-
STRAIGHT
AND
LEVEL
WHERE DID WE GO WRONG?
by Bob Lickteig
In the October issue, I introduced you to a special up-to-date report on avia tion prepared 31 years ago. I would like to further discuss this article titled "Air Age" as presented in LIFE magazine's special issue of June 18, 1956. This issue contained a series of articles cov ering the growth of all segments of avi ation up to that date plus predictions of what lay ahead in this exciting and de manding new industry. One of the editors, Charles Murphy, called the air age a technological revo lution of incalculable scope. "30 years ago Henry Ford, the man who put a na tion on wheels and who perhaps more than any other American shaped the economic geography of the U.S. during the first half of the 20th Century, theorized the airplane will soon be a part of our life. The new technologies of the air are rapidly becoming the major technical effort of the American people. The air is changing the nature of Amer ican society faster than it has ever been changed before. This country is becom ing an air community, as earlier it materialized as the world's first au tomobile community." As this special issue was being pre pared, LIFE showed it to Eddie Ricken backer and asked him to write an intro duction. Captain Eddie's life experi-
2 NOVEMBER 1987
ences, unique in U.S. aviation, spans most of the airplane's existence and both its military and civilian develop ment. Eddie Rickenbacker's comment follows : "When I looked at this special issue, I found my mind traveling over a per sonal air past, which until then had not seemed so distant. The 2,000 mile per hour X-2 at Edwards Air Force Base made me think of the wood and fabric 120 mph Nieuport in which nearly 40 years ago I fought my first air battle over France. "Those beautiful pictures portrayed in this article of the beauty of the airman's sky brought back memories of the most magnificent sights of this earth I have ever seen - the Himalayas at sunset, during a crossing of the hump in a later war, and as I studied the pictures show ing what goes on in the American air during a single 24 hour span, I remem bered what it was like when I became an airline operator 33 years ago - dirt runways, no ground-to-air radio, a box lunch for the passengers, and a tail skid for a brake. It all seemed difficult enough then but now I can say that the daily management of the U.S. air is one of the most complex and intricate oper ations done by man. "LIFE makes it clear what is happen ing to us, how paradoxically we are ab sorbing the air age revolution without really understanding it; how the need and the will to master the world's air has brought changes which are reshap ing our economy, our cities and our global relationships. This special article shows how military and civilian aviation are intertwined; how the progress of commercial flying depends on military daring and experimentations for new engines and new planes. "The most important point is that we are only now crossing the threshold of
the Air Age. Its true wonders are not yet at hand - they are only imminent. For what has seemed forever, I have strug gled along with my competitors and fel low pioneers to persuade people to fly. Last year the U.S. airlines carried more than 40 million passengers. But this total was made up of only 10 million individuals using air service over and over. In fact, as of this date, only about 8 percent of the American public has ever flown at any time. This percentage, however, is growing with the advent of the first true airborne generation. I do not expect to be on hand for the first voyage to Mars nor am I particularly in terested in organizing a coach service in that direction. But this I say, as one has ventured with the vanguard into the shallows of space, let us go forward boldly, making sure of our rightful place in the air, for freedom and for good." With so much going for aviation 30 years ago, where did we go wrong? We as the greatest nation in the world have learned to live and thrive with the au tomobile from the Model T to the luxury powered limousines, to 60-passenger motor coaches and the 18 wheelers that criss-cross the nation day and night serving our every need. Is there that much difference between ground and air transportation? All the predictions and forecasts in 1956 were for a smooth integration of all types of aircraft using the vast ocean of air that surrounds us. Today we are involved in a major bat tle over the use of this airspace. It seems strange that we can develop the technology to produce these air vehi cles but cannot agree on how to use them. It's too bad Henry Ford is gone. If he were here today, perhaps he could solve our problems. Remember, we're better together. Welcome aboard, join us and you have it all. •
PUBLICATION STAFF PUBLISHER
Tom Poberezny
VICE-PRESIDENT
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Dick Matt
EDITOR
Gene R. Chase
NOVEMBER 1987. Vol. 15, No. 11
CREATIVE ART DIRECTOR
Mike Drucks
Copyright ' 1987 by the EAA Antique/Classic Division. Inc. All rights reserved
MANAGING EDITOR/ADVERTISING
Mary Jones
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Norman Petersen
Dick Cavin
FEATURE WRITERS
George A. Hardie, Jr.
Dennis Parks
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jim Koepnick
Carl Schuppel
Jeff Isom
EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC
DIVISION, INC.
OFFICERS
President R.J. Lickteig 3100 Pruitt Rd , H106 Port St. Lucie, FL 34952 305/335-7051
Vice President M.C. " Kelly" Viets Rt. 2, Box 128 Lyndon , KS 66451 913/828-3518
Secretary Ronald Fritz 15401 Sparta Avenue Kent City, MI49330 616/678-5012
Treasurer E.E. " Buck" Hilbert P.O. Box 145 Union, IL 60180 815/923-4591
Contents
2 4 5 6 10 11 12 17 18 22 23 24 25 26 27 27 29
Straight and Level/by Bob Lickteig
AlC News/by Gene Chase
Almost Home/by John F. Hanson
Dean Richardson's Cessna LC-126-C
by Norm Petersen
Interesting Members - Niels Sorensen
by Noel Allard
Mystery Plane/by George A. Hardie, Jr.
Spartan NP-1 /by George E. Goodhead, Jr.
Members' Projects/by Gene Chase
A Love Affair with AI Mooney's Little
"Wooden Wonder" ... the Culver Cadet
by Charles W. Harris
Type Club Activities/by Gene Chase
Vintage Seaplanes/by Norm Petersen
Vintage Literature/by Dennis Parks
Volunteers/by Art Morgan and Bob Brauer
Welcome New Members
Letters to the Editor .
Calendar of Events
The Vintage Trader
Page 6
Page 12
DIRECTORS John S. Copeland William A. Eickhoff 9 Joanne Drive 415 15th Ave., N.E. Westborough, MA 01581 St. Petersburg , FL 33704 617/366-7245 813/823-2339 Stan Gomoll 104290th Lane, NE Minneapolis, MN 55434 6121784-1172
Dale A. Gustafson 7724 Shady Hill Drive Indianapolis, IN 46278 317/293-4430
Espie M. Joyce, Jr. Box 468 Madison, NC 27025 919/427-0216
Arthur R. Morgan 3744 North 51st Blvd. Milwaukee, WI 53216 414/442-3631
Gene Morris 115C Steve Court, R.R. 2 Roanoke, TX 76262 817/491 -9110
Daniel Neuman 1521 Berne Circle W. Minneapolis, MN 55421 6121571-0893
Ray Olcott 104 Bainbridge Nokomis, FL 34275 813/488-8791
S.J. Wittman Box 2672 Oshkosh , WI54903 414/235-1265
George S. York
181 Sloboda Ave.
Mansfield, OH 44906
419/529-4378
ADVISORS Robert C. " Bob" Brauer 9345 S. Hoyne Chicago, IL 60620 3121779-2105
Philip Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawton , MI49065 616/624-6490
John A. Fogerty RR2, Box 70 Roberts, WI 54023 715/425-2455
Robert D. " Bob" Lumley N104W20387 Willow Creek Road Colgate, WI 53017 414/255-6832
Steven C. Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Lea, MN 56007 507/373-1674
S.H. " Wes" Schmid 2359 Lefeber Avenue Wauwatosa, WI 53213 4141771-1545
FRONT COVER ... Dean Richardson pulls along side the photo plane with his award-winning LC-126-C painted in Military Air Transport col足 ors. For the story on this really unique rebuild, see page 6. (Carl Schuppel)
Page 18
BACK COVER .. . The two aircraft pictured were part of a fleet of three operated in the 1920s by the Brock & Weymouth Engineering Company of Philadelphia. The aircraft appear to be Fokker C.lls. These were three seat civil versions of the C.I. having an enclosed cabin seating two passengers. The engine looks to be a Siddeley "Puma" of 230 hp. The aircraft were used for photographic surveys with the cam足 (EAA Archives Photo) era and an operator in the cabin .
The words EAA, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM, SPORT AVIATION, and the logos of EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC., EAA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION INC . INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB INC. , WARBIRDS OF AMERICA INC., are registered trademarks . THE EAA SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION INC. and EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above associations is strictly prohibited. Editorial Policy: Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors . Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. Material should be sent to : Gene R. Chase, Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE , Wittman Airtield, Oshkosh , WI 54903-3086. Phone : 414/426-4800. The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by EAA Antique/Classic Division . Inc. of the Experimental Aircraft Association , Inc. and is published monthly at Wittman Airtield , Oshkosh , WI 54903揃 3086. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh , WI 54901 and additional mailing offices. Membership rate s for EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc. are $18.00 for current EAA memQers for 12 month period of which $1 2. 00 is for the publication of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation . ADVERTISING - Antique/Classic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through our advertis足 ing. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken . Postmaster: Send address changes to EAA Antique/Classic Division , Inc., Wittman Airfield , Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
and other sport aviation activity. Experience must include a minimum of three years of full-time employment in the editorial office of a magazine or other type of publication. Editing experi ence is required , and layout and photo graphic skills are desirable. EAA would like to fill this position by January 1, 1988. Please send resumes to : Golda Cox, EM, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh , WI 54903-3086. Compiled by Gene Chase WHO IS CHUCK? CAREER POSITION AT EAA OPEN
EAA Headquarters is inviting the sub mission of resumes by qualified per sons interested in a career position in its editorial department. Respon sibilities would initially center around editorship of The Vintage Airplane, and the production of Warbirds magazines, but would grow to include a significant role in the production of Sport Aviation. Duties would principally involve editing and magazine production, but would also include research , writing and photography. The successful candidate for the position would be required to re locate to the Oshkosh, Wisconsin area. Qualifications for the position include a degree in journalism or a combination of bachelor's degree and employment experience in the publishing field . Lan guage skills are essential, in any case . A minimum of a Private pilot's license is required , as well as an enthusiasm for homebuilt, antique, classic, warbird
We've received letters and phone calls asking for more identification of the back cover photo on the September 1987 issue of The Vintage Airplane. The photo is from the Stier Collection in the EAA Photo Archives and was simply captioned, "Chuck in Parasol - 1929." We should have noted that no further information was available to us. If any reader can identify the pilot of the Heath Super Parasol or the location, we'd be delighted to add the information to our records. AlC CHAPTER 7 PROJECT
EAA Antique/Classic Chapter 7 is building a Heath Parasol as a chapter project. Newsletter editor Walt Ahlers reports, . . . "It's hard for me to imagine what has been accomplished by a few kids. Between my son Buddy, daughter Nancy and another 11-year-old in the neighborhood, the ribs for the wings are going together quickly. All the tail sur face structures are completed except
EAA Archives Photo -
4 NOVEMBER 1987
Stier Collection
for the metal tabs that secure the tubu lar trailing edges to the rudder and elevators. Walt offers his guidance and a corner of his shop to any chapter member wanting to make fittings, etc. to further the project. Chapter 7 meets at Flanders Valley Airport, Flanders, New Jersey. ARROW SPORT AVAILABLE
Anyone interested in restoring a 1936 Arrow Sport Model F should contact Lt.
Col. Louis J. Tobin, P.O. Box 1383,
Travis, AFB, CA 94535. Phone 707/
438-5598 or 5605. MISSING SEVERSKY P-35
Readers may remember a "Letter to the Editor" in the April 1987 issue of The Vintage Airplane in which the writer wondered what happened to a Seversky P-35 he recalled seeing in a hangar at Nogales, Arizona in 1960. The writer of the letter, I. W. "Ike" Stevenson (EAA 82203, NC 3704), P.O. Box 202, Menominee, MI 49858 0202, received quite a few letters with suggestions on its whereabouts . He learned from the manager of the Nogales Airport that the plane was flown to California several years ago and is now in the collection of the Planes of Fame Museum, 7000 Merrill Avenue, Box 17, Chino Airport, Chino, CA 91710. Ed Maloney is president of the Museum which owns many aircraft, several of them rare and flyable . •
ALMOST HOME
by John F. Hanson (EAA 125280, Ale 4183) 2950 Laurentide Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103 Almost home. I sit in the Lakefield air port office in western Ohio watch ing the rain fall on my J-3. I'm two hours from Ann Arbor, and the weather has fallen to the point where I've sought shelter at this small midwestern airport. Now the rain is runn ing off the yellow fabric of my Cub, giving it the ''wet look" without the expense of urethane. I wait and watch . Time to think about the aspects of cross-country flying in a J-3, and noth ing else to do, so I take pen in hand and think and write. I've come this far today from Middletown, Ohio and before that from London, Kentucky. I was weath ered in for three days in London, and when it cleared enough to sneak out, I did. Cross country in a Cub is many things to me, but one thing it is NOT is fast. One must be flexible about things when traveling VFR in a small plane, but when you're going in a J-3 it helps to be downright philosophical. A bit of headwind can reduce your groundspeed to a walk, and give you plenty of time to observe the country around you. Farmers wave, and cows slowly lift their heads to watch you pass as they lunch on fresh alfalfa. You can even see their jaws move as they chew. The countryside belongs to them , but in a way it belongs to you , too, as you
survey things from your lofty perch. The stops you make on such a trip are some of the best things about traveling with a J-3. A Cub is at home on small fields , and one finds the people there to be pleasant. Folks have the time and the inclination to be friendly at little airports. Make a fuel stop, and they will as often as not offer you a car to go into town for lunch, giving you the chance to see from ground level the same town you just circled before land ing. It's a different town when viewed first from a Cub, then from the ground, than it would appear from greater dis tances. From a jet overhead at 35,000 feet, the passengers look down and see a small gathering of buildings and remark : "Not much of a town." From the J-3 how ever, you see things differently. You see the small colorful pots hung by the porches and smell fresh mown hay in the summer. You see Grandpa raking leaves, smell the smoke and see young children excitedly carrying pumpkins in the fall. You see farmer's pickups gathered around cafes at breakfast time in the winter, and kids in light jackets flying kites in the spring. You see not just buildings and land from low altitude in a Cub, you see life; and nowhere in the country is life prettier than in the many small towns that dot our coun tryside . "Not much of a town ," you say? You 'd better not say that in America's heartland, or to a J-3 pilot. The smaller the town the better.
And what of a Cub itself? It is legen dary in aviation, and for good reason . A design from the 1930s, the airplane rose from the depths of the Great De pression to become THE true classic. It is an open cockpit plane in the summer, and a (chilly) closed cockpit plane in the winter. It is the ultimate sport airplane, whether on wheels , skis or floats . Fifty years after it first took off, the J-3 is still thrilling pilots, and giving kids their first airplane rides from pastures and little grass airports. If every person who learned to fly in a Cub could stand up and be counted , I'm sure the total would stagger us all. I've had many an old-timer walk up to my Cub at the gas pumps and reach out to touch it. They turn to you and say, "Well, I'll be darned. A J-3. I first soloed in one of these in '38 ... ." Their voice drifts off as they turn to look over the Cub with a glint in their eye. They touch it, and they're young again. All this philosophy, and the day has passed at little Lakefield airport. It's still raining . Time to put my pen and paper aside, and get the Cub put away for the night. Tomorrow's another day. The November rain will probably change to snow as I sleep, and so the kind fellows here have offered to squeeze the J-3 into their shop hangar for the night. It's a little extra work for them , but then again, this is a small town airport and folks are real people here. We'll sure be back, my J-3 and I, if not to this exact airport, to one of a thousand like it. • VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
Cruising low over the Wisconsin country side, the LC-126 shows its tapered, full cantilevered wing with its seven-foot chord at the root. In spite of the windshield extending to the forward spar of the wing, this model Cessna is often referred to as "The Blind Bomber".
DEAN RICHARDSON'S CESSNA LC-126-C
by Norm Petersen (Photos by Carl Schuppel, except as noted) Perhaps you wondered about the "ancestry" of the unusual Cessna 195 on the front cover of this month's Vin tage magazine. Let me assure you that it is indeed a "classic" airplane in the truest sense of THE word . It is also the subject of this article, which will explore the history behind this Oshkosh '87 award winner - Best of Class III - 150 hp and up. Our subject is a 1952 Cessna LC 126-C, N4666T, SIN 7802, which is the military version of the Cessna 195. This beautifully redone aircraft is owned and flown by Dean Richardson (EAA 114432, NC 5264) of 7317 Whitacre Road , Madison, WI 53717. His airplane is one of 83 Cessna LC-126 (Light Cargo) aircraft that were built and sold to the military during the years 1949 to 1952. The first 15 LC-126 were delivered in January 1950 complete with wheels, skis and Edo 38-3430 floats! These were used by the 10th Rescue Service 6 NOVEMBER 19B7
Squadron in Alaska and were "exten sively" tested in severe usage. The ser vice pilots developed a "short landing" procedure that would make a present day "antiquer" cringe with remorse! With the brakes locked up tight and the flaps extended, the pilots would hit the run way tailwheel first and slide to a full stop in 100 feet! (Apparently the tires were expendable!) The feat is quite amazing for a 3350 lb. airplane! Following the rather surprising perfor mance of the original 15 aircraft, 68 ad ditional LC-126-B and LC-126-C aircraft were delivered to the Air Force and used for light cargo and personnel hacks. Dean's N4666T is from this latter group and is one of 527 Cessna 195s on the FAA register today. The list in cludes 263 Cessna 195, 132 Cessna 195A, 128 Cessna 195B, one LC-126 A, one LC-126-B and two LC-126-C. Dean's airplane is carried on the regis ter as a 195 and for some unknown reason is listed as a 1942 airplane when the date of manufacture is 1952! Growing up in Madison, Wisconsin, Dean Richardson learned to build model airplanes at an early age, cul minating in his first airplane ride in a
Beech Bonanza at age 10. By the time he was 12, his father had taken him on flights in North Central DC-3 airliners, often getting to go up in the cockpit and observe the pilots at work (it was differ ent in those days, folks). Fascinated with airplanes, Dean joined the Mt. Horeb (WI) Flying Club in the mid-sixties and earned his Private license in a 152 and 172. Buying a Lus combe 8A, 65 hp, he learned the art of flying a tail dragger from a sod field. After some 400 hours of enjoyable fly ing, he brought the 8A to Oshkosh and promptly sold the aircraft! On Father's Day, June 19, 1983, Dean and his wife , Wendy, drove to the Palmyra (WI) Flight Breakfast where they ran into Gene Chase, Vintage editor, who had flown in his Davis D-1 W parasol with yours truly aboard ! All of us there remember a local pilot pushing his Cessna 170B out of a hangar and hanging out a sign , "For Sale"! The 170B was absolutely origi nal, down to the last nut and bolt, and the "oohs" and "aahs" were like a chorus! Dean Richardson sought out the owner and bought the 170B on the spot - shaking hands on a gentlemen 's
Original semi pointed spinner fits well with Hamilton Standard prop and bump cowl.
Top of cowl and inside upper half of wheel pants are painted in dull olive drab for anti
glare. Note stall strip near wing root. A smiling Dean Richardson poses with his pretty 13-year-old daughter, Erin, in front of the award-winning Cessna LC 126-C, alias 195.
agreement with the paperwork to be done on Tuesday. A phone call on Tuesday ellicited the fact that the owner had accepted $500 from a Chicago buyer! Acknowledging he may have made a mistake, the owner called the Chicago buyer and explained the gentleman's agreement. In an exemplary display of honesty (and backbone) the Chicago buyer said, "If he had a gentleman 's agreement with you , he gets the airplane! I'm number two!" Dean bought the 170B and started polishing the bare aluminum. With the shine really looking good, he flew the four-placer to East Troy, WI where the red trim was repainted . With everything looking like new, he flew the 170B (N2681 D) to Oshkosh '84 and garnered the Outstanding in Type award! Early in 1986 Dean sold the 170B to Michael Willey (EM 281197, AlC 11520) of St. James, New York and started the search for a 195. After about five months of searching, a 195 was located in North Carolina. The owner sent Dean a video tape of the airplane and it looked good - as a civilian airplane. Dean was invited to North Carolina as a guest of Larry Mor ris, and spent four days studying the airplane. Dean learned a great deal about the aircraft, and the owner learned a great deal about how rare an LC-126-C was! Dean bought the 195 and flew it back to Wisconsin . Cruise was 170 mph at 14-1 /2 gph and he was back in Madison in 5 hours and 15 min utes! Not bad for a 1952 airplane! The 195, with its civilian paint job, had
only 40 hours on its 275 Jacobs engine which had been done by Jacobs Ser vice Company of Payson, Arizona. It ran like a watch (not digital, folks, the old wind-up kind) and was in quite re markable shape. The seats had been nicely redone by the previous owner, and gave a starting point for the rebuild . Dean wanted to redo the instrument panel, carpet, interior, headliner and paint. The big job started by flying the bird to Central Aviation in Watertown, Wisconsin and putting Randy Effinger and Sandy Schumacher to work. Numerous technical manuals and re ports on the LC-126-C were located by EM Librarian, Dennis Parks, and Capt. Dave Easton of the Air Force contri buted more specifications on colors. An original Operations Manual and Struc tural Repair Manual were obtained from ESSCO in Akron, Ohio. One big advan tage in the project - the entire airplane had been zinc chromate primed at the factory and there was no corrosion to be found . Making a drawing using the bulk heads for position reference, Dean laid out the "Stars and Bars" for the fuse lage sides. Imagine the delight when the old paint was stripped away - the "Stars and Bars" were etched in the aluminum and were plainly visible! Randy was able to layout the patterns perfectly. A friend of Dean's mentioned to him that a few LC-126-C aircraft were used as VIP transports in S.E. Asia and were painted in MATS (Military Air Transport Service) colors. These often included prop spinners, wheel pants and the whole works. This would be the paint scheme that Dean would use. The painting was done at Central Aviation and involved "gobs" of masking paper and masking tape! When looking over
the airplane, you must admit the detail ing is superb. The instrument panel was rebuilt by Chuck Van Allen, a technician at Hal verson Avionics in Madison, Wisconsin . Using some very clever ideas and ex ceptional workmanship, Chuck was able to do the complete job without de stroying any of the original panel! The full IFR panel includes a King Audio panel, Apollo 612D Loran, King KX155, digital ADF with printout, auto pilot, King 209 Glide Slope head, Terra 920 Nav/ Com, King 76 transponder and a slaved
Left side cowl lists all nomenclature rela tive to the airplane including the serial number. Bayonet type exhaust stack is original equipment. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
Dean Richardson's Cessna LC-126-C
Dean Richardson cruises by in his Cessna LC-126-C with the landing gear hanging in the normal "bow-legged" fashion. The absence of struts makes for a clean airplane.
gyro system. The original military panel eyebrow lights were retained. A close look at the cabin headliner and interior reveals a first class piece of work by Sandy Schumacher. Her de licate touch with needle and thread plus the ability and tenacity to do the fabric work exactly as original (and sometimes ever nicer!) really sets the tone for an award-winning project. An added bonus is a quieter airplane due to sound insu lation used throughout. Certain "extras" were included with all LC-126 aircraft before they left the fac tory. Seaplane fittings for Edo floats and ski fittings were standard along with hoisting rings above the cabin and special lift points on the rear of the fuse lage. Besides a courtesy light in the right wing to illuminate the door at night, each wing has a landing light set at dif ferent angles for night landings. An emergency door on the left side of the fuselage is standard for the LC-126, and a large baggage door on the right side, behind the cabin, is designed for the loading of "litter" cases. The engine compartment features dual oil coolers along with a special "Venturi" cowling ring which really holds engine temperatures down on a hot day! Peak temperatures are 145 de grees on a warm day while in winter, the oil coolers can be shut off if the tem-
Posing for its picture in front of the crowd at Oshkosh '87, the LC-126-C cuts a pretty picture with its overall light grey paint scheme and colorful detailing. Pilot's lefthand window rolls down like a car - a touch of class!
Original military "channel tread" tailwheel tire sits below tailwheel "boot" on the LC-126 C. Note fin and rudder, which has a Cessna 170 origin. Elevator trim is located on right elevator. 8 NOVEMBER 1987
Nicely done instrument panel is full IFR yet retains the look of the original panel. Dual control yoke is standard on LC-126. Note original "eyebrow" lighting over each instrument.
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Highly prized and sought after original aluminum wheel pants effectively stream line the 6:50 x 10 wheels and tires. Wittman spring gear has proven to be simple and trouble free.
peratures get below 100 degrees. The wheel pants and brakes are orig inal and Dean merely restored them to new condition rather than convert to some other wheels and brakes. Perfor mance to date has been perfect. One of the really hard to find items was the military "channel" tread tailwheel tire. Dean looked high and low for weeks
....~----~~------------------------------------~==~--~~
Military style left side escape door is visible in this photo. Door is hinged from the top and swings up against wing. Note tiny mirror on right side of cabin interior which allows pilot to see forward on right side - normally a blind spot.
before he discovered one on Dick Wixom's (EAA 132607) Stearman at Janesville, Wisconsin . Offering a brand new tire and a few beads of wampum, Dean was able to convince Dick to let the channel tread tire go. It was one more point of originality for the judges to score on. With the "Best of Class III" award proudly placed next to his earlier "Best
of Type" award, Dean is rapidly coming to the forefront of the classic restorers. He looks forward to making some family trips to Minneapolis, Tucson and Phoenix this winter. Wherever the LC 126-C shows its pretty paint scheme, admiring eyes will carefully watch as it taxies by. Like we said in the beginning, it's unique . •
From this angle, we get a good look at the overall shape of a 195 (LC-126-C) with its big round engine and five place cabin. Note large baggage door which is large enough to load a litter patient through. Wing flaps do not show as they are of the split type that come down from the bottom side of the wing. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
nteresting Members
- - - - - - N I E L S SORENSEN----- Editor's Note: A native Minnesotan, Niels Sorensen has played an active roll in Minnesota aviation for nearly 60 years. Many, many fortunate pilots have benefitted from his tutelage, and his un selfish devotion to everything aeronau tical has helped to bring credit to the history of Minnesota aviation. Following is his story as revealed to author Noel Allard.
Niels Sorensen was born April 17, 1912 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As a kid he worked for a farmer near Wold Chamberlain Airport there . In 1930 he made his first flight but it wasn't until six year later that he learned to fly in an OX-5 powered Curtiss Robin, NC9289. (In 1934, Lindbergh visited nearby Rip ley, Minnesota, and Sorensen was there to snap his photo with a Brownie camera.) Sorensen, at the time of his solo, was working for Western Electric. Soon, his vocation would be entirely aviation related. Just before his first solo on July 5, 1936, Sorensen joined the Naval Re serve Squadron VO-7 (observation). As his flying experience increased, Sorensen became a flight instructor operating out of Oxboro Airport in Min neapolis. When Oxboro closed in 1937 or 1938, Sorensen transferred to Cedar Airport and later to the larger Wold Chamberlain Airport. In December, 1938 Sorensen bought his first airplane, a 1930 Buhl Pup. The Buhl, which eventually ended up with Luscombe wings, was initially kept in a small hangar at the Christian Brothers farm, 66th & Bloomington, Minneapolis. The airport at the time was little more than a hayfield near a working farm. In April 1939, Sorensen and the Christian Brothers expanded their aviation train ing with the addition of a Taylor CUb. The team also got into sales, and six Porterfields were sold before 1940. Sorensen had a few failures, too. "I was flying a student, who was also a lawyer, to Des Moines to take a depos ition," Sorensen said. "On the way back between Ames and Nevada, Iowa at night, the engine swallowed a valve and began hammering. I had a good idea where the unlighted Nevada airstrip was and got in. The lawyer asked if that happened often. He then quit flying . "I was lucky in the 1930s period. I 10 NOVEMBER 1987
was conservative and a little bit afraid of airplanes. I wasn't as casual as people are today - they jump into their airplanes just like they jump into their cars .. . I think that has resulted in a lot of problems." In 1940 Sorensen started flying for Mcinnis Aviation, the FBO at Wold Chamberlain. When the FBO started a satellite operation training Navy cadets, the Civil Aviation Authority War Training Service at Victory Airport, Sorensen changed airports again. 1940 was a busy year for Sorensen. He was licensed by the CAA as a desig nated flight examiner (flight examiners got no fee then - their services were gratis.) In March 1941, Sorensen moved to Hinck Flying Service as a Civilian Pilot Training Program instructor. He taught aerobatics in a Waco UPF-7. "The WTS was a screening ,proce dure - the student got 10 hours of dual to see if they could qualify as military pilots. If they did, they went on to the military. The CPT program was to get kids through private, commercial and in strument. Most of those students went into the airlines." "Before the war, I got an airline appli cation, but I never filled out the applica tion. The reason : the pay was so lousy. I was doing real well (flying instruction) instead of starting at $150 - I was in structing aerobatics for Hinck and Mcln
nis and making three times as much. Nobody could see into the crystal ball." Called to active Naval Reserve duty in 1941, Sorensen was attached to a PV-1 squadron. Later, he was officer in charge of Merrimac satellite training field . During the course of the war he was stationed in St. Louis, Minneapolis and Florida where he instructed in PV 1s. In 1945 he was flying PV-1s off the Aleutian Islands. "The Aleutians were a dead zone," he said. "Never found any subs. No sonar, no anything, just your eyes." During his military career, Sorensen flew N3Ns, N2Ss, Vought OSU-1s, SNC-1, 03Us, SUs, Spartan NP-1s, SNCs, SNJs, GB-1 (Staggerwing), IN 1s (Martin B-26 - Sorensen's first tri gear airplane), PV-1s, NH-1 Howard in strument trainers and PBOs (Lockheed Lodestar). During his military career, his only significant problem occurred in a PV-1 with an instructor flying. "We made a bad landing and went up on the nose." Back in Minnesota after the war, Sorensen and Ed Sieber started Lake land Skyways. Sieber had flown with Mid-Continent Airlines and then Braniff. Sieber is now a real estate agent (Ed Sieber & Associates). In the 1950s a friend asked Sorensen if he wanted some time in a P-51 . Sorensen eagerly took the opportunity (Continued on Next Page)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - by George A. Hardie, J r . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Here's another two-place low-wing monoplane from the early 1930s that never reached production. The photo was taken at Oil City, Pennsylvania in 1934 and was submitted by Warren E. Wood of Charlottesville, Virginia. An swers will be published in the February, 1988 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Deadline for that issue is December 10,1987. Tom Henebry of Camarillo, California recognized the August Mystery Plane and wrote the following : "It is the International Triplane de signed by Ed Fisk and built in the Long Beach, California area early in 1925. Designated the CF-10, it was originally powered by two OX-5s and used as an airliner around Los Angeles. When the Dole Race prize was announced in 1927, it was fitted with Wright Whirlwind J-5s and larger gas tanks and entered in the race as the "Pride of Los Angeles. "
"One of the several sponsors in the race was cowboy movie star Hoot Gib son. Ed Fisk built several aircraft using the octagonal section fuselage, built of Haskelite, an early form of impregnated plywood. His financial partner, J. W. Catron, did not share Fisk's enthusiasm for this monstrosity and did not risk his coin on this turkey. The planked fuse lage must have been extremely heavy and to aid pilot visibility the center wing was not attached to the fuselage. The two place open cockpit was located just forward of the tail section so it doesn't appear in most photos. "On August 11, 1925 the plane was ferried from Long Beach to Oakland, California for the start of the race. Pilot James L. Giffen, navigator Theodore S. Lundgren, and Lawrence Weil, a friend, were aboard when the trip lane ap proached the recently bull-dozed Oak land runway. On landing, the plane bounced and swerved on the soft run
way, so the pilot poured on the coal for another go-around. Low and slow with one engine sputtering, the aircraft slid into the Bay and came unglued. The three persons aboard were all rescued without injury." Other answers were received from Doug Rounds, Zebulon, Georgia; Will iam Fischbach, Alameda, California; H. G. Buffington, San Diego, California; Robert Wynne, Mercer Island, Wash ington ; Mike Rezich, Chicago, Illinois and Charley Hayes, Park Forest, Il linois.
to get the time in his logbook. "I've flown 125 different aircraft," he said, "one of the oddest was a National Blackbird. It had a French nine-cylinder Salmson engine and no sides to the cockpit. You sat in it like you would a box. It was an unlicensed aircraft at old Nicollet Field . .. west of Cedar airport. Owned by a fellow named Russell Nicollet, it was another strip like Chris tian's. There was a dump in the middle of it - just a pile of junk. They used to burn some potato fields in the vicinity and the fires made it easy to find the airport from the air." Sorensen continued flying profes sionally with Lakeland Skyways until
1977 when he retired . During retirement he began looking for an airplane build ing project and settled on the World War I SE-5 single seat fighter. Before starting on the project, Soren sen researched construction tech niques and materials on the SE-5. He wanted to build one as close in size and design as he could. "I'm trying to stick as close to original as possible," he said. "Metals today are better . .. they (World War I builders) used cold rolled steel for fittings. (On the replica SE-5) we will use chromoly 4130 which is 10 times as good. Bolts and hardware are better - nickel steel bolts as opposed to carriage bolts used
in the original. But we'll still use spruce. "I'm going to discount what pilots of the time said (about the SE-5) because the young cadets didn't have much ex perience. The pilots claimed it landed too fast (60 mph) and had poor aileron control. They probably only had about 100 hours logged and in nothing but Standards. In the SE-5 there is a big long control stick so there are tremend ous leverages. I think that is why they overloaded the wings sometimes and pulled the wings off. The pilots had no chutes. I'm not building the SE-5 for competition. It is a replica except for the instruments." • VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
5PIlR
Spartan NP-t
by George E. Goodhead, Jr. (EAA 3603, Ale 5176) 6326 East 4th Street Tulsa, Oklahoma 74112 Spartan Aircraft Company, Tulsa, Oklahoma produced its model NP-1 mil itary primary trainer for the U.S. Navy from 1940 to 1942. It was a two-place tandem biplane with an upper wing span of 33 ft. , 8-3/8 inches, height 9 ft. , 4-1 /2 inches and a length of 24 ft., 7-3/4 inches. The empty weight was 2080 Ibs. with a useful load of 720 Ibs., and a gross weight of 2800 Ibs. It had a welded steel fuselage frame, fabric co vered aft of the rear cockpit with aluminum lift off panels forward to the firewall on both sides of the fuselage for easy access and servicing. The wing was constructed of lami nated spruce spars, spruce ribs and 12 NOVEMBER 1987
drag struts, all fabric covered with the exception of the removable metal tips. Interplane and cabane struts were streamline steel tubing . The ailerons were of riveted aluminun alloy construc tion with fabric covering . The fin and stabilizer were stressed skin, aluminum alloy construction and the elevator and rudder were of riveted dural framework , fabric covered. The split-axle type landing gear and the swiveling tail wheel were equipped with oleo shock absorbers. The ship was powered with the Lycoming Model R 680-8, 220 hp engine. Construction on this prototype Spar tan, first designated the NS-1 , was started in the early part of 1939. The fuselage frame jigs that were used to build the Spartan C-3-165 and Model 225 in the early 1930s were utilized to construct the side panels for the NS-1 .
However when the two side panels were attached together, the fuselage was narrowed by over 12 inches since the NS-1 was to be a two-place tandem and the C3s were three-place, with a wider front cockpit. Upon completion of the prototype, Jess Green, General Manager of the Spartan Aircraft Company test flew the plane for 45 minutes on September 23, 1939. This original prototype, NX17634, was painted with Army trainer colors, blue fuselage and yellow wings, desig nated the NS-1 and presented to the Air Force in- hopes of obtaining an Army Primary Trainer contract. Since this did not materialize, the ship was repainted Navy yellow , presented to the Navy and on July 10, 1940, Spartan received a contract to build 200, deSignated at this time the NP-1. One additional Spartan NP-1 was
The Spartan NS-1, NX17634 with blue fuselage and yellow wings with which the com pany hoped to gain an Army primary trainer contact.
Spartan NS-1 /NP-1 NX17634 repainted all yellow with added ring cowl and landing gear fairings. The Navy ordered 200 of these primary trainers on 7/10/40.
To help further the war effort, Spartan Aircraft Co. and its employees donated this NP-1 "The Spirit of Spartan," to the U.S. Navy. Here, employees apply finishing touches.
built and donated to the Navy by Com pany President J. Paul Getty with all materials furnished by Spartan and em ployees donating their time for one day, which was more than enough man hours to construct an average NP-1 . On March 30, 1942, this plane was pre sented to Lieutenant W. F. Marriner, Chief Naval Inspector at Spartan, who accepted it on behalf of the Navy. Much to everyone's surprise, J. Paul Getty closed the Spartan factory in 1960 after 32 years of operation. Among the aircraft produced were the models C2, C3, C4, C5, 7W "Executive," NS-1 (later designated NP-1) and the one and only models 12 (no additional name) and 8W "Zeus." Spartan also provided major assemblies and other parts for Boeing, Consolidated, Curtiss Wright, Douglas, Fairchild, Goodyear, Grumman, Lockheed, Martin, North American and Republic. During the company's final 12 years, they pro duced thousands of luxurious mobile homes. At this time I was fortunate to be good friends with Fred Stewart, Chief En gineer at Spartan and his associate, Lloyd Pearce . I was given access to the attic above the large engineering room to obtain any drawings and tracings I was interested in. After a full day, carry ing arm loads down three flights of stairs, I ended up with a panel truck full of prize possessions. Among these tracings were over 500 pertaining to the Spartan NP-1 , which at a later date I donated to the Experimental Aircraft As sociation. They are still in the EAA Li brary in the original carton in which they were shipped. In November 1969, an ex-Army Mar tin B-26 pilot, Walter L. Wright (EAA 76569, AlC 292), 2280 SW Fernwood Circle, Lake Oswego, Oregon 97034 obtained parts of a Spartan NP-1 from Clover Park Trade School, Thun Field near Tacoma , Washington . These parts were from NP-1 , factory serial no. 1, Navy no. 3645. On March 25, 1970, three wing panels and wing struts were obtained from W. C. Clantz in Charlot tesville, Virginia that came from the Uni versity of Virginia. These parts were off NP-1, serial no. 86, Navy no. 3730. The airframe was purchased February 14, 1972 from Charles Hellinger and George York of Mansfield , Ohio. This plane, serial no. 47, Navy 3691 came from Wooster College in Ohio. Missing the right upper wing and aile ron as well as the complete horizontal stabilizer, Walter obtained my name and requested drawings for these parts. I had some 20 prints made from the tracings at a local blueprinting company and mailed them to him. At a later date, Walt visited the EAA Museum (then in Hales Corners, Wisconsin) and had ad ditional prints made from other tracings. In 1975 Walt transferred ownership of the NP-1 to his son Jeff, an Air Force VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
5PIIR
C-130 pilot, in hopes of speeding up the restoration. Jeff contacted Bill Yoak of Carlsbad, California who after much time was induced to take on the building of the metal stabilizer from the factory drawings. The finished product cannot
be told from the original. Bill also built the missing metal aileron. While those parts were being built, Walt and Jeff were busy building the missing right wing panel. From then on the project progressed steadily to com-
Factory side view of NP-1.
Spartan NP-1 , C/N 2, Navy SIN 3646.
NP-1s in the Spartan factory.
pletion . The Spartan was test flown by Jeff on July 13, 1987, its first flight in approximately 45 years. Jeff reported it was light on the controls and very steady in the air, but was under-pow足 ered for some aerobatics. The NP-1 had a reputation of having bad stall and spin characteristics, there足 fore most of the 201 NP-1s were either
destroyed or donated to aviation schools for ground school instruction. This is puzzling since the NP-1 was the same basic aircraft as the model C3 de足 signed by Willis C. Brown in the late 1920s. A quote from an early Spartan brochure reads, "From an aerodynamic standpoint, the plane (Model C3) was designed so, that it would not stall, and
Factory data plate for Jeff Wright's NP-1, N29800, SIN 3691. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
The only Spartan NP-1 currently flying is Jeff Wright's N28700, SIN 47 in which he made the plane's first flight in 45 years on 7/13/87.
in flight tests it demonstrated unusual non-stalling characteristics. Some thirty well-known pilots who have flown the machine were unable to make it spin with engine on or off. The plane showed no tendency to slip off on one wing , from any position , when all flying speed had been lost. Instead, as it nears a stall , the nose settles and the plane moves forward in a safe glide." Editor's Note: George E. Goodhead, Jr. was born in 1914 and has lived in Oklahoma all his life. Always interested in aviation, he was an avid builder of models as well as a photographer and his photo collection numbers in the thousands. His first three hours of dual flight instruction were in a Collier Am足 bassador before signing as a student with Spartan School of Aeronautics in 1937 (10 hours for $60). He soloed in a J-3 Cub and went on to get his com足 mercial license and flight instructor rat足 ing. In 1944 he instructed for Spartan in Fairchild M-62As (PT-19s) and later worked for them as an inspector in the plant. While WW " was winding down, George returned to his pre-war job at Bell Telephone in Tulsa. He retired from that company in 1976. In 1961 George was instrumental in forming the Spartan Alumni Association, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. ... G. R. Jeff gives his sister-in-law Ruth Wright a ride in the NP-1. 16 NOVEMBER 1987
C.
MEMBER'S PROTECTS ...
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Compiled by Gene Chase - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Monocoupe 110 Special
Frederick E. Ludtke (EAA 46948), 1427 E. Manor, Freeland, Washington 98249 is nearing the end of his Monocoupe 110 Special project. Power is a 185 hp Warner. Fred is shown here holding the fiberglass bump cowl which he made. It's truly a work of art and extremely light, too. Fred is well known in the Pacific Northwest as an aerobatic pilot and that is his intended use of this Monocoupe. (Gene Chase photo)
Curtiss JN4D
Chet and Marian Peek (EM 262717), 1813 Danfield Drive, Norman, Oklahoma 73072 and their newly re stored 1917 Curtiss JN4D "Jenny." Chet
spent several years on this beautiful re storation and flew it for the first time on 10/6/87 . Its FM registration number is N2525. Further details will appear in a future issue of The Vintage Airplane.
Aeronca Champ
This nicely restored 1946 Aeronca Champ, N81870, SIN 7AC-493 is owned by Mike Gregg (EM 154077, N C 8239), 819 7th Street, Staples, Min nesota 56479. Mike spent 18 months restoring the plane, completing the job in September, 1985. The covering is the Ceconite 7600 process with a finish coat of Imron. Mike plans to replace the metal prop on the Continental A-65 with a wood prop. Last year, Mike and his son flew the Champ from their home in central Min nesota on a 2,000 mile round trip to Oshawa, Ontario, sleeping four nights under the wing. Total flying time was 12 hours and they flew over Mike's grand father's farm, just as his father had in 1943 in a 8-17! •
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
A Love Affair with Al Mooney's Little "Wooden Wonder • • •
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•
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the CULVER CADET
by Charles W. Harris
(EAA 96978, AlC 2158) 3933 South Peoria Tulsa, OK 74105 This story began 46 years ago when a 13-year-old boy in a small town in Ok lahoma saw a picture of an airplane that literally reached down and touched his soul. That airplane was AI Mooney's in spired gift to the pre-war light airplane world, the Culver LCAILFA Cadet. The young boy had been an aviation buff since his earliest recollection. He had gone to pasture airports and to the air shows with his dad. He had read about and knew all the flying machines, all the famous aviation names and events, and he was in love with it all. But, the Culver was something else. 18 NOVEMBER 1987
How could anyone create anything so beautiful? The Cubs, Taylorcrafts, Aeroncas, Luscombes and their larger and more expensive counterparts were much admired, but oh, oh the Culver! It was so small, so sleek, sooo beautiful and it had such performance. How could the Taylorcrafts and Luscombes do 90-95 and the Culver do 120 (guaranteed!). How could it have re tractable landing gear? How could it have the gorgeous elliptical wing plan form? It had it all; speed, range and beauty! It had the aviation world talking, and it had the special elusive quality a mystic! In the fall of 1940 and the spring of 1941 the orders poured in to the Port Columbus, Ohio plant at a rate that ex ceeded production capability. AI and Art
Mooney were amazed at what was hap pening. Knight Culver, who owned the company, was very pleased; it ap peared the design and production team he had acquired from Clare Bunch and Monocoupe had rung the bell practically the first time out. A series of events re sulted in the production facility being moved to Wichita and it was here that things really began to move. From Sep tember, 1940 to October, 1942, Culver built 350 civil models of the little wooden wonder. It was the "quantum leap" that had been long sought in the light plane world. It was to be the role model of the larger, more powerful high performance machines that the industry would pro duce in the post-war years. Our subject airplane, Culver LFA, NC41716, Serial no. 433, was built in
Wichita in February, 1942. It went to Colorado when first sold and shortly thereafter to the L.A. basin of California where it resided for nearly 40 years be fore being acquired by the author in 1984, whereupon it was flown to Ok lahoma. It had had some 20 owners, had good care and eventually got to rest some 8-9 years during the 1960s when its owner at that time took it apart and hung it up in the roof of a hangar. It was acquired by another owner in 1968 whereupon it was completely remanu factured by Culver specialist Richard Miller, and put back in the air. In 1983, the original Franklin 90 was replaced by a Continental C85-12F. Your author had soloed at sixteen in a Cub, operated T-crafts, Aeroncas and even a BT-13 during the late 1940s as a college student. While active sport fly ing had to be put aside in the '50s and '60s when family and business priorities were paramount, the writer stayed very close to aviation through his company's aircraft finance and leasing business which handled everything from Cubs to DC-8s. Most business trips were by pri vate light and medium twins, and in time the urge to once again fly the fun airplanes was too great to deny. As the '70s emerged, the author was to get back in to the cockpit to actively own, operate and fly a collection of unique aircraft, including a very sharp, original
Charles Harris prepares to fly his pride and joy. The lettering on the gear fairing reads, "The Way We Were - In the Summer of '42." Note leading edge slots.
580 hour TT J-3C65 Cub, a show class factory 1977 Pitts S2A with air show paint, a beautiful Red Devil paint 1976 Pitts S1 S, which won the National Ad vanced Aerobatic Championship at Fond du Lac in 1977 with prior owner Pete McManus at the controls, and an 800 hour 1949 8F Luscombe (presently awaiting restoration) . Through all of the re-found fun flying , the dream of his
early teen years, the Culver, kept rous ing embers of fire in his mind. The search began in the late '70s; the re search began at the same time. There are some 120 Cadets still on the FAA registration lists; however, it is believed by the most knowledgeable Culver buffs that only approximately 25 of the machines are actually airworthy and currently flying . These flying airplanes
The front view of the Cadet shows its clean lines. The landing gear retracts inward. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
The vertical wheel between the sticks is rotated by hand to raise or lower the landing gear. The knob behind it is the gear up/down selector and lock. Wheel wells protrude into cockpit outboard of each stick, and contain small windows for visual determination of gear position.
are all in the hands of those who genuinely revere and appreciate the lit tle wonder, thus relatively few of them ever come to market. In that the airplane is all wood and with fabric cover, a very careful and prudent examination of each available machine is essential. After many inquiries and much research (and many expensive phone calls!) NC41716 seemed to be the best machine available that would be put back into its original configura tion and appearance without substantial rebuild. NC41716 was acquired in De cember, 1985 and it was delivered to Oklahoma by the seller. It went right into Frannie Rourke's shop in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Frannie's a marvel! He is now in his early 70s; his work is known to many. His rebuild of Doug Rounds' big Travelair 6000 resulted in it being named AM Grand Champion in 1983. His total. restoration of Bob Taylor's General Aristocrat resulted in it being named Reserve Grand Champion at Blakesburg in 1986. His own 1928 OX-5 Travelair 2000 was Grand Champion in Denton in 1986. Frannie had consented to take on the heavy upgrading of the airplane. And so Frannie went to work on cowl rework, engine compartment, baffles, blast tubes, firewall work, gascolator re location, spinner rework, prop polish, panel rework, cockpit area upgrading, rework of trim system, gearleg fairings, etc., etc .. In due time, the machine was put on a hoist to check and work the undercarriage. Put the gear up, fine lower the gear, whoa - it won't come down! What? It won't come down! Its summer, 110 in the hangar, maybe 120 in the cockpit and the gear won 't come down. But, better by far than to be air borne trying to get it down! Frannie later finds the problem, a bent gear tube (?), fixes it, and we continue on and on . . A new and complete genuine leather 20 NOVEMBER 1981
interior is put in the airplane by an in terior specialist and it turned out beaut ifully! Frannie details all of the interior and it comes out right! We fly the (still green) machine in November, 1985, and tweak it; fly it again in December, 1985, and tweak it, and again in January, 1986. In Feb ruary, 1986 it is flown to Jim Dross' shop in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma for com plete repaint and exterior detailing. After all of the study and research to guide Frannie's work, it was back to the draw ing board for the exact paint scheme and color tones. Jim Dross had graciously agreed to take on the finish detailing and exterior painting. Jim's great work is well-known to Stearman fans. His complete re manufacture of entertainer Roy Clark's black and orange Stearman N54RC re sulted in it being named best custom
Stearman in Galesburg in 1986 and President's Choice at the Tulsa Fly-In at Tahlequah in 1986. The most popular original Culver paint scheme was the fuselage and ver tical fin in a darker color with the wings, horizontal and rudder in a lighter color; this was coupled with the handsome three-finger paint stripe. NC41716 would be deep maroon on the fuselage and fin and Tucson cream on the wings, horizontal and rudder. The paint stripes would be cream. The NC numbers would be replaced on the aircraft exactly as they were 45 years before. Trying to authenticate the exact dimen sion of the paint stripes was a major concern and problem, but it was finally solved. Jim did the impossible on the paint and finish and the result was great. His tedious attention to detail coupled with the research , etc. (plus normal shop work) ended when the air craft was finished and test flown in Jan uary, 1987. It flew as good as it looked, and it looked beautiful! The two and half plus year task was finally done. The machine was ferried home to Riverside Airport on Tulsa's south side in March, 1987, where it was met by an admiring group of airport pals, some of whom had begun to won der if the mythical Culver really existed! The Culver Cadet of 1940-41-42 was, and is, a magnificent and efficient airplane. With the 85 hp Continental, it delivers 135 mph cruise, has 450 plus mile range, comfort and appeal. Com pare those numbers with anything out side of today's experimentals, and you get some idea of what AI Mooney created 47 years ago. It is astounding that any of the aircraft
The Cadet's instrument panel. Plane has dual stick controls with brakes on left side only.
The beautiful elliptical wings and horizontal tail surfaces are evident here. Cabin can be entered from both sides.
of the '20s, '30s and '40s exist today. It is certain there was never a thought that a substantial number of these 40, 50 and 60-year-old airplanes would sur vive, much less fly, much less be exhi bited and flown as museum quality machines. The fact that this phenome non has occurred has to be credited to those few talented craftsmen who not only have the knowledge, but the willing ness to rebuild and restore these won derful and historic aircraft that we fondly refer to as antique/classic machines. When we think back to the '30s, '40s
and '50s, and even early '60s when thousands of these machines were slowly but surely deteriorating away to nothingness on the airfields of the coun try, it really makes us all appreciate the spirit of the men and women who have given of their time and talent to provide us what we have today . The Culver LCAILFA series aircraft are wood and fabric construction . . . they are fragile! There are precious few "gurus" with us today who really know the airplane. Larry Low, Bill Lawson, Paul Schyler, Jack West, Jim Rezich
and Susan Dusenbury are a know ledgeable group of these "few." Larry Low and Bill Lawson provided invalu able information; Bill Lawson was espe cially helpful. He has rebuilt a number of Cadets and was most helpful. He knows well the love-hate relationship of the machines. The exquisite little Cadet that rang bells in a young teenager's mind many years ago is alive and well today as a beautiful flying antique that is the pride and joy of this aviation romantic! •
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Elevator trim handle and indicator is on ceiling. Original data plate is mounted on aft bulkhead. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
,I ~ype ClubActivities
Compiled by Gene Chase
Annual Convention Set for Alaska
The 1988 Annual Convention of the International Cessna 170 Association is scheduled for July 17-22 at Fairbanks International Airport, Fairbanks, Alaska. Plenty of parking and camping is avail able on the field . Two FBOs with fuel trucks and radio repair facilities will be available. The convention hotel is the Sophie Station Hotel, 1717 University Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 99709, phone 907/479 3650. Convention co-chairman are Rick and Cheryl Schikora, 1919 Lathrop, Drawer 17, Fairbanks, AK 99701, phone (work) 907/456-1566 and (home) 907/488-1724 - remember the time difference. For information on the International Cessna 170 Association, contact Velvet Fackeldey, Executive Secretary, P. O. Box 186, Hartville, MO 65667, phone 417/741-6557.
The airplanes came from virtually every state and six different countries on three continents and covered model years extending back to 1947. It set a new attendance record of 1,760 over the previous mark of 1,350 held by the 1980 Convention. In four nights and three days, there were two buffets, two banquets, a first timer's breakfast, a ladies' luncheon, exhibits, plant tours, flight line inspec tions, fly-bys and daily seminars and other learning opportunities. The 1988 ABS Convention is sched uled for July 6-10 at Nashville, Tennes see hosted by the Grand Ole Opry and Opryland, USA. For information on the American Bonanza Society, contact Cliff R. Sones, Administrator, P. O. Box 12888, Wichita, KS 67277, phone 316/945 6913.
the side stripe, etc. Orange Yellow for 1946-47 Stinsons, Stinson Green also 1946-47 Stinsons, Insignia Blue used only on 1946 Stinsons and Stearman Vermilion also used only on 1946 mod els. The blue used on some 108-3s was by Lowe Brothers. This is called out on a 24 x 36" blueprint I have from Univair (part number 108-3092140). Berry Brothers had a complete line of Aircraft Finishing materials known as Berryloid Aircraft Finishes. This Air As sociates Inc. Book (copyright 1949) stated that Berry Brothers had over 30 years experience in aviation finishes and had such efficiency that they were known to be the standard of quality (like our Stinsons) in the aviation industry. For information on the Southwest Stinson Club, contact Dick Goerges, President, 3619 Nortree Street, San Jose, CA 95148, phone 408/274-9179.
SOUTHWEST STINSON CLUB LUSCOMBE ASSOCIATION
The following article by Gary Mur dock, Vice-Preisdent of the Southwest Stinson Club appeared in a recent SWSC newsletter. The Right Maroon AMERICAN BONANZA SOCIETY 20th Anniversary Convention
As noted in the American Bonanza Society Newsletters, the 1987 Conven tion held July 15-19 at Midcontinent Air port, Wichita, Kansas celebrated the 20th birthday of the Society and the 40th anniversary of the Beechcraft Bonanza. By the time the last airplane was tied down, the official count was 777 Bonanzas and Barons. It was the largest fly-in by a single organization that Wichita - "The Air capital of the World" had ever experi enced. It surpassed the previous record of 525 airplanes at the 1980 ASS Con vention in Nashville. 22 NOVEMBER 1987
A recent discovery of an old Air As sociates Inc. parts catalog has revealed many of the paint colors by Berry Brothers that were used on most of our Stinson's. A full page of color chips in perfect condition gave me an opportu nity to run down to the paint store and do some color matching. What I found may surprise some of you . Imron No. 143 I have been told by more than one, is a perfect match for the Stinson ma roon; not so! I found this to be lighter than the paint chip Berry Brothers gave for Stinson maroon, the full name is Stinson Garnet -Maroon. This color matched perfectly with Imron No. 32678UH. Other Berry Brother paint chips for Stinsons were Diana Cream used for
From the current issue of "The Lus combe Courant," the newsletter of the Continental Luscombe Association edited by Loren Bump, comes this good news for California residents who own antique, classic and "unique" aircraft. California's Senate Bill 95 was re cently signed into law by Gov. Deukme jian which exempts many antique and unique aircraft from the personal prop erty tax rolls . Private aircraft 35 years old or older, as well as any aircraft of any type or model of which there are fewer than five known to exist worldwide are exempt. The bill does not include aircraft used for commercial purposes, regular trans portation or held for sale. The owner must file for exemption at the local tax office and pay a one-time filing fee . Also the owner is required to display the plane to the public at various times of the year, such as at fly-ins. For information on the Continental
Luscombe Association, contact Loren Bump, President, 5736 Esmar Road , Ceres, CA 95307, phone 209/537 9934.
NATIONAL BIPLANE ASSOCIATION Vol. 1, No.1 of "Biplane News," the quarterly publication of the National Bip lane Association has just arrived at EAA Headquarters. It's an eight-page news
letter on high grade paper containing news, photos and other items of note, including the following : Using the FAA Aircraft Registry data, NBA tabulations show there are 5,651 biplanes registered. The largest group of biplanes is Stearmans followed by Pitts. A partial breakdown looks like this : Stearmans 2016 Pitts 909 Starduster 499 Waco 344 Beech Staggerwing 207 Navy N3N 141 Meyers 98 Fleet 69 Laird 10 Wiley Post 1 Buhl 1 FAA data does not indicate how many are in license and, of course, there is no way to know how many are
out there which are not registered. Fifteen percent of the National Bip lane Association's promotional post cards mailed to FAA-registered biplane owners were returned by the Postal Service marked "Undeliverable," "For warding Expired'" or "Moved , Left no Forwarding Address. " In reporting this percent of returns to the mailing list source, NBA was ad vised that airplane owners were known to be very negligent about notifying the FAA Aircraft Registry of their address changes. (A possible consequence is the re-assignment by the FAA of these "inactive" N-numbers. Many vintage airplanes have lost their original regis tration numbers due to such laxity by owners . ... G.R.C.) For information on the National Bip lane Association contact them at Hangar 5, 4-J Aviation, Jones RVS, Tulsa, OK 74132, phone 918/299-2532 . •
VINTAGE SEAPLANES
by Norman Petersen
Interesting photo of a 1949 Cessna 195, N3877V, SIN 7339, mounted on Edo 38-3430 floats and being pumped by Nick Oppegard, left, and serviced by Roger Seiler on the wing. Photo was taken on 28 July 1984 at a marina on the Saginaw River, Bay City, MI as the plane was being flown from New York to Seattle! Note missing bumper on left float. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
Configuration
by Dennis Parks
Trends in Airplane Design 1931 The October "Vintage Literature" took a look at the Department of Com merce's Aeronautics Bulletin No. 21 , "Trend in Airplane Design as Indicated by Approved Type Certificates" which examined the trends as evidenced by the 390 aircraft for which approvals had been issued between March 29, 1927 and January 1, 1931 . I thought it would be interesting to continue the examination by looking at the aircraft issued type certificates in 1931 and see if there were any discer nible trends. There were 67 type certificates is sued during the year, four were for au togiros and seven for multi-engine air craft. The third quarter of the year was most active with 23 aircraft receiving approval. This was a definite decline from the previous busiest third quarter in 1929 when 75 aircraft were ap proved. This no doubt reflected general busi ness conditions in the country.
One of the trends examined was that of configuration , i.e., biplane vs . mono planes and open cockpit vs. closed air craft. There was a definite trend in the ratio of monoplanes vs. biplanes. At the end of 1930, it was almost a 50-50 split with a slight edge for monoplanes. In 1931 there was a further decline in the amount of new biplane designs with only five getting approvals in the second half of 1931 . The ratio of monoplanes vs. biplanes for the year was 68 percent to 32 percent. There were 43 monoplane approvals and 20 biplane.
ond half of 1931 was 17.2 Ibs'/hp. The highest power loading was for the Cyc loplane which struggled through the air carrying an astonishing 30 Ibs. per horsepower.
Wing Loading The average wing loading in 1931 de clined to 11 Ibs. per square foot com pared to a high of over 19 for the new designs of the second quarter of 1930. The highest wing loading for the year was 18.31 Ibs./sq. ft. for the Lockheed Orion, also the fastest new plane of the year. The lowest wing loading was for the slowest new plane of the year, the Cyc loplane. This goes to demonstrate the relationship between wing loading and top speed.
Payload
Through the first four years of approv als no one type dominated over the other in the ratio of open vs. closed air craft. During 1931 there was a slight trend toward open aircraft, with 57 per cent of the aircraft being of open config uration.
During 1931 the average payload per horsepower increased markedly over the 1927-1930 period. The payload per horsepower during 1930 hit a low of about 2.5 Ibs. per horsepower. The av erage payload per horsepower in 1931 was over six. Five aircraft carried over ten Ibs. per horsepower. If this is an indi
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The average top speed of 126 mph in 1930 was continued in the first half of 1931 . In the second half of the year it dropped to 115 mph, This could reflect the large number of lightplanes certified during the second half of the year. The highest high-speed rating for an aircraft in 1931 was 210 mph for the Lockheed Orion. The lowest high speed was 65 mph for the 22 hp Cycloplane. The Orion also had the largest speed range of any aircraft certified during the year - 146 miles per hour difference between landing speed and high speed. The average speed range for the year was 72 mph. The lowest range was the 40 mph for the Aeronca C-3.
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The average weight supported by each unit of horsepower decreased dur ing the period 1927-1930 from a high of nearly 19 Ibs'/hp to a low in 1930 of below 15Ibs'/hp. The trend in 1931 was towards an increase in power loading. The average power loading for the sec
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cator of efficiency, then there was a de finite trend toward more efficient air craft. Only eleven of the 63 aircraft cer tified in 1931 had payload ratios less than any aircraft certified in the previous four years. By this measure of efficiency, the least efficient new aircraft design was the Stearman Cloudboy which only car ried 2.B7 pounds of payload per horse
power. By the same token , the most ef ficient aircraft was the Aeronca C-3 which carried 11 .36 Ibs. of payload for each horsepower. Lightplanes
One of the definite trends of the year was in lightplanes. During the second half of the year, nine new aircraft with
gross weights of under 1,000 pounds were certified . This marks the beginning of the pre-war lightplane era. Among the new planes were the Aeronca C-3, the Taylor E-2 Cub and the Alexander Flyabout. The Flyabout was not only the first side by side cabin monoplane in the lightplane class, but also the first certified with the new four-cylinder Con tinental A-40 engine. •
OLUII,.EERS Antique/Classic Division At Oshkosh 1987 by Art Morgan and Bob Brauer Boy, did we go to a fly-in recently. We were there for two weeks and had a fine time . We saw old friends and met new ones. Quite naturally, we got rained on, then baked. Everyone I know got hot, tired , wet, cranky, dusty, dirty, not necessarily in that order, and had ach ing jaws from laughing and smiling so much. Before it was over, we were cal ling the 'B7 EAA Convention "Jaws IV." We had a group of people there , over BOO ,OOO strong. There was a record 1961 showplanes registered . And prob ably half again as many that did not re gister and half again that many classics that parked "up north" in the transient area. As far as your Antique/Classic Divi sion is concerned, let me assure you that we had some fun . The field was closed to incoming transient aircraft (but not showplanes) at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, opening day. That's the first time in EAA history the field was closed that early. On our peak day over the first weekend we had over 1100 antique/ classic aircraft on the field. More new members joined the Division than the past two years combined. Sales were up and complaints were down. We were parking airplanes in every nook and cranny of our part of the field. The aircraft judges went nuts trying to find them all, and I'm sure they enjoyed every minute of it. I suppose this is sour grapes but I have to say it. At one point during our first and busiest weekend someone came up to me and said that 12-year olds were parking airplanes, riding the bikes and did not know what they were doing. It's a fact that every one of of
those young volunteers was at least 19 years old and had several years experi ence parking airplanes at Oshkosh. They probably had more time parking airplanes than this person had flying them , I wou ld guess. As it turned out this person wanted to park where he cou ldn 't and as a result wasn 't allowed to. Sooo ... his feelings were hurt. And yet these "twelve-year-old" kids were first on the scene when we had an unfortunate incident. They gave first aid that contributed greatly to the saving of a limb, and took control and maintained crowd control. Not too bad for a bunch of little kids, huh? We had a new and valuable service this year for our volunteers. We had a volunteer administration building run by Judy and Margaret and Mary Beth and several other very competent ladies. This was a place where our people could go for a cool drink of lemonade or pop and a sandwich or just sit and relax. Good job, ladies! During the hot spell early in the week, two of our volunteers, Chuck and another Judy, did nothing but drive around in our of our "Green Machines" with ice and water and wet down the wrists and necks of our people, handed out wet wipes and made sure everyone had something cool to drink. Talk about volunteering .. . how can you get better than that? On one of the busiest days, by prior arrangement, 22 "Swifts" arrived in a group. In less than 10 minutes five of our people recovered the aircraft from the active runway, led them in and parked them all in a row. Believe me, that was sheer poetry to watch . Less
than 10 minutes, 22 airplanes, 5 people! Can you believe that? This month the "Tip of the Oshkosh Kepe" goes to every one of you EAA volunteers . From the person our there frying pancakes at a chapter fly-in to the people butting heads with DC-3s at Oshkosh. If it weren't for you , no one would have the privilege of enjoying this wacky, wonderful world of sport avia tion . Believe me, I take nothing away from the air show performers who are also volunteers , with as much devotion as anyone else and spending their time and money to entertain the crowd . But when those air show performers hear that roar of applause, they should re member the person picking up garbage, frying eggs, parking cars and picking up afterwards. Without them, there would be no fly-in or for that matter, sport fly ing . "Stand tall y'all. " Join us and you have it all.•
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
The following is a listing of new members who have joined the EAA Antique/Classic Division (through August 9, 1987). We are honored to welcome them into the organization whose members' common interest is vintage aircraft. Succeeding issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE will contain additional listings of new members. Morris, Kenneth E. Roanoke , Texas
Larrabee Jr., Bryce B. Harvard, Massachusetts
Sharpe Jr., Victor V. Riverview, Florida
Oestry, Paul R. Naperville, Illinois
Wagner, Jack M. Lakewood, Ohio
Disch, Dennis F. Monroe, Wisconsin
Majka, Daniel D. Palatine, Illinois
Wansink, F. J. Nicholasville, Kentucky
Lewis, Ronald Old Hickory, Tennessee
Kopp, Michael E. Irvine, California
Townsend, Merton LeRoy Waterloo, California
Weiler, Jerry Port Angeles, Washington
Condon, Camela Jo Dayton, Ohio
Larson, Harry Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin
Engdahl, Roger St. Paul, Minnesota
Hammond, James F. Yellow Springs, Ohio
Kanengieter, Arlyn D. Bellevue, Iowa
Sherrard, Thomas Hamilton, Ohio
Dale, Melvin E. Minneapolis, Minnesota
Gossett Jr., Harold Midlothian, Texas
Newman, Gene Decatur, Alabama
Breen, P. C. Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
Speer, Steven J. Okeechobee, Florida
Tracy, Gene A. Amery, Wisconsin
Schmucker, B. E. Mitchell, South Dakota
Terry, Donald E. Grand Island, Nebraska
Imp, Francis R. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Charette, Richard F. Wadsworth, Texas
Hilton, Howard T. Cassadaga, New York
Holmquist Jr., John D. Austin , Texas
Hollis, Jeff L. South Haven, MiChigan
Kingman, David R. Ft. Walton Beach, Florida
Lanier Jr., A. J. Dallas, Texas
Ulatowski, Frank Englishtown, New Jersey
Buchanan,John C. Ada, Michigan
Spitzer, William F. S!. Joseph, Missouri
Strok, Michael J. Edgewater, Maryland
Spolerich Jr., James G. Corvallis, Oregon
Bernhard, Marvin Paul Pinckney, Michigan
Trovillion, Dwayne V. Mount Morris, Michigan
Levin, Alan S. Santa Monica, California
Stansberry Jr., Reese E. Mascot, Tennessee
Bowles Jr., Donald E. Dallas, Texas
Nelsen, Ted Columbus, Nebraska
Hall, Warren L. Okeechobee, Florida
Knight, Ronald W. Tacoma, Washington
Hunter, Leighton, W. Venice, Florida
Jacobs, Paul R. Naperville, Illinois
Fields, Edward N. Hudson, Florida
Trutwin, Michael S!. Paul, Minnesota
Williamson, John Mahomet, Florida
Parker Jr., Richard L. Fort Wayne, Indiana
Haggenmacher, Scott Jonesboro, Arkansas
Nickerson, D.A. Woodland, California
Miller, Steven L. Houston, Texas
Haugen, Kenneth N. Anoka, Minnesota
Stebbins, Scott A. Spokane, Washington
Sabin, Dennis R. Chehalis, Washington
Schulze, Thomas Bloomville, Ohio
Cummins, Charles E. Brighton, Colorado
Sandlin, Deanna Appleton, Wisconsin
Quinzio, Joseph T. Tonowanda, New York
O'Neal, Danny Venus, Florida
Dolan, Michael A. Minneapolis, Minnesota
Hoefelmann, Charles D. Mineral Wells, Texas
Dutschke, Gerald H. Carrollton, Texas
Ammentorp, William Cannon Falls, Minnesota
Orr, Thomas L. Akron, Ohio
Eakins, Jeff L. Fort Wayne , Indiana
Eanes, Mike Grand Prairie, Texas
Schrank, Thomas W. Neshkoro, Wisconsin
Isbell III, John B. Fort Payne, Alabama
Burmeister, Thomas A. Des Moines, Iowa
Benson, Wallace J. Webster, Wisconsin
Turan, John S. Daytona Beach, Florida
Voorhis, Wesley M. Sussex, New Jersey
Gurnee, Edwin Canterbury, New Hampshire
Maxwell Jr., Bruce R. Tempe, Arizona
Benner, Leslie W Missouri City, Texas
Caldwell, Paul S. Jonesboro, Arkansas
Eskildsen, Howard Green River, Wyoming
Larson, Paul S. Beverly, Massachusetts
Justice, David Victoria, Australia
Andres Jr., Edward A. Waynesville, Ohio •
26 NOVEMBER 1987
Dear Gene,
hope to see you at the fly-in next summer.
Thank you for sending the complimentary copies of the September, 1987 issue of The Vintage Airplane. The front cover photo of the Noorduyn "Norseman" on floats is like the one I flew for several years in the bush . I have several hundred hours in this type aircraft and the photo brought back a lot of memories. I enjoyed Norm Petersen's article in that same issue about Bob Gehring's Taylorcraft. He does an excellent job of writing. Thanks again for the magazines, and I
Regards, Ray Goss 1623 Curtis Lane R. R. 7
West Bend, WI 53095
you mentioned that you'd never seen a suc cessful enamel paint removal operation on a "rag" airplane. The best thing I've found is butyrate dope - it softens the enamel and it can be scraped off. It doesn't work too well for an entire airplane, but it's good for patching. Doug Rounds (EAA 78381, NC 532) R. R. 1, Box 200-A
Zebulon, GA 30295
Dear Buck, In one of your "Pass It to Buck" columns
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
DECEMBER 5-6 SAN PEDRO, BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - EAA Chapter 722, UL Chapter 23 and AlC Chapter 12 Sixth National Fly-In. Contact: Abel Debock, C.C. 275, 2930 San Pedro, Argentina, phone 0329-24307. APRIL 10-16 - LAKELAND, FLORIDA - 13th annual Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In at Lakeland Municipal Airport. Contact: Sun 'n Fun Head quarters, 3838 Dranefield Road , P. O. Box
6750, Lakeland, FL 33807, phone 813/6442431 . JUNE 23-26 - GRAND LAKE VACATION RE SORT, OKLAHOMA - International Bird Dog Association annual meeting and fly-in at Golden Falcon Airpark, Grand Lake Vacation Resort. Contact: Phil Phillips, 505/897-4174. JULY 17-22 - FAIRBANKS, ALASKA - Interna tional Cessna 170 Association Convention at Fairbanks International Airport. Convention
site: Sophie Station Motel. Contact: Convention Chairmen, Rick and Cheryl Schikora, 1919 Lat hrop, Drawer 17, Fairbanks, AK 99701, 9071 456-1566 (work), or 907/488-1724 (home). Re member the time difference. JULY 29-AUGUST 5 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - 36th annual International EAA Convention and Sport Aviation Exhibition at Wittman Field. Contact: John Burton, EAA Headquarters, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 •
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
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Limited Edition Collectors Plaque for desk/wall Over 120 world-famous autographs magnificently diplayed on a 8" x 10" plaque, can NOW be yours for the SPECIAL HOLIDAY GIFT price of S19.95 plus $3.25 shipping/handling, regularly ~ the perfect gift for that special Flying Enthusiast, pIus if you act now you will receive FREE the perfect stocking stuffer a 20" x 25" print of this collection. Autographs include: Charles Lindbergh. ONille Wright. Amelia Earhart. Billy Mitchell. Augusta Post. Paul Tibbets. Dr. Hugo Eckner • Wiley Post • Chuck Yeager. Eddie Rickenbacker .Jaqueline Cochran and many more. Faithfully reproduced from the original collection of Major James G. Adams. To order send check or money order to: JoDany Inc., 2 Sandtown Terrace, Hamilton Square, NJ 08690.• NJ Residents add 60/0 sales tax. Money Back Guarantee
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the over six foot pilot. VW power insures hard to beat 3'12 gph at cruise setting . 15 large instruction sheets. Plans - $60.00. Info Pack - $5.00. Send check or money order to : ACRO SPORT, INC., Box 462, Hales Corners, WI 53130. 414/529-2609.
AIRCRAFT: 1946 HAC airframe - 690 hours TT. Basket case - no engine, propeller, wing struts or wheels. $1400 .00. Air Salvage of Arkansas, 501 /394·1022 or 501 /394·2342 , Rt. I, Box 8007 , Mena, AR 71953. (11-1) Bellanca 1947 1164. (12-2)
MISCELLANEOUS: Have we got a part for you! 20 years accumula tion of parts for all types of aircraft - antiques, classics, homebuiits, warbirds. Everything from the spinner to the tail wheel. Air Salvage of Arkansas, Rt. I , Box 8007, Mena, AR 71953, phorie 501 /394 1022 or 501 /394-2342. (11-1)
ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unlimited aerobatics. 23 sheets of clear, easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical draw ings, photos and exploded views. Complete parts and materials list. Full size wing drawings. Plans plus 139 page Builder's Manual - $60.00. Info Pack - $5.00. Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing $15.00. The Technique of Aircraft Building $10 .00 plus $2 .00 postage. Send check or money order to: ACRO SPORT, INC., Box 462, Hales Corners, WI 53130. 414/529-2609.
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1950 Piper Stinson 108-3 - Metalized, stored 17 years. Excellent condition . 952 hours TT. 165 hp, 19 hours SMOH . Metal Prop. Original mahoganyl mohair upholstery. 606/854-6640 after 5 p.m . No collect calls. (11-1)
Enjoy a VHS video flight with Donna and I around the border of the U.S. in our J·3 Cub. See Nova Scotia, New York City, Kitty Hawk, Key West, lost in Texas! Mt. St. Helen, Expo '86. 12,788 miles, 61 days, camping under the wing. $36.00 ppd , or book and color pictures, $10.00 ppd . Make good gifts! Phil Michmerhuizen, 186 Sunset Drive , Hoi land, M149423. (12-2) SWISS WATCH REPLICAS! - Wholesaler! Pub lic Welcome! 100% satisfaction . Exchange guaran teed! Goldplated! Warranty! Good weight and color! Fabulous Promotion and Gift item! PROMO TIONAL HOLIDAY SPECIAL! Limited time offer! Order! Call! 404/963-3USA. (4-6)
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
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be using less expensive autogas with an
EAA-STC.
54903-3086
Gene R. Chue, WitbD.!on Airfield. Oahkosh. Wheenlin 54903-J086
Sample copies $4 each.
WORLD WAR 1
9
I . COMf'LETE MAIUNG ADORESS OF THE HEAOOUARTERS OF GENtRAL IUSINESS OFFICES OF THE PUILISHER IN."p".. , • •/
our two Journals, which contain: information on current projects news of museums and airshows technical drawings, data photographs scale modelling material news 01 c urrent publications 01 all kinds
I 01911161 ANNUAlLV
4 . COMnETE MAILING "'OI)I'I£SS OF KNOWN O'FICE OF PU8L1CATION
Leo Opdycke, Editor
Published by
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THE JOURNAL OF THE AIRPlANE 1920·1940
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CALL TODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION IT'S TOLL-FREE 1-800-322-4277
(In Wisconsin call 414-426-4800)
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Oshkosh, WI 54903-3065
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For laster service, have your airplane's "N" number
and serial number; your engine's make, model and
serial number;· and your credit card number ready.
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TIM~. RE-UVE IT! \ The fabulous times of Turner, Doolittle. Wedell and Wittman recreated as neveT before in this 600-page two-volume series. Printed on high grade paper with sharp, cleaT photo reproduction. Official race results 1927 through 1939 -- more than 1,000 photos -- 3-view drawings -- scores of articles about people and planes that recapture the glory, the drama, the excitement of air raCing during the golden years. Volume 1 and 2 sold at $14.95 each -- add $2.00 postage for fiTst item and $1.00 for each item there after -- a total of $3.00 for both volu mes. SPECIAL OFFER! With purchase of both THE GOLDEN AGE OF AIR RACING , Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, above, you may select FREE, one of the fOllowing: EM Pilot Log Book (#11-16552), EM Propeller (or rotor) Log Book (# 11 -16566). or EM Engine and Reduc· tion Drive Log Book (#11-13951). Offer good while supplies last l Send check or money order to: EM Aviation Foundation, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3065.
30 NOVEMBER 1987
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ACTUAL NO. COP'ES OF SINGLE ISSUE PUILISHED NEAREST TO FILINGDAH
You've borrowed a buddy's air plane to fly the family to a re mote, grass landing strip for a weekend of camping. The , weather is warm and the great outdoors beckons. Life doesn't get much better. But what if your flight doesn't go as planned? AVEMCO wants you to be a protected pilot. Be fore you fly a borrowed, rented or flying club airplane, call AVEMCO for the best aviation insurance available. In most cases, the owner's in . surance protects him, not you. If you have an accident, it is prob able that you will be sued and suffer financial loss (attorney's fees, court costs, judgments and more). AVEMCO, however, can help you protect yourself against potential financial loss. Deal direct with AVEMCO. You'll avoid time and confusion, while taking advantage of rates that are among the most competitive in the industry. We can even bind your insurance right over the phone. Be a protected pilot. Call AVEMCO today, toll-free.