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PUBLICATION STAFF PUBLISHER

Tom Poberezny

VICE-PRESIDENT

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Dick Matt EDITOR Henry G. Frautschy

DECEMBER 1990. Vol. 18, No. 12

MANAGING EDITOR

Golda Cox

Copyright 漏 1990 by the EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc. All rights reserved.

ART DIRECTOR

Mike Drucks

ADVERTISING

Mary Jones

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Norman Petersen Dick Cavin

FEATURE WRITERS

George A. Hardie, Jr. Dennis Parks

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Isabelle Wiske

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jim Koepnick Carl Schuppel

Mike Steineke

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC

DIVISION, INC.

OFFICERS

President Espie " Butch" Joyce 604 Highway St. Madison. NC 27025 919/427-0216 Secretory George S. York 181 Sloboda Ave. Mansfield. OH 44906 419/529-4378

Vice-President Arthur R. Morgan 3744 North 51 st Blvd.

Milwaukee. WI53216 414/442-3631 Treasurer E.E. "Buck" Hilbert P.O. Box 424 Union. IL 60180 815/923-4591

Contents 4 6

Letters to the Editor

7

The Chief's Logbooklby H.G. Frautschy

8

Gene Chase 2159 Carlton Rd. Oshkosh. WI 54904 414/231-5002

John S. Copeland 9 Joonne Drive Westborough. MA 01581 508/366-7245

Philip Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawton. MI 49065 616/624-6490

George Daubner

2448 Lough Lone

Hartford, WI 53027

414/673-5885

Charles Harris 3933 South Pearia P.O. Box 904038 Tusla. OK 74105 918/742-7311

Stan Gomoll

1042 90th Lone, NE

Minneapolis, MN 55434 612/784-1172

Dale A. Gustafson 7724 Shady Hill Drive Indianapolis. IN 46278 3 17/293-4430

Jeannie Hill

P.O. Box 328

Harvard. IL 60033

815/943-7205

Robert D. " Bob" Lumley Robert Lickteig 1708 Boy Oaks Drive 1265 South 124th St. Brookfield. WI 53005 Albert Leo. MN 56fXJ7 507/3732922 414/782-2633 Gene Morris Steven C. Nesse 115C Steve Court, R.R.2 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Leo, MN 56fXJ7 Roanoke. TX 76262 817/491-9110 507/373-1674 S. H. "Wes" Schmid 2359 Lefeber Avenue Wauwatosa, WI 53213 414/771 -1545

DIRECTOR EMERITUS

s. J. Wittman

7200 S.E. 85th Lone

Ocala. FL 32672

904/245-7768

ADVISORS John A Fogerty 479 Highway 65 Roberts, WI 54023 715/425-2455

Deon Richardson 6701 Colony Drive Madison. WI 53717 608/833-1291

Vintage Literaturelby Dennis Parks

10

Eagle Watcher's Flyoutlby Carl Pederson

11

NC28961 & I Find The EAA Spirit!

by Fr. Tom Rowland

13

About Biplaneslby T. D. Harnish

14

A Status Symbol- Then and Now/

by Ray Brandly

15 19 21 23

The Family Fairchildlby Mark Phelps

24 25

Edna's Postcard

DIRECTORS Robert C. "Bob" Brouer John Berendt 7645 Echo Point Rd. 9345 S. Hoyne Connon Falls. MN 55009 Chicago. IL 60620 507/263-2414 312/779-2105

A/CNews

26 28 29 30 33 34

Page 15

Members Projects/by Norm Petersen OH-CUB!lby Norm Petersen A Fancy Spar Splice Is Revealed/

by Norm Petersen Interesting Member - Pete Covington/

by Dale Gustafson Pass It To Bucklby E. E. "Buck" Hilbert Side Tripslby Dick Hill Hurrying to the Funlby Robert Thomas Vintage Trader

Page 23

Propping Revisitedlby Don Wiley Mystery Planelby George Hardie, Jr.

FRONT COVER ... Harry Whiting's Stinson 108 was the Classic Custom Closs C Award winner at EM Oshkosh '90. Look for on article on this fine restoration in a future issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. (Photo by Carl Schuppelj REAR COVER ... Vern Dahlman and his Beachey Little Looper replica. powered by on original 80 hp Le Rhone rotary engine. Note the "brakes" applied to the oft fuselage of the "Loope(' as Vern prepared for flight.

The words EAA, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM, SPORT AVIATION,and the logos of EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC., EAA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, EAA ANTIOUEJCLASSIC DIVISION INC., INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB INC., WAR BIRDS OF AMER ICA INC, are registered trademarks. THE EAA SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION INC. and EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above associations is strictly prohibited.

Editorial Policy: Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those 01 the authors. Respooslblhty lor accuracy in reporting rests entirely With the contributor. Matenal should be sent to: Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 549Q3.3086. Phone: 414/426路4800.

The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (SSN 009t 路6943) IS published and owned exclusively by EAA Antique/Classic DiVision, Inc. 01 the Experimental AireraM Association, Inc. and is published monthly at EAA Aviation Center, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903路3086. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 5490t and additional mailing oHices. Membership rates lor EAA Antique/Classic DiviSion, Inc. are $20.00 lor current EAA members for 12 month penod 01 which $t 2.00 is for the publication of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aViation.

ADVERTISING -Antique/Classic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product oHered through our advertising. We invite constructive cnticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc. P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

Compiled by H.G. Frautschy & Norm Petersen MORE TYPE CLUBS As we promised last month, those Type Clubs that we did not have in our yearly listing would be added as they made their organizations known to us.

Here's one of them : Culver PQ-14 Assoc.

Ted Heineman , Editor 29621 Kensington Drive Laguna Niguel , CA 92677 714/831-0173 Newsletter: Annually Dues: Donation Ted tells us that there are curently only 16 of the former drones left. Any­ body else who is aware of a PQ-14 and is not in contact with this Association should write to Ted. The Aeronca Sedan Club has also had some changes . Dick Welsh is no longer running the club , and has sold some of his Supplemental Type Cer­ tificates to Richard Koepplinger of Dual Controls Aircraft, Inc. 7465 Fer­ den Rd ., Chesan ing, M I 48616 Phone 517/845-2845. The newsletter is now edited by: Aeronca Sedan Club Bob Haley, Editor 115 Windy Ct. Union City, CA 94587 415/471-5910 Newsletter: Quarterly Send Bob a Self Addressed, Stamped Envelope for dues information.

33rd ANNUAL TULSA FLY-IN According to Charlie Harris, the Editor for the Chapter 10 Newsletter, the weather for this past September's 33rd annual Tulsa Fly-In was blessed with fine flyin ' weather, much to the relief of the fine group who organize this yearly event. The previous 4 years 4 DECEMBER 1990

had poor weather, so they were past due for something nice to happen . The clear and mild weather didn't allow anybody to use the meteorological con­ ditions as an excuse not to show up. A total of 552 airplanes showed up, and they just about ran out of places to park everybody! The number and variety of aircraft was spectacular; 36 Lus­ combes , including the finest Sedan and the only flying Luscombe Phantom, 14 Globe Swifts , 30 Cubs, and the list goes on and on . Here is a list of the antique and Classic winners: GRAND CHAMPION ANTIQUE: 1928 Travel Air 3000, N3947 , Owned

by Dennis Trone of Galena, II , and re­ stored by Franny Rourke, Bartlesville, OK. This airplane also won the Oldest Antique A ward GRAND CHAMPION CLASSIC: 1949 Cessna 170A, N9599A, DJ .

"Bud" Sutton, Newcastle, OK LADIES' CHOICE ANTIQUE/ CLASSIC: 1928 Kreider-Reisner C-2 Challenger (KR-31), NC7780 , Bill Watson, Collinsville, OK CHAIRMAN'S AWARD: 1934 Lus­ combe Phantom, N272Y, Doug Combs, Incline Village, NV This airplane also won the Texas Chapter Choice A ward BEST POLISHED AWARD: Lus­ combe 8E, N2038K , Owen Bruce and James Rushing, Allen, TX KANSAS CITY CHAPTER CHOICE AWARD: 1931 American Eaglet, N548Y, Gene Morris, Roanoke, TX OAKLAHOMA CITY CHAPTER CHOICE AWARD: 1935 Monocoupe 90A, N11767, Jerry Ferrel, Temple, TX CUB CLUB MEMBER ' S CHOICE AWARD: 1937 Taylor J-2 Cub, N17837, DJ. Short, Warrensburg, MO LUSCOMBE ASSOCIATION MEM­ BER ' S CHOICE AWARD: 1946 Lus­ combe 8A , N45839, John Sommer­ feld, Leander, TX SWIFf ASSOCIATION MEMBER'S CHOICE AWARD: 1946 Globe Swift, N3321 K, Chuck LeMaster, Ottawa, KS In addition, Bill Wright flew his 1948 Luscombe Sedan from EI Cajon, CA and then flew it back, taking the Longest Distance Flown Award, and 19 year old Kelly Mahon of Denton , Texas was the youngest fly-in partic­ pant as pilot-in-command of Globe

Swift N2415B. Congratulations to Chapter 10 for a resounding success , and to the winners who took home the hardware!

HORNET NEST This completely intact Pratt & Whit­ ney R-1690B "Hornet" engine of 525 hp (at 1900 rpm) has recently come to light in Amana, Iowa . Owner John Thompson acquired the engine with the airport and wouuld like to sell it (reasonable) to someone who has a good use for it. It appears ready to run and uses an 40-spline hub. The tag says it was accepted by the U.S. Air Corps . on January 20, 1931 and stamps on the case go up to about 360 hours. You may contact John at Thompson Aero Service, 302 1st Street, Box 450, Amana , Iowa 52203 - phone 319/622­ 3251 . The Hornet was used on a vari­ ety of " Golden Age" era aircraft, in­ cluding the Bellanca Airbus, and the H-47 Hamilton Metalplane (see the photo on the opposite page), but is a pretty rare find these days . If someone uses this in a project, make sure you get word to us here at Headquarters!

EAA SPIRIT The EAA Aviation Foundation ' s second SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS replica ran for the first time on November 6th, and was signed off as ready for flight by the FAA. Look for more informa­ tion in an upcoming issue of SPORT AVIATION . •

MAIL

A Northwest Airways Hamilton Metalplane loads up with mail from the Rock Island Railway.

DUTCH TREATS Dear Sirs, For your information, we're operat­ ing two aircraft in our museum, a DC-3 and a Beech D-18S . Apart from that we have another DC-3 under restora­ tion . She's to be the best DC-3 ever seen when we have the 75th anniver­ sary of THE type in 2010 (!). For this reason we baptized the project "Sleep­ ing Beauty." You 've mentioned in the article DC-2 that we've imported r~­ cently from Australia. This will be th&, basis of a long-term restoration, result­ ing in the rebirth of the PH-AJU "Uni­ ver," the KLM-aircraft that scored re­ sults in 1934 in the London-Mel­ bourne-handicap-race.

Looking forward to hearing from you, with kind regards

STICHTING DUTCH DAKOTA AS­

SOCIATION

Coert Munk , Vice-President

I've asked Coert to send us more infor­ mation on their project. I'll pass along any new information that comes our way. - HGF

with this one. The 504K, powered by a J 10 horse Le Rhone was considered a well mannered training airplane in it's day . We should have spotted it 's distinctive landing gear skid between the mains. - HGF

AVRO SLIP Hello Mark, I got the Oct. VINTAGE AIRPLANE. today . Nice Issue. I es­ pecialy like the Vintage Literature arti­ cle , the 195 article and your PT-19 ar­ ticle.

Reference page 27, the top picture.

The plane in the foreground, identified as an A vro Tudor, is not. It is an A vro 504, probably a K model. It went into service late in WW I and was used for many years. The A vro Tudor was a mid-1930's plane , and totally differ­ ent.

Best Regards , Anol Sellars

A /C2417 Sharp-eyed AmoJ is right on the money

LINDBERGH LORE Dear Norm and Mark, I am addressing thi s letter to both of you because I know that you are bu sy, and one of you might have more time than the other to help me.

In 1986 , while working on my C-2 project , I heard that a local man named Heston Bensen, worked as a " line boy" for Charles Lindbergh as he barnstormed through our country. I re­ member Heston as being the county Clerk of Court, but never knew any­ thing about hi s days with Lindbergh.

Heston was born near Biscay, Min­ nesota which is halfway between Hutchinson and Glencoe . Lindbergh VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

landed near Biscay, damaged hi s land­ ing gear , got it fixed , gave a few rides and it was then he met Heston . He asked " farm boy" Heston to come along and be his "gopher."

I tried getting in touch with Heston, who now lives in Glencoe and that was a job itse lf. He is retired and spends his summer months in Minnesota . He was reluctant to talk about his days with Lindbergh but he did tell me a few stories.

Mark , I want to thank you for print­ ing the story about the C-2 in " Vintage Airplane ." I have had a chance to make some good friends because of that airplane and EAA. I had my first fly-in on our farm last September, and it was for my Antique/Classic friends from the Twin Cities. Looks like they want to do it again this year. It is just simple, country , grass runway flying . That' s my kind of flying .

Thanks for all that you do . If you're ever out in my area, you're more then welcome to stop .

Your friends from Hutch, George Quast and Max the Dog. 6 DECEMBER 1990

George and Max were kind enough to send along this picture of Mr. Benson and a Canadian built IN-4C Canuck. ­ HGF

INTERNATIONAL NOTE Dear Mr. Phelps: I hope you had a good and succesful Oshkosh 1990. I promised myself to attend the 1991 convention.

On behalf of the Lelystad gang I thank you very much for sending the additional copies of Antique/Classic magazine containing the Lelystad air­ port article. Your gesture is very much appreciated here.

Thanks again and sincere regards, Walter K. van Tilborg, EAA 92129

MORE FROM SOUTH

OF THE BORDER

Dear Mark: The history of my plane is interest­ ing, at least for me - since I have

bought the plane in drums and in cry­ ing condition (for my wife) about two years ago. r have pictures since the be­ gining, and some documented history starting at the delivery of the plane to the Army in Texas , until the sale by a broker in Houston, Texas in 1947, then I suppose the importation as crop dus­ ter into Mexico (still looking for docu­ ments) .

If you want, I can make this as ex­ tensive as you like with pictures of all stages in restauration or only a brief history of the whole crazy project.

Hopping to hear from you, Truly yours, PABLO GONZALEZ SADA A picture of Pablo's PT-13D ran in the August issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. It's always great to hear from our inter­ national members. There are about 280 members from across the globe, and I'm sure we would all like to hear about how our friends across the bor­ ders are able to maintain and fly their vintage airplanes. How 'bout it inter­ national members ? Let's hear from you! - HGF.

THE CHIEF'S LOGBOOK

BY H.G. Frautschy Life is always ready with a few sur­ prises, and with any luck, most of them will be on the positive side. That's just how I feel after my fitst two weeks as the Editor of your magazine, VIN­ TAGE AIRPLANE. I am just thrilled as can be that I have been given this opportunity to serve my fellow mem­ bers of the Antique/Classic Division of EAA. The legacy left behind by Gene Chase and Mark Phelps has given me a good place from which to start. With your input, I hope to continue to make the magazine the one you can't wait for, until the next issue arrives in your mailbox. As it was explained to me by Tom Poberezny and Jack Cox, this magazine and its companion, SPORT AVIATION, are your primary means of communication with Headquarters, and amongst yourselves. We all enjoy the benefits of this type of communica­ tion, in enjoyable and interesting arti­ cles , and in the detailing of procedures that can be of benefit to all. Please feel free to submit material on any subject related to antique or classic airplanes.

Here are a few guidelines for you bud­ ding authors out there: I) Try , if you can, to type your ma­ terial, double spaced. If you don't have a typewriter, go ahead and neatly print your material.

2) If you have access to a Macintosh computer, just bang it out in MacWrite and send us the 3.5 inch disc. If you can do this, you'll make Isabelle Wiske's day (Isabelle is our super effi­ cient Editorial Assistant), since she won't have to repeat all your keys­ trokes.

3) When you submit a picture, and this is very important, please do not write directly on the back of the pic­ ture. This is especally true on modern color prints. I can't tell you how many times I have seen a terrific picture that was ruined because the ink on the back of one picture has transferred to the front of another. Just type or write the caption on a piece of paper, and tape it on the back (the paper will soak up the ink, preventing the smudges) The "post-it" type notes also work just fine for this, just make sure the ink is dry

before you stack all the pictures to­ gether to send to your local magazine editor.

4) Any type of picture will work ­ the key is to keep it sharp. Higher speed films, say above 200 ASA , do not reproduce well and should be avoided if you can . Have you ever wondered what the pros here in our photo lab use when they shoot an airplane? I did too , and here it is: for reproduction in the magazines, they shoot Kodachrome 64 slide film. They have dabbled in a few other speeds and brands, but have generally found that Kodachrome 64 meets their needs. It even reproduces well in black and white here in the magazine .

For black and white, a film speed of about 100 ASA seems to work great.

Color prints are OK too, as long as they are sharp - the pnnting process invariably causes a little loss of detail , so I need as sharp a picture as I can get when I start my picture selection for each issue.

5) Call for help! If we can help you in any way with guidance or sugges­ tions for your material, call or write us here at Headquarters .

6) Let me know if you need the pic­ tures returned after we publish the item.

7) Enjoy yourself! Seeing a picture or an article you have written in print for the first time is a real thrill. You didn't have to score an "A" or "B" in english back in high school to write an article . We can give you any level of help you desire. If you are uncomfort­ able with writing the entire article , please write down the details, take some pictures, and along with the phone numbers that the subject can be contacted at, send them to us. Between myself and Norm Petersen we'll be able to put the article together , wi th the appropriate credit given.

Another major piece of information that we love to see comes from the local Chapters. Chapter activities , and local Fly-Ins, give us all an opportunity to see who's doing what. We read as many of the Chapter and Type Club

newsletters as we can, and when possi­ ble , pass some of that information along to all of you. When you can , send along pictures and descriptions of your Fly-In. We'd all like to see them .

We all enjoy articles of personalities and local Fly-Ins, plus a bit of history now and then , but one of the biggest needs within the Antique/Classic com­ munity is the distribution of technical information. As a 33 year old classic owner , I know how frustrating it can be to learn, after the fact , of a better way to maintain my Super Chief. Just as my private license has always been a license to learn, so is my A&P. The Type Clubs are certainly the strongest leaders in this area, as they should be, for some airplane peculiar items . For common items, however, please feel free to send in your write-up and pic­ tures along with any drawings. Any of the information that we publish is screened, but it is up to the individual

to determine what is right for his own aircraft, with the concurrence of his mechanic. There are a bunch of well experienced owners and mechanics out there keeping these airplanes in the air.

Let's hear more from you!

A few notes about this issue and fu­ ture issues . You may have noticed that Member's Projects is in color this month - many times I have seen a great picture in areas other than a feature ar­ ticle within the magazine and won­ dered how it would look in color. We are fortunate that we do get some ter­ rific color shots of members aircraft, such as the Tri-Pacer you see in this month's section. Color on the inside of the magazine is only budgeted , in an effort to keep your costs down, for four issues a year. I'll try, whenever possi­ ble, to give you a mix of color subjects as we go through the year. Of course , the Grand Champions of EAA OSH­ KOSH and the SUN 'N FUN events will be featured in color, but that still leaves us with 2 other issues a year to enjoy color in different ways.

Finally, I'd like to encourage all of you to get involved to some extent - if it's taking pictures of a local pancake breakfast fly-in, or a complete article on repairing a steel tube fuselage , let us all in on your activities. I'm looking forward to hearing from you! • VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

by ()ennis Va ....ks UA Lib....a..-y/ A ....cl1ives

()i ....ect()....

FIRST ISSUES

AIR SERVICE JOURNAL

On April 6, 1917 the United States declared war on Germany , thus enter­ ing the battle that had been raging in Europe since August 1914.0nJuly 12 , 1917 the first issue of A[R SERVICE JOURNAL appeared making it the first US aviation publication to start after America entered the war.

A[R SERVICE JOURNAL was published by the Gardner Moffat Com­ pany of New York which was already the publisher of AV[AT[ON. [n the forward to the first issue it was stated that the single aim of the publication was "To give as completely as war conditions will permit all of the news of the Army and Navy Service . The expansion of the aeronautical branches as provided by the organization meas­ ure now pending before Congress will be rapid. The new Air Service will contain more will contain more offic­ ers and men than were included in the entire regular Army before the war."

The forward concluded that , "The air branch will soon become of more importance than any other branch of the Army or Navy is the prediction of farseeing strategists both here and abroad. Jt will be the duty of the A[R SERVICE JOURNAL to record the progress and achievements of this powerful ann."

The first issue of the journal which was published weekly contained 40 pages , 19 of which held editorial con­ tent. Only two pieces qualified as arti­ cles, the rest of the pieces qualified as articles, the rest of the pieces being current news.

AIR SERVICE EXPANSION The key word of the issue was "ex­ pansion." Not only did the editorial content mention expansion but the ad­ vertisers also were using the phrase.

There was a two page drawing giving a plan and a pictorial view of the new 8 DECEMBER 1990

Chanute Field under construction in Rantoul, Illinois in July, 1917.

air field at Selfridge in Michigan.

Other new fields were being built at Dayton , Ohio; Rantoul, Illinois ; and Belleville, Nebraska.

A report on the increased scale of Army aerial operations showed that the budget for aeronautics had increased from $450 ,000 in 1915 to $47,000,000 in 1917. Among the purchases au­ thorized were: over five million blan­ kets, two million cots, 45 million yards of olive drab, cotton cloth.

There was also a warning against profiteering that was directed towards the Council for National Defense to which the Aircraft Production Board reported. "The tendency of the Council to take the law into their own hands deserves the immediate and stern atten­ tion of the President. These commit­ tees have no executive powers, yet they are trying to dictate the placing of contracts . The businessmen of the United States can mend this dangerous mingling of patriotism and profiteering before it becomes worse."

EARLY BATTLES Both of the articles were about the aerial fighting in Europe. The first, "Early Battles in the Air" was by Cap­ tain Amaury de la Grange of the French Commission to the United States.

The author mentioned that at the start of the war the French had only

100 aircraft compared to Germany's 300 but that by the end of 1915 France had produced more new aircraft than Germany. He also complained that not all of these new aircraft were available for French use as many were going to the English and Russians.

He also describes the use of aviation for scouting. "The aviator is the eye of the army. The aviation service can, in two hours , go 100 miles back of enemy lines and return, bringing important in­ formation. The aviator sees every­ thing . [n open warfare he can tell his general of the movement of the troops, of their position, and of the strength of the attacking columns. He is the eye of the artillery, too. [n flying over enemy lines he can see where the shells of his artillery are falling and send back messages by wireless."

AERIAL COMBAT The other article: "Fighting in the Air" was done by Lieut. Col. L. W. B. Reese of the Royal Flying Corps. [n the article he discussed some of the basics of air to air combat and provided some comparisons between British and German operations. His comparison of the British and German pilots con­ tained the following: "The British pilot always likes the idea of fighting, and is self-reliant. He is a quick thinker compared with the enemy, so that he has the advantage in maneuver, he

ADVERTISEMENTS

The Burgess seaplane.

There were 21 pages of advertising in the first issue. In an era when there were few full-page ads, this issue had three advertisers with two-page spreads . The companies were the Aero Standard Corporation, a parts fab­ ricator, the Aeromarine Plane & Motor Company and the Moto-Meter Com­ pany, an instrument maker. No doubt all trying to catch the attention of Air Service purchasing agents.

A dozen companies had full-page ads. Six were aircraft manufacturers, three were engine companies and the rest were parts suppliers . The aircraft manufacturers were Curtiss, Burgess, LWF, Wright-Martin , Thomas-Morse and Connecticut Aircraft. The latter was the manufacturer of the Navy's first dirigible, the ON-I. The engines advertised were a Sturtevant, a Hall­ Scott and a Gnome. The Sturtevant was touted as being one of the lightest engines built in America at 3.5 pounds per horsepower. Actually this is about the same as a Curtiss OX-5, a design that was seven years old in 1917.

CURRENT NEWS America's first dirigible, the DN-1. It was so overweight, that in order to fly, it was necessary to remove one engine.

fights for the sport of the affair, if for no other reason. Very wisely, he is not hampered by strict rules, and as a rule is allowed to conduct his own affairs.

"The enemy pilot, on the other hand, is of a gregarious nature from long na­ tional training, and often seems to be

bound by strict rules, which cramp his style to a great extent. The enemy pilots are often uneducated men, being looked on simply as drivers of the machine, while the gunner or observer is considered a grade higher than the pilot. "

•

Among the sections of current news was one called "Air Service Promo­ tions and Assignments ." Found in the notes was the following : "Sergt. Quen­ tin Roosevelt, Signal Enlisted reserve, has passed his R. M. A. test. He has been transferred as a sergeant to the First Aero Squadron pending the re­ ceipt of his commission from the Sec­ retary of War." Quentin, the 19 year old son of former President Roosevelt, was to lose his life in aerial combat during the summer of 1918.

Another note: "Great Airplane Flight by Squadron in West" reported on what was believed to have been the longest squadron flight in the country.

Twenty-three airplanes under Capt.

Roy Brown took to the air in Chicago from the field at Ashburn and flew one hour and thirty-five minutes, "practi­ cally a mile a minute" to Rantoul near Champaign, Illinois.

The AIR SERVICE JOURNAL was published until April 1919 when its title changed to AIRCRAFT JOUR­ NAL. In November 1920 it merged with its parent publication, A VIA­ TION AND AIRCRAFT JOURNAL, which today is known as AVIATION ANOSPACETECHNOLOGY . •

The Sturtevant engine, a V-8 of 140 horsepower, that weighed 550 pounds.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

Eagle

Watchers Flyout • • • January 14, 1990

EAA Antique/Classic

Chapter 11 & The Waukesha

Aviation Club

by Carl N. Pederson (EAA 49282, AIC 8219) The morning of Sunday, January 14, dawned bright and clear and calm , just what 1 had been praying for. The pre­ ceding three days had been so windy that not even the birds were flying. As had been arranged, pilots and their pas­ sengers were gathering at both Capitol Drive Airport and at Waukesha County Airport at the suggested time of 9 a .m .

1 had confirmations of 23 airplanes and about 65 people who would participate in the eagle watch. Little did 1 know what was about to happen .

Depending upon the individual air­ craft speed, some pilots left a little ahead of the others. The planned arri­ val time was set for between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. The flight to the Sauk Prairie Airport, just outside the river town of Prairie du Sac, was our desti­ nation. Arrangements had been made at the Fire House Restaurant on the bluff overlooking the Wisconsin River in downtown Prairie du Sac for lunch and eagle watching.

10 DECEMBER 1990

Just a word about why the eagles are at this location . These birds will only migrate as far south as is necessary to find open water in which to fish for food. The water just below the dam on the Wisconsin River at Prairie du Sac remains open throughout the winter and thus is a natural habitat for the large birds.

The flight over to Sauk Prairie Air­ port went as smooth as glass. Since a number of the participants overflew the Madison ARSA, the controllers were a bit curious as to just what was hap­ pening at Sauk Prairie. Just about now, the best laid plans of mice and men gang "aft a glee ." When 1 arrived at the airport with my three passengers , 1 noticed some aircraft already tied down which were not on my list. They just kept on coming and when all was said and done, there were 43 gas guzzl­ ing birds and about I IO people .

Since downtown Prairie du Sac is about three miles from the airport, Mr. Rex Boss, manager of the Fire House Restaurant, had arranged for a full size school bus to transport the arrivals to

the restaurant. 1 know of at least three trips with the bus full, and there might have been a fourth.

Because of the unexpected influx of hungry flyers to an already popular eat­ ing place, the service was understand­ ably slowed . However, all participants were eventually satisfied with a sur­ prisingly good menu. The major disap­ pointment of the day was the almost absence of birds of prey, since they were the aim of the flyout. Due to the unseasonably warm weather, the river ice cover had migrated downstream and with it the eagles. There were at least three of the birds having a good old time playing "tag, you ' re it" over the bluffs on the east side of the river.

All in all, the outing was a huge suc­ cess and I, for one, am looking forward to next year when we can do it again.

Rex Boss proposed that he set up a buffet in order to better handle the crowd and we'll all hope for cold , clear weather to concentrate the eagles where we all can see them. •

"'" 'c 0. o

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E

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NC28961 and I

Find The EAA Spirit

• • •

By Father Tom Rolay In 1983, hoping to honor Fred Weick, one of the great gentlemen of general aviation and one of aviation ' s eminent designers , I donated my 1941 Ercoupe, NC 28961, to the EAA Air Adventure Museum . After several years of being on outdoor display dur­ ing the annual Fly-Ins, 961 was given a place in the museum when space was made available by the opening of the Eagle Squadron Hangar. In November, I was able to visit Oshkosh for part of a day . The museum staff was most hos­ pitable and even allowed me to spend some time sitting in the pilot's seat of 961. Many stories came flooding back into my memory as 961 reminded me of things we did together. I would like to share with you the story of our first trip to Oshkosh together.

It was Wednesday or Thursday when I turned off the taxiway and came into the show plane parking area of the Antique/Classic Division. I had been flying to Oshkosh for several years in a 1946 Ercoupe and had been parking

in the camping area. This year I had my own show plane , a 1941 Ercoupe .

I had purchased 28961 the year before in Wisconsin and had brought it to Oshkosh . It had been painted in the authentic colors and markings of a 41 model. It had the forked landing gears , both the nose and mains, complete with Ercoupe tires. However, it also has a bubble windshield , metal prop , rolled naugahyde upholstery, a full for­ mica covered panel complete with radios and intercom as well as modern control yokes and vernier throttle .

This year, some progress had been made . The paint was the same but the prop was wood and windshield flat.

Six lonely instruments shared the orig­ inal metal panel with two glove boxes.

An original metal floorboard ran all the way to the firewall and banjo type con­ trol wheels replaced the yokes. There was still a lot to do but it did qualify to be parked with the show planes.

Although I had never worked show plane parking, usually being out on the

"point," I taxied on in and found a place in the back row , right where the people would be walking by . After all, I wanted them to see my airplane. I was, and am, a great believer in the Ercoupe . I had shut down the engine and was getting out of the plane when a man came over and suggested, "That is such a pretty plane - why don't you put it up there in the front row close to the DC-3?" I had just been diplomati­ cally told to get this Classic out of the Antique parking area. Not knowing any better, I did as was suggested. The man even propped it for me! I changed the tires , putting on the 40 year old 7:00 x 4 slicks with the Ercoupe name on them . I put out the information boards and, of course, tied the airplane down . After an uneventful flight from EI Paso , 961 was ready for visitors .

Art Morgan gave me time off to fly 961 in the Parade of Flight. To the dis­ may of Ercoupers, including the presi­ dent of the Ercoupe Owners Club , 961 didn't win the award for the Best ErVINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

Father Tom and his 'Coupe cue up to join the Antique/Classic Parade of Flight during EM OSHKOSH '83.

coupe. The judges, being more know­ ledgeable than the man who moved us up to the front Classic parking line, knew that 961 was an Antique and so was judged as such . Thus it did not qualify for the Best Ercoupe award ­ an odd quirk that still exists in the judg­ ing rules. So we left Oshkosh with a bit of a bad taste in our mouth.

After RONing at Capital Airport in Milwaukee , I stopped to see an Er­ couper in Marengo , Illinois. 961 wasn't running right, there was some kind of a vibration. The Ercouper I had thought might help me was off doing his airline thing, so I decided to go on.

Less than 10 minutes after takeoff, a loud bank up front had me turning

around and coming back to the field . I walked back and picked up the exhaust manifold that had fallen off when I landed. While trying to figure out what to do, I remembered that Union, Il­ linois was close by and that is where that Buck Hilbert whom I had met sev­ eral times lived . So I called his house and he was home . An EAAer in dis­ tress? No problem! Within 15 minutes here comes Buck ' s Champ.

A week later, Buck ' s daughter Alice gets her room back ; 961 has a car­ buretor rebuilt for an Ercoupe and two rebuilt magnetos , the parts taken from some factory fresh mags for 5-cylinder Kinners that Buck had on the shelf: the little 65 Continental started easily and

Father Tom Rowland and EM Air Adventure Museum Director Carl Swickley discuss the original Ercoupe tires, complete with "Ercoupe" emblazoned on the sidewall!

12 DECEMBER 1990

ran up to full static RPM without a vibration; a friendship that has con­ tinued growing to this day had begun.

So, it was off for Texas . Sunday morn­ ing, over the Texas panhandle we en­ countered heat rise turbulence and the vibration became pronounced again. A quick landing at Tradewinds in Amarillo and a phone call to the local EAA chapter resulted in an invitation to Buffalo Field, 12 miles south of Amarillo. Everyone in the chapter gets into the act but, just as I can find noth­ ing wrong with their hospitality, they can find nothing wrong with the airplane . So , after two days of puzzl­ ing , we decided to fly south and go around the mountains , a route on which most airports are only about 50 miles apart . A couple of weeks later, while visiting with Ray Hegy - some of you may remember Ray as the de­ signer and builder of Chuparosa and a he very popular propmaker suggested that I bring down my prop.

Sure enough , there is water in one end!

This desert rat didn't know about keep­ ing a wooden prop level while parked outside lest rain and dew seep into the lower end of the prop! A good baking in the hot west Texas sun, a judicious application of varnish and the problem is solved. 961 is again a joy to fly ; a joy made even greater because of an EAAer in Marfa, Texas, an EAA Chapter in Amarillo and Buck Hilbert in Union, Illinois .

To me this is what EAA is all about: people who love to fly helping other people to fly, to share in the great camaraderie of flying low and slow airplanes. That is the real prize, the greatest reward for belonging to EAA .

May we always keep that spirit alive . •

by T. D. Harnish

(EAA 120145, AIC 13043)

/f you ha ve been around vintage airplanesfor any length oftime, you've probably been fo rtunate enough to have met someone like T. D . Harnish' s f riend Cary Myers . Here's a nice tri­ bute to all who enjoy the company of round engine biplanes and the p eople who come along with them . . .

Biplanes, they' ll tell you, are about oil y round eng ines, about crosswinds, about ground-loops if you don' t watch out.

They' ll tell you that biplanes are about rumbling up the beach , just above the waves, and smelling the salt in the air. And it 's true , you can.

They ' ll tell you biplanes are about dew drops that roll off the top wing to drip and drum softl y on the lower wing on foggy mornings. And they ' re right about that too.

When you hear the cl atter o f a radial shutting down , when you smell the hot oil , the crushed grass, and the leather and sweat as you unbuckle , they' ll tell yo u, that' s wh at biplanes are about.

And , yes, they are right about all that.

What they don ' t tell you is that bi­ pl anes are about people too. More than the exhilaration of a sky high perspec­

ti ve, more than inverted thrills, more than a fo rward slip down final so you can see around the engine, people are what bipl anes are all about.

The fli ght instructor that courage­ ously moved into the front coc kpit where there's no brakes so you could stomp on them in the back, screeching and swerving all over the first paved runway you landed on, is one of the people.

Your wife, when she pull s off her leather helmet and goggles, shakes out her hair, and smiles at you after a fli ght , is one of the people.

The sweet young thing that kissed yo u right on the lips out of sheer joy after her first bipl ane ride is one of them .

The blondy-haired youngster that hung around all day at the fly-in and then got that look on hi s face when you fin all y asked if he ' d like a ride is another one of the people that bipl anes are all about.

And if you ' re fortunate , you ' ll di s­ cover all that confidence, affection, exc itement , and wonder rolled into one ve ry special person.

He was someone who could invest himself in artfull y restoring a beautiful old pl ane, who could lovingly wipe those dew drops off the crimson wings, and who could also, without a trace of wi stfulness, talk about swapping it for a spam can ' cause the kids are growing

up. Wanted something his new pilot wife could enjoy too, he said .

How special he was is measured by the fact that we first met him after fl y­ ing a 60 yea r o ld bipl ane 900 miles to Sun ' n Fun , o ne o f the pre mie r av ia­ tio n event s in the world , and the high­ light of the trip was n' t the fli ght down dodging snow and rain . It wasn't the show . It was the time we spent with him there and the time fl yi ng home together.

How special he was is measured by how important it is to us that he watched those old Army Air Corps pri­ mary training movies we sent later , and like we did he thought it was a little sad when a stunt pilot wrecked a Stear­ man like hi s for the sake of demonstra­ tion.

How spec ial he was is measured by how important it is that he had a half­ fini shed letter to us in his typewriter , and that somehow that's better than if he ' d fini shed it.

What they don't tell you, you see, is that biplanes once in a long while are also about the end of people .

But what they al so don ' t tell you is that there's something passed on in that ending that is cherished because he was one of those very special people that is more than about biplanes, more than about fl ying . He is what biplanes are reall y all about.

Cary Myers, MD /953-/989 .

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

A Status Symbol Then and Now

Dan Jernigan takes delivery of a Waco UIC purchased by the Texas Oil company.

By Ray Brandly It all started back in the days of the Waco Nine. The "Waiting for Waco Club" was formed in 1925 at the old Lollis Hotel in Troy, Ohio. The waiting list was compiled based on the order the customers had checked in at the hotel - first come, first served . Many times a customer would pay another customer several hundred dollars to be first in line. Wacos were being used successfully on many airmail routes and were setting records in coast to coast races as well as the Ford Air Tours. Waco pro­ duction and sales were double those of its two closest competitors combined. Then came the Taperwing Waco in the hands of Freddie and Bettie Lund, Len Povey, Johnny Livingston, Art Davis, Joe Mac­ key, Mike Murphy, Gladys O'Donnell and Tex Rankin to name a few. This was when Waco made its indelible mark as the most popular commercial airplane the world had ever known. Yes, it had become a status symbol both in the U. S. and abroad.

Wacos were purchased by such notable per­ sons as British Aviatrix Lady Grace Hay, Alice DuPont, Powell Crosley, Henry DuPont, Miles Vernon, Col. R. L. Montgomery, movie producer Henry King, J . Heron Crossman, Victor Fleming, Grove Loening, Jacqueline Cochran, Howard Hughes and many others .

Wacos were also popular with such com­ panies as New York Daily News, Seismog­ raph Corporation, RCA Manufacturing, 14 DECEMBER 1990

Stan Gomoll's Waco EQC-6.

Republic Steel, Culver Aircraft Corp., Jacobs Aircraft Engine Company, Texas Pipe Line Company, Stokeley Bros . Com­ pany, Transcontinental and Western Air. Almost every oil company used Wacos at one time or other.

Waco's foreign market was larger than the total production of most other aircraft companies. Almost 65 percent of all early barnstorming was done with Waco airplanes. Is it any wonder these outstand­ ing aircraft continue to be found in barns, garages and many unusual places? There are more than 300 Wacos, now more than 50 years old, currently fIyng or in the pro­ cess of restoration.

All Wacos that attended the 1983 and 1984 Waco Reunions still had their original registration numbers. National Waco Club members have become extremely con­ scious of keepign their Wacos original in appearance. Such items as proper engines,

propellers, wheels, paint schemes and col­ ors are among the many items that Waco owners consider necessary to keep their Waco looking as if it has just rolled out of the Waco Aircraft Company in Troy, Ohio.

The majority of present day Waco own­ ers are not trophy seekers, nor do they clamor for wealth or notoriety. They are a proud group of pilots, craftsmen and per­ fectionists dedicated to the preservation of a great aircraft. The aircraft that has be­ come a status symbol, then and now, was originally the dream of two very energetic and enterprising gentlemen who were class­ mates in 1915 at Battle Creek Central High School in Michigan - Clayton J. Brukner and Elwood J. Junkin . The company slogan says it all - "Ask any Pilot."

32nd ANNUAL WACO REUN ION JUNE 27-30, 1991 - MOUNT VERNON. OHIO. Make your reservations early . •

THE FAMILY FAIRCHILD

by Mark Phelps Wayne Boggs is an FAA tower con­ troller in Tampa, Florida. When he's not looking out the big windows at airpl anes, he's probably flying one, usually hi s neatly restored Fairchild PT-19, "Susy-Q". The vintage trainer usually stays at or below I ,000 feet agl and Wayne finds the low-and-slow fly­ ing a welcome respite from the pres­ sure of playing traffic cop to airliners at Tampa International. Based off the beaten path at Tampa's Peter O .

Knight Field, the PT-19 seems to enjoy its role of pet airplane and ride-giver as well as Wayne enjoys flying it.

I first met Wayne at EAA Sun 'n Fun ' 90. As a loyal ex-Bostonian, I was wearing my Red Sox jersey one day . Sun 'n Fun President, Bill Eickoff and hi s wife, Suzy pulled me over to introduce me to Wayne. Yes, Boston batting champion, Wade Boggs is Wayne's younger brother and there is a strong family resemblance. While Wayne uses his keen eyesight as a pilot and air traffic controller, Wade can track a hard slider like it's a bogie at 12:00 o'clock level , and is known as, perhaps, the best two-strike hitter in baseball .

The Boggs brothers are originally from Brunswick, Georgia. Wayne is a veteran of IO years in the Marine

Corps, four as an infantryman and six as an air traffic controller at Marine Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and MAS Pendleton, Califor­ nia. He earned hi s private pilot's license in 1971 and currently has more than 2,500 hours logged. Hi s career with the FAA has taken him , first to Chicago O'Hare and most recently to Tampa, a climate more in keeping with his roots .

The Fairchild is the first and only airplane that Wayne has ever owned.

He found it in a basement in Andover, Massachusetts in 1983. The trainer had been sold as military surplus in 1954 and, unfortunately, its prior service as an Army Air Corps airplane is a mys­ tery . No military logs followed it into civi lian life. TWA bought it from the u.S. Government and it was used at one of the airline's schools. As with most of the thousands of ex-military aircraft that sold for pennies on the dol-

The Fairchild as it first appeared after being rescued from a basement in Andover, Massachusetts.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

The bane of all wooden airplane restorers ­ lower left corner of the photo.

lar after the war, the Fairchild suffered the slings and arrows of neglect and dubious ownership over the years. Fi­ nally, Wayne resurrected the rust­ orange airframe from the Mas­ sachusetts basement and trucked the pieces to his home near Chicago to . start from almost scratch.

Apparently, Wayne was using his tenure as a controller to meet all the right people near Chicago. He secured a corner of Dick Wagner's shop at Wag Aero in southern Wisconsin to keep the project and work on the big pieces . The smaller components he brought home to putter with in the garage and base­ ment as time presented itself. Wayne's wife, Carolyn was on hand with the family camera to record significant moments in the progress of the work, as well as some of Wayne's less dig­ nified facial expressions and bodily contortions.

"I used to holler at her to leave me alone and get rid of that damn camera, because it seemed, at the time, like I couldn't do anything without her tel­ ling me to wait so she could take a picture," said Wayne. "Now I'm sure glad she did ."

As with a homebuilt, it always pays to document every phase of a restora­ tion and photos are the best way. If anything needs repair or modification later, a photographic record can be a big help. Others engaged in restora­ tions of like aircraft can benefit from your efforts and it also helps to con­ vince the authorities that the work per16 DECEMBER 1990

wood rot! look closely at the wood in the

formed is up to standard.

In Wayne's case, he consulted his "guardian angel" A&P mechanic early and often in the course of the project.

Tom Sorens is an employee of Wag Aero and carries an Inspection Au­ thorization on his mechanic's ticket.

Wayne gives him high marks for his ability to perform the more difficult tasks and act as coach when needed, without detracting from the sense of personal accomplishment in the resto­ ration.

The first step in the project was to carefully disassemble the airplane to its smallest component parts. After the last stubborn nut and bolt were sepa­ rated and all the tiniest bits and pieces were catalogued, tagged and shelved, they were divided into those that needed replacement, replating or sim­ ple cleaning. The skeletal tubing of the airframe was carefully inspected for corrosion and repaired as necessary.

I will not strip this screw ... I will not strip this screw ... I will not . ..

The fuselage is chrome-moly steel tub­ ing with wooden stringers to form the shape and a metal-covered turtledeck aft of the seats. Most of the fairings are also hammered out of sheet aluminum.

The rest of the fuselage is fabric co­ vered and Wayne selected the Stits pro­ cess. He used the regular weight fabric on the fuselage and the light-weight fabric to cover the plywood on the wings. They consist of a wooden center section that incorporates the two fuel tanks and two tapering outer sec­ tions. It 's a conventional two-spar con­ figuration with spruce spars, spruce girder ribs and plywood covering.

Surplus PT -19s were often relegated to sitting outside and this Jed to weakened center sections as fuel would leak from the tanks and collect at the bottom along with water to set up dry rot.

Prospective PT -19 owners should be well aware of this tendency . Paying top dollar for an airplane with a weakened center section can ruin your whole day.

The main landing gear is a single-leg cantilever arrangement with fitting s at­ tached to the front spar. Hydraulic brakes are fitted and the cylinders ride alongside the fuselage next to the cockpit.

The seats are stock military with provision for seat-pack parachutes.

They adjust vertically. The rudder ped­ als incorporate toe brakes. A stock mil­ itary panel included airspeed indicator, compass, engine gauges, altimeter, turn-and-bank indicator, tachometer , artificial horizon and a directional gyro as well as the usual controls, switches and levers . There was even an inter­ com for inter-cockpit communications, although many students will contend that , when the flight wasn ' t going as planned , hi s instructor' s voice needed no amplification. Between the two cockpits, a roll-over pylon protected the fragile skull s of primary students and instructors in the event of a flip.

The fixed tail surfaces were of wood construction with plywood covering.

Moveable surfaces had a steel frame with fabric covering . The elevators had cockpit-controlled trim tabs. The ailer­ ons had aluminum frames with fabric covering. They incorporated ground adjustable trim tabs as did the rudder.

Manually controlled split flaps in the center section also had aluminum frames but were covered with plywood. Later model s had all-metal flaps.

The PT-19 is a big airplane . Its wing

Carolyn Boggs pays for the less than dignified pictures she took of her husband by winning this fun stripping job.

spans almost 36 feet and the airplane is 27 feet, eight inches long . It stands seven feet, nine inches tall with a wing area of 200 square feet. Empty weight is about 1,750 pounds and maximum gross weight is 2,450 pounds. With full tanks carrying 45 gallons that leaves 430 pounds for crew and bag­ gage. The Fairchild has a maximum speed at sea leve l ofl35 mph and cruises at 120. Landing speed is a docile 48 mph and it can remain aloft for four hours .

Corporate history dates back to 1925 when both the Fairchild Airplane Man­ ufacturing Corporation and the

Kreider-Rei sner Aircraft Company were formed. By 1935 , a series of ac­ quisitions and mergers drew the two concerns together under the moniker of the Fairchild Aircraft Division of the Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corpo­ ration . Head offices and factories were located in Hagerstown, Maryland and Sherman M . Fairchild was Chairman of the Board . In 1940-41 , the produc­ tion facilities were doubled in capacity to speed production of PT -19s for the military build-up preceding World War II . U.S. Army Air Corps orders for PT -19s were filed to the tune of some $10 million . Other PT-19s were sold

Covering the center section.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

II's great to have friends! Fitting the center section and the fuselage.

to the Royal Norwegian Air Forces and the Government of Salvador as well as several civilian schools in the U .S en­ gaged in the Civilian Pilot Training Program . The Fairchild "Cornell" series, that included several variants based on the same basic airframe, was the most widely produced monoplane primary trainer of the war.

Naturally, Wayne was concerned about the health of his Ranger engine since it had been sitting idle for an un­ determined period. He did know that it was a low-time engine with only 300 hours on the clock. He disassembled it and carefully inspected the compo­ nents. Although he was inclined to per­ form an overhaul , experts convinced him that he ought to leave it alone . He put it back together and when engine run-up time arrived, the wood propel­ ler spun to a blur on the second turn .

The powerplant has performed flaw­

lessly for more than 200 hours since the restoration was completed in 1986.

As an FAA controller, Wayne has Tuesdays and Wednesdays off so he misses many of the local Florida weekend fly-in s. He does give lots of rides, however, providing a taste of open-cockpit flying to lucky passen­ gers who also have non-traditional work schedules. One momentous event occured when Wayne was the first to land on Sun 'n Fun's new grass runway at Lakeland Municipal Airport earlier this year in the PT-19. Carolyn has taken some flying lessons herself, in between helping raise the three Boggs children, daughter Shelby , 20, sons Wynn , 16 and James, 14 .

The restoration project was, indeed , a family affair in many ways .

Everyone chipped in in their own way to help get the project completed and the airplane bears brother Wade's Red

Just a few more details to add.

Wayne's tribute to his brother and his mom.

18 DECEMBER 1990

Sox uniform number 26 as its " field number" on the fuselage. Last and most poignant is the airplane's name .

When I asked Wayne at the end of our interview if there was anything he wanted to add, he paused. Then he soberly told me that Susy Q was dedi­ cated to his mother who was tragically killed in an auto accident in 1985, a year before the Fairchild was com­ pleted. She had served during World War II as a Woman's Army Service Pilot and, for several years afterward as a flight instructor for Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida . As well as the name on the side, Wayne' s Fairchild bears a plaque on the left main landing gear strut dedicating the airplane to the memory of his heroic mother who gave him, and many others, a start in aviation.

•

(Above) This immaculate 1951 Piper PA-22 Tripacer, N661A, SIN 22-64, was totally re足 stored from a basket case by Lyle Goske足 sen (EM 120574) of Austin, Minnesota, under the watchful eye of the late John Lafferty (see VINTAGE AIRPlANE, February, 1990). Upgraded to a 150 hp Lycoming and prop from a '57 Tripacer, N661A was given all new glass and a Stits cover job finished off in Aerothane. The pretty four-placer has since been sold to three flyers in nearby Blooming Prarie, Minnesota, where it is flown regularly from a grass strip. The three pilots, Clair Johnson, (EM 231n2), Harris Peterson (EM 74064) and Don Peterson, Jr. (EM 20n94) say that the Tripacer flies like a new airplane since Lyle's rebuild and they really enjoy the PA-22. Photo by Mike Bibus, Austin, MN.

From the beautiful state of Hawaii comes this photo of a 1947 Aeronca 7AC "Champion," N4281E, SIN 7AC-7169, restored by Jeff Hoff (EM 349554) of Kailua Kona, HI. Restoration was begun in July of '89 and completed in March of '90. Powered with the original 65 Continental swinging a W72CK42 wooden Sensenich prop, the Champ was covered with Ceconite and painted with Imron. Jeffs close friend, Alex (the Wonder Dog) poses with him for the photo.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

Gracing this Canadian snow scene is Aeronca 15AC "Sedan," C-FRYB, on Fed­ eral 2000 skis. Owner and restorer Don Wither (EM 255260) reports that his Sedan will cruise at 105 mph. Total time on the airplane is only 941 hours. Don bases the Sedan at Birds Hill, Manitoba.

Jeff and Bernie Fiscus (EM 303830, AlC 160421) of Berlin, Connecticut are justi­ fiably proud of their newly restored Aeronca 11AC Chief. Jeff reports they now have about 40 hours of time on the restoration, and that the perky Aeronca flew fine with no rigging alter­ ations!

This bright yellow 1946 Ercoupe 415-0 is the proud possession of Jack Com­ pere (EM 356616) of Paso Robles, CA. Jack is physically challenged from polio at age 17, and flies the little two placer all over the western U.S. Jack and his wife Marie had the proudest moment of their lives at the Merced An­ tique Fly-In, where they were awarded the Ercoupe Special Award in June, 1990.

This brilliantly polished 1950 Ryan Nav­ ion "B," N5358K, SIN NAV-4-2258B, has been restored by Gary Heyer (EM 239739) of Highland, CA. Featuring a 295 hp Lycoming GO-480 engine swinging a three-bladed prop, the Navion is designed for long range work with a 99.5 gal. capacity. Other mods include Cleveland disc brakes, high­ speed gear doors, gap seals, and one piece tinted windows.

20 DECEMBER 1990

D ~

o IB3

0

By Norm Petersen Believe it or not, the title of thi s article, OH-CUB, is actually the set of registration letters of a Piper J-3 Cub recently restored in Finland by three avid airplane aficionados. Just as "N" represents the United States in the international regi stra­ tion system, OH (Oscar Hotel) represents the country of Finland.

Perhaps the word "resourcefu l" best de­ scribes a true Finlander and the three men involved in this episode are just that ! They are Oswald and Raimo Stanley and the man who sent in this story, Hannu Ri ihela (EAA 185733) of Lahti, Finland . I had the plea­ sure of visiting with Hannu when he visited the EAA Museum just a few years ago and brought a beautiful set of colored photos of Finnish airplanes for the EAA archives. His extensive aviation knowledge is most re­ markable and exceeded only by his en­ thusiam for flying Our trio of dreamers decided a few years ago to purchase a J-3 Cub to be used for "nothing". A check among the owners of Cubs in Finland revealed that none of the seven J-3's on the register was for sale (at

This is the sight that greeted the new owners when high winds up-ended the Cub while tied down at the Finnish border. Note the undamaged Hoffman propeller.

With the restoration well underway, the airframe is assembled to check a" fittings before the covering is applied. Note the clean workmanship. The boot cowl is held in place with Clecos prior to riveting.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

The interior shows attention to detail. The cream faced instruments with the Piper Cub logo on the airspeed and altimeter look very sharp. Note the wrapped fuel line coming down from the lefthand tank. All instruments are fastened with brass screws, including the center mounted compass.

More nice detail work in the tail group. One has to admit, the reg istra­ tion letters really fit the situation!

any price). Sweden and Norway gave the same results. Then someone suggested that Germany had plenty of Cubs avai lable at a modest price due to the extensive use of motorgliders. An ad was placed in the magazine, AEROKUR IER, and the trio re22 DECEMBER 1990

ceived one contact from a group willing to sell their Cub. The plane turned out to be a 1944 Piper L-4, SIN 12320, with 5000 hours on the airframe. The paperwork was carefully traced back to 1955 when it had been im­

ported from Switzerland. The original reg­ istration was USAAF 44-80024, then HB­ OBT in Switzerland, then D-EFIL in Ger­ many and now, OH-CUB in Finland. After the deal was made, the seller told the Finns there were now only seven J-3 Cubs in Ger­ many and the group had been criticized for selling such a rarity abroad.

After several difficulties and stand-by problems brought on by bad weather, the Cub was flown north from Germany and tied down at the Finnish border in March of 1986. The following night was one of those "once in a century" storms and the wind blew at over 60 knots. Despite the plane being tied down to concrete blocks , the wind turned it upside down, followed by the concrete blocks! This was the end of D-EFIL (please read as DEVIL).

However, the resourceful Finns decided to attempt a total rebuild from the remains.

They began by selling the mostly German instruments and the beaut iful Hoffman pro­ peller. The sad remains of the fuselage were slowly rebuilt and repaired until it was ready for assembly. Only 1/3 of the wing ribs were useable and the spars did not meet sample tests, so they were discarded. All new parts were ordered from the U. S. ex­ cept the spars, which were built up from local wood and tested to 60% stronger than original (and 35 lbs. heavier) . The originall replica cream faced instruments were or­ dered through Smokey Mountain Airparts and the wooden propeller came from Sen­ senich.

When the trio started the restoration, they had planned to fly the Cub in 12 months - the spring of 1987. They have since discovered how things can go wrong wi th schedules and budgets. They had mixed up the meaning of REPA IR and RE­ STORA nON. They now admit the mix-up had cost them triple the time and money.

(After listening to others and reading stories of restorations, this seemed to be about norma l. ) When new, the L-4 had weighed 729 lbs. During its stay in Germany, it had grown to 875 Ibs. empty and the Finns were determined to take off some of the excess weight. During the build up, they tried to save as much weight as possible, covering the aircraft with Stits HS-90X process and using the minimum amount of coatings re­ commended . The new empty weight is now 745 lbs. which they feel is quite acceptable considering the heavier spars and the nine­ gallon Kev lar wing tank.

OH-CUB was finally completed in Feb­ ruary 1989 after almost three years and 2700 working hours. Being practically a new airplane, it flies straight and easy and the resouceful trio have spent some most enjoyable hours flying the Cub. They still have the same answer for people who ask why they wanted such an ancient airplane as the J-3 Cub: "rt can not be used for anything useful, we just love to fly it. You co uld call it "Reverse Snobbing." .

A Fancy Spar Splice Is Revealed

by Norm Petersen

Some months ago, I talked my friend, Bill Brennand, into buying a Piper PA­ 12 "Super Cruiser" project. The PA-12 had bounced around the Dakotas and Minnesota for a number of years before Antique/Classic Advisor, John Fogerty began the rebuild a number of years ago.

John put his heart and soul into the extensive rebuild - going the "bush" route of balanced elevators, external PA-18 type landing gear and 150-hp Lycoming powerplant. In addition, John had completely redone the bag­ gage compartment, seat storage and fish pole tube in the aft fuselage.

Reluctantly, John decided to sell the project when the years began to creep up on him, so Bill Brennand bought ''"Ie airplane with the idea of making it " full-blown bush plane, which included plans to add flaps. In addition to the flap conversion, Bill installed the STC to increase the max gross weight from 1,750 to 1,935 lbs.

Both wings had been covered with Stits cloth but only a few coats of Poly Brush had been applied. When Bill decided to go with PA-18 flaps, he removed the Stits cloth from the wings so the internal changes could be made to include the flap operating mechanisms. It also gave Bill's chief mechanic, Jack Wojahn a chance to look over the entire internal wing struc­ ture.

Looking att on the rear spar splice with it's 'Ie" aluminum plates and steel channels on the two spar caps. These photos are taken from the boltom sid.~, the longer steel channel is used on the top spar cap.

The big surprise was a rather substan­ tial spar splice on both the front and rear spars - inboard of the strut attach point!

Neither Jack nor Bill Brennand had ever seen such a splice in their 40-plus years in aviation. A check of the logbooks revealed the two splices were made March 14, 1953 by Albert Trone, A & E mechanic from Mobridge, South Dakota. The FAA 337 form reads.

"Repaired front and rear spars on right wing using special spar splice kit from The Kratz Corporation, Kratz Airport,

Looking att from the wing leading edge, we can view the very substantial front slJar splice with it's altendant steel U-channels on the top and boltom spar caps. Note the main spar strut altach filting, outboard of the splice.

St. Louis 21, Missouri. The location of front spar repair is 109 in. from butt end and rear spar repair is 103 in. from butt end."

Bill Brennand says that Piper has had a spar splice kit for many years that allows a splice outside of the strut attach point, but he had never seen a splice inboard of the strut end. This was a first.

The workmanship on the two splices is very good with the rivet lines ac­ curately measured and the rivets well driven. The main web plates are 1/8­ inch aluminum on each side of the spar fastened in place with more than 100 rivets through the front spar and 88 rivets through the rear spar. In addition, both splices employ steel channels on the top and bottom spar caps, securely riveted in place with 36 rivets on the top cap and 32 rivets on the bottom cap.

These rivets are a special Cherry-max type that can be driven from one side as there is insufficient room for a bucking bar behind the cap flange.

The spar splices have obviously done their job well as they are still in service over 37 years later and look in excellent shape. We especially want to thank Bill Brennand of Neenah, Wisconsin for in­ viting us to look at the splices and take pictures for the magazine. If any of our readers have encountered similar repairs, it would be fun to hear from you.• VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

Edna1s Postcard

T he article by Dennis Parks in the September VINTAGE AIRPLANE reviewing the aviation magazines in the EAA Aviation Foundation's Boe ing Aeronautical Library prompted a look at a collection of old picture postcards containing flying machin es of yesteryear. Especially interesting is this one taken in August 1911 during the International Aviation Meet held in Chicago, Illinois.

This particular card was mailed from Chicago on September 11, 1911 to a Miss Edna Melberg. The writer was leaving the following Monday to attend the University of Illinois. He wrote a note on the front of the picture saying he had seen the airplane and that it was "some class." The line in white says it was Robinson's Curtiss Hydroplane, Chicago Meet, 1911.

In his book, CONTACT! THE STORY OF THE EARLY BIRDS , He nry Serrano Villard notes that , "while aviation inundated the European countryside in a ground swell of popular activity, flying in the United States was all but confined to a few hardy demonstration performers, who carried it to the people at county fairs of car­ nivals." The year 1911 saw in the U. S. the formation of troupes of aviators from both here and abroad who com­ peted with one and other like airborne gypsies across the country. In his book, BALLOONS TO JETS, Howard 24 DECEMBER 1990

Scamehorn describes the circumstances of the International Aviation Meet held in Chicago and supports Villard's state­ ment.

Harold McCormick, a Chi ca g o businessman, conceived the idea to bring together an event that, "wo uld attract the best aviators and airplanes available." The Aero Club of Illinois, with the cooperation of a group of Chicago businessmen, directed th e Meet. McCormick formed the Interna­ tional Aviation Meet Association to raise $100,000 for a program to take place in Grant Park. Lasting nine days, it included such events as durati o n flying, altitude and cross-country races in addition to passenger carrying and trick contests. Drawing almost all the well-known Amiercan aviators and five celebrated European flyers was the of­ fering of cash prizes of $2 a minute for every minute the contestant was in the air between the hours of 3:00-7 :30 pm during the nine-day meet. There were a total of 33 contestants and included such well-known names as Lincoln Beachey, Leonard Bonney, Walter Broo kings, Earle Ovington, T. o. M . Sopwith and Calbraith Rodgers. It was a month aft er the Chicago meet that Rodgers set off on his 5,939 mil es New York to Califor­ nia adventure in the "Vin Fiz." Two deaths and numerous accidents marred the show. The first fatality oc­ curred August 15 when the wings of William Badger' s airplane crumpl ed

during a hi gh speed stunt and tric k fl ying. Almost at th e same time, St. Croix Johnstone's a irplane plunged into Lake Michigan about a mile offsho re and he sa nk with the wreckage. Hugh A. R o bin so n , th e s ubj e ct o f th e postca rd, was over the lake in th e Hydroplane and raced to the scene and remained to mark the site until a salvage team arrived. Actually, Robinson fl ew two planes in the meet: the Hydroplane and a standard Curtiss Pusher.

Robinson didn ' t do badl y money ­ wise as he earned $611.70 flying the standard Curti ss and $3 ,500 with th e Hydroplane. It is not know if he was credited with the time spent aloft during the J o hn s t o ne sea rc h .

In a ll , $101 ,119.87 in pri ze ea rnings we re awarded with T. o. M. Sopwith in both his Wright Flyer and Bleriot being the top money winner, with $14,020 in earnings. Lincoln Beachey in his Cur­ tiss came in second with $11,667 and Calbraith Rodgers took home $11 ,285.

Th e A e ro Club o f Illinois, e n­ couraged by the success of the Interna ­ tional Aviation Meet of 1911, planned a more elaborate program fo r 1912.

With the ariplane being placed befo re the public as a spectacle to be looked upon as equal to a carnival thrill ride, it is no wonder that the attitude of the majority of Amercans remains the same toda y . If you do n ' t be li e ve thi s, schedule an air show and watch the reactions . •

by Dale A. Gustafson

A Dean of Judges.

This is about a gentleman from the middle southeastern states whom I have known for at least 15 years. He has been judging at Oshkosh since the Anti­ que/Classic Division was organized inI972.

This gentleman is a master craftsman and restorer of aircraft. I know of two aircraft that are currently on display in the EAA Air Adventure Museum, a Ryan SCW and a Culver PQ-14, that he has had a hand in their restoration . The latest aircraft he completed is a Waco Cabin for Morton Lester. Within the past year, pictures of this Waco have appeared in VINTAGE AIRPLANE and SPORT A VIA TION. Much of his work is done on aircraft for Morton. His current project is a Travel Air 4000.

By now a lot of you members have guessed that the "Interesting Member" is C. W. "Pete" Covington of Spencer, Virginia. Spencer is just a few miles west of Martinsville and just to the south of Blue Ridge Airport. Located on the airport are several large hangars filled with beautiful aircraft of Grand Cham­ pion quality that Pete has also had a hand in restoring.

Pete has his own private airstrip, han­ gar and shop area, and a nice brick ranch style home. His place is about three miles southwest of Blue Ridge Airport (almost under its traffic pattern) . The home sits atop a hill overlooking the runway and surrounding hills, a really beautiful view. The goodies in his han­ gar would make any antique aircraft

lover drool. Pete has his own J-3 Cub at the front ready to fly. In the back are several airframes (too many to list here) waiting for Pete's attention. Also, there are no mice in the hangar; Pete and his wife love cats.

Pete is supposed to be retired, having sold off his road construction business several years ago. However, you would never know it! He said he goes down to the shop about 8 :00 a.m., comes back up to the house about 11 :30, takes an hour for lunch, then back to the shop till 5:00 p.m. He said he takes a nap now in the afternoon, having admitted to slowing down some this year. Pete told me he performs this routine seven days a week, but admitted to not getting too much done on weekends because of a lot of visitors coming by. I haven't figured out yet where he finds time to keep the grass mowed, but the time my wife and I stopped by, his place was immactulate.

To me, Pete's knowledge of the old aircraft is unsurpassed. This is one reason 1 have him as my co-chairman at Oshkosh. Whenever we have new judges come on board, I attempt to pair them off with Pete or some of the other senior judges so their firsthand knowledge can be passed on to the new­ comers. Every year Pete attempts to look at every antique aircraft that is offered for judging . A couple may slip away (too-early departure), but they are very few. He takes pride in this accomplishment.

My wife, Faye, who has helped out in the Antique/Classic judging trailer the last two years, gets a big kick from some of Pete's expressions: "that interior looks like a French boudoir" (overdone) or "there's no flies on his wings" (a possible Grand Champion). And, of course, all the lines of white metros are "refrigerators." Seriously, the strongest word I've ever heard Pete mutter is "Aw pshaw."

I know that much more can be written about this gentleman, and maybe some day, someone who is a better writer than I will do so. Over the years it has been my privilege to have worked with Pete and I hope that I can continue to do so in the future .• VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

PASS IT TO

--1] An information exchange column with input from readers.

by Buck Hilbert

(EAA 21, A/C 5)

P. O. Box 424

Union , [L 60180-0424

Le Blond Vacation Buck , After reading your column last month (last issue) , J realized I'm one of those that use the phone more than the pen (a lot more!). But, anyway , I'm going to try . [ regret to tell you that while flying back from the Last Ditch Fly-[n out in Minnesota this past fall , the crankshaft in the old LeB­ lond decided it would take a vacation . The crank broke at rear of the master rod jour­ nal, so we had to take it apart and trailer it home from Praire du Chien Airport . I noticed it over the airport going on to downwind leg . (Just after we crossed the Mississippi .) The old LeBlond didn ' t let me down, though - taxied in under it's own power. Little rough, though.

Do you know of any spare LeBlond parts? My partner bought Glen Short's Rearwin project, so we got another 70 h.p . , two bearing engine , but we would like any leads on other cranks, parts , etc. We know of A.A.A. and Kenny Williams, which helped tremendously . Anyway , just like to know of anybody else in the LeBlond movement. Frank Luft has also helped quite a bit with info. Well , we got the en­ gines tore apart and we're cleaning up 26 DECEMBER 1990

parts , magna fluxing, zyglowing, etc.

Hope to be in the air by Mayor so. ['II let you go . [f you can get up this way, stop in at Brodhead . Quite a bit going on .

Best regards .

Sincerely, Ted Davis (EAA 89935, A /C 12403) Hello Ted! I'm a little late in answering, [ know , but I'm getting to you now.

I'm really sorry to hear about the engine shelling out. You now have firsthand ex­ perience as to what I was saying in my column about the fact that prior to the mid­ fifties, there were no 1500 hour engines!

I haven't a clue as to where you can get another engine . You have already shown me you know Ken Wiliams and that AAA has some pieces. The only thing I can do is refer you to Dick Simpson at 2436 Chuchura Drive, Birmingham , Alabama 35244. Dick rebuilt the engine on my Por­ terfield 35-70 and it took him the better part of a year to locate the pieces . His mem­ ory may help you out. [ gotta get up to Brodhead one of these days . Just got a call from Gary Carner tel­

ling me all about building a hangar and working on his Pietie. Would like to see the whole ballgame as you guys play it.

Thanks for thinkin ' of me , Ted . Sorry [ can't be of more help.

Over to you.

C-85 Break-in Dear Buck: Thanks for the good stuff in the column each month! Keep it up.

Please answer this one: ['m about to light off my completely rebuilt C-85-12F in my Corben Jr. Ace, for the first time . I've had as many answers to the question "How do [ properly start and run a rebuilt Continen­ tal for the first time (and the first few hours)?" as Carter has pills. Once and for all - give it to me straight! First start - first hour of running - first batch of oil and gas - HOW? Also, what was the name and address of the outfit you mentioned in a recent " Pass it . . . " column that does silk screening on instrument faces - I lost it.

Thanx , Brian C. Amato Hello Brian, Sounds like you've gotten some conflict­ ing advice in breaking in your C-85 . There are so many ways of doing it that [ hesitate to give you another. It's sort of like raising your kids; they grow up in spite of you and usually tum out just fine despite all your intrepidations .

Take a couple minutes to think about what you're going to do. Basically we want the bearings to seat with as little wear as possible, and the rings to do the same thing as quickly as possible . We need to ask some questions first. Are the barrels (cy lin­ ders) steel or chrome? This can determine how long it will take for the rings to seat.

Steel is fairly easy . Chrome may take 30 hours or more before oil consumption stab­ lizes. The procedure is similar, in fact the same, but the chrome is slower to take be­ cause of its slippery aversion to wear.

To begin, use a good grade of single weight oil. The new compounded oils are just fine. They do a great job of lubing, cleaning and cooling as they are supposed to do. They keep the contaminants in sus­ pension (cleaning), they help cool by cir­ culating and they, of course, minimize wear by lubricating. Oil changes are ex­ tremely important and help the oil to do the jobs it HAS to do . Use 30 weight to start out.

Use regular leaded if you have the STC for the first four or five hours , or 80-87 av gas if you can get it. Leave the switch and the fuel off and pull that baby through about 20 blades to get the oil pump primed and some pre-oiling of the bearings and moving parts. Then tum the switch and the gas on and start it up. OIL PRESSURE! Watch that gauge like a hawk while holding about

800 rpm. Run it five minutes while you monitor the temps! Then shut it down and let it cool while you check it all over for oil leaks , etc . You should have adjusted the carb , too , before you shut it down .

If all is well, when it has cooled down, run it again for five minutes at 1000 rpm.

Again shut down and cool and inspect. Run it again, but this time at 1100. Each time after the engine warms up and runs about five minutes, and if all the pressures and temps are decent , increase the running rpm another 100.

Finally , after about 45 minutes of ground time, and if all is well, take it out and fly it. Run it at full throttle and watch the oil pressures and temp. It will be a little on the high temp side. As long as it is within limits , stay close to home and run it at full throttle for about 15 minutes. Bring it back home, cool it down and then check it out.

Remove the oil screen and inspect for metal particles. Some little bearing and possibly aluminum particles in minute quantity can be expected and is normal.

Check your oil quantity and see that it isn ' t diluted or breaking down. Feel it be­ tween your fingers and make sure it 's still good and pure . Pull the plugs. Check the gaps, look at the porcelain and see how the various cylinders are burning. Soot is ac­ ceptable. Oil soaking a no no! Look in the plug holes with a light or a scope and check the cylinder walls for scoring or abnor­ malities . Finding NONE, put the plugs back in, re-safety the oil screen and with the switch off, rotate the prop for a poor man 's compression check. Pull it past com­ pression and count the cylinders . Make sure they are all more or less even. They may not be very strong at this time , but they should be there! Add enough oil to make up for pulling the screen and take it out and fly it again.

The first indication that the rings have seated and that all is getting into proper perspective will be a temperature break.

It'll suddenly drop a bit towards normal.

Your ground run time should be about 45 minutes before you fly, and you can fly the first time at full throttle for 15 minutes while you monitor the gauges. Anytime it gets hot , come in and land and let her idle for a few minutes before you shut it down and let it cool. Again, do your poor man's compression check after it cools and check for uniformity of that compression. After four or five runs you should have a normal running engine and then treat it normally.

If there is any question, do the screen plug and bore check again. Change your oil after the first temperature break and then go to 50 weight.

Actually , you can't go wrong, Brian , following the C-85 Overhaul Manual. The only thing I stress is that ground run doesn ' t provide the adequate cooling your engine needs, so watch those temps. Flying it is the proper way to break it in.

Good Luck! and it's over to you I

Another Editor's Note: For help with restoring instruments, we have the names of two outfits - For repairing the instrument itself, contact John Wolf and Co., 4741 Sherwin Road, Willoughby, Ohio 44094, tel. 216/942-0083. They can recreate any instrument face you have, and can repair oil temperature and fuel gauges. For metal placards or instrument faces, you can drop note to Noel Allard, 1964 Mabel Ct., Chaska, MN 55318612-448-5047.

If anyone else out there has a favorite instrument shop to do work on their vintage or antique flight and engine instruments , drop us a note here at VINTAGE AIRPLANE and we will pass the informa­ tion along to our readers .- H.G.F. LeRhones & Rangers Dear Buck: Could you help me find an address or phone number for Steve Hay & Sons? They regularly have their "old engine tent" at

Oshkosh. I attended Oshkosh '87 and '88, but was working in Alturair's tent and missed seeing Steve.

I have an 80 h.p. LeRhone now and am looking for carburetor parts , a magneto and some plugs . SPORT AVIATION for Feb­ ruary '88, page 58, shows a carburetor exhibited at Oshkosh by Steve . Any help you could give me would be greatly ap­ preciated .

Editor's Note: In a follow-on note from Bob Higgins, he answered some ofhis own questions. Here's what he found: I found an address for Steven Hay and sons (Steven Hay, Highway 36N Box 7 , Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 53147; 414/248­ 2485) and talked with him briefly. Here is a real craftsman! He and his sons restore and run vintage engines. They are now re­ storing a Ranger 6-3900 engine - and will run it if they can find: two magneto coupl­ ings, Part No. 6474.

I know of a store of LeRhone parts ­ only for trade for a marine conversion Hisso . There is a tough one! This vintage engine hobby has become pretty interest­ ing .

Best regards, Robert E. Higgins (EAA 150695, AIC 5423) 7963 Repre sa Circle Carlsbad, CA 92009-9148 Hello Bob, I don't know of any WW-I engine pieces, but we ' ll print your letter in VIN­ TAGE AIRPLANE and maybe one of our members will have some info for you and will be kind enough to drop you a line.

Are you building an airplane to go with your LeRhone? Sure would be nice to have an article in VINTAGE on whatever project you are working on.

Meanwhile, it' s great to hear from you and it.

Over to you.

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

they were not acquainted with the ailerons. The blast had broken the bicycle-type chains that connect the cables to the wheels, and the ailerons were both in the down position.

Many other small jobs were neces­ sary to prepare the plane, like finding batteries, several instruments had found new homes, tires needed air and the plane was a long way from an air com­ pressor. Each of these problems reduced the stack of checks and each time it would appear that problems were at an end, another pickup truck would arrive with another lienholder and another check would be on its way.

Soon it was time to try the engines.

Faithfully, the old Wrights popped right off and the plane was lost in a cloud of oily smoke. Now everything was roses.

Well almost, there was the bill for gas and oil. That took another check.

With all systems turned on, a check of the radios proved nothing. Nothing was working, but no matter. A call to the tower was all that was necessary in those days. Transponders were still known as "Surplus IFF Equipment from World War II" and with all of that sun­

by Dick Hill shine, who needed anything more than a wet compass to navigate a short hop to DC-6s, DC-7s, DC-8s, northern Illinois? I had found just that Some recent magazine articles have 4s, mentioned the old "Cockroach Corner" Constellations and almost every other very type of compass in an airplane­ - which once was part of the Interna­ plane that wasn't of much use at the parts store near Cockroach Corner.

At that time, I was a DC-3 captain for tional Airport at Miami, Florida. This time.

I wandered around these old hulks for one of the up-and-coming airlines. storage area was host to many of the airplanes that were left idle by changes quite some time before locating a DC-3 When I left a week earlier, I had asked with the numbers N28342 on the side. my current copilot if he would like an in technology.

As the airlines updated their equip­ This was my ride home, after some adventure. He thought it would be great, so when the plane was ready, I ment and as planes became unwanted minor duties that is. by their owners, they drifted to the First, it was necessary to round up gave him a call. northwest corner of the airport. Some someone in charge of the place. During Early one morning we taxied out of were cannibalized to keep others flying this meeting some of the other problems the Corner. The hydraulic pumps while some were cut up for scrap then with the operation started to surface. worked, giving us brakes that squealed melted down for pots and pans. Oc­ The owner had given me some idea of from the accumulation of dirt and sand, casionally one of these planes would be the job by saying that there were certain but they responded properly . Every­ made "airworthy" and flown away to be "judgments" held against the plane. He thing checked out, both generators, all used in some new adventure. gave me a handful of checks to settle four mags, dozens of plugs sparked, This is the story of one of those more these items. The first of the checks dis­ props slowly changed pitch, soon more fortunate planes. In the spring of 1963, appeared in my meeting with the man in quickly, then the feathering pumps were a friend called and asked if I would like charge. checked and the props woofed into to go to Florida and pick up a DC-3 that Now I had the authority to start with feather. Both engines drew fuel from had been in storage for some time. It the retrieval. Since I do not have an each of the four positions on the tank was to be a simple trip to ferry the plane A&P, the next problem was locating a selectors and the fuel gauges all showed to Illinois for the new owner. mechanic. In a place like this, you full . The flippers even moved in all of No problem, hop on Eastern Airlines could always find a handful of shade the proper directions. When there was and after a relaxing meal, I was in tree mechanics. You only needed to nothing further to check, we turned Miami. A short cab ride deposited me find one who was otherwise "unoc­ facing the tower. After a few minutes at Cockroach Corner. At the gate I was cupied" and get on with the job at hand. the green light flashed and we were on confronted by about 40 acres of old Early inspection of the plane revealed our way. planes . Dozens of them, maybe that one of the recent hurricanes had The lakes of Florida soon gave way hundreds, who knows. There were made its presence known in the form of to the Okefenokee Swamp of south Stratocruisers by the dozen, C-119s, C­ some control damage. The control Georgia and it to the red soil nearing 46s, C-47s, B-25s, Twin Beeches, DC­ wheels were in place on the column, but Atlanta, our first stop. I had been sta­

Side Trips

Cockroach Corner

28 DECEMBER 1990

tioned at Navy Atlanta while in the ser­ vice during the 1940s. It had become known as Dekalb Peachtree Airport under civilian use and I wanted to land there.

Our first sign of a problem had sur­ faced about mid-point of the ride. The fuel gauge was stuck at full, in all selec­ tor positions. After landing, I asked the fueler to fill the tanks and give me a reading how much on each tank took.

We had kept track of the time and wanted to check fuel consumption.

You can imagine my surprise when the fue1er showed me the results. The total amount was just about right, but all the fuel was added to only two tanks.

We had carefully switched tanks so that the fuel bum would be even. We used 400 gallons and that meant we landed with the selectors turned to empty tanks.

The plumbing of the fuel selectors was scrambled so that by using fuel from Left Main and Left Auxiliary to the left engine, Right Main and Right Auxiliary to the right engine, only two tanks were actually used .

Thinking that we had only burned 100 gallons from each of four tanks, we would have been quite surprised by the silence if we had made a go-around .

This would have been one of those "Dumb Pilot Error" accidents, because who would have gone to the trouble of checking to see where the fuel lines actually went. "Some dumb pilot ran a plane out of gas, with two fuJI tanks ," would have been our epitaph. Needless to say, that was a major write-up when we turned the plane over to the owner.

A smooth ride followed to Illinois. It was getting late, so we elected to stop at

the airport near where we lived, plan­ ning to complete the delivery the next day. The morning brought heavy frost and no spark to the left engine. The ignition vibrator would not work. My friend who operated the shop at the air­ port had been a mechanic working on B-24s during the war. He knew just what to do.

Climbing onto the wing, he peeled the cowling back. While I cranked the engine, he pressed the points of the vibrator and the engine belched into life.

Holding on with one hand he snapped the cowl in place and slid off the wing, hastened by the prop wash.

After a short flight, the plane was in the new owner's possession and we were on the way to the Big-Time Air­ port to catch our regular trip .•

HURRYING TO THE FUN

by Robert Thomas

It started Friday night after an eve­ ning hop in my Cessna 170. Back home, I finally got around to stuffing my clothes, underwear and toiletries into a bag. Then I started to stuff the Mer­ cedes. I bought that beauty while I was in the Coast Guard and still single. I figure if it won't fit in the Mercedes, it won't fit into the Cessna. Weather was coming in, I was tired, and it was getting late, so I decided an 08:00 takeoff wouldn't happen and went to bed.

I woke up to the sound of aircraft overhead. I wondered how many of them were going to Sun 'n Fun too.

That made me jump out of bed, shower, shave, and eat breakfast.

I finished packing the car, kissed my wife and headed for Caddo Mills, where the old bird was waiting. I still had to

get fuel and since this would probably be the last unleaded car gas for up to 20 hours of flying, I had to top her off.

The weather was clearing, but I knew I could fly at no more than 1,000 feet agl until reaching Mississippi. Finally, the plane was ready, I was ready, the car was locked and parked in the open-air hangar. "Hmm," I said, "10 am. Late, but not too bad." So strapped in and flipped on the Master. Whoops!

As I said, I flew the night before and guess what I left on. Why now? That poor battery must have thought I was kidding when I pulled the starter control cable. I wasn't. It was now 10: 15 and here I was with no one around, some­ place big to go and no way to get there.

I wandered over to the car in a daze and opened the trunk looking for wire,

cables, anything, but it won't even take a jump start if the relay doesn't click.

"Wait a minute! Didn't I hear a click?"

I ran back to the plane. "Yeah, it clicks.

I can hand prop it."

I re-tied the tail wheel, set the mags off, mixture rich, prime three times, set the throttle, turned the prop twice to a good compression point, Master "ON" (click) mags on, and one more hearty tug .

CHUG CHUG, COME ON, CHUG CHUG, LET'S GO, CHUG CHUG, COME ON. The engine settled into a low mutter. I untied the tail, pulled the last 2x4 chock and taxied off.

I thought, "This is just like flying in the 1930s."

It was a great trip. Who couldn't enjoy about one hour of springtime Texas scenery at 800 to 1,000 ft. agJ. The weather cleared in Louisiana where I caught the jetstream to Florida's armpit. Then, I hung a right. Sun 'n Fun was great. I started for home after the Sun 60 all-out speed race.

The greatest moment of all came as I taxied up to the open air hangar back in Caddo Mills. I noticed my Mercedes trunk wide open. What the heck? As I swung the tail around I got worried. I shut her down and jumped out of the plane to check the car. Someone must have broken in. I pushed the door but­ ton. It was unlocked too! But every­ thing was there. There were still tools in the trunk. Nobody touched any­ thing? Then I realized what had hap­ pened! .

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

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Propping Revisited

by Don Wiley

The techniques involved in propping your engine seem to have a few differ­ ent twists. Here are more thoughts on the subject. The author holds an A&P certificate, as welJ as all the available Flight Instructor tickets. -HGF Hand propping all started a long time ago when airplanes had round en­ gines, long propellers, and were con­ siderably taller than pilots. The only way you could swing a prop was to stand in front of it and move the blade across the bottom of the circle. Radial engines are always pulled through when cold to check for excessive oil in the bottom cylinders that could cause hydraulic lock and break things when turned with the starter.

Airplanes have changed , but many of our flight instructors are teaching their students hand propping the way they were taught without ever consid­ ering the logic of what they are doing .

Today about the only aircraft engine that needs to be propped from the front is the left engine on a twin and this can usually be avoided by starting the right one first (if not contra-rotating).

Here are the things to consider before yo u touch the prope ller on an aircraft: 1. Anytime you move the propeller , you are propping the engine. If fuel and an ignition source are present in the cylinder that is on the compression stroke, it will fire .

2. If you are standing in front, the prop can get you by merely operating as it is designed to do. If you are be­ hind it, the worst that can happen is a backfire will hurt your fingers.

3. Magneto ignition systems are de­ signed to fail-safe . They are always on unless the ignition switch and p-leads are in proper working order. When was the last time you shut your engine off with the switch? Is the off position re­ ally off?

A lot has been written about how to keep an airplane from getting away from you while you are starting it from outside . Mostly they describe chocks, tiedowns, etc .

Some insurance companies (e .g.

Avemco) are insisting that a competent person be at the controls. This means always carry an extra pilot or mechanic , or only operate out of air­

ports where one can be found. Kind of makes bush-piloting and seaplanes useless , doesn't it?

Many of you have attended a safety sem inar and seen the FAA film of the one that got away . Their message is "don't prop," NOT how to do it safely.

Since we all know that in the real world you are going to do it even if it 's just priming and pulling it through to save your battery on a cold morning .

Here ' s how : I. Have your tiedowns , chocks, brakes, competent person inside, throt­ tle cracked and locked - or as many of these as you can. (If you can't have a competent person inside, MAKE

SURE you have the tail tied down! HGF) 2. TURN OFF THE FUEL. You may have to prime it first , but be sure the fuel is off before you touch the prop.

3 . If you are just pulling it through and don't intend for it to start, LEAVE THE MIXTURE AT IDLE CUT OFF, FUEL AND IGNITION OFF , and be careful - it may still fire.

4. If you want it to start, check igni­ tion on BOTH, or if only one mag has an impulse use that mag (see operation manual) . The impulse is the click you hear, which triggers a spark past top dead center. Mags without impulse could give you an early spark and sore fingers. Check MIXTURE RICH, THROTTLE CRACKED , AND FUEL OFF. 5 . Before you start be sure you are ready to go. Loading passengers and baggage with the engine running is a deadly practice.

6. Double-check your security. No chocks on the nose wheel. No ropes on the bow (floatplane) and all ties with a knot that can be untied under tension .

A glider tow hook on the tail should be standard equipment on any land plane without an electric starting system.

7. Now you are ready - step up to the right side of the aircraft engine, behind the prop . Face the engine.

Stand with your feet apart and under you . Place your right hand on the prop about six inches in from the end of the blade . Brace yourself against the en­ gine cowling with your left hand . Now quickly squat down pulling the blade with you, then give it a final flip past

you. Repeat until it starts. When it starts retreat back to the door - over or under the wing , reach in, tum on the fuel, and check your oil pressure .

Starting with a weak battery may be accomplished in one or two ways by using the starter and a competent per­ son at the controls.

First - most engines have a strong and a weak cylinder. Often the starter will not tum the engine past the strong one. The trick is to set it up so that the starter gets a run at it by starting with the weak one. You can set it up by priming and pulling it through by hand.

Then get inside , cross your fingers, and hit the starter.

The second way takes two compe­ tent people. It will work on any cylin­ der , but is best to set up on a strong cylinder that is followed by one or two weak ones. The person inside hits the starter as you pull the blade down. You help the starter get past that first com­ pression stroke and it will usually con­ tinue to crank long enough to start.

If the engine doesn't start, prime some more and try again until you're sure it's flooded . Now tum OFF THE IGNITION. Put MIXTURE on IDLE CUT OFF , check FUEL OFF, and OPEN THROTTLE WIDE. Next care­ fully tum propeller backwards at least two revolutions for each cylinder.

Then reset throttle , mixture, and igni­ tion for GO and try again. (FUEL IS STILL OFF.) The foregoing is primarily for carbu­ reted engines. If yours is fuel injected, you may have to modify the procedure.

If you have "shower of sparks" mag­ netos or automobile ignition, you can't start without a battery. Many fuel in­ jected engines cannot be started with­ out at least enough battery to run the fuel pump.

On a 4 cylinder engine, the prop should be installed so that the cylinder is top dead center on compression when the prop is horizontal or just past horizontal. On a 6 cylinder TDC should occur at 300 , 90 0 , and 1500 .

You won't be able to hand prop at one or two of these positions.

Always remember you are propping your engine anytime you move the pro­ peller, and fuel valves and mixture controls are more dependable than ig­ nition switches or brakes . • VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33

by George Hardie

flown only once to my knowledge with Eldon Cessna at the controls. The racer was very short with a small wingspan.

This fli ght was in December , 193 1. It was back in the air. modified and test flyin g by May , 1932 . The original en­ gine was 422 cu. in. 110 HP Warner. which was used through the 1932 sea­ son. It bore racer numbers 23 , 33 , 34, 35 and just maybe 77 in its career.

Here 's another rare one to stump the experts. There are several clues that should make it easy. The photo is from the EAA archives. Answers will be publi shed in the March, 1991 issue VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Deadline for that issue is February 10 .

Another record was set by the number of responses to the Mystery Plane for September. T. C. " Pappy" Weaver, who submitted the photo , writes: "This is indeed a rare one, the Cessna CR-2A racer. The photo was taken on the first or second day of the Chicago International Air Races held at Curtiss-Reynolds airport on Sep­ tember 1-4 , 1933 . It also could have been shot on August 31 as Roy Li ggett had departed Wichita at 4:30 P.M . on the 30th.

"This is a very rare shot - in fact, the only one I've seen with the tightly fitted bulged cowl, the new dark red paint job, and revised cockpit enclo­ sure including a canopy. It was pow­ ered by the same 499 cu. in. 145 HP Warner, now maybe putting out 175 HP , that had been installed in De­ cember, 1932 for the January , 1933 Miami Air Races. Roy Liggett did win the Green Trophy Race and ran second behind Jim Wedell in the No. 44. I have another photo of the Israel racer taken at the Chicago races and I can see the CR-2A being towed tail up in the background.

34 DECEMBER 1990

"As mentioned , this is the only photo of the CR-2A I have seen and I've been searching for others for 37 years with no results . If anyone has others, I'd like to hear from you. Write to T. C. Weaver, P. O. Box 707 , New " Roy had no problem qualifying and Baden , IL 62265. " on September I he ran second in the Other answers were received from 550 cu. in. event. Roy Minor in a Charley Hayes, Park Forest, Illinois ; Howard won, Art Chester and George Jeff Shafer, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin ; Hague in the Kieth-Rider finished 3rd Lynn Towns, Brooklyn, Michigan ; and 4th. September 2 brought high Bob Nelson , Bismarck, North Dakota; gusty winds as Roy Liggett took the Elmer Cunningham, East Alton, Il­ CR-2A out for speed dashes . Then in linoi s; R . G. Beeler, Lakeland, a heartbeat , Roy was gone and the Florida; Joseph Tarafas , Bethlehem , Cessna racer destroyed. Traveling at Pennsy lvania; Glenn Buffington, EI near 200 mph at about 300 feet, the Dorado , Arkansas; Herbert deBruyn , racer snapped into a vicious roll, div­ Bellevue , Washington; Frank Pavliga, ing into a cornfield . Several causes Alliance , Ohio; Hal Swanson , have been suggested. Many believed Shoreview , Minnesota; Cedric Gallo­ the cowl or part of it came loose, hit­ way, Hesperia, California; John War­ ting the leading edge of the wing and ren, White Lake, Michigan; Les causing the wing to fail. But others Everett, Jr. , Crawfordsville , Indiana; thought perhaps the gusty winds Jack Langenfelder, Lawrenceville, caused overload. Oddly, the racer had New Jersey; and Merle Veverka, Fre­ derick , Colorado . • been entered by R. A. Herman but still was owned by Cessna. , . . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . . , Herman was married to Clyde's sister Hazel.

The quick change of ow nership was very ev ident at the Inter­ national Air Races, as those pilots or racers that participated in the July, 1933 Ameri­ can Air Races (unsanc­ tioned) were still under suspension.

'The airplane 1171 7, later R 11717 , began as the CR-I and was

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