VA-Vol-1-No-5-April-1973 by EAA Vintage Aircraft Association

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WILJ..:'ARD F. SCHMITT 402'1 ROCKY RIVER DR. NO. 22 .CLEVELAND. OHIO 4413.lS

THE PRESIDENT'S PAGE By E. E . "Buck" Hilbert, President

EAA Antique/Classic Division

KEEP THAT BIRD STOCK Each of us who owns an Antique or Classic aircraft is privileged to be the curator of our own personal museum piece. It's a responsibility whether we realize it or not. The more rare the bird the larger the responsibility and the greater the effort should be to keep it original. Pride of ownership, pride in having something no one else has, and greater recognition is possible, by just keeping it factory new and cleaner than the one next to it. Butching up an airframe to make it aerobatic or speedy, hanging a bigger engine, or in some way taking it out of the original configuration makes it less desirable, and also im足 portant, less saleable. Some mods are necessary to keep the birds flying. Brakes and a tailwheel are an abso足 lute necessity in todays world of aviation. So is a radio. And with engine reliability always a problem, a more modern engine is sometimes the only answer. But to customize to gain attention will never do the trick. If its an aerobatic bird you want, go get a special. If its speed you're after, then step up to one built for it. But keep those Antique and Classic machines stock ... ask our judging committee.

VOLUME 1 -

HOW TO JOIN THE ANTIQUE CLASSIC DIVISION

NUMBER 5

APRIL 1973

TABLE OF CONTENTS National Ryan Club . . . Bill Hodges ... . ... .. . The Arkansas Command-Aire ...

R obert Lock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Now, About Those Replica Plans .. .

J ack Cox ... . ...... .. . . .... . . . . . . .. . ..... 10

Around The Antique-Classic World . . . . . . . . .. 12 Calendar of Events .. . . ... .. .. . . . ... . . . . . .. . 14

Membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Divi sion is open to all EAA members who have a spe cial interest in t h e older aircraft that are a proud par t of 'our aviation heritage. Membership in the Antiqu e-Classic Division is $ 10.00 per year which entitles ' one to 12 issu es of The Vintage Airplane published m onthly at EAA Headqu arters. Each member will also receive a special Antiqu e-Classic membership card plus one additional card for one's spouse or other designated family member. Membership in EAA is $15.00 per year which includes 12 issu es of S POR T AVIATION. All mem bership correspondence should be addressed to: EAA, Box 229, Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130.

EDITORIAL STAFF Publisher - Paul H. Poberezny Assistant Ed itor - Gene Chase

Editor - Jack Cox Assistant Ed itor - Golda Cox

ON THE COVER . . . Ryan PT-21s at the Ryan Factory , lindbergh Field , San Diego. BACK COVER -

Lusco mbe on float s. Ph oto by Howard Levy.

ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC DIVISION OFFICERS PRESIDENT E. E. HILBERT 8102 LEECH RD . UNION , ILLINOIS 60180

VICE PRESIDENT J . R. NIELANDER , JR. P. O. BOX 2464 FT. LAUDERDALE , FLA. 33303

SECRETARY RICHARD WAGNER BOX 181 LYONS , WIS. 53148

TREASURER NICK REZICH 4213 CENTERVILLE RD. ROCKFORD, ILL. 61102

DIVISION EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

DOROTHY CHASE , EAA HEADQUARTERS

Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc., Box 229,

Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130

(Ryan Aeronautical Co ,)

An STM-2 in Dutch markings.

NATIONAL RYAN CLUB

By Bill Hodges EAA Air Museum The National Ryan Club was first organized in 1960 by Everett Cassagneres of Cheshire, Connecticut, and the ST-3KR Division was started by Bill Hodges, then of Quinlan, Texas, in 1963 and was affi liated with the An tique Airplane Association. In late 1972, its 213 mem bers voted to establish affiliation with the new Antique and Classic Division of the Experimental Aircraft As sociation. The National Ryan Club is now being co chaired by Mrs. Pat Friedman and Bill Hodges. The purpose of the National Ryan Club is to main tain as completely as possible records of existing pre World War II Ryan Aircraft, as well as past, to the ex tent of their flyability, location, owners and disposition. Also maintained are records locating parts throughout the world, a master photo file and files on authorized modifications. This information is avai lable to National

Ryan Club members without charge. There are no mem bership dues, however any contribution to help pay the cost of mailing will be appreciated. The Annual Meet ing of the National Ryan Club is now held in conjunction with the Experimental Aircraft Association's Annual In ternational Convention and Fly-In at Oshkosh, Wiscon sin, the first week in August. All National Ryan Club members are encouraged to attend this meeting, the world's largest gathering of sport aircraft. Mrs. Pat Friedman, a noted Mid-West aviatress, chairs the "STA Division" of the National Ryan Club , which maintains the information center on all pre-ST 3KR series Ryans. Mrs. Friedman owns and flies a 1940 Ryan STM-E2, originally owned by the Dutch in the Netherlands East Indies.

Bill Hodges continues to chair the ST-3KR Division and maintains an information center on the ST-3KR (PT-21, NR-l , PT-22), ST-4 and FR-l series Ryans. Hodges is currently restoring his fourth PT-22 and has number five waiting in the "barn". Enthusiasm for pre-World War II Ryan aircraft re足 mains at an all-time high throughout the country, Canada and Australia. The classic lines of the STA are readily apparent and are carried over into the ST-3KRIPT-22 series. Large gatherings of Ryans may be seen, especially at fly- ins in California such as at Watsonville, May 18-20; Mer足 ced, June 1-3; and the 3rd Annual Gathering of Ryans at Paso Robles, May 4-6. Large numbers are also planning to gather at the EAA Convention July 29足 August 4, where the annual National Ryan Club meeting will be held and the 2nd Annual Mid-West Ryan Owners Gathering to be held at Rockton, Illinois on August 18 and 19. Of the 1,250 PT-22 series aircraft manufactured, 160 remain in the Civil Aircraft Register. Interested persons wanting more information may contact Mrs. Friedman at 609 Hill Street in Highland Park, Illinois 60035 or Mr. Hodges at 3351 So. 99th Court in Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53227.

(Myron Rupprecht Photo)

BELOW - Myron Rupprecht's 1942 Ryan PT-22 (SIN 1923) in Mexican Air Force colors at Paso Robles in 1972.

(EAA Photo)

The proboscis of an American Classic .

(Bill Hodges Collection)

To most fly-in goers of today, this is what " Ryan " is all about, the ubiquitous PT-22 .

( Ryan Aeronautical Co . Official Phot o)

A PT-20 in its element.

(Di ck Stouffer PhotO )

PT-22.

(Photo by Jack Cox)

Walt Mindermann of Hollis, N. Y. restored this 5C-3. It has been modern ized with the addition of a 220-hp Continental and World War II era wheels.

THE ARKANSAS COMMANO-AIRE

By Robert G. Lock (EAA 56824)

1186 N . Pecan

Reedly, California 93654

After the conclusion of World War I, a great num ber of military surplus aircraft were dumped on the civilian market. These aircraft were former trainers and fighters which were fabricated in large numbers towards the end of the war by the United States. Probably the best known airplane of that era was the Curtiss Jenny . Hundreds of Jennies were produced to train pilots for air combat. After the war they were sold to the public for as little as $200. When a person could purchase a flying machine for that small amount of money , many fell into the hands of unqualified pilots with the result that many Jennies were wrecked . As they slowly disap peared, new aircraft were designed and built in garages and small shops. One aircraft that immediately comes to mind is the Ryan monoplane designed and built by the Ryan Company in San Diego for Charles Lindbergh. In 1927, Lindbergh flew the Ryan solo across the Atlantic. Cer tainly this event triggered an expansion of commercial aviation and many new designs appeared. The Waco made Troy, Ohio famous, while Cessna , Beech, and Stearman made Wichita , Kansas the capital of com mercial airplane production. Clyde Cessna formed Ces sna Aircraft, Walter Beech formed the Travel Air Compa ny and Lloyd Stearman set up a small factory that was to produce many famous aircraft. Almost all the newly built aircraft had identical features: two or three place open cockpit biplanes, con ventional landing gears with tail skids instead of tail-

wheels, and large wheels and tires on the main landing gear. There was the Waco 9, which received Approved Type Certificate No. 11; Beech's Travel Air 2000 , holding ATC No. 30; and the Stearman C3C, granted ATC No. 62. The first Approved Type Certificate was awarded under the Air Commerce Act of 1926 in the year 1927. Since there were so many new designs ap pearing, the government decided that some type con trol was needed to assure safe flight and structural soundness. Thus, Approved Type Certificate Number One was awarded the Buhl-Verville "J4 Airster" on March 29, 1927. Making an appearance on the commercial market in July 1928 was the Command-Aire 3C3 series. The Command-Aire closely resembled the Waco, Travel Air and Stearman. It had two wings, was powered by the surplus Curtiss OX-5 engine, and was said to have out standing flight characteristics. Over 100 of the 3C3 series were built. The factory was located in Little Rock, Arkansas in a plant formerly occupied by an automobile manu facturer . R. B. Snowden, Jr. was the President, Albert Voelmecke was the Chief Engineer, and a noted pilot, John Carroll Cone, was in charge of sales. Voelmecke was formerly with Ernst Heinkel Airplane Works of Ger many. Chief test pilot was Wright "Ike" Vermilya, who dazzled the public by riding on top of the fuselage aft of the rear seat straddling the airplane. Of course he wore no parachute; he just sat there while the airplane

flew itself. Thus, the Command-Aire was shown to be extremely stable and the word "stabili ty" was used many times in the firm's advertising. As the supply of OX-5 engines became scarce, the factory experimented with other engines, mostly the radial type. The next development by the company was the Command-Aire 3C3-A, which received ATC No. 118 in March of 1929. Only 20 were built and one Warner powered model, serial number W-79, was placed on Edo floats . During the year 1929, distribution and sales were taken over by the Curtiss Flying Service, located in 26 of the 48 states. Most of the later Command-Aire models were sent to the company's Houston, Texas location. The next step in Command-Air~ evolution came in the closing days of March, 1929 when the model 3C3-B received ATC No. 120. The 3C3-B had a seven cylinder Siemens Halske engine of 105-113 horsepower. The en gine was of German manufacture, distributed in the U.S.A. by K. G. Frank as the "Yankee Siemens". Per formance of aircraft and engine was good, but engine

, thirty-five 5C3's were manufactured by the Little Rock . plant. All 5C3's were powered by a 185 horsepower, six cylinder Challenger radial engine. Performance was very good and the engine was quite reliable. Cruise speed was 103 miles-per-hour while full control of the aircraft could be maintained down to 40 miles-per-hour. So good was the control and stability of the airplane, the Curtiss Flying Service promptly ordered sixteen 5C3's fitted as dusters by the factory and licensed in the restricted cate gory (NR). Some 200,000 acres of cotton were dusted in the southern states in 1929. Price at the factory was $6325, later reduced to $5950 in 1930. The 5C3 was entered in many air races in 1929, but always placed midway in the field each time; it was not built for speed. Major John Carroll Cone, who was still in charge of sales, flew a 5C3 to seventh place in the 1929 National Air Tour. During the same month, July 1929, one 5C3 air craft was modified and a 150-hp Hispano-Suiza (Risso) engine installed. The airplane was given ATC No. 185 and was probably the best looking of the Command Aire models, closely resembling the Travel Air 2000. However, only one 5C3-A was produced. This aircraft was flown from San Diego, California to Los Angeles, Qalifornia, by fearless test pilot Ike Vermilya while

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(Photo by Jack Cox)

N970E, a 3C-3A, is a part of the Wings and Wheels Museum collection located in Santee , S. C. It was beautifully restored for owner Dolph Overton by Ernest E. Webb of Charlotte , N. C. The Warner powered Command-Aire has a tailwheel but, other wise , is authentic to the smallest detail. This is without question one of the coun try's outstanding antique ai rplane restorations.

parts were hard to find . Price at the factory new was about $5500. Only three were built and one 4C3 was pro duced, powered by a 135 hp Walter engine of Czechosla vakian design. With the increasing interest in flying and pilot train ing, Command-Aire introduced the model 3C3-T in May of 1929. Carrying ATC No. 150, thirty or more of this type were manufactured and sold for $1130 in 1929. La ter in 1930, the price was reduced to $2250. The one elongated cockpit was quite roomy for two persons seated tandem and was dubbed the "bath tub". In the same month, Command-Aire received ATC No. 151 for the model 3C3-AT. It was basically the same as the previous model, but had a Warner 110 hp en gine installed. This engine gave the aircraft better per formance needed for the higher category license, such as "limited commercial" or "transport". Only six of this type were built; most were used by the Curtiss Flying Service for flight instruction. The model 5C3 was the firm's best and most popu lar airplane. Granted ATC No. 184 in July 1929, some

straddling the rear of the fuselage in his usual style. The distance covered was about one hundred miles and only occasional rudder control was used to keep the ship on the proper heading. This certainly was a safe and gen tle airplane in its day. ATC No. 209 was issued August 22, 1929 for the Command-Aire 3C3-BT. This model carried the same structure of the 3C3-AT, but a 113-hp "Yankee Sie mens" engine was installed. Only three were manu factured. Towards the end of 1929, the Command-Aire Com pany decided to develop its own sales organization un der the direction of Major J. Carroll Cone. The Curtiss Flying Service would no longer distribute Command Aire aircraft. This development became effective No vember 1, 1929. In the latter part of 1929, another event was taking place - the Great Depression. Unfortunately, Command Aire was among the many companies that suffered severely. However, ATC No. 214 was granted the com pany for production of the model 5C3-B. Only three were built, being powered by a newly developed 150-hp Axel son engine. The Depression was beginning to take its toll.

WILLARD

SCHMITI

;4027 ROCKY RIVER DR. NO. 22 ilLlN.I;;LAND~ OHIO 4413a

1973 COMMAND·AIRE REGISTRATION LIST Model3C3 N 136EA

Ser . No . 532

N 583E

Ser No . 607

N 7885

Ser . No 530

N 970E

N 610E

N 925E

N 996E

N 997E

N 998E

N 939E

N 946E

John S Thurmond 4302 S Camino Verde Tucson . Am. 85714 LOUIS Anderson RI. 2 Mans f ield . Mo . 65704 Sileiby B . Hagberg RI. 1. Box 42 Greenfield. Iowa 51343

Mode13C·3A Ser No . W- l0B Dolph Overton P. a Box 93 Sanlee. S. C 29142 Mode13C·38 Ser . No W69 Joseph Erale 1 Willow SI. 9rentwood . N. Y. 11717 Model5C-3 Ser . No . W-88 Walter A. Mlndermann 196 30 Como Ave Hollis. N. Y 11423 Ser. No. W-135 Joh n R. McDa nlel Box 757 Ft. Pierce . Fla . 33450 Ser . No . W-136 Robert G. Lock 1186 N. Pecan Reedley . Calif. 93654 Ser . No . W-137 John R. McDaniel Box 757 Ft. Pierce . Fla . 33450 Ser . No . W-93 Joseph E rale 4 Willow SI. Brentwood . N. Y. 11717 Ser . No. W-95 John S. Thurmond 4302 S. Camino Verde Tucson . Am. 85714

( Photo Co urtesy of Lloyd TOll )

Major John Carroll Cone , Sales Manager for Command-Aire flew this 5C3 to 7th place in the 1929 National Air Tour. The engine is a six cylinder Curtiss Challenger with bayonet stacks.

The last model manufactured by Command-Aire was ATC No. 233 , and designated as the 5C3-C. Pro duction began in September 1929. The 5C3-C was powered by a later version of Lindbergh's engine, the Wright J-6-5 , developing 165 hp. If the Depression had not hit the country, this model would have been the most . popular with the public. The Wright engine offered re liability greater than the previous engines. The per formance was outstanding: cruising speed 101 mph, land ing speed 42 mph, and rate of climb was 810 feet per minute from sea level. Cruising range at eight gallons per hour was six hundred miles. Price at the factory was $7,000; later it was reduced to $6,025. However, the mar ket failed to materialize, leaving the company with only the consola tion that a future for this craft would have been assured had the market held up to its normal pro portions. So ends the story of the Command-Aire. Briefly manufactured from 1928 to 1930, the Command-Aire owns a small space in the history and development of aviation. Command-Aire no longer lives - only a few examples have survived the past forty-two years. Per haps the statement "Command-Aire no longer lives" is incorrect. The name lives in the memories of the pilots who flew them, and to those who are fortunate to have found one to restore. COMMAND-AIRE 5C-3

Sometime ago I purchased a 1929 Command-Aire

model 5C-3. The aircraft is in poor condition but is re buildable. There were approximately 33 of this model manufactured by the Command-Aire Company of Little Rock, Arkansas. The original design began in 1928 and was powered by a Curtiss OX-5 engine. Only 5 remain _ The 5C series aircraft were powered by a 6 cylinder Curtiss Challenger radial engine developing 185 hp. My aircraft, NC997E , is the next to last built and has been modified for crop dusting use. The engine was changed to a Continental R-670, 220 hp. When I begin restoration next year, I would like to install a Wright R-540 engine of 175 hp as shown in the 5C3-C aircraft. This will mean a change in engine mount ring and, of course, an engine. This engine went out of production in July of 1937, so locating one will be diffi cult. However, if you should happen to find one, let me know. I have a new overhauled Hamilton Standard ground adjustable propeller cut down to fit the Command-Aire. My Command-Aire is currently stored in a warehouse in Hanford along with two other 5C3's, NC996E and NC998E. These are three of the last five that are be lieved to exist. One is NC925E located in New York and the other is in Illinois. These aircraft are said to have excellent low speed characteristics because they were among the first air craft to use the Frese type aileron. Notice that the land ing speed is a low 40 mph. A ra ther interesting find in this day and age. I am look ing forward to getting one of these aircraft in the air. _. someday.

(Photo by Dick Stouffer)

Carl Swanson 's fantasticall y accurate re pl ica Nieu port 17.

. NOW , ABOUT THOSE REPLICA PLANS

By Jack Cox EAA Headquarters receives hundreds of requests every year for information on plans for vintage aircraft, mostly World War I fighter types. The following list is what we send out to all con cerned.

Bleriot XI

Curtiss Pusher

Curtiss JN4D

DeHavilland 4 Fokker D-VII

Mel Miller, 2030 Geary, Albany, Oregon 97321 - Complete set of drawings and instructions for repli ca - $15.00 Charles F. Schultz, 910 Broadfields Dr., Louisville, Ky. 40207 - Set of drawings developed from original Curtiss prints. Gordon E. Codding, 4572 West 147 St. , Lawndale, Cal. 90260 - 23 drawings, incomplete but good cov erage Air Force Museum, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio - Some draw ings available. _. Fred Koin Losy, 724 Robin Way, N. Palm Beach, Fla. 33408 - Set of Blue Max D-VII drawings. Harold Best-Devereux, 11 Stone hills House, Welwyn Garden City, Herts, England - Sets of Blue Max D-VII drawings. Herbert L. Kelly, 56424 Handley Rd., Yucca Valley, Calif. 92284 - 11 plates averaging 34" x 54" with all details needed to build 160-180 hp Mercedes D-VII - $110.00.

Fokker Dr I Fokker D- VIII

Nieuport 17 Nieuport 27

Macchi Hanriot HD-l RAFSE5A

Sopwith Camel

Walter Redfern, Box G, Tekoa, Wash. - Plans for Warner-powered replica $50.00. Brochure $2.00. E. O. Swearingen, 40 Monee Rd.,

Park Forest, Ill. 60466. Drawings,

from Platz originals, for Warner

powered replica.

Fred Kom Losy (address above) -

Rosendaal drawings. Air Force Mu

seum, Dayton, Ohio - Drawings.

Fred Kom Losy (address above) Drawings.

Gordon E. Codding (address above)

- Drawings.

Chris J . Warrilow, 141 Chairbo

rough Rd ., High Wycome, Bucks,

England - Set of Drawings $120.00.

Replica PlanS, 953 Kirkmond Cres

cent, Richmond, B.C., Canada -

Darwings for 85% scale wooden

replica.

Air Force Museum - Drawings.

Gordon E. Codding (address above)

- Drawings.

RAE Farnborough, Public Records

Office, Chancery Lane, London,

England - Drawings.

Gordon E. Codding (address above)

- Drawings.

Chris J. Warrilow (address above) Clayton and Shuttleworth drawings

of Camel FI and some of 2FI. 200

drawings $144.00.

Gordon E. Codding (address above) - Drawings. Smithsonian Institution, Washing ton, D. C., - 72 drawings 18" x 24" $162.00. Air Force Museum, Dayton, Ohio Drawings. Hawker-Siddeley, Kingston-uponThames - Drawings. Public Records of Hawker-Siddeley (above has drawings for 100 hp con version). Sopwith Triplane Chris J. Warrilow (address above) Clayton and Shuttleworth drawings $72.00. SPADs 7/13 Gordon E. Codding (address above) - Drawings. Air Force Museum, Dayton, Ohio Drawings.

Sopwith Pup

BELOW -

Thomas-Morse S4C

Gordon E. Codding (address above) - Drawings.

We also recommend that World War I replica en thusiasts contact two groups which publish newsletters on their favorite activity, building and flying aircraft of The Great War. They are: "World War I Aeroplanes" by Leonard E. Opdycke, 46 Pleasant Ridge Road, Poughkeepsie, New York 12603. "Fokker Verein." Contact Dr. Stanley L. Morel, 812 East Park Row, Arlington, Texas 76010 (Phone 277 8361). The Fokker Verein is not limited to Fokker en thusiasts - all World War I types are included. Your editor would like to hear of sources of any other plans and/or organizations devoted especially to the above type of activity. We will be happy to publish the information in The Vintage Airplane. (Ted Koston Photo)

E. O. Swearingen's much admired Fokker O-VIII and a friend from another generation .

(Ralph Nortell Photo) "

ABOVE Fokker Triplane built by Walt Redfern . (Salo Photo)

RIGHT - Sopwith Camel. Now on exhibit at Wings and Wheels in Santee, S. C.

AROUND THE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC WORLD

(Photo by Ted Koston)

PROBLEMS!

(Photo by Dick Stouffer)

PROBLEMS!

(Photo Courtesy Lee Parsons)

PROBLEMS!

OH , THOSE PROBLEMS!

RARE WACO FOR SALE

Memorial Day weekend is enough to drive the An tique and Classic buff from drink! That same long week end three of the largest and most active type clubs in the antique-classic world are holding their national fly ins. The Staggerwing, Swift, and Waco Clubs all meet that weekend, their fly-in sites tantalizingly close for those of us who would like to attend all three.

There is one Waco YPF-6 left. This is the one that looks a lot like the fabulous "D" owned by Dick Jackson. It has the sliding greenhouse, etc., but a smaller Jacobs R~755-9 rather than the 450-hp Pratt and Whitney. This aircraft was well into the process of restoration when its owner passed away. The center section and cowl are complete, the fuselage primed, and jigs for the wing ribs have been built. The engine is zero time since overhaul. Wing spars have been purchased. The aircraft is a 1935 Waco UPF-6 , Serial Number 4375, NC 15700. The en gine serial number is JO-21395. The aircraft is located just across the street from the Boulder, Colorado airport. Contact: Lucille Bennett, 5117 Independence Road, Boulder, Colorado 80301 (3 03/442-3123 ). This would be a highly desirable antique and a special prize among Waco buffs.

STAGGERWING Tullahoma, Tennessee's big World War II training field-now-municipal-airport is where Staggerwing Club President "Dub" Yarbrough will greet his fellow Beech buffs. All sorts of "down home" activities are on tap for the May 25-28 spree. Items: A Tennessee "Hoedown" on Saturday night (with "Tennessee spirits"); panel dis cussions and actual demonstrations of Staggerwing re pair, maintenance, inspection, and rebuilding; feat.ured speaker is Louise Thaden, winner of the 1936 BendIx in a Staggerwing, of course. Camping facilities are available - including shower and toilet and electrical hook-up. In addition to the stars of the show, the Stag gerwings, there will be glider flying and even hot air bal loons. Time is short, but for last minute fly-in informa tion contact: W. C. Yarbrough, Lannom Mfg. Co. , Inc., Tullahoma, Tennessee 37388.

SWIFT Your first problem in going to the Swift Fly-In will be finding where to go! Gilbertsville, Kentucky is the nearest town, the landmark to look for is the Kentucky Lake Dam, and the airport will be the one with scores of Swifts buzzing all over the place - its name on your chart is Kentucky Dam State Park Airport. When you get your chart down to find all this, look at the extreme western end of Kentucky, find Paducah, then trace the Tennessee River east to the Kentucky Lake Dam. By then you should have the airport symbol located. This is a beautiful resort area and a fantastic site for any kind of outdoor event. Last year Charlie Nelson's Swift nuts came in from all over the country in droves - around 100 of the snappy little low wingers were on hand (probably the biggest assemblage of Swifts on one airport since the factory had 'em sitting around awaiting Aeromatic Props just after World War II!) All sorts of activi.ty is ?n tap with lots of flying promised. Your contact IS SWIft Club President Charlie Nelson, Swift Association, Box 644, Athens, Tennessee 37303.

WACO We outlined the activities that will go on at the Waco Fly-In in the February issue of The Vintage Airplane . .. but for new members, here is a resume. The Hamilton, Ohio municipal airport is the site of the annual Waco Fly In and the meet is always a biggie. Ray Brandly, Presi dent of the Waco Club, will host the event. Formation flying of huge gaggles of big 01' Wacos is a trademark of this fly-in .. . it goes on all clay, everyday if the weather is decent. A banquet is held on Saturday night and the featured speaker will be Mr. Clayton Bruckner who was President of the Waco Company throughout its existence. Mr. Bruckner, needless to say, is a walking storehouse of Waco history - as is Brandly himself. Contact: Ray Brandly, National Waco Club, 2650 West Alex.-Bell brook Road, Dayton, Ohio 45459. So there you are ... all are great fly-ins . "You pays your money and you takes your choice," as the saying goes. As soon as the Antique-Classic Division member ship roll hits the one million mark, we're going to ask the boss to lease a Lear Jet so we can attend all three!

PORTERFIELD CLUB If you are an admirer of The Skinny Bird , the lIttle Porterfields of the late 30s and early 40s, you will want to join the Porterfield Club and get their newsletter. For information write Marc Herman , 2306 Hyperion Avenue, Los Angeles , California 90027. A recent Porterfield restoration is N27281 , a 1940 LP-65, rebuilt by William R. Knox of Marietta, Georgia. Painted red and cream, the bird is reported to be a beauty. This will not be hard to believe for those of ~ ou who remember Bill's Fairchild 24 of a few years back. He is now hard at work on a 1929 Fleet I.

STEARMAN RESTORERS

ASSOCIATION

For many years the Stearman Restorers j.ssocia tion served as the Stearman Type Club for both the EAA and AAA and was an active force in the sport flying world. But for the past few years it has been inactive, due mainly to the great time and travel requirements of Bill McCreary's job. For some time now Bill has tried to get me to take over the position of President of the SRA and get it active again and I have finally agreed to do so. With the apparent increase in interest in the Stearman as shown by fly-in activities during the past couple of years I hope that we will be able to make it a Vital. part of sport aviation once again. In the near future I wIll be mailing a letter to all past SRA members and to other known Stearman enthusiasts detailing the re-activation of the SRA. Members who had paid up membership dues during the last active year of the SRA will be c~n sidered to be paid in full for the next year. Anyone m terested in the Stearman Restorers Association please feel free to contact me. Thomas E. Lowe, President Stearman Restorers Association 823 Kingston Lane Crystal Lake, Ill. 60014 Telephone 815-459-6873

VINTAGE AIRPLANE BACK ISSUES Membership in the Antique-Classic Division of EAA is growing very rapidly. Most new members want to get all the back issues to date - which we have done as long as possible. Due to the demand, the February issue (which featured Wacos) is completely used up. (We al most forgot to save file copies for ourselves at Head quarters!) We still have a few of the January and March 1973 issues and will send them out on a first come, first served basis. . It is amazing that a magazine only four

months old is already considered a collector's item! Thank you all for your confidence. On another matter, we simply were unprepared for the landslide of mail the Antique-Classic Division and The Vintage Airplane have generated. Many of you asked questions, made special requests, etc. in your mem bership letters. Please be patient, we will answer you as soon as possible.

EAA IN ACTION Within the past few years a number of antique air craft produced in foreign countries have been imported to the U. S. These include such favorites as the Bucker Jungmann and Jungmeister, Canadian built Tiger Moths, Stampes, plus various ex-military aircraft such as Me. lOSs and 109s, Spitfires, Sea Furies, and others. One of the first problems the new American owner en counters is how (and if) the FAA will license the air craft. All the aircraft mentioned have never been certi ficated in the U.S.A. and no category exists for such machines .. . except the catch-all "Exhibition" classifi cation. Several hundred non U. S. type certificated air craft have been placed in this category in recent years. This caused no undue hardship until the crash of the F-S6 into an ice cream parlor in Sacramento, California last fall. Now, all FAA offices have been instructed to enforce the letter of the law on Exhibition Category aircraft. This means the plane can ONLY be used for proficiency flights in a small local area designated by the FAA, flown to and from bona fide air shows, and with no pas sengers. Obviously, this renders these otherwise fine air craft almost useless. In order to bring about some relief for owners of such aircraft, EAA President Paul Poberezny called a meeting of all national sport aviation groups and the FAA at EAA Headquarters. That meeting was held March 2. A second meeting will be held at Hales Corners on April 30. As of this writing there are indications that your organization's efforts will bring much needed re lief to owners of these fine vintage aircraft.

This is Joseph L. McKinstray (EAA 50730), 1500 W. Belle St., Belleville, III. 62223 and his 1946 Piper J-3 which he completely restored. The plane was destroyed (?) by fire and was acquired by Joe in March of 1970. Two years later he had it flying again. The bird required one spar, 50% new ribs, new instruments, and a dif ferent engine and prop. It is covered in Stits Polyfiber and is painted as close to original (except for side num bers) as possible.

MENASCO NEEDS H. C. Leydecker, 2031 Sprucewood Place, Birming ham, Alabama 35214 has a Menasco D-4-S7 A that is al most new but lacks a few parts: one intake valve rocker and shaft, starter and adapter, and a gasket set. Can anyone help? Mr. Leydecker is also restoring a 1946 14-13-2 Bellanca with a 190-hp Lycoming and would like to hear from others with the same kind of airplane.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

MAY 4-6 - SANTEE. SOUTH CAROLINA - 5th Annual Spring Fly-In of Carolinas-Virginia EANAntique-Classic Chapter 395. Wings and Wheels Museum-Airport. Contact : Morton Lester , Box 3747, Mar tinsville, Va. 24112. MAY 4-6 - PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA - 3rd Ryan SC, St. PT Fly-In. Contact: T. D. Strum . 1570 Kensington Circle, Los Altos, Cal. 94022 - Rain Date : May 11 -13. MAY 18-20 - WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA - Annual Fly-In . MAY 18-20 - CALLAWAY GARDENS, GEORGIA - Eastern 195 An nual Meeting. Business meeting followed bV maintenance semi nar. Family type affair. Contact: Bill Terrell , M. D., Rt. 2, Box 380, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. (513) 393-4454. MAY 20 HARVARD, ILLINOIS Dacy Airport, Antique Fly-In. Contact: Tom Lowe, 823 Kingston Lane , Crystal Lake , III. 60014. MAY 25-28 TULLAHOMA, TENNESSEE Staggerwing Fly-In. Contact: W. E. " Dub " Yarbrough, Lannon Mfg., Box 500, Tulla homa, Tenn. 37388. MAY 25-28 GILBERTSVILLE, KENTUCKY National '73 Swift Association Fly-In . Contact: Charlie Nelson, Swift Association , Inc., Box 644, Athens, Tenn. 37303. MAY 26-28 - HAMILTON, OHIO - National Waco Fly-In . Hamilton, Ohio Airport. Banquet on Saturday night featuring Clayton Bruk ner, President of the Waco Company , as guest speaker . Contact : National Waco Club , 2650 W. Alex.-Bellbrook Rd. , Dayton , Ohio 45459. JUNE 1-3 - MERCED, CALIFORNIA - Annual Fly-In. Contact : An tique Fly-In, P. O. Box 2312, Merced , Calif . 95340.

JUNE 3 BURLINGTON, WISCONSIN Burlington Municipal Airport. Piper Fly-In/Swap Meet for Piper Aircraft from the E-2 to the PA-20 Pacer. Sponsored by EANAntique Classic Di vision. For further information contact EAA Headquarters. JUNE 8-10 - DENTON, TEXAS - Denton Municipal Airport. 11th Annual Texas Antique Fly-In. Everyone welcome . Texas hospitality assured . Contact : Jack Winthrop , 3536 Whitehall Dr., Dallas, Texas 75229. JULY 21-22 - LA RUE, WISCONSIN - 5th Annual Antique Trans portation Meet. Near world famous Baraboo , Wisconsin. Antiques only . Registration fee - $5.00. This is a fun meet. For information, contact Edward C. Wegner, 10 Stafford St., Plymouth, Wisc . 53073. JULY 29-AUGUST 4 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - 21st Annual EAA International Fly-In Convention. Complete program and awards for antique and classic ai rcraft. World's greatest aviation event. AUGUST 10-12 - ARLINGTON, WASHINGTON - EANAntique Fly In. Contact : Dick Baxter, 15845 8th N. E., Seattle, Wash. 98155. Phone 206/EM5-1657. SEPTEMBER 28-30 GASTONIA, NORTH CAROLINA - Gastonia Municipal Airport. Carolinas-Virginia Chapter 395 Annual Fall Fly-In. Contact Morton Lester, P. O. Box 3745, Martinsville, Va. 24112. SEPTEMBER 28-30 GALESBURG , ILLINOIS 2nd National Stearman Fly-In . Contact : Jim Leahy, 445 N. Whitesboro , Galesburg , Illinois 61401 or Tom Lowe , 823 Kingston Lane , Crystal Lake, Illi nois 60014.

EAA Antique/Classic embroidered patches (pictured at right) - A distinctive, colorful emblem . $1 .50 each EAA Caps - men and ladies. Specify small, medium , large, or extra large. Ladies, one size . $2.25 each 1973 EAA Calendar. Made of heavy, unbleached cloth . Features full color renditions of a Standard J-1 , P-51, Scorpion Helicopter, and a Dyke Delta. $2.30 each EAA Flight Bags. Durable nylon with waterproof lining. Blue with EAA decal on both sides. $4.50 each

-------- *-------足 Write for a complete listing of EAA publications and merchandise free of charge. Includes a listing of all available back issues of Sport Aviation

-------- * . .------足 :. . EAA PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST TO ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC ENTHUSIASTS AND/OR RESTORERS Wood . Vol. 1 Wood. Vol. 2 Sheet Metal . Vol. 1 Sheet Metal. Vol. 2 Tips on Fatigue ........ . .... .... . . . . . Welding ...... . .... . Dope and Fabric ......... . Hand Tools. Vol. 1 ... . .... . . ..... .. . Hand Tools. Vol. 2 CAM 18 (Reprint) CAM 107 (Reprint) . Flying and Glider Manual Reprints ..

1929 . .. . 1932 .... ....... . .... . . .. . . . 1929-32 .... . . ... .

$2.00

$2.50

$2 .50

$2.00

$2.50

$2 .50

$2.50

$3.00

$4 .00

$2 .00

$2.00

'" Add 30c postage for first manual plus 10c for each additional one

Wings Of Memory - 72 pages of Aero Digest reprints. Covers the greats of civil

aviation from 1932 to 1941 . Ryan STA . Howard DGA-9 , Fai rchild 24. Cessna Air足

master. Rearwin Speedster, Fleetwings " Sea Bird ". Stinson SR-1O , Stearman Model

80 . and many more. Beautiful photos. 3-views and flight reports. $2.50 Golden Age Of Air Racing - 168 pages covering the great 1929-1939 air racing

era. All about the racers and their pilots who flew for the Bendix , Thompson ,

Greve and other trophies. $2.75

Back Issues of American Airman. While they last - 25c ea .

ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS - When you complete the restoration of an an足 tique or classic (specify which), you are eligible for a beautiful certificate you will frame and be proud to display in your home or office. These certificates are free, courtesy of EAA to recognize your efforts to save another great old airplane. Just send your name and address and the year, make and model (i.e. - 1937 Monocoupe 90A) of your ai rcraft. Solo certificates are also available.

JOIN EAA -

JOIN THE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION -

WRITE FOR INFO PACKET -

EAA Antique/Classic Division P. O. Box 229 Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130

$1.00

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The Vintage Airplane is the official publication of Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc., a division of The Experimental Aircraft Association, Hales Corners, Wis~onsin.