Va Vol 52 no 4 Jul Aug by EAA Vintage Aircraft Association

TIN GOOSE

WACO DRAMA CHAMP LOVE 2024 SUN N FUN PHOTOS

Letter From the President Countdown to AirVenture 2024

WHEN LEAVING WITTMAN FIELD

last summer after EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023, I was thinking it would be one long year before returning to the next year’s World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration. All I can say is that the year in between the two AirVentures passed by incredibly fast. And it was a busy one for those of us in the Vintage Aircraft Association as we made plans for another event filled with fun and interesting programs for our members and guests to attend in Vintage Village and throughout the entire Vintage area.

As I mentioned previously, the Tall Pines Café will be under new management, and with no changes in the Tall Pines volunteers, you can expect the same friendly and courteous service as always. No real changes on the menu, either, but the coffee kiosk located

The VAA will celebrate an iconic line of airplanes through this year’s salute to the appropriately named Aeronca Nation. As I write this, more than 100 Aeroncas have signed up to attend.

inside of the Tall Pines building will have a variety of muffins and breakfast sandwiches to offer to those of you who are looking for a quick breakfast. Breakfast hours are from 6:30 to 11 a.m.

The VAA will celebrate an iconic line of airplanes through this year’s salute to the appropriately named Aeronca Nation. As I write this, more than 100 Aeroncas have signed up to attend. Included in the lineup are some really rare Aeroncas, including the Aeronca LC, an Aeronca K, an Aeronca Tandem, two Aeronca C-3s, and a prewar Chief. Ray Johnson, chair of Vintage in Review, is planning to run an Aeronca E-113C engine as well as an OX-5 engine daily at the Vintage Interview Circle. Ray has planned a special Aeronca display in front of the Vintage Hangar. Also, scheduled for display in front of the VAA Red Barn are two rare airplanes — a 1929 Paramount Cabinaire and a 1930 Comper Swift. And somewhere amongst all of these really rare airplanes will be a Buhl Bull Pup. It has been a long time since one of those flew in to Oshkosh. The Bull Pup will be landing at the Fun Fly Zone since it is equipped with a tailskid.

Vintage will be hosting our annual coffee and doughnuts gathering followed by a town hall meeting. This is your opportunity to meet and talk to the VAA officers and members of the board of directors as well as enjoy a cup of coffee along with a Tall Pines famous doughnut (or two). The coffee and doughnuts gathering and the town hall meeting will be held in the new youth building.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 64

July/August 2024

STAFF

Publisher: Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board

Vice President of Publications, Marketing, Membership and Retail/Editor: Jim Busha / jbusha@eaa.org

Senior Copy Editor: Colleen Walsh

Copy Editors: Tom Breuer, Jennifer Knaack

Proofreader: Tara Bann

Print Production Team Lead: Marie Rayome-Gill

ADVERTISING

Senior Sales and Advertising Executive: Sue Anderson / sanderson@eaa.org

CONTACT US

Mailing Address: VAA, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903

Website: EAAVintage.org

Email: vintageaircraft@eaa.org

Phone: 800-564-6322

Visit EAAVintage.org for the latest 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 a.m.—6 p.m. CST Join/Renew 800-564-6322

membership@eaa.org

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh www.EAA.org/AirVenture 888-322-4636

SUSAN DUSENBURY, VAA PRESIDENT

C A L L F

O R V I N TA G E A I R C R A

Nominate your favorite vintage aviator for the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame A great honor could be bestowed upon that man or woman working next to you on your airplane, sitting next to you in the chapter meeting, or walking next to you at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Think about the people in your circle of aviation friends: the mechanic, historian, photographer, or pilot who has shared innumerable tips with you and with many others. They could be the next VAA Hall of Fame inductee — but only if they are nominated.

The person you nominate can be a citizen of any country and may be living or deceased; their involvement in vintage aviation must have occurred

between 1950 and the present day. Their contribution can be in the areas of flying, design, mechanical or aerodynamic developments, administration, writing, some other vital and relevant field, or any combination of fields that support aviation. The person you nominate must be or have been a member of the Vintage Aircraft Association or the Antique/Classic Division of EAA, and preference is given to those whose actions have contributed to the VAA in some way, perhaps as a volunteer, a restorer who shares his expertise with others, a writer, a photographer, or a pilot sharing stories, preserving aviation history, and encouraging new pilots and enthusiasts.

To nominate someone is easy. It just takes a little time and a little reminiscing on your part.

• Think of a person; think of their contributions to vintage aviation.

• Write those contributions in the various categories of the nomination form.

• Write a simple letter highlighting these attributes and contributions. Make copies of newspaper or magazine articles that may substantiate your view.

• If at all possible, have another individual (or more) complete a form or write a letter about this person, confirming why the person is a good candidate for induction.

We would like to take this opportunity to mention that if you have nominated someone for the VAA Hall of Fame, nominations for the honor are kept on file for three years, after which the nomination must be resubmitted.

Mail nominating materials to: VAA Hall of Fame, c/o Amy Lemke VAA P.O. Box 3086 Oshkosh, WI 54903

Email: alemke@eaa.org

Find the nomination form at EAAVintage.org, or call the VAA office for a copy (920-426-6110), or on your own sheet of paper, simply include the following information:

• Date submitted.

• Name of person nominated.

• Address and phone number of nominee.

• Email address of nominee.

• Date of birth of nominee. If deceased, date of death.

• Name and relationship of nominee’s closest living relative.

• Address and phone of nominee’s closest living relative.

• VAA and EAA number, if known. (Nominee must have been or is a VAA member.)

• Time span (dates) of the nominee’s contributions to vintage aviation. (Must be between 1950 to present day.)

• Area(s) of contributions to aviation.

• Describe the event(s) or nature of activities the nominee has undertaken in aviation to be worthy of induction into the VAA Hall of Fame.

• Describe achievements the nominee has made in other related fields in aviation.

• Has the nominee already been honored for their involvement in aviation and/or the contribution you are stating in this petition? If yes, please explain the nature of the honor and/or award the nominee has received.

• Any additional supporting information.

• Submitter’s address and phone number, plus email address.

• Include any supporting material with your petition.

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 600,000 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 low-wing 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!

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, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

Be a Friend of the Red Barn this year! The Vintage Aircraft Association is a nonprofit501(c)(3), so your contribution to this fund is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Looking forward to a great AirVenture 2024!

How To?

ROBERT G. LOCK

Inspect and test aircraft fabric

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

TESTING OF AIRCRAFT FABRIC DATES BACK to the Grade A TSO C-15 and TSO C-14 days, and the standard for these fabrics must be met by even the most modern synthetic fabric processes on the market today. TSO C-15 (Technical Standard Order) is a woven cotton fabric that must pull test 80 pounds per inch when new. TSO C-14 fabric was an intermediate grade of cotton fabric specifically designed for light low-powered aircraft — this cloth must pull test 65 pounds per inch when new. The deterioration point for these fabrics is 70 percent of original strength new; therefore, TSO C-15 can deteriorate to 56 pounds per inch, and TSO C-14 can deteriorate to 46 pounds per inch. Those standards are in play when testing any type of fabric covering.

So how is fabric tested? The most accurate test is a pull test done under controlled conditions in a laboratory. The lab report will give the specific pull test strength when the fabric fails. The most widely used is a field test using a Maule fabric tester. If the fabric is still good, the Maule tester will not punch a hole in the fabric. The older tester was called a Seyboth, and it punctured the fabric to give a reading on its colored bands around the tester. The colors

were red, yellow, first, second and third green. The Seyboth tester is most likely not in use anymore as the Maule has replaced it.

Aircraft with wing loadings greater than 7 pounds per square foot and VNE (velocity never exceed) speeds greater than 160 mph are mandated to use fabrics that meet the TSO C-15 standard—therefore the deteriorated condition would be 56 pounds per inch.

Aircraft with wing loadings less than 7 pounds per square foot and VNE speeds less than 160 mph may use the lighter TSO C-14 fabric as a standard, thus the deteriorated strength would be 46 pounds per inch. Therefore, when testing fabric, the VNE and wing loading must be known so the correct deteriorated strength can be determined.

Illustration 1 shows an old fabric tensile test from my original Aeronca Champ. The airplane was covered partly with Grade A cotton fabric and partly with Ceconite synthetic fabric. It was painted white with black and red trim, the black and red not good colors for the older fabric processes.

In order to have a pull test done, one must cut large holes in the top fabric surfaces so that the pull test sample measures 1 inch by 6 inches in size. Most owners will not stand for a mechanic to cut holes in their fabric, so here is where the Maule fabric tester comes in handy. Note that the tester has a slightly rounded blunt end. That is the part that contacts the fabric surface. As one pushes down against spring pressure, the approximate tensile strength is read on the scale in pounds per inch. When testing any fabric that must meet the TSO C-15 standard, push down until you read 60 pounds, then stop. For an aircraft that must meet the TSOC-14 standard, push down until you read 50 pounds, then stop.

Fabric should always be tested on the top surfaces in the darkest color because fabric will deteriorate most when painted a dark color and exposed to UV radiation from the sun.

The question that always pops up when discussing fabric testing is when to do it. If I know the airplane, I do not test annually, specifically if the aircraft is covered in a synthetic process. I do, however, place a strong flashlight inside the fabric to check if any light is transmitted through the finish. If I see light, then I will check fabric tensile strength. If there is no sign of light coming through the finish, I check the finish for cracks, and upon finding none I consider the fabric airworthy. If there are cracks in the finish exposing raw fabric weave, I notify the owner that something must be done to repair those cracks. Sometimes cracks are bad enough that the entire aircraft must be re-covered.

Ray Stits did some very interesting experiments; the results can be had by looking in the back of the Poly-Fiber Procedure Manual. If you have never read this data, it’s worth the time to gain knowledge of fabric deterioration. Grade A and Dacron fabric when exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun deteriorates in an alarming rate; thus if cracks expose fabric weave, I consider that as the weakest point of the covering and judge its airworthiness accordingly.

The Maule tester is available commercially but is not cheap. However, it is the only method available to field test aircraft fabric covering for airworthiness.

MAULE FABRIC TESTER

Operated By:

Good Old Days

From the pages of what was ...

Take a quick look through history by enjoying images pulled from publications past.

SUN ’n FUN AEROSPACE EXPO 2024

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM ROBERTS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLLY CHILSEN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE WITTY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLLY CHILSEN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MILLER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM ROBERTS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MILLER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE WITTY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MILLER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM ROBERTS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLLY CHILSEN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MILLER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLLY CHILSEN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MILLER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE WITTY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM ROBERTS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLLY CHILSEN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM ROBERTS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MILLER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE WITTY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLLY CHILSEN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MILLER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE WITTY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HOLLY CHILSEN

Pave the way for the future of aviation with the purchase of a custom commemorative brick to help fund the construction of the Vintage Aircraft Association’s Youth Center, opening in July of 2024. Visit EAAVintage.org or call 920-426-6110 for more information.

BY SPARKY BARNES

TYLER AND DENA APPLETON of Evergreen, Colorado, were excited to debut N53H to the vintage community during the summer of 2023. Their 1943 Howard DGA-15P isn’t “just another big, red Howard,” and members of the Howard Aircraft Foundation — being in the know, as they are — heaped a great deal of admiration upon it during their annual gathering at Siren, Wisconsin, and immediately thereafter at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

“It’s a Jobmaster!” exclaimed one Howard owner with a broad smile. Indeed, therein lies the tale of a portion of this particular DGA’s life, but there is, of course, more to the Howard and Jobmaster history.

Back in Time

While it may be familiar history to some, it’s so remarkable that it bears repeating. In 1935, airplanes designed by Ben O. Howard made history as they swept the National Air Races at Cleveland, Ohio. Mister Mulligan won both the Bendix transcontinental and Thompson trophies (the only time that one ship won both of those races), and Howard’s single-place Mike won the Greve Trophy.

After Howard Aircraft Corp. was formed in Chicago, production of the DGA-8 began, followed by the DGA-9, DGA-11, and DGA-15.

Bred from such resounding golden age racing history, the Howard DGA has consistently evoked a mighty and elegant presence. From its Hamilton Standard prop and neatly cowled radial, to its roomy cabin and tall tail, the DGA-15P boasts a delightfully robust stature.

Aviation author Joseph Juptner penned: “Like any ‘Howard’ monoplane the DGA-15P was no ho-hum airplane; it demanded undivided attention, and it demanded admiration — given that it fairly radiated with enthusiasm and ability.” (U.S. Civil Aircraft, Vol. 8.)

The production Howard was, according to the 1939 Howard Aircrafter brochure, “… especially noted for ruggedness and strength in all parts affected by unusual conditions, yet the superior basic design makes for lighter weight with consequent greater load carrying ability. … There’s something about this new Howard which reminds one of a thoroughbred coming down the stretch with his ears flattened back.”

During World War II, Howard Aircraft built more than 600 Howards to the U.S. Navy’s specifications. (Additionally, the Army Air Forces also used Howards.) The Navy’s GH-1 was a personnel transport and was outfitted with wheel fairings and a spinner. The GH-2 had an extra door and could

accommodate two litters to transport the wounded; it could serve as either an ambulance or a personnel/ cargo transport. The NH-1 was a blind flying instrument trainer, and the GH-3 was basically an NH-1 converted to carry personnel.

I like many aspects of the Howard; we can bring as much stuff as we want, so it’s a good family airplane for us. — Dena Appleton

The Appletons’ N53H (serial No. 873) began its life as a Navy NH-1 (Navy No. 29548) and was one of 205 produced. It had a max fuel capacity of 122 gallons (the DGA-15P had a max of 151 gallons), could seat a pilot and co-pilot (or passenger) up front, and had a third set of controls and instruments for the aft seat occupant.

Growing Up With Aviation

Tyler holds an ATP certificate, with type ratings in an Airbus 320, Boeing 737, DC-8, and Learjet. He also keeps his CFI current.

“I come from a flying family; my dad was a Navy and airline pilot,” he said. “When I was 13 years old, I was hanging around the airport, figuring out how to fly. I started taking lessons in a J-3, but I wasn’t old enough to solo. When we moved, I started training in a Cessna 152, and that’s what I soloed when I was 16.”

Quest for Horsepower

When Tyler, who rather enjoys the “giddy-up” aspect of flying, decided he wanted an airplane of his own, one particular feature was foremost in his mind. “For me, it started with the engine. I wanted an airplane with a Pratt & Whitney R-985 on it,” he proclaimed, “and the engine led me to the Howard!”

Dena trusted his decision-making process — after all, Tyler was her flight instructor when she was a student pilot in her college years. “I speak

Tyler and Dena Appleton during AirVenture 2023.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SPARKY BARNES

PHOTOGRAPHY

It keeps me on my toes, and that challenging aspect is part of what attracted me to the Howard. — Tyler Appleton

the language, but I don’t fly the airplane,” Dena said. “I like many aspects of the Howard; we can bring as much stuff as we want, so it’s a good family airplane for us. I think I love it, because Tyler loves it. It was his dream to get it, and so I support him. He’s worked hard to achieve that, and he supports my dreams.”

Previous Owners and Mods

The Appletons’ Howard Jobmaster has had many caretakers throughout its civilian history. By April 1947, N53H (then registered as NC4904N and owned by W.F. Bridewell Jr., J.G. Walker Jr., and R.H. Hedge of Tyler, Texas) had been modified from an NH-1 to a civilian model DGA-15P. It was refinished with 15 coats of pigmented dope and hand rubbed to a luxurious sheen. Other items included new tires and tubes, a rebuilt prop, a new spinner, and finger strainers in the tank outlets. All new upholstery was installed, and the rear seat installation was cited as the same configuration used for Howard NC26334. (Incidentally, NC26334 was owned by Jack D. Brown, also of Tyler. He was apparently the first Howard owner to have the Jobmaster “do-it-yourself” conversion kit installed, per an article in the Tyler Morning Telegraph in July 1959. The conversion required more than 1,500 hours to complete and included the installation of aluminum skins on the fuselage.)

By May 1961, then-owner Maj. Harold F. Palmer of Seattle had the front spar wing root fitting reworked and the rear lift strut end reinforced per Jobmaster drawings, which permitted a gross weight increase to 5,076 pounds.

The Howard went through several more owners by the time Pat Russell purchased it in October 1975. In February 1981, a 36-by-42-inch left-hand cargo door was installed, which facilitated loading and unloading the capacious cabin. Fortunately, the door installation didn’t require any primary structure to be altered or removed. The conversion basically entailed removing the left outside detachable panels, the sliding window frame and glass, and loosening the upholstery in that area. The approximate door size was cut out, the window actuators were cut off, and the window framing was cut away as well. The

CF-BET on floats in the early days.

door frame was installed to align with the exterior side panels, and the original upholstery was reattached to the frame. Seals and door handles were also installed.

N53H was a working airplane during the time that Pat Russell owned it. He flew it in and around Bethel, Alaska, as a freight and people hauler.

Afterward, shared Tyler, “Pat took it down to his home in Oregon in the 1980s, and the airplane sat idle for decades. Big Sky Stearman acquired it and began a complete restoration on it. Then in June 2019, we bought the project in progress. Big Sky continued the restoration for us and completed it in 2022. We’ve been enjoying it immensely and are looking forward to having it on floats.”

Howard Seaplanes

The

history of Howards

flying on floats dates back to the late 1930s, when serial No. 78 (CF-BET) became the DGA seaplane prototype, according to aviation author Art Hall in his book Howard’s Golden Age. “It had the optional left side door … and was equipped with seaplane fittings. It was the first commercial DGA seaplane.”

Additionally, wrote Art, “S/N 203, NC-18203, was built as a deluxe DGA-9. … It had … a total of 127 gallons fuel. S/N 203 had the extra left side

N68119 with Clayton Scott’s close friend, Dick Taylor , and family, after six-place Jobmaster conversion.

N68119 after six-place Jobmaster conversion.

door and step. It had landplane and seaplane fittings and a unique landplane and seaplane license.”

The April 1938 issue of Popular Aviation ran a story, “Chicago Had an Air Show,” which included photos of two Howards on floats — which were reportedly quite the attraction at the event. The Howard Aircrafter highlighted its “multi-use” Howard, which “answered the demand for a faster airplane which can carry heavier loads on wheels, pontoons, or skis. … and the cabin is so arranged that the Operator can make quick changes without tools to accommodate passengers, cargo, a stretcher for the ill or injured, mail or express, or for use in aerial photography.”

Jobmaster

Conversions for the Howard DGA-15P were developed by the Jobmaster Co., founded in 1954 by Clayton Scott at Renton airport in Washington. Known to many as “Scotty,” he was a luminary pioneering aviator and active pilot for eight decades, flying until he celebrated being a

centenarian. Born in 1905, he logged more than 8,000 hours in airplanes ranging from the Waco 9 (in which he first soloed in 1927) to Boeing 727s. Legendary in the Pacific Northwest, he was Bill Boeing’s personal pilot for eight years, and was a Boeing test pilot from 1941 until he retired from that position in 1966, at which point he devoted his fulltime attention to his Jobmaster Co.

According to research by Howard Aircraft Foundation member Elliot Block, “The original layout and engineering analyses for a seaplane design were performed by Howard during the civilian engineering process (the aircraft was substantiated for seaplane certification loads) and referenced an EDO report. The engineering work that was done by Jobmaster to add floats to the airframe was performed ad hoc in June of 1955. After Jobmaster secured the DGA-15 type certificate and original design engineering data, that data was used to support the gross weight increase of the floatplane to 5,076 lb. Additional modifications made by Jobmaster included the conversion of the aircraft to skis, a landing gear spring modification, a left-hand door (of which there were two different styles), metallization of the fuselage, a six-passenger conversion (spearheaded by Scotty’s close friend Dick Taylor of Boeing [Wichita], who completed the modification

Clayton Scott loading a 55-gallon drum in the Howard Jobmaster.

Howard Jobmaster conversions at Renton airport.

Clayton Scott with one of his Howard Jobmasters.

Howard Jobmaster on the ramp at Renton – ready to haul a load!

A Jobmaster conversion in the hangar – the “J” in the number is for Jobmaster.

Metal skins being installed on the fuselage. Note the left-hand door opening in the fuselage framework.

on his own Howard and forwarded the approved engineering data to the Jobmaster company), and an eight-passenger conversion.”

Jobmaster acquired all five of the Howard DGA type certificates in 1956. (Per the FAA’s type certificate holder record, Jobmaster Co. transferred its ownership to the Howard Aircraft Foundation in 2003.) By 1958, Jobmaster had converted at least four Howards, and the company eventually developed float modifications for numerous other aircraft, including but not limited to Bellanca, Cessna 195, Dornier, Pilatus Porter, and Piper Aztec.

Regarding the converted Howard, “… the Jobmaster certainly seemed a capable and tough machine and it was exceptionally easy to handle on water. It is basically a strong, honest aircraft … I certainly admire it as a workhorse.” (“Howard Jobmaster in the Air” by Mark Lambert, reprinted from Flight, December 2, 1960.)

In a December 1960 letter to Mr. Robert L. Taylor, president, Antique Airplane Association, Clayton Scott wrote: “Jobmaster conversions are now active in the United States, Canada, and Alaska. Although in small numbers, it looks promising. There is one angle that should not be overlooked in the Howard airplanes and that is, they are built so rugged …. The advantages of the wooden wing can be summed up in the following statement: ‘Select

1943 HOWARD DGA-15P

ATC A-717

NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE FLOWN BY A SPORT PILOT.

WINGSPAN: 38 FEET

WING CHORD: 72 INCHES

LENGTH: 24 FEET, 10 INCHES

HEIGHT: 8 FEET, 5 INCHES

EMPTY WEIGHT: 3,000 POUNDS

USEFUL LOAD: 1,500 POUNDS

GROSS WEIGHT: 4,500 POUNDS

ENGINE: 450-HP PRATT & WHITNEY R-985

FUEL: 151 GALLONS

OIL: 8 GALLONS

MAX SPEED: 270 MPH

CRUISING SPEED: 165-170 TRUE AIRSPEED AT 10,000 FEET

LANDING SPEED: 75 MPH

RATE OF CLIMB: 1,500 FPM

SERVICE CEILING: 22,500 FEET

CRUISING RANGE: 800-1,000 MILES

BAGGAGE CAPACITY: 125 POUNDS

wood, properly bonded, has the strength-weight ratio of steel, and infinite fatigue life.’”

The Jobmaster looks every inch the art deco, macho, fire-breathing, growling taildragger of the period. — John Pike

That stalwart construction was demonstrated during a rather harrowing experience: “The second [Howard] conversion went through an experience proving its ruggedness. William E. Boeing Jr. bought Jobmaster No. 2 and, while his pilot was en route to Alaska, the engine quit over Queen Charlotte Sound, exposed to the sea and one of the roughest and toughest spots on the route North. A dead-stick landing had to be made in waves running 6 to 8 feet high and the pilot thought the Jobmaster would go to pieces when he hit. But it took the beating and floated okay. … During the [ensuing] engine change, the only damage found was a slightly bent lower longeron at the forward strut fitting, which has since been modified and improved.” (“Howard Jobmaster Float Conversion,” Flight reprint, date and author unknown.)

In that same article, Clayton Scott was quoted as saying: “… the Jobmaster conversion to floats has harnessed this wonderful beast and it now lands on floats like a hen squattin’ on her baby chicks. … It has no bad habits at all and is one of the sweetest water-handling ships in the business. It will climb up on the step without the pilot touching the control column and plane on the step, hands off. … I can load standard 2.6 x 6.8-ft. house doors in the Jobmaster, or lengths of 10-ft. pipe, or even four 55-gal. gas drums in there.”

At one time, a converted Howard sold by Jobmaster for $24,950 and included new Edo 4580 floats, a newly majored Wasp Junior, and radio/ navigational equipment. Alternatively, the Jobmaster “do-it-yourself” conversion kit sold for $3,500 and included struts, wires, fuselage fittings, auxiliary tail fins, and left cabin door, along with prints and installation instructions. It was up to the owner to choose and procure an approved set of Edo floats to install.

A footnote in Jobmaster history was recorded in 1971, when pilots Doug Ireland and Mike Meeker of British Columbia flew a Howard Jobmaster (on wheels) in the London-to-Victoria air race. CF-NTY was dubbed Spirit of the Fraser Valley and, coincidentally, was assigned race No. 40 — the same number worn by Mister Mulligan in 1935. Though the Jobmaster did not win, it performed admirably and was the oldest airplane contender.

N53H’s Restoration

John Pike of Big Sky Stearman has restored numerous aircraft through the years and was glad to have the opportunity to breathe new life into the Jobmaster. He described his acquisition of N53H and the ensuing restoration in the following narrative: “My friend Pat Russell told me he was ready to part with his Howard DGA-15 ‘Jobmaster,’ the seaplane version created by the legendary Clayton Scott. Years earlier, [Russell] had retired from his adventurous Alaska life along with his trusty bushplane, the Howard. He had flown it down to their new home in Oregon and parked it in his barn. A price was established, and we carried it back to Big Sky and began a survey of its condition. It would be reduced to a basket case with every screw turned and wood chip carved to bring it back to life. We began the work [in 2019], stripping the plane apart, cleaning and prepping for

HOWARD JOBMASTER CONVERSION

LENGTH: 30 FEET

EMPTY WEIGHT: 3,276 POUNDS

USEFUL LOAD: 1,800 POUNDS

GROSS WEIGHT: 5,076 POUNDS

CRUISING SPEED: 150 TRUE AIRSPEED AT 7,000 FEET, 70 PERCENT POWER

CRUISING RANGE: 600-750 MILES

Down to the airframe.

N53H as it appeared when John Pike acquired it.

Work in progress.

Dismantling the Howard.

Engine installation in progress.

Stacks of ribs await installation.

A tangled mess!

It takes a team to lift and fit the wing to the fuselage.

Engine work in progress.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF JOHN PIKE

reassembly. I redesigned the cabin to have two additional seats. The engine was soon apart for overhaul. Even with the distractions of life, we were able to add fabric cover to the empennage and fuselage. … I didn’t have the time to complete the amount of restoration it required. I needed to offer the project to a new caretaker to carry on the restoration or it would never be finished. The airline pilot Tyler Appleton took ownership and made it possible for this beast to come back to life.

“A kaleidoscope of talents was necessary to do that,” John added. “Kevin Pearson and David Nixon overhauled the Pratt & Whitney. Brian Pipher and Jeremy Harris built the new wood wings — a massive job from scratch. Pipher and Harris ramrodded the bulk of the project with their exceptional skills.”

By September 2020, the following work had been accomplished: The wings, flaps, and ailerons were dismantled and used as patterns. New spars and ribs for the wings, flaps, and ailerons were fabricated and assembled to original configuration per the old patterns and Howard drawings. Interior surfaces were epoxy varnished. The hardware and fittings were inspected and epoxy primed, and new bearings, along with new flap and aileron control cables, were installed. New pitot tubing, along with electrical wiring for the nav and landing lights, was installed. The wings, flaps, and ailerons were skinned with 5/32-inch aircraft-grade mahogany plywood, and epoxy varnished and primed prior to fabric covering.

John’s account continued: “Chris Nissen worked on the sheet metal and hammered rivets. The crew fabricated new landing gear struts, a new instrument panel with fresh instruments, and a complete IFR Garmin suite. And I got the paint gun — I used

the Poly Fiber process, with Aero-Thane as the finish coat. It was Big Sky’s primary shop project. Then COVID hit, and our airline pilot was flying only six passengers out of Denver to Chicago in his Airbus 320. He managed to keep flying throughout the year, but every day is a gift. Together we made it through. … the Jobmaster looks every inch the art deco, macho, fire-breathing, growling taildragger of the period.”

John replaced the wooden cabin roof with metal, and said N53H’s conversion features included “six seats, rear windows, float fittings, a seaplane door on the right-hand side that is hinged at the top, and the gross-weight increase. The gear legs have different springs, which make the airplane sit a little bit taller, providing ground clearance for the larger seaplane propeller. The seaplane conversion also has fins on the horizontal stabilizers that are typically made from corrugated aluminum and are kind of square shaped, but we fabricated tail fins by using tubing to create a beautiful, rounded structure instead. I have those and the Edo 6470 floats at my shop, and am hoping I can be involved in the final float installation and configuration. I personally met Clayton Scott; he did the STC engineering for

(Left to right) Velma Brunt, Bill Strauss, Darwin Blakemore, Logan Nichols, Chris Nissen, and Becki Pike.

floats on the Bellanca Pacemaker that I restored, and it was really fun talking to him; he was quite a guy.”

Comfort and Performance

Tyler and Dena couldn’t be more pleased with their Howard Jobmaster. They both agree that “the seats are really comfortable for long trips, it has a nice interior, and the Pratt & Whitney engine gets us right along. We cruise at 150 mph, with a 22 to 24 gph fuel burn.”

When it comes to those sometimes-challenging Howard landings, Tyler shared, “Is there anything not tricky about landing the Howard?! Our motto while learning how to handle the airplane is, if we do the ‘Howard hop,’ we go around and set up again for landing. It’s more or less conventional, but it is a heavy airplane. It keeps me on my toes, and that challenging aspect is part of what attracted me to the Howard.”

The overall allure of the Howard Jobmaster is perhaps best described by author H.G. Buffington (“Flair for Floats,” American Airman, February 1961): “Considering the outstanding performance of the Jobmaster, perhaps some of the ‘Go-Grease’ Ben O. Howard used in making a name for himself as the ‘Pylon Polisher’ has rubbed off on his long lineage of speedsters! … Any way you look at it, the [Jobmaster] operation is a splendid way to ‘keep the show on the road!’”

The Fabulous Ford

Mid America Flight Museum’s Tri-Motor

BY CONNOR MADISON

ALTHOUGH HENRY FORD’S NAME is no longer as big in aviation as it is in the automotive world, his contribution to it is no less significant, especially in the commercial aviation world. In the early 1920s, commercial aircraft offerings were limited to single-engine aircraft, which did not have the public wholly convinced that air travel was the superior option due to fears of reliability. Henry Ford would be the one to remedy this with an aircraft design featuring three engines.

Ford’s interest in aviation originates with Henry and his son, Edsel, being initial investors in the Stout Metal Airplane Co., which Henry later purchased in August 1925. The company’s first Tri-Motor design was the all-metal 3-AT based on Stout’s earlier Pullman design. The 3-AT featured a unique (even described as ugly) configuration, with engines mounted in leading edges of the wings and low on the nose, with the pilot sitting in an open cockpit high above. The next model, the 4-AT, was reconfigured with the engines on pylons below the wings and an enclosed cockpit, a configuration that we all now recognize as the iconic aircraft.

From the 4-AT’s first flight in June 1926, Ford produced 199 Tri-Motors until production ceased in 1933. Needless to say, Ford’s design convinced the public on air travel as airlines all across the world would use the Tri-Motor. As new designs outclassed it in terms of speed and capacity, the strong construction meant the airframes still had plenty of service life and found work in sightseeing tours and supply drop flights, among other lines of work.

Today there are eight Ford Tri-Motors on the FAA Registry, not all of which are actively flown. NC9612 is one of those that is actively flown and is based in Mount Pleasant, Texas, where it’s part of Scott Glover’s Mid America Flight Museum.

NC9612

Ford Tri-Motor serial No. 55 rolled off the assembly line in 1929 as a model 4-AT-E. Registered as NC9612, it was sold to Mamer Flying Service in Spokane, Washington. Mamer Flying Service was founded by Nick Mamer, who was a World War I

pilot and continued to make a career in aviation afterward. He founded the Flying Service to provide charter services, flight instruction, and forest fire spotting for the U.S. Forest Service.

In early 1929, using Buhl Airsedans, Mamer started a scheduled airline service as Mamer Air Transport (MAT), flying between Spokane and Portland. With the Tri-Motor in his inventory, Mamer added service to Seattle as well as to the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Included in NC9612’s documents is a letter that Mamer wrote to the Department of Commerce with concern over Ford’s maintenance demands for the airplane. He wrote that Ford expected all of the bolts holding the wings, engine mounts, and landing gear on to be replaced at 3,000 hours. He was concerned about how long the aircraft would be out of service, not to mention the expense. The airplane at the time was 3 years old, and the easy math would suggest that Mamer had been flying the aircraft for a staggering 1,000 hours a year. Despite the amount of flying hours, MAT was somewhat shortlived as the service was unable to secure any contract airmail routes, which were needed to make enough profit in that era. Mamer would sell MAT to Northwest in 1933, eventually

CONNOR MADISON

joining on himself as a pilot.

In October 1936, Mamer sold NC9612 for $1,236 to Reginald Pattinson and Wayner Parameter, who financed the aircraft for 12 months, paying $103 per month.

It is a great airplane to share with people because it’s very simple to fly. I’ll let anybody have the left seat, and they can have that experience.

The Tri-Motor remained with Pattinson and Parameter until August 1940 when it was sold to K-T Flying Service in Honolulu, Hawaii. While in Hawaii, it is believed the aircraft was at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Later on in its life, while being restored, evidence of possible bullet holes were found in the aircraft, suggesting it sustained damage during a strafing attack.

— Kelly Mahon

In the early 2000s, the aircraft underwent a complete restoration with Bob Woods and Woods Aviation in Goldsboro, North Carolina. NC9612’s interior was returned to original condition while its exterior received new skins. Its wings were sent to Maurice Hovious in Vicksburg, Michigan, where they were gone through and reskinned as well. The restoration was completed with the aircraft’s original unique braking system and a set of original spoked wheels.

The aircraft remained in Hawaii until August 1945 when it was sold to Clinton Arthur Johnson and shipped back to the mainland United States in Oakland, California. It then went through a restoration, and in 1949 was leased to TWA for the 20th anniversary celebration of its first transcontinental flight. For the celebration, NC9612 was painted in Transcontinental Air Transport markings, named the City of Los Angeles, and proceeded to tour the country extensively with TWA.

William “Bill” Hadden of Orofino, Idaho, purchased the Ford in early 1952, and the aircraft returned to working for a living. Hadden fitted the aircraft with a water tank to fight forest fires, which is incredibly noteworthy as this is the first known use of an aircraft equipped with a water tank for firefighting.

Hadden sold NC9612 to the Johnson Flying Service of Missoula, Montana, in 1957. The Flying Service’s founder, Bob Johnson, coincidentally was taught to fly by none other than Nick Mamer. Johnson continued to use the aircraft as a tanker, as well as using it to deploy smokejumpers (firefighters who parachute into forest fires). Johnson owned the aircraft until 1969 when it was sold to Dolph Overton for his Wings and Wheels Museum in Santee, South Carolina, and later Orlando, Florida.

In 2009, the now pristine Tri-Motor was the subject of much publicity when it was offered up for auction at the renowned Barrett-Jackson annual event in Scottsdale, Arizona. It sold to collector Ron Pratt, where it remained until May 2014 when Scott Glover purchased the aircraft for his Mid America Flight Museum. Under Glover’s ownership, the aircraft was reunited with one of its former stablemates at the Johnson Flying Service, the Travel Air 6000 NC8112, which holds the distinction of being the first airplane to drop smokejumpers.

The beautiful, fully restored interior.

Two former Johnson Flying Service aircraft reunited.

The front office. The unique brake bar is visible between the seats.

Fly the Ford

Kelly Mahon, director of operations for the museum, flies the majority of the fixed-wing aircraft in the inventory, including the Ford Tri-Motor. With it being a 1929 airplane, there are many interesting aspects to its operation, all the way from startup to shutdown. NC9612 is powered by three Wright J-6s with fixed-pitch ground-adjustable propellers and inertia starters. Inside the cockpit, there are 3-foot switches to engage the starters. The pilot will press the switch and listen to it wind up, and once it’s at a high enough rpm, the engine can be started.

Kelly is quick to point out that once you have one engine running, it’s really hard to hear the other starters. “My plan has always been if I’m PIC, I start the engine furthest from us so I can hear it well, and I get it running,” he said. “Then I start the engine on my side of the airplane because I can put my ear to the window and listen, and once it’s running, then I start the center engine because the starter will vibrate through the instrument panel and to the yoke, where I can feel what kind of rpm it’s spun up to before engaging.”

He added that learning that process was through trial and error, and if you don’t hold the starter button down just right, you won’t get power. Therefore, listening to the starter is key, and one cannot just hold it down for a certain amount of time, as running them for too long will use up the aircraft’s battery, which, he added, is a fairly small battery for such a large airplane.

Etched names of smoke jumpers on the aircraft’s elevators are still visible.

A look into 1920s commercial air travel.

"Two-eight heavy, clear to land three-six."

“Gimmefullflapsandguardthedeadman.”

After28heavylandedhardandlongand deep,theFAA declaredtheairportunusableandthenunfixable.Land developersturneditintoanNHRAdragstripandabout twosquaremilesoftheugliesthousesyoueversaw.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Once the mighty Ford is running, taxiing the aircraft out for flight is arguably the most challenging part of operation. NC9612 has its original brake system, which is operated by a vertical bar/stick between the pilot seats. It’s often referred to as a Johnson bar, but it doesn’t quite work like one. Pulling left on the bar gives it left brake, pulling right gives you right, and pulling straight back engages both brakes. The aircraft is best operated by two people so one can handle the brakes while the other uses the throttles.

“When you’re taxiing, the brakes are so marginal, it really takes both hands to be able to get the brake you want,” Kelly said. “So if I’m turning left, I would pull on the brake handle to the left as hard as I could, while you in the right seat would run the throttle up. So that’s how we would turn. Now to stop the turn, you would pull the power out and grab the brake. Once we go the other direction, you’re now doing the braking and I’m adding power.”

It’s easy to see that there’s a lot going on just to get the airplane to the runway. Kelly pointed out that it’s important to establish who’s PIC so both people have a clear idea of who’s doing what. He also added that for whatever reason after coming back from flying, the taxi process is always easier. “I always describe the airplane as a barn pony, because when we decide to go to the hangar it is so easy to taxi, and I don’t know what the difference is, but when we taxi in from flying, it just happens.”

With the airplane on the runway after the chore of taxiing it there, Kelly talked through the takeoff process. “It has a small vertical fin and a small rudder, so our standard practice for takeoff is I run the center engine power up and I get the air-

plane rolling pretty good, and then I reach back and grab the other two throttles and bring them up together slowly until we’ve got enough power in that the thing takes off and is in the air. So that sounds like a lot of commotion. But after we do all that, we’re in the air in less than a thousand feet.”

Once the aircraft is climbing, Kelly’s process is to look over his shoulder at the tach on the landing gear pylon and set the power as close as he can by just looking at the tach. With fixed-pitch props, they’re out of sync, but he waits to address that until they’re in level flight. Once in level flight with the power pulled back, he’s found an interesting way of getting the props in sync. “If I turn my head at a 45-degree angle where my ears are lined up with two engines, I can sync those two engines,” he said. “Then I turn my head the other direction and grab the last throttle, and I’ll sync that one with the other two, and you can get them surprisingly close. It took a little while to figure out the advantage of turning your head a little bit to isolate two engines.”

Maneuvering the big Ford around is done slowly, as the ailerons are 40 feet away from the pilot. It’s also an incredible demonstrator of adverse yaw. Kelly added, “When we talk about the drag from adverse yaw, it’s substantial, because not only is it a lot of drag, it also has a huge lever arm out there working against you. So to be smooth with the airplane, we make small control inputs and fly it around nice and gentle. I’ve still done wingovers in the airplane, and it’s just a normal airplane.”

Coming back in to land, especially with a crosswind, the pilot cannot solely rely on the rudder. “The rudder isn’t very effective when you start to slow up,” Kelly said. “If you’ve got a

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

big crosswind, you can use more power on the upwind engine, and that’ll keep it straight; all of that works out great. But when you’re on the ground firmly and you’re trying to keep it straight, you don’t want to use differential power to keep it straight because we’re adding energy into a program that doesn’t have very good brakes.”

Instead of using differential power, Kelly said the aircraft is managed best by taking advantage of its adverse yaw. “So if the nose is going left, I can turn the aileron to the left, and the drag of the right wing will drag it back straight. So you have to actually think about it, because if it’s going left, you steer left; if it’s going right, you steer right. When you use the aileron to keep it straight down the runway, it’s surprising how much of a crosswind you can have and still manage it by steering it with the ailerons. Then you’re only required to use the brakes minimally to straighten it out.” Once the aircraft is down to taxi speed it’s just a repeat of the taxi procedure from before, which as previously mentioned usually goes much easier at the end of the flight.

Listening to Kelly describe how the Ford is flown quickly gives one the impression that it’s not a great-flying airplane. “I do talk about it all the time. [It’s] the worst-flying airplane I’ve ever flown, and I can’t wait to go again. [I’ve] said it about other airplanes, but that came up because of the Ford. Those early airplanes like that, they didn’t have it figured out. So it really doesn’t fly nice, and you have to make up for its shortcomings.”

A Taste of 1929

Although the flying qualities aren’t great, it’s still an airplane that can be shared with others, which is something that happens fairly often with NC9612. “It is a great airplane to share with people because it’s very simple to fly,” Kelly said. “I’ll let anybody have the left seat, and they can have that experience.”

He mentioned that typically to start off with, he’ll fly from the left seat due to the location of the primer and starters. “Once we’re in the air, I look at how many people we have on board, who will want to fly, who won’t want to fly, and we start switching seats around. And I’ll even eventually get out of the cockpit myself and have people flying it.”

He said the goal when they come back to land is to have someone in the left seat who would find it important to have the experience of landing the Ford from the left seat. “If we have a crosswind or anything like that to deal with, of course I’ll have to help a little bit on keeping it straight because of the unusual practices, but it’s all happening in slow motion. So mostly I’m talking and they’re doing, and it’s just a great time to share.”

Kelly said that in sharing the Tri-Motor, he’s had “really magical experiences with other people.” He added, “It’s really neat to give everybody an opportunity to really see what 1929 commercial air travel was like.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACK FLEETWOOD

ABOUT 30 SECONDS INTO a conversation with the co-owner of Waco YQC-6 NS16212, Steve Zoerlein, he will somehow work the name Ron France into the sentence. “This is all Ron France. He was the brains and hands behind this restoration. Not me. My partner, Fred DeWitt, and I were late to the game. And then the Mathiases have to be mentioned, too.”

Something about it taking a village to restore a biplane fits here.

The sounds of NS16212’s prop scooping divots out of the ground, and the gear legs being brutally ripped out of the tubing fuselage as it pivoted around, shredding a wing in the process, were heard in 1978 somewhere in Pennsylvania. The airplane was forcibly dragged off the runway and the remains unceremoniously shoved into a hangar. This was the first step in a decades-long series of drag-the-piecesup-on-a-trailer moves from airport to airport. Each move visited more and more hangar rash on an airplane that was ragged around the edges to begin with.

The life story of NS16212 is not even close to being unique. Barn-find airplanes don’t happen by accident. Actually, that’s not true. Many of them do find themselves in a barn after a longago accident while waiting for the right person or combination of people to breathe life back into them. In the case of NS16212, those persons were Steve Zoerlein, EAA 1011500/VAA 724075, St. Charles, Illinois, and his partner, Fred DeWitt, EAA 593348/VAA 714260, Sycamore, Illinois. They were at the end of a long list of people who contributed to the final salvation of this ancient pelican.

“Basically, I was brought up as an Air Force brat,” Steve said. “Most of my younger days were spent between Texas and Germany. Dad flew B-29s, B-47s, T-38s in various locations and flew C-123s in Vietnam. Naturally, I wound up in the cockpit, soloing gliders at 15 and got my power ticket at Los Alamitos and Long Beach, California.

“Initially, I didn’t see aviation as a possible career, but luckily one of Dad’s friends sat me down and gave me a talk and told me to just keep flying and it would work out,” he said. “And it did. Eventually I found myself flying 787s for a major airline and owned a Bellanca Scout.”

Steve has followed his father and has made passing aviation down to new generations a family tradition. Of his three daughters, one really got the flying bug.

“My daughter Christine is a major, flying C-17s in the Mississippi guard, as well as being a first officer on 787s in Chicago. We flew our first trip together to Spain, but best of all, she flew with me on my final retirement flight from the airline.”

Steve has had many moments in his career that had a lasting impact on his life, including the introduction to Wacos, which many see as an addiction, not an interest.

“Just as Dad’s friend egging me to keep flying gave my life direction, so did finding myself flying with Ron France as my co-pilot,” he said. “Our conversations during trips had an equal long-lasting effect on my life. Besides becoming a close friend, Ron was up to his hips in vintage airplane restorations, having restored three Waco UPF-7s and was working on a YQC-6 cabin bird. He was a walking Waco expert and one of the brand’s most vocal supporters. On trips, he was always bending my ear on the old birds and definitely sucked me into the fold. I had no idea I’d wind up a part of the long history of this particular cabin Waco. In fact, I had no idea that Fred DeWitt, another airline pilot, and I, along with our families, would help write the final chapter of that old airplane’s life that would see it fly again.”

Steve explained the aircraft’s unusual N-number and early restoration history.

“When new, our airplane was registered to the state of Nebraska, and that’s the reason for the ‘S’ in our N-number, NS16212,” he said. “At the time, airplanes registered to a state received ‘NS,’ while others, that were theoretically commercial, got the much more common ‘NC.’

The increasingly tattered pieces of the aircraft were moved from location to location before eventually finding their way to a small airport in Ohio where we have our annual National Waco Club fly-in every year, Wynkoop (6G4) in Mount Vernon, Ohio. They sat there for 14 years until a couple from Virginia saw the airplane in the Wynkoop hangar during the summer of 1992. That was Joe and Linda Mathias from Windsor, Virginia.

“The Mathiases worked on the airplane for about 10 years before Joe’s back started bothering him,” he added. “Joe, incidentally, was a retired U.S. Air Corps pilot who had flown Waco glider combat missions into Europe during World War II. During the years the Mathiases had NS16212, they removed all wood structures from the fuselage and made repairs to the damaged frame tubing and prep/painted it for the wood structure to be replaced. They eventually replaced most of the fuselage wood. The aircraft then sat for another 10 years.”

What’s in a Name? YQC-6 Explained

Y = 225-hp Jacobs L-4MB (as from factory)

Q = 1936 Custom Cabin types and 1930 National Air Tour Special

C = All cabin models 1931-1935, and Custom Cabin models from 1936

-6 = Used to indicate models introduced in 1936 through 1938

In September 2012, the project changed hands when Ron France of St. Charles, Illinois, purchased it from Linda Mathias.

“I knew Ron well and had the pleasure of helping him move the project from Hampton Roads Executive Airport in Windsor, Virginia, to DuPage Airport outside of Chicago,” Steve said. “This being Ron’s fourth restoration, he really knew what he was doing. When we moved the aircraft, the fuselage wood was about 85 percent complete. Although the wings looked pretty good (maybe 50 percent complete), there was a lot of work to be done on them. This is a big airplane and soaked up a lot of time! Ron spent a couple of years doing nothing but rebuilding leading, trailing edges and wingtips.”

According to Steve, Ron tackled structural changes to the wings next.

“The original factory manufacturing process on this YQC started early in 1936; however, because of a Waco cabin accident in 1935, factory engineers made changes to the wing structure outboard of the struts later in the production of the 1936 models,” he said. “This airplane didn’t have those changes, so Ron made them. He spent a little over eight years working on, and living with, the project.”

Ron’s next task was changing the engine and prop.

“Our YQC-6 came out of the factory in 1936 powered by a 225-hp Jacobs L-4 engine with a fixed-pitch CurtissReed propeller,” Steve said. “Back in the day with that engine and prop, YQC-6 Custom Cabins were affectionately referred to as the ‘Iron Turkey.’ Other deliveries had the Jacobs L-5 (285 hp) or the Wright R-760-E-1 (320 hp), and I don’t know if they had the same reputation, but I doubt it.

“NS16212 now sports a Jacobs R-755A2 engine (300 hp), with a Hamilton Standard 2B20 constant-speed prop, which greatly improves its performance,” he said. “Our engine was built for us by Steve Currie at Radial Engines Ltd. The carburetor has been replaced by a Max Horsepower fuel-injection system that meters the fuel to each cylinder individually. This has each cylinder producing maximum horsepower all at the same time.”

If a 1936 climbed

If a 1936 pilot climbed through the door and worked his way between the front seats, he wouldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

— Steve Zoerlein

Steve noted changes were also made at the other end of the airplane. The tail wheel strut was modified from the original hydraulic system to stacked rubber biscuits that are easier to maintain and don’t leak. The tail wheel is locked straight ahead, but the release to full-swivel operation is below the front seat between the pilot’s legs. He said it works “really well.”

In September 2020, Fred DeWitt and Steve talked Ron into selling them the project. However, without him meaning to, Ron came as part of the purchase.

“He’s never been far from this airplane,” Steve said. “When we received it, both the wings and the fuselage were covered and painted. The fuselage paint scheme was copied from a 1936 marketing brochure that another YQC-6 restorer, Jim Wheeler of Knox, Indiana, had. The colors, however, were Ron’s vision. All three colors were custom Ranthanes by Ron France. None of the colors were off the shelf, and there is no clear coat.

“The interior was also Ron’s vision, including the instrument panel,” Steve added. “He used all restored period gauges and didn’t give into an urge to update anything. If a 1936 pilot climbed through the door and worked his way between the front seats, he wouldn’t see anything out of the ordinary. It would appear to be 1936. However, it’s doubtful that even when new that the panel was so well detailed. The super slick walnut burl panel was done by Evan Westlake at Grain It Technologies in Winter Haven, Florida.”

Steve said Ron had already purchased all the materials to do the interior upholstery when they purchased the airplane, so Fred and Steve, along with their wives, completed it.

“Some of the other items Fred and I took care of were to cut, trim, fit, and paint all the window fairings, install all the glass, including the roll-up side windows, and eventually prepare it for flight,” Steve said. “Although we lost a lot of sleep over the project, we only worked on it continuously for three years or so.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAM SASIN AND PHIL HIGH

“Perfection” is the sum of a million small details.

In April 2021, Steve and Fred flew an airplane that had sat on the ground for 43 years and was a central theme in their lives.

Steve did the first flight, with Fred riding along.

“I had a lot of time in my Bellanca Scout and UPF-7,” Steve said. “So, I knew tailwheels and at least one variation of Wacos well. Plus, I had ridden in cabin Wacos at our national fly-ins but had never actually flown one.

“It was a cool April morning, so it literally jumped into the air,” he said. “However, the flight was cut short when one or two cylinders were losing power because they were running too lean. It turned out incorrect nozzles were installed in those cylinders. This is the first YQC-6 to have this fuel injection installed. So, there has been a lot of tweaking to get all the cylinders to peak within five or six seconds of each other.

“To make everything kosher with our insurance company, as soon as I could, I took five hours of dual and did 20 landings with Tom Woodburn, a member of the National Waco Club,” Steve added. “He’s a current CFI and owns a YQC-6, so I got the required time with him.”

According to Steve, getting in the airplane is significantly different than most airplanes, but once inside it’s quite comfortable.

“Among other things, the wings are a high step for old knees, so I have a folding step stool,” he said. “I tell the wives I did that for them, but it makes it easier for me, too. The door jambs are a convenient and much needed handhold, and the doorway is wide enough to get almost anything or anyone through. As you step into the cabin, it widens up almost immediately. If you’re sitting up front, you duck a little to get under the spar carry-through and squeeze a little to get between the seats.

“The back seat is basically a couch and is so far back, sitting in it you can’t touch the front seats with your feet,” he said. “The back seat was meant for three people, and there are three sets

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of belts, but I usually only pull out two, and it’s wired for five headsets so we can talk without yelling. It’s quite open back there, and visibility is good because there is a big skylight overhead and the rear side windows curve behind the wings and over the baggage compartment and the seat backs.

“We have fresh-air vents all over the cabin for summer flights, and beneath the rudder pedals we installed a kind of cowl flap to vent off heat in the summer,” he added. “With the flap closed during the winter, we’re comfortable. That Jake generates a lot of heat!”

Cranking up a round motor is a totally different, more exciting procedure than that required for the flat engine we’re all used to.

“When starting,” Steve said, “there’s a lot going on. You’re pumping and priming, cranking with the mixture out, hit the mags after a few blades have gone past, then put the mixture back in. While all this is going on, you’re worried you’ll get it so wet it backfires, which often toasts the air filter.

“Once we’ve got it fired up, we have to muscle the airplane down the taxiway,” he said. “To turn it takes a fair amount of power, and brakes are a big part of that dance. If there’s much wind, we taxi with the tail wheel locked when going straight. If we don’t, we’re burning brakes just to keep it straight.”

Steve said taking off isn’t as dramatic as you’d think.

“You can make it dramatic if you use too much aileron to fight a crosswind,” he said. “Do that and the airplane wants to go with the ailerons. You have plenty of rudder available, and the tail comes off the ground almost immediately. Here too, you don’t want too much elevator. Get the tail high and it’ll push the mains into the ground. I hold a slightly nose-high attitude and let the airplane fly itself off, which happens quickly. Usually, around 60 mph. Then hold it low and level and wait a few seconds until it is

showing 80 mph before letting it climb. It’ll take 1,000-1,200 feet to get off, and we’ll get 600-800 fpm climb depending on the load and the temperature.

“Most people would be surprised how it feels in the air,” he said. “You’d expect a stodgy-feeling airplane with heavy controls and leisurely movement, when exactly the opposite is true. The airplane has an amazing roll rate, and, to me, it feels very light on the controls but at the same time is super stable. I love the way it feels. It has no ‘antiquey’ feel to it.

The airplane has an amazing roll rate, and, to me, it feels very light on the controls but at the same time is super stable. I love the way it feels.

— Steve Zoerlein

“Just as the way it feels in flight is surprising, the same thing is true of the landings,” Steve said. “It’s much easier than people think, but you do have to pay attention. The old-timers say you can fly most Wacos in the 80s on downwind, 70s on base, and 60s over the fence. It really is that simple. However, getting it there and keeping it there is the challenge. Technically the airplane is said to have flaps, but they aren’t flaps as we know flaps today. They’re located about 30 percent ahead of the trailing edge, and when deployed they look and work more like spoilers than flaps. They generate drag, not lift. They’re operated by vacuum, so you can only use them at lower power

The cabin actually is a cabin!

settings when the engine has more vacuum. Max extension speed is 108 mph, but you usually put them down at 90 or less because the nose pitches up aggressively. Drag of course goes through the roof, and it’s already a

draggy airframe. So, you’re always carrying a little power on approach to stay on your desired glide path. It’s easy to nail a desired speed, and, if you slow it to the 60s over the threshold, it makes for a really short landing. If you bring the power up to go around, the flaps, which are spring-loaded closed, automatically start up because the engine loses vacuum as the power comes up.

“I usually three-point it; however, in a crosswind I always humor it with a wing down and a little forward slip while wheel landing,” he said.

Waco cabin biplanes are huge compared to most general aviation taildraggers, so the assumption is that they’re hard to keep straight on rollout. According to Steve, that assumption would be wrong.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JACK FLEETWOOD, PHIL HIGH AND SAM SASIN

“The rollout, surprisingly enough, is also not a big deal,” he said. “However, as it came out of the factory, it could be. This airplane originally had the horrible ‘Johnson bar’ braking system that stuck up out of the floor in the middle and may have had a lot to do with NS16212’s accident in ’78. We removed it and installed STC’d hydraulic toe brakes, which were a rigging nightmare to get right. Now they’re perfect for crosswinds, which the airplane handles really well.

“I’d be lying,” he said, “if I didn’t admit to losing a bit of sleep anticipating that first takeoff. You’re hoping you have the rudder trim set right, and the stabilizer is somewhere close to right for takeoff. You hope the newly rebuilt engine won’t fail. There’s always the fear of what you’ve forgotten.”

Steve said on a project this big, you can’t help but be worried.

“I mean absolutely no disrespect, but most people can’t understand what it takes to finish something like this and how much of your life is invested in it,” he said. “Wives of restorers might know, but it’s hard to imagine the amount of daydreaming and loss of sleep you endure during the restoration process. So, even after you finish the project, you don’t actually know what you have and how good of a job you did until the aviation community sees it and comments. Then, and only then, do you start to realize the gem you’ve brought back to life.

“My partner, Fred, refers to us being caretakers,” Steve said. “However, having been involved in putting it back in the air after 43 years, it’s hard to think of myself as a caretaker. There has to be another, better way to describe those who restore any antique airplanes. When you buy one that’s already restored, then you’re caring for it. However, there’s an aspect to physically ‘restoring’ something that is akin to re-creating it. You feel much more like a parent than a caretaker. It’s really hard to explain. The airplane ceases being a machine because your DNA is part of its structure. And that applies to the long line of ‘parents’ going back 30 years to 1992, when the Mathiases decided to try to save her. Then Ron France adopted her. Then we got involved. There’s a lot of mechanical parental DNA in this old bird. Caretaking isn’t the right word. Sorry to ramble.”

And it’s not just those getting their hands dirty who feel a special kinship to NS16212.

“One of the best aspects of this whole thing,” Steve said, “is that all three of my daughters love the antique community. I’m certain that at work they see themselves as the office experts, and, if a round motor flies over, they all look up and point it out to nonbelievers. Christine is definitely hooked. She’s done Oshkosh for the last six years and looks forward to it with her husband and young sons. Having my family be enthusiastic about what we’ve created is the icing on the cake!

“I’ve been asked whether there is another airplane restoration in my future, and I can easily say no, there isn’t,” he added. “I have the airplanes I want and need. There are no airplanes on my bucket list.”

All we can say is, Steve Zoerlein, you’re a lucky man. Not many of us can say that. Congrats!

Celebrating 78 Years

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BY SPARKY BARNES

A PERKY LITTLE CHAMP seemed to be basking in the glow of a warm spotlight all its own during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2023. It beckoned to passersby with an aura of “come, look at me!” Born in October 1948, this Aeronca 7DC had languished for more than half its life, but those years of neglect were vanquished by the talented and skillful hands of Bill Hoyt, the septuagenarian and previous owner who patiently breathed new life into its airframe and engine.

Current owner Tuggin Long of Smithville, Missouri, was delighted to fly N4529E to Oshkosh and experience “Champ camping.” It was his family’s first time, and his fourth time, at AirVenture. When he was in college, he and a buddy were camping on the grounds with the Cessna 172 they’d flown in. Another time, he said, “I even hitchhiked airplane to airplane, which was really cool — but now looking back, I would not do that anymore!”

The Ever-Popular Champ

Designed by Raymond Hermes, the Aeronca Champ made its first flights in 1944 and was in production by late 1945. The Champ was poised and ready for the light airplane market immediately after World War II and was sold by the hundreds to flight schools. Literally thousands of pilots have learned to fly in Champs. All told, throughout the production years of all the Champ

variants, more than 10,000 were manufactured.

The Champ’s never-ending popularity is due in part to its role as an outstanding trainer, but also to its role as simply a fun, “low and slow” style recreational airplane that is economical to operate. Many pilots remain loyal to the decades-old Champ today. After all, this tandem trainer with its excellent visibility transports pilots to an energizing destination — right “where the fun is!” And it’s simultaneously quite capable of commanding proper respect from its pilot, especially in its modern role of tailwheel transition training for pilots who’ve learned to fly in nosewheel aircraft.

I love my ‘low and slow’ Champ — it’s the exact opposite of what I do for a living! — Tuggin Long

Aviation historian Joseph Juptner wrote that the Champ “had a rather contagious quality about it, and it was just about everybody’s sweetheart; it was marvelous to fly, forgiving to a great extent, and she loved the sky, but couldn’t be left all to herself. … She loved the grass and was a terrific short-field airplane; most would say if you can’t learn to be a good pilot in the ‘Champ’ — just forget it! … The Champ was noisy inside, in the summer it was hot, in the winter it was cold, but as you sat up there in that front seat peering thru’ all that window area, your spirits always rose above all discomfort.” (U.S. Civil Aircraft, Vol. 8.)

Bitten by the Bug

Tuggin, named after his great-great-great-grandfather, bases his Champ at Roosterville Airport (0N0) at Liberty, Missouri. His first taste of aviation was thanks to his grandfather. “My grandfather was an overthe-road trucker, and when he finally got enough money to buy an

airplane, he bought a 1947 Navion. I had my first airplane ride in it when I was 4 years old, and I can still remember pushing my face up against the glass to see out. Ever since then, I was hooked on airplanes,” Tuggin said. “My other grandfather flew right after World War II; he soloed and got his license but never flew again. Nobody else in my family flew, so it skipped a generation.”

That Navion ride certainly did set the hook. Tuggin later went for a Young Eagles ride, and right after he graduated from high school, he went through the aviation program at the University of Central Missouri. He soloed in a Cessna 172 his first semester, and these days he’s a captain flying a 737 for Southwest Airlines. He also acquired his flight instructor certificate. “There’s a great EAA chapter in Gardner, Kansas, and a friend of mine owned a flight school there,” Tuggin said. “She hired me as a flight instructor in 2004, and then asked if I wanted to get my tailwheel endorsement in her Champ. Of course I said ‘yes’ … and that’s why I’m kind of partial to the Champs!”

The Quest

Tuggin lived away from the Kansas City area for 15 years, and after recently moving his family back to the area and getting settled in, he started visiting local airports and looking around for an airplane he could buy. He was originally thinking about a Piper Cub … but that changed by virtue of happenstance one day.

“I went inside the airport lounge at Roosterville, and the guys there asked me what I was doing,” Tuggin recounted. “When I told them I was looking around for an airplane I could buy, one of them in the back goes, ‘Oh, I know a guy, Bill Hoyt, who’s got a really good Champ.’”

A bit dubious, Tuggin nonetheless followed through on the lead and made a road trip to meet Bill at his home in Trimble, Missouri. As it turned out, Bill had restored the Champ in his 60-by-40-foot shop at the house and has quite a background in aviation.

Bill has been around airplanes since he was 3. He still has a picture of himself riding his tricycle while tethered to a post at the hangar, so his father could focus on working on his Alexander Eaglerock’s OX-5. Bill’s father, Kenneth Claude Hoyt, ran the Custer Airport in Monroe, Michigan, for quite a few years. Hence, Bill has been working on and around airplanes since he was 10.

When Bill was in the Army at Fort Rucker, Alabama, he restored a Navion for an Army museum display. Through the years, he’s also restored two Champs, a Cessna 172, and worked on the Northrop Alpha that now resides at the Smithsonian. Professionally, Bill worked with a friend, John Webb, for around 20 years at Hart Flying Service in Kansas City, and for 29 years as a mechanic for TWA.

Striking the Deal

“Tuggin started talking to me about buying the Champ, and I said, ‘I’m really not wanting to sell it … but I’m not flying it.’ When you’re in your 80s, insurance is hard to come by. There’s nothing worse than an airplane sitting on the ground if you’re not flying it,” Bill said. “So we went over to the airport the next day.”

Tuggin brought his wife and kids, along with a pilot friend, to see the Champ at Plattsburgh airpark. “There, like out of a movie, was a pristine grass strip, with a shade port that had like four or five immaculate airplanes under it,” Tuggin recounted. “I was like, ‘Where am I? I’d never even seen this place!’ I looked at the Champ, and all I could say was ‘wow!’ I was pinching myself, and my buddy told me, ‘If you don’t buy it now, I’m going to buy it!’”

Without hesitation, Tuggin gave Bill some money for a down payment and asked him not to talk to anybody else about the Champ being for sale. A day or so later, they agreed upon a price, and the deal was done in October 2022.

I soloed in this airplane when I was 16, and I’m 88 now. — Bill Hoyt

Tuggin didn’t even fly it before he bought it — with good reason. “I hadn’t flown tailwheel in 20 years, so I would’ve really hurt myself,” Tuggin said and laughed. “I found a local instructor after I purchased it, and he gave me a checkout for a couple of hours. Then I just slowly started getting used to handling it in crosswinds, building my confidence level up. Hand-propping the C85-8 is all a new experience, too. But I love my ‘low and slow’ Champ — it’s the exact opposite of what I do for a living!”

Champ Owners

From the time N4529E was first purchased in 1948, the Champ stayed in the southeastern corner of Michigan for many years. It started out in Adrian, Michigan, as a student trainer at Gottschalk School of Aeronautics. Then Gottschalk sold it to Laurence H. Peters and M.W. Dunbar of Monroe in August 1951. They kept it until April 1952, when William Zorn bought it and brought it to Custer Airport at Monroe. He kept it for a while and then sold it to Calvin Neil Sova in April 1959.

“I soloed in this airplane when I was 16, and I’m 88 now,” Bill recounted. “My dad bought the Champ [in July 1965], and then it stayed in our family. But it didn’t pass the fabric test, and it just languished for years. My dad pushed the Champ outside when he bought a brand new Oldsmobile Starfire. The Champ sat outside for maybe nine years, along with a good OX-5 engine covered up with a canvas. Then I got a hold of the Champ [in October 1998] and carted it out here to Kansas City. I kept it stored for years until I had a place to work on it.”

Full-On Restoration

The Champ’s fuselage was all rusted on the bottom, and other areas of the airframe were in sore need of attention as well. Bill invested about five years of labor in the project. “It was my airplane, and I was going to keep it. I completely overhauled the [original] engine,” Bill said. “The guys over at Roosterville Airport helped me find a lot of parts and stuff.”

Bill disassembled the airframe, cleaned the fuselage, and replaced the unairworthy tubing with the same diameter and wall thickness as original. He replaced the lower fuselage tubing from 4-1/2 inches aft of the front landing gear fitting to the tail post, including both longerons, cross tubes, and diagonal tubes. The door and window channel were replaced, as were the tubing and engine mount fittings at the firewall. One front wing lift strut was repaired using the streamlined tubing split sleeve method. Then he applied epoxy primer to the fuselage, struts, and tail control surfaces before painting them with white polyurethane.

Bill diligently tackled the wing inspections in his thorough manner as well. He stripped the old varnish from the spars and carefully examined them for cracks. Fortunately, none were found, and he refinished them

Tuggin (left) shares the Champ’s AirVenture 2023 award with restorer Bill Hoyt.

The rotten floorboards.

The rust-ravaged cabin.

Bill welding fuselage tubing.

Installing the fuel tank in the wing.

The old floorboards.

Bill uses Randolph coatings on the fabric.

Bill works on the trim tab.

Bill works on the fabric installation.

Sandblasting the fuselage frame.

Spraying the silver coat on the wing.

Bill restored two Champs at the same time.

PHOTOGRAPHY

with polyurethane varnish. He installed new leading edges and gave them a coat of green epoxy primer. All the steel wing parts and fittings were cleaned and checked for cracks. Again, no cracks were found, so Bill proceeded to apply the epoxy primer and polyurethane coatings.

Repairs for half a dozen ribs included stopdrilling small cracks and reinforcing the ribs at the fabric-retaining screw holes. These received epoxy primer as well. Bill made a small repair on the flange of the left aileron’s spar, and he replaced all of the wood components — the floorboards, stringers, rear window frames, top assembly, and eight bulkheads. Additionally, all the windows and windshield were replaced.

Just in case he ever wanted to use a radio, he installed an antenna and wiring for a handheld, with a push-to-talk switch in the stick. Bill also installed an Ameri-King emergency locator transmitter. Along with the comprehensive details in the aircraft records, Bill jotted the following remarkable note: “On the annual report of Sept 9, 1952 when William Zorn owned Aeronca 7DC N4529E aircraft, the engine time was 1478:50. So since when I became owner of N4529E in 1998 and Zorn’s last annual, there has not been any aircraft activity (no annuals) in the past 45 years.”

Finally, he covered the airframe with Ceconite 102 and selected vestal creamy white and a turquoise color for the paint scheme. “I’m from the old school, and I don’t use anything but Randolph nitrate and butyrate dope on the fabric,” Bill commented, “and I use enamel on the metal.”

Flying the Champ

Tuggin is the first to admit that it took him a while to adapt to flying the Champ. “At first, I was just trying to build up my confidence, and we’ve got a great community at Roosterville, so everybody’s

really helpful,” Tuggin shared. “I’ve got a buddy who has a Taylorcraft, and sometimes we’ll go out in the mornings and go hit a grass strip maybe 10 miles away, and I’ll practice my wheel landings. We enjoy flying in the local area and going to pancake breakfasts.”

After Tuggin started flying the Champ, Bill asked him how he was doing with the tailwheel transition. “Tuggin said it was giving him a fit. So I looked at him and said, ‘How can you fly the big iron, and you can’t even handle this little 700-pound Champ?’ He said, ‘Well, I can’t get used to using the rudder like I’m supposed to!’ You know, when you’re not used to flying a light taildragger, you’ve got your hands full,” Bill shared with a good-natured laugh. “Anyway, he spent time getting used to it, and then he got the bug to go to Oshkosh in 2023. It was really hot weather, so I called him and said, ‘Tuggin, you’re not going to fly that airplane up to Oshkosh in all this heat, are you?’ He said, ‘I’m already here!’”

Eyes on the Horizon

Tuggin enjoys sharing the Champ flying experience with both of his children and is keeping his eyes on the burgeoning horizon. “My son will go with me anytime, and if I coax my daughter, she’ll go. But mainly it’s just me and Tug, and I let him have as much stick time as possible, and encourage him to look at the chart. He’s 12, and he’s better than I was at that age! I want to teach him how to fly in the Champ,” Tuggin said and smiled. “I’ve kept my CFI current so when he gets of age, we can start training, because I really want him to have good stick and rudder skills.”

Paying Homage

Sometimes an airplane purchase is just a business deal, but in the case of this Champ, it was the genesis of a friendship between the old-timer restorer and the newbie tailwheel pilot. Tuggin has already enjoyed Bill’s tutelage when it comes to such things as packing wheel bearings, and he’s looking forward to learning more about the airplane by working through an annual inspection process with Bill.

When Tuggin flew the Champ to AirVenture, he brought along Bill’s restoration photo album so he could share it with the judges. “I was really lucky to find this Champ; I’m just the caretaker now. The airplane is in immaculate condition, all due to Bill’s labors and expertise,” Tuggin said. “I wanted to pay homage to him for all the work he did, and to let people see the Champ, because he just kept it tucked away and never

Tuggin enjoyed “Champ camping.”

Jennifer and Tuggin Long with the Champ during AirVenture 2023.

sought the limelight. I was hoping it would receive an award — and it did!”

Tuggin couldn’t wait to visit with Bill and surprise him with the AirVenture 2023 Classic Custom Class A (0-85 hp) award plaque.

“Tuggin told me all about being at Oshkosh,” Bill said. “Then he told me about winning the award. I said, ‘You gotta be kidding me!’ I just couldn’t believe it.”

Though Bill remains modest about his restoration of N4529E, he’s clearly pleased with the award recognition. When asked which he likes

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best — flying or working on airplanes — Bill replied with a laugh, “I can’t fly and work on them at the same time. I like flying, and I really like working on them — even though they can aggravate the heck out of you!”

But all agree that the rewards of conquering challenges — whether they be flying tailwheel or restoring airplanes — far outweigh any aggravation encountered during the process.

Our partners:

The Vintage Mechanic

ROBERT G. LOCK

Teaching a Nation How to Fly

The Lon Cooper story, Part 6

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

FLIGHT INSTRUCTION AT LODWICK was a five to six days a week job, the instructor being responsible for five cadets. There were occasional breaks in training, most likely due to weather considerations. On one such weather day, Lon recalled, “A large squall line approached our area one afternoon. The wind was so strong that we flew the planes to the flightline at which point cadets would grab the handholds on the lower wingtips. As power was cut, more cadets would hold the tail down as we taxied in and tied down. That was the only time I have flown an airplane with people on the ground holding it in place.”

Thunderstorms in Florida are common and can form rapidly. One day flying in an area of smooth air, we were returning to the airfield when there was an immediate temperature drop of several degrees with whitecaps on the lakes. The wind was blowing 25 to 35 mph when I landed, fortunately into the wind. So I know exactly what Lon was describing.

The photo below is what an aviator sees when trying to view the runway over a radial engine. Lon and I have been very fortunate to have experienced this wonderful sight that few people get to see in today’s world. The sights, sounds, and smell of a radial engine are unique. While flight instructing at Lodwick, Lon Cooper logged 4,506 landings in the Boeing Stearman PT-13/ PT-17 trainer. Most landings were at the auxiliary fields that were located around the main field in Lakeland, Florida. These strips were either grass or dirt — they were not paved. After the cadet soloed, the instructor would provide some dual instruction, then the student would go solo. It was not uncommon for a flight instructor to spend much of the day sitting on his parachute and

rating takeoffs and landings on a sod or dirt strip, summer and winter. Here in Florida, temperatures can hover near 100 degrees with relative humidity above 70 percent, sometimes approaching 90 percent. It makes for very uncomfortable times, particularly out in the field. In the winter months, temperatures can drop below freezing, making open-cockpit flying brisk, to say the least. But these sturdy souls weathered all that because it was wartime and the job had to be done.

Lodwick School of Aeronautics began in 1940 and closed on August 4, 1945. Upon closing, Lon recalled, “Lodwick was one of the eight original U.S. Army Civilian Contract Schools to provide primary training for combat pilots. During their five years of operation, a total of 69 contract schools provided training to 200,000 combat pilots. Lodwick was one of the last three schools to close, as the war was ending. I believe it to have been the best civilian contract school. The school was visited often by personnel from other schools to observe our activity with the objective of improving their operation. An enrollment of 8,825 trainees entered the school, which included 1,327 British cadets. By the time it closed, 6,114 cadets graduated from the program. The school, during its peak period, generated a payroll of over $45,000 per month to nearly 500 employees.”

Lon only has a few photographs of his time at Lodwick because they did not want personal cameras since it would be a distraction. Therefore, most all photos were taken by a hired photographer. The photo on page 61, staged on the tarmac of Lodwick, depicts a group of cadets returning after a local flight with a Stearman taxiing close behind, something that probably was not tolerated on the flightline.

Safety is the utmost concern in aviation — safe practices from flightline crew, instructors, and mechanics. Lon recalled, “We had a very good safety record at Lodwick. There was one fatality from a midair collision during my two years of instructing. We had our share of ground loops and damaged wingtips.”

Also on page 61, the results of a ground loop accident. The Stearman was a handful on the ground, especially in a crosswind. During primary flight training, there were usually crossing runways, or the field was square as to lessen the effects of a crosswind landing on student pilots. The hydraulic brake system on a Stearman was adequate if it worked properly, but the single servo brake system tended to “grab,” which could make the ground loop worse.

Landing on a grass runway, looking over the Wright radial engine. PHOTO BY TOM ROUNDS

Lon recalled some of the events that border on the bad side of things: “I was told of a British student who had spun in and landed on a very large oak tree. He was unhurt. His rescuers reported his main concern was to get back to the field in time for supper.”

And another safety story from Lon: “Instructor C.R. Knowles was a quiet man. He and his cadet were flying near Plant City when the crankshaft broke off, losing the propeller that fortunately missed the plane. He made a successful emergency landing in a small strawberry field, stopping with the engine between two pine trees at the end of the field. The plane was unhurt except for the missing propeller. Questioned concerning the event, he commented, in his slow, quiet manner, ‘That plane sure glides a long way with no prop drag.’ Asked if he used the brakes, which we never use because they grab sometimes, he said slowly, ‘You know, I think I had the brakes on just a little before we touched down.’ We all had a good laugh when he finished his story.”

And now, another short story from Lon regarding safety at Lodwick in Lakeland: “One cadet made a forced landing because the tachometer stopped working and showed zero rpm.”

The photos to the right are not taken from the Lodwick collection but rather are part of my collection. After the war, most Stearman aircraft sold as surplus were converted by pest control operators, and these photos show a stock Stearman modified with a dusting hopper. These photos offer graphic evidence of the strength of the design and how rugged the airplane really is. Why the wheels are missing is not known; they may have been installed without a cotter pin safety on the retaining nuts, they may have been stolen, or they may have been removed by the owner. In this photo, note that the cabane struts supporting the upper wings are still intact.

At right, this is possibly the pilot posing with the remains. Note the early spreader venturi between the landing gears. Obviously, the ship was Continental R-670-powered with a steel McCauley propeller. These photos no doubt date into the 1950s; there are no dates on the photographs.

Just before the closing of the Lodwick School of Aeronautics, there was one last class for Lon. He recalled, “The last class was very special. Our military had established air superiority in the Pacific, and there was a declining need for pilots. Officers who had previously washed out of pilot training and continued into combat as bombardiers, navigators, and gunners were allowed to go back through flight training as they chose. No one was washed

out this time. Everyone at Lodwick was pleased to experience firsthand the results of our training. These officers were a great group and shared many interesting stories.

“One of my students, a captain, was a navigator. He bailed out when his B-29 bomber was shot down over the South Pacific.

Cadets on Lodwick ramp. LAKELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY

Results of a violent ground loop. COURTESY ROBERT LOCK

Stock Stearman modified for crop dusting. cOURTESY ROBERT LOCK

This accident is possibly the result of losing both wheels on takeoff. cOURTESY ROBERT LOCK

This could be the lucky pilot who walked away. cOURTESY ROBERT LOCK

The Vintage Mechanic

ROBERT G. LOCK

Instructions were to open his parachute only after entering the clouds to avoid being shot while descending. After entering the clouds, he pulled the rip cord, his chute popped open, his descent slowed, and his feet touched the ground. He had landed on the top of a mountain on a Japanese-controlled island. He was found by friendly natives and smuggled out but could not reveal the details to protect his rescuers.

“Another of my students was also a captain who flew as a navigator in combat and was eligible to receive additional flight pay if he could fly as a navigator. Permission was granted to use one of our planes and fly cross-country with me as the pilot and the captain as the navigator. The captain told me to fly anywhere I wanted, so I flew 60 miles to St. Petersburg and circled my father’s house. Dad was home and came out to see the low-flying airplane circling his house. He recognized that it was me and gathered my mother and the neighbors in the yard. I then flew over a nearby lake and performed an acrobatic air show for them. I then flew back over his house at 500 feet, and with the wing wave, headed back to Lakeland. It was a thrill for them and for me. My navigator got his flight pay.”

Lodwick School of Aeronautics in Lakeland, Florida, was in operation from 1940 to 1945, and Lodwick Aviation Military Academy in Avon Park operated from October 2, 1941, to October 16, 1944. Lon’s first class was at Avon Park and his last was in Lakeland. Lon recalled his days with Albert Lodwick: “I was a flight instructor for Lodwick School of Aeronautics in Lakeland, Florida, from April 27, 1943, to August 4, 1945, logging 1,392 hours’ flight time and 4,506 landings. My first class of cadets was at Lodwick Military Aviation Academy in Avon Park after which I instructed at Lodwick School of Aeronautics until the school closed on August 4, 1945. When I started my first class in 1943, I was only 22 years old. I was the youngest flight instructor in the Lodwick operation.”

Lon and Dot Cooper quietly returned to civilian life by moving back to nearby St. Petersburg where Lon took a position with Gulfshore Sports Store; he had worked there during high school and college. Lon was only 24 years old at this time and eager to make a living for his wife and children. Lon recalled, “In 1949, I joined my father in his wholesale radio parts business, Cooper Radio Company, eventually owning the business. I converted it

to home entertainment electronics. I sold the business and retired in 1982.”

Lon told the story to me about the invention of the tape recorder. When it first came out, many older people were not interested in it because they didn’t know how to operate it. So Lon taught evening classes in a vacant room above his store to teach people how to use this new toy. It was very successful, and he sold many units to his students.

Lon’s flying ended when Lodwick closed its doors, and without an instrument and a multiengine rating, flying jobs of the type he wanted were not available. However, he made a great contribution to the war effort by training future combat pilots at the young age of 22 years.

Looking back at a most successful government-subsidized Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) gives pause for reflection. In today’s failing economy, the government has created “stimulus” programs and thrown money to companies that have failed with no apparent accountability. Robert Hinckley devised what we would now call a stimulus program to boost the sluggish general aviation industry. The federal government, through the Civil Aeronautics Administration, funded the CPTP. The government was spending $22 million tax dollars a year on vocational training programs, and Hinckley wanted to get aviation training into that system. July 1939 brought the first funding for the program along with various mandates (that we now call “strings”). Congress authorized $4 million and the CPTP began. The CAA reimbursed participating flight schools $270 to $290 for each student plus $6 per hour for flight time. It also paid the college or university $20 for each student enrolled in the program. The CAA standardized ground and flight training. It mandated that there be at least one airplane of at least 50 hp for each 10 students. But above all, it created accountability for those participating in the program, something that is lacking today. What this did was to create a market for small two-place low-powered training aircraft, and manufacturers created thousands of jobs to support the effort. Piper, Aeronca, Taylorcraft, Porterfield, Interstate, Waco, Meyers, and Howard all built new CAA-approved aircraft that would fill the need for training airplanes. From 1938 to 1948, approximately 45,000 new aircraft were built with Piper and their famous Cub leading the way. Robert Hinckley’s idea was truly a vision of what was to come. Just think, if the CPTP did not exist, there would have been no pool of qualified commercial/flight instructors available to teach military primary flight training as Lon Cooper did. In my view, Robert Hinckley is an American hero and was perhaps a large reason why the United States prevailed in World War II. Over 200,000 combat pilots were trained from 1940 until the war ended in 1945. With Randolph Field and Pensacola only able to produce about 500 combat pilots each per year, the United States would have been in great peril and may never have gained air superiority over Europe and the Pacific.

We thank people such as Lon Cooper for their service to our country. And so I salute you, Mr. Lon Cooper, for a job well done.

When the Lodwick School of Aeronautics and Lodwick Aviation Military Academy ceased operations, what happened to

Lodwick Aviation Military Academy, Avon Park, Florida. LAKELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY

all the Boeing Stearman aircraft that were assigned to the fields? They were ferried to central locations and temporarily stored. In late 1945 after the war had ended, the Reconstruction Finance Corporation established five large storage, sales, and scrapping centers scattered throughout the country. These centers were in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Altus, Oklahoma; Kingman, Arizona; Ontario, California; and Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. A sixth storage facility was opened in Clinton, Oklahoma, for storing, selling, and scrapping Navy and Marine aircraft. From these sites, the smaller primary training aircraft were ferried to other sites to be sold in flyable condition. One such site was Hill Air Force Base (AFB) at Ogden, Utah. Here, Boeing PT-13s/PT-17s were stored by the hundreds and were sold for as little as $150 with a full tank of fuel. Once purchased by a company or individual, the aircraft was ferried from the sales point to its new civilian home. Many of the Hill AFB Boeing Stearman aircraft came to the western states of California, Nevada, and Arizona to be converted into crop dusters.

At Walnut Ridge, 4,871 fighter and bomber aircraft were purchased by the Texas Railway Company in September 1946 for $1,838,798.19 and were melted into ingots for shipping.

At the peak of operation, Lodwick School of Aeronautics had over 200 PT-17 Stearman trainers at its home base. In Avon Park, there were another 135 to 155 aircraft. One day they all disappeared from their home bases to be sold as surplus to a civilian market.

The photo at the top of this page shows lines of Boeing Stearman trainers assigned to Lodwick that eventually would be scrapped or sold surplus.

Original military logs for Boeing Stearman are a rare find, but when an aircraft was sold surplus, the last military logbook came with the airplane. At left are images of a Navy N2S logbook when it was transferred from Naval Air Station Dallas, Texas, to NAS Clinton, Oklahoma, on August 22, 1945. The total flight time on the aircraft was 3,660.2 hours. The fate of this N2S is unknown — it was either sold surplus or scrapped.

When the time came for storage, Boeing Stearman aircraft were prepared and flown to a storage/surplus sale facility. This page shows an image taken from an original Navy N2S logbook showing their paperwork.

At right, Boeing Stearman PT-17s, now surplus, stored in a large hangar at Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah, after the war ended.

Lines of Stearman biplanes on the ramp at Lodwick School of Aeronautics. LAKELAND

A rare look at a Boeing Stearman military logbook when aircraft were to be stored and disposed. cOURTESY ROBERT LOCK

Navy Stearman logbook shows aircraft being preserved for longtime storage. cOURTESY ROBERT LOCK

Boeing Stearman PT-17s stored at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. HILL AEROSPACE MUSEUM

Message From the President

SUSAN DUSENBURY, VAA PRESIDENT

And, of course, the really big news at Vintage this year will be the start of operations at our new Charles W. Harris Youth Aviation Center. I cannot begin to tell you all just how pleased I am with this building, the planned programs, and the cadre of volunteers who are lined up to share their vast aviation knowledge and skills with the young vintage aviation enthusiasts at AirVenture. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new youth center immediately following our town hall meeting. All of you are invited to the ribbon-cutting, and please bring your children and/or grandchildren.

Following is a list of planned youth activities at the Charles W. Harris Youth Aviation Center during the week of AirVenture:

Tuesday-Friday, 10-11 a.m. Pilot Show and Tell: Pilots will talk about their flying story and introduce their airplane.

Monday-Friday, 1-2:30 p.m. Children’s Hands-On Workshop.

Tuesday, 6-8 p.m. Teen Night: Will include glider building/flying, cornhole, root beer floats, and/or snacks. There is just so much going on! Forums, interviews, beautiful vintage airplanes everywhere, popcorn, lemonade, and on and on. If you get tired from walking, then Charlie’s Park is where you need to be. It’s located just behind the Vintage Hangar and is full of shady trees and picnic tables just waiting for you. Please visit our website for a full schedule of events, which will be finalized just before the start of AirVenture. And lastly, I would like to say a few words about our VAA Red Barn Store. Red Barn Store Chair Mary Knutson has outdone herself again with some high-quality and “must have” VAA clothing. We are all so happy to have the talented Mary along with her talented volunteers (one of whom, Mary Wendorf, received a Volunteer of the Year award in 2023) on board with us. Stop by the store. You will not be disappointed.

Blue skies!

VINTAGE AIRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) copyright © 2024 by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association, Inc., is published bimonthly and owned exclusively by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association, Inc., EAA Editorial Department, 3000 Poberezny Road, Oshkosh, WI, 54902. Periodicals postage is paid at Oshkosh, WI, 54901, and additional mailing offices. U.S. membership rate for the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association, Inc. is $45 per 12-month period for EAA members, and $55 for non-EAA members.

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STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION (Required by 39 U.S.C.3685). 1. Title of Publication: Vintage Airplane. 2. Publication No.: 062-750. 3. Filing Date: 5/15/2024. 4. Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly. 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 6. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $45.00 in U.S. 7. Known Office of Publication: EAA, 3000 Poberezny Road, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Contact Person: Ron Lindgren, Telephone: 920-426-6571. 8. Headquarters or General Business Office of the Publisher: Same address as above. 9. Publisher: Jack Pelton, EAA, 3000 Poberezny Road, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Editor: Jim Busha, same address as above. Managing Editor: None. 10. Owner: EAA Vintage Aircraft Association, 3000 Poberezny Road, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. 11. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amounts of bonds, mortgages, or other securities: None. 12. Tax Status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months. 13. Publication Title: Vintage Airplane. 14. Issue date for circulation data below: May/June 2024. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months/ No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date): a. Total No. of Copies Printed (6915/6495) b. Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail): 1. Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) (5735/5795). 2. Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) (0/0). 3. Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS (329/328). 4. Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail through the USPS (e.g., First-Class Mail) (10/11). c. Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)) (6074/6134). d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail): 1. Free or Nominal Rate OutsideCounty Copies Included on PS Form 3541 (0/0). 2. Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541 (0/0). 3. Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail) (0/0). 4. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution outside the Mail (Carriers or other means) (0/0). e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3), and (4) (0/0). f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e) (6074/6134). g. Copies Not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4 (page 3)) (840/361). h. Total (Sum of 15f and g) (6915/6495). i. Percent Paid (15c divided by 15f times 100) (100/100). 16. Electronic Copy Circulation (N/A).

17. Publication of Statement of Ownership: Publication required. If the publication is a general publication, publication of this statement is required. Will be printed in the July/August 2024 issue of this publication. 18. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). Jim Busha, Editor, 5/15/2024. PSForm 3526, July 2014.

OFFICERS

PRESIDENT

Susan Dusenbury 1374 Brook Cove Rd. Walnut Cove, NC 27052 336-591-3931 sr6sue@aol.com

VICE PRESIDENT

Dan Knutson 106 Tena Marie Circle Lodi, WI 53555 608-354-6101 lodicub@charter.net

SECRETARY

Kathy McGurran Brighton, CO 303-829-4808 kmcgurran@aol.com

TREASURER

Paul Kyle 1273 Troy Ct. Mason, OH 45040 262-844-3351 paul_e_kyle@hotmail.com

DIRECTORS

George Daubner Oconomowoc, WI 262-560-1949 gdaubner@eaa.org

John Hofmann Columbus, WI 608-239-0903 john@cubclub.org

AC Hutson Griffin, GA 678-457-8957 achutsonjr@icloud.com

Ray L. Johnson Marion, IN 765-669-3544 rayjohnson@indy.rr.com

Vaughn Lovley Webster, MN 913-981-3696 pa11pilot@yahoo.com

Jesse Clement jesseclement1@gmail.com

Luke Lachendro avidaviator98@gmail.com

Steve Nesse Albert Lea, MN 507-383-2850 stnes2009@live.com

Earl Nicholas Libertyville, IL 847-504-6945 eman46@gmail.com

Joe Norris Oshkosh, WI 920-279-2855 wacoflyer@gmail.com

Marla Simon Boone Troy, OH 937-216-5133 msimonboone@yahoo.com

Charlie Waterhouse Dayton, OH 260-385-0851 charles.e.waterhouse@gmail.com

Maxwell Wenglarz waco20900@gmail.com ADVISERS

Kevin McKenzie kevinamckenzie@yahoo.com

DIRECTORS EMERITUS

David Bennett antiquer@inreach.com

Robert C. Brauer photopilot@aol.com

Jerry Brown lbrown4906@aol.com

Dave Clark davecpd@att.net

Phil Coulson rcoulson516@cs.com

Ronald C. Fritz itzfray@gmail.com

Robert D. “Bob” Lumley rlumley1@wi.rr.com

Tim Popp tlpopp@frontier.com

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Amy Lemke alemke@eaa.org