VA-Vol-16-No-5-May-1988

STRAIGHT

AND

Antique/Classic Parade of Flight The Antique/Classic annual Parade of Flight will be staged on Monday, August I, as the main part of the air show when the field is closed. Briefing for the event will be at 1:00 p.m. at the Antique/Classic Headquarters .

Chairman - Phil Coulson, 616/624­ 6490.

by Bob Lickteig In planning "The World of Sport Avia­ tion," Oshkosh '88, the EAA Antique/ Classic Division has scheduled a week of group activities. Listed below are the dates and chairmen of each event. Please contact any of the chairman if you need additional information or to make reservations .

Antique/Classic Fly-out The fifth annual Antique/Classic Con­ vention Fly-Out for members and guests is scheduled for Tuesday, August 2. 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 runway will be open, plus a sea­ plane base - so we're extending an invita­ tion for all float planes to join us.

Briefing 7:00 a.m . at Antique/Classic Headquarters, departure 8-8:30 a .m.; re­ turn I :30-2:00 p.m. in time for the air show.

Chairman - Bob Lumley , 414/255­ 6832.

Antique/Classic Picnic The Antique/Classic Picnic will be held at the EAA Nature Center Sunday evening, July 31, starting at 6:00 p.m . The commit­ tee has arranged for refreshments and the serving of a pig roast with all the trim­ mings. Tickets 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. Saturday, July 30, as we must advise the cook of the number of people we will have 24 hours in advance.

Chairman Steve Nesse, 507/373­ 1674.

Antique/Classic Workshop The Antique/Classic Workshop located next to the Antique/Classic Headquarters will again be in operation throughout the Convention week . Please come by and help with the completion of our project and gain the hands-on experience of actually work­ ing on a restoration.

Chairman - George Meade, 414/228­ 7701.

2 MAY 1988

Antique/Classic Participant Plaque The Antique/Classic Division will pre­ sent to the owner of each registered aircraft a recognition plaque with a colored photo of the aircraft parked at Oshkosh. Please register your aircraft as soon as possible after you are parked, as this will speed up the procedure to present you with your plaque .

Chairman - Jack Copeland , 617/336­ 7245 .

Antique/Classic Riverboat Cruise The Antique/Classic Riverboat Dinner Cruise will be held Saturday evening, July 30, sailing at 8:00 p.m. from the Pioneer Inn dock. Due to the limited number of passengers, the tickets are offered for sale in advance through the mail. If there are any remaining tickets, they will be on sale at the Antique/Classic Headquarters up to the time of sailing.

Chairman - Jeannie Hill , 815/943­ 7205 .

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 instructions will be mailed to you. Contact the chairman.

Chairman Art Morgan, 414/442­ 3631.

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 inter­ view, 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 Type Club Headquar­

ters All type clubs 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 .

Chairman Butch Joyce , 919/427­ 0216.

LEVEL

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 Aircraft Awards Antique judging, all categories, Chair­ man - Dale Gustafson, 317/293-4430.

Classic Judging, all categories, Chair­ man - George York, 419/429-4378 .

Antique/Classic Forums A complete schedule of forums covering all makes and models of Antique/Classic aircraft will be presented throughout Con­ vention week. These forums will be con­ ducted by the most qualified individuals available. Check Convention program for complete details.

Chairman - John Berendt, 507/263­ 2414.

Antique/Classic Photo Contest The fifth annual Antique/Classic Amateur Photo Contest will be held during Oshkosh '88. All contestants must register at the Antique/Classic headquarters and re­ ceive up-to-date contest rules, please . Re­ member, photos taken enroute, during the Convention or on the return home are all eligible for the contest.

Chairman - Jack McCarthy , 317/371­ 1290.

Antique/Classic Hall of Fame Reunion The Annual Hall of Fame Reunion for previous Grand and Reserve Grand Cham­ pion aircraft will again be held at Oshkosh '88. A special display area, special awards, and a special fly-by recognition are planned. All previous winners are encour­ aged to bring their aircraft back to Oshkosh for the members and guests to enjoy .

Chairman - Dan Neuman, 612/571­ 0893 .

OX-S Aviation Pioneers The OX-5 Aviation Pioneers headquar­ ters tent is located in the Antique/Classic area.

Chairman - Bob Wallace, 301/686­ 3279.

Please check your Oshkosh '88 Conven­ tion program and EAA Antique/Classic headquarters for complete details of all events.

It's going to be a great Convention, make the Antique/Classic area your head­ quarters for Oshkosh '88 .

Please remember, we're better together.

Welcome aboard - join us and you have it all . •

PUBLICATION STAFF

PUBLISHER

Tom Poberezny

TIl~

VICE-PRESIDENT

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Dick Matt

VI~TA.f3~ A.II:!VLA.~~

EDITOR

Mark Phelps

MAY 1988 • Vol. 16, No.5

ART DIRECTOR

Mike Drucks

Copyright "'1988 by the EAA AntiquelClassic Division , Inc. All rights reserved .

MANAGING EDITOR/ADVERTISING

Mary Jones

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Norman Petersen

Dick Cavin

FEATURE WRITERS

George A. Hardie, Jr.

Dennis Parks

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Carol Krone

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jim Koepnick

Carl Schuppel

Jeff Isom

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 RI. 2, Box 128 Lyndon, KS 66451 913/828-3518

Secretary George S. York 181 Sloboda Ave. Mansfield, OH 44906 419/529-4378

Treasurer E.E. " Buck" Hilbert P.O. Box 145 Union,IL60180 815/923-4591

Contents 2

Straight and Level/by Bob Lickteig

4

AlC News/by Mark Phelps

5

LeHers to the Editor

6

Calendar

7

Vintage Literature/by Dennis Park

9

Member's Projects/by Norm Petersen

10

Interesting Member/by D.F. Neuman

12

Rose's Ryans /by Norm Petersen

15

Moments from Sun 'n Fun/by Mark Phelps

16

Scout's Honor/by Nino Lama

20

Upside Down Ercoupe/by Mary Jones

24

Biplane Boilermaker/by Mark Phelps

27

Mystery Plane/by George Hardy

28

Vintage Trader

'-

Page 20

DIRECTORS John S. Copeland 9 Joanne Drive Westborough, MA01581 617/366-7245

Philip Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawton, MI49065 616/624-6490

William A. Eickhoff 41515th Ave., N.E. SI. Petersburg, FL 33704 813/823-2339

Stan Gomoll 1042 90th Lane, NE

Minneapolis, MN 55434

6121784-1172

Dale A. Gustafson 7724 Shady Hill Drive Indianapolis, IN 46278 317/293-4430

Espie M_ Joyce, Jr. Box 468 Madison, NC 27025 919/427-0216

Arthur R. Morgan 3744 North 51 st Blvd.

Milwaukee, WI 53216 414/442-3631

Gene Morris 115C Steve Court, R.A. 2 Roanoke, TX 76262 817/491-9110

Daniel Neuman 1521 Berne Circle W. Minneapolis, MN 55421 612/571-0893

Ray Olcott

104 Bainbridge

Nokomis, FL 34275

813/488-8791

S.H. " Wes" Schmid 2359 Lefeber Avenue Wauwatosa, WI 53213 4141771-1545

FRONT COVER ... A beautiful formation photo of three Ryans on a warm summer day over Illinois. The full story of these airplanes and their owner, Bill Rose can be found on page 12.

(Photo by Ted Koston)

Page 24

BACK COVER ... Stearman C-3D. Furnished with a war-surplus Wright-Hisso 180-hp engine , this was an attempt in 1928 to build a cheaper version of the Whirlwind powered C-3B series. Apparently only two were buill. The aircraft pictured here (N6433, sin 104) was restored in 1957 by Ed "Skeeter" Carlson of Spokane , Washington . In 1976 it was rebuilt as a C-3B with a Whirlwind engine and re-registered as NC1598, the registration number of the first Stearman flown by Varney Airlines. (Photo from Boeing, clo Dick Taylor; believed to be­ long to Peter Bowers)

DIRECTOR EMERITUS

The words EAA, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM, SPORT AVIATION , and the logos of EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC., EAA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, EAA ANTIQUEICLASSIC 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 .

S.J. Wittman

7200 S.E. 85th Lane

Ocala, FL 32672

904/245-7768

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 : Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, Wittman Airfield , Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone : 414/426-4800.

ADVISORS Robert C. "Bob" Brauer 9345 S. Hoyne Chicago, IL 60620 3121779-2105 Robert D. "Bob" Lumley N104 W20387 Willow Creek Road Colgate, WI 53017 414/255-6832

John A. Fogerty RR2, Box 70 Roberts, WI 54023 715/425-2455 Steven C. Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Lea, MN 56007 507/373-1674

The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by EAA Antiquel Classic Division.

Inc. of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. and is published monthly at Wittman Airfield , Oshkosh. WI 54903· 3086. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh , WI 54901 and additional mailing offices. Membership rates for EAA Antiquel Classic Division, Inc. are $18.00 for current EAA members for 12 month period of which $12.00 is for the publication of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE . Membership is open :0 all who are interested in aviation .

ADVERTISING - AntiquelClassic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through our advertis­ ing. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken .

Postmaster: Send address changes to EAA AntiquelClassic Division, Inc., Wittman Airfield , Oshkosh , WI 54903-3086.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

~ '(3ews

Compiled by Mark Phelps

C.G. TAYLOR 1898 - 1988 C .G. Taylor, former partner of William T . Piper and designer of the Taylorcraft line of airplanes died on March 29, 1988 in Texas . He would have been 90 this June.

HISTORICAL VIDEO INTERVIEWS Anyone with leads on pioneer aviators who may be interviewed at Oshkosh during this year's Fly-in should notify the Pioneer Aviation Video Committee. The goal is to capture aviation ' s historical people on tape for future generations . Interview sessions during the convention can be scheduled at the interviewee's conveninece . If you know of someone who's aviation legacy should be preserved, contact Bob Lumly , Willow Creek Road , Colgate , WI 53017, 414/255足 6832

ANTIQUE/CLASSIC AWARDS The results of the judging at Sun 'n Fun 1988 are in . Congratulations to the winnners and all other AntiquelClassic members who had airplanes at the fly-in.

The attendance was impressive-240 An足 tiquelClassic aircraft registered over the course of the week. Expect to see lots more about Sun ' n Fun ' 88 in upcoming issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE.

Antiques Grand Champion: Fairchild KR21 N362N Jim Kimball EAA 49344, AlC 8908 Zellwood , Florida

Silver Age 1928 - 1932:

Past Grand Champion:

New Standard D-25 N930V John Thomson EAA 4396 Ellenton, Florida

Piper PA-12 NC3648M Clyde Smith, Jr. EAA 48316 Loganton, Pennsylvania

Contemporary Age 1933 - 1945: Piper J5A N354GF Ron Frank EAA 61563 , A /C 2017 Lake Angelus, Michigan

Best Custom: Fairchild 24 N28690 Ed Wegner EAA 33887, AlC 136 Plymouth, Wisconsin

Best WWII Era: Stearman PTI7 N9681N R. Denny Gamer EAA 293729 Rockmart, Georgia

Best Bi-Plane: Waco RNF N11264 J.L. Gardner EAA 48413 Milton, Florida

Best Monoplane: Piper J-3 N32957 Barbara Fidler EAA 124962, AlC 10377 Alva, Florida

Best Open Cockpit: Stearman N65052 Mike Danforth Robbinsville, North Carolina

Piper J-3 N32957 Barbara Fidler EAA 124962, A /C 10377 Alva, Florida

Past Grand Champion: Travelair D-4ooo Rod Spanier EAA 83764, AlC 1001 Lakeland, Florida

Aeronca 7 AC NC82650 Mendel Ray Ackerman EAA 164495 Leesville, South Carolina John H. Gardner EAA 260594 Cayce, South Carolina Ken Harrill EAA 181880 Columbia, South Carolina Xen Motsinger EAA 19886 Cayce, South Carolina

Best Restored - 101 to 165 HP: Stinson N389C Butch Walsh EAA 95866 , A/C 11988 Arrington, Virginia

Best Restored - Over 165 UP: Swift NC90373 Bill & Geraldine Jennings EAA 186006, A/C 7895 Dalton, Georgia

Best Custom - Up to 100 UP: Cessna 140 NI40AB Angelo Fraboni EAA 114926, A /C 7257 Monona, Wisconsin

Best Custom - 101 to 165 UP: Best Cabin: Stinson SM-2AA Bob Hedgecock EAA 262955, A /C 10205 Barnesville , Georgia

Outstanding Aircraft: Beech Staggerwing N 17SW Jim Gorman EAA 29182, A /C 306 George York EAA 11310, AlC 1085 Mansfield, Ohio

Outstanding Aircraft: Reserve Grand Champion:

Best Restored - Up to 100 UP:

1939 Taylorcraft N23663 A.C. Hutson EAA 185948, AlC 7122 Griffin , Georgia

Classics Grand Champion: Piper PAil NC78661 Classic Flights Charleston, South Carolina

Piper PA22-20 N2818P Barbara Fidler EAA 124962, A/C 10377 Lakeland, Florida

Best Custom - Over 165 UP: Swift N41P Roy Harmening EAA 199030 Clairton, Pennsylvania

Outstanding of Type: Ercoupe N94707 Burt Ellegaard EAA 84292 Shakopee, Minnesota

Outstanding of Type: Luscombe 8A N 1197K A. Allen Arbuthnot EAA 119679, AIC 3500 Lake Alfred, Florida

Outstanding of Type: Funk N77724 Dan Towery II EAA 30621, A/C 10743 Dover, Delaware

Golden Age 1927 - Earlier:

Reserve Grand Champion:

Outstanding of Type:

Waco 10 N45534 John Stilley EAA 123683, A /C 3853 Merritt Island, Florida

Cessna 140 N5332C Rick Trimble EAA 266730 Soddy, Tennessee

Cessna 195 N2193C Bob Silwanicz EAA 224096 Pompano Beach, Florida

4 MAY 1988

Letters TO The Editor<J1;.1 .-~~ •

Dear Jack, Congratulations on the new entry in The Vintage Airplane (January) titled "The Time Capsule." It is just great.

You asked for comments , so here is the tiny bit I can add: I) The Seversky 2-PA-L is the one test pilot Jimmie Taylor qualified for the 1937 Thompson Race at 223.173 mph (at Cleveland).

2) The Crosby CR-4 is indeed from 1938 . Recognition points for '38 are: a) trumpet-shaped exhaust (its end is between the gear doors), b) Sherwin-Williams paint logo on the rudder, c) hydraulic retract on a stub tail skid . Recognition points for '39: six separate short exhaust stacks , b) Aero Industries Tech logo on rudder, c) spring type skid.

3) The Gwinn Aircar. Terrific! How do I get a photo?

4) Obviously your volume of Revolution in the Sky and mine are different. This one is dated 1964 and says: c/N 150 . . . Interstate Aero Corp., Cleveland (1933-35) . Involved 3 accs., final one . .. 9-14-35 ... Skyways Inc., Cleveland (1935-37) and Samuel R. Sague , Cleveland, 1937. The last time I saw that "Sirius" it was sitting behind the Sundorph hangar with a "For Sale" sign on

!

. .1,[

it. The hangar talk was that it was just too expensive to fly. Probably 1940 on that.

Sorry that I can't tell you more . Keep up the good work and best of everything .

Regards, Ted Businger (EAA 93833, NC 2333) Rt. 2, Box 280 Willow Springs, MO 65793 Dear Ben, In a few days I will send my money to become a member of EAA. Enclosed I am sending pictures of a Miles Magister. It is 50 years old (1938) and in good flying condition and nearly 100 percent original. It is the property of the "Aero Club San Martin, " Mendoza, Argen­ tina and they would like to sell it.

If some members of the Antique/Classic Division have an interest in it, they could write to: Sr. Oscar A. Charparin, Aero Club San Martin, CC 127 (5570), San Mar­ tin - Mendoza , Argentina .

Sincerely, Alberto Catania 153 Shoreham Drive Downsview, Ontario, Canada M3N I S8

NICKED-KNOCKED PROPS

The metal propeller appears to be one of the most durable parts of the modem light aircraft; and indeed it is, when properly maintained . But as an instrument of thrust, it has more pressure exerted against it than any other part of the aircraft. The blades are designed and constructed in such a manner as to withstand maximum power loading, but when the shape of the blade is marred or disturbed , its inherent strength can be reduced to a point where blade fail­ ure in flight is possible . Such failure can take place entirely without warni ng.

Most pilots find it hard to believe that a small cut or nick in a sturdy metal propeller can lead to a broken prop . To understand how this is possible, it helps to know some­ thing about the stress and force to which a propeller in action is subjected.

The most obvious force is centrifugal­ the rotating action which exerts an outward pull on the blades . If you imagine an enor­ mous giant trying to draw your arm out of your socket, exerting a force of 7 ,500 times the weight of your arm, you can appreciate the strain on the blade.

The revolving blade is also subject to a centrifugal twisting force, which may be visualized as the effect of a gigantic hand

attempting to flatten the blade, exerting a force as high as 20,000 pounds per square inch . Again , the thrust exerted by the pro­ peller results in a forward pull of the blades. Straining the engine to pull the plane out of a mudhole can result in an out-of-track prop. These two kinds of stress produce lines of force running across the face of the blade.

But the kind of stress which is believed responsible for most blade failures, in con­ junction with surface damage in piston­ drive aircraft , is the vibratory stress set up by the engine forces conveyed to the pro­ peller by the crankshaft to which it is bolted. This produces oscillating forces within the blade which change patterns as the engine rpm changes . The locations on the surface of the blade where maximum bending occurs are called nodes; at these locations the greatest amount of stress oc­ curs. Even slight damage at these points can seriously weaken the propeller.

Any mechanical damage to the prop creates an opportunity for blade failure.

Nicks, cuts, or corrosion pits can set up stress points by interrupting lines of force.

Certificated mechanics are trained to round out depressions in the blade in such a man­

ner as to minimize the concentration force at a given point.

The ordinary preflight inspection tends to scan the propeller. The pilot may do nothing more than run his eye down the leading edge of the blade and, if nothing catches his attention , move on. What he should do, realizing the consequences of an in-flight propeller failure, is to scrutinize and feel-with clean, dry hands-the entire surface of the blade. Nicks or cuts that es­ cape the eye are often easily perceptible to the fingers . Inspection is easier and more accurate if the blade is kept clean . This is facilitated by occasional waxing with a paste wax, which helps prevent corrosion.

Decals on a prop , incidentally, have been known to permit the accumulation of hid­ den corrosion.

Note that the removal of small nicks or defects is not "preventive maintenance," which may be performed by the pilot or owner, but is defined in FAR Part 43 as "minor repairs," and requires the service of a qualified mechanic .

One little nick could knock you out of the sky . •

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

MAY 21-22 - NORTH HAMPTON, NEW HAMP­ SHIRE - 12th Annual Aviation Flea Market at Hampton Airfield. Anything aviation related okay. Food available. Contact: 603/964-6749.

MAY 21-22 HAMMOND, LOUISIANA ­ Louisiana Balloon Festival and EAA Air Show sponsored by EAA Chapters 244, 261 and 697.

Trophies. Louisiana Championship Fly-In Series Event No.1. Contact: Jim Riviere, 604 Chambertin Drive, Kenner, LA 70065, 504/467­ 1505.

MAY 21-22 - LIVE OAK, FLORIDA - Florida Sport Aviation Antique and Classic Associa­ tion, EAA AlC Chapter 1 Fly-In at Kittyhawk Estates. Contact: Rod Spanier, 502 James­ town Avenue, Lakeland, FL 33801, 813/665­ 5572.

MAY 27-29 - WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA­ 24th West Coast Antique Fly-In and Air Show at Watsonville Airport. Contact: Watsonville Chamber of Commerce, 4081724-3849.

MAY 27-29 - LAKE GENEVA, WISCONSIN ­ 2nd Annual Twin Bonanza Association conven­ tion at the Americana Lake Geneva Resort.

Contact: Twin Bonanza Association, 19684 Lakeshore Drive, Three Rivers, M149093, 616/ 279-2540.

JUNE 3-5 - MERCED, CALIFORNIA - 31st Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In at Merced Municipal Airport. Contact: Merced Pilots As­ sociation, P. O. Box 2312, Merced, CA 95344 or linton Wollen, 2091722-6666 after 5 p.m.

JUNE 3-5 - BARTLESVILLE, OKLAHOMA - 2nd Annual National Biplane Fly-in at Frank Phillips Field, featuring a first-ever - Concours de Ele­ gance! Be part of the largest gathering of bip­ lanes since WW II. Modern factory type aircraft invited and welcomed. Sponsored by the Na­ tional Biplane Association (NBA) and the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce. Contact: Charles W. Harris, Chairman, 9181742-7311, or Mary Jones, Executive Director, 918/299­ 2532. Address inquiries on NBA membership to NBA, Hangar 5, 4-J Aviation, Jones-River­ side Airport, Tulsa, OK 74132.

JUNE 4-5 - INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - 1st An­ nual Airplane Gathering, saluting replica, mili­ tary, classic and sport aircraft at Mt. Comfort Airport. Sponsored by the EAA Chapter 900 and the Central Indiana Sport Flyer Associa­ tion. Contact: Fred Jungclaus, 317/636-4891 (days) or 317/342-3235 (eves).

JUNE 4-5 - COLDWATER, MICHIGAN - 4th An­ nual Fairchild Reunion. Contact: Mike Kelly, 22 Cardinal Drive, Coldwater, MI49036, 517/278­ 7654.

JUNE 5 - DEKALB, ILLINOIS - EAA Chapter 241 Breakfast at DeKalb-Taylor Municipal Air­ port from 7 a.m. to noon. Contact: Jerry Thorn­ hill, 3121683-2781.

JUNE 10-12 - MIDDLETOWN, OHIO - 4th Na­ tional Aeronca gathering, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Aeronca, including tours of the Aeronca factory and the U.S.A.F. Museum.

Banquet on Saturday night with speakers and judged aircraft awards.

Contact: Jim Thompson , Box 102, Roberts, IL 60962,217/ 395-2522.

JUNE 11-12 - HILLIARD, FLORIDA - Florida Sport Aviation Antique and Classic Associa­ tion, EAA AlC Chapter 1 Fly-In at Hilliard Air Park. Contact: Rod Spanier, 502 Jamestown Avenue, Lakeland, FL33801, 813/665-5572.

JUNE 11-12 - MANSFIELD, LOUISIANA ­ Northwest Louisiana Fly-in, DeSoto Parish Air­ port. Sponsored by EAA Chapter 343, Flying Events, aircraft judging, camping. Louisiana Championship Fly-In Series Event No.2. Con­ tact: Larry Pierce, Route 5, Box 585, Shreveport, LA 71107, 318/929-2377.

6 MAY 1988

JUNE 12 - AURORA, ILLINOIS - EAA Chapter 579 Fly-lnlDrive-ln breakfast and airportlFBO open house, Aurora Municipal Airport. Contact: Alan Shackleton, 312/466-4193 or Bob Rieser, Airport Manager, 312/466-7000.

JUNE 14-19 - OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - Aerospace America 1988 Air Show and Trade Exposition. Contact: Tom Jones, Air Show Director 405/681-3000.

JUNE 16-18 - LAKEVIEW, ARKANSAS - Na­ tional Meyers Association Fly-in and Seminar at Gaston's Resort. Contact: Wm. E. Gaffney, 26 Rt. 17K, Newburgh, NY 12550 JUNE 17-19 - EL CAJON, CALIFORNIA - 6th Annual West Coast Travel Air Fly-In. Join the biplane fun. Contact: Jerry Impellezzeri, 4925 Wilma Way, San Jose, CA 95124.

JUNE 18 - NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA-16th Annual Colonial Fly-In sponsored by EAA Chapter 156 at Patrick Henry Airport. Contact: Chet Sprague, 8 Sinclair Road, Hampton, VA 23669, 8041723-3904.

JUNE 19 - ANDERSON, INDIANA - EAA Chap­ ter 226 Fly-In Breakfast. Contact: 317/378­ 0590.

JUNE 19 - FRIENDSHIP, WISCONSIN - 8th An­ nual Father's Day Fly-in at Legion Field spon­ sored by Adams County Aviation Association.

Pancake breakfast at 0730. Static displays, crafts, antique engines, etc. 60 miles due west Oshkosh VOR. Camping. Monitor 122.9. Con­ tact: Roger Davenport, 608/339-6810.

JUNE 23-26 - GRAND LAKE VACATION RE­ SORT, OKLAHOMA - International Bird Dog Association annual meeting and fly-in al Golden Falcon Airpark, Grand Lake Vacation Resort. Contact: Phil Phillips, 505/897-4174.

JUNE 23-26 - HAMILTON, OHIO - 29th Annual National Waco Reunion. Contact: National Waco Club, 700 Hill Avenue, Hamilton, OH 45015.

JUNE 24-26 - PAULS VALLEY, OKLAHOMA­ Oklahoma City Chapter of AAA Fly-In. Contact: George Blackmore, 4051789-6281 or Bud Sut­ ton, 405/392-5608.

JUNE 25-26 - ORANGE, MASSACHUSETTS ­ 12th Annual New England Regional EAA Fly-In sponsored by EAA Chapter 726. Vendors, flea market, food, trophies. Contact: Richard Walsh, Municipal Airport, Orange, MA 01364, 627/544-8189.

JUNE 29-JULY 2 - AMES, IOWA - Ercoupe Owners Club National Convention, Ames Air­ port. Contact: Shirley Brittian, 2070 Hwy. 92, Ackworth, IA 50001 , 515/961-6609.

JULY 8-10 - 16th Annual Taylorcraft Fly-In/Reun­ ion at Barber Airport, three miles north of Al­ liance. Food, fellowship and flying. Chat with the people who built your Taylorcraft. Contact: Bruce Bixler, 216/823-9748.

JULY 10 - WILLIAMS, ARIZONA - 3rd Annual Fly-In Breakfast at Williams Municipal Airport.

Sponsored by EAA Chapter 856. Awards and displays. Contact: Larry Ely, 602/635-2978 or 2151.

JULY 16-17 - SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK­ Northeast Flight '88 Air show at Schenectady County Airport, sponsored by American Red Cross and Empire State Aerosciences Museum. Contact: Steve Israel, 518/382-0041, Northeast Flight '88, 419 Mohawk Mall, Schenectady, NY 12304.

JULY 17-22 - FAIRBANKS, ALASKA - Interna­ tional Cessna 170 Association Convention at Fairbanks International Airport. Convention site: Sophie Station Motel. Contact: Convention Chairmen, Rick and Cheryl Schikora, 1919 Lat­ hrop, Drawer 17, Fairbanks, AK 99701, 907/ 456-1566 (work), or 907/488-1724 (home). Re­ member the time difference.

JUL Y 21-22 - DAYTON, OHIO - Dayton Air and Trade Show at Dayton International Airport.

Contact: Rajean Campbell, 513/898-5901.

JULY 22-24 - COFFEYVILLE, KANSAS - Funk Aircraft Owners Reunion. Contact: Ray Pahls, 12724 E. Ashbury Circle, Apt. U-l04, Aurora, CO 80014,303/695-4983.

JUL Y 29-AUGUST 5 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - 36th annual International EAA Convention and Sport Aviation Exhibition at Wittman Field.

Contact: John Burton, EAA Headquarters, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

AUGUST 20 - WINTER HAVEN, FLORIDA­ Florida Sport Aviation Antique and Classic As­ sociation, EAA AlC Chapter 1 Fly-In at Gilbert Field Municipal. Contact: Rod Spanier, 502 Jamestown Avenue, Lakeland, FL33801, 813/ 665-5572.

AUGUST 26-28 - SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY Sussex Air Show '88. Contact: Paul G. Styger, Airport Manager, P.O. Box 311, Sussex, New Jersey 07461,201 /875-9919.

AUGUST 27-28 - WATKINS, COLORADO BalioonfestlEAA Chapter 660 Air Show. Con­ tact: 3031751-1981.

SEPTEMBER 3-4 - GEORGETOWN, CALIFOR­ NIA Gathering of Taildraggers at Georgetown Municipal Airport. Contact: P. O. Box 1438, Georgetown, California, call (days) 916/677-9009, (eves) 916/333-1343.

SEPTEMBER 9-11 - DENVER, COLORADO­ Twin Beech Association 1st Annual fly-in meet­ ing at Centennial Airport. Contact: Twin Beech Association, P. O. Box 8186, Fountain Valley, CA 92728-8186.

SEPTEMBER 10 - JENNINGS, LOUISIANA ­ Southwest Louisiana Fly-In, Sponsored by EAA Chatpers 529 and 541 . Trophies.

Louisiana Championship Fly-in Series Event NO.3. Contact: Bill Anderson, 211 Bruce Street, Lafayette, LA 70533, 318/984-9746.

SEPTEMBER 10-11 - GREELEY, COLORADO - Rocky Mountain Regional Fly-In. Sponsored

by Colorado State EAA Chapter. Contact: 303/ 798-6086 or 3031751-1981.

SEPTEMBER 16-18 JACKSONVILLE, IL­ LINOIS - 4th Annual Byron Smith Memorial Stinson Fly-In and Reunion at Jacksonville Airort. Seminars, fly-outs, contests. Camping at field. Contact: Loran Nordgren, 815/469­ 9100,4 West Nebraska, Frankfort, IL 60423.

OCTOBER 1-2 - PINEVILLE, LOUISIANA - 3rd Annual Louisiana EAA Convention, sponsored

by EAA Chapters 614 and 836. Trophies, ban­ quet, camping. Final Louisiana Championship Series Event. Contact: Jim Alexander, 2950 Highway 28W, Boyce, LA 71409, 318/793­ 4245.

OCTOBER 6-9 - CELINA, OHIO - 13th Annual International Cessna 120/140 Association Convention Fly-In at Lakefield Airport. Contact: Terry Zimmerman, 419/268-2565.

OCTOBER 7-9 - THOMASVILLE, GEORGIA ­ Florida Sport Aviation Antique and Classic As­ sociation, EAA AlC Chapter 1 Fly-In at Thomasville Municipal Airport. Contact: Rod Spanier, 502 Jamestown Avenue, Lakeland , FL 33801,813/665-5572.

OCTOBER 7-9 - TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA­ 31 st Annual Tulsa Fly-In. Contact: Charlie Har­ ris, 3933 S. Peoria, Tulsa, OK 74105,9181742­ 7311.

OCTOBER 7-9 - TAHLEQUAH , OKLAHOMA­ 8th Annual National Bucker Fly-In. Contact: Frank Price, Route 1, Box 419, Moody, TX 76557, 817/853-2008. •

VI~TAf3~ LIT~I2ATUI2~

ERON411TIC APRIL. 1913

by Dennis Parks

Serial No. 68

ing millions of dollars on military aeronautics? Why, then, is our govern­ ment woefully neglecting aviation?

Why have we sent no officers abroad

to study the wonderful progress of other nations? Why have we offered no prizes for devices giving greater safety in aeroplanes? Why has the gov­ ernment neglected to encourage the art in any way?

Here is our answer to these ques­ tions . It is simply this : In our govern­ ment there is entirely too much party politics: the average Congressman is too busy building and repairing politi­ cal fences to give much attention to the defenses of the country ... most mem­ bers of congress never take the trouble to read an aeronautical magazine any­

Library/Archives Director

AERONAUTICS 1913 Editorials and Letters One way to judge what were the concerns in the aviation community at a particular time is to examine the editorials and letters to the editor.

The journal AERONAUTICS had a very active and vocal editor in the per­ son of Ernest La Rue Jones. The former proprietor of a hardware busi­ ness, Jones became connected with the aero shows of 1906 and 1907 and be­ came the assistant secretary of the Aero Club of America. In 1907 he founded AERONAUTICS. The following editorials and the let­ ter to the editor are from 1913 issues of the magazine.

WAKE UP, CONGRESS America, where the first successful aeroplane was produced, now ranks last among the great world powers, as far as aviation is concerned, whether military or civil.

While Great Britain, France, Ger­ many, Russia and Austria are spending millions in developing military aeronautics, building and buying machines, training hundreds of pilots, offering prizes and testing safety de­ vices, constructing aerodynamical laboratories and encouraging inventors and constructors in every possible way, the American government is doing practically nothing.

(NOTE: According to the 1913 Jane's the United States had 21 airplanes in hand or on order, Great Britain over 140.)

Why are these governments spend­

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

VI~TAf3~ LIT~VATUV~ way and could not distinguish a biplane from the binomial theorem.

FEDERAL REGISTRATION (February 1913) The various states have automobile laws providing for the registration of the automobile, the examination of drivers and for the punishment of reck­ less or dangerous driving.

There is no law in any State in work­ ing order for the safeguarding of the aeronautical movement. The reckless flying of the expert, the foolhardy "stunts" of the novice, or the crazy antics of the hare-brained should be toned down by knowledge of the law ' s penalty . There is many a good reason for the registration of machines and for the examination of pilots. The good flyer will gain, and so will the one who fails to fulfill the considerations of a proper law or set of rules.

Before we have more fool state laws, let those who have the interests of aviation really at heart urge the adoption of a proper national statute.

HOW TO BUILD AN AEROPLANE (Letter - April 1913) There is no reason why every girl and boy who reads AERONAUTICS shouldn't have an aeroplane of his or her own, made of materials picked up about the house. No expense is at­ tached to it-all one needs is skill and ingenuity .

First, the frame must be made . Rip about forty yards of picture molding

drop it will not be necessary to hire a coach and hearse. Children should al­ ways think of the economy before the pleasure. "A dollar save is worth two in the bush," as Plutarch once said .

- Walter Shulman .

P.S . If you are building a flying boat, use veneer from the grand piano.

from the walls, being careful to first remove the pictures . Then make two oblong frames, (this machine is to be a biplane) and over them stretch a number of breadths of your mother's silk dresses, neatly sewed together. If your mother is addicted to the hobble, you may have to resort to grandma's wardrobe.

Now tack the silk on the frames by means of brass-headed tacks taken from parlor furniture. If you cannot re­ move them any other way, bum the furniture, being careful not to pick up the tacks until they have cooled off.

When the frames are finished connect them at the comers by means of spin­ dles taken from the front hall banisters.

The engine must have a firm founda­ tion, so let us borrow the head of one of the brass beds and fasten it firmly to the lower plane . As it is difficult to construct at home an engine of 60 hp, the best way is to take Papa's checkbook, write a check for a thousand dollars, carefully forging Papa's name. This can be done easily after a few months' practice. A thousand dollars will buy a very nice engine, which can be used for many purposes about the house, such as saw­ ing wood, operating a rotary fan, the sewing machine, etc .

The engine must be firmly bolted to the framework of the biplane. Bolts will be found in Papa's automobile that will do nicely. Now you are ready to soar aloft and the whole thing hasn't cost you a cent. Let your first trip be over the nearest cemetery. Then if you

I WELCOM ENEW ME

MODEL FLYING AND ITS PURPOSES (October 1913) The writer has been asked a number of times the following questions: "What is the purpose of flying models; is it merely a sport for boys, or is there any knowledge to be gained that would aid in the construction of man-carrying or full-sized machine?" Model flying can be considered in different ways.

Some of the model flyers indulge in it for the purpose of whiling away their time while others indulge in it for the purpose of learning whatever can be learnt.

If the new ideas of would-be inven­ tors were first tried out by means of the flying model there would be thousands of dollars saved yearly and less "flying tenement houses" on the scene .

Let the invention be embodied in a model equipped with power, let the model be adjusted and placed on the ground. If it will rise and show good stability and good qualities of flight, it is then time to think of embodying the same in a full sized machine. If this is done much of this wanton waste of money will be avoided . •

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White, David R. Dayton, Oregon Gorden, Kenneth Farmers Branch, Texas

North Palm Beach, Florida The following is a listing of new members who have joined the EM Antique/Classic Division (through December 15, 1987).

We are honored to welcome them into the organization whose members' common interest is vintage aircraft. Succeeding South,. ~n issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE will contain additional listings of new members.

Westmlnlster, Colorado

Barnes, Homer M. Winston·Salem, North Carolina

Dixon, sam Lugoll, South Carolina

Rainford, Stephen North Chatham, New York

Rudd, Dale Camrose, Alberta, Canada

Rezabek, John D. Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Dorothy, Philip Reinbeck, Iowa

Goeken, William K. Roanoke, Texas

Vine, Peter Bournemouth, England

Reese, William Dallas, Texas

Bickel, Basil St. Louis, Missouri

Ziegler, John C. Watauga, Texas

Teague, Dougtas E. Taylorsville, North Carolina

Miller, Robert K. Corona, California

Smith, Richard T. Kirkland, Washington

Robbins, Michael Sulphur Springs, Texas

Fielding, Ronald Arthur Fleming, Carl A. Cueens Co., Nova Scotia, Canada FI. Wayne, Indiana

Kldby, Langley R. Aspley, Australia

Torrance, California

McKibben, WIllis J. Lima, Ohio

Shear, James J. Youngstown, New York

Brown, Rodney Redmond, Washington

Foster, Robert W. Indianola, Iowa

Lelbbrandt, U.B. Capetown, South Africa

Henard, Donald C. Memphis, Tennessee

Pennington, David A.

Corpus Christi, Texas

I-Ilgler, Donald N. lIayton, Ohio

Taylor, Larry J. Madison, Georgia

Ketron, Terry Newton, North Carolina

Bradshaw, Bob Wichita, Kansas

Moses, Howard J. Lucerne, California

Berry, Donald F.

Taylorville, Illinois

1upp, Sherwood Applegate , California

Carnelrd, Larry D. VallejO, California

Degenhardt, Ronald W. Janesville, Wisconsin

Hodge, Richard Afton, Wisconsin

Steelhammer, Vic Canyon Country, California

Hudec, John

Collinsville, Oklahoma

Burkholder, Eugene Myerstown, Pennsylvania

Bailey, Everett G. Newalla, Oklahoma

Laskey, Chris Ottawa, Illinois

Ellis, Lee D. Idaho Falls, Idaho

Greethurst, Dean R. SI. Paul, Minnesota

Palmer, Henry C.

SI. Petersburg, Florida

Turslch, Ernest J. Beglm, Laval P. Eng. Gatineau, Quebec, Canada Mariena, Georgia

Trolan Jr., Wallace L. Allston, Massachusetts

Bradford, Douglas Costa Mesa, California

McCarrell, Wayne OeQueen, Arizona

Steinberg, Robert

Rawlins, Wyoming

Plews, Larry D. Tehachapi, California

McDanel, Lewis

Florence, Kentucky

Romero, Marlo I. Fieldale, Virginia

McCary, Steven W. Mesa, Washington

Nielsen, Rick Lorain, Ohio

Orson, Wilbur

Broomfield, Colorado

Brodeur, H. Wallace Amston, Connecticut

Goodman, Walter

Tranquility, California

Davenport, Carol L. Maple Valley, Washington

Pllngston, Lee Palos Park, Illinois

Poole, Robert W. Page, Arizona

Price, Garry S.

Wakefield, Michael Portsmouth, New Hampshire FI. Mitchell, Kentucky

Briere Jr., Leo J.

Mechanicsville, Virginia

Ploegsma, Phyllis Enumclaw, Washington

Thompson, Rod Alstead, New Hampshire

Keller, John M. Sarasota, Florida

Sorensen, Lloyd S.

Solvang, California

Wayman, TIm

Santa Rosa, California

Holmberg, Jon Auburn, Washington

Middleton, Forrest C. Minerva, Ohio

Gendreau, Charles A. Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

I

8 MAY 1988

McNeil, Walter Norcross, Georgia

Stout, Lloyd J.

EMBER'S PROTECTS ...

by Norm Petersen

JIM SOBRALSKE'S AERONCA CHAMP The middle photo of a pretty Aeronca 7AC "Champ" was sent in by owner Jim Sob­ ralske (EAA 301264) of 3204 Woodside Drive, Graham, North Carolina 27252 along with some notes on the history of N83933, SIN 7AC-2601.

Delivered from the Middletown, Ohio fac­ tory to West Bend, Wisconsin in 1946, N83933 spent the next 20 years as a trainer and club aircraft. In 1968, it was totally rebuilt and sold to Jim's father, Walter Sobralske, who based the Champ at his sod strip called Broken Prop Field near Berlin, Wisconsin. That's where the top photo was taken. Walt and the Champ attended nearly every fly-in throughout Wisconsin, on wheels in summer and skis in winter.

Young Jim learned to fly when he was 16 years old and soloed N83933 on skis in 1974. Some 14 years later, he has flown the Champ to North Carolina where he resides and plans on recovering the Champ before long. The Grade A cotton has been on the airplane for 20 years and still looks nice! Jim looks forward to the day he can fly N83933 back to Wisconsin for the EAA Fly-In along with a trip back to the home field in Berlin!

Q

Yale Brooks And His Cub The enclosed photo is of a very deter­ mined man and his immaculately re­ stored wood-spar J-3 Cub. Yale Brooks (EAA 301842, AlC 12035), 9 Hartley Lane, Brockton, MA 02402, had dreamed of owning a J-3 Cub from the time he was nine years old. When he retired from police work at age 61 , he bought a basket­ case Cub and totally restored it over a period of a year.

His next project is earning his private pilot's license so he can enjoy flying about in his own J-3 Cub ­ fulfilling a dream he had as a child.

Yale, we salute you and your tenacity and grit!

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

nteresting Members

by Daniel F. Neuman (EAA 871 , AIC 325)

1521 Berne Circle W. Minneapolis, MN 55421

Brad Larson operated Harper Airport near Detroit, Michigan from 1937 to 1940. Aircraft pictured are from left to right, a Rearwin Sportster, Taylorcraft, and Paramont Cabinaire.

Brad Larson soloed in 1934 in this Curtiss Junior CW-1 .

10 MAY 1988

When I was asked to write an article about an interesting EAA member, the choice was obvious. My long-time friend, Brad Larson (EAA 2952, NC 484) is an outstanding example of a rare breed of aviator. He pioneered the antique/classic movement and con足 tinues to set an example for the rest of us.

Brad was born in Michigan and now resides in Santa Paula, California where he owns two hangars, bases his award-winning Ryan SCW, and re足 stores airplanes . His wife, Mary, also helps where needed. He is now restor足

(Left to right) Mary Larson, Captain Brad Larson, SIO Dick Moreus, FlO Bob Jondahl on Larson's last flight for Northwest Airlines.

Brad Larson's Ryan SCW, 1987.

Brad Larson's Cessna Airmaster restoration at Santa Paula, California, 1988.

ing two Cessna Ainnasters , powered with Warner 165-hp radial engines.

Brad learned to fly in 1934 at De­ troit. His first solo was in a Curtiss­ Wright CW-l Junior (Pusher), pow­ ered by a three cylinder, 45-hp Szekely engine. He has owned and flown many types of airplanes through the years, including: Curtiss Jr. , Davis D-l , Aeronca C-3 , Rearwin Sportster, Taylorcraft on floats, Howard DGA-15 (fonner Shell Oil Corp. plane) , Ryan SCW , Cessna Airmaster, Funk , Beechcraft Bonanza and more .

In the 1930s Brad operated Harper Airport in Detroit, near my home . He also worked as a mechanic prior to World War II for Pennsylvania Central Airlines (later absorbed by United Air­ lines). In 1942 he joined Northwest Airlines and flew as a captain on its Alaska Air Transport Command mili­ tary routes for the duration of the war .

Until his retirement in 1975, Brad flew all the routes and equipment on NWA both as a captain and an FAA­ designated check/training pilot. He holds both FAA mechanic and ATP certificates, with a long list of type rat­ ings in a variety of piston-engine-pow­ ered turboprop and turbo-jet airplanes, including the Boeing 747 . He was one of the first captains to qualify in the B-747s and he had a prominent role in setting up NWA's pilot training pro­ gram on this as well as other types of aircraft.

Brad' s aviation career, from the be­ ginning, includes an intense interest in homebuilt and light airplanes. He built and flew experimental and homebuilts starting in the 1930s when the FAA (then called CAA) officially banned these activities. His interest and dedi­ cation to antique/classic airplanes is as strong as ever. He continues to partici­ pate in many aviation activities and fly­ ins, including the EAA Annual Con­ vention.

Over the years Brad has flown most types of aircraft. He has received many awards and trophies, nevertheless, he is reluctant to boast or capitalize on his accomplishments.

Brad and his wife , Mary, have two grown sons , Glenn and Paul, both cap­ tains for Northwest Airlines . Both of them , like their father , enjoy flying and working on older airplanes and are continuing the family aviation tradi­ tion . • VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

ROSE'S RYANS

Early morning sun glistens on the classic lines of the Ryan STM, NC17343, as it taxies past at Oshkosh '86. This is the model that was exported to many countries in the late 1930's and early 1940s.

by Norm Petersen Most pilots will take a longer-than­ normal look at the front cover photo­ graph of this month's Vintage. For some reason, the sight of three low­ wing Ryans in formation quickens the pulse and starts the adrenaline flowing .

The architect of this photo is none other than the "old master" himself, Ted Koston (EAA 44514, A /C 131) of

Oak Park, Illinois. (I always felt that Greece gave us Aristotle, Socrates, Plato and Ted Koston!)

All three Ryans are owned by the same person, William R. (Bill) Rose (EAA 159635, A /C 6612) of 15 West Mundhank Road, South Barrington , Il­ linois 60010. You may ask, why would anyone want the job of keeping three Ryans in the air with all the associated maintenance, etc.? Well, let me tell

Bill Rose, complete with Antique/Classic hat on backwards taxis the Ryan STA "Special "

to the assembly area for the '87 Oshkosh Parade of Flight. Even the background Beech

Staggerwing adds class to this photo!

12 MAY 1988

you, Bill Rose is not your everyday, household antiquer who goes from one airplane to another. He is one of those rare individuals who jumps into some­ thing he really likes with both feet and a total commitment! And so fare, you are only aware of half the story!

The beautiful red Ryan in the fore­ ground is a 1937 STA "Special," NC17368 , SIN 173, with Bill Rose at the controls. This particular airplane was acquired from the Dacy family of Harvard, Illinois (whose name is synonymous with aviation). Bill and his mechanic took the Ryan down to bare bones and slowly rebuilt the entire airplane from the ground up. The four­ cylinder inverted Menasco C4S of 150 hp was subjected to a major overhaul before being mated with the airplane.

The result was a rather stunning airplane with its brilliant red paint scheme and white trim. Note how the optional front cockpit cover makes an already sharp airplane look even bet­ ter.

The second airplane on the cover (formation center) is a Ryan STM, NC 17343, SIN 458 , that was acquired from Don Sharp in California. This air­ craft was flown for about two years by Bill Rose before it was totally disman­ tled and rebuilt, including the Menasco engine . This is the military version of the STA "Special" that is distinguished

by the external longerons on the out­ side of the cockpit and the turnover pylon in the front windscreen. The pilot in the rear cockpit is Ron Weaver (EAA 232199), who helps Bill Rose with the flying chores (tough duty), and his passenger is the younger half of the Plum father and son team that used to own one of Bill Rose's Ryans.

Note how the tastefully done paint scheme accentuates the classic lines of the Ryan - put there by T. Claude Ryan himself!

The well-polished Ryan farthest from the camera is a 1941 ST3KR, N54403, SIN 1387, flown by Joe McClaney. The "Stars and Bars" paint scheme is typical of the U.S. Army Air Corps trainers of World War II. Note the open, non-faired landing gear and the five-cylinder Kinner radial en­ gine of 160 hp. The short exhaust stacks on this model Ryan gave a unique sound that earned the airplane the nickname of "Maytag Messer­ schmitt." A further identification dif­ ference of the ST3KR is the four-de­ gree sweepback of the wings versus the straight wings of the STA and STM. Bill Rose acquired the ST3KR from a museum in California and proceeded to rebuild the wings and Kinner engine before it could be flown. The detailed paint scheme and polished fuselage

With its 160-hp Kinner engine popping along at idle, the Ryan ST3KR, N54403, taxies to its parking spot at Oshkosh '87. The large 387 "buzz" number comes from the last three numbers of the serial number, 1387. Note turnover pylon just ahead of front windshield.

make for a very pretty example of this model Ryan, which is the most popul­ ous the FAA register has 167 ST3KRs and II PT-22s (military de­ signation) active.

And to bring you up to date as to how much involvement this gentle­ man, Bill Rose, has with the Ryan marque, let me whet your appetite! Be­ sides these three beautiful Ryan's on the cover, he has three more Ryans

under total rebuild! They are NCI7346, SIN 149; NC17351, SIN 153; and NCI7364, SIN 177! These two STA "Specials" and STM aircraft will be brought back to full flying status to join the "Rose Air Force."

Perhaps one day we will be able to see all six of Bill's Ryans in formation at Oshkosh - a sight that will make the tongues wag for a long time!

We can hardly wait..

Thataway! Beautifully porportioned nosecowl of the STA "SpeCial" houses a 150-hp Menasco C4S inverted four-cylinder engine which employs a 9.6 to 1 supercharger. Note oil cooler below cowl.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Through the generosity of the Snap­ on Tools Corporation, a new feature will soon begin appearing in SPORT AVIA­ TION and, when the subject matter is appropriate, also in The VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Hints For Homebuilders will consist of aircraft building and maintenance tips submitted by EAA members ... handy ways of handling big or small problems encountered dur­ ing the building process and in mainte­ nance after the bird is flying. Authors of the hints selected for publication will be rewarded for their ingenuity . .. receiving a coveted Snap-on drive socket wrench set with a retail value of $226.65. At the end of each Hints For Homebuilders year, which will run from August to July to coincide with the annual Oshkosh Convention, a grand prize winner will be selected from the previous year's month­ ly winners . . . and, in appropriate Osh­ kosh ceremonies, will be presented with Snap-on Tool's Combination Top Chest and Roll Cab (with special aircraft pan­ els), which has a retail value of $2, 164!

Hints For Homebuilders entries are now being accepted, the first of which to be selected will appear in August to start off the 1988/89 year. There is no limit on the number of entries, however, an individual will be limited to two

monthly prizes during an August to July Hints For Homebuilders year. Entries must include a description of the build­ ing or maintenance tip adequate for others to follow and duplicate the proce­ dure, and can be accompanied by photos and drawings. The description should be held to about one typed page.

Address entries to Hints For Home­ builders, Att. Golda Cox EM, Wittman Airfield Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

The Snap~on Tools Corporation of Kenosha, WI is known worldwide for its line of patented tools of the highest quality. The firm has been a generous supporter of the EM Foundation and its Air of Adventure Museum since its inception. It is the sponsor of the museum's Homebuilder's Corner and supplied the museum restoration shop with all its hand tools - notice the famil­ iar red cabinets when you next visit the museum. Homebuilders and restorers treasure fine tools . . . so there could be no more appropriate sponsor for Hints For Homebuilders than Snap-on Tools and no more appropriate prizes than the Snap-on wrench sets. The grand prize of the Combination Top Chest and Roll Cab is something every builder dreams of owning ... and filling with Snap-on Tools.

1

Above - The annual Hints For Homebuild­ ers grand prize will be this Snap-on Tools KR657 Roll Cab and KR637 Top Chest ... with special aircraft panels created spe­ cifically for the EAA winners. This rugged and roomy combo provides 16,804 cubic inches of tool storage. The 637 has ten drawers, and the four larger full width drawers roll on ball bearing runners. The five small side drawers and the top drawer glide on one-piece friction run­ ners. All the drawers on the 657 feature ball bearing slides. Heavy duty sheet metal and attractive finishes make these professional-quality units durable and good looking.

Left - These Snap-on wrench sets will be the monthly prizes for entries selected for Hints For Homebuilders. The 3/8" Drive Socket Wrench Set, lower right in photo, is the primary monthly prize, with the 1/4" Drive Socket Set at the left and the 9 piece Long Handle Combination Wrench Set as alternate prizes for previ­ ous winners or for persons who might already own the Snap-on 3/8" Drive Socket set..

14 MAY 1988

SUN IN FUN nonÂŁNTS 1988 "'c.

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Above: A.C. Hutson with his sanitary 1939 Taylorcraft in tow. Isn't that a great set of first initials for an antique/classic enthusiast?

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Left: When Hank Palmer builds a flying boat he builds a real flying boat! Power comes from a 65-hp Continental and yes, it really does fly.

Right: FAA Administrator Allan McArtor wa"s on hand to speak to pilots on a vari­ ety of issues centering primarily on NPRM 88-2. We hope he was also there to listen, as several pilots asked some pointed questions and voiced strong opinions.

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'The 'Ifiomas-%orse companygave us the 'Tommy Scout" and the citizens of Ithaca, ~w yorf(chipped in a few s{eep{ess nights.

by 9{jno Lama ('EM 287982)

28 :Forest Jlcre 'Drive

16 MAY 1988

I tfiaca, g.,(jw Yort(

What began as a local European con­ flict between Austria-Hungary and Serbia on July 28, 1914 started a cas­ cade of "dominoes" that led to World War I. Germany declared war against Russia on August, I, 1914 and the con­ flict continued until 1918. In that short time, the war escalated to world-wide proportions involving 32 countries.

A few years ago , I was surprised to learn of my hometown's involvement in the "War to end all Wars." Of course, the United States was part of this conflict allied with Great Britain, France, Russia and Italy. We often hear stories told by our grandparents and great-grandparents of the war. My great uncle Fred told me of the long nights when he was little that he couldn't get any sleep because of "all the racket up at the Morse Plant on South Hill." The sounds that kept my uncle awake were from the roaring en­ gines of the Thomas-Morse Scouts being run for 24 hours straight. They were being tested before the little single-seat planes were sent into active duty in Europe. The little biplane was called the "Tommy Scout. " It was known by brave World War I pilots as a "forgiving" airplane that neverthless had the flying characteristics of a real fighter.

The S-4C was built by Thomas­ Morse Aircraft Corporation of Ithaca, New York. At the time, Ithaca was a sleepy little town nestled among three hills ; East , West and South with the deep blue Lake Cayuga stretching 45 miles to the north. In addition to the Thomas-Morse Corporation, its other claim to fame was Cornell University on East Hill.

TOP:

The Model 5-4 "Longtail" Thomas-Morse

Scout powered by a Le Rhone rotary en­

gine of 110 hp. The Le Rhone used three

gallons of oil per hour. 1917 price of the

S-4 was $13,200.

MIDDLE :

One of the 24-hour runups that kept Uncle

Fred awake nights.

LEFT:

Left to right: Lt. Macllvain (USMC pilot),

U.S. Inspector Cresswell, and the Thomas-Morse factory crew: H.N. Bliss, William T. Thomas, president, Murphy, Walter Brock, Roz Ware, George Abel, and Rupert Clark, company funny man.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

scocurr:s

:J{og{o1(

Test pilot Frank Burnside (left) and Wil­ liam Holmes with a Scout equipped with .30 caliber machine guns and 1,500 rounds of ammunition.

Morse Chain Company, still in Ithaca today, backed the Thomas brothers.

Thomas liquid-cooled V-8 Model 890 en­ gine of 250 hp.

Assembly line for the Model 890 engine in Ithaca. At its peak the factory employed 1,200 people.

18 MAY 1988

The Thomas-Morse Corporation was not native to Ithaca . In fact, the Company had its beginning in nearby Hammondsport, New York in 1910.

There , the company was known as the Thomas Brothers Airplane Company.

Years before, a young William T .

Thomas graduated as a mechanical en­ gineer from the Central Technical Col­ lege of London , England . He came to America and began working for Glenn Curtiss at Hammondsport. Soon after , he was joined by his brother Oliver.

By 1910, the two completed construc­ tion of a pusher biplane. That year they formed their own company . In the next few years , the brothers continued to build new types of aircraft including metal-hull seaplanes and monoplanes .

In 1914, the Ithaca Board of Trade, the equivalent of the Chamber of Com­ merce , invited the brothers to move their operation to Ithaca . They moved .

In the meantime, war had engulfed the world. Morse Chain Company, still in Ithaca today and now a division of Borg-Warner, backed the Thomas brothers and allowed them to expand construction . Their primary product was the "Tommy Scout." With the war at hand, the aviation division of the Signal Corps needed a trainer for pur­ suit pilots. The United States had no real air force at this time and therefore had a huge appetite for new planes.

The first Tommy Scout S-4 flew in June 1917. It had a rotary engine that was rare in the US - the lOO-hp

French Gnome. The speed of the plane was 95 mph.

On October 3, 1917, the govern­ ment ordered 100 S-4Bs. (The B model was the Tommy Scout with 18 im­ provements made after military testing in Virginia.) The B model was sturdy .

Even with aerobatic applications, no in-flight airframe failures were ever re­ corded . The Gnome engine, however, was troublesome. It was hard to start and caused several fires . The TBO was only 60 hours! Oil consumption was over three gallons per hour. When it was cold outside , the control cables would contract and made control of the plane difficult. The ailerons were not­ ably heavy. Despite these shortcom­ ings, the plane performed well with short take-off runs and a rate of climb of 700 fpm. Its service ceiling was 16,000 feet. On January 9th, 1918 the US War Department ordered 400 of the Tommy Scout model S-4Cs . The C model was an improved version of the B model, incorporating a machine gun and the reliable but smaller Le Rhone rotary, 80-hp engine.

The S-4C had an upper wing span of 26 feet, six inches and lower wingspan at 25 feet, six inches . The

Inscription reads, "Lilian beside famous Thomas-Morse Scout plane." '''Tex' took me for a ride in this plane. My first plane ride." Tex Marshall was a Thomas-Morse test pilot.

The Wharton movie connection of Ithaca, New York. Left to right: Leo Wharton, Frank Burnside, Tex Marshall and Theo­ dore Wharton. Scouts were disguised as a number of other World War I fighters.

Not surprisingly, there were a lot of bouncing landings.

upper wing chord was five feet , six inches and the lower was four feet, three inches. The wing area was 234 sq. ft. with 25 sq. ft. used for ailerons.

The wings were staggered between 29 and 32 inches depending on the engine used . Planes were equipped with cameras, .30 caliber Marlin machine guns , radio gear and smoke screen equipment in various combinations.

Landing the plane was tough. The en­ gine couldn't be throttled back, but had to be turned on and off during landing procedures . There was a "blip" switch on the stick for this purpose. Not sur­ prisingly, there were a lot of bouncing landings.

The Tommies made it big in the movies . Hollywood painted them to look German , British and French.

They even cut the tail feathers to make them look like Sopwith Camels. The Tommy was the star of HELL'S ANGELS, THE SKY RAIDERS, and as late as 1956, LAFAYETTE ESCAD­ RILLE. I'm sorry to say that there isn't a single Tommy Scout here in Ithaca, although I suspect that if I looked in every single bam in the county, I just might find one .

I thank Mr. Neil Poppensiek of the DeWitt Historical Society for the mate­ rials he provided for this article .• VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

An Upside- UMOa Ercoupe

by Mary Jones

It was a photograph that would bring tears to your eyes!

Hanging over the hub of the Er­ coupe's propeller was a page from a photo album showing the same airplane resting upside down, canopy­ to-canopy, on top of a parked Cherokee 180. But, obviously the story had a happy ending because here was that very same Ercoupe, sitting pretty among other classic aircraft on the field at Sun 'n Fun '87.

This was a story I wanted to learn more about , so I made it a point to pass by this particular aircraft regularly, hoping to talk with the owner. Early one morning I caught Frank Glynn (EAA 224002, AIC 10533), 1601 Edgerton Place, Crofton, Maryland 21114, wiping the dew off his favorite machine.

The story of the upside down airplane unfolded . On June 9, 1984, Frank had flown from his home base, Freeway Airport in Bowie, Maryland , to Williamsburg , Virginia to attend a fly-in . Normally Frank stayed over­ night when he attended this particular fly-in, but forecasts were predicting nasty weather the next day, so he flew back home and tied N2844 down at Freeway .

Frank remembers that it was about 6 p.m. when the phone rang. Answer­ ing it, he heard a voice on the other end of the line say, "Frank, you'd bet­ ter come take a look at your airplane.

We had a wind storm come through here, clocked at 110 knots, and your airplane and Bob Jenkins' were de­ stroyed ." Frank says he replied, "Who's calling me, who's kidding me?" The voice returned, "It's no joke, Frank."

Needless to say , Frank and his wife were on their way to the airport im­ mediately . Driving the eight miles to the airport seemed to take an eternity and as they got closer, they noticed more and more wind damage, includ­ ing a tree across the road which forced a detour. When they arrived at the air-

20 MAY 1988

This is the sight that greeted Frank Glynn when he arrived at the airport.

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port and took a look at the airplane ­ well, you know that sick feeling you get in the pit of your stomach! Frank said he looked at his wife and there were tears streaming down her face, "Frank," she said, "you're either going to have to fix it or buy another one ."

"She's a pretty understanding woman ," said Frank, "considering I didn't have insurance to fix it."

After assessing the situation it was determined that a microburst upended

just two airplanes out of the 100 nor­ mally parked on the field. That, of course, didn't ease Frank's sadness any, but crying wouldn't help . It was time to make a decision - pick up the pieces and go on, or else. For Frank it wasn't really a hard decision, "I loved my little Ercoupe, a 1946 415D. I'd had it for seven years and it had been on this same field for 12 years before that. I didn ' t want to give it up unless I had to ." He called his friend , Nelson Meyers, who had been the mechanic on this Ercoupe for over 20 years.

"Nelson came over, took a good look at it and said, 'We can save this airplane. How much money have you got?' I said, 'Nelson, that's an awful thing to say.' He said, 'Well, look, why waste your time and mine until I know what you can spend on it. ", After some discussion Frank and Nelson ag­ reed on a figure that Frank felt he could live with and one Nelson felt would get the aircraft back in flying condi­ tion. Nelson said , "That's reasonable, we can do it for that price, if you do a lot of the work . I'll supervise you and those things you can't do for legal reasons , I'll do. " The damage assessment included the spar on the left wing, some damage to one rudder, some buckling on the left side and on the top right at the bulk­ head, a crushed canopy and crushed top gas tank. By some stroke of sheer

Damage to the cockpit area is evident in this photo.

luck, the propellers of the two airplanes did not hit each other, and there was no damage to either engine.

Of course, there was significant dam足 age to the Ercoupe's instrument panel and interior, which eventually required replacement.

The first order of business was to get the plane right side up. The wings were removed and , with the aid of some farm equipment, the airplane was lifted off the Cherokee and set atop tires on a flatbed truck for transport to Nelson Meyer's spare hangar at Hyde Field . Frank remembers, "We grabbed the airplane by the wing attach clevis and lifted it up and never let it touch the ground except on the wheels again.

That saved a lot of damage."

The first project tackled was the damaged left wing . As Frank and Nel足 son examined the wing they noticed the bridge structure was slightly bent, which was putting the spar in tension .

Once the truss bridge structure was straightened out, the spar straightened itself out.

Repair of the aircraft went slowly, as Frank could only work part-time on the "restoration ." Little by little, over the next 25 months, the crinkles were worked out of N2844 .

After the men put the airplane back together, minus the wings, it was given a coating of zinc chromate preservative before the basic color, a tasty French Vanilla, was sprayed on . A year later, when everything was finished and the wings were back on, all the trim paint was added - "that made it easier for

Since completion of the restoration of the Ercoupe after the "big wind," Frank has replaced the original 85-hp Continental with a 100-hp Continental. Performance has increased to a 1000 fpm minute climb with lift-off in about 350-400 ft. (on a cold day with the tanks full).

Frank stripped all the metal off the wings and recovered them with fabric per original specs.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

An

Upside- UMOa

Ercoupe

us to line up all the trim ." The trim and upper part of the fuselage consisted of an automotive polyurethane paint that has characteristics similar to Irnron ­ "It' s supposed to stretch and maintain that shiny wet look . The actual color is called Bittersweet, a 1983 Ford color."

When it came time to recover the wings , Nelson and Frank decided to pull off all the heavy metal (.030) skins

Ready for the accent color!

Glynn just cut an overlay of the old panel to get around some troublesome flanges that were complicating the addition of some new instrumentation. And this is how it looks with all the goodies stuffed in. a

22 MAY 1988

and redo them with fabric, just as the airplane was originally built. They also pulled out a lot of old insulation used with the metal covering . That saved quite a bit of weight and resulted in significant increases in performance when the plane was flying again ­ 750 fpm solo climb rate compared to 350 fpm with the metal-covered wings .

An electric trim also helps to "take out the heavy wing, and helps you fly a more stable and straighter course," adds Frank.

About this time, Frank retired (for the second time - he originally retired from the NASA Space Flight Center in 1975) and devoted full time to the re­ storation of the Ercoupe. He set a goal of having the airplane ready to fly to Oshkosh '86 and the National Ercoupe fly-in scheduled for mid-July at Tele­ mark, Wisconsin.

It was also about this time that Frank decided it was time for a new radio and an ARNAV 21 loran - an ideal piece of machinery for VFR cross country flying, he adds. That posed a few prob­ lems, "I hadn't intended to redo the instrument panel, but when I tried to put in the extra instruments I found I was stymied by some flanges so we just cut an overlay . What is in there now is an overlay of the old panel with a lot of the old panel cut away to accept all the instruments I've added ." After the final touches were added to a com­ pletely new Airtex interior, the aircraft was ready for test flying again.

"I test flew the airplane on July 9th

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The happy Ending!

The paint scheme on N2844H is tastefully done in Bittersweet and French Vanilla.

and about two weeks later left for Tele­ mark and Oshkosh. Between July '86 and now (March, 1987), I've put over 100 flight hours on this airplane, and not very many of them over the winter." That's a pretty good number of hours for a man who earned his pilot's license 13 years ago at the age of 58.

Frank says his wife has been en­ couraging about his flying, "Although she doesn't fly with me, she is very happy that I'm interested in a hobby at my age. She says it keeps me young .

When I flew to Oshkosh '86, she said, ' Have fun, call me every three days and eat right. '" "She was so consider­ ate during the time I was rebuilding the aircraft, I have to give her a tre­ mendous amount of credit for bearing with me during that period. She defer­ red all my housework and 'honey-do' projects until after the airplane was finished."

And now that it's all fixed up again, Frank Glynn and his little airplane "go just about anywhere we like to go ..."

And that is definitely a happy ending to a story that started out mighty sad . •

On the line at Sun 'n Fun '87, and you'll see this airplane at a number of other fly-ins as well. Frank's next goal is to fly the airplane to a West Coast fly-in.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

William Besler and the steam-powered Trav.el Air.

BIPLANE

BOILERMAKER

Steam power takes to a Travel Air

by Mark Phelps

When his car stalled with a weak battery one winter morning, a young man called his cousin to get a jump­ start. His cousin wasn't too quick on the uptake so the young man explained very carefully that he needed to be pushed at about 30 mph or so in order to pop the clutch and get the engine going. Cousin nodded and quickly fired up his pickUp . The driver got in his Pinto. turned on the key, put the transmission into second and looked in the rearview mirror just in time to see his cousin approaching his rear bumper-at "about 30 mph or so."

The resulting collision is compara­ ble to what happens in an internal com­ bustion piston engine as opposed to a 24 MAY 1988

steam engine. The constant pressure of a steam engine pushes the piston up and down smoothly, (the type of push that the Pinto driver was expecting) while internal combustion assaults the piston with the subtlety of a fiery sledge hammer.

Steam engines are well known on trains and industrial equipment. Most people have also heard of the Stanley Steamer automobile but few are aware of the role steam has played in aero­ nautical history . It was 1810, 97 years before the Wrights flew , that Sir George Cayley experimented with steam powered gliders but found them too heavy to be practical. Sir Hiram Maxim built a 360-hp steam engine

to power hi s 8,OOO-pound, 104-foot span airplane but the craft was de­ stroyed by a wind storm before it could be tested . Most notable were the exper­ iments of Dr. Samuel Langley , foun­ der of the Smithsonian Institution and almost the first to build a flying airplane. Five of his miniature models used steam engines and in May , 1896 one of them made a flight of 3,000 feet over Washington's Potomac River. His manned airplane, the steam-powered Aerodrome, failed to fly due to an in­ adequate launching system but most historians agree that it was that humili­ ation that caused him to discontinue his work rather than the fact that th~ machine was incapable of flight.

The Travel Air was carefully weighed to ensure that the heavier steam engine installation did not adversely effect handling.

After the Wrights succeeded with an internal combustion engine, most aeronauts followed their lead, believ­ ing the gas engine to be the only type capable of the efficiency required to power an airplane. In 1933 however, two brothers in Oakland, California turned back the clock. George and William Besler flew a conventional Travel Air 4000 airframe converted to steam power. The story made head­ lines in local papers and curiosity items in aviation publications . As usual, the new/old technology was touted as the greatest rediscovery since the wing and represented the wave of the future .

Also as usual, they were wrong-the Besler brothers discontinued their ex­ periments and the steam Travel Air was lost to history, but not before leav­ ing behind a curious footnote in pow­ erplant development.

It's worth reexamining the Besler steam airplane in light of modem de­ velopment and see how it sizes up.

Who knows, with the ingenuity of today's engineering and people who are deaf to the ridicule heaped on yes­ terday's failures, you might just see a steam powered airplane at Oshkosh some day. From the sound of the press reports from 1933, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all.

The engine that the Beslers used was an unmodified, small locomotive pow­ erplant-the kind used to drive railroad cars around switching yards. The total

I

Detail of the steam engine installation showing the boiler, burner and associated plumb­ ing and fittings.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

BEStER sYSTEMS

Increased frontal area of the condensation radiator under the cowling is apparent in this picture.

engine installation including boiler, water and associated plumbing weighed 500 pounds and produced 150 hp. The OX-5 that it replaced tipped the scales at about 475 pounds for 90 hp., a favorable comparison. While the OX-5 was never considered a champ in the hp-to-weight category, re­ member that the Beslers' steam engine was built to rail specs, much heavier than a dedicated aircraft steam engine could have been.

Besides weight, there were other ap­ parent drawbacks to a steam engine.

The high pressure (1,200 psi at 800 degrees F.) would require sturdy hoses and fittings; excessive frontal area was required for the condensing radiators; water loss could be expected during condensation; and start-up would be slow, taking time for the boiler to build up pressure.

But for every objection there was a

26 MAY 1988

favorable answer. A weight trimming program to aeronautical specs could easily have reduced the mass of the steam engine by as much as half; suit­ able lightweight fittings held in the steam pressure for the Beslers; the boiler they designed was about 95 per­ cent efficient, allowing a total onboard water supply of 10 gallons to suffice; frontal area could be reduced by plac­ ing the condensers in the wing leading edges, much like the radiators on the current Reno unlimited racer, Stiletto, and the simple start-up sequence took only 45 seconds to bring the boiler up to pressure all this with 1933 technology!

What are the advantages of steam in an airplane? There were enough to make the 1933 aviation writers bubble over with enthusiasm. The steam en­ gine was stone-age simplicity com­ pared with its gas burning counterpart.

Fuel oil was cheaper than gasoline and consumption was about 10 gph at 150 hp (sound familiar?). Altitude had no effect on engine performance as it did on internal combustion engines that re­ lied on the density of the ambient air for manifold pressure (the external combustion engine maintained its man­ ifold pressure on its own). Cabin heat required only a duct open to the con­ denser section. The steam engine's fewer parts needed less maintenance and the work was much easier to per­ form, somewhat like a modem turbine engine but without the exorbitant ini­ tial cost. In addition the engine was reversible for shorter landings or even in flight to achieve phenomonal sink rates with no adverse effects on hand­ ling.

The most important benefit, how­ ever, was the engine's smooth opera­ tion. Not only were vibrations minimized allowing greater propeller efficiency, comfort, acceleration and simpler mounting hardware but the steam engine was much quieter. Sev­ eral articles written in 1933 mention that the loudest sound heard as the steam Travel Air flew overhead was the wind in the wires and the beating of the propeller. The pilot could be heard easily as he shouted to observers on the ground.

Before the Beslers made their first flight behind the steam engine they had run the powerplant for 30 hours on a dynamo and for 20 hours of static test­ ing on the airframe . The weight and balance calculations were done by the Boeing School of Aeronautics. And the brothers followed the time-honored maxim of experimental aircraft build­ ing - don't put an untried powerplant on an untried airframe. The Travel Air was a docile, proven testbed that served its function well.

For whatever reasons, the Beslers declined to continue their experiments .

One theory was that the steam airplane was a publicity gimmick designed to help sell steam engines for other applica­ tions and was never meant to go any further than a series of test flights. Is it possible that modem materials could make an even bigger success of steam power than the press reports from 1933 indicated? The quest for quieter, smoother powerplants has taken some interesting turns in the past. Maybe steam power has its place in the fu­ ture. e

L~JYCI'ER,Y

"'tAHE

by George A. Hardie, Jr.

Here's another biplane from the Golden Age. Evidently intended as a trainer with tandem seating, the design like many others faded from the scene and is now all but forgotten. The photo , date and location unknown, was submitted by George Goodhead of Tulsa, Oklahoma. George would like to know more about the airplane and its designer. Answers will be published in the August , 1988 issue of THE VIN­ TAGE AIRPLANE. Deadline for that issue is June 10, 1988 .

Well-known Boeing authority Peter M. Bowers of Seattle, Washington had the answer to the Mystery Plane in the February issue. He writes : " Readers knowledgeable about pro­ duction US Navy airplanes might iden­ tify the February Mystery Plane as a Boeing NB-2 . Close, but no cigar. The plane is a Boeing all right , but it is the one-off NB-3. This was the next-to­

last NB-I airframe modified to correct an inherent spin problem by lengthen­ ing the rear fuselage and extending the nose . The engine was the same 180-hp Wright E-5 (American-built Hispano­ Suiza) used in the 30 production NB­ 2s . The 41 NB-Is used the new 200-hp Wright J-2 air-cooled radials . Use of the Wright E-4 in the NB-2 was at the Navy's request to use up its supply of the war-surplus engine .

"The photo was taken on July 3 , 1925 at Sand Point Naval Air Station north of Seattle. Since the city didn't have a proper airport at the time, Boe­ ing trucked new models there for test.

There were no fly-away deliveries in those days ; production aircraft were crated and shipped from the factory by rail ."

Additional information is given in Pete ' s book, Boeing Aircraft Since 1916. page 107 .

Answers were also rec~ived from Douglas T. Rounds, Zebulon . Geor­ gia; Herbert G . deBruyn. Bellevue, Washington; Robert Wynne, Mercer Island, Washington; E . R . Trice, Bed­ ford, Texas; Charley Hayes, Park Forest , Illinois; Randy Barnes, Peoria , Illinois; Roy G . Cagle , Juneau , Alaska; Tom Henebry, Camarillo, California and Robert C. Mosher, Royal Oak , Michigan . •

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

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Have We Got A Part for You! 20 years accumula­ tion of parts for all types of aircraft - antiques, classics , homebuilts, warbirds. Everything from the spinner to the tail wheel. Air Salvage of Arkansas , Rt. 1, Box 8020, Mena, AR 71953, phone 501 /394­ 1022 or 501 /394-2342. (3-2/579111)

Collectors - Antique/Classic 1940 Stinson Model 10, TIAF 2202.05, TSOH 1327.55. Fabric Aviatex Endura. Estate sale. Very good condition. $12,000, Canadian OBO. Slim Sherk 604/392-2185. (6-2) Collectors Dream - 1941 DH82A British Tiger Moth. Rare and exceptional condition . For informa­ tion, call George Leacock, 613/392-8422 or write to 111 Prospect Hill, Trenton, Ontario, Canada K8V 2V5.

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POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol- unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying. Big, roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot. VW power insures hard to beat 3';' gph at cruise setting. 15 large instruction sheets. Plans - $60.00. Info Pack - $5.00. Send check or money order to: ACRO SPORT, INC., Box 462, Hales Corners, WI 53130. 414/529-2609.

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8:30 to 5:00 p.rn.

Monday thru Saturday 11 :00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Sundays Closed Easter. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day (Guided group tour arrangements must be made two weeks in advance).

$130.00 each outright. Ready for shipment. Call 813/355-3991. (6-3)

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Brand new aircraft cylinders. Never been on an engine. These are not tank engine cylinders.

CUSTOM EMBROIDERED PATCH ES. Made to suit your design, any size , shape, colors. Five patch minimum. Free random sample and brochure. Hein Specialties, 4202P North Drake, Chicago, IL 60618-1113. (c-2/89) Very large collection of CUSTOM-BOUND AN­ TIQUE AVIATION magazines. Aero Digest, Avia­ tion, Popular Aviation, Air Facts, Modern Mechanics, Airway Age, Sportsman Pilot, and etc.

About 200 volumes. Best oHer over 50 G. Max Freeman, Route 1, Box 600, Wilkesbore, NC 28697 or 919/973-4790. (5-1) FOR SALE: 3,000 Aviation magazines. Aerial Age, Aero Digest, Air Progress, Aviation Week, Flying, Western Flying, original Sportsman Pilot, Midwest Flyer. SASE please. Jameson , 4322 Bellhaven, Oshkosh, WI 54904. (5-1)

WANTED: WANTED : December 1929, Aeronautics (Popular Aviation). Pay any reasonable price or have numer­ ous Popular Aviation pre-1935 traders. Bas, 6111 S. Joplin, Tulsa, OK 74136, 918/494-8908. (5-1)

SERVICES: ANTIQUE RESTORERS - REPLICA BUILDERS - Why ruin your authentic masterpiece with nic­ ropress? The Navy splice still lives! $20.00 each any size. Send your cables marked to length plus 12 inches, together with turnbuckle eye if required to A&E #14917, Ralph Korngold, 385 Wilton Av­ enue, Palo Alto, CA 94306. (5-2)

VINTAGE TRADER AD fORM

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Send check or money order wilh copy 10 Vinlage Trader· EAA, Willman Airfield, Oshkosh . WI 54903·3086.

The EM Aviation Center is located on Wittman Field, Oshkosh. Wis. - just off Highway 41. Going North Exit Hwy. 26 or 44. Going South Exit Hwy. 44 and follow signs. For fly-ins - free bus from Basler Flight Service.

EA~ ~ FOUNDATION

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28 MAY 1988

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

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Fallsington, PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

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Prollen Durability on Thousand. of Aircraft FAA-STC For Oller 630 Aircraft Models Superior Quality Coating.

Delleloped and Manufactured Under an FAA-PMA especially for Polye.ter Fabric on Aircraft, Not Modified Automotille Flnl.hes, Weter Borne Hou.e Paint, or Tinted and Re/ab/ed Cellulose Dope Will Not Support Combustion Lightest COllerlng Approlled Under FAA-STC and PMA Mo.t Economical COllerlng Material. Con.,der'ng Yea,. of Trouble Free Serllice No False or Misleading Adllertls/ng Claim.

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The fabulous times of Turner, Doolittle, Wedell and Wittman recreated as never before in this 600-page two-volume series. Printed on high grade paper with sharp, clear photo reproduction. Official race results 1927 through 1939 - more than 1,000 photos - 3-view drawings - scores of articles about people and planes that recapture the glory, the drama, the excitement of air racing during the golden years.

Vol. I (no. 21-14452) and Vol. II (no. 21-14451) are sold for $14.95 each, with postage charges of $2.40 for one volume and $3.65 for two volumes.

Send your check or money order to: EM Aviation Foundation, Attn: Dept. MO, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086, 414/426-4800. Outside Wisconsin, phone 1-800-843-3612.

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