VA-Vol-18-No-3-March-1990

STRAIGHT AND LEVEL Classic Division has purchased a similar tram to use in place of the old wagon we have been using for the A/C area tour. This should make for a more comfortable ride and also be somewhat safer. The tour tram is pulled by tractor through the Antique/ Classic parking area with a narrator de­ scribing the types of planes and the ir sig­ nificance in aviation history . It might be noted that some people have not taken ad­ vantage of it in the past because they thought there was a charge for thi s se rvice .

The tour is a gift from the Antique/Classic Division so please be sure to use it during EAA Oshkosh '90.

Expansion ~

This year the Antique/Classic area is being expanded to give us more parking ~ space. The plans at this time are to use the t area that has been used in the past by the

8 Q

---------------­

by Espie "Butch" Joyce I hope everyone enjoyed Vice-president, Art Morgan' s contribution to "Straight and Level" in the February issue. It 's en­ lightening to hear other people present their point of view from time to time. I hope that everyone will also enjoy reading the " Interesting Member" articl es that you will be seeing in the next 12 or 13 issues of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. This is the resto­ ration of an idea that was given to us by Bob Lickteig , our past president, and was very well received by everyone at that time .

If you know of some " interesting member" we would like to read about it.

Ultralight people, who have moved their runway and display area west. This will allow more area for Antique/Classic park­ ing .

Because of our proximity to the showplane camping area, we have been re­ sponsible for the facilities there , even though the camping facilities are for all showplanes, not just antiques and classics.

We have had complaints about the lack of showers in the camping area. EAA Pres i­ dent , Tom Poberezny and Peter Chapman at Headquarters have arranged for addi­ tional portable showers to relieve SOme of the pressure in thi s area. I know that this will be good news to the people who camp here and we're glad to be able to clear the air, in more ways than one.

Can you spare ...

New color pages I thought that the January iss ue of VIN­ TAGE AIRPLANE was especially good with our added color. I have received sev­ eral letters from members who expressed their congratulations to the editorial staff for its efforts on the January iss ue.

Board Meeting Your Antique/C lassic board of directors held its winter board meeting at Oshkosh on February 9. The meeting was well at­ tended and the weather in Oshkosh was mild - more so than in previous winter meetings . There were a number of issues addressed at thi s meeting and quite a few ideas expressed in planning for manage­ ment of the Antique/Classic area of EAA Oshkosh '90.

Those of you who attended EAA Osh­ kosh '89 probably saw the new trams used to transport people from one end of the convention site to the other. The Antique/ 2 MARCH 1990

In our continued effort to improve the Antique/Classic Headquarters, better known as the Red Barn , we intend to clean up and improve the back room where our buttons are made and a lot of other bu siness is carried on. At the board meeting we dis­ cussed making an appeal in the magazine for some items that may be useful to us.

On example is a gas-powered generator. It would be nice if we had the generator to run lights from time to time or a portable PA system to use during our Interview Cir­ cle - even a hair dryer to dry out the mag­ netos on old engines after a rain storm.

We'll be using a computer and several other pieces of equipment in the back area of the Red Barn. It is our intention at this time to try to air-condition this office area.

If someone has a 6,000-btu window air­ conditioner to donate it would be most ap­ preciated. Also , we have instituted a daily newsletter titled "Aerograms" for the An­ tique/Classic area and it would be helpful if we had an electric typewriter. If you have

any of these items available, please let me know .

Sun 'n Fun Next month will be the Sun 'n Fun fl y-in at Lakeland, Florida. This event has taken place annually for 16 years and J am sure that a number of you are quite familiar with it. It is an excellent kick-off to the fly-in season. Billy Henderson and his group do an excellent job organizing and bringing this event off very smoothly. The city of Lakeland is a good place to visit. The weather at that time of year is just beautiful and it' s not far from Di sney World. Florida and the surrounding area is full of antique airplanes and a lot of the m never venture beyond the state line . Sun ' n Fun is a good opportunity to see airplanes that yo u won't see anywhere else in the country. It ·s worthwhile to go to Sun 'n Fun even if only for a couple of days. I highly recom­ mend it.

Antique/Classic Chapter I , located in Florida runs the Antique/Classic area at Sun 'n Fun and reall y do a good job with it. They have a great headquarters with a front porch where you can sit, find some shade and watch the airshow. I would en­ courage you to stop by, visit with these people and find out what a good group they are.

EAA Oshkosh '90 Remember , it's not too early to start planning for EAA Oshkosh '90. We look forward to a great Fly-in Convention this year. For local accommodations or other information on housing call the EAA Hous­ ing Hotline at 414/235-3007.

The EAA Air Adventure Museum has never looked better. You need to visit the museum when you are in Oshkosh, and be sure to be around for the Parade of Flight on Monday afternoon. Please come by the Red Barn and sit on the front porch. I look forward to seeing you there.

Calling all type clubs I would encourage any type club mem­ bers who would like to participate in the type cub tent to get in touch with Joe Dic­ key at 8121342-6887. He needs as much advance notice as poss ible so that the proper tent, tables and chairs can be pro­ cured. If you are in a type club and have not participated in a type club tent, you are really missing a fun time. We have a lot of people from different type clubs who come by and want to know why their aircraft is not represented. We ex plain to them th at this is a purely volunteer effort on behalf of the type clubs. It is a good gathering place for your membership. Please consider taking advantage of thi s facility free of charge.

Let' s all pull together in one direction for the good of aviation. Join us and have it all.

PUBLICATION STAFF

PUBLISHER

Tom Poberezny

VICE-PRESIDENT

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Dick Mall

EDITOR

Mark Phelps

ART DIRECTOR Mike Drucks ADVIERTISING 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

Jeff Isom

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC

DIVISION, INC.

OFFICERS

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

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

Milwaukee, WI 53216 414/442-3631 Treasurer E.E. "Buck" Hilbert P.O. Box 424 Union, IL 60180 815/923-4591

DIRECTORS Robert C. "Bob" Brauer 9345 S. Hoyne Chicago, IL 60620 312m9-2105 Philip Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawton, M149065 616/624-6490 Charles Harris 3933 South Peoria P.O. Box 904038 Tulsa, OK 74105 9181742-7311 Dale A Gustafson 7724 Shady Hill Drive Indianapolis, IN 46278 317/293-4430 Gene Morris 115C Steve Court, R.R. 2 Roanoke, TX 76262 817/491-9110 Daniel Neuman 1521 Berne Circle W. Minneapolis, MN 55421 612/571-0893

John S. Copeland 9 Joanne Drive Westborough, MA 01581 508/366-7245 William A Eickhoff 41515th Ave .. N.E. St. Petersburg, FL 33704 813/823-2339 Stan Gomoll 1042 90th Lane, NE Minneapolis, MN 55434 6121784-1172 Robert D. "Bob" Lumley 1265 South 124th SI. Brookfield, WI 53005 4141782-2633 Steven C. Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Lea, MN 56007 507/373-1674 5.H. OWes" Schmid 2359 Lefeber Avenue Wauwatosa, WI 53213 414m1-1545

DIRECTOR EMERITUS 5.J. Willman

7200 S.E. 85th Lane

Ocala, FL 32672

9041245-7768

MARCH 1990 • Vol. 18, No.3 Copyright © 1990 by the EAA AntiquelClassic Division, Inc. All rights reserved.

Contents 2 Straight and Levellby Espie "Butch" Joyce 4 Letters to the Editor 5 Calendar 6 Members Projectslby Norm Petersen

Page 6

8 Time CapsuJelby Mark Phelps 10 Vintage Literaturelby Dennis Parks

12 Interesting Memberlby John Berendt 14 Air Kinglby Mark Phelps and Jim Haynes 20 Aircraft Refinishinglby W,D. "Dip" Davis 24 1929 Womens Air Derby/

by H. Glenn Buffington

28 Pass It To Bucklby E,E. "Buck" Hilbert 30 Vintage Trader 34 Mystery Planelby George Hardie, Jr.

Page 24

FRONT COVER .. . Susan Dusenbury in command of Travel Air NC 671H. The story of Susan's flight. re-creating Louise Thaden's 1929 victory in the first Women's Air Derby, appears on page 24.

(Photo by Corl Schuppel, photo plane flown by Corl Koeling)

REAR COVER ... Susan Dusenbury poses with the Travel Air. (Photo by Mork Phelps)

ADVISORS John Berendt 7645 Echo Point Rd. Cannon Falls, MN 55009 507/263-2414

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

George Daubner 2448 Lough Lane Hartford, WI 53027 414/673-5885

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

Jeannie Hill

P.O. Box 328

Harvord, IL 60033

815/943-7205

The WOfds EM ULTRAliGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM, SPORT AVIATION, al'd!he logos of EXPERIMENTAl AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC.. EAA INTERNA· TIONAL CONVENTION, EAA ANTlOUEiCLASSIC DIVISION INC.. INTERNATIONAl AEROBATK: CLUB INC., WARBIRDS OF AMERK:A INC., are regstered lrademarl<s. THE EAA SKY SHQPPE ard logos of !he EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION INC. ard EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are lrademarl<s of !he above associations ard !heir use by aIrf person other !han !he above associations is strictly prohilited.

E!ltorial Poley: Readers are encouraged 10 submit stories ard photographs. POley opjrions expressed in articles are solely those of !he authors. Responsibility for '"""racy nrepoI1ilg rests entirely with !he oontriJuIor. Material should be senllo: Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, WrtIman Regional Airport, 3000 Poberezny Rd., 0sIi<0sh, WI 549Q3.3086. Phone: 4141426-4800.

The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is I"tjis/led ard owood exclusive~ by EAA AnliquelC~ Divisioo, I",. of !he Expenmenlal AircraftAssocialion, I",. ard is I"tjished month~ at WrtIman Regional Airport. 3000 PoIberezny Rd., Oshkosh, WI 549Q3.3086. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 ard eddiIionaI mailing offices. Merrbership rales lor EAA AnIKi~ Divisioo, I",. are $18.00 lor ourrent EAA member1; lor 121T101"/h period 01 v.!1ich $12.00 is lor !he I"blicalion of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE. MelTl>ership is open 10 all wtlo are ~Ierested in a~alion.

AiDVERTISING - Antique/Classic Division does nol guaranlee or endorse any product offered through our advertising. We invne constructive ori1icism ard welcome aIrf repor1 01 inferior merchanase obtained through our advertising so thai corrective measures can be laken.

POSTMASTER: Serd address changes 10 EAA Antique/Classic Q;vision, I",., P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

"Share a pot of coffee .. " Dear Butch , I want to take this opportunity to at­ tempt to express to you my apprecia­ tion for VINTAGE AIRPLANE and of course, SPORT AVIATION. Each month' s issue of VA clearly demon­ strates your, and your staff's success­ ful efforts to put out a truly fine publi­ cation .

The articles are informative and in­ teresting to the extreme. The effect of the articles which impresses me most is that the person(s) written about is someone I want to share a pot of coffee with and do some serious hangar fly­ ing .

I am the consummate "airplane nut" who firmly believes that real airplanes have round engines, two wings and drag their tail s. This belief has de­ veloped (over more years than I would care to admit) since my first plane ride in a Ford Trimotor in 1936 , through some military flying as a crew member, obtaining my ticket in 1966 (which unfortunately has not been cur­ rent for about five years) and too , too many hundreds of hours on commer­ cial flights during the past 30 years.

To me, now, the apex of pleasure fly­ ing is to "help" a friend drive his J- 3 around the patch .

Thanks for the many, many hours of pleasure VINTAGE AIRPLANE has given me .

Sincerely, Don Berry (EAA 161754 , AIC 12107) Taylorville , Illinois

GaDD about Gammas Dear Editor, I would like to add to the caption of the photograph on page 17 (Vintage Seaplanes, December 1989) . The Northrop Gamma , Model 2B. The photograph shown is a company photo­ graph dated July 1934. The locale is Lake Elsinore, California where the aircraft was tested on the twin floats prior to a trip to the Antarctic. Frank Hawks, Bernt Balchen and Sir Hubert Wilkins flew the aircraft at that loca­ tion. The aircraft, to my knowledge, is the only surviving commercial Gamma of the seven built. It is on di splay at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Prior all-metal, monocoque designs by Jack Northrop were the Alpha and Beta, built at his 4 MARCH 1990

VI~TA(7~ AIl?VLA~~

A~l2()

MAIL

Burbank, California company loca­ tion .

I look forward to seeing your magazine each month. I especially en­ joyed the issue with the Douglas His­ torical Foundation DC-2 on the cover (September, 1989). We have recently stripped the TWA markings off and will participate in airshows in the southern California area next year in a generic paint scheme.

Yours truly, Harry Gann , Historian Douglas Historical Foundation

New/Old brochure Dear Mark, Regarding the Taylor Cub brochure on pages four and five (VINTAGE AIRPLANE, July 1989) , I said I would write to you and give you the story on the brochure. I bought Tay lor Cub NC 17854 in the mid-1960s. It had been under restoration when its hangar was destroyed by a wind storm. I didn ' t have any information on the plane so I started the usual letter-writing cam­ paign asking everyone for help. Many restorers and antiquers responded. One of the artifacts that came, on loan , was an original of this brochure.

It was weathered and worn so I de­ cided to " reproduce" it with my airplane as the subject. A friend helped with the photos . We had the type reset to match the original with the excep­ tion of the date. We used the date of manufacture of my Cub instead . It 's on the top line of page five .

The photos were posed as near as possible to the original- all, with the exception of the full photo of the plane in front of a hangar. I wasn ' t reall y possible to take it to Harry Emery Field in Bradford , Pennsylvania so I hit on the idea of posing it in front of a build­ ing where Lindbergh used to pick up mail. Thi s building , with the "U.S. Air Mail" sign , still stands on First Av­ enue, Maywood , Illinois, a Chicago suburb. It is now a part of the Hines Hospital Complex, owned by the Vet­ erans Administration .

The airport itself is long gone and since we couldn't fly the aircraft into the hospital complex, it was necessary to get permission from the V A to bring the caravan of rental trucks and several cars into the compound. We arranged the procession on a Sunday, early in the spring of 1970 and unloaded the Cub on the edge of the parking lot. We assembled the plane for the photo ses­ sion, then tore it down and loaded it in the truck for the trip to the airport where I completed the restoration . This was the first airplane to visit the site since the field was closed in 1927 , just shortly after Lindbergh returned from Paris. The V A requested copies of the photos to include in the archives of the building and the "Old Maywood Air­ port", the site upon which the building was erected.

Maywood Field was a " modem" air­ port with permanent buildings and cin­ der runways. It came into being when the field across the street was closed in 1925 . That airport is to be remembered as "Checkerboard Field" and it was the site of Chicago's early Air Mail Ser­ vices.

When the Cub was completed, it made one of its first appearances at the EAA Convention. It has been there several times. Its last visit was in 1980.

Thanks for printing the brochure , I hope everyone enjoyed seeing it as much as I enjoyed making it.

Dick Hill Harvard, Illinoi s

MODE "C" RULE NOT APPLICABLE TO SUN 'n FUN Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In officials have announced that transponders and encoders will not be required by aircraft planning to attend the 1990 EAA convention in Lakeland, Florida . Plans by FAA to designate the airspace at Tampa International Airport and at Orlando Jetport as Terminal Control Areas (TCA's), has been scheduled for later this year and, therefore, will have no effect on this year's event.

MEMBERSHIP

INFORMATION

EAA

Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is $30.00 for one year, including 12 issues of Sport Aviation. Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $18.00 annually. Family Member­ ship is available for an additional $10.00 annually.

ANTIQUE/CLASSICS

April 8-14 - Lakeland, Florida. 16th annual Sun 'n Fun '90 EAA Fly-in.

Lakeland Municipal Airport. Contact Sun ' n Fun EAA Fly-in Inc. , PO Box 6750, Lakeland, Florida. Tel. 813/ 644-2431.

May 4-6 Burlington , North Carolina. Burlington Airport . Spon­ sored by Antique/Classic Chapter 3.

Contact Ray Bottom, c/o Antique Air­ ways, 103 Powhatan Parkway, Hampton, Virginia 23661. Tel. 804/ 722-5056.

May 5-6 - Winchester, Virginia.

Winchester Regional EAA Spring Fly­ in. Winchester Airport. Sponsored by EAA Chapter 186. Contact George Lutz , Tel. 7031256-7873 .

May 6 - Rockford, Illinois. EAA Chapter 22 Annual Fly-in Breakfast.

Mark Clark 's Courtesy Aircraft, Greater Rockford Airport. 7:00 am to noon . ATIS 126.7. Contact Wallace Hunt , 815/332-4708.

May 19-20 - Hampton, New Hamp­ shire. Fourteenth Annual Aviation Flea Market. Hampton Airfield, Hampton , New Hampshire . Anything aviation re­ lated okay. No fees! Camping on air­ field. Contact Mike Hart , Hampton Airfield , Route US I, North Hampton , New Hampshire. Tel. 603/964-6749.

May 20 - Benton Harbor, Michigan.

Fourth Annual EAA Chapter 585 Dawn Patrol Breakfast/Lunch. In­ cludes boat and classic car show . Ross Field, Benton Harbor , Michigan . Con­ tact Al Todd, PO Box 61, Stevensville, Michigan 49127 . Tel. 616/429-2929.

j une 1-2 - Bartlesv ille, Oklahoma .

Biplane Expo '90, the National Bi­ plane Association' s Fourth Annual Convention and Exposition. Frank Phillips Field, Bartlesville, Oklahoma .

Free to members of NBA . For mem­ bership information, contact Charles Harri s, NBA, Hangar 5, 4-J Aviation , Jones-Riverside Airport, Tulsa , Ok­ lahoma . Tel. 918/299-2532. j une 8-10 - Middletown, Ohio. Fifth National Aeronca Convention.

Aeronca factory. Includes factory tour and visit to USAF Museum. Contact Augie Wegner, National Aeronca As­ sociation, PO Box 2219, Terre Haute, Indiana 47802 . Tel. 812/232-1491. june 22-24 Pauls Valley , Ok­ lahoma . Greater Oklahoma City AAA Chapter Fly-in . Contact Dick Darnell , 100 Park Avenue Building, Suite 604, Ok lahoma City , Oklahoma 73102.

Tel . 405/236-5635. july 27-August 2 - Oshkosh , Wis­ consin. 38th Annual EAA Fly-in Con­ vention, "EAA Oshkosh '90."

Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh Wisconsin . Contact EAA, EAA Avia­ tion Center, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086. Tel. 414/426-4800 .

September 8 - Chico, California.

Chico Antique Airshow. Chico Air­ port. Contact Chico Antique Airshow Committee, 6 St. Helens Lane , Chico, California 95926. Tel 916/342-3730 .

September 15-16 - Rock Falls , Il­ linoi s. Fourth Annual North Central EAA "Old Fashioned" Fly-in. Pancake breakfast Sunday . Contact Dave Chris­ tansen at 815/625-6556 .

EAA Member - $18.00. Includes one year membership in EAA An­ tique-Classic Division, 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card. Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number.

Non-EAA Member - $28.00. In­ cludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division, 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Air­ plane, one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards. Sport A viation not included.

lAC

Membership in the International Aerobatic Club, Inc. is $25.00 an­ nually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics. All lAC members are required to be members of EAA.

WARBIRDS Membership in the Warbirds of America , Inc. is $25 .00 per year, which includes a subscription to Warbirds. Warbird members are required to be members of EAA.

EAA EXPERIMENTER

EAA membership and EAA EXPERI­ MENTER magazine is available for $28.00 per year (Sport Aviation not included). Current EAA members may receive EAA EXPERIMENTER for $18.00 per year.

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with

a check or draft drawn on a United States bank States dollars.

payable

in

United

Make checks payable to EAA or the division in which membership is desired. Address all letters to EAA or the particular division at the fol­ lowing address:

EAA A VIATION CENTER

OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086

PHONE (414) 426-4800

OFFICE HOURS:

8:15-5:00 MON.-FRI.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

MEMBERS~

PROJECTS

by Nonn Petersen

This very nicely restored Ryan ST3-KR, (PT-221, N46745, SIN 2131, was photographed at the 1989 Arlington, Washington Fly-In. It was flown in by owner, Craig Nelson of Eastsound, WA Note the line finish on the fuselage and the aileron counterweights which balance the ailerons by going down through a hole in the wing fabric. Power is supplied by a 160-hp Kinner R-540 engine.

Pictured at the Grove City, Pennsylvania airport on its 50th birthday (May 27, 19891, is Piper J3C-65 "Cub" NC23462, SIN 3195, owned by William E. Davis (EM 2385831 of 379 Woodworth, Marine City, Michigan, 48039. Nic-named "Scorchy", the 1939 woodspar Cub is adorned in WW II CAP colors. Bill Davis would like very much to correspond with anyone having knowl足 edge of CAP activities in World War II. 6 MARCH 1990

These photos were sent in by Rudy Krens (EAA 334248, Ale 14096) whose address is Ulst 6,3861 LW, Nijkerk, Holland. Rudy purchased this Boeing Stearman PT-17 in 1988 from the Air Repair Shop in Cleveland, Mississippi and had it shipped to Holland in a container. Based at Lelystad airfield, which is 30 feet below sea level in the central polderland, the aircraft is considered the "lowest flying Stearman in the world".

It is still registered in the United States for ease of certification.

This is Rudy's second Stearman , having owned a 450 Stearman three years ago which he purchased in Abilene, Texas. This Stearman is now based in Belgium .

Rudy's blue & yellow 220 Stearman is part of a Flying Museum in Holland that includes a number of aircraft and associated activities. We hope to bring you a story on this unique museum in the future.

- Norm Petersen

The Stearman is carefully assembled after the parts are removed from the shipping container. Here the center section is being installed on the struts. Note the nicely overhauled 220 Continental engine and Hamilton Standard prop.

If you are going to fly a Stearman, you must first put on the leather jacket! Note radio antenna on belly of Stearman.

With the engine ticking over, the pilot and passenger get ready to taxi - Hush-A-Com headsets handling both radio and inter足 com. Note inertia starter shaft sticking out of cowl with engine primer just below it. Very neat restoration.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

T he Time CaR_s_u_l_e_bY_Ma_rk_p_hez_ps_

19lO Beacher Replica Vern Dallman is having a ball ch ese da ys re-crea ting che excicem enc Lincoln Beachey gencraccd wich his "LjccJe Looper" in 191 I. H e flies a rcplica of Beachey's revolucionary a ircra ft . Vern's Replica was builc in 1968 by Wale Bullock of Minn eapolis, Minn esoca. As chis phoco shows, his is noc che only replica ever buill. This one has a radial, rath er than a rotary eng in e (Beach ey's had a Gnome, Dallman's has a LeRhone) and convelllional controls. Beachey's ship had rh e sta ndard Gurtiss shoulder yoke for a ileron cOlllrol and a cOlllrol wh eel co activate the elevators and rudder. Th e mosr noriceable deviac;ons on this replica are rh e sreel wbe fuselage replacing Beachey's wood fi路a m e and fat-wing airfoils with convelllional ailerons. Beachey had illlerplane ailerons and a radica lly rhin airfoil section.

Th e photo is late 1920s vintage, 10 ro 15 years a fter Beachey 's dea th, indica ring rhe admira tion wirh which aviarion enthusiasrs revered his m emory.

Radtk e Cu/lccliorJ No. 67H

Stearman C3B U oyd Srea rman euc his reerh on che New Swa llow in 1924, one of ch e airplanes whose airframe improvemellls finall y pur ch e prolific J enny co resr as a commercial aircraft. His n exr act was to marry che dynamic H'rightJ-5 Whir/wind of [,indbergh fam e CO a rugged new airframe. Th e Stearman C3B wa s also ch e first aircraft produced encirely ac the Scearman fa ccory in Wichica , Kansas. Th e laces c Scearman won respecc as a viceless chree-place commercial ship and ca rrier of ch e mail. Well-heeled sportsma n pilocs also coveced ch e C3B. This exa mple is filled wich a blind-flying hood for craining TWA air mail pilots. C3Bs also introduced American Airways pilocs co ch c in f:1 nc praccice ofinsrrwnclll fl ying and radio guidance.

Rad tke Collcnion No . 918

8 MARCH 1990

Northrop Delta Th e No rthrop Delta was an example of a m anu fac turer taking a succf'ss ful d esign and enla rg ing it both in size a nd intended mission. Th e Delea shared its wings and la nding gea r with the highly s uccessful Gamma bur its m onocoqu e fu selage was expanded to accommodate eight passengers or a correspondingly iocreased ca rgo loa d. Its ca reer as a trunk ca rrier was impeded by a govanm ent ruling aga inst using single-eng ine aircraft in that role. Th e directive ca m e as a res ule of som e accidents, on e of the lirst or a continuing series of event-driven legislation that continu es to this day. Som e Deltas were exported to Sweden but its m ost glamorou s role was that of executive transport for wea lthy businessm en. Delea Execurive owners included movie producer Hal R oa ch, Stewa rr Pulirzer, PoweJl Crosley, Earl P. Haliburt on, Wilbur M ay and th e Richlield Oil Company. Th e Delta was powered by the enormous nin e-cylinder W right Cyclone rated at 71 0 to 735 hp.

Rad fke Collcction No. 8 / 7

Bernelli UB-14 Th e U B-1 4 prototype was completed in 1935 by the Burnelli A ircra ft Corporation of K eyp ort, New J ersey. Th e company was a developm ent vehicle for Vin cent Burnelli's experimentation in fl ying -wing transport concepts and the UB- 14 was rhe la resr in a series of such aircraft . Th c airfoil shaped fil selage made up the cent er section of the wing aod iocorporated the passenger compa rtmenr, cockpir and eng in e nacelles. Th e twin boom tail section and wings were areached to rh e fu selage. Th e UB- 14 had retractable landing gea r and two Prate & Whirn ey 680-hp engines. I t accomm odated 14 p assengers and two pilots. Cruise speed at 10,000 feet was 205 mph. Previous conlig urations of the sa m e design were powered by 650-hp Curtiss Conqueror engines and 900-hp Packards, both liquid-cooled.

R.lr/rkc Collection No. 98.'3

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

by ()ennis Val"ks IAA Llb.-aO'/ 4.rdllves ()I.-ect().-

Stearman Hammond

Bellanca Pacemaker

Aircraft in service with the Bureau of Air Commerce In 1936, the Bureau of Air Com­ merce of the Department of Commerce was the federal agency responsible for supervision of c ivil aviation. This agency was a successor to the Aeronautics Branch of the Department of Commerce which was formed by the Air Commerce Act of 1926.

This act provided for the type-cer­ tification of aircraft and provided for fie ld inspectors to work about the 10 MARCH 1990

Kinner Playboy

country. Appropriately the agency pur­ chased aircraft for its staff to use.

The first two aircraft purchased by the Aeronautics Branch were Buhl Airsters which were the first type-cer­ tificated aircraft produced. An examin­ ation of the register for licensed air­ craft in 1936 shows 70 aircraft owned by the Bureau of Air Commerce . The oldest aircraft on the list were con­ structed in 1927. These were NS 3, a Buhl Airster and NS 10, a Laird LC-B. Examination of the list also shows that the Bureau was re-issuing numbers

in its NS series. There is a gap - NS 4 to NS 16 - between a 1927 Buhl and a 1928 Stearman that was later filled by aircraft built in 1934.

The most popular aircraft purchased by the Bureau was the Monocoupe with 20 D-145s and -IOOs on the list.

Next most popular was the Stinson Re­ liant with eight purchased.

The following is compi led from the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce 's 1936 edition of LICENSED AND /DENTlFlED AIRCRAFT, and other sources:

15 8 6 5 5 5 4

Monocoupe: 0-145 Stinson: Reliant SR-5 Bellanca: E Pacemaker Monocoupe: 110 Kinner: Playboy R Fairchild : 24 C8-C Waco: UKC

3 2 2 2 2 2 2

Stinson : SM-8A Waco: UEC Stinson: SM-8B Stinson: lr SR Stearman: C-3B Curtiss-Wright: 15-0 Sedan Buhl: Airster

Weick: W-I Travel Air: B-14-B Stinson : lr R Laird: LC-B Fairchild : 24 C8-A Beechcraft: B-17-L Beechcraft: A-17-FS

All of the aircraft have NS registration s because this series was reserved for federal and state agencies. The date following the regi stration is the year of manufacture. The entries with an asteri sk "*,, are from a source other than the 1936 register.

NS-I NS-2 NS-3 NS-4 NS-5 NS-6 NS-7 NS-8 NS-9 NS-IO NS-IO NS-II NS-12 NS-14 NS-15 NS-16 NS-17 NS-18 NS-18 NS-19 NS-20 NS-21 NS-22 NS-23 NS-24 NS-25 NS-27 NS-28 NS-29 NS-30 NS-31 NS-32 NS-33 NS-34 NS-35

Buhl : Airster , 1927* Stinson : lr SR, 1933 Buhl : Airster, 1927 Monocoupe: 110 , 1932 Bellanca: CH-300 Pacemaker, 1929 Stinson: lr SR, 1933 Stinson: Reliant SR-5E, 1934 Bellanca: 300-W Pacemaker, 1929 Stinson : Reliant SR-5E, 1934 Laird : LC-B , 1927 Stinson: Reliant SR-5E , 1934 Waco: UEC , 1932 Stinson : Reliant SR-5A , 1934 Monocoupe: 110 , 1933 Stinson : Reliant SR-5A , 1934 Waco: UKC, 1934 Stearman: C-3B , 1928 Stearman: C-3B , 1928 Waco: UKC , 1934 Waco: UKC, 1934 Waco: UKC, 1934 Kinner: Playboy R , 1934 Kinner: Playboy R, 1934 Kinner: Playboy R, 1934 Kinner: Playboy R, 1934 Kinner: Playboy R, 1934 Stinson: SM-8B, 1930 Stinson: SM-8B Special , 1930 Monocoupe: 110, 1931 Monocoupe: 110, 1931 Fairchild: 24 C8-C , 1934 Bellanca: CH-300 Pacemaker, 1929 Fairchild: 24 C8-C, 1934 Fairchild: 24 C8-C , 1934 Fairchild: 24 C8-C, 1934

NS- 37 NS -38 NS-39 NS-40 NS-41 NS-42 NS-43 NS-44 NS-45 NS-46 NS-47 NS-48 NS-49 NS-50 NS-51 NS-52 NS-53 NS-54 NS-55 NS-56 NS-66 NS-60 NS-61 NS-62 NS-63 NS-64 NS-67 NS-68 NS-IA NS-3Y NS-4Y NS-5Y NS-6Y NS-7Y NS-IOY

Fairchild : 24 C8-C , 1934 Waco: UEC , 1932 Monocoupe: 0-145 , 1934 Stinson: lr R, 1932 Monocoupe: 0-145, 1934 Monocoupe: 110, 1933 Lambert Monocoupe: 0-145 , 1934 Fairchild: 24 C8-A, 1933 Lambert Monocoupe: 0-145, 1934 Lambert Monocoupe: 0-145 , 1934 Lambert Monocoupe: 0-145 , 1934 Lambert Monocoupe: 0-145, 1934 Lambert Monocoupe: 0-145 , 1934 Lambert Monocoupe: 0-145, 1934 Lambert Monocoupe: 0-145, 1934 Lambert Monocoupe: 0-145, 1934 Lambert Monocoupe: 0-145, 1934 Lambert Monocoupe: 0-145, 1934 Lambert Monocoupe: 0-145 , 1934 Lambert Monocoupe: 0-145 , 1934 Beechcraft: B-17-L, 1935 Stinson: SM-8A, 1930 Stinson: SM-8A, 1930 Stinson: Reliant SR-5E , 1934 Stinson: Reliant SR-5A, 1934 Stinson: Reliant SR-5A , 1935 Weick: W-I, 1934 Beechcraft: A-17-FS, 1935 Travel Air: B-14-B, 1932 Curtiss-Wright: 15-0 Sedan, 1931 Curtiss-Wright: 15-0 Sedan, 1931 Bellanca: E Pacemaker, 1933 Bellanca: E Pacemaker* Bellanca: E Pacemaker* Stinson: SM-8A , 1930

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

INTERESTING MEMBERS

ELLEN PANEOK (EAA 277350 Ale 11927) E llen Paneok of Barrow, Alaska is one of the most truly remarkable and resourceful people you will ever be for­ tunate enough to meet. I received the first letter from Ellen in April 1989.

She is chief pi lot for Barrow Air but when free time avails itself, she flies her Fai rchild F24J. Th is ship was de­ livered to Alaska when it was new so it has spent most of its life there. Along the way, it was converted to a 200-hp Ranger. In September 1986, Ellen and the Fairchild went caribou hunting. In Ellen's own words, this is what hap­ pened:

"I was caribou hunting and had a brake failure on a short, very narrow mining strip. That ensured substantial damage to all surfaces of my poor

by John Berendt

Fairchild. Bent crankshaft and chewed up prop on the Ranger, gear leg bro­ ken completely off, lift struts bent and cracked, spars busted as well as ailer­ ons, the horizontal stabilizer and elevator along with the tailwheel. All of this happened in a very remote area of Alaska which created a logistical nightmare gelfing my poor airplane out. I commuted two mechanics in and out for a week to do temporary repair work so I could fly it back out. I found, by pure luck, a Ranger engine and a Curtiss prop. All of the fittings were of a different size so they had to do some splicing of oil lines. They put the en­

gine on with a tripod made out of2x4s, tack-welded the gear on, straightened out one lift strut and replaced the other. One aileron was replaced and they glued temporary fabric on the wings and belly (they used a propane torch to tighten the fabric) . A 2x4 was nailed on as a temporary spar to one side of the stabilizer and the elevator was straightened out and covered.

They used a pipe to secure the tail­ wheel temporarily . All this was done at zero degrees F. under a plastic tent.

Finally the day came and I flew it out on an hour flig ht to civilization and a hangar. That was the longest hour flight I have ever made in my life l The Fairchild is now in much beller shape than when 1 first bought it. 1 took that opportunity to re-upholster the interior

The short mining strip is just visible beside the river in the middle of the photo.

12 MARCH 1990

and try to restore it to as original as possible ...

Ellen is glad to share her Alaska fly­ ing experiences with us. The navaids we have here are not available to her so she still navigates by sight or NDBs! That's my kind of flying.

Ellen has another rebuilding project in the works: a Stinson SRJR or an SR-2 (there were only five manufac­ tured) . This ship is a combination Stin­ son Senior and Stinson Junior and is about the size of a deHavilland Beaver.

It came to Alaska in 1940, was owned

by Aho Flying Service and piloted by two bush pilots, Torvo 'The Flying Finn" Aho and Archie Ferguson . Ellen bought it from another pioneer pilot who owned it , Warren "Ace" Dodson.

This ship will be restored in Aho Fly­ ing Service colors , black with gold trim, and since it was a bush plane with a bare interior, Ellen plan s to re-up­ holster it. She'd also like to have the pioneer instruments as close as possi­ ble to those in the original panel. Ellen plans to fly the Stinson to Oshkosh in 1990 or 1991 , one way or another.

She'd like to complete the Stinson as

soon as possible since she's doing a Duane Cole conversion on a Taylor­ craft. Who knows, maybe Duane could teach her his routine.

One August] 2, 1989 Ellen married Chuck Marble, the chief pilot for Cape Smythe Air. Ellen got to take every­ body out flying in her Fairchild. As Ellen says, "Imagine two chiefs in one household .. . " I'm sorry Ellen, but I can't resist. I have to add, "all chiefs and no !!!!" By the way , not only did Ellen get her man, she also got her caribou." •

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

GLENN ROM KEY , SHUKRI T ANNUS AND THE

"AIR-KING "

Shukri Tannu s was an entrepreneu­ rial Lebanese immi grant of the 1920s. who bought into aviation with every­ thing he had . The period between the end of World War [ and Lindbergh 's 1927 New York to Pari s fli ght was tough fo r everyone in the av iation busi­ ness. Dick DePew was the military pilot-turned barnstormer who quipped that the greatest danger in fl ying was, "starving to death ." It was n ' t onl y pil ots who suffe red hardship , however.

Many financiers also met their dow n­ fa ll fo rging ahead with new, untried 14 MARCH 1990

by Mark Phelps

from material submitted by

Jim Haynes

Photos courtesy of

Jack Romkey

ideas in av iation . Just as a slight mi s­ calcul ation could bring di saster down upon a pilot, fa ulty corporate strategy led to the undoing of more than one heavy investor. Tannu s may have died

of a broken heart when all hi s hopes and dreams finall y unravelled with the Great Depression o f 1929 .

Tannu s was orphaned in Ainarab, Lebanon at the age of nine and worked for several years in Europe before com­ ing to the United States in 1897. He sold oriental rugs up and dow n the Mi ss iss ippi Va lley to finance an educa­ tion in the fie ld of pharmace uti ca ls. earning a degree fro m North wes tern Uni vers ity in 1904 . He wo rked in the chemi stry department of a medica l school in Keokuk , Iowa until failing

eyesight forced him to change careers.

Demonstrating great resilience of spirit, he recalled the plentiful sedge grass he had observed along the Mis­ sissippi and formed a broom manufac­ turing business in Canton, Missouri.

He later moved to Lomax, Illinois, a small town on the shores of the Missis­ sippi River in the northwest section of the state. In Lomax, Tannus' business flourished and his entrepreneurial tal­ ents led to the further acquisition of a print shop, a general store and farm­ land holdings that he leased to cucumber growers. With hard work and drive, the immigrant had taken full advantage of the American dream and become a prominent financial success .

Tannus then became infatuated with airplanes and approached pilot, Glenn Romkey of Burlington , Iowa with his idea of getting into the aviation busi­ ness . Romkey had barnstormed the area in his Curtiss Canuck, and was nestling in to roost at his own airport in nearby Burlington. The idea of building an original airplane was infec­ tive to both men and Romkey drew up a rough sketch. Things began to move quickly. Tannus hired engineers Chet Cummings and Orville Hickman who smoothed out the edges and drew up the blueprints. Tannus incorporated the National Airway System, Inc. in Feb­ ruary 1925.

As the name of the company im­ plies, Tannus had more than manufac­ turing on his mind. He envisioned a network of airports throughout the

country, similar to the Curtiss concept, that would provide aircraft sales and service. The hub of the proposed sys­ tem was Lomax . He also looked into the future of carrying the mail in airplanes. To Tannus, the only element lacking in the aviation business was en­ thusiastic promotion, and he felt he was the man to fill that void.

Among the initial difficulties faced

by NAS was the untrained labor force in the town of Lomax . Romkey had a difficult time whipping the former foundry workers into shape to produce so delicate a machine as an airplane.

To train his workers, Romkey bought several surplus Standard J-I s from Nicholas-Beazley Corporation and built them up, re-engining some with Hisso powerplants and generating cash flow at the same time.

Meanwhile, the new biplane was taking shape . Romkey hoped to lighten the structure using aluminum instead of steel tubing wherever possible. Inti­ tially, the entire empennage was built up from aluminum tubing, as well as the fuselage, some struts (stream­ lined with balsa wood and covered with fabric) and the landing gear struc­ ture. Gussets and rivets fastened the tubing instead of welding. Romkey's bid to lighten the structure enough to create a four-place airplane powered with the lowly 90-hp Curtiss OX-5 en­ gine fell short, however. Conventional steel tube replaced most of the aluminum and the biplane reverted to a three-place configuration. Hickman's

Shukri Tannus never passed up an opportunity to advertise his wares.

experience with the Swallow Aircraft Co. was evident in the lines of the new biplane.

A casual remark by an anonymous observer led to the name of the biplane.

He remarked that the new machine was sure to become the, "King of the air."

Quickly picking up on the regal associ­ ation, Tannus named the airplane the Air King.

From the start, the design was mod­ ified, tweaked and adjusted to accom­ modate both the design innovations and the supply and work-force limita­ tions of the N AS factory. Unusual fea­ tures of the Air King included ailerons on both upper and lower wings, pre­ sumably a result of Romkey's experi­ ence with his Canuck. The Canuck is a Canadian version of the deHavilland "Jenny" and has dual ailerons, unlike its American cousins with ailerons on the lower wings only. The Air King also incorporated push-pull torque tubes instead of cables for aileron con­ trol, giving a smooth positive feel to the ailerons as well as more immediate response.

Like AI Mooney's Alexander Eag­ lerock 107, the Air King's upper and lower wing panels were identical and interchangable . There was no upper centersection so the span of the upper wings was shorter than that of the lower wings, giving the airplane an odd, upside-down appearance.

In February 1927, a few months be­ fore Lindbergh's Atlantic flight changed aviation forever, Andrew Yashack joined NAS as a shop hand and was instrumental in working out the airplane's subsequent difficulties.

Claude Flagg was another name that figured prominently in the Air King's development.

Starting in December 1926, govern­ ment certification became a must for aircraft to be sold on the open market.

The Department of Commerce inspec­ tor sent to evaluate the Air King was less than overwhelmed with the work­ manship and design of the airplane.

Flagg was retained to bring the design up to government standards rep­ resented by the six chapters and 89 sec­ tions of manufacturers' requirements that made up the rules.

It wasn't an easy road, but produc­ tion proceeded and the factory, the former Lomax Machine Shop and Foundry, employed approximately 45 people, mostly local residents. Some airplane enthusiasts also made their way to Lomax and exchanged labor for VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

flying lessons.

Tannus was a wheeler-dealer and a promoter. He believed in advertising and publicity, running ads in all the national aviation magazines and never missing a chance to promote his prod­ uct. He approached selling airplanes with the same energy with which he had sold oriental rugs and brooms .

Tannus missed his greatest opportu­ nity, though, in August 1928. NAS

was the only bidder at 61 .5 percent of profits on the Chicago - Atlanta airmail route. Tannus had proposed using 10 Bellanca CF aircraft until NAS could build its own suitable cabin airplane.

The Bellancas were too costly for the company, however, and the U.S. Mail rejected his bid to use Swallows and Standards instead. The forfeited con­ tract went to Interstate Airlines, Inc. , later to evolve into American Airlines .

The company faced another setback when it expended time, energy and considerable money designing and building a Wright 1-5-powered mono­ plane to participate in the infamous Dole "race" from Oakland, California to Hawaii. With the whole country in­ fected by Lindbergh's distance-flying success, NAS frantically sought its share of the pUblicity. The aircraft was welded, covered, engine and wings

V. S. Department of Com­ merce Approved Type Certificate No. 29

SPECIFICATIONS Span, Upper wing 31' 2" Span, Lo'Wt:r wing 3-4' I" Chord. tal' .nd bottom f' A'p<ct ratio 6 .20 It. Stag~er I ~" Sw«p B.ck Non< Dih<dral. ) .ow<r wing 2Yz d~.

Dih<dr.1. Upp<r wing Non< Wing A".

310 Iq. It. Airfoil t«tion Clark Y H<ight O",rall 9 It. Length Overall 2'-' fn Weight. Empty 13~0 lb•.

Wing lo.ding 6.S0 p<r .q. It. 5p«d. Maximum 99 mph.

5p«d. Crui,ing Sf mph.

Sp«d. Minimum 3 f mph.

U.. lul l.o.d 7H Ib,.

Fud Cap.city H ~.1.

Radlu!,Maximumlpccd 396 milu GJimb, Initial 600' ~r min.

Ceiling I f .000'

National Airways System Lomax, Illinois, Field 7

16 MARCH 1990

"AIR..KING"

AIRPLANES

- have such modem improvem::nts as: streamlined flying, load and drift wires ­ improved shock absorber, split axle type landmg gear with hydraulic principle com­ pression struts - pu~h and pull aileron control rods - steel streamlined struts ­ adjustable stabiliter - ventilated cowling - completely wired for navigation lights - streamlined head rest - full width wind shield~ - roomy, upholstered cockpits ­ instrument equipped dash - dual control.

These are but a few of the many improve­ ments, but enough to show that we are keeping a promise to deliver finer airplanes (in their class) for the price asked.

hung and flown in only eight weeks.

After a few hops around the field at Lomax, it headed west for the distance­ tlying competit ion. Although there is still controversy on the subject, the air­ craft was disqualified for insufficient range - according to some accounts, about 300 miles less than the distance from Oakland to Hawaii.

The des ign chief on the Dole project was retained and set to work on a new

four-place cabin aircraft to be known as the Monofour. Also powered with a Wright J-5 , the Monofour was widely promoted and it was actually con­ structed in 45 days between July and August 1928 . A high-wing cabin ship similar to a Ryan , it flew well except for some longitudinal instability. The problem was subsequently solved by lengthening the fuse lage by about three feet, leading to the resignation of the

design chief. An unusual feature of the Monofour was its inverted control stick that hung from the ceiling. Although that took some getting used to, the airplane was an aeronaut ical success and Romkey urged Tannus to get it cer­ tified and into production . There seemed to be some corporate indeci­ sion, however and Tannus powwowed with his company principles and stock­ holders in the summer of 1928 to de-

Zoollling

Into

Popularity

EVER since its first announcement there has been a veritable zoom of popularity to the "Air-King".

Commercial Fields, Aviation Schools and Sportsmen first enthusiastically inquired about and then eagerly bought this fine plane of its class.

And in all the letters of inquiry and in all our personal contact the most notable tribute to the " Air-King" is the ract that its price is generally placed in the ' prospective buyer's mind as being much higher than it really is.

Owners wonder how we can give so much for so little. It is true no one can give more . Our location, buying ability, and manufacturing facilities are unex­ celled for economical production.

That is why we can give you-for only $2100-features found only on the high­ est priced airplanes.

1927 "Air-King!'

Improvement Sturdy, Ihock absorbing split llnding gear. (See illustration.)

Inspection windows in both lower win&", permiLs inipeclion of aileron control wires and pulleya without removing fa bric.

A';rodynamically improved winle tip. and rudder tor greater Iitt and maneu ­ verability.

Clearer vision for pilot and passengers.

Cowling over entire motor keeps out rain and moisture.

Instrument equipped da sh.

These added fea tu res to HAir-King's" original. efficient ba.aic design make it worthy of its first place in the field in its class.

PRICE $2100

AT

LOMAX FIELD

NATIONAL AIRWAYS SYSTEM,

AGENTS:

GET OUR

PROPOSITION

LOMAX, ILL.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

----

..

Shukri Tannus with a group of businessmen and NAS personnel in front of the Monofour. Tannus is third from the left with hat in right hand. Glen Romkey is kneeling, center.

te rmine the company ' s next course of action .

One conclusion reached at the meet-

ing was that the A ir Kin g, after about 70 examples were built , had reached the zenith of its de ve lopme ntal pos-

sibilities (limited primarily by its OX -S e ng ine ). An inex pe nsive two-place trainer sho uld be deve loped . Gl enn

Jack Romkey sitting in his replica Air King project.

18 MARCH 1990

AIR-KING

MONO FOUR

Just what flyers and business men have been waiting for. A cabin monoplane of super­ !or performance and exceedingly beautiful In appearance.

The Monofour is without doubt the great­ est performing new production job on the market. Trim and neat-finished like the most luxurious automobile-the Monofour is writing a new page in Aviation History.

a CABIN MONOPLANE for Pilot and Three Passengers Not crowd<d. or cram~d but com­ fortable and with ample space room (for arms and legs). You'lIlike the Air.King Monofour-it marks a for­ ward step in cabin jobs.

Orders are now being booked for future delivery. Write for prices and description.

National Airways System

FIELD 9, LOMAX, ILLINOIS

Romkey and Claude Flagg drew up the preliminary plans for the "Air Prince" to be built with a 90-hp LeBlond radial engine . The airplane was expected to sell for $3,250 at a company profit of $675 per unit.

The first parts of the Air Prince were welded up in Lomax, but the company was in the middle of a major move to new facilities in Peoria, Illinois at Mt. Hawley . New offices were established in the Peoria Life Building downtown and a new factory was under construc­ tion at the Mt. Hawley site. The Monofour project was relegated to the back burner and the prototype was used extensively in the 77-mile move from Lomax to Peoria, shuttling office people back and forth as the operation shifted from the far-west to the middle of the state. The one and only Air

Prince was assembled at Mt. Hawley.

It was 1929 and the stock market crash would soon complete the demise of the already struggling company .

Surviving Air Kings were used up as the years went by. Some were mod­ ified after accidents. Others just disap­ peared. The fate of the Monofour is unknown and the on ly Air Prince built crashed and burned in Texas in the late 1930s.

Of the people involved, Glenn Rom­ key returned to his airport in 8ur­ lington where he completed a success­ ful career as a pilot and businessman.

Claude Flagg designed several airplanes and wound up at Convair and General Dynamics in positions of au­ thority. Andy Yashack became a local blacksmith and repairer of farm machinery.

Romkey ' s son , Jack currently farms in Burlington, Iowa and is building a replica of the Air King. He sti ll has the original fuselage of the Dole race plane and its wings (this original fuselage was replaced wi th a wider one before the airplane was finished). He has a complete tail section from an Air King and assorted other parts. Work on the replica is going slowly, but he prom­ ises, 'Til get it done ."

Shukri Tannus was finacially ruined by the failure of NAS . In the wake of the Depression, he returned to selling oriental rugs, the business that put him through school so many years before .

With hi s faithful assistant from the NAS days, Tommy Welch as driver he was back on the road. Two years later, Tannus died of a heart attack in South Dakota . • VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

METAL AIRCRAFT ...

by W. D. "Dip" Davis (EAA 55767, AIC 1804) Cooper Aviation Supply Co.

20 MARCH 1990

The nozzle of the spray gun should be held between six and ten inches from the surface being sprayed.

Unless you have just finished fab­ ricating an airplane of pri stine , new aluminum sheets, yo ur painting project will probabl y begin with the remova l of somebody ' s o ld finish. It is se ldom possible to ac hi eve really sati sfacto ry results with just sanding and painting over a previously applied paint of any kind. Re member, your airplane is a good deal more fl ex ibl e than your car and the thicke r the paint film, the more brittle it will become. Not to me ntio n the need less weight that will be added.

Cessna ca lcul ated a 17-pound additio n to the e mpt y weight for a factory applied paint job on a 172.

Select a paint stripper carefully. Be sure that the product does not contain any ing redie nts that might induce hy­ drogen imbrittlement into the metal.

The product we recommend and the only one we now stock, is Klee n Strip Aircraft Re mover , which meets U. S. Air Force spec ification MIL-R­ 24134A. Careful preparation is re­ quired before beg inning the paint re­ mo va l operation. Plastics of any va ri­ ety must no t be ex posed to the stripper.

Fiberglas cow lings, wheel fairings , etc. , shou Id be removed from the airpl ane and the old fini sh removed

from them by sanding. Even if yo ur cow ling is all metal, remove it so that the e ng ine, engine mo unt and all acces­ sories can be wrapped in plastic like a cocoon for total protection from the e n­ suing chemica l showers.

Plastic fairings that are riveted on, such as some dorsal fins and many con­ trol surface tips, must be carefully masked off with foil or plastic tape that will be impe rvious to the stripper.

If your airplane is assembled, re­ move all re movable fairings and pref­ e rabl y all the control surfaces. Fowler type tlaps on the later mode l Cessnas need not be removed. Just ex te nd the m to the full-down position which will allow adequate access to the leading edges and to the tlap wells. It will also present a good opportunity to o btain diamond shaped wounds on your head and upper body , so watch your step .

Windshields and windows require scrupulous care. Foil tape or a heavy ce llophane backed packaging tape sho uld be applied to extend sli ghtl y past the edge of the Pl ex iglas o ut o nto the me tal surface . Thi s 1/8" or so of paint can be carefully hand sanded afte r the stripping operatio n is com­ pleted . Even the vapors from the strip­

per will create problems with later evi­ dence of crazing o r clouding if the win­ dows are not totall y protected.

Don ' t neg lect pe rsonal protection e ither. Stripper dripping from the un­ derside of a wing can drip down yo ur collar and beg in re moving your hide before you can get to the fau cet.

Coveralls buttoned tightly at the neck and sleeves , alo ng with rubber gloves, a head cover and safety goggles are the uniform of the day. Stripper is nor­ mally applied with a brush , however , don't bru sh it o ut as tho ugh you were painting . Just tlow it on evenl y and leave it undisturbed for thirty minutes or more. Brushing or stirring at this time merely breaks the waxy film and allows the ac tive ingredients to evapo­ rate rapidly before they can attack the paint. An efficient method of retaining the vapors consists of covering an en­ tire area with a plastic drop cloth ­ the 39-cent variety, not a deluxe model as you will use it o nly o nce . After an appropriate le ngth of time, depe nding on the te mperature, the plastic cover is removed taking a surprising amount of paint and sludge with it. At thi s time the remaining paint should be scrubbed with a stiff fibre brush or coarse VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

Scotchbrite pad to loosen the stubborn stuff just before rinsing. If a power washer is avail able lots of elbow grease can be spared.

Once rinsing is begun , don' t appl y any more paint remover until the airpl ane has thoroughly dried as any water on the surface totall y defeats the stripping action. You will almost in­ variabl y have to go back over some stubborn areas. Usuall y ri vet heads and skin seams will hang onto their paint and require additional se lecti ve sc ru b­ bing.

When the last vestiges of paint have been removed and you are sure you have rinsed all the stripper residue from nooks and crannies, the metal should be etched with a phosphori c acid preparation. The product we sup­ ply fo r thi s purpose is Amchem's Alumiprep Number 33. [t is mi xed with approx imately two parts of water to one part No. 33 and sponged onto the surface . Work an area no larger than that which can be kept wet fo r five or six minutes, scrubbed li ghtl y with a medium to fi ne Scotchbrite pad and thoroughly rinsed. Keep the hose or pressure washer running until all ap­ pearance of sudsing is gone. This treat­

RIGHT

ment not only removes any remaining film of paint stripper, but all ox idati on from the surface and after the rinse dries the airplane may be so shiny that you mi ght consider foregoing the new paint job in favor of leaving the bare metal . .. Hey, forget it! People with shiny bare aluminum airpl anes have two choices , either don' t fl y or poli sh after every fli ght.

The next step is often omitted but it is quite inexpensive , not very time con­ suming and offers the ultimate in cor­ ros ion protection. The chromic ac id conversion coating applied by spong­ ing on Alodine 120 I doesn' t require any scrubbing action. Merely appl y, allow to set for fi ve or six minutes and rinse with low-pressure water before the Alodine has had a chance to dry on the surface. This will leave a transpar­ ent gold tone to the surface th at is chemically inert and precludes any electrolytic action which is the way under-the- paint corros ion starts. Thi s film is rather delicate and should be coated with primer as soon as practi ca l.

We' re assuming that all the masking was removed from the windows and other pl astic parts before the etch and rinse cycle began . Now the windows

can be carefull y masked off aga in , thi s time just to the edge of the glass leav­ ing all the metal ex posed. Don' t use newspaper for masking on any porti on of your paint job. Not onl y is the paper flim sy, but the print will come off onto your beautiful fini sh. Al so the printing press leaves rows of tiny holes near the edge of the paper. Paint will invari abl y find them and leave dots where you don' t want them. If you are unabl e to get commercial masking paper, a roll of heavy-duty wrapping paper will suf­ fi ce.

Since you have etched and Alod ined the surface , an etching " wash" pri mer material is not ca lled fo r. We strongly recommend a two part strontium chro­ mate epoxy. The one we offer is top quality and relati ve ly easy to apply.

It 's prepared by mi xing equal parts of SF- IO primer and SF-320 catalyst.

This is stirred, all owed to set for a 30­ minute induction period, st irred again and sprayed just like a finish coat. No thinning is req uired . The surface will be dry to handle in an hour but the mixed material has a pot life of 72 hours or so. [I' you mi xed more than you can use today, keeping it in a re­ fri gerator will ex tend the li fe and you

WRONG

The paint spray gun must be moved parallel to the surface, If the gun is moved in an arc, the spray pattern will be thick in some spots and thin in others.

22 MARCH 1990

B INSUFFICIENT ATOMIZING AIR PRESSURE

A NORMAL SPRAY PATTERN

C EXCESSIVE ATOMIZING AIR PRESSURE

o MATERIAL BUILO-UP AROUNO ONE SIDE

OF THE FLUIO NOULE

E ONE WING PORT HOLE PLUGGED UP Paint spray pattern defects.

can use it so long as it hasn't begun to thicken up. Clean your paint gun and equipment with regular lacquer thin­ ner. The primer can be sanded easily if required and makes an excellent sur­ facer for all plastic parts . If the fibers of your Fiberglas cowling are showing, apply a couple more coats of SF-lOl 320 and sand as required to obtain a smooth finish .

Finish coat application can begin in as little as an hour after applying the primer, but if it's necessary for the job to sit more than three days before paint is applied, you should lightly scuff the entire surface with a fine Scotchbrite pad and blow the dust off before begin­ ning .

Now, about that finish coat ...

Since you have devoted all that time and effort into proper preparation, you're not going to apply a 1940s technology finish, are you? Ultimate results can be obtained with a polyurethane enamel. There are many hybrid products available including some of the most highly touted finishes but the most durable and attractive "wet look" will result from an aliphatic polyester urethane topcoat - a one to one mix of color and catalyst. The only drawback, except for the few extra bucks that it costs, is the toxicity. If you are working in a two car garage with no way to rig an exhaust fan, you

probably shouldn't use a polyurethane .

If you have asthma or other respiratory problems, you definitely should not use it. In any case, take all the proper pre­ cautions to provide ventilation and a fresh air source for breathing purposes.

You'll find the application no more dif­ ficult than an alkyd enamel and much the same spray techniques are use.

Thin the mixed color with a reducer appropriate to the shop temperature to a viscosity of approximately 19 sec­ onds through a number two Zahn cup (Doesn't that sound high tech? - You can buy one for a couple of bucks at Sears.) and apply two full, wet coats with about 50 pounds air pressure at the gun . Masking for trim colors can begin in four or five hours at normal temperatures .

The airplane should be reassembled before applying trim colors as most stripe lines will be continued onto the cowling and perhaps onto the rudder.

Primary controls should be checked for static balance in accordance with the airframe manufacturer's recommenda­ tions before reinstalling, and you may wish to use new shiny hardware to fas­ ten everything in place. If you prefer painted screw heads , they may be punched into a scrap piece of corre­ gated paper box, painted in clusters and allowed to dry thoroughly before using.

Regular good quality masking tape that works well with dopes and lac­ quers, is not good enough to give clean lines with polyurethane finishes. Use "Fineline" tape, which is a green, plas­ tic-surfaced material with no crepe ap­ pearance . It will conform to a curve by stretching and is no more difficult to shape to elaborate designs than is the paper stuff. One word of caution ­ when crossing tape lines to make such shapes, it's not adequate to rub the in­ tersection down with a thumbnail as you would do with paper tape. Care­ fully cut the top tape where it crosses the lower one and stick a small piece of tape over the crack.

All masking should be carefully re­ moved as soon as the painting is com­ pleted. If unwanted spots or lines have escaped your masking, clean engine oil on a soft cloth will remove them with­ out harming the base color. Imperfec­ tions or other boo-boos can be sanded and spotted in for a day or two after application. Once the paint has cured completely, spot repairs cannot be blended into the finish, it will be neces­ sary to paint the entire panel to a line or skin seam.

With normal care your airplane should look great for up to twice as long as the original factory finish lasted . • VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by H. Glenn Buffington

24 MARCH 1990

FIRST WOMEN~S AIR DERBY

60TH ANNIVERSARY

SANTA MONICA TO CLEVELAND Winning Pilot: Louise Thoden, 1929 Re-creation: Suson Dusenbury, 1989 Plone Flown: Trovel Air 04000

.......

-August 18, 1989-FLIGHT PLAN-August 26, 1989足

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Any event can become history in the making, and the First Women's Air Derby of 1929 was such an eve nt. Last summer, 60 years later to the day, the winning airplane, a Travel Air 4000 flew the same route again. The celebration commemorated a benchmark in aviation.

In 1929, women flew in national competition or the first time and sig足 nificantly helped to influence others to fly . Perhaps some of the World War II W ASP were attracted to aviation by reading about or witnessing this event - fledglings ready to fly!

In the original race, 20 pilots started from Santa Monica. California and 15 buzzed the Cleveland. Ohio finish line nine days later, August 26, 1929 足 remarkable results considering aircraft and e ngi ne reliab ility in those earlier days. Alphabetically, the en tries were: Florence (Pancho) Barnes, Marvel Crosson , Amelia Earhart, Ruth Elder.

Claire Fahy, Mary Haizlip, Opal Kun z . Jessie Maude Miller, Ruth Nichols, Blanche Noyes, Gladys O'Donnell, Phoebe Omlie, Neva Paris . Margaret Perry , Thea Rasche, VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

Edith Foltz Steams, Louise Thaden , Bobbi Trout, Mary von Mach and Vera Dawn Walker.

Louise Thaden won the big event , flying the 2,759-mile course in 20 hours , 19 minutes, 2 seconds, averag­ ing 135 .97 mph. She was followed by Gladys O'Donnell and Amelia Earhart in the heavy-plane class. It was Phoebe Omlie , Edith Foltz Steams and Jessie Maude Miller in the light plane divi ­ sion. (Steams flew for the ATA in En­ gland during World War II.) The Thaden winning plane - a blue and gold J-5 Travel Air 04000 , NC671 H - was " lost" for years . Dub Yarbrough of Grand Rapids, Michigan finally located and rebuilt it. Dub is a Trustee of the Staggerwing Museum Foundation, Inc., an offshoot of the Beechcraft Staggerwing group. He was a close friend of Louise Thaden and promised her 12 years ago, two years before her death, that he would find and rebuild the winning 1929 Travel Air. After a six-year search the plane was located and plans were formulated for the rebuilding work. He was ably assisted by Bobby Graves, Gene Hood, Richard Blazier, Harman Dick­ erson, Jim Younkin and Steve Pfister, among others.

Susan Dusenbury, 40, of Greensboro, North Carolina flew NC671 H on the 60th annivarsary flight. She is an EAA enthusiast , owns a Culver Cadet and currently is a DC-9

pilot for Airborne Express. She learned to fly 25 years ago, flew for the com­ muter airlines Air Carolina/Air Vir­ ginia , and was one of Charles Robb's several personal pilots when he was governor of Virginia. Susan has logged

over 10,000 hours of flight time.

Yarbrough ' s choice of Dusenbury to make the flight was simple, "She's got the same spit, polish and drive - and twinkle in her eye - as Louise did.

And her middle name is Louise!"

[n celebration of the 60th anniver­ sary of this historic race , an efficient committee was formed to relive the past. The [nitial Tour Committee con­ sisted of: W . C. "Dub" Yarbrough, Program Manager and Coordinator; former EAL Captain, Bill Thaden , Flight Coordinator; W. Brad Thomas , Jr. In-flight Program Manager; Susan Louise Dusenbury, Tour Pilot; and Evelyn Brooks, Liaison/Communica­ tions, who helped greatly in holding the whole operation together. Evelyn said, 'The tour could not have been accomplished without the support at the 18 stops from The Ninety-Nines, along with the assistance of airport and civic officials , members of the EAA , Beechcraft, Staggerwing Museum Foundation and Airborne Express."

Mary Haizlip and Bobbi Trout, the two survivors of the original group of the 1929 pilots, joined the send-off group August 18 , 1989 on the ramp outside the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica , California. Through their tenacity, both were among the 1929 finishers at Cleveland.

Dusenbury was satisfied with her flight time for the 1989 routing - 24 hours flat. Susan said, "[ was not striv­ ing to break Louise's record, because I felt the 1929 record should stand, hers to keep. Also, because of the high-density traffic today, the FAA has set up terminal control areas you have to fly around - Louise didn't have

Susan taxis the Travel Air past the An 124 at EM Oshkosh '89 26 MARCH 1990

The Travel Air's panel.

those restricted air spaces . She flew from Santa Monica to San Bernardino in 27 minutes and it took me an hour and five minutes ." Further quotes from Susan, "I thought it would be a won­ derful way to honor Loui se Thaden and all women in av iati on. Those earl y gals paved the way for me to have the job I have today . I love fl ying and I owe it to women like Louise."

Numerous aircraft flew in escort on various legs during the reenactment of the 1929 Derby. W. Brad Thomas, Jr. , Southeast Regional Vice-President of the Staggerwing Mu sem, and Gene Chase, Advisor to EAA Antique/ Classic Division, flew the entire rout­ ing . They piloted Thomas' Mooney 20C , N658 I U, and aided in clearances and communications for Susan in the

I. to r. - Mrs. Cliff Henderson, Mary Haizlip, Bobbi Trout and Susan Dusenbury at Santa Monica, August 17, 1989.

Travel Air. All the other accompany­ ing planes were Beechcraft Stagger­ wings except Reb Stimson and Bill Hill who flew their open-cockpit Wacos on the Abilene-Fort Worth leg .

Beechcraft facilities figured promi­ nently in the receptions at the enroute stops. Gene Chase reported. "The weather delays were disappointing for us and those who had to cancel planned festivities. But all in all , the tour was great and we met many wonderful people ."

A number of the 60th Tour person­ nel joined others at Tullahoma , Ten­ nessee for the 1989 Staggerwing/ Trave l Air/Twin Beech International Convention , October 11-16. On the 14th , the " 0. A . Beech" Staggerwing, un-covered to illustrate the aircraft 's inner intricacies, was dedicated as another welcome addition to the Staggerwing Museum.

In a fitting tribute , Loui se McPhet­ ridge Thaden was posthumously in­ ducted into the Virginia Aeronautical Society Hall of Fame , November II, 1989 - the day before her 84th birth­ date . The Society 's Virginia Air Museum, based at Richmond Interna­ tional Airport, displays her Travel Air, NC67 I H "over the winter months." .

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

~ASS

IT TO

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

of that little camera. Some of you re­ member those box cameras with the neat viewfinder on the top . The trick was to put the subject squarely in the frame . It required stooping over and shading the viewfinder with one hand whi le you backed up for the focal length . You guessed it' With all of us shoutin' and hollerin' he got a rapid , I ,OOO-rpm spanking! He never got the picture , but I'll never forget that mo­ ment. We all had a good laugh about it later, but "Spanky" never lived it down . For years afterward he would drop his pants to show people the result € of his encounter. It didn't read Sen­ ~ senich or Flottorp either. ~ I propped many airplanes as the ~ years went by and made a study of

by Buck Hilbert (EM 21, Ale 5) P.O. Box 424 Union, Il 60180

Prop'er Behavior

During the summer of 1940 when I was a lineboy at the old Elmhurst Air­ port west of Chicago, we were running in a newly overhauled engine . In those days, there was a regular schedule for break-in after the overhaul was com­ pleted . We ran them up at half-hour intervals at increasing rpm until fi­ nally, after about four hours we brought them up to take-off power.

Only then was it allowed to fly . Quite a difference as compared with today .

Nowadays , you just put the power to it and fly at full throttle for the first 28 MARCH 1990

hour.

Anyway, there sits this Cub with the stick tied back and the engine running at about 1,000 rpm, unattended, doing its own break-in. I hasten to add that this airplane did not belong to us. Har­ bicon Airways would never do a thing like that! (Now I'll tell you abou t a certain bridge you can buy.)

Well, this fellow is posing his girlfriend alongside our Porterfield PL­ 50 . He has her standing by the door, liquidly draped around the wing strut and he's trying to get her into the frame

propping. Some engines were easy, some were downright recalcitrant. The easiest of the lot are the Kinners and R-985 s such as on a BT -13 . The Kin­ ner will start every time with those Bendix mags throwin' a spark an inch and a half. You don't really prop the Kinner, you just gingerly pull it past compression and get the heck out of the way . I've had them back up on me and catch from the wrong way when they're too lean, but they'll go on the next pull. Again, it takes extreme care to be absolutely sure it isn' t "hot."

We were standing in the hangar one day working on a Ryan STA and a good friend of mine was supervising (like any good sidewalk superinten­ dent) . He was leaning up against the prop of my PT-22 but it wasn't quite comfortable enough for him so he went to re-position the prop . He turned it about 30 degrees, the impulse snapped and there was Carl stretched to his full height, his back against the STA's tail with my PT-22's 90-inch prop whisk­ ing hi s fly. Fortunately , it only hit about four cylinders and then quit.

Wow! I was up in that cockpit and

checking before Carl could even let out the breath he had been holding to make himse lf that sk inny. The switch was on "both" but luckily the mixture was at idle cut-off and the fuel was off. It turned out the airport owner's kids had been playing in the cockpit and fooling arou nd with the switches. The kid I think was responsible is now an aero­ batic show pilot. He still likes to fool around .

A year or so after this one, I was all alone out front of the hangar at the same airport and I was go ing to take my two youngest kids for a ride in our Champ. I'd just gassed up and added a quart of oil (my Number One son always seemed to leave the airplane empty and down a quart) and was ready to aviate . There wasn't anyone else within close range, so I elected to prop it myself. I had the two kids side- by-side on cushions in the back seat under the one belt. I put my right foot in front of the right tire and propped it seaplane style from behind . I was be­ tween the prop and the door. Ju st as I snapped it through , I heard my daughter say, "I'll help you, daddy," and she shoved the throttle forward. It caught, of course, and there I was in a helluva predicament.

My right foot is the chock, the door won't let me get to the throttle or the sw itch and the engine is turnin ' about 1,700 rpm. I' m dancing around in a circle trying desperately not to lose it! If I pull my foot out from in front of the wheel it ' ll go for sure. I can't get around the door and under the strut , I can't grab and stop the prop at 1,700 rpm without chopping my arm off and I'm literally helpless . About the second I' m ready to give up and let it happen , the front door of the office bursts open and one of the guys comes run­ ning out to cut the switch . I would have kissed him if I had the strength , but all I could do was sit down and mumble

my thank s - over and over again .

Shortly after thi s one, I was at the old Chicagoland Airport one day when a friend of mine who owned a T-6 had an experience . He was parked between two rows of airplanes and decided to prop the " Six ." The battery had died long ago and, like most o f us in the 1960s, he couldn't afford to buy a new one . He had been propping the plane for years so it should have been no problem . Thi s time , though , through a mismanaged mess-up , it started and went to 1,600 to 1,700 rpm like right

NOW! Normally an R-985 or 1340 will fire, mutter, spang and gradually ac­ celerate to idle so slowly you can lei­ surely walk around the wing , crawl up to the cockpit and still have time for a coke and a sandwich before it finally clears its throat. Not thi s time . It tore down the line and went through two airplanes before it wrapped itself up in one of those cast-iron Navions. Paul himse lf had quite a problem there. You can imagine how much insurance he had since he couldn ' t even afford to buy a battery . It took him several years to payoff the damages to the other

airplanes and he trucked his T-6 home, where it sat until he died.

Same airport , same scene - almost the same tiedown . The STA had been flying for about four years. Our trusty Red Baloney is going to take his niece up for a ride . There was no one around so he put her in the front seat, set up the engine controls, told her to hold the brakes and started pulling through the prop. About four blades and away it went. It spurted right up to about I ,700 rpm . He dropped to the ground as the airplane rumbled over him and he grabbed one of the flying wires under the wing as it went by. With him hanging on for dear life, the Ryan did two 360s between the parked planes .

He was hollerin' for his niece to tum it OFF , but she misun­ derstood and further complicated matters by jumping out and getting knocked down by the tail as it swung by. About this time the engine quit because he did something right. He had turned off the fuel as I'd taught him to do when he propped it himself.

Niece was bruised, but the airplane and everyone else was okay so what caused the problem?

He looked under the cowl, and there was the fractured end of the throttle push-pull rod! It broke from corrosion and wear right at the firewall . Lesson? You betcha! Next time, we tie the tail.

We are learning! One day I propped Bob Heuer's Pitts when I saw him all alone. Then he asked me to untie the tail. A couple of months later I noticed that Bob Davis , another aerobatic pilot had a tow hitch on his Pitts-Smith.

What 's he doing with a tow hitch?

Simple. He sez, "I can prop it myself and then after I get in and all suited up and ready to go, I just pull the release and I'm free." Lesson, there are some real practical people in the world.

Over to you . • VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

Where The Sellers and Bu ers Meet...

25¢ per word, $5.00 minimum charge. Send your ad to The Vintage Trader, fAA Aviation Center Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591.

AN INVITATION

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AIRCRAFT:

THE SANTA MONICA

(2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934. Package includes extra engine and spares. Fuselage, wing spars and extra props. Museum quality! $30,000 firm! No tire kickers, collect calls or pen pals, please! E.E. "'Buck"' Hilbert, P.O. Box 424 , Union, IL 60180-0424.

MUSEUM OF FLYING

IN

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Big, roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot. VW power insures hard to beat 3V2 gph at cruise setting . 15 large instruction sheets. Plans - $60.00. Info Pack - $5.00. Send check or money order to : ACRO SPORT, INC., Box 462 , Hales Corners, WI 53130. 414/529-2609 .

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ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unlimited aerobatics. 23 sheets of clear, easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings, photos and exploded views. Complete parts and materials list. Full size wing drawings. Plans plus 139 page Builder's Manual - $60.00. Info Pack - $5.00.

Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $15.00. The Technique of Aircraft Building - $12.00 plus $2.50 postage. Send check or money order to: ACRO SPORT, INC., Box 462, Hales Corners, WI 53130 . 414/529-2609 .

We are currently accepting

ENGINES:

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MISCELLANEOUS: Super Cub PAl8 fuselages repaired or rebuilt - in precision master fix­ tures. All makes of tube assemblies or fuselages repaired or fabricated new.

J. E. Soares Inc. , 7093 Dry Creek Road, Belgrade, Montana 59714 , 406/388­ 6069, Repair Station 065-21 . (cl4-90) Will Share my treasure of aircraft parts! - 24-year collection with continu­ ous additions ... and still buying ... for all types of aircraft. Tell me what you need! Air Salvage of Arkansas, Rt. 1, Box 8020 , Mena, Arkansas 71953, phone 501 /394-1022 anytime. (c-3/90) JN4-D Memorabilia - "Jenny Mail" collector cachets, actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh , along with T-shirts, pins, posters, etc. Send SASE for catalog/ pricing . Virginia Aviation Co., RD . 5, Box 294, Warrenton , VA 22186. (c-5/90) Let the government finance your small business. Grants/loans to $500 ,000.

Free recorded message: 707/449-8600. (HP7) (2-2) NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume! Covering ali EAA journals 1953 through 1989. Newly organized, easier to read. MUCH RE­ DUCED PRICE! Past purchasers : $7.50 USD plus $1 .50 UPS/postage, $3.00 Canadian, $7.00 other. New purchasers: $15 USD plus $1 .50 UPS/postage, $3.00 Canadian , $7.00 other. VISA/MASTERCARD accepted. John B. Berge­ son, 6438 W. Millbrook Road, Remus, MI 49340. 517/561-2393. Note: Have all journals. Will make copy of any article(s) from any issue at 25q; per page. ($3.00 minimum).

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Factory Clearance on 50x40 ; 60x60 ; 50x50 and others. EX: 50x40 arches only $3,620. Universal Steel, 1-800-548-6871 . (3-1)

WANTED:

WANTED : Right streamlined gear leg, tapered axle, shinn wheel for 1938 Aeronca C50 Chief. Minor axis 7/8 inch, major 2 inch. Also complete set of rudder, brake pedals for Fleet 16B. Smith, 204 Lockport, Plainfield, ill inois.

60544-1940.

30 MARCH 1990

Select items will

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by George Hardie Jr.

Here's another contender in the 1930s airplane market that didn't make it. The photo was taken in Wichita, Kansas and was submitted by George Goodhead of Tulsa, Oklahoma. An­ swers will be published in the June 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Deadline for that issue is April 10, 1990.

The December 1989 Mystery Plane

drew two interesting answers. Lloyd S . Gates of Norway, Maine writes: "The December Mystery Plane is the one and only Dayton-Wright Mes­ senger. It is reported to have been de­ signed by O .W . Thomas, who was working at Dayton-Wright at the time , and the airplane was used as a test bed for the engine to be used in the Ketter­ ing "Bug", an early pilotless bomb .

Dayton-Wright "Messenger" 34 MARCH 1990

"The airplane was powered by a four-cylinder, two-cycle air-cooled Vee engine of 40 hp, designed by C.H. Wills or Harold Morehouse (take your pick). The engine is usually referred to as a dePalma but it was also known as a W.B .B. The significance of these in­ itials is unknown.

"The photo was probably taken at South Field, Dayton, Ohio in August 1918. I expect that you may receive several responses to this one as the photo appeared several times in vari­ ous publication and is confused with the Sperry Messenger which is an en­ tirely different aircraft."

Nathan Rounds of Zebulon, Georgia adds this : " It is the Dayton-Wright Messenger of the 1919 era, as the Armistice of World War I caused some aircraft com­ panies to turn their attention to small single-seat sport planes.

"The Messenger was powered by a two-cycle, four-cylinder, Vee type en­ gine, a dePalma weighing 3.7 pounds per hp and had a fuel consumption of four gallons per hour. The airplane re­ sembled the deHavilland types in land­

ing gear, wing attachment to center section, groundloop skids, etc . Single cables were used for the flying and landing wires. They were streamlined with rubber fairings. The fuselage was constructed of longerons, veneer sides and wood strips instead of wires.

"Speed was given as 37 to 85 mph.

The engine developed 37 hp at 2 ,000 rpm. Empty weight was 476 pounds with 12 gallons of gasoline . Length was 17 feet, six inches, span 19 feet three inches, height six feet one inch, maximum gross weight 636 pounds . It

would make a good homebuilt

sportplane today ."

Other answers were received form

Frank M. Pavliga, Cuyahoga Falls,

Ohio; John C. Nordt III, South Miami,

Florida; and Charley Hayes, Park For­

est, Illinois . •

CORRECTION:

THE CAIN SPORT

Bob Pauley of Farmington Hills , Michigan called our attention to a typographical error in the answer pub­ lished in the October 1989 issue . His story adds some further details on the CAIN (not Cairn) Sport . - George Hardie, Jr .

The Cain Aircraft Corporation was formed in January 1931 by Harry Cain , who had previously worked at Stinson Aircraft and later for Verville Aircraft.

That January he opened a small shop at 10527 Gratiot Avenue, about a half mile from the Detroit City Airport .

There, with the help of some local air­ craft mechanics, he built the Cain Sport , a two-place, side-by-side , parasol-wing trainer. Cain had done most of the design work in his spare time while working at his previous jobs . His goal was to have the airplane

on display at the upcoming National Aircraft show. That show was sched­ uled for April I I through April 19, 193 I at the nearby Detroit City Air­ port . This gave Cain slightly over three months to complete the airplane!

As could be expected , the airplane was not finished in time for the open­ ing of the show on Saturday, April II. By working day and night that week, Cain and his crew completed the airplane the following Friday at 3:00 a.m. and it was placed on display dur­ ing the last two days of the show . Un­ fortunately, because of the late arrival , the new airplane was not shown in the main hangar display area but was rele­ gated to an adjacent tent erected for late arrivals. As a result, the new Cain design received a minimum of publi­ city and, more importantly, no orders.

Undaunted, although somewhat disap­ pointed, Cain test flew the prototype

by Robert Pauley

the following week at the Detroit City Airport .

Cain planned to offer the airplane in two versions, one with a "slow" wing for training that gave a maximum speed of 100 mph and a "speed" wing with a 135-mph top speed. Further­ more, a cabin version of the Cain was planned as a future development.

Two Cain airplanes were built . The prototype that was shown at the Na­ tional Aircraft Show carried the CAB registration number I I 191 as a regis­ tered aircraft with no Type Approval.

The second airplane was completed in September 193 I under a Group Two Approval (#-383) and carried registra­ tion NC 11342. It differed from the prototype in the shape of the fin and rudder and used a fixed-pitch metal propeller instead of a wooden one . Un­ fortunately , I can find no record as to the ultimate fate of either airplane . • VINTAGE AIRPLANE 35