STRAIGHT
AND
Sunday. Chairman - Jeannie Hill. Antique/Classic Parade of Flight The Antique/Classic annual Parade of Flight will be staged on Tuesday, August 4 as the main part of the air show and when the field is closed. Briefing for the event will be at 1:00 p.m. at the Antique/Classic Head quarters. Chairman - Phil Coulson, 616/624-6490.
by Bob Lickteig
OSHKOSH '87 UPDATE With Oshkosh '87 - "An Aviation Show case" - just around the corner, your EM Antique/Classic Division is continuing to re fine plans for Convention week. The following information is provided to help you plan your stay at Oshkosh '87. If you need further infor mation about a particular event, please do not hesitate to contact the chairman in volved. Antique/Classic Picnic The Antique/Classic Picnic will be held at the EAA Nature Center Sunday evening, Au gust 2 starting at 6:00 p.m. The committee has arranged for refreshments and the serv ing of a pig roast with all the trimmings. Tick ets are $6.00 - a real bargain and will be on sale at the Antique/Classic Headquarters and must be purchased by 6:00 p.m . Satur day, August 1, as we must advise the cook the number of people we will have 24 hrs. in advance. Chairman - Steve Nesse, 507/373-1674. Antique/Classic Fly-Out The fourth annual Antique/Classic Con vention Fly-Out for members and guests is scheduled for Monday, August 3. We will be flying to Shawano, Wisconsin 55 miles north of Oshkosh . Shawano Flying service will be our host. Two sod and one hard surface run way will be open, plus a seaplane base so we're extending an invitation for all float planes to join us. Briefing 7:00 a.m. at Antique/Classic Headquarters, departure 8-8:30 a.m .; return 1:30 - 2:00 p.m., in time for the air show. Chairman - Bob Lumley, 414/255-6832 Antique/Classic Riverboat Cruise The Antique/Classic Riverboat Dinner Cruise will be held Tuesday evening, August 4, sailing at 7:00 p.m. from the Pioneer Inn dock. Tickets may still be available at Antique Classic Headquarters Red Barn through
2 JULY 1987
Antique/Classic Parking Arrangements have been made for the Type Clubs and any individuals who wish to park their type aircraft together. The parking committee has developed a simple type parking plan. Information and parking in structions will be mailed to you. Contact the Chairman . Chairman - Art Morgan, 414/442-3631 . Antique/Classic Forums
LEVEL
Antique/Classic Photo Contest
The fourth annual Antique/Classic Amateur Photo Contest will be held during Oshkosh '87. All contestants please register at the Antique/Classic headquarters and re ceive up-to-date contest rules , please. Re member, photos taken enroute, during the Convention and return home are all eligible for the contest. Chairman - Jack McCarthy, 317/371 1290. Antique/Classic Participant Plaque The Antique/Classic Division will present to each registered aircraft a recognition plaque with a colored photo of the aircraft parked at Oshkosh. Please register your air craft as soon as possible after you are parked, as this will speed the procedure to present you with your plaque. Chairman - Jack Copeland, 616/336 7245.
A complete schedule of forums covering all makes and models of Antique/Classic air craft will be presented throughout Conven tion week. These forums will be conducted by the most qualified individuals available. Check Convention program for complete de tails. Chairman - Ron Fritz, 616/678-5012
Antique/Classic Interview Circle The Antique/Classic Interview Circle will be expanded this year and will schedule two interviews per day. If you have an interesting aircraft and would like to be included in this program for an interview, please contact the Chairman so you can arrange to be included in his schedule at your convenience. Chairman - Kelly Viets, 913/828-3518.
Antique/Classic Awards Antique Judging - All categories. Chair man - Dale Gustafson, 317/293-4430. Classic Judging - All categories. Chair man - George York, 419/529-4378.
Airline Pilots Headquarters A tent for all airline flight crews will again be located in the Antique/Classic area. Chairman - Don Toeppen, 312/377-9321.
Antique/Classic Type Club Headquarters All type {;Iubs are invited to set up their headquarters in the type club tent. We have again set up a larger tent so there will be enough room. Tom Poberezny, Senior Vice President of EAA and the Convention Chair man, will address the type clubs in the head quarters tent at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 4. Additional activities are also planned . Chairman - Butch Joyce, 919/427-0216. Antique/Classic Workshop
The Antique/Classic Workshop located next to the Antique/Classic Headquarters will again be in operation throughout Convention week. Mary Feik of the Smithsonian's Paul H. Garber Facility at Silver Hill will again visit our workshop. She will present slides and a talk on the restoration of the World War I Spad 13, at 1 :00 p.m. on three days: Sun day, August 2, Tuesday, August 4, and Thursday, August 6. Please come by for this special program and help with the comple tion of our project and gain the hands-on ex perience of actually working on a restoration. Chairman - George Meade, 414/228 7701.
Antique/Classic Information Booth The membership and information booth will be located outside the Antique/Classic Headquarters. Complete information on membership and Convention activities can be obtained here. Chairman - Kelly Viets, 913/828-3518. Antique/Classic Hall of Fame Reunion The annual Hall of Fame Reunion for pre vious Grand and Reserve Champ aircraft will again be held at Oshkosh '87. A special dis play area, special awards and a special fly by recognition are planned . All previous win ners are encouraged to bring their aircraft back to Oshkosh for the members and guests to enjoy. Chairman - Dan Neuman, 6121571-0893 .
ox-s
Aviation Pioneers The OX-5 Aviatton Pioneers headquarters tent is located in the Antique/Classic area. Chairman - Bob Wallace, 301 /686-3279.
It's going to be a great Convention. Make the Antique/Classic area your headquarters. Welcome aboard - we're better together - join us and you have it all. •
PUBLICATION STAFF PUBLISHER
Tom Poberezny
VICE-PRESIDENT
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Dick Matt
EDITOR
Gene R. Chase
JULY 1987. Vol. 15, No.7
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 Koepnlck
Carl Schuppel
EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC
DIVISION, INC.
OFFICERS
President R. J. lickteig 1718 Lakewood Albert Lea, MN 56007 507/373-2922
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, IL60180 815/923-4591
DIRECTORS John S. Copeland 9 Joanne Drive Westborough, MA 01581 617/366-7245
Stan Gomoll 104290th Lane, NE Minneapolis, MN 55434
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 61 21571-0893
Ray Olcott
1500 Kings Way
Nokomis, FL33555
813/485-8139
John R. Turgyan Box 229, RF.D. 2 Wrightstown, NJ 08562 609/758-2910
S.J. Wittman
Box 2672
Oshkosh , WI54903
414/235-1265
Contents 2 4 5 6 8 9 10 12 13 14 16 17 18 20 21 22 24 25 26 27
Straight and Level/by Bob Lickteig AlC News/by Gene Chase Calendar of Events PA-11 "Cub Special"/by Norm Petersen Vintage Seaplanes/by Norm Petersen Vintage Literature/by Dennis Parks Stolen Stearman; The End of an Era by Philip Handleman It Can Be Done!lby M. C. "Kelly" Viets Mystery Plane/by George A. Hardie, Jr. The Disappearance of Alaska Pilot Russ Merrill in Travel Air CW, C-194 by Paul Bierman Oshkosh '87 Antique/Classic Forum Schedule/by Ron Fritz Type Club Activities/by Gene Chase Logan McKee and the DeChenne Aeroplane/by Ted Businger Pass It to Buck/by E. E. "Buck" Hilbert Aviation 75 Years Ago/by Ed Williams Volunteers - A Book of Heroes by Art Morgan and Bob Brauer Who Am I?/by Art Morgan Interesting Members/by Dale Gustafson Welcome New Members Vintage Trader
Page 6
Page 10
61 21784-1172
George S. York
181 Sloboda Ave.
Mansfield, OH 44906
419/529-4378
ADVISORS
Page 14
FRONT COVER .. . Scenes from Sun 'n Fun '87 capture the gamut of antique and classic aircraft and accessories. (Photos by Jack Cox, Golda Cox, Carl Schuppel and Norm Petersen) BACK COVER . . . 1931 Pitcairn PM-1 , 125 hp Kinner. Owned by Des Moines Register & Tribune. Reproduced from a negative of Elmer (EM Archives) and Mable Cermak.
The words EM, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM , SPORT AVIATION , and the logos of EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC., EM INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, EAA ANTIQU E/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 .
Philip Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawlon , MI49065 616/624-6490
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 Airfield , Oshkosh , WI 54903-3086 . Phone : 414/426-4800.
John A. Fogarty RR2, Box70 Roberts, WI 54023 715/423-1447
Robert D. " Bob" Lumley N104 W20387 Willow Creek Road Colgate, WI 53017 414/255-6832
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 Airfield , Oshkosh. WI 54903足 3086. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 and additional mailing oltices. Membership rates for EM Antique/Classic Division, Inc. are $18.00 for current EM members for 12 month period of which $12.00 is for the publication of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation .
Steven C. Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Lea, MN 56007 507/373-1674
S.H. "Wes" Schmid 2359 Lefeber Avenue Wauwatosa, WI53213 414/771 -1545
ADVERTISING - Antique/Classic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product oltered 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 .
Robert C. " Bob" Brauer 9345 S. Hoyne Chicago, IL60620 3121779-2105
Postmaster: Send address changes to EM Antique/Classic Division , Inc., Wittman Airfield , Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
Compiled by Gene Chase ATTENTION - PILOTS COMING TO OSHKOSH '87 A temporary FAA Air Traffic Control Tower will be operational at the Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Airport commencing July 30 through August 3, 1987, from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. COT daily. Fre quencies are: Tower 123.1 mHz and Ground Control at 121 .8 mHz. The VFR and IFR arrival/departure procedures are too lengthy to include here so all affected pilots are strongly advised to check the current NOTAMS so as to not violate the Control Area. This action is in support of the EAA Convention at Oshkosh and specifically the increasingly heavy traffic load at Fond du Lac.
(L-R) Kneeling - "Red" Perkins, Stan Gomoll, Ray Olcott and George Meade. Standing: unidentified, Steve Nesse, John Fogarty, Bob Lumley, Tom Hampshire, and Dale Gustafson.
AVIATION FUEL FOR OSHKOSH '87 For Oshkosh '85 and '86, Basler Flight Services, Inc. provided auto fuel to all aircraft operators who held auto gas STC's. Unfortunately, the sale of auto fuel did not exceed more than 3% of their fuel revenue . Low sales volume combined with li mited storage capability and dispensing logistics have necessitated the elimina tion of auto fuel at Oshkosh '87. The good news is that Basler Flight Services Inc. plans to have sufficient quantities of 80 octane available through the Convention. Additionally, those aircraft operators possessing an auto fuel STC for aircraft manufactured before 1929 will be offered a substantial discount on 80 octane. SWEEPSTAKES REMINDER Everyone is reminded to mail in his or her EAA Foundation Sweepstakes tickets for a chance to win the grand prize of a Piper Cherokee ... or a Slick ignition system, a mink jacket or other prizes. Sweepstakes tickets were in cluded in your February issue of Sport Aviation or can be obtained by writing EAA Sweepstakes, P. O. Box 738, Rockford , IL 61105. This is an opportu nity to support your EAA Museum . . . and the chance to win valuable prizes. AIRCRAFT CERTIFICATION CELE BRATING 60TH YEAR On March 29, 1927, the Aeronautics
4 JULY 1987
Stan Gomoll and the weather vane he brought from home in Minneapolis, MN to mount on the Red Barn's cupola. Ten minutes later he was on the roof securing the ali-impor tant ornament.
Branch of the Department of Commerce issued the first "Approved Type Certifi cate" (A. T. C.) to a U.S. civil aircraft. A.T.C. number one was issued to a Buhl-Verville J4 "Airster" model CA-3, open cockpit biplane. During 1987, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of aircraft certification, the FAA tentatively plans such events as poster distribution, a commemora tive postage cancel and a gala public event.
AUTO FUEL APPROVAL FOR AN TIQUE AIRCRAFT Telephone inquiries are still being re ceived at EAA Headquarters from cal lers who "heard rumors of this good news." To further spread the word, the following is reprinted from the April, 1987 issue of Sport Aviation: "Through the combined efforts of EAA and the FAA's New England Reg ional Office, owners of all aircraft that received an Approved Type Certificate
(ATC) or Group 2 approval prior to July 10, 1929 are free to use auto fuel with out a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). Type certificates issued before this date did not specify a specific fue l. Aircraft engines used in the 1920s had very low compression ratio and generally used whatever gasoline was available . . .which was unleaded fue l. Today's aviation gasoline is hard on these engines because they are unable to scavenge the lead . Typically, lead deposits bui lt up in the valve guides, eventua11y causing one or more to stick. EAA's exhaustive auto gas testing did not include these aircraft so certain guidelines are recommended : • Both leaded and unleaded auto gas can be used but unleaded is recom mended because of the absence of po tentially corrosive chlorine and/or bromine lead scavengers. • The effects of additives or high con
CALENDAR
OF
EVENTS
JULY 3-5 - ALLIANCE, OHIO - Annual Taylor craft Fly-In Reunion with food, fly-bys, forums, fellowship and possibly a tour of the Original Taylorcraft factory exterior including the old runway. buildings and final assembly hangar. Contact: Bruce Bixler, 12809 Greenbower N.E., Alliance, OH 44601. 2161823-9748. JULY 3-5 - BLAKESBURG. IOWA - Aeronca Fly-In at Antique Airfield. Open to all. Fly-out. forums, awards. Contact: AAA, At. 2. Box 172, Ottumwa, IA 52501 . 515/938-2773. JULY 5-9 - MONTICELLO. NEW YORK - 6th Annual Short Wing Piper Club Convention at Sullivan County Airport. Convention headquar ters at Stevensville Country Club, 4 miles away in Swan Lake. NY. Contact: Kurt J. Schneider, Easton Road. Box 679. Revere, PA 18953. 215/847-2501 . JULY 10-19 - LOCK HAVEN, PENNSYLVANIA - Sentimental Journey To Cub Haven Fly-In to celebrate "Fifty Years of Aviation History," paying tribute to William T. Piper's contribution to aviation history. Contact: Irving L. Perry. P. O. Box J-3. Lock Haven. PA 17745. Phone (days) 717/893-4201 . JULY 10-12 - MINDEN. NEBRASKA - National Stinson Club Fly-In. Contact George and Linda Leamy. 117 Lanford Road. Spartanburg. SC 29301. 803/576-9698. JULY 11-12 - MANKATO, MINNESOTA - EAA Chapter 642 Annual Aviaton Swap Meet at Mankato Airport. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Annual Fly-In Breakfast Sunday, 7 a.m. to noon. Contact: Bob Holtorf, 208 Capri Drive. Mankato. MN 56001 . 507/625-4476 or Walt Groskurth. 5071 388-5926.
centrations of aeromatics have not been tested in the fuel system compo nents of these airplanes. • Because of its higher volatility, auto gas may increase the tendency toward carburetor icing . Antique ai rplanes could have marginal or no carburetor heat rise. Caution should be used when icing conditions are present. • The high Reid vapor pressure of auto gas contributes to the tendency to ward vapor lock in fuel systems of in adequate design. Since no testing has been conducted in these antique air craft caution should be used, especially in low wing aircraft. In addition, any form of alcohol, in cluding ethanol and methanol, is not ap proved since it can attack the synthetic materials in the fuel system. For em phasis, a placard should be placed near each fuel filler cap, reading "Do Not Use Gasoline Containing AlcohoL " De-icing
fluid containing alcohol must be used in accordance with approved instructions. Owners and operators of these an tique aircraft who intend to use auto gas are urged to obtain an EAA Au togas Information Sheet from EAA's Kermit Weeks Fl ight Research Center, Wittman Airfield , Oshkosh, WI 54903 3065 or call 414/426-4800.
JULY 11-12 - CELINA, OHIO - 3rd Annual Northwestern Ohio Stearman Fly-In and Lakefield Jamboree at Lakefield Airport. Pig Roast - Saturday. breakfast - Sunday. Contact: 419/268-2565. JULY 17-19 - ARLINGTON. WASHINGTON 18th Annual Northwest EAA Fly-In and Sport Aviation Convention at Arlington Airport. Forums. workshops, commercial exhibits. fly market, judging and award programs. Contact: AI Burgemeister. Director of Services. 17507 SE 293rd Place, Kent, Washington. 206/631 9194. JULY 19-24 - SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - 19th Annual Convention of the International Cessna 170 Association at Montgomery Field. Primary motel is the new Holiday Inn on the airport. Contact: Duane or Prieta Shockey. 619/278 9676 or Association Headquarters, 4171741 6557. JULY 23-26 - SUN RIVER, OREGON - Interna tional 180/185 Club National Convention. Con tact: Joe Stancil. 3119 Lo-Hi Court. Placerville. CA 95667 or phone 916/622-6232. days. JULY 24-26 - COFFEYVILLE. KANSAS - Funk Aircraft Owners Association Annual Fly-In. Games, judging, trophies, Saturday night ban quet. Contact: Ray Pahls. 454 South Summit lawn. Wichita, KS 67209. 316/943-6920. JULY 31-AUGUST 7 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - World's Greatest Aviation Event. Experi mental Aircraft Association Intemational Fly-In and Sport Aviation Exhibition. Contact: John Burton, EAA Headquarters, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086, 414/426-4800. AUGUST 10-14 - FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN - Annual lAC Championships. Contact: Sha ron Heuer, 758 Grovewood Drive, Cordova. TN 38018, phone 9011756-7800 . AUGUST 14-16 - BLAKESBURG. IOWA - An nual AAA Reunion for members only. Antique Airfield. Contact: AAA, Rt. 2, Box 172, Ot tumwa. IA 52501, phone 515/938-2773. AUGUST 28-30 - SUSSEX. NEW JERSEY Sussex Air Show '87 at Sussex Airport. Con tact: Paul G. Styger. 201 /875-7337 or 875 9919. AUGUST 29-30 - SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK - Flight '87 Airshow sponsored by American Red Cross and Empire State Aerosciences Museum at Schenectady County Airport featur ing Concorde, USAF Thunderbirds. Golden
Knight Parachute Team, military and civilian ground displays and demonstrations. Contact: Frank Goodway. Director, Flight '87, 419 Mohawk Mall, Schenectady, NY 12304. 5181 382-0041 . SEPTEMBER 6 - WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WIS CONSIN - 7th Annual Antique Transportation Show and Fly-In. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m .. Sponsored by EAA Chapter 706 and Central Wisconsin ~ Model T Club. Contact: Bob Affeldt. 715/325 2470 or Joe Norris, 715/886-3261. SEPTEMBER 9-13 - GALESBURG, ILLINOIS Annual Stearman Fly-In. Massive surplus parts sale, camping, etc. Contact: Tom Lowe. 823 Kingston Lane. Crystal Lake. IL 60014. SEPTEMBER 11-13 - SANTA YNEZ, CALIFOR NIA - West Coast Cessna 1201140 Club An nual Fall Fly-In and Membership Meeting. Con tact: Lloyd Sorensen, 805/688-3169 or Lou Al laire, 408/659-2752. SEPTEMBER 17-20 - RENO, NEVADA - 1987 Reno Air Races at Stead Airfield. Contact: Reno Air Races, P. O. Box 1429, Reno. NV 89505. JACKSONVILLE. IL SEPTEMBER 18-20 LINOIS - 3rd Annual Stinson Fly-In and Reun ion. Seminars on Franklins. re-covering and modifications. Banquet on Saturday night. Fly outs, contests. fly market, camping at field. Contact: Loran Nordgren, 815/469-9100 or write 4 West Nebraska, Frankfort. IL 60423 SEPTEMBER 19-20 - TULSA, OKLAHOMA Tulsa Air Show '87 at Richard L. Jones Airport. Contact: Tulsa Air Shows, Inc., P. O. Box 581838, Tulsa. OK 74158, phone 918/838
VOLUNTEERS AND THE RED BARN Following the May 1st Antique/ Classic Division Board of Directors meeting at Oshkosh, several of those present stayed overnight for a work party the next day at the Headquarters Red Barn on Wittman Field. The work accomplished included shoring up the roof trusses to alleviate a sagging ceil ing and installing a weather vane on the barn's cupola. (See photos on page 4.) .
5000. SEPTEMBER 26-27 - BINGHAM, MAINE - 18th Annual Gadabout Gaddis Fly-In at Gadabout Gaddis Airport. Contact 207/672-4100. OCTOBER 1-4 - GARDNER. KANSAS - 12th Annual International Cessna 120/140 Assn. Convention at Gardner Municipal Airport. Con tact: Ralph Campbell. 913/236-8613. OCTOBER 9-11 - TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA 301h Annual Tulsa Fly-In at Tahlequah Munici pal Airport. Contact: Charles W. Harris, 119 East 4th Street, Tulsa. OK 74103, phone 9181 585-1591. OCTOBER 9-11- TAHLEQUAH. OKLAHOMA 7th Annual National Bucker Fly-In held in con junction with Tulsa Fly-In at Tahlequah Munic ipal Airport. Contact: Frank Price. Route 1, Box 419, Moody, TX 76557. 8171853-2008. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
"Like father, like son" is the perfect name for this picture of Tony Klopp and his son, Sco", standing in front of their beautiful modified Piper PA-11 Cub Special with its STC'd engine, propeller and spinner.
PA-II
"Cub Special"
(RIGHT) Fully instrumented custom panel was built by Tony Klopp so his son can complete his Private license with this air craft. Note instrument post lights and radio on right side of panel.
Story and Photos by Norman Petersen Watching the many pretty airplanes taxi into lines of neatly parked aircraft at Sun 'n Fun '87, my attention was sud denly focused on a bright yellow "Cub" that had that special "look" about it. Sure, it glistened in the forenoon sun like a new diamond, but it sat jut a bit higher on the gear than most Cubs and the pointed spinner and six-inch hub caps on the wheels caused me to take a second glance. The overall impression was that of a Piper PA-11 "Cub Special" but some body had obviously stayed up a few extra nights with the polishing rag! It was pretty! Before too long I met the owner, An 6 JULY 1987
thony F. Klopp (EM 239210, AlC 11066) who answers to the name Tony, and his 14-year-old son Scott, who re side at 18760 S. W. 157 Avenue, Miami, FL 33187. Tony has been a pilot for Eastern Airlines for over 20 years, but like a postman going for a walk on his days off, likes to fly small planes for a hobby, and the appeal of a Piper PA-11 Cub Special is very close to his heart. And besides, he wants Scott to learn pilotage in a Cub and earn his private license in ''the proper type of airplane!" Acquiring the 1947 PA-11 , SI N 11 1523, N78751 as a complete basket case several years ago, Tony began the two-year rebuild by taking a hard look at the fuselage tubing. It was in very
poor shape, with many tubes needing replacing. A decision was made to order a new fuselage from Wag Aero in Lyons, Wisconsin as they had just re ceived PMA approval for the PA-11 fu selage and were getting their jig ready for the first fabrication. In addition, Tony ordered a complete new set of tail feath ers as well. The Wag Aero fuselage car ried serial number 201 which the FAA insisted should be added to the original SIN 11-1523! The new number is now 11-1523-201 ! Up front, Tony wanted to replace the original Continental C-85 engine with a Lycoming 0-235-L2C of 118 hp. This required a new dynafocal engine mount and a complete STC for the installation.
Overall view of "new" PA-11 shows leading edge landing light, 8:00 x 6 wheels and tires, 3200 Scott tailwheel and fabulous dope finish.
Tony readily admits the STC cost over $2000 and involved mountains of paper work and compliance reports . And be cause the installation was STC'd with a 152 propeller and spinner, Tony is stuck with using only that combination . To handle the larger powerplant, the wheels and brakes were converted to 8:00 x 6 Cleveland discs and two brand new landing gears were installed along with streamlined shock cord covers from Univair. Neat! To reduce the amount of wood in the airplane, Tony made fuselage stringers from .028 x 3/8" 4130 tubing with proper stand offs welded in each station. A stringer of tubing was also run down the center of the belly to avoid the large flat areas of fabric on the bottom of the fu selage. A brand new Scott 3200 tailwheel was installed to aid ground handling qualities. (Tony is delightfully pleased with the way the Cub handles on the ground.) The streamlined tail brace wires were replaced using the old cad plated end fittings. Tony didn't like the cad plated look, so he had the fittings chrome plated. After installation, the chrome soon began to peel off! Another lesson! (New cad-plated fittings cured the problem.) As the old PA-11 wings were in very poor shape, Tony visited Univair in Au rora, Colorado and with the help of Chuck Dryer, assembled enough new parts to build two brand new wings. Along with the parts came new wingtip bows (wooden) and a new pair of ailer ons. When the new wings were assem bled back in Florida, a new leading edge landing light was installed along with a set of wingtip strobe lights for night flying. Fuel for the 0-235 Lycoming comes from two 12-gallon wing tanks and a two-gallon header tank just behind the engine. The wing tanks are STC'd by Wag Aero. One of the advantages of Univair's stamped aluminum wing ribs is that pop rivets can be used in place of rib stitch-
PIPER CUB SPECIAL
PA - II
!"'Ianu ,actwed. 10 ' )) - ~7 \1 r....... RorMfI' IW'« I¥ ( ~ < "",le.
\O.:l
" r ""t:.lo<l( ~~~ t yrOf')'.('lj 0 ·1""; I :lC \lIi lit' /7.flOO \-(_ho.dt P.:.-j I ",1 ~ r,...u. IW>I'P
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Special signs are taped to each landing gear leg during fly-ins to help answer the many questions that EAA folks ask! Really helps save the voice according to Tony Klopp.
Lower fuselage photo shows extremely sanitary cowling work and landing gear instal lation. Univair shock cord covers are especially clean. Tubular fairing strips create a "soft" ridge in the fabric along the fuselage sides. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
ing. Tony feels this is quite an advan tage as they are quicker to install and mice cannot chew the cord! The entire Cub was covered in Ceco nite and Randolph dope with the final four coats of color applied thusly: two coats at full strength with a light sanding between, then two coats of dope thin ned with 50% retarder. The final finish actually looked wet, but it was dry to the touch and looked like a fancy poly finish! Tony was especially careful (spelled lucky) with the "sway" of the fabric as it goes from the fuselage to the vertical fin. This sometimes sensitive area came out letter perfect - a tribute to his skill and tenacity. One of the really unique (and expen sive) parts of the rebuild is the custom instrument panel that Tony designed and installed to enable Scott to com plete his private license when he is old enough. It is very close to full IFR and makes excellent use of the heavy duty electrical system of the Lycoming en gine. Tony feels that if he should ever want to return to "standard" Cub config uration, he can build an original panel and replace the custom job. Meanwhile it turns the old "pros" green with envy! In deference to his airline work, Tony selected a new "N" number for the Cub N1967K. It stands for his date of em ployment with Eastern Airlines, January 9, 1967! Although the original "N"
Standing by their pride and joy, Tony and Scott reflect on the two year rebuild of N1967K. The communication and mutual understanding between these two fine people is what EAA is all about.
number NC78751 was on the rudder and wings in 1947, Tony has chosen to place the new number on the vertical fin . The long two-year period of rebuild ing is over and Tony and Scott can enjoy essentially a new airplane that flies just as good as it looks. Tony ad mits he has invested megabucks into
the pretty little two-placer, but he is very satisfied with the result. Perhaps the toughest part is looking through the old paperwork of the Cub Special and find ing the original Bill of Sale - to John V. Tipp, Rosemount, Minnesota, on November 17, 1947 - for a grand total of $2495! P. S. It only hurts for a little while! •
VINTAGE
SEAPLANES
A recent photo opportunity occurred at Oshkosh's Wittman Field when Nils Christensen, president of Viking Air Limited, Sidney, British Columbia and Dean Saunders, R.C.M.P. pilot, arrived to fly a Grumman "Goose" (C-FHUY) from its winter resting place at Basler Flight Service to the home base of Vik ing Air at Victoria International Airport, Canada. We had a chance to visit with these
two gentlemen as they toured the EAA Museum before the long flight home and believe me, you would be hard pressed to find two more interesting or experienced seaplane pilots. Nils, who left his native Norway at an early age, owns the rights to the "MacKinnen Con version" of the Grumman Goose. Per haps we will see this "Goose" at Osh kosh again, when the refurbishment is complete . •
Dean Saunders, R.C.M.P. pilot on the left and Nils Christensen get ready to fire up the engines of the Grumman Goose.
With twin 450 P & W engines at full bore, the Grumman Goose gets ready to lift off runway 27 at Wittman Field. Note Dean Saunders' right arm pushing the overhead throttles to the stop!
by Norman Petersen
8 JULY 1987
by Dennis Parks
De Havilland D. H. 88 Comet and the McRobertson Trophy Race The English magazine, Aeroplane Monthly for May 1987 announced that on 28 March the engines on D.H. 88 Comet G-ACSS "Grosvenor House" were run for the first time in 48 years. This is a marking point in the Shuttleworth Collection's restoration of the winner of the MacRobertson Trophy for the London-to-Melbourne race in October 1934. In 1934 Sir MacPherson Robertson had offered a prize of L15,000 for the victor of a race from Mildenhall, Suffolk to Flemington Race Course in Mel bourne. This was done as part of the centenary celebration of the founding of the state of Victoria. DeHaviliand was the only manufac turer to offer a new design solely for the race . Three orders were received and in the space of nine months the D. H. 88 was designed, built and test flown . It was a narrow, tandem seated, low wing , twin-engine monoplane. The air craft was unique with features such as a wooden stressed-skin construction, two-pitch propellers, a retractable land ing gear and a range of 2,900 miles on internal tanks in a very slender fuse lage. From an original entry list of 64 air craft only 21 entries from seven coun tries showed up at Mildenhall in Oc tober, 1934. Americans in the race in cluded Roscoe Turner/Clyde Pangborn in a Boeing 247-0 and Jacqueline Coc hranlWesley Smith in a Gee Bee. C. W. A. Scott and Campbell Black won in the Comet G-ACSS with an elapsed time of 70 hr. and 54 min. They had spent 53 hr. and 52 min. in the air for an average speed of 180 mph. A surprising second in the race was a K. L. M. DC-2 carrying some passengers and mail. Third was the Turner/ Pangborn team in the Boeing taking 93 hours for the trip. In light of the nearly completed cur rent restoration of the race-winning Comet, I thought it would be interesting to examine the aviation press's reaction to the winning plane and the race at the time. Being a British-built aircraft and a British competition, the place to start is with Flight magazine. Flight's readers were first made aware of the DeHavi land racer in a two-page article in the
September 13, 1934 issue. It was headed "Although one of the lowest powered machines entered in the MacRobertson Speed Race , it is the Fastest British Civil Aeroplane ever Pro duced, if one excepts the Seaplanes built for the various Schneider Contests. The hectic activity to get the three planes ready on time was noted . "Feverish activity is seen wherever one turns. In the experimental shops two of the three 'Comets' designed and built for the MacRobertson Race are nearing completion. Work has been going on night and day to get these machines ready. First flight tests have indicated that the 'Comet' is certainly fast. How fast has not yet been ascer tained ." The September 20 issue had a five page report on the construction of the plane, complete with a full page cut away drawing . It was headed "Boat building practice has been extensively adopted in the construction of the machines for the MacRobertson Race." "Stressed-skin construction has been used extensively in the new DeHavil land machines specially designed and built for the England-Australia Race . . . this expression is applied to a form of wing or fuselage covering which , in ad dition to giving the component the de sired external form , helps also to give it strength. "In the case of the DeHavilland 'Comet' the use of a stressed skin was , once wooden construction had been decided upon, forced upon the desig ners by the fact that two spars of a size which could be housed in the thin wing section employed would not have pro vided sufficient strength, even if they were of solid wood . . . box section (spars) are used for taking the shear loads and for transmitting the loads to the covering . Bending and torsional loads are taken by the skin, which is in
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the form of a spruce planking laid on after the manner of the double-diagonal planking of many lifeboats." The October 25 issue saw an eight page report on the race. The excitement at the start was reflected thusly: "Never, in the whole history of avia tion , has there been such a vitally im pressive hour as that preceding the be witched moment on October 20, 1934 when the familiar little Union Jack was dropped for the first machine off in the England-Australia race. "The scenes and sounds on the tar mac an hour before the start were en tirely unforgettable. Hundreds and hun dreds of people walked or ran in the dim light. "Beside the floodlit south hangar the big Boeing Transport gleamed dully, while mechanics crawled, climbed and were given orders. One of the metal (Continued on Page 24)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
STOLEN STEARMAN
The End Of An Era
Article and photos by Philip Handle man (EAA 227599, Ale 8488) 555 South Woodward, Suite 1308 Birmingham, MI 48011 The phone rang the morning follow ing New Year's Day 1987. It was the airport manager inquiring if I had tried flying my airplane late in the afternoon the day before. What an absurd question, I thought. The airport manager knows that I wouldn't be so foolhardy as to venture into the sky in the middle of a Michigan winter aboard my airplane, an open cockpit biplane of World War II vintage. The absurdity of the question tipped me off to the fact that something bad must have happened to my treasured antique flying machine. Indeed, the airport manager, her courage fully mustered, divulged that my historic Boeing Stearman, made fa mous as one of thousands of military primary trainers during the early 1940s, was lying snow-covered in the grass ad jacent to the airport runway. The airplane, I was solemnly informed, must have been the object of some de mented persons' attempted theft. I do not remember my exact exclama tion upon receipt of this first verbal notice of the hideous crime. My very next words were to the effect that thieves don't steal Stearmans. Why, in 10 JULY 1987
The bent bird after the attempted theft.
all my flying life and in all my absorption of aviation literature, I've never come across the heist of a Stearman. To abscond with a Stearman, one of the venerated symbols of flight as it was known when pilots were adventurers, is a travesty bordering on the sacrilegious. Occasionally, I'd hear or read about the bizarre theft of some exotic airplane like a Learjet, but never a Stearman. New Hudson Airport, nestled in a quiet farming region whose only con nection to the city is its proximity to the concrete ribbon that is the expressway linking Detroit and Lansing, is the quaint rural airstrip that is home not merely to my Stearman, but to half dozen others. The New Hudson Stearmans, flying as a group, appear at area air shows throughout the spring and summer. The
group is a popular and oft-sought-after attraction. Our airplanes and flying routine harken back to an era that our airport supposedly reflected. My first sight of poor "777", as my Stearman is known because of the huge black numbers emblazoned on both sides of its bright yellow fuselage, made me gulp. The airport owner was towing the wreck with his tractor, a few good-hearted airport souls carefully nursing the damaged airplane's wings and other extremeties. By putting old "777" in such a position, the would-be thieves committed an obscenity. The skid marks where the mishan dled airplane departed the runway's pavement were clearly visible. Taking off to the southwest, the culprits appa rently did not know how to control the
old radial-engined taildragger in a crosswind , so, of course, it weather vaned into the north wind with the right wing caught in the draft and the left wing scraping hard against the ground. The left wheel gave in to the intense pressure, almost tearing off completely from its strut with the tire flattening to become a veritable rubber pancake. The incompetent thieves, even more in competent as pilots, did a grand-daddy of a ground loop with my defenseless Stearman . It came to rest about one hundred feet from the edge of the run way, having crossed the parallel taxi way, facing the opposite direction of its intended flight path. The exceedingly sturdy old trainer un doubtedly allowed the befuddled inter lopers to escape unharmed save for a possible bump to their obtuse noggins. The silver lining in all this seems to be that owing to impending nightfall no one was around these blundering sky joc keys to get hurt. Upon greeting me one of the band of loyal helpers shouted out "Happy New Year, Phil!" It was a well-intentioned ef fort to shake the dismal realization , but the becrutched Stearman tore at my heart and I remained speechless. The airport owner had already surmised that the damage-doers embarked upon their spree by first stealing a battery from a prosaic airplane parked nearby, then fit ted it despite its inappropriate size into the Stearman's temporarily empty bat tery box. I was then shown my airplane's ignition and how it had been hot-wired. The crazy daredevils, apparently not knowing that Stearman seats were de signed to accommodate thick seatpack parachutes, grabbed a bunch of cockpit covers from nearby airplanes and stuf fed them into the front and rear seat
This damage to the left wing resulted from a " grand-daddy" of a ground loop.
bottoms as a substitute for seat cush ions. They presumably did not wait for the engine's oil temperature to reach its minimum acceptable level before roar ing off towards the darkening sky from the unsafe starting point of where the intersecting taxiway meets the runway. Where were they going is the ques tion I have trouble with . Everyone swarms around Stearmans when they land at airports - they are the epitome of conspicuousness . Friends have theorized that the bandits were flying to some remote location to strip the airplane for parts. Others believe this was a clandestine attempt to comman deer an unusual airplane for drug-run ning . I don 't know. The most likely hypothesis to me suggests that it was a small coterie of aviation-minded
The Stearman's broken left wheel.
young adults familiar with the New Hud son Airport and its marvelously restored flying antiques. These folks, perhaps bored, excessively bold or even high on New Year's Day, sought the ultimate pilot's lark - to soar aloft at the helm of a glorious open cockpit biplane. Maybe in their twisted scheme they thought they could take the proud grande dame of flight trainers around the pattern a few times and return her to the hangar without anyone knowing . I think this mainly because going as far back as childhood I dreamed inces santly of one day piloting a Stearman. These transgressors, I believe, though driven by the same vision, distorted that dream with their gluttony and reckless ness. Heightening the incredulity of the inci dent was the fact that on New Year's Eve I had contacted a well-known Stearman restorer and had agreed to trade "777" for a newly restored Stear man in the spring. Such, I guess, is the irrationality of life. After we tucked my wounded airplane into the peaceful corner of a mainte nance hangar for what promises to be a long and arduous repair, I thought of the many inconveniences yet to come. Insurance company representatives, mechanics, FAA officials and the police will all enter my life now. A few of them, at least, will hopefully share the dream . I turned to the airport owner, a re storer of a couple of Stearmans himself, and asked if I might be allotted one of the few hangars at the airport with a lock on its door when my airplane is finally repaired. He looked at me with an understanding expression on his face and nodded affirmatively. All I knew then was that New Hudson Airport would never be the same, that it was the end of an era. • VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
IT CAN
BE DONE by M. C. " Kelly" Viets (EAA 16364, AlC 10) Rt. 2, Box 128 Lyndon , KS 66451 We speak many times in EM of our "can do" abilities. Here is another exam ple of what we "can do" if we just put our minds to it, get organized and work toward a goal. We, in the State of Kansas , had a problem concerning the owning and re storation of antique and classic aircraft. That problem was Taxation (note the capital "T"). It seems someone in the State taxation department discovered that some antique aircraft had become valuable. In the early 1970s, each County Assessor was notified that air craft in the State of Kansas were de clared personal property. Also, a book was provided that stated values. The counties loved it because they had found a new way of collecting money.
(L-R) John O. Hankammer, Dale Thompson, Jim Smith, Representative Vincent Snow barger, Representative Alfred Ramirez, Cecil L. Neal (behind AI), Edna Viets, M. C. " Kelly" Viets. Governor Mike Hayden, Joe Aubert, Joe Juranich, Representative Joan Wagnon, Ralph Campbell, Representative Eugene L. Shore and Phil Lange. Some who attended the hearings and worked for the bills but were not available for the photo include: Barbara Aubert, Herb Ford, Tommy and Marilyn George, Jody Hankammer, George Hefflinger, Mick Mull, Wally Poston, Richard " Dick" Shane, Frances Smith, Herb Whitlow and others. It was a joint effort by many. The organizations that participated were: the Kansas City AAA Chapter and EAA Chap ter 200 ; the AAA Flint Hill Flyers; EAA Chapter 16 and EAA Chapter 88 of Wichita. We also owe a special thanks to Representatives Joan Wagnon and AI Ramirez who wrote the bills and to Representative Gene Shore who made excellent presentations to both the House and the Senate. This team expertly carried the bills through all the steps to a successful completion.
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Not too many voters complained so they "socked" the plane owners to the maximum. (Aircraft owners are a small percentage of the popu lation.) We all complained loudly to the County Tax people and County Com missioners but to no avail. They just kept pointing to the State Capitol say ing, "The State made us do it." This was not the complete truth but it did act as a deterrent to those of us who tried to complain . This past year, Mr. Lloyd J. "Joe" Au bert (EM 208252, NC 7804) , realized his lifetime dream of owning his own airplane. This is a good story in itself. To vastly shorten it, he had always loved Cessna 170s and he had a friend who owned one. The friend had pur chased the plane new, learned to fly, took two long trips , then rarely flew again. Joe knew the plane hadn't been off the ground fo r several years and was persistent in trying to buy it. The day finally arrived and Joe had his dream. He and his wife, Barbara cleaned and polished for days until the Cessna was a show piece. Then came the "night mare" It seems no one had warned him about the taxes. When he received a tax bill of $490.93 for one year's owner ship, he went into deep shock. Joe lives in Topeka and sees the State Capitol Building every day so it is not some far away inaccessible place to him. When he came back to earth
after receiving that first tax bill he picked up the phone and called his local State Representative and explained the prob lem. Later he did his homework, compiling the tax rates of all the surrounding states plus others. He then made up a graph showing the comparison, and Kansas looked very bad, especially be cause it considers itself to be the "Avia tion Capitol" of the world . Using these tools he talked with every State Repre sentative and Senator he could find . He also called everyone he know who had an aircraft that was 30 years old or more, asking them to contact their Rep resentatives and Senators. Many of us did. Those in the Wichita area became in volved under the leadership of Tommy and Marilyn George (President and Secretary of EAA Chapter 88). They not only went to Topeka for the committee hearings but also worked up a petition with nearly 100 Signatures which was sent to the interested Representatives. The original bills were written by Rep resentatives Joan Wagnon and Alfred Ramirez. The first bill removed "vintage" aircraft from the personal property tax status. The second bill established a compromise registration fee of $50.00 per year. This fee was a bit high but so
by George A. Hardie, Jr.
Here's another entry in the race to supply the budding airlines and charter operators with a small passenger trans port. The builder was a prominent man ufacturer of the period. The configura tion of the airplane provides a clue. The photo was submitted by Owen Billman of Mayfield, NY. Answers will be pub lished in the October, 1987 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Deadline for that issue is August 10, 1987. The April Mystery Plane brought a lot of replies from our World War I experts.
much better than we had been paying that we all endorsed it wholeheartedly. Following Joe's excellent presenta tion of facts and Dick Shane's state ments before the committee hearing, the bills came out of committee with re commendation for passage. The bill then went before the House and were passed with just a few dissenting votes. This action sent the bills to the Se nate which then held committee hear ings. Again , we were there with Joe, stating the facts. Mr. George Boyd, head of the State Aviation Department and yours truly made a brief statement. The bills came out of committee with unanimous recommendation for pass age. The Senate then voted 40-0 in favor of the bills. This, then put them on the Governors desk for his signature to make them into law. The Governor studied the bills while returning to the Capitol from Western Kansas where he inspected the dam age from the spring blizzard in April. When he arrived back in Topeka he made a few calls, sharing his own ideas with others. He signed one bill and vet oed the other. We were in "shock" until we heard the entire story. He had signed the bill which removed the air craft from the personal property tax roll and vetoed the bill which established
Charley Hayes of Park Forest, IL sent a copy of an article in the book "War Planes of the First World War" by J. M. Bruce. The airplane is a Sopwith Hippo, a two-seat fighter Type 3F.2 built in 1917. No official contract was awarded but the company was licensed to build one as a private venture. During official tests in January, 1918 it was recorded as Type XII. It is shown in this form in the photo. The power was a 200 hp Clerget 11-cylinder rotary engine. Per formance was inferior to the Bristol F2.B so the company incorporated modifica tions and presented it for test in April ,
the $50.00 registration charge. He stated, "The cost of collection would ex ceed the monies received ." This action frees antique and classic aircraft from taxation by the State of Kansas! When told the good news, Marilyn George said , "Bless that Governor's heart. I'll vote twice for him next time." Seriously, though , the above is an example of what it takes and basically how it is done to establish or change a law. One important thing to remember, in spite of all our griping and complain ing about how we are governed, it is really us who are to blame because we don 't "get involved ." If you take the time to talk and work with the elected officials of your city, country, state and yes , even the federal government, you will find nearly all of them to be fine people who are seriously trying to do the best job possible for you . If you approach them on a reasona ble basis, with the respect they deserve, with accurate facts and figures which are complete and to the point, you will find most of them will be receptive. Re member, in many cases, they are like an umpire and each call upsets some one. Knowing this, the better and cleaner your presentation is to these good people, the better your chances are of reaching a favorable conclusion .•
1918. By then it was far surpassed by its competitors. The company built another prototype, the X-18, which was flying in June, 1918. Correct answers were received from Wayne Van Valkenburgh , Jasper, GA; Robert Mosher, Royal Oak, MI ; Ed Trice , Bedford, TX ; Dick Gleason, Au stin, MN ; James Wright, Tullahoma TN ; Ken Pruitt, Belen, NM ; Cedric Galloway, Leo Opdycke, Hesperia, CA; Poughkeepsie, NY; Lloyd S. Gates, Norway, ME; James G. Smith, Clemen ton , NJ; David N. Simmons, Denver, CO; Michael G. Lockhart, North Lauder dale, FL; Charley Hayes, Park Forest, IL and Suzanne Hayes, Rhinebeck, NY. British Aeroplanes References: 1914-18 by J. M. Bruce; Vintage Warplanes, No. 5 - The Sopwith Fight ers; Aircraft of the 1914-18 War, Har leyford . •
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
THE DISAPPEARANCE OF
ALASKA PILOT, RUSS MERRILL
IN TRAVEL AIR CW, C-194
This photo of a Travel Air C-W was used in the February 1987 issue of Vintage as the Mystery Plane.
by Paul Bierman (EAA 259667, Ale 9873) 4304 Garfield Anchorage, AK 99503
The Mystery Plane in the February 1987 issue of The Vintage Airplane was an easy one for me as I had recently obtained pictures of a Travel Air Model CW from a museum in Anchorage. The aircraft pictured in Vintage might be number C-194 and it might be Alonzo Cope or Jack Laass standing next to it. (See the book, Travel Air - Wings Over the Prairie by Ed Phillips, Chapter Five, page 31 for another photo of this rare bird). Two Travel Air CWs were said to have come to Alaska but I've only been able to locate photos of C-1 94. It was operated up here from 1927 until it crashed in 1929, killing the pilot, Russ Merrill. It was flown on wheels, floats and skis in very primitive conditions and often in adverse weather. The following is a copy of a letter writ ten by Russ Merrill to a friend in 1927 describing a mercy flight to transport a school teacher to Anchorage for treat ment. Also a a copy of an affidavit of remarks by a Mr. Alonzo Cope concern ing the disappearance of Merrill on his last flight on September 16, 1929: Anchorage Alaska December 3, 1927 Dear Jerry, 14 JULY 1987
Have been very busy the past month - flying every decent day until a week ago when I came down with the chicken pox! Had just completed a pretty tough trip - brought in a school teacher who had aCCidentally shot herself and (I) had to land well after dark (5 p.m.!) Got away with this in fine shape, but came down with the chicken pox the next day. There's quite a story to this flight. I first learned of the sick girl when Mr. Shonbeck phoned me from here while I was in Fairbanks. The following day was too thick ' to come here but came the day after. The following day I took a couple of passengers for "way pOints" and a doctor and started for Ninilchic where the girl was . I landed my two pasengers en route and found a lake a couple of miles from Ninilchic and landed there with the doctor. It proved to be six miles by trail from this lake to Ninilchic so the doctor and I walked this - much to our sorrow! The girl was in bad shape - the shot having cut her intestine - had to be taken here for an operation. The next day the doctor got the girl to the plane by dog team by about 1:30 pm. The motor got damp in warming up with a wood stove (hauled out from town), so was hard to start. After finally starting the ship I taxied it over some overflow water on the lake that was completely covered with snow. This put a six inch coating of slush ice on the bottom of the skis. We had to lift one side of the ship at a time and scrape
the ice off the skis. The ship weighs about 3000 lb. loaded and there were about three of us to do the lifting. It wasn't quite as bad as it sounds as we lifted on the wing tip so had a lot of leverage. Anyway, it was sundown (3 p.m.) when we finally got off. We landed here with the aid of auto head lights and some railroad "fuses" - wasn't half as hard as I'd expected. As a sequel to this, the radio operator who sent the message here had had to walk about 30 miles to a discarded sending set with no receiver. He had patched up the set and sent S.O.S. hop ing to attract someone but not sure as he had no receiver. So he walked back thirty miles to Ninilchic, got a small boat Uust a large row boat, I understand) and went to Seldovia - about 60 miles over pretty rough water. when he arrived at Seldovia and learned that his S. O. S. had been picked up and the girl already operated on, he collapsed. (I would have done so much earlier on that rough Cook Inlet!) The girl has a very poor chance of recovery as blood poisoning had al ready set in. However, she seems to be doing "very nicely" as the hospital al ways reports. She looks pretty husky so wouldn't be surprised if she reco vered. Joe Crosson, pilot for Fairbanks, is now in Seattle trying to arrange fi nances for a real operating company up here. Boeing is much interested and may back some proposition up here.
Boeing states that he wil l come in a little later anway. Sincerely, Russ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ) TERRITORY OF ALASKA, ) ss. ANCHORAGE, PRECINCT. ) Alonzo Cope, being first duly sworn , on oath, deposes and says: I am a citizen of the United States, over the age of twenty-one years and a resident of the City of Anchorage , Territ ory of Alaska . During the years 1927, 1928 and until the month of August, 1929, I was em ployed as a mechanic engaged in the care, maintenance and repair of airplanes belonging to Anchorage Air Transport, Incorporated at Anchorage, Alaska. During the month of August, 1929 the business and properties of the said Anchorage Air Transport, Incorpo rated was purchased by Alaska Air ways , Incorporated and the latter corpo ration has since that time continued the operation of the business established by Anchorage Air Transport, Incorpo rated and I have, during all of said time , been in the employ of the said Alaska Airways, Incorporated, in the same ca- . pacity as that in which I was engaged by the former corporation . I am thoroughly familiar with the airplanes owned and operated out of Anchorage by the said Alaska Airways, Incorporated and have had occasion, from time to time , to completely over haul, repair and inspect the said planes and particularly the plane designated as Travelair Cabin Plane No. C-194. I am also thoroughly acquainted and familiar with the flying operations of the said corporations out of the said City of An chorage and have, from time to time , flown over practically all of the routes served thereby from Anchorage. I was well and thoroughly acquainted with one, RUSSEL HYDE MERRILL, who entered the employ of Anchorage Air Transport, Incorporated as a pilot, in the early part of the year 1927 and who continued in such employ until the bus iness was taken over by Alaska Air ways, Incorporated at which time he en tered the employ of Alaska Airways, In corporated as a pilot. On September 16, 1929, at the hour of 4 o'clock p.m., the said Merrill de parted from Anchorage , in the said Airplane No. C-194, and as pilot thereof, bound for Akiak, a village on the Kuskokwim River, in the Interior of Alaska, a distance from Anchorage of about 420 miles. The plan of the flight contemplated a stop over night at Lake Chackachamna, about 90 miles from Anchorage, or at Sieitmute, about 225 miles from Anchorage.
(L-R) Alaska pilots Alonzo Cope and Jack Laass with Walter Beech and the first of two Travel Air CoWs destined for service in Alaska. Engine is 200 hp Wright J-4.
The plane carried no passengers; the freight load consisted of one piece of mining machinery, weighing about 235 pounds, and about fifty pounds of first class mail for various pOints along the route of the flight. The weather at the time of the departure from Anchorage was calm , with a slightly overcast sky, and medium visibility. At about 11 o'clock p.m. , a heavy storm arose and continued for a number of hours. This storm was general over all of that por tion of Cook Inlet over which the route of the airplane flight lay. Neither the airplane or the pilot has ever reported at any known point since the time of departure from Anchorage , nor has a continuous search resulted in definitely establishing whatever became of them . On September 20th, after having re ceived telegraphic notification from the Interior Alaskan points to the effect that the plane had not arrived and had not been seen, a plane was sent out from Anchorage to make a search for the missing plane and pilot. This searching plane was piloted by Colonel Carl B. Eielson and I accompanied him. We went to Lake Chackachamna, the first point at which Merrill might have stopped, and visited other points along the route . The search was absolutely without results and we returned to An chorage that evening . The following day, I accompanied Colonel Eielson in a flight to Bethel , Alaska and back to Akiak, following the line of Merrill's scheduled flight. On this trip , we touched at all possible points at which Merrill might have landed and made careful search of all the territory on each side of the line of flight. Again our efforts were without success nothing had been seen or heard of the plane or pilot. The next day, September 22nd, we flew to Sieitmute, making another careful search en route . We
were unable to make any flight on Sep tember 23rd owing to bad weather. On September 24th we took off from Sieit mute with the intention of going through to Anchorage. The weather in the mountains, however, compelled us to turn back again from Lake Chac kachamna and return to Sieitmute . On this flight, carefu l search was made of all the intervening territory. On September 25th, we flew from Sieitmute through to Anchorage , con tinuing our search by flying back and forth over the country along the route, and arriving in Anchorage about noon. That afternoon , we again made a search of all the country lying between Anchorage and Lake Chackachamna, being accompanied on this flight by pilot Joe Crosson . Colonel Eielson piloted the ship while Crosson and I acted as observers. On September 26th two planes were used for the search . One plane, piloted by Colonel Eielson and with Mr. Gus Gelles of Anchorage and I as obser vers, searched the western shore of Cook Inlet as far south as Trading Bay and extending into the interior of the re gion as far as and just over the summits of the mountain range . The other plane, piloted by Joe Crosson, and with Mrs. Merrill (the wife of Pilot Merrill), W. C. Barnhill (another pilot in the employ of the Corporation) and Rudolph Gaier as observers. This plane covered approxi mately the same territory as the plane in which I was observer, except that they flew in the opposite direction to our line of flight. In response to an inquiry dropped from the plane, the inhabitants of Tyonek Village, on the western shore of Cook Inlet, signalled a message to the effect that some wreckage had been sighted off Tyonek Village on the morn ing of September 17th. As a result of
VI NTAG E AIRPLANE 15
this information, a boat was sent to Tyonek to make an investigation. As a result of this investigation, it was be lieved that the object sighted by the In dians was some driftwood and not the wreckage of an airplane. In the light of a later investigation made by me in per son, and in view of the finding of a piece of fabric belonging to the missing plane (reference to which is hereinafter made), I am firmly of the belief that the object sighted by the Indians at Tyonek on the morning of September 17th was in reality the wrecked airplane No. C 194. Other flights were made on Sep tember 27th, 28th, 29th and 30th, Oc tober 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11 th, 12th and 13th; Oc tober 19th, 20th, 21 st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th and 27th. During these flights the entire territory over which the Merrill plane could possibly have flown was co vered, including all points and the sur rounding country between Anchorage and Bethel and Akiak, as well as the Iditarod country in interior as far south as 50 miles south of Seldovia on the eastern shore and the Barren Islands on the western shore. On October 20th, one Frank Smith delivered to me a piece of airplane fab ric which he stated to me he had picked up on the beach near Tyonek Village on October 3rd. Smith said he did not know what the object was, but brought it to Anchorage on the chance that it might be some portion of the missing plane. I readily identified the object as a part of the fabric used on the left horizontal fin (known as a stabilzer) of the missing plane No. C-194. I had placed this par ticular bit of fabric on this plane at the time of overhauling about a year before
and was readily able to identify my own work by reason of the manner in which the fabric was stitched; a further means of identification was the peculiar sage green color of the paint, which had been renewed by me about a week before the departure of the plane. There is not at this time, and there was not then, another plane in Alaska painted this exact color. This piece of fabric is about 12 inches by about 40 inches in size, and quite badly torn. I have marked this piece of fabric for identification and have delivered it into the keeping of Mr. Thos. C. Price, Com missioner and ex-officio Probate Judge for Anchorage Precinct, located at An chorage, Alaska. As a further means of continuing the search for the missing plane and pilot, on November 1st, Mr. Rudolph Gaier was landed by airplane at Tyonek Vil lage, with instructions to make an inten sive search of all the western shore of Cook Inlet and rivers and streams lead ing into the Inlet, as far south as he might deem best. Two short flights have since been made in an effort to locate Mr. Gaier, but he has not been found, and in accordance with the instructions he had been given, it is assumed that he is continuing his search. By reason of the various flights and journeys I have made during the years of 1927, 1928 and 1929 over the coun try along which lay the line of flight of the plane No. C-194, I am well ac quainted with the topography of the country and all the weather and other conditions obtaining. The country is but sparsely settled and especially so at the time of year in which the plane disap peared, after the close of the fishing
season on Cook Inlet. The only inhabit ants of the region are scattering families of Indians, a few trappers and hunters, and occasionally a small native settle ment. Such habitations and settlements are separated by many miles, with no means of communication in the fall and winter months other than by foot or dog team travel. In case of an accident in volving such injury as to render a per son incapable of traveling, the duration of life could not possibly be more than a few days. It was for this reason that the intensive search has been made, covering thousands of miles. In view of all these facts and of my knowledge of the condition, I am of the firm conviction and belief that RUSSEL HYDE MERRILL lost his life on or about September 16th, 1929, in the waters of Cook Inlet, in the vicinity of Tyonek Vil lage, Alaska, as the result of an acci dent to the airplane No. C-194. I make this affidavit at this time for the reason that I have been ordered by the Alaska Airways, Incorporated, to go at once to Nome, Alaska, to join in a search for Colonel Carl B. Eielson, and the duration of my absence from An chorange cannot at this time be stated. I, therefore, make this affidavit in order that it may be used, if necessary, at any hearing in any court relative to the dis appearance of Pilot Merrill. (Signed) Alonzo Cope Subscribed and sworn to before me this 9th day of December, 1929. R.M.COURTNAY Notary Public in and for Alaska My Commission expires Dec. 16, 1929.•
1987 AIC FORUM SCHEDULE
8:4Sa.m.
10:1Sa.m.
Friday, July 31, 1987
1:1Sp.m.
2:4Sp.m.
Ryan PT's and Kinner Engines Mike Wilson
Antique/Classic Aircraft Judging Dale Gustafson & George York
Navion: Pre-flight Inspection Bob Rogien
Bellancaslarry D' Attilo (also see Wed. schedule)
Aeronca Owners Buzz Wagner
Bucker Airplanes Chris Arvanites
SwiftsCharlie Nelson
AIR SHOWNo Forums Scheduled
Fairchilds - John Berendt & Ed Wegner
Stearman Assembly and Rigging Terry Ladage
Aeronca Research
Cessna 170'5' George Mock
Saturday, August 1, 1987
Cessna 1201140 . International Cessna 12011 40 Association
Cessna 120/140 Continued
Sunday, August 2, 1987
Stinson 108's . Gregg Dickerson
Beech Staggerwings . DeHaviliand Jim Gorman & TIger MothsGeorge York Gerry Schwam
Monday, August 3, 1987
LuscombesRick Duckworth
Cubs- Rick Duckworth
Restoration of Fabric Pipers· Clyde Smith, Jr.
Tuesday, August 4, 1987
Heath Airplanes and Engines Bill Schlapman & Roger Lorenzen
Waco Airplanes· Ray Brandly
The Laird Story Mike Rezich
Wednesday, AugustS, 1987
16JULY 1987
,.
11:4Sa.m.
.
& Restoration -
8:00p.m.
Cessna 190/19S Cliff Crabbs & Bill Terrell
Augie Wegner
T aylorcrafts Bruce Bixler, Dorothy Feris & Forrest Barber
BellancasLarry D'Attilo (Cont. from Sat.)
Fixing Ercoupes . Time and Finger SaversScott Reaser
Civil Air Patrol on Anti Sub Patrol DuringWWIIRoger Thiel
-.
I
~ ~ype
ClubActivities
Compiled by Gene Chase
Aircraft Modifications This information is from the Cub Club co chairman , Rick Duckworth, 3361 N. Bagley Road, Alma, MI 48801 : "This concerns changes to aircraft using the Aircraft Type Certification as a basis for change. After a long talk with the local (Grand Rapids, MI) GADO maintenance in spector, we have determined the following : "Remember, most of our aircraft were cer tified under CAR's. Under CAR's, it was ac ceptable to change engine and accessories with just a log book entry - giving detail of work and new weight and balance. This was all that was needed as long as the work met the details of ATC's and factory drawings. Therefore, if your aircraft had changes and a log book entry was made you should be okay. They also stated that this was still ac cepted practice in some GADO areas. How ever, it would still be advisable to complete a 337 with information of work and signed by an IA and sent to the FAA. (one copy only as there will be no acknowledgement.) Also, a short phone call to GADO before you do the work would be advisable." For information on the CUB CLUB, contact John Bergeson, 6438 W. Millbrook Road, Remus, MI 49340, phone 517/561-2393.
The Seabee Club International is dedi cated to the preservation and enjoyment of the Republic RC-3 Seabee amphibian air craft. The club publishes a quarterly informa tive newsletter for its more than 250 mem bers, worldwide. The current issue of "Seabee," the club's newsletter contains an article with informa tion which could be useful in other areas : ''The city of Belle Isle, Florida (near Or lando) has had an ordinance against seap lanes on their lake since 1976. In 1983 a Belle Isle lake resident bought an LA-4 and was forthwith served notice by the city attor ney that his seaplane was not allowed "The owner and the Lake dealer decided to fight. With their attorney and the help of the Seaplane Pilots Association Executive Director, Mary F. Silitch, the court was con-
vinced to reverse its stand. The basis for her testimony was the statistical study that SPA had done of seaplane water-related acci dents and their frequency. "Pete Clark,the owner of the LA-4 and a seaplane pilot as well as a commander in the Coast Guard Auxiliary, made a very ef fective case, citing the extensive training and discipline required of pilots, versus the lack of training and sobriety for the boat operators. The lawyer, Brian Stokes, did an excellent job, contending that waters of the lake are state sovereignty land, held in trust for all the people of the state. ''To sum it up, the state of Florida has re served the power to regular seaplanes, and local municipalities can regulate only boats, thereore the local ordinances were invalid. Hurray! For information on the Seabee Club Inter national contact Capt. Richard W. Sanders, 4734 N.W. 49th Court, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33319, phone 305/485-5769.
Stinson 108 Section The new magazine format of the club's quarterly publication "Stinson Plane Talk" is receiving compliments from members, which now number over 600. At the present growth rate the club should reach 800 to 1,000 members in the near future. The current issue of "Stinson Plane Talk" is 32 pages in length and contains a good mix of editorial comment, letters from mem bers, regional chapter news, calendar of events, technical information, advertising (in cluding classifieds), a name the plane fea ture and for nostalgia, an old, original Stin son advertising section. The 1987 National Stinson Club's Annual fly-in is set for July 10-12 at Minden, Neb raska where it has been held for several years. The fly-in features seminars on Stin sons and Franklin engines, an annual club meeting, Saturday night awards banquet, free transportation between the Pioneer Vil lage Motel and the airport, aircraft mainte nance facilities at the airport, both 1OOLL and auto gas available and some available hangar space. For information on the fly-in and the Na tional Stinson Club contact George and Linda Leamy, 117 Lanford Road , Spartan burg, SC 29301 , phone 803/576-9698.
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L-4 Grasshopper Wing (Affiliated with the Cub Club) "Since our last L-4 Grasshopper wing Newsletter No. 2, April/May 1987, our mem bership has almost doubled. As of mid May we have 165 members in eight countries, United States, Canada, England, Sweden, Finland, West Germany, Australia and New Zealand. Several new members join each week. A growing amount of correspondence and phone calls indicates a substantial level of interest in L-4 aircraft in particular and liaison aircraft in ·general. ''Typical of the many questions raised are: Where can I get an L-4 either flyable or a basket case? I would like to restore one; where can I get drawings, technical data, photos of construction details? How can I identify an L-4 that was converted to a J-3 Cub? Are there any books, magazine, unit histories that cover the L series of aircraft in WWII? "It appears that the Cub Club, now num bering over 2000 members, has triggered a varied response from people owning or re storing the military L-4 Cub, others who would like to fly or restore an L-4, and those who have a primary interest in WW II military use of the grasshopper aircraft. In recent years these aircraft have been "discovered" as a genuine warbird - and certainly the most affordable of the warbird family. ''The L-4 Grasshopper Wing is intended to foster and enhance this special interest; also to assist in providing creative solutions to members' problems through the sharing of our knowledge, experience and L-4 related resources. For the WW II generation mem bers, and those younger members of the avi ation community, the civilian and military Cub is a fragment of our past and mirrors who we are. It's a piece of our aviation herit age. It deserves to be preserved and recog nized." For more information on the L-4 Grass hopper Wing contact Editor, Mike Strok, 37 Wileinor Drive, Edgewater, MD 21037, phone 301 /266-8458. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
Logan D. McKee in the DeChenne Aeroplane photographed on 8-3-11 at Golden City, MO by Chas. Iden.
.L OGAN
Mc K
t\ \(I"TOF\
DNE TT
-----;~----
logan McKee and the
Dechenne Aeroplane
,\ . \)
,:".~::",:~ .... - ~" ,:
One man stands by to swing the propeller while five others hold the plane back. 18 JULY 1987
-足
by Ted Businger (EAA 93833, Ale 2333) Rt. 2, Box 280 Willow Springs, MO 65793 (Photos from the McKee Collection) There is more than enough evidence to support the claim for Logan D. McKee as being the premier Ozark av足 iator, although several details remain to be learned. At this time only scanty positive evidence, a little hearsay, and a certain amount of speculation allows us to rationalize these events. Logan McKee was born in Hutchin足 son, Kansas in 1877 and graduated from the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy in 1897. He then moved to Monett, Missouri in 1900, to work for an established drug store. In 1902 he mar足 ried Lynn Sheehan and founded his own pharmacy. The years of 1910 to 1912 saw Logan McKee acting as the spark plug for an organization known as ''The Monett Aeroplane Co." (In another account, it is "The DeChenne Aeroplane Co.") A list of the officers includes: L. B. Durnil, President; U. S. Barnsley, Secretary and General Manager; Ed DeChenne,
Chief Engineer; Everet DeHanas; Chief Mechanic; Carl Saxe, Works Manager and Logan McKee, Aviator. There is some evidence that the first aircraft built in this venture did not (or could not) fly. It is speculative but possi ble that McKee used it as a ground trainer. The plane shown in the accompany ing photographs is, at least partially, a copy of earlier Curtiss types. It was completed sometime before mid-year 1911. It is believed that Mr. McKee sequestered himself and the aircraft in some lonely spot, where he was able to complete his self-taught course in fly ing. Just prior to July 4, 1911 , a public announcement proclaimed the upcom ing flight for that holiday. The majority of the people in the area received this news with great skepticism, but being kindly hill folk, they all wished him well. On that Independence Day, with the en tire community looking on, McKee as tounded them with the ease and agility of his flight. Antique/Classic Division member Ray Buehler's (now of Dear born, Michigan) parents were there as children, and they never forgot that epic event. It is at long last being recognized. Dr. C. E. Geister, currently living in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was also an eyewit ness. He believes the powerplant was a converted Packard or Overland auto engine. Subsequent flights were made at Golden City, Missouri ; Miami, Ok lahoma; Comanche, Oklahoma, plus others in northern Missouri, Texas and Kansas. The men involved in this project were sound business men and their intention was to build a substantial number of air craft for sale in the midwest. When it became obvious that sales just would not materialize, the company was termi nated. There is a strong rumor that Mr. McKee stored the plane following his final flight in 1912, but that following McKee's demise in 1953, the aircraft disappeared. With his flying experience behind him, McKee involved himself in every cause that could possibly improve his home community, especially those con cerning impoverished and handicapped children. Today this work is being con tinued under his name by the local Kiwanis Club. In 1947 he was accom panied by his grandson as they biked approximately 230 miles from Monett, Missouri to Lawrence, Kansas to attend the 50th anniversary of his college graduating class. Special thanks to Mr. David Doennig of the Barry-Lawrence Regional Library in Monett, Missouri for supplying infor mation and aI/owing photos to be copied. Also to Mr. Ken Meuser for sharing his knowledge of Mr. McKee 's work. . . . author. •
Note the rectangular ailerons on the DeChenne hinged at the midpoint of the outer rear interplane struts. They were actuated by the sideways movement of the pilot's shoulder yoke.
•
The " smallish" rudder was probably quite effective in the engine prop-wash.
The powerplant in the DeChenne Aeroplane. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
PASS IT 10
--1] An information exchange column with input from readers. by E. E. "Buck" Hilbert (EAA 21, AlC 5) P. O. Box 145 Union, Illinois 60180
Removal of Enamel Paint Dear Buck, How can one safely remove enamel paint from a fabric covered airplane? There has to be a way. Thanks, Bruce Banzhoff Dear Bruce, You 've thrown me a curve! I have never seen a successful paint removal operation on a "rag" airplane. As a mat ter of fact, I've never even heard of any one attempting it. I know from experience that applying enamel was usually a last ditch effort to keep an airplane going for a couple more years. It was common knowledge it was just a stop-gap operation and that recovering was the next major step. Old , cracking dope was sometimes re juvenated, but if the ringworm or hail damage cracks were there for any length of time, dirt and other contami nates would get under the finish. Then, even a rejuvenate job was a lot of wasted effort. Not being an expert on the subject, I asked my friendly I.A., whom readers know from previous articles, both his and mine. I refer to W. D. "Dip" Davis who heads up the Superflite Division of Cooper Aviation Industries, 2149 E. Pratt Road, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007. The Superflite Division sells aircraft dope, fabric and paint supplies and they have a wide level of experience. Dip's answer follows: "Chemical paint removers which meet Mil Specs for safe use on aircraft (metal aircraft) have methylene chloride as the principle active ingredient. This chemical is so volatile that it would
20 JULY 1987
evaporate as rapidly as it is spread on the surface if it weren't inhibited in some way. A common method is to add paraf fin wax or similar material which will form a surface film slowing down the evaporation while the methylene chloride softens the paint beneath. This film is quite easily removed after all the paint has been removed from a smooth metal surface - just rinse and wipe with a solvent-soaked rag . However, if you're removing a top coat of enamel from a doped fabric you will find that after the enamel is re moved the underlying dope has been softened slightly and the waxy film will have worked its way into the substrate. It's possible to remove most of the dead ends of stripper by repeated wipe downs using thinner and solvents but there will almost always be small amounts lurking in corners and overly softened spots which will prevent the next finish coat from drying. If the enamel topcoat on your airplane is cracking severely and the dope finish beneath is perfectly sound it may be possible to remove the enamel mechanically, dry, using plastic scrap ers. If the cracking is only minor you can probably get away with a light sand ing of the entire surface feathering out the cracks and repainting with enamel, keeping the new film thickness to a minimum. It should look good for at least two or three years after which you can re-cover the airplane and finish it with something that won't give you so much grief."
Caveat Emptor Another example has come to my at tention (Buck is speaking here ... ed.) Dario L. Toffenetti Jr. (E:M 38726, AlC 100) of EI Paso, Texas writes about a Bellanca Decathalon he bought a while back ... with no damage history in the log books. Subsequent experience led to a com plete disassembly and the discovery of a broken longeron at the left gear attach fittings and compression breaks in the major spar of the left wing. After the spar replacement and the preparation
E. E. "Buck" Hilbert
for re-cover of both wings, cracks were discovered in the butt end of the other wing spar between the boltholes where the fittings attach. Currently ,this spar is being replaced . I had written comments on the NPRM dealing with the Bellanca 7 and 8 series calling for mandatory inspections on this same situation prior to actually see ing the problem. I've now changed my mind and my comments and now I ad vocate these inspections. Dario's airplane had no damage history in the books and we find a compression frac ture in one wing and cracks at the bolt holes in the other. Even a wary buyer can't be sure!
Bonanza AD A member writes - I have a 1948 Beech Bonanza A-35 which is ap proaching the 1,000 hour AD which re quires removal of the stabilator mount ing casting to inspect it for cracks. When this AD came out in 1979 I paid a bundle to have the tail feathers re moved, etc. Some time ago I read or heard that it is possible to get that casting out with out removing so many pieces. Can you please advise? Gene Morris (EM 81175, AlC 1877), 115C Steve Court, Roanoke, TX 76262 provides an answer... . "That casting can be removed by placing something like a length of wire or strip of duct tape across the tops of the stabilators to hold them in place while the casating is out of the airplane. All the nuts and bolts can be removed by accessing them through the left side panels, belly panels and the opening in the aft fuse lage after the tail cone is removed ." •
AVIATION 7S YEARS AGO by Ed Williams (EAA 51010, Ale 2839) 12237 Fox Point Drive Maryland Heights, MO 63043 AERO and HYDRO was one of the less than a handful of successful aviation magazines being published before WW I. Founded by E. Percy Noel as AERO, it was first published at St. Louis in 1910. By 1912 the operation had moved to Chicago where it stayed 'til it ceased in 1914. At this time Chicago was a world avi ation center and the source of such avi ation pioneers as Chance Vought, Glenn Martin, Victor Lougheed and Matty Laird. Both Martin and Vought contributed articles to the magazine. Vought also produced three view draw ings of aircraft for the publication . . . Dennis Parks
Magazines such as The Vintage Airplane and Sport Aviation step back into history when telling readers about airplanes that were flying in 1912, but there was a time when these planes were modern equipment and stories about them were up-to-date news. The "modern" reporting of aviation 75 years ago was shown graphically when a copy of an old boating and flying magazine was rescued recently from a scrap heap by Sheldon J. Best, of Elk Grove Village, Illinois, vice-president, inflight services for United Airlines, who appreciated its historical significance. The magazine is Aero and Hydro and the issue was dated July 6, 1912. Arti cles and advertisements alike in the magazine make interesting reading for antique airplane buffs. For example, old aircraft names were commonplace, as illustrated by the "Learn to Fly" ad from the Milwaukee School & College of Aviation. "Compe tent Graduates Furnished Standard Type Aeroplane Practically Free," the ad said. "Flying Taught on Curtiss, Farman and Bleriot Machines. NO CHARGE FOR BREAKAGE." The Benoist Aircraft Co. of St. Louis advertised its biplane thus: "Benoist bip lanes represent the best that can be ob tained in aeroplanes, and cost but little more than planing mill, knocked down, undemonstrated stuff." The Rex Monoplane Co. of South
Beach, Long Island advertised its air craft for sale with the come-on that "We give an extra pair of racing wings with each Rex. " The ad's clincher was that "Remember we fly before delivery at least 1,000 feet high and 10 miles cross country." The Diana Aero Co. of Detroit adver tised a Spiron "aerial screw or spiral" for sale. "See for yourself why the latest Nieuport, Breguet, Dorner, etc., use the 3-blader." the ad said. Aero and Hyro was published in Chicago and in St. Louis at a $3 a year subscription price. It was sold in the United States as well as Paris, London , Liverpool and Shanghai, with the for eign subscription costing $4 a year. It contained news, features and pictures of motorboats and aircraft, but the ac cent was on the air, according to an editorial by E. Percy Noel, editor and publisher. "But when one is planing along with the screw in the water, with every sug gestion of terrific speed and sees over his head a hydro aeroplane come and go, it is not easy to keep down a feeling of envy for the man who can , at will defy the friction of water on the hull, who can fly low enough to be as safe as if he were on the surface of the water. "The fine sport of fast motorboating will be with us always and grow in popu larity, but in the meantime, hydroaerop laning is going to get its share of honor. And it is a good thing to watch ." Articles recounted the dangers of fly ing and the research to overcome them . Writing on "Fifty Years Observation of Bird Flights," Heinrich Gatke told of the hazard of high altitude flight. ''The sum of our experiences accordingly proves that neither man nor any other warm blooded creature is, while making cor poreal exertions, capable of ascending to heights much above 22,000 feet and that, in the case of man, the ascent of elevations beyond 26,000 feet is, even when the body is kept in a perfectly quiescent state, attended by the utmost risk of life." And what were the aviation pioneers doing in 1912? These items tell what activities were making news: e"Lincoln Beachey made a number of exhibition flights in his Curtiss biplane at Elmira, N. Y., on June 19th." e"Farnum Fish thrilled great numbers of people in the streets of Springfield,
IL, on June 22nd by flying over the business portion of the city in his Wright biplane." eNels J. Nelson flew at Janesville, Wis., last Wednesday taking motion pic tures. He managed the plane with one hand and turned the crank with the other." Under new pilots licenses issued was this item : "Aviators' licenses granted by the Aero Club of America include one to Lieutenant Benjamin D. Foulois, U.S.A., who passed a test recently in a Wright biplane at College Park, Md. Lieutenant Foulois has been acting as instructor of militia in aeronautics for most of last year." The Lieutenant actually was the United States' first military pilot, and in 1934, it was Maj. Gen. Benjamin Foulois who, as head of the U.S. Army Air Corps, accepted the assignment for his Army pilots to fly the mail in a tragic page in aviation history. Dedication to flying in the military had its drawbacks, as shown by this edito rial-type comment. "There is daily flying among the naval officers at Annapolis. There are five or six qualified aviators and as many stu dent officers. There is the same shor tage of officers in the Navy that ham pers the development of aviation in the Army, but the Secretary of the Navy has kindly decided that officers can apply for aviation training if they will qualify as fliers along with whatever other work the department is exacting from them. This has a tendency to interfere with regular training, but if an officer is willing to take on the extra work for the sake of flying, it as least indicates that he is an enthusiast." A notable civilian pilot who later gained fame as a military pilot was a Frenchman : "Roland Garros, .once a Demoiselle flyer, is coming to America in July or August with the best product of the Bleriot factory. According to private ad vice he will represent Bleriot in the big American events." This was, of course, before World War I, in which Garros was to gain fame for attaching metal wedges to his fighter's propeller blades so he could fire a machine gun through the whirling blades. The bullets that didn't pass be tween the blades were deflected by the metal wedges. His device spurred Tony (Continued on Page 23) VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
YOLUII,.EERS
A Bool< Of Heroes
by Art Morgan and Bob Brauer
Over the past several months you (I hope) have read of the sunburn, wind, rain, wet socks, runny noses and other benefits of volunteering at Oshkosh. And you think to yourselves, gosh, that sounds like a heck of a lot of fun . What else can there be. Well, let me tell ya, friend , it's Oshkosh humor. Now what in the names of Jane's cor set is Oshkosh humor? It's those rare times when , during the course of the Convention, no matter how busy or slow things are, no matter what the weather or where you are, something happens that is so extraordinarily funny it just cracks your ribs thinking about it. It's one of those things that just couldn 't happen anywhere else. It wouldn 't apply itself to any other situation. So, without further ado, let me introduce you to the humor of our Convention. The Boy and the DC-3
Several years ago, in the Antique/ Classic parking area, we had a spot known far and wide as the "Triangle." This spot was reserved for the "big iron" - DC-3s, Lodestars, Mallards, Twin Beech's etc. This particular year we had a DC-3 sitting down there in the Triangle. This aircraft had been attending the "big get together" for many years and it still does. This, of course, means that the crew knew the ropes . . . knew what they were doing. This "big iron" captain would follow our parkers' directions to the letter. Bless his heart. There he sat, in the Triangle, enjoying the show with not a care in the world. And then it hap pened. It was a dark and stormy day at Osh kosh this particular Wednesday. The fog was down to one's boot tops and the sun this morning was nothing but a memory to those of us who slogged through the quagmire of tent-city at the EAA Convention campgrounds. As is our custom, the parking committee opens at 6 a.m., no matter what Mother Nature deals us. So, there I was at the Antique/Classic Headquarters building (Red Barn) look ing for volunteers. No one showed, ex cept one young man, 15 years old. "Hey, mister, ya need some help?" "Well, uh, yeah, " I said, knowing that 22 JULY 1987
this young man knew what he was doing. He had worked with us for the past several days, and in fact the previ ous year, so I was aware of his knowl edge of aircraft, and knew his ground handling of same was very, very good. "Take a motor scooter, " I said, "and go down to 'Classic point' and keep an eye on things. I'll stay at 'Antique point' and watch over the whole shebang. If you need help, just give a shout on the radio." "Okay!" he said and off he went in a swirl of fog, mud and rainwater. Some how I felt very small and very alone at that moment. Soon, the rain stopped, the fog lifted and the airport started to come alive, and still, no additional volunteers ap peared . Wouldn 't you know ... about then the DC-3 group decided to head "south." Captain, crew and passengers all climbed aboard, and soon both mighty engines were chug-chugging their way to warm up. My young volunteer had in the mean time positioned himself to the Captain's left and established eye contact. The pilot gave the signal that he was ready to taxi. The boy started to wave him out of the Triangle to the access taxiway. At the time I was north of the Triangle about a quarter of a mile, watching all of this. I couldn't help but think how smart I was to have trained this boy so well that he could ground direct an air craft of this size. Unknown to any of us at the time, however, was the fact that in the deep, dank, dark bowels of the Show Aircraft Camp Grounds a young couple had packed up their soggy camp gear, stowed it in whatever corner they could in their neat little J-3 Cub, and now, ready to make their journey home, came splashing down the access taxi way on an intersecting course with the DC-3. Oh my ... a DC-3 and a J-3! What an awful combination. The boy, however, was well-trained. He looked at the J-3, then at the DC-3 and signalled for the DC-3 to stop, while still in the Triangle. The large aircraft stopped post haste. The boy then turned his attention to the J-3. He motioned the small airplane on down the access taxiway, past the DC-3 and escorted it to the main taxiway. He did
it very well , I might add . I, in the meantime, had jumped into my cut-down Volkswagen and headed south to watch this situation a bit closer. The boy had done well , and I slowed down and was relaxing a bit when sud denly it happened. The boy turned and faced the DC-3. Without warning, he tossed down his parking paddles, and with fingers slash ing across his throat, signaled, "Cut your engines, cut your engines." The Captain of that DC-3 hadn 't moved so fast in years. Between him and his co-pilot, hands, fingers and feet were flying in 17 different directions at the same time , hitting switches, push ing buttons, stomping brakes, pulling levers and wiping sweat from their brow. As the two mighty R-1820s spooled down, this many-thou sand-hour, griz zled veteran of thunderstorms in every hemisphere reached over and slid back his side window and stuck his gray, weather-beaten head out to see what in the H. E. DOUBLE TOOTHPICKS was going on . The 15-year-old boy then ran to within shouting distance of this "man for all seasons," and pointing to the little yellow Piper taxiing innocently north ward, hollered, "Beware of wake turbu lence from the J-3!" I, the brave leader of this pugnacious pack of parkers, jumped out of my V.W. and crawled under it. A great pall of silence fell over the mighty moors of Oshkosh until sud denly soaring waves of laughter from the Captain, crew and passengers (God bless 'em) came thundering forth, as once again (albeit with some trouble) the R-1820s were re-lighted. As this great old bird trundeled her way down the taxiway to the active, the people on board could be seen slapping their knees and laughing. And as this proud old pelican lifted off the runway, she was seen dipping her wings to "Oshkosh humor." A true story; so help me. This month's "Tip of the Oshkosh Kepe" goes to the gals and guys in the Antique/Classic Headquarters Building, the "Red Barn." Headed by Kate Mor gan, Ruth Coulson and Jo Olcott, and staffed by so many great people it would take this whole magazine to list them, AlC H.Q. has become the focal point of activity in our area before during and after the EAA Convention. To look at the building today, you would not think that just a few short years ago the operation was primitive with a capital "P." Back in those days, our intrepid Headquarters staff had to have a real American pioneer spirit. They had no sales counter to work with, no place to sit down, no phone, no pri vacy and no glass in the windows. The "Red Barn" is staffed from 7 a.m.
Four of the dedicated volunteers who manage the Antique/Classic Headquarters oper ation during each EAA Convention at Oshkosh . (L-R) Ruth Coulson, Lawton, MI; Fay Gustafson, Indianapolis, IN; Kate Morgan, Milwaukee, WI and Jo Olcott, Nokomis, FL.
'til - -, who knows when , 7, 8, or 9 p.m. ... depending on the crowd and weather. Before the Barn was "remod eled," if it rained , the staff got rained on ; if it blew, they got blown on ; and if it was hot, so were they. Back then they didn 't chew their food. Instead, via the grit in their teeth , they sanded every bite and washed it down with flat "pop." Still, they were there to answer any question you may have, to help you in any way, to try to locate that rare book or magazine and show you where the "metros" are. And always with smiles on their faces because they love it. Whatever you do, don 't underesti mate these fine people. They have to know aircraft identification and where the planes are parked. They have to know people and where they are lo cated. They must know the forum schedules and what's going on at "The ater in the Woods. " Where is the nearest cafe? Do you know John Smith? Why do I have to walk all the way from here to there? Why doesn't Paul come down here and talk to me? Have you seen my husband, wife , tax accountant, etc., etc. The questions are endless. Try smiling when the blisters on your feet are as big as the Goodyear Blimp. Your throat should feel as good as sandpaper. Bloodshot eyes . . . you thought hangovers caused bloodshot eyes! Look at the sun for 12 hours a day. Why in the heck do they do it? What can they possibly get out of it? Boy, am I glad you asked that. Can you imagine what it feels like
when you reunite a man with an airplane he flew in WW I? Try to grasp the emotion you feel when a woman in her 70's comes in and says, "Hi , I just flew my 1941 Porterfield in from Michi gan, and I wonder if there's someone here to help me tie down?" And you are able to help her. How bad can you feel, how tired can you possibly be when a man comes back into the Red Barn after you have reintroduced him to flying after a 20-30 year absence, and with tears streaming down his face, takes your hand and simply says, "Thank you." You want to talk benefits . . . money . .. return on investment? Try me. There isn't enough money in the world to pay you for that experience. What more is there? Suddenly a voice booms out .. . "What? You here again!" And there's that face you 've seen every year for many years. Through a daze you listen as he says, tongue in cheek, "You know, if it weren 't for you , you so and so, I wouldn 't come back every blinkity blank year. But I have to come back and see how you're doing." Ho boy, it can 't get any better than that. When the end of the day finally comes, and these tireless volunteers from headquarters sit down for the last time of the day and close their eyes in thought, they must see visions of happi ness, gratitude and last but not least, accomplishment. Through their efforts, they made it happen. Gals and guys of the Antique/Classic Headquarters "Red Barn" staff .. . stand tall y'all!.
~
AVIATION
~
7S YEARS AGO (Continued from Page 21)
Fokker to develop the propeller/ machine gun interrupter for the Ger mans. From the early years , someone or something had to be blamed for aircraft misfortunes. Reports of pilot error as "the probable cause" of an accident also got an early start as evidenced by this item: "German Army Aviator Killed. - At Doeberitz, June 21, Lieutenant von Fal kenhayn, of the German Army, after making a flight at the military aerod rome, attempted to land, but made a false movement with one of the levers which caused him to dash to the ground with great force. His machine was to tally wrecked and the body of the av iator was found among the debris." Many other mishaps were reported in that issue of Aero and Hydro. For exam ple, "J. Hector Worden, when flying at Princeton, III. , in his Moisant monoplane on July 1, made a forced landing in an oat field . No damage was done to the machine, but considerable oats were cut before they were ripe ." Classified ads in the magazine cost 10 to 12 cents a line, depending on the type of ad, with a minimum charge of 20 cents. For under $1, two young Chicago men advertised their ambition to fly. "Have the nerve, ambition and desire to fly and can furnish excellent references, " said one. And how is this for a testimonial to an airplane? "Young man with good knowledge of aviation will sign any kind of contract for instruc tion on Curtiss machine," said the other.
•
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
WHO Am I? _ _ __
by Art Morgan
Although I welcome advances in technology and new things, I shun a new aircraft. Although I am a pilot of many hours, I sit at the feet of the older ones to listen and learn of glories past. Although there are newer and swifter craft, none have the grace and curve of wings , 40 and 50 years old and more. Although today's craft are designed by computer, none can reflect the love, devotion and genius of yesterday's craftsmen . Although ease of flight is espoused by three wheels of the same size, what can compare to the soft caressing of a lush green meadow by an aircraft of great heritage. Although instruments and radios will get some there when I cannot, I am still very proud of being able to read a map,
VI~T4.f7f:
LITf:124.TU12f:
(Continued from Page 9)
airscrews moved fractionally, stopped, moved again, and suddenly became a glistening disc while foot-long flame played from the exhausts and the hangar reverberated ." The first information on the Comet in the United States was a three-column report in the October 1934 issue of Avi ation under the heading "British Threat." "Most potentially formidable of the British entries in the MacRobertson Trophy race, the D. H. Comets have been the subject of much discussion on both sides of the Atlantic. We publish here the first definite details of their con struction that have been released. They are sent by Maj. Oliver Stewart, regular Aviation correspondent for Great Bri tain. "The machine is a low-wing monop lane with two inverted DeHaviliand Gipsy Six engines. Wood is used for the structure of the fuselage and wing . The latter is of the full cantilever type with a single very wide spar. The top and bottom of this spar are formed of three substantial laminations of spruce laid in the manner of a carvel built boat. The wing loading of the Comet has not 24 JULY 19B7
and see the checkpoints slide beneath my wings of freedom. Why, you ask is all of this? Because I am the torchbearer of a golden age of
flight. I carry the honor of an era of truth and spirit unsurpassed, and with joy I present it to you . For, you see, I am history. •
been divulged but it appears that it must be in the region of 29 lb. per sq . ft." The November 1934 issue of AERO DIGEST presented a two-page article on the Comet which included a half page three-view drawing and one photo. Some details of the modification of the Gipsy Six engine to facilitate the use of a variable-pitch propeller were given. "Use of this type of propeller has necessitated a new crankshaft with an appropriate hub fitting at the front end and the provision of a temporary oil sup ply at a pressure of 100 Ibs./sq. in ., to actuate the blades. " Also detailed were some of the meas ures to reduce the engine size. "By modifying the valve rocker gear and its casings, the overall height of the engine has been reduced and the shape of the cowling improved, while the alteration of the induction manifolds and the use of a smaller scoop for the cooling air, has decreased the overall width of the engine." Aviation of November 1934 offered a "MacRobertson Score Sheet" subtitled "Post mortem material of a winter's de bating." Commenting on the reduction of en tries from 66 to 21 - "What could Wiley
Post have accomplished in his super charged ship? What could Kingsford Smith have done with his experience of the route? Would Gatty in his Douglas entry have beaten the Comet? "As to the actual contestants, what could the K. L. M. Douglas have achieved in a full out race? Placing sec ond in such a contest while carrying three passengers, baggage, food and 30,000 letters, and making regular stops along the K. L. M. air route to Batavia is one of the most astounding demonstrations of air transport perfor mance on record ." AERO DIGEST's November 1934 race article contained the following ob servations. "As the race entered its final stages it was apparent the American aviation industry was satisfied with the gratifying reaction aboard to the showing made by this country's principle entries. The performance of the Douglas and the Boeing made a profound impression on the public, both here and abroad . If tan gible proof was needed, it came in the form of an announcement by the Royal Dutch Airlines that it had ordered ten sister ships of the monoplane in which its pilots, Parmentier and Moll , had finished such a brilliant second.' .
nteresting Members
by Dale A. Gustafson (EAA 8891 , Ale 108) n24 Shady Hills Drive Indianapolis, IN 46278 Talent on a Grass Strip Talent abounds on a certain grass strip in Florida. The strip is Patch-O Blue located northeast of Ocala and owned by Mike and Barbara Keedy, but more about them later. Among the residents at Patch-O-Blue are Arnold and Virginia Nieman (EAA 10077, AlC 449) who are widely known for their aircraft restorations and espe cially their custom woodworking. Over the years they have constructed many new wings and rebuilt old ones for Beech Staggerwings, Stearmans, Wacos, etc. They are currently building up a Staggerwing for both business and pleasure. Arnold flies a late-model Bel lanca Viking . In 1981 the Niemans restored an in teresting Waco for Mike and Barbara Keedy (EAA 98957, AlC 6972). The Waco, a ZPF-6 was originally owned by the Texas Company (Texaco) . Arnold, Mike and Bob Hitchcock (EM 113843, AlC 5450) recently replaced the Jacobs engine on the Waco with a factory-fresh 275 hp Jacobs. Bob and his wife Nancy currently live in Sargentville, Maine where he has a FAA-approved engine overhaul and repair shop. Bob is an expert machinist and really knows the old aircraft engines. He is also an IA and highly skilled at rebuild ing aircraft. The Hitchcocks have a hangar at Patch-O-Blue and plan to build a home there soon. They own and fly a WACO UPF-7. Mike and Barbara Keedy own the Patch-O-Blue Airstrip (Air Ranch). In addition to the Waco ZPF-6, they also own a 400 hp Piper Comanche. The radio equipment in both aircraft is first class and Mike has been known to sur prise a few controllers with his "Waco Biplane" call sign making IFR ap proaches. Mike is a retired mathematics profes sor from Purdue University and has au thored many textbooks on the subjet. His interests also include vintage au tomobiles and he has a very nice 1934 Chevrolet two-door sedan and a '57 Chevy convertible. His collection also includes a replica English sports car. The number of EM families at Patch O-Blue is growing and will provide a source of more articles on interesting members in the future . •
Mike Keedy with his '57 Chevrolet convertible. Plane in the hangar is his 400 hp Comanche. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
The following is a listing of new members who have joined the EAA Antique/Classic Division (through March 15, 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. Doose, Paul Wheeling, Illinois Redner, Robert R. West Bloomfield, Michigan Rodgers, William S. Fenton, Michigan Erickson, Kirk E. Duluth, Minnesota EAA Chapter 222 Vallingby, Sweden Morris, Robert F. Elgin, South Carolina Crowe, Mark S. Ashland, Massachusetts Davies, Clive R. Abergavenny Gwent, England Bottom Jr., Raymond B. Newport News, Virginia Goodnight, Jack M. Kannapolis, North Carolina Dommerman, John C. Keokuk, Iowa Beegles, Ed Evans, Colorado Nesbitt, Ronald D. Flushing, Michigan Gourley, Gene Kansas City, Missouri Haller Sr., Kenneth A. Puyallup, Washington Klopp, Anthony F. Miami, Florida Lester, Maurice G Eau Claire, Wisconsin Montierth, Matt Bloomington, California Fagan, Frederick J. Swartz Creek, Michigan Chaney, Allan T. Hebron, Ohio Hohenwarter, Wilfried Regensburg, West Germany Cramer, Philip R. Dallas, Texas Moyer, Robert C. Pine Grove, Pennsylvania Cuff Jr., George W. Wenham, Washington Howell, Joseph L. Knoxville, Tennessee 26 JULY 1987
Clark, Matthew Sunderland Tyne & Wear, England
Brennan, Edward J. Wellington, Ohio
Hemphill, John S. St. Augustine, Florida
Houghton, William Farnham Surrey, England
Ferguson, James L. Junction City, Kansas
Araoz, Ricardo B. San Isidro, Argentina
Simon, Larry Carlsbad, California
Drozda, Michael J. Vero Beach, Florida
Umsted, James E. Salem, Oregon
Knapton, William R. Carson City, Nevada
Anderson, Roy E. Highland Park, Illinois
Epps, George F. Huntsville, Alabama
Zimmy, Stephen P. Lansford, North Dakota
Young, D. Scott Alturas, Florida
Romano, Richard Granby, Connecticut
Temple, James R. Granger, Indiana
Jackson, Dorothy C. Clearwater, Florida
Bindrim, Douglas W. West Islip, New York
Wade, Charles F. Mission Viejo, California
Francis, James S. Westfield Center, Ohio
Campos, Eduardo Augusto Cortez Fortaleza Ceara, Brazil
Bloch, Christopher D. Copake, New York
Horn, Keith A. Plant City, Florida
Lord Jr., Charles P. Des Moines, Iowa
Hensley, Fred Weinsdale, Florida
Dessin, Wilkie, J. Auburn, California
McMurdo, Ward H. Greeley, Colorado
Silva, Kevin M. Castro Valley, California
McBride, Donald M. Roswell, Georgia
Crist, William B. Houston, Texas
Trembath, James H. Alder Grove, British Columbia, Canada
Miller, Richard O. Creve Coeur, Missouri
Bastos, Paulo Falcetta Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Vande Grift, Howard Albert Lea, Minnesota
Villegas Jr., Marco Coral Gables, Florida
Sorlimi, Luciano Carzago Riviera, Italy
Shepherd, Joseph Fayetteville, Georgia
Irwin, Wayne R. Merced, California
Woodham III, Jesse C. Thomasville, Georgia
Lewis, James D. Ashland, Oregon
Williams, Robert V. Midland, Michigan
Lipner, Robert M. San Diego, California
Boelen, Adrian N. Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Stewart, J. Terry Dover, Delaware
Brewster, Donald A. Poughkeepsie, New York
Dempster, Robert I. Seattle, Washington
Banner Jr., Bernard C. Sanford, Florida
Lewis, Richard C. Traverse City, Michigan
Palmer, John R. Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
McMillan, Scott Eagan, Minnesota
Holdgate, Bruce D. Nantucket, Massachusetts
Greene, Oliver W. Kingston, Rhode Island
Tubesing, William C. Manhattan, Kansas
Chennault, Bruce Midlothian, Texas
Mulholland, R. Mark Charleston, South Carolina
Nunn, Robert F. Marmora, New Jersey Morse, Arthur R. Germantown, Maryland Pacquin, James Cooper Easton, Missouri Greear, Stephen Orlando, Florida
J
Paulsen, F.N.
Petersburg, Alaska
Blaylock, James H.
Richmond, Kentucky
Foster Jr., Paul J.
Monte Vista, Colorado
Reilly, Robin Los Angeles, California Journey, Jim Clinton, Missouri Miller Jr., Charles D. Milmont Park, Pennsylvania MacGinnis, John I. Barre, Massachusetts
Heitzman, Tom Deansboro, New York Fuchapsky, Gregory M. SI. Charles, Missouri Lynch, Jack Batavia, Ohio Jameson, Barry H. Rochester, New Hampshire Casebeer, Harvey L. Butte, Montana Szybalski, Carl Saratoga, California Hainline, James L. Klamath Falls, Oregon Toll, Lloyd Hazen, Arizona . Lasslett, Ian K. Watford Herts, England Matthews, Peter Londonderry, New South Wales, Australia
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MISCELLANEOUS: BACK ISSUES .. . Back issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE (and other EAA Division publications) are available at $1 .25 per issue. Send your list of
issues desired along with payment to: Back Issues, EAA-Willman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Identify yourself with a flying memo. Aviation memo pads with 8 exciting designs. A sample pac ket is yours for the asking. Write: Flying Memos, P.O. Box 606, Simi Valley, CA 93062. (7-6) STINSON RELIANT OWNERS - Have cap strip for Gull Wings (5/'6 x 5/'6 square 6061-T-6) tube. Also aileron for JN4 Jenny, some Stearman parts. NEED: Accessory, cowl and Stearman windshield. Stinson Reliant SR7 (Gull Wing) 1937 wings, seats, wheel pants and fairings, bump cowl and dual out let exhaust for 300 Lyc. Tim Uewer, 312 Sky View, Hershey, NE 69143. (7-2) GAAR-LAMB AERO, LTD. Call us for discounts on : Ceconite 7600, Aircraft Recovering, CUSTOM MODIFICATIONS, Prop Flange Magnafluxing, SIGNATURE DYNAMIC PROP BALANCING AND COMPONENT ANALYSIS , (we are equipped to balance at your location for no additional charge.) GAAR-LAMB AERO LTD., 1602 W. 4th Avenue, Box 105, Brodhead, WI 608/897-8014 or 897-8459. (8-3)
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
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1937 CUB J-2
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VIDEO TAPE AVAILABLE FABRIC COVERING WITH RA Y STiTS Sponsored by EAA Aviation Foundation. Before Making Expensive Mistakes, See This Tape and Learn How to Do /I Right the First Time. $49.95. Also Direct from EAA (1 -800-843-3612), and from Stits Distributors.
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WRITE OR PHONE FOR FREE Sample of High Strength, Very Smooth 1.7 oz Patented Polyester Fabric Developed Especially for Aircraft Covering Manual #1 with Detailed Instructions for Fabric Covering and Painting Aircraft for Corrosion Control Latest Catalog and Distributor List.
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Free catalog of complete product line. Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials: $3.00.
Qirt~RODUCTS,
HERE'S WHY!
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INC.
259 Lower Morrisville Rd ., Dept. VA Fallsington , PA 19054 (215) 295-4115
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STITS POLY·FIBER AIRCRAFT COATINGS ~ P.O. Box 3084-V, Riverside, CA 92519
Phone (714) 684-4280
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VINYL • EXTERNAL/INTERNAL • PROVEN DURABILITY • EASY INSTALLATION
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• PRECISION DECAL CO. 1729 TILGHMAN ST. 1-800-523-9356 ALLENTOWN, PA 18104 PA 1-800-322-9065 J
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30 JULY 1987
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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.
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