new old stock Waco fittings, compression tubes, and drag and anti-drag wires were available and were used in assembly of the wing panels. Four ailerons were fabricated from corrugated aluminum, and aileron bellcranks and pushrods were used from the cache of new old stock Waco parts. The aileron slave struts and interplane “N” struts were fabricated new.
LANDING GEAR
TOP: Steve James meticulously formed the sheet metal fairings and the wheel pants. BOTTOM: Helping hands are always welcomed.
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The original landing gear needed just a bit of work; the internal shock-strut components were replaced with new old stock Waco parts. The original locking, steerable tail wheel system was retained, and an original-type 8-inch streamlined tail wheel was installed. The antique Autofan wheels and brakes, along with smooth 7.50-by-10 tires, were installed on the main gear.
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ROGER JAMES
MARVELOUS METALWORK
Roger’s eldest son, Steve, was intimately involved in the sheet metal facets of the restoration. Steve’s inherent aptitude for forming metal enhanced the skills he learned from his father and others at D&D, and his creative craftsmanship yielded stunning results. Steve fabricated virtually all of the sheet metal components for the Waco, including the bumped engine cowling, the fuel and oil tanks, firewall, and wheelpants. He also formed the wing root fairings, and their graceful lines form an impeccably flush fit to the fuselage. Smaller items include the cuffs for the wing struts and landing gear. Those fabulously formed components now evoke a poignant swell of emotion for the James family, for they are a memorial tribute to Steve, who passed from this earthly plane in November 2018. “The one unimaginable event that happened during the course of this restoration was the loss of our oldest son,” Roger said. “Steve fought a battle with lung cancer and succumbed to a life-threatening infection at age 53.” Yet Steve’s tangible and functional legacy of marvelous metalwork is not only an integral part of this Waco YKC, but also part of other award-winning aircraft seen at AirVenture through the years.
TOP: Radial Engines Ltd. of Guthrie, Oklahoma, overhauled the Waco’s Jacobs R-755B2. BOTTOM: Steve James fabricated virtually all of the sheet metal components.
SPECIAL VISITORS
When the metalwork on the fuselage was well underway, and the fuselage was sitting on its feet with its bare wings attached and engine hung on the mount, NC14139 was ready to receive a special couple who came to visit. Seth and Tannis Hammond flew in their Bell Jet Ranger from Santa Barbara to Roger’s backyard hangar shop at Andy Barnhart Memorial Airport (3OH0) in Ohio. It was an emotional yet uplifting experience for both families — especially for Seth to see his father George’s Waco being rebuilt.
ENGINE AND INSTRUMENTS
Radial Engines Ltd. of Guthrie, Oklahoma, overhauled the Waco’s 275-hp Jacobs R-755B2. “The engine has their electronic ignition on the battery side,” Roger said, “and after many hours of research, I was able to put together the original Breeze cup shielded ignition system on the engine.” There’s a beautifully polished Curtiss-Reed 55501-5 propeller (with era-correct decals) on the nose, and the engine installation was approved by FAA-designated engineering representative Terry Bowden of Texas. Roger carefully applied the gleaming faux woodgrain finish to the instrument panel and window frames by hand, using an elaborate process similar to that introduced in 1918 by the National Cash Register Co. It entails the use of plates, hand rollers, and ink to achieve a very realistic wood-grain finish on contoured surfaces.
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I love it; it flies as good as it looks. — ROGER JAMES
The instruments in the panel and uncommon Flightweight Bendix radio are correct for 1934. Roger shared a little story about finding them: “I found W. Wayne Jordan Co. in Johnson City, New York, that had 18,000 antique instruments on the shelf. I sent him the factory photo of the instrument panel and said, ‘That’s what I want.’ And I got it; they’re perfect! They even have the little Waco logos on the faces. He sent the instruments to Keystone, and I bought them overhauled and ready to install.”
INTERIOR
The seat belts and latches were replicated from original belts that were with the Allens’ 1934 YKC. The intricately woven pattern on the webbed belts depicts a Phoenix bird, and Roger fabricated the metal latches by hand. The latches, as well as the window cranks, trim handle, and various other levers and controls, are adorned with nickel plating. Luxurious leather upholstery was created and installed in 2012 by the talented Bobby Kiersztyn. The eye-catching Waco “feather” motif on the cabin side panels are beautifully embossed, yielding a smoothly sculpted appearance with nary a pucker or wrinkle. The wool headliner and carpeting were fashioned by using originals as patterns. One of the finishing touches for the elegantly appointed cabin area are the silver swirls of engine turning on the aluminum door jamb, neatly highlighting the cabin entry and egress.
FINISHED AND FLYING
TOP: NC14139 is a dream to fly and to behold, and won the Antique Reserve Grand Champion Silver Lindy at AirVenture 2021. BOTTOM: Roger applied faux wood grain on the panel, complementing the era-correct instruments.
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Covered with the Poly Fiber process, the Waco received its lustrous finish coats of Ranthane in Waco Vermilion and Circe Red. Roger used a high-volume, low-pressure system and an Anest Iwata high-tech spray gun to apply the coatings. The paint scheme, replete with its fine-line trim, is virtually the same as it appeared in the Hammond family photos from 1934. When asked how he likes flying his Silver Lindywinning Waco, Roger smiled broadly and declared, “It flies beautifully! It’s very light on the controls, and it’s got plenty of power, so it climbs just wonderfully. I love it; it flies as good as it looks.” No doubt George Fiske Hammond himself would enjoy a flight around the patch with Roger in this wellloved Waco, made wonderful once again.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACK FLEETWOOD, JIM RAEDER
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TO SEE A VIDEO ABOUT THE AMERICAN EAGLE
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RARE RESURRECTION FRANK PAVLIGA’S AMERICAN EAGLE STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON
E
very year at the Midwest Antique Aircraft Club Grassroots Fly-In in Brodhead, Wisconsin, there’s no shortage of unique and rare aircraft that show up, and the 2021 edition was no exception. Among the corral of various Wacos, Travel Airs, and even multiple Fleet biplanes was a pristine, radial-powered, bright red and yellow biplane with “American Eagle” emblazoned on the tail. The rare bird was the latest restoration of Frank Pavliga.
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AMERICAN EAGLE HISTORY
FATHER AND SON
The American Eagle Aircraft Corp. was founded by E.E. Porterfield in 1925. At the time, Porterfield ran a flight school near Kansas City, Missouri, which had an aging inventory of Curtiss Jennys and Lincoln Standards. In addition to the age of the Jenny, it had room for only one passenger. After consulting several engineers, he would launch production of his new biplane in 1928. The model A-1, later designated A-101 after certification, would feature two cockpits, with the front cockpit having room for two passengers. A-1s and -101s were powered by the Curtiss OX-5 engine, and taking cues from the Ryan Spirit of St Louis, the cowling was finished in burnished metal. In addition, the company offered the Kinnerpowered Model A-129, along with variants powered by the OXX-6, Hisso, Siemens, Anzani, and 125 Quick engines. In May 1928, production was 12 a week, with a unit price of $2,815. In total, around 300 of the 100-series biplanes were built. Like many other aviation companies of the time, American Eagle would fall victim to the Great Depression, and in 1931 the Lincoln-Page company bought its assets. Production continued under the new company: American Eagle-Lincoln Aircraft Corp. Over a period of six years, the company (both alone and with Lincoln) produced over 700 airplanes and for a time was the third-largest aircraft company in the world.
Frank Pavliga’s love for aviation and his connection to American Eagle NC6722 both come from his father, Frank S. Pavliga. A World War II veteran, Frank S. learned to fly on the GI Bill in 1951, and in 1953, with his brother Andy, he formed the Watson Flying Club at Watson airport in Youngstown, Ohio. In 1974, along with his father, Frank started his foray into aircraft projects when they began work on a Pietenpol Air Camper. The project was completed and first flew in the summer of 1983. Originally powered by a Ford Model A engine, the aircraft has seen a variety of powerplants, and Frank continues to fly it to this day. Frank’s father unexpectedly passed away in 1991, and he still feels his absence, but his love for restoring vintage aircraft has continued on. His past projects have included three Waco restorations, including a 1929 Taperwing, a 1930 Straightwing, and a 1925 Model 9. Around 2008, Frank found himself remembering his trip to Oshkosh for the fly-in in 1984. He flew his Ford-powered Pietenpol in the pattern directly behind Ed Wegner in his OX-5-powered American Eagle, which was the 1975 Antique Grand Champion. “Something about the shape of that aircraft, and Ed’s impeccable workmanship, just stuck with me for the next 34 years,” he said. “Somehow I just knew the time to begin the fulfillment of that dream had finally arrived.”
C6722 on display in Brodhead
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Frank Pavliga (left) and Andrew King (right).
SOMETHING ABOUT THE SHAPE OF THAT AIRCRAFT, AND ED’S IMPECCABLE WORKMANSHIP, JUST STUCK WITH ME FOR THE NEXT 34 YEARS.”
— FRANK PAVLIGA
NC6722 American Eagle A-1 serial No. 257 was manufactured in 1928 and given license number 6722. Maintenance records indicate the aircraft was sold to the Mackenzie-Morrow Aviation Co. of Portland, Oregon, in July 1928. The Mackenzie-Morrow company was based on Swan Island airport and used the aircraft for forest-fire surveillance and power-line surveillance. It is not clear that it was used for training at this time. Records show the company continued ownership into 1931. An August 15 inspection record reveals the aircraft was stored in a disassembled state and its license was disapproved.
On October 25, 1934, Mackenzie-Morrow sold NC6722 to Gus Hinkle and Howard Fowler of Portland, Oregon, in “as-is” condition, with the buyers acknowledging neither the airplane nor the engine were complete. Not long after, in February 1935, the aircraft was sold to B.C. Popham, also of Portland, Oregon. It was noted to be in storage, missing one wing and other parts. Popham had the aircraft sent to Bacon Aircraft Repair Depot of Vancouver, Washington, for repair. Repairs completed in June 1935 included a brand-new left lower wing with original fittings, new ribs in both upper wings, and a new rear spar in the right lower wing. The fuselage and tail surfaces were also redoped and painted. Interestingly the aircraft’s license was suspended in December 1935, as a necessary inspection was not completed.
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NC6722 wouldn’t resurface again until the early 1960s after being discovered by Frank’s father. As an Academy of Model Aeronautics contest director in the early 1950s and ’60s, he traveled all over Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Frank recalled that his dad was also on the search for various aircraft projects and parts. “He was like anybody else who keeps his ears and eyes open, and even though he couldn’t afford to build, or fly, if something like that came along, he did tend to snatch it up,” Frank said. “And over the years, some of it we just wound up selling off at various points. The American Eagle parts were one of those, and [we] had some Waco 9 parts as well that he had gotten his hands on, which was part of what my last restoration was.”
RESTORATION
TOP: Checking final fit of the new cowling. MIDDLE: Trial assembly for rigging strut and wire lengths. BOTTOM: After the time-consuming build process, all four panels are varnished and ready for cover.
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What remained of NC6722 wasn’t much, but it was enough for Frank. As he recalled, the inventory included “remnants of wings that still had spars, a rusted fuselage frame that was bent, one side of the landing gear V and stabilizer, and elevators. And that was it.” Without access to any factory drawings, Frank ended up measuring off an American Eagle project that his friend Walt Bowe had stored in Pennsylvania. The project began for Frank at his usual starting place of the wing ribs followed by the wing fittings. He found himself building what were essentially the same Aeromarine 2A wing ribs that he had built for his previous two Waco projects. He mentioned that the “interplane strut fittings are of a rather clever and well-engineered design. Vertical through-bolts straddle both sides of front and rear spars and actually clamp the strut fittings to the spars, eliminating holes drilled through the spars, other than those smaller-diameter holes required for drag wire pulls.” Upon examining the top wing joint of the American Eagle, it revealed another parallel to the Waco 9. “[It] is very visibly missing the typical upper wing center section, with each top wing panel joining together at the centerline,” Frank said. “Early Waco 9s had a potentially dangerous condition where it was possible for both spars to ‘roll’ toward each other at the cabane struts, with catastrophic results. Later Waco 9 aircraft had a round tube, which connected front and rear cabane struts just beneath the wing and which prevented this twisting movement. Even the earliest American Eagles had this reinforcement so such tragedies never occurred.” Moving on from the wings, Frank tackled the tail surfaces next. Going off what was left of the original tail surfaces, he gas-welded the new parts in 4130 steel. He noted that welding is an incredibly enjoyable process for him. “There is definitely something therapeutic about spending a Saturday afternoon with full tanks, a torch in one hand, and an RG45 rod in the other,” he said. “It’s like the rest of the world no longer exists.”
By the time Frank had the wing ribs, wing fittings, and tail surfaces finished, he had the spars routed and then moved on to wing assembly. The fuselage came next, once the wings were through 99 percent of the assembly. Once again, all the steel structures in the fuselage were welded in 4130. He notes that he didn’t touch the landing gear until the fuselage was done so he could flip it upside down and build the gear in place. The American Eagle features incredibly stout landing gear, a possible design feature knowing the airplane would be used as a trainer. “The rest of the airplane is no heavier than a Waco Straightwing,” Frank said. “I was really surprised at how heavy the axle/shock strut assemblies were. 1/4-inch wall tubing can certainly handle any bad landings and even some borderline crashes.”
TOP: Left and right elevators are all one unit with two individual horns. MIDDLE: Top wing interplane strut and wire fitting showing clever clamping design. BOTTOM: Firs wing panel covered and stitched.
FUNCTIONALITY For a couple of features of this restoration, Frank chose options that are safer, more reliable, and more functional than the original features. Starting with the wheels — the American Eagle would have originally had 26-by-4 wheels with no brakes. C6722’s maintenance records indicate the airplane later had brakes installed on it with 30-by-5 wheels. With functionality in mind, Frank would continue with 30-by-5s, but instead of a spun wheel, he chose to copy a set of original Sauzetti spoked wheels and brake drums that his friend Kent McMakin had. A brand-new pair of mechanical brakes were also provided by Kent. Frank described the wheel-building process. “The basic hub machining was done by a local shop, and then we finished and drilled them for all 66 spokes,” he said. “Hubs and custom Coker rims were then sent off to Buchanan’s in California for lacing. The end result is tough as nails, and I feel much more confident with the long-term durability of these wheels than with spun aluminum Bendix types.” Another feature for reliability is the aircraft’s Continental W-670 engine. Frank wants to hop rides in the aircraft, which is best with a dependable engine. His skilled craftsmanship makes it look to the random passerby or untrained eye that NC6722 was originally manufactured with this engine, which is not the case. Frank said his specific airplane “originally flew behind a 180-hp Hisso engine in its early Oregon days of the late ’20s and ’30s and, as such, carried a Group 2 approval to the original ATC No. 17. The higher horsepower required all spars [be] 1/4 inch thicker than for the OX-5 or Kinner ships, but very little else was altered.” This was confirmed since the original spars were among the remaining parts. “After years of OX-5, Model A Ford, and Lambert engines, I knew that, despite the Hisso reputation for reliability, I wanted a powerplant with a less demanding schedule of maintenance,” Frank explained. “Nothing seemed to address that need like the old standby W-670 220-hp Continental.”
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FRANK PAVLIGA
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As far as Frank knew, an American Eagle had never before been fitted with a W-670. This meant he had to present his engine choice to designated engineering representative Terry Bowden to see that he could get C6722 licensed with the Continental. He explained that Terry was a critical part in getting the aircraft flying. “Terry loved the challenge, and just when the rebuilding schedule really needed the final paperwork to be completed a couple of years later, it showed up right on time,” he said. “There is no way this aircraft would be flying so economically and reliably without Terry’s hard work, creativity, and expertise. He cannot be thanked enough.” Keeping in mind that he wanted to use the Eagle for ride hopping, Frank wanted to have an eye-catching paint scheme. He took inspiration from the Newhouse family Bird and Stan Sweikar’s Fleet, going with a bright red and yellow scheme. After years of working on restoration projects in his basement workshop and garage as a paint and covering shop, Frank sought out a less-aromatic covering system to keep his household happy. He ended up selecting Stewart Systems for covering and finishing. “Overall, I was quite satisfied with the system,” he said. “The lack of any real odor and the basic speed of taping and finishing really are hard to beat. We did learn the hard way, however, that a plug-in turbine HVLP [high volume, low pressure] system does not lend itself to this type of waterbased and waterborne material. After several hundred extra hours of sanding and refinishing, we were back on track with the trusty compressor and siphon gun and had no further issues. We did pretty well max out the allowable percentage of flattener in the EkoPoly Premium topcoats and possibly could have used even a bit more.”
LEGAL EAGLE
TOP: The Star Pathfinder compass was one of the specified instruments in the maintenance records. MIDDLE: The striking American Eagle company logo stands out on both sides of the tail.
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In late 2018, the project was moved to Bart Airport in Alliance, Ohio, for final assembly. Frank said the “90 percent done and 30 percent to go” phrase is not really a humorous saying but almost a way of life when it comes to dealing with old airplanes. A seemingly endless punch list took nearly three years to complete before it was time to make the airplane legal. Fellow restorer and friend Rick Hansen suggested Frank contact designated airworthiness representative Bill Kyle. He recalled his first conversation with Bill. “All the stress I’d been carrying for weeks just dropped to the floor,” Frank said. “Within a couple of months, he not only fit us into his demanding schedule, but also had all the necessary paperwork ready to go by the time he arrived. I am amazed to this day that, after less than a full afternoon’s work on-site, our bolted-together pile of parts had officially become a real airplane. It became a legal Eagle.” On August 5, 2021, after 13 years of work, it was finally time for C6722 to return to the sky. Frank had his good friend of 30-plus years, Andrew King, do the honors. Andrew made two flights solo and then had Frank ride along for the third flight.
Frank recalled going through a series of emotions watching Andrew fly it for the first time. “You know, it’s like anything else of that sort,” he said, “where after 14 years, all that seems to go through your mind is, ‘What if? What if this happened? What if this happened?’ Andrew, something about the takeoff, and seeing him get off the ground as quickly as he did, and climb as well as he did, it was like the weight of the world just came off. It’s like, ‘Yes, this is great.’” To their surprise, the airplane was pretty much error-free. Andrew attributed this to Frank. “[He] is very good about making stuff work correctly,” Andrew said. “For instance, he had to figure out how to put brakes on the spoke wheels and where to put brake pedals. The original ones, of course, had no brakes. One of the things about setting up an antique airplane, especially when it’s never had brakes, is putting brakes on it. That’s a big issue. There’s a lot of airplanes I’ve flown where the brakes don’t work very well, or you can’t reach the pedals, or stuff like that. The solution he ended up coming up with, the pedals go to your heels pretty easily. The brakes actually work pretty well, but not too well. As I say, he’s good at making stuff work correctly. The throttle is set up right. The controls are set up right. The instruments are in the right place and cool. He has a knack for making things work correctly.”
BRODHEAD Since the aircraft was flying so smoothly, Frank and Andrew decided it would be ready to fly cross-country and planned to take it to the 2021 Grassroots Fly-In the weekend after Labor Day in Brodhead, Wisconsin. With Frank flying alongside in his Pietenpol, the two set out for the 580-mile journey to Brodhead. Along the way, aside from a strong headwind, the only problem they encountered was having to hand-prop the Eagle due to battery issues. Frank said the Eagle “performed admirably the entire round trip.” He also recalled what it was like to fly next to it on the journey. “What a satisfying sight it was,” he said, “glancing to one side, seeing that orange and yellow flying machine bobbing through the midday turbulence alongside the Pietenpol! I couldn’t wait to trade seats with Andrew.” Once at Brodhead, it was Frank’s turn to fly the Eagle. He figured the long, wide, east-west grass runway would be the best site for him to take the controls for the first time. Selecting a cool, calm, windless morning, he remembered being a little nervous, but not too much.
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“I found aileron and rudder control to be about as expected,” he said. “Takeoff and climb performance also lived up to expectations. Pitch pressures were way heavier than I was used to experiencing during takeoff and climb but improved significantly as power was reduced to cruise. “It lands easily,” he added. “I thought my Waco 9 was the easiest-landing airplane I’ve ever flown, which it was; it was just so slow. You get anywhere near the ground, it landed itself. And this thing is, I wouldn’t say it’s the same, but it’s pretty darn close. By the third flight that weekend, I started to feel at home enough to relax a bit and just enjoy the Wisconsin countryside and the view through those polished wires and lemon-yellow wings. “Reflecting back upon 13 years of labor, I can honestly admit that it was worth every drop of sweat, every blown budget, and every minute of lost sleep,” Frank said.
REFLECTION
MIDDLE: The Continental W-670 powerplant makes this a unique example. BOTTOM: Frank mentioned that restoring the cockpit and instrument panel are one of the most satisfying parts.
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Considering there are so few American Eagles flying today, it obviously means a great deal to Frank to have resurrected C6722. “You look around and you see so much attrition of airplanes,” he said. “I mean, nothing lasts forever. We know that. But to me, it makes me feel good to know that I’m putting one back that may have been taken away some other time. And where another one may have been taken away, rotted away somewhere, you’re putting one back into the system. “I mean, let’s face it. The old airplanes that we all like, there are less of them today than there were 30 years ago,” he said. “There are certainly less than 50 years ago. So even though we know that over time it’s going to continue to dwindle, at least by, over the years here, putting three or four of them back into the system, I kind of feel like I’m kind of helping spread that out a little bit.” When thinking of his friends, Frank said he feels as though he won the Powerball. Without their encouragement, knowledge and assistance he knows a project like this wouldn’t have been possible. “Andrew King, Terry Bowden, and Bill Kyle skillfully and methodically overcame every bureaucratic obstacle,” he said. “Lifelong friend, mentor, and octogenarian Ron Degnan was and still is always there with his ‘clean slate’ approach to problem-solving, and lent his tool and die maker skills far too often, asking for little in return. My son Steven has passed more rib-stitching needles through wings than anyone I know, starting at 5 years old on our old Taperwing Waco, and offered his time yet again on C6722. Don Emch, Jack Feroldi, Josh Bixler, Kent McMakin, Jon Nace, Tom Hegy, Forrest Lovley, Forrest Barber, Rick Hansen, Jim Hammond, Butch Harvey, Kurt Blymiller, Russ Moriarty, Walt Bowe, and many more gave of their knowledge, sweat, or both and were vital to the successful rebirth of C6722. I thank you all more than words could ever adequately express.”
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON
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THE OTHER
THE WOODARD PIPER APACHE BY BUDD DAVISSON
Is it a stretch (and a possible abomination) to compare the venerated Piper Cub to the much-less-venerated Piper Apache? It might be a stretch because everyone and their dog knows and loves the Piper Cub, while there is a generation or two of vintage airplane fans that, because of its relative rarity, wouldn’t know a Piper Apache if they found it floating in their coffee. However, Mark Woodard, EAA 1094078, and his son Luke brought N2150P to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 as a reminder.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM RAEDER
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The original short nose leaves little guess as to where the nicknames Sweet Potato and Snoopy came from.
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hy the Cub/Apache comparison? Because, just as several generations of pilots earned their wings in the Cub, the Apache was the portal to the world of multiengine airplanes for several generations of pilots. For that reason, it could almost be considered to be a twin-engine Cub because it performed such an admirable job of training at a time when there was almost no other choice. The Apache shares another unexpected common trait with the Cub: Believe it or not, its fuselage was originally a fabric-covered, steel tubing structure. However, that wasn’t Piper’s doing. In fact, the Apache itself isn’t a Piper design at all. It was part of the package that became Piper’s when it bought the Stinson division of the Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft Corp. in 1948. As Stinson designed the airplane, it had a twin tail, tube and fabric fuselage, and a pair of 125-hp Lycomings. At that time, the very early 1950s, there was a semi-race in the aviation industry to get a light twin into the air, with Cessna fielding the soon-to-be-iconic 310 and Aero Commander to launch their long line of high-wing twins. The Stinson design was the only true small-engine design, making it the first light multiengine trainer. This all happened in 1953-54. As designed and flown by Stinson, what was soon to be known as the Apache was anything but a stellar performer, so the 125-hp Lycomings were quickly ditched for a pair of 150hp, O-320s. And, inasmuch as aluminum airframes were taking over the general aviation market, even though it was producing rag and tube Tri-Pacers and such, Piper joined the modern market by installing a single tail and aluminum aft fuselage. However, good old-fashioned steel trussing was still hiding inside the aluminum where it framed the lower part of the voluminous cabin and carried the deep, I-beam wing spar. The airplane was introduced in October 1953, and the 150-hp Lycomings were replaced by 160s in 1957. In the early ’60s, the airplane was totally redesigned and 235-hp O-540s were installed. Although it was called a 235 Apache, it was actually 100 percent Aztec but with the short nose. A greatly improved design, the Aztec caused the Apache to disappear after only 116 PA-23-235s had rolled off the line, bringing the total of Apaches built to 2,047 before production ended in 1962. The estimates of the number that have survived run as high as 800.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM RAEDER, JACK FLEETWOOD
Mark Woodard and his son brought their 1957 Geronimo Apache from Pittsburgh to AirVenture ’21 as a reminder that the old multimotor school marm still had a right to be seen in public. And, while their Apache still has the so-identifiable short nose, which has given the airplane the nickname of Flying Potato, or simply Spud, its rectilinear tail and dorsal fin tells the onlooker something else about it: It’s actually one of the many Apaches that spent some time in an Apache specialist’s shop, where it was subjected to invasive surgery to become a Geronimo Apache. Beginning with the 150/160 Apache as the initial low-powered flight school trainer, recent years have seen a long line of similar, but much more modern, multiengine trainers designed and built. While they are all sleeker and more “modern” than the old Apache, the performance margins haven’t expanded all that much. In fact, as marginal as the single-engine performance of the original Apache was and is, it equals, or slightly betters, that of later designs like the 180-hp PA-44 Seminole. The useful loads are nearly identical, but on paper, the 150-hp has a higher single-engine ceiling and slightly better singleengine rate of climb. Plus, it can get over a 50-foot obstacle in 1,100 feet. That fat wing gives it the best short-field performance in the category. In other words, the light twin-engine airplanes all demand good training to extract usable performance should one engine go on vacation. However, the blunt, Spud-like cabin of the Apache is much bigger and borders on being commodious. However, pushing that kind of cabin through the air costs in performance. They aren’t speed demons.
The Woodard’s Geronimo came to live with them partially because Mark, the father, wanted the airplane so Luke, the son, could build lowcost multiengine time. Mark had flown for the airlines for 32 years, and Luke was thinking he’d like to take the same career path. “I’d been into aviation from the very beginning,” Mark said. “My degree was in business aviation and, once out of school and short stints as a carpenter and CFI, I signed on with a commuter and my airline career started. “Long before that I’d purchased an 8A Luscombe, which we still have,” he said. “I have something like 1,200 hours in it, and Luke flies it now. In fact, Luke was legal to fly the Luscombe before he was legal to drive a car.” The father and son duo found N215P when they started looking for a cheap-to-operate light twin. “It was a flying club airplane that they called Snoopy,” Mark said. “They called it Snoopy because of the nose … it kinda looks like Snoopy from the Linus and Snoopy cartoon. I’m glad it retained the original nose rather than trying to look like a baby Aztec. Somehow the name seemed appropriate, and that’s what we call it. I was really attracted to it because, even though it wasn’t a full Geronimo conversion, it did have the 180-hp engines and the bigger, square tail that is always installed with the 180s to give plenty of control over the larger engines.
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Mark said the airplane had been really well taken care of. “It had about 9,000 hours’ total time, but a recent paint job and the original herringbone interior was good enough to keep,” he said. “Better yet, the flying club had already spent the money to upgrade the avionics to an IFR GPS system but retained the original six-pack. “Ignoring the low-cost twin time, there are a lot of other factors about this airplane that are hard to ignore. Geronimo knew how to make a Sweet Potato even sweeter,” he said. “I flight-plan a cruise of 170 mph,” Mark said. “I say mph rather than knots because it sounds better to say 170 versus 147. I’m burning about 10 gph per side and could probably get that down a little, but I’m happy enough with that because the engines give a crazy climb. With just the two of us in the airplane, I routinely see over 2,000 fpm. The single-engine minimum control speed is 72 mph. This is possible because of the big dorsal fin and larger vertical tail/rudder surfaces. I don’t have the wingtip tanks, so I’m carrying 108 gallons of gas, and I have four-and-a-half-hour endurance, which gives a range of 750 miles ... longer than I want to go without stopping. Plus, my bride’s maximum flight time is about two and a half hours, and 750 miles is more than enough for most of our trips. I have a useful load of 1,186 pounds, which is four adults and about three-quarter-full tanks.” While Mark said any plane can be practical, the Apache is super handy for flying trips. “I have a brother who lives in Michigan and another in Virginia,” he said. “The Apache makes it easier to make those trips, as well as trips back to Illinois to visit friends and family there. It goes plenty fast, carries plenty of weight, and people really enjoy seeing it when we land. Essentially, it’s a minivan with wings! Very big cabin, very comfortable, and it’s IFR-equipped, which opens up some more opportunities. It has no autopilot, but I spent enough time on autopilot with the airlines, so I’m
“It goe s p lent y fast,carrie s p lent y o f weight,and people reall y enjoy seeing i t when w e land. Essentiall y,i t’sa minivan with wings!” — MARK WOODARD 38
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The cabin width is a full 6 inches wider than a Baron and has more headroom. As light twins go, it is very roomy.
glad to be hands-on all the time. A frequently flown mission is a trip from our house (we live on an airpark, 80PN) to visit our grandkids in Grove City. Instead of an hour-and-a-half car trip, we can make it in about 15 minutes. I use it often to pick up our grandkids to come spend the night. It changes a three-hour round trip to 30 minutes. According to Mark, the original plan was to use the Apache just to get Luke his multiengine instrument rating and add some multi-time to his résumé. “However, even though he has that now (he is flying jets) and doesn’t need the multi-time,” Mark said, “I’m gonna have a hard time should I ever decide to sell it! It’s just too much fun to fly! When people ask me if I have the Apache … I will often say, ‘Well, I don’t know if I have it, or it has me … but we’re together for now.’ So, to say that Snoopy is part of the family is no exaggeration.” Part of being family is making memories together. Forty years ago, Mark said he took his girlfriend up in a Cessna 150 high over their hometown to ask her to marry him. This past fall, he took her up in Snoopy and asked if she would renew their vows on their 40th anniversary, and she said yes! It’s worth mentioning that Mark, who retired as an Airbus 321 captain, not only spends part of his time in his Stearman, but he’s also a commercial hot-air pilot and can often be found piloting his own balloon, Carpe Diem. He also flies the RE/MAX balloon.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACK FLEETWOOD
The flying club from which Mark bought the airplane took excellent care of the interior, so Mark didn’t have to touch it.
Hot-Rodding a Sweet Potato
The Apache represents an interesting opportunity for comfort and performance. However, some might say putting “Apache” and “performance” in the same sentence is a contradiction in terms. The two words don’t go together. Usually! However, an Apache presents a solid base to be built upon, providing a person is so in love with the huge cabin dimensions (48 inches wide compared to a Baron at 42 inches) that they are willing (and able) to throw cash at it via modifications. The original Apache mods came about because Apache prices were bottoming out, so a large number of companies decided it was time to offer performance enhancements that would not only make the Apache costeffective, but also could offer performance along with its comfort. Today, the sole remaining company that specializes in hopping up and restyling Apaches, Montana Diamond Aire in Kalispell, Montana, produces the timetested Geronimo mods. So, we rang up John Talmage, the company founder and owner, and asked a few questions. John said they are working on Apaches constantly, but most of them already have the 180-hp
engine mods, and the most popular items they sell are cowlings and the Aztec-like streamlined nose. The original Apache cowlings are difficult to remove and most are worn out. He said one of their longtime customers is a flight school in Kansas that has been operating a 160 Apache for many years, and it has accumulated an amazing 38,000 hours! “The airplanes are built like trucks,” John said. “Grossly overbuilt, actually. The main spar, for instance, looks like it’s made for a bridge. Plus, if the airplane is landed gear-up, the retracted wheels extend below the nacelle in gear door pods so, on touchdown, all that happens is the gear doors are ground through and the airplane rolls on the tires. The cabin step gets twisted and damaged; the engines usually suffer from prop strikes, but the airframe itself sees very little damage. New gear doors are readily available. “Sometimes we’ll see wear and damage in the tail area and the original wiring is worn,” he said, “but when we’re doing the full-boat conversion, every single bolt and component comes off, so the final result is a brand-new, 60-year-old airplane that outperforms most current production light twins. This is one of the few airplanes that, assuming it receives even the slightest care, we really don’t think you can wear one out.”
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TOP: You just have to admire Piper’s sense of style. MIDDLE: Everything in the cockpit is original and speaks clearly of 1950s design. BOTTOM: The squared-off tail is a dead giveaway that a Geronimo modification has taken place.
Answers From the Apache Club President/Founder
John Lumley, EAA 33685, IAC 8, founded the Apache Club (PiperApacheClub.com) decades ago and is the go-to guy for Apache folks worldwide. So, we asked him a few questions, the first being what he does in the Apache world. “I specialize in rescuing abandoned Apaches or ones that are being considered for parting out,” he said. “It is purely a break-even proposition for me, at best, but the satisfaction of keeping them from the junkyard is immense.” The popularity of the Apache is still solid, John said, even though, as he put it, “The new generation wants fast plastic airplanes. The flight schools, however, are grabbing them up, as the cost is far below that of a Seminole or Duchess, and there are a lot of new airline wannabes that need a multiengine rating.” According to John, the last year saw the retail price of an Apache increase significantly, possibly because of the training demand. “You can expect to pay $40,000 for an average Apache with average avionics, average interior, 5,000-6,000-hour airframe time, and 1,400-hour engines,” he said. “The second big cost after the engines is the Hartzell propellers. They are about $24,000 for a new pair. The old Hartzell props, HC82XL are unusable; HC82VL have a five-year inspection AD, which costs about $2,200 per prop. “Geronimos are very popular because they have a highly modified airframe, and the pure Geronimo has the 180-hp engines,” he added. “The gross weight is increased from 3,800 pounds to 4,000 pounds, and you can expect an 8 to 10 percent increase in performance.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM RAEDER, JACK FLEETWOOD
The nose gear, like the rest of the Apache, gives a feeling of strength.
“If comparing the 150-hp to the 160-hp Apache, the 150 Apache has a lower empty weight and a gross weight at 3,500 pounds,” John said. “The 160hp version GW is 3,800 pounds. It takes about 140 hp to hold altitude at an average weight. So, if operating on one engine, you only have 10 surplus hp on the 150 model and 20 hp on the 160 model for climb. That’s not very spectacular, so every extra horsepower is worth having. The extra horsepower gives 150 mph for both in cruise, but the 150-hp has a 6,750 single-engine ceiling, while the 160-hp is 7,300 feet. VMC for both is 72 mph, and the useful load is 1,285 pounds versus 1,570 pounds. The 180hp Geronimo conversion nearly doubles the single-engine service ceiling at 12,000 feet. “It’s worth mentioning that many of the modern light twins have such low single-engine ceilings that they are unsafe to fly in hot weather or on high-altitude airports,” he said. What do you tell those seeking a 150/160 Apache to look for when looking at airplanes for sale? John said, “How long has it been sitting? Were engines pickled? Fuel in the tanks? Tires and struts properly maintained? Sitting outside on grass versus in a long-term hangar? New, no-AD props or the old props? Avionics is a big expense. Money makes airplanes fly. “Fortunately, one thing you almost never find in an Apache is rust or corrosion,” he said. “Due to the dissimilar metals issue created by the steel tube infrastructure and aluminum stringers and skins, all PA-23-series aircraft, including the Aztec, were completely coated in zinc chromate inside and out at the factory.” What items MUST be correct to make an Apache worth buying? He said, “For an approval for a ferry permit, all ADs must be signed off, and the aircraft has to be approved for safe flight by an IA [mechanic]. The biggies are engines, props, engine and flight controls, and functioning landing gear system.” What ADs are often not done? “Normally that has not been a problem, unless the aircraft has been parked for 10 to 15 years and an annual was not performed,” he said. What ADs are the most expensive and how much? John said, “There are still some Apaches out there flying with the older HC82VL props and are being inspected every five years. So, figure $4,400 every five years, plus labor for off and on to comply with that AD. The aircraft heater has become an expensive unit, as parts for the South Wind heaters are getting hard to get. New models are available at a hefty price. Solution: Live in Florida or Arizona.
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TOP: The 180-hp Lycomings are housed in original cowlings. MIDDLE: The Apache logo used a unique type font. BOTTOM: Overhead trim was a 1950s Piper trademark.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACK FLEETWOOD
“If someone is thinking about restoring one themselves, the Apache is a nice airplane to work on, excluding the removal and installation of the power pack and engine control cables,” he said. “They are very time-consuming but doable. The systems on the Apache are straightforward and have served the owners well for over 60 years. The price of tires and tubes are at $300 per, spark plugs $30-plus each, new Concorde 12V 35-amp sealed battery costing $470. I ran both mags and carbs, figure about $6,000 to start with. Fuel cells (bladders) are about $1,050 each times four, and are often original and deteriorating.” Since there’s a lot of steel tubing involved, how hard is it to inspect? He said, “The cabin portion of the airplane has a steel cage around it. By pulling side and bottom panels, you can see critical areas for inspection.” What are the most difficult maintenance items to find? John said, “Smaller parts rather than large components [such] as flaps, rudders, etc. Brake discs are expensive at over $600 each, and they rivet on the wheel half. They are not always in stock at supply houses.” In looking at Diamond Aire’s website, it appears to have all of the Geronimo components. Which do you think makes the most sense? “The extended nose provides more baggage space, and laminar flows the relative wind so it does not push out and interfere with the props,” he said. “The dorsal fin provides better longitudinal control in the event of an engine out. Horner wingtips provide an improved landing flare, cruise speeds, climb, and lift. The third-window kit is a nice addition for esthetics. Emergency exit window allows for six people legally on board. Consider the cost of a new Seminole versus the cost of a fully tricked-out, fully restored 180 Geronimo that has better performance and carries more passengers; it’s a no-brainer. And you get a roomy cabin, and you sit on a chair and not on the floor like a Seneca.” Today, are many people still modifying early Apaches? It seems impossible to do it and not be totally upside-down in it financially. According to John, “It is a good investment when you consider the performance versus a $950,000 new twin. In addition, the vintage appeal of a stock Apache has come into play. It’s not how fast you fly, but how you feel about what you are flying in. However, maybe that’s just because I’m getting old and enjoy flying old, comfortable airplanes.”
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FROM THE
JUNKYARD TO THE
SKY RESCUING AN AERONCA C-3 RELIC BY SPARKY BARNES
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON
CLICK HERE
TO SEE A VIDEO ABOUT THE AERONCA C-3
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here was just always something about the 1930s Aeronca C-3 — perhaps its pugnacious charisma — that Jim Hammond really liked. Maybe he was subtly influenced by growing up in Ohio, the “Birthplace of Aviation” and one-time home to the Aeronca factory at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati. As a boy, he was happy building scale models of C-3s, and as a man, that joy was never far from his heart; it merely morphed into owning and restoring C-3s. Of course, C-3s are pretty rare, so as Jim completed his Hatz biplane and worked on other airplane projects, he took particular care to keep an eye to the horizon, in his quest for the little antique Aeronca. In 1997, Ken McMakin alerted Jim to a 1932 C-3 project, and soon Jim and his wife, Libby, were driving south to Florida to visit Johnny Thompson.
T
RESCUING RELICS “Johnny was driving by a junkyard in Georgia in 1966, and he saw a Taylorcraft in the front lot, so he stopped to have a look. He was talking to the guy about it, and the guy said he had another airplane in the back,” Jim said. “It was the C-3, and Johnny thought it was cool because he learned to fly and got his commercial in C-3s — he climbed out of a C-3 and started flying 707s for the airlines. He proposed to his wife in a C-3 over the ocean, and his brother-in-law used to hang from a rope ladder doing air show stuff in a C-3 at Cocoa Beach. So he drug the C-3 home and hung it in his garage.” There was an original fuselage frame, tail, and gear legs, and a pair of rotted C-2 wings and rusty flying wires. Amazingly, the aircraft registration and airworthiness certificate from 1957 were still attached to an old piece of plywood. “So I’m looking at the C-3 project, and right next to it was Johnny Miller’s old Standard J-1. Next thing you know, I’m distracted and looking at the Standard J-1, and he told me to sit in it. I climbed in there and I’m playing around, and he said, ‘I’ll make you a deal. If you buy the Standard, you can have the C-3.’ I looked at my wife and she was like, ‘Well, if you want it …’ And I said, ‘Sold!’” It wasn’t long before Jim rounded up his cohort Ted Davis of Brodhead, Wisconsin, to help him load up airplane parts in a truck driven by another friend and head back to Ohio.
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“It’s pretty fun compared to my Aeronca-powered C-3 … this one’s got about twice the power, so it’ll get up and go!” — JIM HAMMOND
FROM THE JUNKYARD TO THE SKY
THE AERONCA C-3 Aeronca (Aeronautical Corporation of America) began producing the C-3 Collegian in 1931 at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati, Ohio. The C-3 sported a 36-hp Aeronca E-113 series engine on its pug nose, and was warmly embraced by a burgeoning flying public. Its features — including a kingpost, flying wires, and airy, open cabin — made the C-3 easily recognizable and equally unforgettable. The C-3’s predecessor was the single-place, 26-hp Aeronca C-2 Scout, which was similar in design to the 1925 RochéDohse Flivver airplane. Jean A. Roché was a senior aeronautical engineer for the U.S. Army Air Service, and by 1929, Aeronca had bought production rights to his recreational aircraft design. The C-2 was officially introduced in early 1930, and was the first light airplane for the civilian market — thereby opening the world of general aviation for casual, recreational pilots. The side-by-side 1931 C-3 Collegian was dubbed the “Razorback” because of its fuselage’s sharp-spined appearance. It was also sometimes ignominiously referred to as “The Flying Bathtub.” Whether flying around the patch or competing in races and record-setting attempts, the little Aeronca promulgated lightplane production.
“RAZORBACK” RECORDS The C-3 puffed its little chest out with a “chin up, can do” attribute imbued by its pilots, and became a record-holder in categories, including distance, duration, and altitude. Aeronca entered its C-3 Collegian in the 1931 National Air Tour, and it became the first light aircraft to complete the 4,858-mile cross-country tour, averaging 64 mph. A C-3 also embarked upon a 13,000-mile tour, during which it visited 17 states and created such a stir that Aeronca had to double its efforts to fill an enthusiastic inflow of orders. The C-3 was also used to test the Frazer automatic variable-pitch propeller in 1936 and 1937 at the East Dayton airport. C-2s and C-3s racked up 19 official world records by 1937.
TOP: Jim’s daughters, Katie and Sarah, in the C-3 fuselage many years ago. MIDDLE: This is the Aeronca C-3 relic that was rescued from a junkyard. BOTTOM: The C-3 wings, sporting their corrugated aluminum ailerons, are nestled up beside Johnny Miller’s Standard J-1 fuselage in Jim’s shop.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON, PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JIM HAMMOND
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FROM THE JUNKYARD TO THE SKY PAPER TRAIL Jim, being no stranger to the various challenges of aircraft restorations, knew that his first task was to make sure the FAA paperwork was in order. Since the previous owner’s name was on the old registration, he did a bit of detective work and found a phone number for a William “Bill” Benton in Washington, D.C. Jim dialed the number and was pleasantly surprised when Bill answered the phone. It turned out that Bill bought the C-3 in August 1956 and kept it at the old Leesburg Airpark in Virginia. Bill used to rent it to Arthur Godfrey (a popular radio and television personality) and was under the impression that t at the C-3 had been destroyed. Jim told him it ended nded up in a junkyard in Georgia with Bill’s name nam still in it, and he planned to rebuild it. Jim mentioned he needed a signe signed bill of sale le from him, since he was technically still st the owner ner of the C-3. Bill was happy to help out, out and nd as soon as he received the document from Jim, he signed and returned it. That made it a breeze for Jim to complete the chain of ownership and register the C-3.
WHO KNEW?
TOP: Ted and Jim installed a 65-hp Continental on this C-3. MIDDLE: A close-up peek inside the C-3’s simple cabin. BOTTOM: The C-3 has Shinn wheels and brakes.
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NC13021 wasn’t the only Aeronca C-3 that Godfrey flew at Leesburg Airpark. An article penned by Gil Paust in the 1950 Aviation Yearbook, Flying Manual No. 10 (“What’s Wrong with Private Flying!”) relates one of Godfrey’s unforgettable C-3 flights. A brief excerpt reads as follows: “In 1931 at a little airport near Washington, D.C., a number of pilots were shooting the breeze in one o of the nearby hangars that bordered an edge ge of the field. ‘The thing to do when your yo motor quits on take-off,’ one of the boys was w saying for the benefit of whoever cared to li listen, en, ‘is to pick out a couple of nice trees straight aight ahead and go between between ween ’em. They’ll The ll shear off your wings and slow you ou down dow so o you won’t get hurt.’ One fellow listene … A few minutes later he took off in a listened. C-3. About 60 feet off the runway, the little motor kicked and died. Ahead were trees, and skillfully the pilot headed straight between two of the largest he could see. There was a noise as though some giant were stepping on a mammoth strawberry box, and the C-3 was a mass of splintered wreckage. When the spectators arrived at the scene, a red head poked itself out of the fuselage and its voice said, ‘Where’s the guy who was talking about forced landings? I want to shake his hand. That son-of-a-gun saved my life.’ That wasn’t the only forced landing Arthur Godfrey has ever had — he’s had three altogether, but it was his most spectacular and his closest call.”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON
“What’s real cool is that the C-3 doesn’t have an elevator trim, so you just take what you get. On this one, you can use the throttle as a trim!” — JIM HAMMOND
N-NUMBER There was another paperwork issue that needed to be addressed, and though it could have been insurmountable, it went surprisingly well. “The original N-number had been dropped, so I called Oklahoma City and they said that number wasn’t available since it had been dropped for lack of activity, and they wouldn’t reassign it to another aircraft. So I asked the lady if it could be reassigned to the very same airplane. She checked and called me the next day and said, ‘Sure, you can have that number back.’ The airworthiness certificate is a 1957 permanent airworthiness, so that was great,” Jim said, adding tongue-in-cheek, “so we just needed to annual it!”
JIM’S OTHER C-3 With the paperwork and registration in order, Jim started his quest of collecting parts and pieces that the C-3 relic needed. And along the way, he went to Long Island and bought NC12407, a flying 1931 C-3, and took it to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in 2003. NC12407 still has its authentic configuration, replete with an Aeronca E-113 engine, tail skid, and Goodyear 16-by-7-by-3 air wheels sporting the original Aeronca hubcaps. (Jim has adapters to convert the gear to 4-inch wheels.) The aircraft designer himself, Jean Roché, originally took delivery of NC12407 from the factory in 1932 and promptly rented it for flight instruction in Vandalia, Ohio, to pay for it. A glance into history reveals this C-3’s novel flights. In 1933, NC12407 was outfitted with a monowheel racing gear, consisting of a single balloon tire under the belly, and little 9-inch tricycle wheels for the wingtips. Thus, the C-3’s weight decreased by 40 pounds, allowing its top speed to increase to 90 mph. A Capt. Recknagel flew it in that configuration and placed third in the Chicago Air Race of 1933. In February 1936, Ione Coppedge flew NC12407 to a record-setting altitude of 15,253 feet. Interestingly, NC12407 was employed to test a circular takeoff pattern at Wright Field in November 1938. This particular C-3’s popularity was revived in the late 1960s, when Sterling Models produced a scale model of it.
SPECS 1932 Aeronca C-3 (Original configuration) ATC No. 396 Eligible to be flown by a sport pilot. WINGSPAN: WING CHORD: LENGTH: HEIGHT: EMPTY WEIGHT: USEFUL LOAD: SEATS: ENGINE: FUEL: OIL: MAX SPEED: CRUISING SPEED: LANDING SPEED: STALLING SPEED: RATE OF CLIMB: CRUISING RANGE:
36 feet 50 inches 20 feet 7 feet, 6 inches 466 pounds 409 pounds 2 36-hp Aeronca E-113 8 gallons 3 quarts 80 mph 65 mph 35 mph 40 mph 500 fpm 200 miles
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FROM THE JUNKYARD TO THE SKY
WINGS AND AILERONS Throughout the years, when he wasn’t main maintainning his fleet of flying airplanes, Jim busied himself with building wood wings for the C-3 relic and machining various parts and pieces. “I’ve got all the Aeronca drawings, so I can make any part on the airplane. Most of the parts were in pretty good shape; the big, giant parts like the wings were covered on my flying C-3, so I could look at that,” Jim said. “I spent a lot of time building the wings. They’re real complicated; I think Aeronca just wanted to see how many parts they could use! Where the ribs attach to the spar, there’s little metal clips and aluminum rods that go down through the fittings, and they’re threaded on each end and then they’re peened with a hammer to keep them from coming off. Then there’s the top and bottom drag and anti-drag wires, and as you work outboard through the wing, there’s a quarter-inch doubler here and then a half-inch doubler there, and then it tapers off. Every rib is different, so you fight with all that!” For such a simple-seeming airplane, the construction complexities abounded. The ailerons, according to Jim, were made from very lightweight aluminum, almost like aluminum foil, and folded and riveted into shape. Jim made a jig and fabricated new ailerons, and since the drawings called for corrugated aluminum, he made his own in his well-equipped shop. “I thought I was going to add a lot of weight to the ailerons with a slightly thicker aluminum, which was all I could get. The originals weighed 3.5 pounds, and the new ones weigh 4.5 pounds,
NC13021 still has its original N-number, 90 years after it was manufactured.
so it didn’t really add much weight. I built new fittings and flat pieces where the flying wires attach. The flying wires that came with it were quarter-inch rusty steel, so we went with 5/16 stainless, which the later C-3 Master series used with its higher gross weight. And I had to make a new ‘butterfly’ attach fitting at the kingpost for the wires. The fuselage must have been under cover at the junkyard, because it wasn’t all rusted or rotted out, so that was helpful. I finally got everything done in my shop to where I could dump it on Ted at his shop, and he did the rest of the ‘magical’ stuff!”
THE “MAGICAL STUFF” Ted, who barnstorms and gives biplane rides in his 1929 New Standard during the summers, works on various aircraft restoration during the long Wisconsin winters. He worked on the C-3 on and off for about five years, doing the “magical” stuff, or as he said, “Jim did the ‘fly’ part; I did the ‘sit’ part — the gear legs, fuselage, and engine mount. I cut off the original E-113 engine mount, which was integral to the fuselage, and made a Continental mount that actually bolts on. The landing gear basically needed the springs replaced in the shock struts, and I made new sheet metal parts, including a 12-gallon fuel tank and the engine cowling.” A new exhaust had to be made; fortunately, Ted had made one previously for a Continental-powered Aeronca C-3 Master, so he had a bit of knowledge to rely upon from that experience. Ted installed the wood stringers on the fuselage, covered the entire airframe with Ceconite, and finished it with the Randolph nitrate-butyrate dope system. Paul Workman of Ohio made the upholstery for the bench seat, and Lyman Hatz and Paul Wagner gave Ted a helping hand with various aspects of the restoration.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON
WHEELS AND BRAKES Since they were installing a 65-hp Continental with a 72/42 Sensenich prop to give the C-3 better performance, Jim wanted to make some mods to the landing gear. “I put Shinn 6-inch wheels and brakes on it, and a Scott 2000 tail wheel, which makes it hard-surface capable. That was all part of the approved data on a Form 337 that was done for the C-3 Master, and we had all those drawings,” Jim said. “I also had to make new rudder pedals so they would work with brakes. Now it has heel brakes on the left side, pretty much like an Aeronca Model T tandem has.”
FUN FLYING Ted had the honor of making the first flight in late May 2021, when he flew it all of 15 minutes from his strip to Brodhead. Jim did the rest of the flight testing, and he’s quite happy with his “souped-up” Aeronca C-3. He made his first hard-surface landing at Hartford on his way to Oshkosh, and the C-3 plopped demurely on the ground and obediently tracked straight ahead. “It’s pretty fun compared to my Aeronca-powered C-3, which is kind of marginal. That one does okay, but you have to be careful because it doesn’t have a lot of power. But this one’s got about twice the power, so it’ll get up and go! It flies really good about 2000 rpm — it’s going 80 mph. At 1700 rpm, it’s going about 65 mph, which is a normal speed for a C-3,” Jim said, adding with a laugh, “what’s real cool is that the C-3 doesn’t have an elevator trim, so you just take what you get. On this one, you can use the throttle as a trim! You can control it without even holding the stick, because with that big engine, if the gas tank’s full at 2000 rpm, it’ll fly hands-off. As you burn fuel, the nose starts coming up so you have to start throttling back. If you’re low on fuel and you go full power, it wants to do a loop. It takes a lot to hold the stick forward when
you get all that weight off the nose, so that’s why you have to back off the throttle. So to keep it in level flight, pretty soon you’re at 1500 rpm — so you probably hit the ground about the same time you run out of gas! It works great; it’s a safety feature! Seriously, though, it’s fun to fly, and it stalls nice and easy. It just mushes straight ahead with no problem. ”
AVID AERONCA AVIATORS Heartily embraced by enthusiastic pilots since the onset of the Great Depression, the almost whimsical C-3 still captures the fancy of pilots today, and handily retains its following of avid aficionados. Of more than 400 C-3s manufactured, only around 50 are on the FAA Registry today. “We know quite a few of them are flying, but you rarely see them because nobody takes them anywhere — they just stay in the pattern!” Jim said. As for NC13021, Jim intends to have as much or more fun with it than he did the scale-model versions he built as a child. Perhaps he’ll try it out on skis, and he and Ted have already acquired some old Edo 1070 floats to mount it on for some water flying. “My other C-3 came on floats, because Jean Roché had already rigged it on floats. We still have all that rigging, so Ted went ahead and modified one of the stringers so we can put NC13201 on floats,” Jim said. “And with the 65-hp Continental, it’ll probably fly off the water okay.” Jim and Ted even murmured something about possibly splashing in to the EAA Seaplane Base during a future AirVenture — so we’ll be sure to keep our eyes open for a handsome little C-3 just floating around!
USS Missouri's Harlow Watkins Saves the Day Shortly before the surrender ceremony began aboard the Battleship Missouri September 2,1945 it was discovered that the signing table sent by the British was too small to hold even the documents. When scuttlebutt about this reached him and with time slipping away, Petty Officer MS2 Mess Management Specialist Harlow Watkins (red arrow) leaped into action. He sent four sailors to the crew's mess to grab one of the large tables, and he personally went to the officers' mess and "borrowed" one of their decorative tablecloths. All was in place and ready for the ceremony not five minutes before the Japanese envoys came aboard. Attaboy, Harlow. Our kind of guy.
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B U T... IT WAS JUST A GROUND
LOOP! DAN KEPKOWSKI BREATHES LIFE BACK INTO A DEAD LUSCOMBE BY BUDD DAVISSON
As ground loops go, it was so slow, maybe 10 knots, that it shouldn’t have amounted to much. But it did. At least current owner and rebuilder Dan Kepkowski of Industry, Pennsylvania, heard it was slow. However, a ground loop is a ground loop, and no good ever comes from one. In the case of Luscombe N2020 Bravo’s pirouette in the grass, it suffered mightily. However, given the way Dan brought it back from the edge, the accident might have been the best thing that ever happened to it. 2020B now looks and flies better than it did the day it rolled out of the factory in 1948 when it was just another 8E Luscombe.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM BUSHA
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already had a Luscombe that I had done some work on, but when I saw 2020 Bravo I knew that this was my chance to build a Luscombe the way I knew it should be built,” Dan said. “For one thing, it already had a STC’d 115-hp, O-235 Lycoming McKenzie conversion on it. I had hoped to do that to a Luscombe myself, and in general, the airframe was quite clean. There was very little corrosion; however, as I was to find out, as with all 70-year-old airplanes, it was hiding a few infirmities. Plus, the ground loop, regardless of how slow it had been, had done some significant damage, but the former owner, Dale Murphy, had done an excellent job of fixing the fuselage and stripping it for polishing. Still, it was obvious that a fair amount of metalwork lay ahead of me. So, I decided to go full boat on it and build it the way I’ve always wanted to build a Luscombe. It’s a good thing that fixing airplanes runs in my family.” Dan is understating the “fixing airplanes” that runs in his family. Both his father and his brother are A&P/IA mechanics. In fact, his dad was a lifelong mechanic for the airlines, and Dan talks about coming to see his dad as a child for lunch and being allowed to climb around the airplanes.
“Dad owned a C-170B for a long time,” he said. “In fact, my mom and dad’s first date was him taking her flying. I’ve always thought it was cool that their honeymoon was a trip to Oshkosh. They had me there shortly after I turned 2 in 1985, and I’ve been there at least 22 times since. It has become a family tradition. “My folks would give me flying lessons as birthday presents, but it wasn’t until I started cutting grass at the airport and traded that for lessons that I got serious about it,” Dan said. “I soloed when I was 16 but missed doing it on my birthday because of weather. I was also late taking my PPL checkride when 17 because 9/11 slowed things down. Then the local FBO I was working for, which was a Part 135 charter operator, gave me my first flying job after I got my multi-rating in a Cessna 421. I was there for eight years, flying King Airs, Conquests, PC-12, and Lear 25 and 35. In the USAF, I was a flight engineer on C-130s, after that [I] flew single-pilot in a Citation for three years, and now fly the 37-passenger Embraer 135 regional jet.”
Dan Kepkowski looks very pleased that doing a Luscombe “his way” worked out so well.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM BUSHA, PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF DAN KEPKOWSKI
S “I already had a Luscombe that I had done some work on, but when I saw 2020 Bravo I knew that this was my chance to build a Luscombe the way I knew it should be built.” — DAN KEPKOWSKI
Dan has always liked Luscombes, and it’s what he got his tailwheel endorsement in. “I bought my first one in 2007, and while it wasn’t a beauty and had hail damage, it was cheap, so I could afford it,” he said. “It was based in Tucson, Arizona, and the flight home took 19 hours and three and a half days. Even though I sold that first one, I now own three Luscombes: N2020B, an 8E, and an 8F. I tell people that one of the reasons I can own three Luscombes is that I’ve remained successfully single. Since N2020B’s airframe was basically clean but terribly bent, Dan decided not to worry about factory originality and instead focused on his goal of building an airplane that could do everything he wanted it to do but still have the classic Luscombe looks. From front to back, he did what he had to do to make it look like a Luscombe but fly like a new airplane. “When the airplane ground-looped, it folded the left main gear into the fuselage, tearing out the gear box and wrinkling the fuselage in three places all the way back to the tail,” he said. “The nose and left wing were slammed into the ground, but it had a wooden prop which cracked but didn’t break, so that saved the crankshaft. “The nose bowl and lower cowl were crushed, with the nose bowl being savable but not the lower cowl, both of which have compound curves,” he said. “We hammered out the nose bowl, and Dad TIG-welded some cracks in it. Because it used flat sheets, I made a new upper cowl because, although the original wasn’t damaged, it was worn out. The Camlocs, too. They even had washers brazed to them to make them work like wing nuts. I have a friend, Allen Olson, who has an English wheel and knows how to use it, so he made the lower cowl pieces. I cut and fitted them and was impressed by how close they were. It’s having relatives and friends who have the skills that I don’t have that made this project much easier. Allen always reminds me that the best sheet metal pieces on the entire airplane are the lower cowl pieces. And I don’t argue.”
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TOP: The original panel had been seriously butchered, so Dan brought a blank and started over. MIDDLE: Most of the tail surfaces were more Bondo than aluminum, so Dan built new ones. BOTTOM: The instrument panel foregoes steam gauges for modern functionality.
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Because of the prop strike, Dan also had to do the engine, which he said he probably would have done anyway. “I had the crank inspected and replaced two cylinders because they were cracked at the top, which I guess is pretty typical for O-235-C1s,” he said. “I had all of the machine work done and then, with my dad and brother looking over my shoulders, assembled the engine and made new baffles myself and installed a lightweight Sky-Tec starter and alternator. Their help also made the process legal. My bro, Brian, started as a mechanic/pilot for the same company I work for now but is now a fulltime pilot, and I’m the company check pilot. “The firewall was in fairly good shape, but because I had a different engine and was using digital engine instruments, I had to reroute some of the controls so I could use the original holes and not cut any new ones.” Next Dan moved on to the windows and then the interior. “On the way to working on the interior, I replaced all of the Plexiglas with new units from LP Aero plastics,” he said. “It’s the same thickness as the original, but I chose the light blue tint. The skylight, too. In addition to the STC for the new windshield, the work I did entailed doing 12 more changes that required STCs.
“When I got to the interior, I didn’t have to do the entire thing because the last owner, Dale Murphy, had started on it,” Dan said. “He and his wife owned an automotive upholstery shop, so they had already done the side panels and included the material for the seats with the sale. I had a local auto shop do the seats using Temper Foam, but since I don’t think I’ve ever seen an original Luscombe interior, I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the stitching pattern. However, it’s a fact that you don’t see a lot of Luscombes that are upholstered in real leather. “Before I could install the upholstery, I had to rebuild the doors,” he said. “The steel frameworks were rusted, and the aluminum skins were a little tired-looking, but, more important, the front edges were chewed up, as is the case with most Luscombes. I epoxied the steel, and as I reworked the airframe, I did the same to the inside surfaces of all of the airframe’s aluminum. Luscombes came out of the factory with no interior priming anywhere, which is one reason you have to inspect them carefully for corrosion. I was lucky in that my wing spars and carry-through structure were all pretty clean. In fact the carry-through spars are new replacements from Univair, but epoxy-priming everything means they’ll stay new-looking.”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM BUSHA, PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF DAN KEPKOWSKI
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Dan says everything about the airplane pleases him. Just looking at it is almost as good as flying it.
N2020B was ground-looped in 2006, and Dan bought it in 2010, which means the airplane was 62 years old when he started on it. It had seen half a century and 6,500 hours of flying, which is a lot of hours for a vintage airplane, so its panel was pretty much what you often see in classics of the same vintage: Besides showing their age they often have extraneous and mismatched holes. Dan had his own idea of what he wanted the panel to look like. He wanted a modern/classic, so it was foreordained that there would be some glass involved. In this case it was including an Electronics International digital engine-monitoring system. He bought a blank panel and did his panel design from scratch. “On my first flights with the new instrumentation, it was weird not to have a steam gauge tachometer,” Dan said. “I found myself asking, ‘Where are my arcs?’ Now, of course, I don’t even think about it. “One of the problems with airplanes this old is that their control pulleys start to bind up, and I wanted the controls to be smoother and lighter,” he said. “So, I replaced every pulley and cable in the airplane and installed a feather light aileron kit,
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which includes ball-bearing pulleys. It’s hard to describe the difference that makes in the control feel. Older Luscombes get to where they can feel as if you’re sawing lumber with the control stick because the pulleys are stuck. When the pulleys are replaced and the cables tensioned properly, they feel like entirely different airplanes. Last on Dan’s list was the exterior. “I was planning on polishing the airplane, and the fuselage was already prepped, but I had to strip the wings, which were metal, not fabric,” he said. “The tail was still painted, so I started to strip it, too. I was trying to remove the paint from the corrugated elevators, and it just wouldn’t come off. A little light sanding revealed why the stripper had no effect: The surfaces were coated with a thick layer of Bondo, so those skins weren’t worth trying to save. “Even worse, factory Luscombe tails have no inspection panels, and with the tips riveted in place, you can’t see what the inside looks like,” he said. “So, I drilled out the rivets to get a look, and I’m glad I did. The entire inside of one of the stabilizers was a mouse hotel, and the urine corrosion was massive. In fact, a lot of the rivets were basically dust. There was no logical way to repair any of the tail surfaces, so I built new ones. The corrugated skins and some of the parts are available from Univair, but many of the ribs are just folded aluminum. So, those were made new using the originals and factory drawings for reference. When I was done reskinning the surfaces, I installed nut plates at the tips so they could be removed for inspection.” N2020B made its way back into the air in July 2018, but not in time for AirVenture that year. “For the first four or five hours, we were having teething problems,” Dan said. “They were minor items, like oil temp higher than I’d like, and [I] had to replace an ignition harness. We also found one mag bearing was going bad. When we finally made it to Blakesburg, we had maybe 12 hours on the airplane. However, from the first flight, the airplane was absolutely flawless in almost every aspect of its handling. Totally hands-off! I was both amazed and delighted. I ended up winning Grand Champion Neo Classic and the Texas Antique Aircraft Association Chapter Choice awarded at Blakesburg that year. “The best part of getting the airplane flying is that it is exactly what I wanted it to be. I’m flying what feels like a new airplane that looks like an old one. A very pretty old one. I don’t know what else I could want.” Then, he hesitated as he had second thoughts. “Oh, wait! Actually, I’m looking for a 150-hp, O-320 Lycoming, because that engine is covered by the same McKenzie STC. That would only cost another 12 pounds and would make it into a rocket ship! So, yes, as is, it’s perfect, but 150 hp would make it even more perfect!” Hard to argue with that kind of logic, isn’t it?
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM BUSHA
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The Vintage Mechanic ROBERT G. LOCK
Assembly, Rigging, Control Surface Checks, and Inspections IN THIS ISSUE WE WILL DISCUSS rigging of control
CHECKING THE RUDDER TRAVEL
surfaces in detail, checking control surfaces for condition and operation, and tips on inspecting control systems. So let’s begin. Aircraft control systems are actuated by either cable or push-pull tubes and are connected to the rudder pedals and stick or wheel mechanism in the pilot’s cockpit. Most rudder systems are cable-driven, while aileron and elevator systems can be either cable or push-pull tube control. The rigging of both cable and push-pull systems is similar. Once a system is properly rigged, it should provide years of trouble-free service; the only problems we are likely to encounter are wear and degradation of cables due to corrosion or friction on a pulley or fairlead. Aircraft control surface deflection is measured from the streamline or neutral position, and travel is given in degrees or inches of travel. The use of an inclinometer can be used to check aileron and elevator deflection UP or DOWN from the neutral point. A plumb bob and chalk can be used to check rudder deflection LEFT and RIGHT of the neutral point. A digital inclinometer works best for measuring angular deflection of flight controls; these units can be purchased commercially, but if you don’t want to spend money on this type of unit, a simple inclinometer can be made in the shop. Figure 1 shows a simple control surface inclinometer I had my students at Reedley College make when I instructed there. When checking ailerons or elevators it is not necessary to level the aircraft, as an inclinometer will compensate for the aircraft’s attitude. When checking the rudder it will be necessary to level the aircraft laterally, which can be accomplished with the ship sitting in the three-point attitude. Just place a spirit level across the longerons and adjust the landing gear (sometimes by letting air out of one tire) until the bubble is centered.
The rudder should move a prescribed number of degrees or inches on either side of neutral, and positive stops should limit travel so the surface will not contact the elevator. Some stops are adjustable, and some are not. The easiest way to check rudder travel is to level the aircraft laterally (wingtip to wingtip); there is no need to level the ship longitudinally. Tape a plumb bob to the center of the rudder trailing edge and allow the point of the plumb bob to drop just above the hangar floor. Mark that point with a piece of chalk. Have another person move the rudder pedal to one extreme, and mark that location on the floor. Then do the same to the other extreme. Measure the travel with a protractor if given in degrees, with a ruler if given in inches. The travel should not exceed the factory specifications. There are occasions when the right travel is slightly more than the left travel for proper spin recovery. If the factory says do it that way, then that’s the way it should be done. Note that if the vertical fin is offset to compensate for engine torque effect, the rudder should still be streamlined with the fin and not the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. Figure 2 shows checking rudder travel.
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CHECKING AILERON TRAVEL
Most ailerons are rigged with a small amount of droop, so they will streamline in flight. The amount of droop depends on the amount of looseness designed in to the system, but up to about 1/4 inch is normal. To check aileron travel, it will be necessary to remove the droop from the ailerons. Do this by using four pieces of softwood that measure around 1/2 inch thick by 4 inches wide, long enough to bridge the gap between the aileron and wing plus a couple of inches on each side. Glue a soft padding to one side of each piece of wood, and then streamline the ailerons by clamping the wood blocks across the trailing edge of the aileron and wing. Set the inclinometer to zero, remove the wood blocks from both sides, and check UP and DOWN extremes. Keep in mind that most old airplanes may have “aileron differential,” which means
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ROBERT G. LOCK
Figure 1
the UP travel is more than the DOWN travel. Both ailerons should have the same travel within 1 degree. There should be positive stops in the aileron system, and if they are adjustable, small compensations can be made. Also remember that cable tension should be checked with the surface in the neutral position, so while the ailerons are clamped in neutral, this would be a good time to check tension. If the tension is loose, increase by tightening ALL turnbuckles in the system equally. That way the travel will not change, but the tension will increase. Usually about half a turn of each turnbuckle is all that is needed. If the tension is quite loose, check the system for worn parts, such as pulleys and/or bearings.
CHECKING ELEVATOR TRAVEL
Determining exactly where neutral is located on the elevators can present a problem on some aircraft. Unless there are manufacturer’s instructions, you must assume it is in line with the horizontal stabilizer. To find neutral on a symmetrical stabilizer that has flat surfaces top and bottom, use two straight pieces of 2-by-2-inch soft pine, padded on one side with felt or soft carpet. Clamp the wood on the top and bottom of the horizontal stabilizer, so the pieces are parallel. Measure the distance between the two pieces at the elevator trailing edge; then insert small wood wedges to bring the trailing edge of the elevator to center between parallel wood stringers. That is the neutral position. Figure 3 shows the process that can be used for rudder and elevators. Locate the centerline by using padded wood to block the rudder half the distance between the straightedges.
Figure 2
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The Vintage Mechanic ROBERT G. LOCK
During restoration, it is always a good idea to do some subassembly to check for rigging of the moveable stabilizer, elevators, and rudder. It is also a good opportunity to write rigging notes, so the ship can easily be rigged when completed. There normally is more UP travel than DOWN travel because the ship is already noseheavy. In any case the travel is always measured from the neutral point of the elevators. Control cable tension should always be checked with the elevators clamped in the neutral position. Otherwise one cable will always have more tension than the other cable depending on whether the control stick is forward or aft. CHECKING ELEVATOR TRIM TAB TRAVEL
Trim tabs always move opposite the elevator travel, and care must be exercised upon initial rigging to make sure they move in the correct direction. When the trailing edge of the tab moves UP, the elevator moves DOWN and the nose moves DOWN. When the trailing edge of the tab moves DOWN, the elevator moves UP and the nose moves UP. With elevator trim tabs it is common for the DOWN travel to be more than the UP travel. For instance, the Stearman tab travel is 15 degrees UP and 15 degrees DOWN. The Aeronca 7AC is 20 degrees UP and 34.5 degrees DOWN. Cable tension should again be checked with the tab set in the neutral position. CHECKING ADJUSTABLE INCIDENCE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER
Some aircraft, like the Travel Air, CommandAire, Waco UPF-7, New Standard D-25, and
others have variable incidence horizontal stabilizers that provide for longitudinal trim of the aircraft. Here it is important to know the nose DOWN and nose UP angle of incidence of the stabilizer that, in some cases, may be difficult to locate. If the horizontal stabilizer has a travel of -7 degrees to +2 degrees, then one would level the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. Zero degrees would be parallel to the axis, and -7 degrees would have the leading edge of the top surface 7 degrees below the horizontal plane, and +2 degrees above the horizontal plane. The -7 degrees would represent full nose UP trim, and the +2 degrees would represent full nose DOWN trim. Note: The numbers I have selected here do not represent any particular aircraft; I use them to illustrate how a movable horizontal stabilizer would be checked for correct rigging. INSPECTION OF CONTROL SYSTEM
Inspection of the control system should be a methodical check of each part of the system. I tend to start at the origin of control surface movement, which is inside the cockpit. Center the stick in the cockpit; this can be easily done by measuring from a fixed point, perhaps the upper longerons, to determine where exact center is located. Place the control stick at that point and clamp (or use a bungee cord) it in place. Check the position of the ailerons; they should droop slightly, the same amount on each wing trailing edge. With the stick fixed, move the aileron trailing edges UP and DOWN to check for looseness or slop in the system. There will always be some but not an excessive amount. Always remember that cable tension should be checked with the surface clamped in the neutral position. On older aircraft, cable tension is light, perhaps 15 to 25 pounds. If tension is too loose, control movement is sloppy; if tension is too much, control surface movement is stiff and heavy.
Figure 3
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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ROBERT G. LOCK
Remove the control stick lock and continue inspecting cables, pulleys, rod ends, and bearings; if it moves, look at it! Also remember that cables normally fray where they lay on a pulley or fairlead. When inspecting the New Standard D-25s, I loosen aileron cables every 100 hours, pull the cables away from fairleads, and run a rag along the cable to detect any fraying. And believe me, I’ve found some frayed cables! Do not be lulled to sleep by just checking the cables between pulleys and fairleads. You won’t find any damage there except perhaps corrosion. The damage could be hidden by the pulley or fairlead. Move the controls to see if they touch the positive stops and that all pulleys rotate as cables move. This job usually takes two people—one to move the surface and one to inspect the cables and pulleys. Hold each control surface at the trailing edge and pull fore and aft, looking for any looseness in the attach fittings. If there is looseness, find out why and fix it. All bolts that attach control surfaces to primary
structure should be fastened with castle nuts and safetied with cotter pins. Locknuts should not be used (unless specified by the manufacturer), because the bolt is subject to rotation. Check the fabric covering for condition. There should be no cracks in the finish or filler coats that expose fabric weave to sunlight. If there are, fix them. In conclusion, you are checking all moving parts for security and condition and for proper operation. During restoration, it is always a good idea to do some subassembly to check for rigging of the moveable stabilizer, elevators, and rudder. It is also a good opportunity to write rigging notes, so the ship can easily be rigged when completed. During this phase the tail wheel steering system can also easily be rigged, because it is difficult once the ship is covered with fabric. Control systems on the older aircraft are relatively simple in design, but they require close inspection and regular maintenance to keep in good shape.
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Message From the President SUSAN DUSENBURY, VAA PRESIDENT
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
If you are wondering, Ray starts building his Vintage in Review program for the upcoming EAA AirVenture immediately after arriving home from the just-completed AirVenture. For the 12 months prior to the convention, Ray gathers information about vintage airplane projects in the restoration process and follows the rebuilding progress on the airplane throughout the year. This is where all of you come into the process. Your calls and emails are typically the source of Ray’s information. Once Ray knows about an airplane, he will contact the owner/ restorer about the possibility of appearing in Vintage in Review. If all of the stars align with the timing and completion of the restoration process, Ray will put the airplane on his Vintage in Review schedule in late spring or early summer. But, as can be imagined, Ray is not always aware of who or what vintage airplane may show up at Oshkosh, so he intentionally keeps open slots available in the schedule for those unknown beauties that arrive unannounced. The Vintage in Review program is held Monday through Friday during EAA AirVenture in our Vintage Village in front of the Red Barn starting at 10:30 a.m. Ray typically kicks off his program with patriotic music
performed by the Ladies for Liberty, and this year, in addition to the Ladies for Liberty, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Pipes and Drums Band will be performing. These performances will be followed by an OX-5 engine run, which is always a crowd-pleaser. Ray’s interviews begin shortly thereafter at 11:00-11:05 a.m. As I was researching the history of Vintage in Review, I took time to read through several of our Vintage Airplane magazines from the 1980s and 1990s. At that time, the magazine editor was either Gene Chase or Jack Cox. I was surprised to find that so much of what I was reading was not only interesting, as I had expected, but also pertinent to today’s world of vintage aircraft. To read any of these older magazines, go to our website at EAAVintage.org and click on the Members Only Login button. If you have not already registered for the members-only section, there will be prompts to guide you through the process. Blue skies!
Classifieds AIRCRAFT Lockheed Lodestar L-18/C60 A/CTT 10,743 hrs, 1820-56 A & AS Engs. L 200:28, R 242:10 hrs, 33D50 Props L 70:46, R 70:46
DIRECTORY OFFICERS PRESIDENT Susan Dusenbury 1374 Brook Cove Rd. Walnut Cove, NC 27052 336-591-3931 sr6sue@aol.com
SECRETARY Dan Wood 75 Walton Place Dr. Newnan, GA 30263 678-458-3459 fly170@gmail.com
VICE PRESIDENT Dan Knutson 106 Tena Marie Circle Lodi, WI 53555 608-354-6101 lodicub@charter.net
TREASURER Paul Kyle 1273 Troy Ct. Mason, OH 45040 262-844-3351 paul_e_kyle@hotmail.com
DIRECTORS Jerry Brown Greenwood, IN 46143 317-627-9428 lbrown4906@aol.com
Ray L. Johnson Marion, IN 765-669-3544 rayjohnson@indy.rr.com
George Daubner Oconomowoc, WI 262-560-1949 gdaubner@eaa.org
Steve Nesse Albert Lea, MN 507-383-2850 stnes2009@live.com
Jon Goldenbaum Riverside, CA 951-203-0190 jon@conaircraft.com
Earl Nicholas Libertyville, IL 847-367-9667 eman46@gmail.com
John Hofmann Columbus, WI 608-239-0903 john@cubclub.org
Joe Norris Oshkosh, WI 920-279-2855 wacoflyer@gmail.com
Tim Popp Sun City, AZ 269-760-1544 tlpopp@frontier.com
hrs, SOH, Late model, Hi gross wt, Raised tail, Extended nose/ WANTED Need a Sensenich W-76RM-2-46 for a Lyc O-235C1B in good condition/360.609.2418, Capnandy737@msn.com
COPYRIGHT © 2022 BY T HE E AA VIN TAGE AIRCR AF T A SSOCIAT ION. ALL RIGHT S RESERVED. VINTAGE AIRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published bi-monthly at EAA Aviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd., PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086, email: vintageaircraft@eaa.org. Membership to Vintage Aircraft Association, which includes 6 issues of Vintage Airplane magazine, is $45 per year for EAA members and $55 for nonEAA members. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54902 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Vintage Airplane, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. CPC #40612608. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES — Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail. ADVERTISING — Vintage Aircraft Association does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through the advertising. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken. EDITORIAL POLICY: Members are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. No remuneration is made. Material should be sent to: Editor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 920-426-4800. EAA® and EAA SPORT AVIATION®, the EAA Logo® and Aeronautica™ are registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks and service marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited.
ADVISERS Jesse Clement jesseclement1@gmail.com
Kevin McKenzie kevinamckenzie@yahoo.com
Luke Lachendro avidaviator98@gmail.com
Charlie Waterhouse charles.e.waterhouse@gmail.com
Kathy McGurran kmcgurran@aol.com
Maxwell Wenglarz waco20900@gmail.com
DIRECTORS EMERITUS David Bennett antiquer@inreach.com
Phil Coulson rcoulson516@cs.com
Robert C. Brauer photopilot@aol.com
Ronald C. Fritz itzfray@gmail.com
Dave Clark davecpd@att.net
Robert D. “Bob” Lumley rlumley1@wi.rr.com
Gene Morris genemorris@charter.net
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Amy Lemke alemke@eaa.org
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