VA-Vol-1-No-7-June-1973

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THE PRESIDENT'S PAGE

By E. E. "Buck" Hilbert, President

EAA Antique/Class ic Division

ANTIQUES AND CLASSICS AT OSHKOSH I'm sure you all have the June issue of SPORT AVIATION. Open it to page eleven and review the Do 's and Don 'ts for Oshkosh . Digest all there is about flightline safety and then reread item four.

Bring your own t ie downs , if at all possible, and be certain to use t hem . I saw a beau足 tiful1939 Aeronca Chief get flipped in a sudden summer thundershower o ne year. It wasn 't at Oshkosh . The tie down ropes were neatly coiled around the already installed anchors.

That little oversight erased a lot of diligent labor and beautiful workmansh ip , and left in 揃 its place a hollow sinking void in the pit of one guy's stomach . Not only was the owner足 builder heartsick , so was everyone around him who saw it. Carrying home a " Hard Luck " consolation prize was a pretty poor substitute for all that hard work and effort. Let's pro足 tect our machines, and ourselves the best way we can.

One thing not on the list. Let's practice a little tail blast courtesy. Hold that rpm down on taxi and ground maneuver. We w ill be parked in the grass. It' ll be dusty. Just take it easy and let's all have a good time. See you there!!

I~f ~ ~IAbf ARPlA~f

HOW TO JOIN THE ANTIQUE足 CLASSIC DIVISION VOLUME 1 -

NUMBER 7

JUNE 1973

TABLE OF CONTENTS A Covey of Cubs .. . By Jack Cox. . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

Vintage Aircraft At Watsonville .. . By Jack Cox .

Around the Antique-Classic World ... .... . .. . ...

Calendar of Events ... ........ ... .... .. .. ... ....

Members hip in the EAA Antique-Classic Divi足 sion is open to all EAA members who have a spe足 cial interest in the older a ircraft that are a proud part of 'our aviation heritage. Membership in the Antiqu e-C lassic Division is $10.00 per year which entitles ' one to 12 issues of The Vintage Airplane publi shed monthly at EAA Headquarters. Each member wi ll a lso receive a special Antique-Classic 4 membership card plus one additional card for 8 one's spouse or other designated family member.

11 Membership in EAA is $15.00 per year which 14 includes 12 issu es of SPORT A VIA TION. All mem足 bership correspondence shou ld be a ddressed to: EAA, Box 229, Ha les Corners , Wisconsin 53 130.

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

Editor - Jack Cox Assistant Editor - Golda Cox

ON THE COVER . .. Grassroots Avi ation . Photo by Ted Koston.

BACK COVER ... Gar Williams ' Cessna Airm aster and Berne Vocke's Staggerwing. Photo by Ted Koston.

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 .

SECRETARY RICHARD WAGNER BOX 181 LYONS, WIS . 53148

TREASURER NICK REZICH 4213 CENTERVILLE RD .

ROCKFORD , ILL. 61102

33303

DIVISION EXECUTIVE SECRETARY DOROT HY CHASE , EAA HEADQUARTERS THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is owned exclUSively by Ant ique ClaSSic Airc raft , Inc. and is published monthly at Hales Corners, Wi sconsin 53130. Second Class Permit pending at Hales Corners Post Office, Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130. Membership rates for Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc. are $10.00 per 12 month period of which $7.00 is for the subscription to THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE . All Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc . members are required to be members 01 the parent organization, the Experimental Aircraft Association. Membership is open to all who are interested in avi.ation.

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

Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130

Copyright .<; 1973 Antique Classic Alrc(aft. Inc. All Ri ghts Rese rvp.d .

3

By Jack Cox

Have you ever seen a yellow buzzard? How about eight or ten yellow buzzards wallowing along in the tur­ bulence, one behind another?? This was what I kept thinking as fellow EAA staffer Gene Chase and I chugged along in Piper J-3 N36271, the tail end C harlies in a gag­ gle of J-3's engaged in a flour bombing contest.

The occasion was the EAA Antique-Classic Division's Piper Fly-In held Sunday, June 3 at the Burlington, Wis­ consin Municipal Airport. The event was the flour bomb­ ing contest, run over a short triangular course laid out from Burlington to Dick Wagner's strip at Lyons, to a small private strip just north west of Burlington and re­ turn to the starting point. Both private strips had large cloth targets laid out and each pilot had been given two flour sacks .. .

The start of the contest, the initial take-off, was ac­ tually event Number One of the day, the short field take­ off. Even with ot' pro Gene Chase handling the controls, we didn't stand much of a chance because there were two of us aboard, whereas most of the other contestants were solo . .. but what the heck, we were out to have fun , not to win . . . necessarily.

After take-off, I took the controls since I was more familiar with the local country side. Leveling out just above the legal limit for open country, I aimed for Dick Wagner's strip while Gene prepared for his "bomb" drop.

Up ahead were all the other Cubs - everyone yellow ­ strung out loosely and each dipping and gently wallowing in the mild chop . .. for all the world like a flight of stately yellow buzzards!

I won't elaborate on the results of our bomb drops ...

I never saw either of our sacks once they left Gene's fingers ... or my landing in the short field contest, my

4

(Dick Stouffer Photo)

first in a J-3 in nine years. Suffice it to say Gene and I weren't around when the trophies were awarded, but true to our intended purpose, we had a ball!

The fun we had and that experienced by everyone else who came to Burlington that Sunday was what the Piper Fly-In was all about. From its inception the day was planned as a low key affair with the participant and his airplane foremost in mind. The only scheduled events were those described above and the trophy presentation for the winners, plus a parts swap session. The remainder of the day was left for just plain fun flying and buddy hopping. There was an abundance of the latter.

The day started off about as dismal as one could imag­ ine. Rain came in buckets! Everyone was huddling under Cub wings listening to the drumming of the drops on taut fabric - few conversations were drowned out because few had enough spirit to talk at that point. By 10:00 o'clock, however, spirits and Cubs went flying as the heavens opened up producing a beautiful warm and sunny day. Even a moderate breeze was blowing right down Burlington's grass runway - perfect for Cubs! The bad weather did have the effect of limiting the participa­ tion to the northern Illinois/southern Wisconsin area, still 36 aircraft were registered. Everyone who did attend had a great time and many wanted to know when the next such gathering would take place.

The gathering of the Pipers was on the EAA property immediately adjacent to the Burlington airport. The site is a 50 acre farm that lies in the southeastern corner of the field - the land that forms the pie wedge between the east/west and north/south runways and a river. There is a lot of level pasture area for aircraft parking and lots of

trees near the river's bank for camping and picnics. The farm house (still occupied) and barn are intact, the latter to be used for storage of EAA Air Museum aircraft. It is a beautiful piece of property and with direct access to the runways, is an excellent site for small informal fly-ins of the type held on June 3.

Now, about those contests ... the ones who were winning and having fun while Gene and I were just hav­ ing fun were: SHORT FIELD TAKE-OFF - Al Kelch of Mequon, Wisconsin in his beautifully restored 1939 J-3 N32940.

Powered with a C-85, Al was off so short the judges had to run back toward the starting line to mark his jump off spot!

BARRIER LANDING - To prove his win above was more than just a lot of engine power, Al Kelch also took the barrier or short field contest ... where flying skill really shows. Al is a businessman of Mequon (just north of Milwaukee), is a Cub enthusiast practically without peer and has his own private strip behind his home on which to daily practice to make the rest ofus look bad!

CROSS COUNTRY FLOUR BOMBING - Mark Fay of Plainfield, Illinois won using Dick Hill's 1937 J-2 as his aiming platform . This teenager really knows how to hurt us over-thirty guys!

In addition to the contest winners, awards were pre­ sented to the following: OLDEST PIPER - Awarded to Greg Yates of Plain­ field, Illinois for Dick Hill's 1933 Taylor E-2 Cub. Dick is well known to Oshkosh goers as the owner of both an E-2 and a J-2 which are in the air constantly and usually in the world's slowest formation. An airline pilot, Dick has recruited a couple of his neighbor's sons, Greg Yates and Mark Fay, to do the flying when his schedule keeps him busy with the big birds. (How would you have liked living next door to a guy like that when you were grow­ ing up!) The 40th birthday of the E-2 is being celebrated this year (see photo) .

OLDEST J-3 - Again Al Kelch strode forth to claim the booty. His J-3 is 34 years old this year, having been minted in Lock Haven in 1939.

LONGEST DISTANCE - This award is often one of great significance, considering the cruising speed of a J-3 . .. it involves persistence, self discipline and tremendous physical endurance. Fortunately, in a J-3 one's physical range is about the same as that of the aircraft - the only problem is airports without adequate johns! Anyhow, this year's winner was Dave Hamilton who, along with wife Phylis, scooted in from Anderson, Indiana - 275 miles.

They played it smart by flying in on Saturday which was a beautiful day. Dave's J-3 is familiar as the Grand Cham­ pion Classic Airplane from the 1972 Oshkosh Fly-In. He had just overhauled the engine and repainted the nose cowling pieces, finishing the job immediately before take­ off for Burlington. The overhaul must have been a good one as no problems were experienced and no more than normal oil streaking was evident when he landed. Dave has been a staunch supporter of the Antique-ClassIc Divi­ sion since its inception and is a member of the very active EAA Chapter 226 in Anderson, Indiana. Making this trip to support one of the Division's very first activities is an indication of his and his wife's devotion to the vintage air­ craft movement and is greatly appreciated by all ofus.

What kind of Pipers were on hand for the day's ac­ tivities? The old timers were the E-2s owned by Dick Hill and Gene Chase. Unfortunately, Gene was not able to get his licensed in time to participate in the flying ac­ tivity, but did buzz out near sunset to a nearby field on a ferry permit. By then the wind was picking up and those remaining were treated to some REALLY slow flight . .. it was a good thing the airport he was taking the bird to was downwind of Burlington!

(Dick Stouffer Photo)

AI Kelch, left , took away exactly half of the Piper Fly­ In awards! He won the Short Field Take-Off, Barrier Landing and Oldest J-3 plaques. Good show, AI. Presi­ dent Buck Hilbert does the honors.

Next oldest Piper was Dick Hill's J-2, followed by a brace of 13 J-3s. One J-5 was on hand, one PA-12 Super Cruiser and one PA-18. Vagabonds were there in both versions, three PA-15s and one PA-17. In addition there were three Taylorcrafts ... perhaps to remind us that C.

(Dick Stouffer Photo)

The Oldest Piper plaque was accepted by Greg Yates , left, who flew in Dick Hill 's 1933 Taylor E-2.

5

G. Taylor had a few things to do with both lines of air­ craft.

As always several aircraft owners did not register, in­ cluding the pilots of a Pacer and a Clipper or two. Several homebuilts, assorted Aeroncas, Cessna 120/140s, Lus­ combes and a couple of antiques came in to enjoy the day - clearly indicating the interest in similar type club activity involving other brands.

Most of the credit for the successful day - other than that from the heavens - must go to Antique-Classic Di­ vision Secretary Dick Wagner, his family and employees of Wag-Aero. They made all the necessary arrangements, laid out bombing targets, made posters until the wee

hours the night before, had participant decals made and helped man the registration desk on Fly-In day . Above and beyond the call of duty was the fact that he also had his two J-3s, his J-5 and PA-15 Vagabond on the field with a line up of pilots to take almost everyone for a ride who wanted to savor the pleasures of flivver flying once again. President Buck Hilbert was all over the place, as usual, and made his PA-18 available to almost everyone with a ticket. He also flew a couple of our photographers and really got current in slow flight and power on stalls trying to stay back with a slowly climbing E-2!

How can one sum up the Piper Fly-In? . . Simply by wishing ourselves many happy returns.

(Di c k Sto uffer Pho to)

Mark Fay accepts the Cross Country Flour Bombing plaque from President Buck . He made his drops from a 1937 J-2.

(Dick Stouffer Photo)

President Buck, right, presents Phylis Hamilton (na­ turally!) with the Longest Distance award . She and hus­ band Dave, center, flew thei r 1972 Grand Champion Classic Cub from Anderson, Indiana for the Piper Fly-In.

(Lee Fray Pho to)

BELOW: The second oldest Piper at Burlington, Gene Chase 's 1935 E-2 .

(Lee Fray Ph o to)

The oldest Piper/Taylor at Bur足 lington - Dick Hill's 1933 E-2 .

(Lee Fray Ph o to )

Mr. and Mrs. Jack Kromer of Mt. Carroll , illinois and the ir PA-15 Vagabond . Note that modern Piper Product in the backg round that came in to pay homage to its ancestors.

(Lee Fray Ph oto)

Gene Townsend of Chapter .274 in Decatur, Illinois brought in his sharp T-Craft to s ~ ow the troops what C. G. Taylor went on to after he left Piper.

.

(Dick Sto uffer Photo)

Dick Wagner's J-5 Cruiser. Painted in the original red/ orange with black trim , the bird was not only beautiful but was the easiest to spot, air-to-air, of anyth ing at the Fly-In .

(Lee Fray Photo)

Funny, isn 't it . . . to the youth of today the Piper J-3 is ANCIENT. A 55 year old Jenny or a 45 year old Travel Air is utterly incomprehensible!

(Dick Stouffer Ph o to)

Dick Hill's Taylor E-2 Cub is 40 years old this year - so had to have a " cake". Don 't overlook the candles! The celebrants are, left to right, Mark Fay, Lee Ann Entyre, Greg Yates (the lucky pilot) , Jeanne Lehman and owner Dick Hill.

7

V\NTAGE A\RC

By Jack Cox After having attended antique aircraft fly-ins in every section of the country - except California - your editor finally had the opportunity to close the circle by attending the well known Watsonville, California Fly-In May 18-20.

It is always an adventure to go to a fly-in populated with aircraft and people you have never seen before, as was the case for me at Watsonville. The antique and clas­ sics that showed up were full of surprises .. . at both ends of the scale. For instance, I saw more Ryans (10) than r hai ever seen at one time; more Travel Air 4000s (4) than ever on one Held; two flyable World War I types - an Avro 504K and a Sopwith Pup; two Harlows, which constitute 50% of the total active population; and a whole passel of Bellanca 14-13s and 19s. On the other hand, I was mildly surprised to see only one Stagger­ wing! In all the years I have been attending antique fly­ ins, I am certain this was the first time I have ever seen the Staggerwings outnumbered by Howards!

At any new-to-me fly-in I always look for the rare birds, the one-of-a-kinds and near sole survivor types.

One of the very first I spotted was a sailplane, of all things . . . a real live Baby Bowlus. The graceful little craft was towed in from Hollister, California by a Taylor­ craft and after release for a landing made some of the tightest circles I have ever seen. The Baby is owned by Hans Falkenberg and Fred Starbuck of Hollister.

Further down tlie line was Don Hicks 1931 Buhl Bull Pup, N320Y . This ship has been featured in west coast aviation magazines , but was interesting to see in the flesh , er, aluminum.

On another line was a yellow low wing Aeronca, a 1936 LC owned by Wayne Kerr of Stockton. It is powered by a five cylinder, 90 horsepower Warner. Including the out-of-license examples, the FAA has records of 11 of these birds.

More trudging around brought me to one of the three known Phillips Skylark's , N19995, a CT2 owned by Ray Karlovich of San Mateo. Built in 1940 this rare biplane is equipped with a 145 Warner.

Nearby was a brown and white New Standard D­ 29-A. Owned by George R. Dray of Walnut Creek, Cali­ fornia, this Kinner powered bird is the only one flying I am aware of. Built in Patterson, New Jersey in 1929, N155A was Serial Number 1007. It has a unique "bathtub" type cockpit - one big opening containirr'g both seats in t a ndem.

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Already mentioned were ' the two Harlows. One , N18978, owned by United Captain Mel E. Heflinger of Redondo, California is Serial Number 1. It is a beautiful restoration and is quite a performer since being re-en­ gined with a 185-hp Warner. This Harlow is a trophy win­ ner everywhere it goes and has been written up in a couple of magazines . Incidentally, Mel and EAA Director Bob Puryear were attending Pasadena Junior College when Max Harlow was teaching there and getting production of the PJC-2 underway. A second Harlow, N6529 owned

by John MacPherson of Salinas, California, was also on hand. This one, Serial Number 7, was built in 1940 and is powered by a 165 Warner. Two other Harlows, N3947B (Ser. No.6) and N64760 (Ser. No. 3), complete the list of these beautiful aircraft still carried on FAA's records. .

Of personal interest to me was Bill Nutting's big Waco SRE, NC1252W. Although featured on the cover of the May 1972 issue of SPORT AVIATION, this was my first opportunity to see the aircraft since I had helped load the "bones" on a U-Haul truck at Camden, South Caro­ lina in 1969. Bill has done a magnificent job in restor­ ing the Waco and was one of the most active pilots at Watsonville. He &sts the SRE almost daily and has made numerous long cross countries, including a recent vaca­ tion jaunt to Baja, California.

Just as in all other sections of the country , the up­ surge in restoration of Classics, the 1946 to 1953 factory builts, is continuing. There were several beautiful Stin­ son 108s - including Jon Schultz's dash-3 which he flew in from Lincoln, Nebraska to easily take the long dis­ tance award; Cubs galf're; some nice Champs and Chiefs; a couple of outstanding Luscombes; and two or three Cess­ na 195s that obviously had lots of money and elbow grease lavished on them . Additionally, I spotted an absolutely stunning Taylorcraft BD-12D, a Funk, several Cessna 120/140s, and some slick Swifts - not as many as I ex­ pected to see in California, but I suppose many were preparing to fly east to the Swift Fly-In. As an ex-Bellanca 14-13 owner, I was pleased to see several top notch 14-13 and 14-19 restorations. There are 305 14-13s and only 43 14-19s left, according to FAA registration lists. For some reason California and Georgia seem to be the happy hunting grounds for these early triple-tail Bellancas. Bill Husk of Dublin, Georgia has been the Bellanca guru in that area for many years and is largely responsible for the concentration of the planes there. California? Don't know .. : perhaps, the fellows there just appreciate a good airplane .

WATSONVILLE (Composite photo by Jack Cox)

On Saturday night a gigantic banquet/awards dinner was held at the local fair grounds with Tony Le Vier as the featured speaker. Tony's presentation consisted of a narrated slide show with shots taken during his racing days and more recent experiences as a test pilot for Lock­ heed. The pictures of the Keith Rider/Schoenfeldt "Firecracker" with which Le Vier sped to victory in the Greve Trophy race were the highlight of the presenta­ tion. He flew the 200 miles (20 laps) at an average speed of 250.886 mph and collected twelve thousand 1938 dol-· lars - $10,000 for nosing out Art Chester for first place and an additional $2,000 for exceeding the race record of 247.3 mph that had been set in 1936 by Frenchman Michel Detroyat in his Caldron-Renault. There were also some very interesting experimentals that Tony tested for friends in the late 1930s, proving that Los Angeles has always been a hotbed of homebuilding activity.

Later when trophies were awarded, the big vintage airplane winner was the magnificent A VRO 504 J /K owned by J. L. Terteling of Boise, Idaho. Built in 1916 by the A. V. Roe Company, the plane was given serial number B3182. It is designated today a 504 J /K because as were most of these long-lived machines , it underwent considerable update modification during its service life.

Starting off as a "J", B3182 was eventually equipped with the "K" universal engine mount and upper-wing fue-l-tftnk, hence the "J /K" designation .

This 504 J /K was brought to Mexico in the early 20s and labored in the high country until 1931 when it was taken from service and loaned to a trade school. It was later disassembled and stored until 1968 when it was brought to the U. S., advertised in good 01' Trade-A­ Plane and sold to the present owner.

The restoration was accomplished under the direction of Dean Wilson, who is one of the fortunate few such restorers who gets to fly the machine after the work is completed. Seventy per cent of the wood in the original machine was still good enough to be cleaned up and used. The tail section was 100% O.K. and 95% of the metal fittings were reusable. A great deal of research was done in order to make the restoration as authentic as possible. The paint scheme selected was that of the Home Defense and the paint was prepared to simulate the amount of aging expected on a one year old airplane.

The only concession to modern flying was the fitting of a 220-hp Continental on the universal engine mount

for cross-country work to air shows and for local flying.

The owner also has a 160-hp Gnome rotary which can be put in place for judging. So far, however it seems that judges have been so impressed with th~ aircraft and the beautiful work that was put into it, that the A VRO has not been penalized when the Continental was in place.

The machine was the AAA's Grand Champion for 1972 and now has also won the top award at Watsonville.

Think of the terrain Dean Wilson has flown over to get from Boise to Ottumwa, Iowa and Watsonville Califor­ nia and you will appreciate more fully the wisd~m of in­ stalling the Continental for cross country flying . . . per­ ha~s th.is so?ering thought also impressed a few judges ordmanly stIcklers for 100% authenticity.

Watsonville '73 was a well run fly-in and was quite successful despite some unseasonably cool and overcast weather. A cloud deck from the Pacific persisted in hov­ ering over the area all weekend, but never descended so low as to curtail flying at the airport. Visiting aircraft were able to sneak in through a narrow slot near the mountains to the east, but attendance was probably held down somewhat by the less than ideal conditions. The Watsonville Fly-In is sponsored jointly by the Northern California Chapter of AAA and the City of Watsonville ­ with a good assist from EAA Chapter 62 or nearby Santa Clara Valley. Chapter 62 handles the homebuilt portion of the show which is quite large. The Chapter maintains an EAA booth that dispenses information on the EAA its Divisions (including the Antique-Classic group) sell~ E~A publications and, in general, creates a lot of good WIll ~or al~ of us. They do a terrific job.

BIll RIchards, President of the Northern California Chapter, and Tom Slappendel, President of Chapter 62 are du~ several bow~ in behal~ of their respective groups for theIr fine .work m prepanng for and managing the 1973. WatsonVIlle Fly-In. The officials of the City of Wat­ sonvIlle who also took part deserve similar accolades.

EAA Headquarters was well represented at Watson­ ville. Antique-Classic President Buck Hilbert was parolled

by United long enough to sneak out for the weekend as w~s fellow United Captain Bob Puryear, one of our EAA DIrectors. Bob did not have to go far as he and wife Nor­ ma live just up the ridge in scenic, sunny and sublime Portola Valley. Dave Jameson, Vice President of the EAA

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Air Museum Foundation was on hand as were Golda Cox, EAA Chapter Executive Secretary and your editor.

We Easterners no longer have any faith in the Cali­ fornia Chamber of Commerce's claims of eternal sun­ shine and all that .. . but we really enjoy the Fly-Ins out there.

WATSONVILLE AWARDS

(Jack Cox Photo)

Irv Perch 's big Ford Tri-Motor N9651 (Serial Number 5-AT-34). The original owner was Trans World Airline.

Unlike most Fords which spent much of their early careers south of the border, this one was used exten­ sively in Alaska.

(Jack Cox Photo)

Max Robertson of Medford, Oregon

owns this 1929 Travel Air 4000.

(Jack Cox Photo)

NC124Y is Sam Haley's very nice Waco RNF.

10

GOLDEN AGE (1928- 1934) Open Biplane - Travel Air 4000, NC 9048, Martin Larson , Columbia, Californic.

GOLDEN AGE - Open Monoplane - Buhl Pup, N320Y, Don Hicks, Santa Paula, California GOLDEN AGE - Closed Monoplane - StinsO'.l Jr., Bob Meyers, San Diego, California CLASSIC AGE (1935-1941) Open Biplane - Meyers OTW, NC 34336, Richard Warden, Torrance, California CLASSIC AGE - Closed Biplane - Waco SRE, NC 1252W, Bill Nutting, Mountain View, California CLASSIC AGE - Open Monoplane - Ryan STA ­ Don Carter, San Francisco, California CLASSIC AGE - Closed Monoplane - Cessna Air­ master - Gary White, San Jose, California

(Jack Cox Photo)

Richard Warden of Torrance, California owns this beautiful restoration of a Meyers OTW.

(Jack Cox Photo)

This Sopwith Pup is the proud possession of Jim Ricklefs of San Carlos, California. He just missed having his SPAD restoration ready for Watsonville. A couple of weeks later at Merced, the SPAD was declared Grand Champion .

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(Jac k Cox Photo)

Jim Ricklefs and his Pup.

(Jack Cox Photo)

This is Harlow Serial Number 1. It was restored to per足 fection by Mel Heflinger, 528 Via La Selva , Redondo , California.

(Jac k Cox Photo)

A Baby Bowlus - a beautiful antique sailplane owned and flown by Hans Falkenberg and Fred Starbuck of Hollister, Californ ia.

(Jac k Cox Photo)

The Classic Airplane w inner (EAA classification) was Jim Benelli of Fresno , California for his Piper J-3 N6784H .

12

(Jack Cox Photo )

Don Hicks 1931 Buhl Bull Pup .

(Ja ck Cox Photo)

New Standard D-29-A owned by George R. Dray of Walnut Creek. California.

(Photo Courtesy Di ck Forger)

Dick Forger (EAA 68096, A-C 146), 204 Woodspath Rd ., Liverpool , New York 13088 and son Garry in one of two identically painted Tiger Moths (N8233 and N3529) he will have at Oshkosh this year. In his formation will also be an Interstate L-6 in military paint.

WHAT IS IT??

William Roberts, President of EAA Chapter 336 in Nashua, New Hampshire has a "mystery plane" for us to identify. The plane crashed on a farm near Burling足 ton , Vermont 35 years ago and was never retrieved - it has been in one of those barns we hear so much about ever since.

The pictures show the bird had a steel tube fuselage and was heavily faired with wood stringers. The landing gear and cockpit enclosure are possible identification aids. Also the engine mount. Naturally, there are no name plates and no N numbers to work with.

How about it, antique sleuths? What is it??

AROUND THE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC WORLD

Aviation photog rapher Ted Koston (EAA 44514) . Ted's excellent photos appear in almost every issue of The Vintage Airplane and Sport Avia­ tion. Here he is "captured" by Dick Stouffer, another regular on these pages.

Dear Jack: This weekend I visited with Mr. Charley Crow of Ft. Worth , a fellow PA-15 owner.

While there, he showed me a publication en­ titled " The Vintage Airplane" , May '73 issue.

Being a Vagabond enthusiast, I would like to have one of these magazines. It has a picture of the Vagabond on the front.

I purchased my PA-15 (4640H) right after a tornado had blown the hangar door in on it (got it cheap) and am attempting to restore it from the bare bones out. I've been able to get several drawings from Piper and many new parts. I have the 65-hp Lycoming , PA­ 17 type gear and single control on the left.

I'm going to install the dual control kit - I'll have to fabricate it from Piper drawings ­ and am considering the installation of another door on the left side. I know there are a few Vagabonds with doors on the left side. So far I have not been able to ascertain , for sure , whether the door installation requires an STC or if it can be done with a 337. Can you tell me? The only structure which would have to come out is the window channel and I can't tell if it is stressed or not.

I know you folks up there are busy doing the efficient job of running our " club " and I ask you for your comments only because there is little or no information available about this little airplane. Many A & P's don 't even know what a Vagabond Cub is.

'Thank you for your time and kind con­ sideration.

Aviation Regards ,

Billy C. Chandler , EAA 35787

9808 Warwana Rd.

Houston, Texas 77055

(Editor: Can anyone help Billy on the extra door installation?)

Dear Jack: Enclosed is my check for new member­ ship in the EAA Antique-Classic Division and renewal in EAA (48632).

After seeing the cover photo and story in the May issue you sent me it was difficult not to join. I have a Vagabond (N4333H) and am in the process of installing a C-85-12. Although the installation is complete, I do not have it signed off yet - hopefully, in a week or so.

Your article was very informative and told of many things I had wondered about. You also mentioned that you knew of no Vaga­ bond Clubs and there are a couple that I am aware of. Mr. H. C. Ogles (EAA 21280), 448 C Ave. , Coronado , California 92118 has a " Vagabond News" that he sends out about quarterly and I am sending you my last copy in hopes you have ti me to read it as there is an article in there you won 't bel ieve. The other club is headed up by Chester Elliott (EAA 13370), Box 318, RD 1, Sullivan , Ohio 44880 and through his efforts got together 12 of us Vag owners with 8 airplanes last September 10 at the Marion , Ohio EAA Fly-In. Did you ever go to that Fly-In? If not you ought to try and make it as it is O.K. Up until I got your copy of The Vintage Air­ plane I thought there was only one aviation mag (SPORT AVIATION) but now there are two - Ah , now my good wife will have even more trouble getting me to the supper table when it arrives!

Thank you and keep up the good work ­ some day we are going to come out there and see the Museum and visit you people.

Sincerely , John F. Eley Sunbury, Ohio 43074

P. S. A while back you wrote an extremely good article on the Luscombe. We don 't quite have it memorized yet, but we' re working on it!

(Editor's Note: See cover for Ted Koston 's picture of the three aircraft described in Ed 's letter.)

(Editor's Note: We enjoyed reading Mr. Ogles " Vagabond News" . It contains pictures and good information on member's airplanes. The " unbelievable" story concerns a Vag convert­ ed to tri-gear and operated as an outlaw for yearsl We hope to be at Marion this year.)

Dear Jack: Probably EAA will receive a good write up from someone on the two fly-ins here in north­ ern Illinois on May 20, 1973, so we will simply brief you on what we were concerned with .

The writer flew formation on Don Straughn 's Porterfield (1940) to Lewis-Lockport (111.) for an EAA Fly-In Breakfast. After a while , our Luscombe followed his Porterfield over to George Field , a private strip near Naperville, III. Here we waited for Bob Adamec and his '46 Taylo rcraft.

We were rather su rprised to see his passenger was none other than Ted Koston - photogra­ pher superb .

After a few photos of the people and their planes, Don Straughn offered to give Ted a ride up to Dacy Airport , near Harvard, Illinois, which was where we were all going. The idea was that Ted would have more freedom to

CALENDAR OF EVE NT S :JULY 14·15 - BROOKHAVEN TOWN AIRPORT - 11th Annual Fly­ In of the Antique Airplane Club of Greater New York. Antiques.

ClaSSics. Homebuilts and Ex-Military invited. Dinner Dance on Saturday night. Rain date July 22-23. Contact: Harry E. Geddes, 374 Latham Rd ., Mineola. New York 11501. 5161746-3453 .

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.

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photograph from the Porterfield than either the T-Craft or the Luscombe.

We flew a loose formation as the two classics and one antique made their way to Dacy for a free lunch. Don had the Porterfield all over the place trying to give Ted some good angles to shoot from. Our little Luscombe actually blushed from having her picture taken so many times! Bob Adamec and Herb Smok in the T-Craft did all the navigation. It was a good thing , too , because Luscombe N71101 didn 't know where she was most of the time!

We made it there O.K. and the last time we saw Ted Koston , he was doing his " thing " ­ taking more photos. It was a most enjoyable day to say the least.

Happy Land ings, R. E. " Ed " Jordan EAA 5824 , A-C 40 641 Redwood Dr. Aurora. III . 60506

FOR SALE - 1939 Rearwin Sportster, 90 hp.

Ken Royce. 165 SMOH , 16 STOH. Spare engine for parts. For sale or trade for J-3 or majored or low time 180 hp. 0-360 Ly­ coming. Phone 8171756-3346 evenings.

Shock rings for 1953 4-place WANTED Taylorcraft 15-A. Robert W. Peterson, RD 1, Mahaffey. Pa. 15757.

JUL Y 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 - EAA/Antique Fly­ In. Contact: Dick Baxter, 15845 8th N. E .• Seattle, Wash. 98155.

Phone 206lEM5-1657.

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-ln. Contact: Jim Leahy, 445 N. Whitesboro, Galesburg, illinoiS 61401 or Tom Lowe, 823 Kingston Lane, Crystal Lake, ill i­ 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

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

-------- * -------­ EAA PUBLICATIONS OF INTEREST TO ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC ENTHUSIASTS AND/OR RESTORERS Wood . Vol . 1

Wood . Vol . 2 Sheet M etal . Vol. 1 Sheet Metal . Vol . 2 .

Tips on Fatigue ...... . ..... .

Welding Do pe 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 .50

$2 .50

$2.00

$2.50

$2.50

$2.50

$3 .00

$4.00

$2.00

$2.00

$2. 00

'" Ad d 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. Fairchild 24 , Cessna Air­

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. Al l about th e 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 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 ai rplane. Just send your name and address and the year, make and model (i.e. - 1937 Monocoupe 90A) of your aircraft. Solo certificates are also available.

JOIN EAA -

JOIN THE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION -

WRITE FOR INFO PACKET -

EAA Antique/Classic Division P. O. Box 2·29 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.