VA-Vol-19-No-10-Oct-1991

STRAIGHT & LEVEL

by Espie "Butch" Joyce

The other day I received a card from Mr. Earl Stahl (A/C 11013) of Yorktown, Virginia. This card was in reference to our membership drive. I am sure that you have seen the hard card pullout which will also be included in this issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Earl was con­ cerned with the tardiness of the VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine which has been the case during the past year. I wrote to Earl, assuring him that we were aware of our problem and were working on it. When you receive this October issue, it will be within a day or two of being on schedule. (This issue will be mailed October 3rd, close to our normal scheduled date - HGF) I really didn't want to bore Earl with all the reasons causing this problem, but we are working on it. H.G. Frautschy, our Editor, is very concerned about it and I have to admit that sometimes the tardiness of the magazine is caused by me not having my Straight & Level article in on time. It always seems when it is time for me to write this article, everything at my office gets really hectic and my article gets put aside. I generally try to do my article on the weekend, but I become interested in work­ ing on my airplane and other projects. I apologize to the membership for any con­ cerns they may have had concerning the tardiness of the magazine. Hopefully, this won't be the case in the future!

2 OCTOBER 1991

I appreciate Earl's concern and any member who has concerns for the Division, I welcome your comments.

While talking to H.G. on the phone, he reported that the first month he has been tracking our membership drive, we have picked up 84 new members. This is a very good response, and I really do ap­ preciate the membership promoting .our Division. By increasing our numbers, we can look forward to enhancing our ser­ vices, as well as holding the line on any dues increase by spreading the load over a larger group.

As I am putting this article on tape, I am sitting in my hangar at Shiloh Airport, looking out the door. A good friend of mine, Henry Miller (A/C 7623), has just taxied out in his Piper Super Cub of 1953 vintage that Henry has owned for about 15 years. He rebuilt this aircraft into one nice airplane. Henry is taking a gentleman for a ride in his aircraft. He really takes pride introducing new people to aviation, simp­ ly because of his love for aviation and the joy that it gives him. Aviation is lucky to have people like Henry.

This past weekend I made a trip to Annapolis, Maryland to spend the weekend at a seminar. The flight was a good illustration of what the airways are becoming today. I do not bring up this subject to carry any torch about it, but I would like to relate some of my experien­ ces along this line. I decided since An­ napolis was very close to the Washington-Baltimore TCA, and all the Naval restricted areas there, to make the flight VFR. I left Shiloh Airport with the scattered cloud layer down to about 1500 feet, so I climbed to 5500 feet on top to get over a MOA that is located in central Virginia. I passed that MOA, descended below 2500 feet to avoid another MOA, then proceeded directly to Frederick­ sburg, Virginia. We were getting close to the Washington TCA - the loran was flashing to alert me that we were close in.

At Fredericksburg, I took up a heading of 075, descending to 2000 feet MSL and proceeded in that direction to stay under the TCA. Also, the heading would let me avoid the naval restricted areas associated with the Patuxent River Naval Air Station.

I flew that heading until I reached the west coast of the Chesapeake Bay, then flew up the coast at 1500 feet to a small airport of Lee, which is just south of Annapolis, Maryland, and landed there. This airport is a small field of 2400 feet by 50 feet wide and was just covered with aircraft. I sup-

pose that a lot of us who live in rural areas, as I do, do not appreciate the advantages we have of not being as crowded as those in the Northwest Corridor and other large metropolis areas! Another example: I used to leave Shiloh and to to South Boston, Virginia to Emporia, Virginia direct to Norfolk, Virginia where my sister lives.

One day when I left and finally got in touch with approach to get my clearance, they said stand by for rerouting. The rerouting was from my position to Rich­ mond, Virginia to Williamsburg, Virginia then to Norfolk, Virginia. That is almost 90 miles out of the way, so I asked "What altitude can I file so I can go direct?" They said "There is no altitude that you can fly to go direct from your position to Norfolk, Virginia, as Raleigh, North Carolina has taken this area as an arrival corridor for their airport."

I suppose I am just frustrated between arrival corridors, TCAs, Military Opera­ tional Areas and military restricted areas in our area. It just really gets to you some­ times. Like I said, there is no conclusion to be drawn from this; I was just relating some of my frustrations to everyone. It sure does make taking my Clip-Wing Cub out of the hangar and flying around our local area a lot more pleasurable than flying cross-country today.

In November your Antique/Classic Board of Directors will be meeting for their quarterly meeting. If anyone has concerns for the Division, or any item of business that should be brought up at the board meeting, please contact me at least by the third week in October.

January 1, 1992 is the date we will offi­ cially recognize the Contemporary category of airplanes in our Division. These are aircraft manufactured from January 1, 1956 until December 31,1960. In 1992, we will also be parking these aircraft in our showplane area. I would like to encourage everyone who would like to park in our showplane area, to start getting their airplane up to showplane standards. This era of aircraft represents a lot of memories to a good number of today's pilots, including myself - I learned to fly during tlus time.

Also, I would like to mention that ADA, Inc. in Greensboro, our agent for the Anti­ que/Classic Division insurance program and Global Aircraft, our underwriters for the program, will, by the [ust of the year, have Contemporary aircraft premium rates in place for these aircraft. You should contact ADA, Inc. (they have an ad in tIUs magazine) and see what our insurance program can do for you.

Remember, we are better together.

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

...

PUBLICATION STAFF PUBLISHER Tom Poberezny VICE-PRESIDENT MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Dick Matt

EDITOR

Henry G. Frautschy

MANAGING EDITOR

Golda Cox

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 919j427'{)216

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

Milwaukee. WI 53216 414/442-3631

Secretary Steven C. Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Lea. MN 56007

Treasurer

E.E. "Buck" Hilbert

P.O. Box 424

Union. IL 60 180

815/923-4591

W7/373-1674

DIRECTORS Robert C. "Bob" Brauer John Berendt 9345 S. Hoyne 7645 Echo Point Rd .

Chicago. IL 60620 Cannon Falls. MN 55009 312/779-2105 W7/263-2414 Gene Chase 2159 Carlton Rd .

Oshkosh. WI 54904 414/231-5002

John S. Copeland P.O. Box 1035 Westborough. MA 01581

W8/836-1911

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

George Daubner

2448 Lough Lane

Hartford. WI 53027

414/673-5885

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

Stan Gomoll

1042 90th Lane. NE

Minneapolis. MN 55434 612/784-1172

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

Jeannie Hill

P.O. Box 328

Harvard. IL 60033

815/943-7205

Robert D. "Bob" Lumley Robert lickteig 1265 South 124th St. 1708 Bay Oaks Drive Brookfield. WI 53005 Albert Lea. MN 56007 414/782-2633 W7/373-2922 Gene Morris 115C Steve Court. R.R.2 Roanoke. TX 76262 817/491-9110

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

S.H. "Wes" Schmid 2359 Lefeber Avenue Wauwatosa. WI 53213 414/771-1545

DIRECTOR EMERITUS S.J. Wittman

7200 S.E. 85th Lane

Ocala. FL 32672

904/245-7768

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

Jimmy Rollison 823 Carrion Circle Winters. CA 95694-1665 916/795-4334

Dean Richardson 6701 Colony Drive Madison. W 53717 608/833-1291

Geoff Robison 1521 E. MacGregor Dr. New Haven. IN 46774 219/493-4724

October 1991 •

Vol. 19, No. 10

Copyright © 1991 by the EAA Antique/Classic Division. Inc. All rights reserved.

Contents 2 Straight & Level/by Espie "Butch" Joyce 4 Aeromail 5 A/C News/compiled by H.G. Frautschy 7 Vintage Literature/by Dennis Parks 11 Plus A Bit Of History

by Skeeter Carlson

12 What A Man Will Do To Fly

by H.G. Frautschy

14 What Our Members Are Restoring

by Norm Petersen

15 Jerry Brown's Waco UPF-7

by H.G. Frautschy

19 Buzz Kaplan, Gary Underland and the Curtiss Robin J6-5

by Norm Petersen

23 Pass It To BUCk/by E.E. "Buck" Hilbert 24 The First Cropduster

by Robert Whitmoyer

26 New Products/Book Review 27 Snap-on's Hints For Hombuilders 28 CalendarfWelcome New Members 29 Vintage Trader 33 Mystery Plane/by George Hardie FRONT COVER ... Buzz Kaplan has plenty of glass in his Siver Age Champion Curtiss Robin J6-5 during his rendevous over Lake Winnebago during EAA OSHKOSH '91. Photo by Carl Schuppel. shot with Canon EOS-l with 80-200 lens. 1/2501h sec. at f5.6 using Kodachrome 64. Photo plane flown by Buck Hilbert.

BACK COVER ... Jerry Brown puts EAA's camera ship between the cabane struts on his Custom Champion Waco UPF-7 over the central Wisconsin countryside. Photo by Jim Koepnick. shot with Canon EOS-l with 80-200 lens. 1/500th sec. at f5.6 using Kodachrome 64.

The words EM, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM. SPORT AVIATION. and lhe logos 01 EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC., EM INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION. EM ANTIOUEjCLASSIC DIVISION INC.,INTERNATIONALAEROBATIC CLUB INC .•WARBIRDS OF AMERICA INC. are registered trademarks. THE EM SKY SHOPPE and logos olttle EM AVIATION FOUNDATION INC. and EM ULTRALIGHT CONVIENTION are trademarks 01 It1e above associations and lt1eir use by any person ottler than It1e above associations is strictly prohibited.

Editorial Policy: Readers are eooouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely ttlose 01 ttle authors.

Responsibility lor accuracy in repor1ing rests entirely wittllt1e contributor. Material sI10uld be sent to: Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE. P.O. Box 3006, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone: 414/4264800.

The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (SSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by EM Antique/Classic Division, Inc. 01 It1e Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. and is published monthly at EM Aviation Center, P.O. Box 3006, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 and additional mailing offlCOs.The membership rate lor EM Antique/Classic Division, Inc. is $20.00 lor aJrrent EM members lor 12 monttl period of which $12.00 is lorttle publication of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to ail who are interested in aviation.

ADVERTISING· Antique/Classic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered ttlrough our advertising. We invite constructive criticism and wek>ome My report 01 interior merchandise obtained through our advertising so ttlat corrective measures can be taken.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EM Antique/Classic Division, Inc. P.O. Box 3006, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3006.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

INTERNATIONAL VISITOR Dear Friends, This year I returned to Oshkosh!

What a pleasure! I could see that the EAA spirit is stronger than ever!

I could sit at the A/C Headquarters and talk with people so different than me in certain aspects, like age, way of life, job, etc., but with the same spirit and love with aviation.

Here is Brazil we are a group with the same spirit. We have a condominium, with an approximately 2400 foot grass strip, where we are building our han­ gars, chesting (can I say this in English?) our birds.

There are beautiful birds; a Canadian Fieet,a TaylorE-2,aJ-3, Cessnas 140and 170, among others, and my loved Stinson Voyager 108-2 (serial number 2719).

Weare preparing all the things to fund an EAA function in the near future.

We invite all of our EAA friends who visit Brazil to contact us, so we can improve our friendship.

I am sending a photo of my Stinson, named "Spirit Of The Thing" (here in Brazil we have a joke that says "We're understanding everything when we un­ 4 OCTOBER 1991

derstand the spirit of the thing! ") and I hope to see it in VINTAGE AIRPLANE some day.

Joaquim Ferreira Pinto R. Agisse 230/84

Sao Paulo - Brazil 05439

Look for Joaquim 's Stinson on page 14, "What out Members Are Restor­ ing". - HGF ... AND ANOTHER VISITOR Gentleman, On July 29th I flew into Oshkosh for the annual convention in my '46 Cessna 120.

It has been several years since I have flown in, many times driving to the con­ vention instead. I was delighted with the "treasures" presented to the par­ ticipants like myself.

The coffee mugs offered in the past have been nice mementos, but the drink­ ing mug presented this year was impres­ sive with the EAA logo on the side. I was particularly appreciative of the An­ tique/Classic wall plaque with the at­ tached Polaroid photo. Every time I gaze upon this plaque I will think back

to the great time I had.

Sincerely yours, George B. Dowell Dayton,OH EXTRA CREDIT Dear Sir, After reading Dick Hill's article on Max Krueger's Brunner Winkle Bird airplane, I was disappointed that Mr. Hill failed to give credit to my husband, Hoyt Smith. My husband Hoyt did the actual restoration on the "Bird", assisted by our son, Jack Smith. When you have lived and breathed an airplane as we did the "Bird", you tend to be very posses­ sive of it.

The "Bird" is flying well and has recently been moved to Castroville, Texas from its original home at San Geronimo Airpark.

Hoyt is presently restoring a 1928 Curtiss Fledgling biplane owned by Mr. John Killian of of San Antonio, Texas.

Thanks for letting me sound off.

Sincerely, Monna Smith San Antonio, Texas

We're happy to set th e record straight, Manna. - HGF

compiled by H.G. Frautschy

ADULT AIR ACADEMY

OFFERED IN '92

The Adult EAA AIR ACADEMY '92 is scheduled for February 24-29, 1992. The basic skills of aircraft build­ ing and restoration, owner maintenance of certified aircraft, and presentations by key Headquarters staff plus the op­ portunity to share in hangar sessions with fellow aviation enthusiasts will be featured. Planned activities for each day include a half-hour program about EAA, an hour devoted to owner main­ tenance of certified aircraft and three 2 -hour sessions in the Cessna Aeronautical Restoration Center of the EAA Air Adventure Museum. Planned hands-on activities include welding, fabric covering, woodworking and sheet metal work. Composite construc­ tion, upholstery and other topics will be demonstrated and/or discussed as well.

The $650.00 registration fee includes housing, lunches, instruction, materials and necessary local transportation. For additional information or registration forms contact the Education Office at EAA Headquarters (414) 426-4888.

youth of your community. For more information please write or call (414) 426-4888 the Education Office at EAA Headquarters.

OSHKOSH '91 VIDEO As soon as the dust settled here at EAA Headquarters after the annual con­ vention, EAA's crack Video staff began work on this year's production of "EAA OSHKOSH '91, Aviation at its Best."

Expected to be ready for release when you read this, this video will review the many highlights of EAA OSHKOSH '91, including the celebration of the Golden Age of Racing, the tribute to the "Flying Tigers" on their 50th anniver­ sary and a salute to Allied Air Power of Operation Desert Storm. You'll also see the latest homebuilt designs dis­ played as well as coverage of Antiques, Classics, Warbirds, Ultralights, rotorcraft and much more. Call 1-800­ 843-3612 for your copy of the official EAA video, priced at $39.95, plus ship­ ping.

WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING EAA AIR ADVENTURE DAY FOR '91-'92 EAA Air Adventure Days offer the opportunity for Chapters and their members to share the skills and lore of aviation with the next generation of aviators. This one day program in­ cludes building a wooden wing rib and balsa glider with equipment a nd materials secured from EAA. Grasp this opportunity for your Chapter to present this rewarding program to the

A regular feature of VINTAGE AIRPLANE is "What Our Members are Restoring", designed to show all of us what we all are working on or have just completed. It's supposed to be a regular feature, but Norm and I need a bit of help from the membership out there ­ we've experienced a bit of a drought this past summer, and need those of you with projects to get those pictures in! This is your page in the truest sense. We need your input, and look forward to seeing

every ones handiwork. Send in those sharp photos, and remember, if at all possible, try to show the entire airplane.

Also, don't forget a description with the photo, but please don't write on the back of the picture - the ink makes a mess of things.

SMITHSONIAN FELLOWSHIPS The Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC offers two aviation related fellowships to qualified individuals. The first, the Guggenheim Fellowship, is a one year resident fel­ lowship for pre- or post-doctoral re­ search. Scholars interested in historical and scientific research related to avia­ tion and space are encouraged to apply.

Pre-doctoral applicants should have completed preliminary course work and examinations and be engaged in disser­ tation research. Postdoctoral program applicants preferably should have received their Ph.D within the past seven years.

The A. Verville Fellowship, estab­ lished by the museum in honor of avia­ tion designer Alfred V. Verville, is a competitive nine- to twelve-month fel­ lowship intended for the analysis of major trends, developments, and ac­ complishments in the history of aviation or space studies. The fellowship is open to all interested candidates with demonstrated skills in research and writing. A degree in history, engineer­ ing or related fields is not required.

If your are interested in learning more about these fellowships, contact Cheryl Bauer, Fellowship Coordinator, Nation­ al Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, 202/357-1529.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

ROGER DON RAE 1909-1991 Roger Don Rae, famous racing pilot of the 1930's as well as an early parachute jumper, passed away this past August at the age of 82. Born in Bay City, MI, Roger was destined for the sky at an early age. "He never would have done anything else but fly.

He said when he was a boy on the farm, he'd look up at the sky, see an airplane flying over and say 'I am going to fly them one day'" according to his widow, Frances, who was quoted in a story by Bill Rufty in the Lakeland

Ledger.

While still going to school in 1928, Roger learned about parachute jump足 ing from a World War I pilot, Art Davis. After Davis' jumper quit before a performance at a fair, Roger made the jump with no prior actual experience. He would go on to win 7 National Aeronautic Association championships in parachuting . But parachuting was not the least of his accomplishements. In 1936, he also won the NAA race pilot point cham足 pionship. Roger flew more different

Roger stands with steve WiHman's Chief Oshkosh in 1936. "Chief" now featured a 150 hp Menasco CS-4 engine, replacing the upright 90 hp Cirrus.

6 OCTOBER 1991

racing planes than any other race pilot, including various models of both the Keith Rider and Folkerts racing aircraft, as well as Benny Howard's "Ike". His racing career would end when he signed on with TWA as a pilot in 1937, and would see the airline in足 dustry progress from the Douglas DC3 to the Boeing 707, which he listed as one of his favorite aircraft.

Our condolences to Roger's wife Frances and his family as well as all his friends in aviation .

VI~TAf3~ LIT~VATUV~ by [)ennis Var-ks!! ~ Libr-ar-y/ Ar-chives [)ir-ect()rRudy Kling rebuilt the aluminum Keith Rider R-1 "Suzy" for th e 1936 season. He finished fourth in the Greve Trophy race.

THE NATIONAL AIR RACES THE GOLDEN AGE (Part 9) 1936 The 16th edition of the National Air Races was held at the Los Angeles Municipal Airport, September 4-7, 1936. Transfer of the sanction to Los Angeles of the 1936 races was made possible through the cooperation of the National Air Races of Cleveland, Inc., but management of the races was still handled by Clifford Henderson and his brother Philip.

WELCOME In the 1936 Program, Carl B. Squire, president of the 1936 races, gave his welcome.

"I am happy to extend a cordial and official welcome to you who are privileged to see the 1936 National Air Races here in Los Angeles; and to the Army, Navy, Marines, civilian pilots and European participants whose presence lends greater color and dignity to this impressive spectacle.

"Aside from the thrilling and spec­ tacular entertainment and educational advantages provided to the public, the National Air Races have proved to be one of the greatest contributing factors in the advancement of aviation. Much

has been accomplished on these proving grounds in the development of greater speed with safety.

"Through the friendly competition en­ couraged by the various trophy races, designers, manufacturers and fliers have been inspired to vie with each other in striving for perfection in conquering the air. The National Air Races have provided the proving field for the numerous innovations that have so suc­ cessfully contributed to the great strides made in aviation during the past 16 years.

This is reflected in the advanced design and construction of air transports today."

SYMPHONY OF THE SKIES In his comments in the 1936 NAR Program, Clifford Henderson provided a musical analogy for the events.

"Now that aviation is an industry of public service, it inherits a perpetual obligation to improve its equipment.

The National Air Races is the logical proving ground for such constructive advancement in design, efficiency and safety.

"Spurred on by coveted international trophies and substantial awards en­ gineers have been inspired to create ­ men and women pilots have been eager

to prove or disprove structural innova­ tions. National Air Races function as the front page of aviation's progress, dominating world news through press, radio, motion picture and all known media.

"And now for the symphonic tempo - roaring motors - motion - action ­ speed planes hurtling through the skies to new world's records. Precision­ crack military and naval aces in breath­ taking formation - daring national and international acrobatic aces - famous men and women pilots - international dignitaries - aviation executives and technicians and an audience of hundreds of thousands of eager spec­ tators thrilled, inspired and awed by it all ... truly a SYMPHONY OF THE SKIES." CAST OF THOUSANDS No doubt being in Los Angeles provided some of the Hollywood hoopla for the races. Among the well­ known cast of the Contest Committee were: James Doolittle, Edward Ricken­ backer, Harold Lloyd, Eddie Cantor, Amelia Earhart, Waldo Waterman, Max Harlow, W. B. Kinner and C. A. "Casey" Jones.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

The Aeronautical Advisory commit足 tee was replete with over 100 dignitaries of the aviation industry, including "Hap" Arnold, Walter Beech, Larry Bel1, Giuseppe Bel1anca, C. 1. Brunker, Clyde Cessna, Sherman Fairchild, Don Luscombe, Jimmie Mattern, Oliver Parks, E. E. Porterfield, Lloyd Stear足 man, Wil1iam B. Stout, and Fred Weick.

PROGRAM OF EVENTS The September 1936 issue of AERO DIGEST reported on the expected events and competition at Los Angeles .

"Competition in this year's National Air Races is expected to be keener than at any other race in the past, record entries already having been received in many of the major events which will be run off at the Los Angeles Municipal Airport.

"At least seven, and possibly nine, planes wil1 take off from Floyd Bennett Field, New York, for Los Angeles, Sept.

4, in the Bendix Transcontinental Derby.

Thirty-two entries have already been received in the Ruth Chatterton Sportsman Pilots Race which started at Cleveland, August 29, and is scheduled to arrive in Los Angeles during the opening day of the show. Nineteen pilots have been entered in the Thompson Trophy Race, a record entry for the event.

"Foreign participation in the past has been limited to some of Europe's best stunt fliers . This year, however, the four-day program, with $70,000 prize money at stake, wil1 witness various foreign pilots and planes in a number of events. France is sending Michel Detroyat with two Caudron-Renault racers, three engines and two mechanics to represent the Aero Club of France.

"Both the Bendix and Thompson races this year are expected to bring about a number of surprises. For the first time in the Bendix, women will compete with the men for the total purse of $12,500. Amelia Earhart, Laura In足 galls, Louise Thaden and Jacqueline Cochran have already been entered and are grooming new and faster equipment than they have been flying in the past.

"The Thompson trophy race this year, which carries a total purse of $20,000, wil1 be flown over a 10-mile course, 15 laps for a distance of 150 miles. Qualifying speed is 225 mph . Of the total purse, an additional $2,500 wil1 be awarded to the winner provided his speed exceeds the present record of 252.686 mph (set in 1932 by Jimmy Doolittle in the Gee Bee R-l) . Entered in this event are Turner, Haldeman, Wit足 tman , Detroyat, Crosby, Jacobson, 8 OCTOBER 1991

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~~~~--~~~~~--~--------------------------------~~ Art Chester's rebuilt Special, now known as the "Jeep", finished third in the Greve and second in both of the Shell 375 cu. in. races.

Roger Don Rae took third in the Thompson in a new Rider R-4 with a six cylinder Menasco.

Harry Crosby's newall-metal CR-3 racer finished sixth in the Thompson.

The French Caudron C-460 Racer .,

2

«

Winner of the 1936 Thompson Trophy Race

louise Thaden in the Beechcraft C17R Staggerwing in which she and co-pilot Blanche Noyes won the Bendix Race from New York to los Angeles.

The new Folkerts SK-2 "Toots" in which Harold Neumann did so well in 1936.

Neumann and Ortman. Turner is ex­ pected to fly his new plane which is built around a twin-row P&W Wasp engine.

"The Louis W. Greve Trophy Race represents a total purse of $10,000 and is open to planes with engines of 550 cu. in. displacement, or less. The Shell Oil Co. has sponsored three races with a total purse of $12,000. The Shell Trophy race is a 375 cu. in. event with

a purse of $6,000; the Shell A ward and the Shell Cup races are also for planes with engines of 375 cu. in. displacement and each has a total purse of $3,000."

Among the airshow activities were a demonstration of "crazy flying"; a bat­ wing jump; acrobatic exhibitions by Achgelis and Burcham; and by the Hol­ lywood Trio of Paul Mantz, Frank Clark and Easton Noble. Also scheduled

were maneuvers and demonstrations by the Army, Navy and Marine Corps; stunting exhibitions with a Ford Trimotor by Harold Johnson and a 12,000 ft. power dive.

FLYING BARN DOORS In 1935 there was an article by Lewis Brocker in POPULAR AVIATION decrying the lack of innovation in race plane design. The author lamented the lack of real development in airplanes, and said that the only tool used by desig­ ners was more horsepower. He should have been happy in 1936 for there were at least four new designs at the National Air Races each of which bucked the trend in going to large radial engies as used by Wedell-Williams and Gee Bee. Each of these new racers built for the Greve and Thompson trophy races were powered by Menasco four- or six­ cylinder inline engines ranging from 225 to 300 horsepower compared with the 1,000 horsepower in Roscoe Turner's Wedell-Williams. The new aircraft included the Brown B-3, the all-metal Crosby CR-3, Folkerts SK-2 Toots, and the Rider R-4.

However, the sensation of the races was the entry from France, the Caudron C-460, flown by Michel Detroyat who had previously appeared in aerobatic demonstrations at the National Air Races.

The Caudron C-460 series of racers had been built in 1934 for the Deutsche de la Meurthe long distance air races for eight liter engines (488 cu. in.) and was the current world's record speed holder for landplanes at 314.2 mph.

Apparently in 1935 Louis Greve asked Michel Detroyat to arrange to bring over a VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

French racer for competition. Detroyat, who worked for the Morane-Saulnier company was able to convince the Renault company, who owned Caudron, to let him fly one of the C-460 racers in the United States, much to the chagrin of Greve, as Detroyat not only beat the U. S. competition in the Greve race but also won the Thompson Trophy at a record speed.

The Caudron was a very innovative aircraft. It was of all-wood construction with the fuselage being of modern monocoque design. The wings were fully cantilevered and used liberal fillets at the wing fuselage joint. Extensive wind tun­ nel tests were used to refine the aerodynamics which resulted in a coeffi­ cient of drag of only 0.016 which is in the range of the World War IT P-51 Mustang.

Other innovations included ram-air for the carburetor and a variable pitch propeller operated by a rubber bladder in the propeller hub that bled air to bring On a higher pitch. The propeller blade variation between coarse and high pitch was 12 degrees. As was the practice for the Schneider Cup racers, the Caudron used skin mounted oil radiators. There was also an air system that retracted the landing gear.

The engine was a 485 cubic inch, six-cylinder Renault Bengali. The en­ gine had a built-in blower and made use of a special fuel from Shell that was rated at 110 octane.

airliner in Los Angeles in time to race.

Ben Howard and his wife Maxine were also accident victims when a propeller blade departed the engine on "Mister Mulligan" and they crashed in New Mexico suffering serious injuries.

Three of the aircraft entered in the race were piloted by women. Laura In­ galls flew a Lockheed Orion, a plane in which she was the. first female pilot to fly non-stop coast-to-coast in July 1935.

Amelia Earhart flew the Lockheed Electra that was destined for her around the world trip. Her co-pilot was Helen Richey who was the first female pilot of a scheduled commercial airliner.

The other women entered in the race were Louise Thaden and Blanche Noyes who had been offered a ride in a Beechcraft Staggerwing by Olive Ann Beech. Olive Beech had found that Vin­ cent Bendix had posted a special $2,500 prize for the fust woman to finish in the

BENDIX RACE Having won the Bendix in 1935, Benny Howard, in "Mister Mulligan", was clearly the favorite of the seven starters lined up on September 4, 1936 at Floyd Bennett Field in New York for the start of the Bendix Trophy Race.

This was an unusual year for the Bendix as all except one of the aircraft were factory production models and most were commercial transports.

The Bendix competition suffered a mishap before it even began when Ros­ coe Turner lost an engine and crash landed his Wedell-Williams racer in New Mexico while on his way to New York for the start of the race.

The Bendix racers had from midnight Eastern Standard Time until the 6:00 p.m. Pacific time deadline to fly the 2,500 miles to Los Angeles. Joe Jacob­ son was the first away in the race with his Northrop Gamma. He was the vic­ tim of a freak accident when an empty fuel tank exploded over Kansas and blew him out of the aircraft. He parachuted to safety and arrived via an 10 OCTOBER 1991

Bendix Race. The Beech was stock ex­ cept for an extra 56 gallon gas tank and an additional 12 gallon oil tank. It was powered by a 450 hp Whirlwind engine and was also the only biplane in the competition. The last time a biplane won the Bendix was in its fust year, 1931.

The other two competitors were George Pomeroy of Washington, DC who had the biggest plane in the race, a Douglas DC-2 twin-engined transport, piloted by Louis Brewer and William "Buster" Warner, a pilot from new York, who entered a Vultee V-IA transport co-piloted by William Gulick.

Thaden and Noyes went on to win the Bendix flying coast-to-coast in 14 hours and 55 minutes for an average speed of 165.3 mph. Laura Ingalls in her Orion finished second with a speed of 157.5 mph. Buster Warner and William Gulick finished third in the Vultee at an average speed of 156.6 mph. Fourth was George Pomeroy in the DC-2 and

the last to finish was Amelia Earhart and Helen Richey.

HAROLD NEUMANN Harold Neumann, flying the new four­ cylinder Menasco powered Folkerts Sk-2 "Toots" had a great year at the races taking on and besting the higher powered aircraft.

He won the 375 cu. in. qualifier at a speed of 230 mph, finished second in the Shell 550 cu. in. race and won both of the Shell 375 cu. in. events . . His best speed being 231.344 mph. This with 230 horsepower.

GREVE TROPHY First offered in 1934, the Greve Trophy was an inspiration for the builders of smaller displacement racers. Originally run in heats and awarded by points for 1936, there was just one race for the trophy. Though the race allowed up to 550 cu. in. displacement engines many of the entrants were in the 375 cu. in. class which also made them also eligible for the two Shell races of that class plus the qualifiers for both the 375 cu. in. and the 550 cu. in. races a total of five races.

Michel Detroyat put the Greve racers on notice when he won the Shell Qualifier at a speed of 273.5 mph - 45 mph faster than Rudy Kling in the rebuilt Rider R-l "Suzy." Detroyat, flying the only racer with a variable pitch propeller, was the fust off in the race and took a commanding lead. He throttled well back to win at a speed of247.3 mph.

Neumann in his four-cylinder did an amazing job coming in second at a speed of 225.5 mph followed closely by Art Chester in his "Jeep."

THOMPSON TROPHY Detroyat not only put people on notice in the Greve, but kept them there in the Thompson. Not only did he and the Caudron beat the other 550 cu. in. class racers, he also beat the only Wasp powered racer, the new Keith Rider R-3 flown by Earl Ortman. Another promis­ ing new design that was bested was the all-metal retractable gear Crosby CR-3 powered by a Menasco 544 cu. in. C-6S Super Buccaneer.

At the start of the race Detroyat was off and away before anyone else and stayed that way running the second lap at 301 mph. On the third lap he settled down to 293 mph eventually dropping his lap speeds in the 250 mph bracket. At the finish of the 15 lap 150 mile course Detroyat had lapped all the aircraft except Earl Ortman averaging 264.3 mph ­ breaking Doolittle's 1932 record by 12 mph. This on 964 less cubic inches. In­ deed, progress was being made in aircraft design and efficiency. .....

Plus a Bit of History

By Skeeter Carlson (A/C 2043)

Spokane, WA I would like to add a bit of history connected to Dorothy Fowler's out­ standing bronze, "The A viator", presented to Paul Poberezny during the 1990 EAA Convention.

With Dorothy and "Doc" Fowler as rural neighbors, it has been a pleasing experience to watch the creation of her sculptures. A couple years ago she an­ nounced her intention to do one of an aviator. That caught my full attention, for I liked her work and knew she was no newcomer in the field of aviation.

"Doc" had introduced her to using airplanes some 25 years ago with his Cubs, Waco UPF-7, and Maules when they made several flights to Alaska, Central America and, of course, Osh­ kosh. She joined in his interests helping EAA Chapter 79, became a pilot and president in the regional chapter of Ninety-Nines and now uses the family Cessna 182 for the many trips made to the Oregon bronze foundry.

Her sculpture, Dorothy explained, would be from the era when many returned from WW -II with caps, goggles and leather jackets to fly new and surplus planes, plus ones they could build them­ selves. She wanted her pilot to stand as she had observed Paul Poberezny, thumb in pocket and looking skyward with a dream of flying . Also, she had decided it would be proper to have her

aviator in front of an engine and prop.

Sounded good to me. "Doc" suggested a Kinner engine with its five large cylinders and I commented that many a pilot flew behind that distinctive sound­ ing motor. Then I grinned and offered my Kinner with prop that was stored in my shed for use as a model. After "Doc" and I mounted it in the art studio at the height we figured it was attached to a Fleet biplane, I told them what I knew of the engine's history.

In 1968 I bought the few remains of a 1930 Fleet, N620M, from Vern St. John of Wilbur, WA. While loading it, Vern said, "This isn ' t just a Fleet, Skeeter, but was at one time Reuben Fleet's private sport plane. He loved this airplane and we understood he even had women who worked in his company flying it. The old girl really handles like a dream and I ought to know'cause I put a lot of hours on her from when the company bought it from Reuben in '34 'til she was damaged in our hangar fire in '49."

Vern seemed to really like the Fleet biplanes and said most everyone in the aviation field around the Seattle and Portland areas knew Reuben Fleet quite well. He added that the aircraft builder had grown up at Grays Harbor, so he delivered some of the Northwest airplane sales himself to get an extra visit with his parents and sister.

While driving home I wondered about Reuben's sport flying and about him having the airplane in 1934 since it must have left the factory in 1930. I

intended to ask Vern much more but two weeks later he unexpectedly went to the big EAA meeting in the sky, ending my source of information. After several years I became curious enough to send for the FAA records on N620M and they proved Vern to be right.

Fleet N 620M was tested Feb. 17, 1930 and soon after was owned by a R. Bradley of Tacoma, Washington. Per­ haps Reuben himself delivered the bird and liked how it handled or maybe the fact it was on floats made a difference.

Whatever the reason, the records show Fleet bought it back from Bradley in 1932. The logs for the next two years were lost but it certainly would be inter­ esting to know how the plane was used.

In 1934 it was sold to Commercial Aircraft Co. of Swan Island at Portland, Oregon. Vern was the company's presi­ dent and I'm not sure if they terminated during WW-II or moved inland 150 miles because of wartime restrictions.

The 1944 record shows N620M registered at Yakima, WA as Vern St. John's private plane and then to him at Wilbur, WA before I purchased it.

I'm glad to have had a small hand in Dorothy Fowler's great bronze.

Sculpturing the engine and prop proved to be more difficult than the Fowlers anticipated but it really put a fmal touch to the piece. Reuben Fleet passed away in 1975 at age 88 . I'm sure he would have appreciated the details in thesculp­ ture of the pilot and the Kinner engine from his Fleet biplane . . . .

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

~finn llJ)

by H.G. Frautschy How many of us grumble when we have to dri ve an hour or so to our airport, just to fly our beloved airplane? If you live in a major metropolitan area, you may have to drive even further, and it can be frustrating. But what if you had to go to the international airport first, keep your fingers crossed that there is room on the next plane, hop a ride on that jet across the Atlantic to Houston, Texas, get to your friend's house, work your way out to the local airport, and then, after all that, spend only a day or two flying your pretty Boeing Stearman PT-17 before you have to do it all in reverse again, so you can go back to work! Now that's dedication! But for Heinrich Fila, a Captain of the Mc­ Donnell Douglas MD-80 for Austrian Airlines, that's exactly how he gets to fly his Stearman.

I ran across Heinrich and his en­ thusiastic crew at EAA Oshkosh '91 while they were busy polishing his white and yellow biplane. They were busy enjoying one of the joys of owner­ ship by cleaning the little bits of oil, 12 OCTOBER 1991

grass and bugs from the windshield and leading edges of the wings. A little polish here and a lot of rubbing there and the wings glistened in the midday sun. All of the crew consisted of friends of Heinrich's from Austrian Airlines,

Heinrich Fila applies a IiHie elbow grease to the cleaning of his Stearman .

who had flown over to enjoy EAA Osh­ kosh . Pilots Dietmar Gross, Martin Fickl and Richard Linsberger were complemented by the the presence of Flight Attendants Monja Hassan and Susanne Niedermeyer. They all chipped in to keep Heinrich's pride and joy bright and shiny.

But why would anybody want to have to go through this to fly a Stearman, or any other light airplane? They have light aircraft in Austria, right? As Hein­ rich explained, flight in Europe is quite different than it is here in this part of the world, even during his commercial job.

As he talked, it was interesting to hear someone discuss a system of air travel that was more restrictive and apparently less friendly than the North American ATC system. "Everybody is nice here; every ATC controller is nice here. This is much different than the ATC control­ lers in Europe. Here they are very happy to help - they are friendly and they like you, and that's what I like here."

That certainly caught my attention.

Heinrich Fila (kneeling) with his Austrian Airlines "crew". From left to right they are: Dietmar Gross, Martin Fickl, Monja Hassan, Susanne Niedermeyer and Richard Linsberger.

Its not every day you hear that said about an FAA controller. It was refreshing to hear from someone whose perspective was different than yours.

"Flying's much easier here. You don't have as many restrictions like we have in Austria, over in Germany or in Europe, and I think the American people think more in terms of freedom.

For example, it is easier to land on an international airport here. The restric­ tions do not matter to me because I have a transponder in this airplane." Captain Fila flies all over the eastern European continent for Austrian Airlines. "Most of the time I fly in Europe. I have around 60 cities where I'm allowed to land. I fly also to Moscow, Kiev, Leningrad - sometimes India if we have a charter, and to the Gulf region .

Also to Africa; most of the time it's North Africa. And to the small islands of Tenerife and to Maldives." With that much territory covered as a com­ mercial pilot, Heinrich felt he needed a way to enjoy flight for flight's sake, and todo that he was drawn to the U.S., with its relatively unrestricted flying .

Having flown a Bucker Jungmeister on the airshow circuit in Europe about fif­ teen years ago, he wanted one of those.

But when he saw the Stearman about 8 years ago when he first started coming to Oshkosh, he changed his mind. The Stearman had a lot that he liked in the Bucker - it had two open cockpits, a radial engine and two wings. Plus, he said "I saw so many Stearmans here!"

The Stearman has been flying with Heinrich about 4 years, since its second restoration after he purchased it. After contracting with a Houston firm to rebuild the Stearman, the airplane was test flown by that company and on the second or third test flight, the PT-17 was overturned in the tall grass next to the runway . The insurance paid for the damage and another company was given the job of helping Heinrich rebuild the wings of the trainer after the unfortunate accident. After starting on the project five years ago, he has been flying the finished product for the last two. Heinrich didn't sit idly by while somebody else did the work. He did much of the work on the plane on his own, including the covering and the ribstitching. For his efforts, he had done the required work for his FAA Airframe and Powerplant mechanics license, and with the passage of the written he earned the FAA certificate. That was another

of the freedoms that he was privileged to enjoy. It simply was not attainable in his native Austria. ''I'm not allowed to do any A&P work in Austria; they don't allow it. I would have to go to work for four years or so, really work (as an ap­ prentice). 1 cannot do it; I have my job.

Here it was hardly any trouble to get the A&P license." With his new A&P, he is able to maintain his own airplane, and keep his A&P current.

How often does he get to fly the Stearman? About 20 to 25 times a year.

"If! have three days off, and I had good flights before, so I have four days off, I can stay for a real three to four days in Houston, Texas where the airplane is situated." Heinrich stays with his friend Craig Podzielinski, a pilot in the Hous­ ton area. Every bit of vacation time he has available is spent in the U.S. work­ ing on his airplane or flying.

Heinrich Fila really loves to fly, and to travel halfway around the globe for three or four hours of flight in his Stear­ man takes an amount of dedication that is admirable. Heinrich says it's easy ­ "I just like to fly here." So do we, Heinrich, so do we. We'll all see if we can keep it that way!

.....

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

This photo of Navion N5401K, SIN NAV-4-2301-B, was sent in by owner Byron Woodside (EAA 376106) of Manassas, Virginia. The Navion was built in February, 1951, and features a Lycoming GO-435 of 260 hp. The Woodside family purchased it in 1965 for $8000 and has flown it for over 25 years, adding 3300 hours to the airframe, for a total of 5010 hours. The Navion is presently on its third engine (500 hours) and is running well. In 1990, the family put in 45 days (360 hours) of reconditioning and modifica足 tion installation to the present pristine condition. Besides much internal work, the tip tanks were added, a custom designed leather interior was installed

and the unique 1964 Navion paint scheme was applied. For a forty-year足 old airplane, the Woodside Navion is in

remarkable condition and really shows lots ofTLC.

This photo of two Callair airplanes in front of a really nice hangar built by a group from EAA Chapter 648 in Longmont, CO, was sent in by C. D. (Red) Beitelshees of Boulder, CO. Both Calla irs were restored by Bill Anderson (EAA 92319, AIC 11638) of Longmont. He is a former president of the chapter and very active in rebuilding airplanes.

On the left is Callair N2916V, SIN 132, a 1949 model A-2 powered with a Lycoming 0-290 engine. It is one of 11 A-2 Calla irs remaining on the U.S . register. The aircraft in the foreground is Callair N6028C, SIN 137-4, a 1954 model A-4 powered with an 0-290 Lycoming. It is one of only 18 model A-4 Callairs remaining on the U.S. register.

Built in Afton, Wyoming, in the 1940's and '50's, the Callair models were designed for high altitude ranch work and were quite at home on run足 ways above 6,000 feet MSL. Most were

two place with some models being able to haul three people in close comfort.

The design eventually led to a line of Callair agricultural spray planes.

A very active antiquer in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Joaquim Ferreira Pinto, sent in this picture of his pretty Stinson Voyager 108-2, PT-ASQ, SIN 2719.

Powered with a 165 hp Franklin, the Stinson would have been registered NC9719K in the U.S. according to the serial number. Joaquin reports his local group has a Canadian Fleet, a Taylor J-2, a J-3 Cub, a Cessna 140 and a Cessna 170. He invites EAA members to visit when in South America. His address is listed in Letters to the Editor.

....

14 OCTOBER 1991

With that beautiful Curtiss-Reed prop and natural brass finished ignition harness, the engine compartment is neat as a pin.

musIc store? When it came time to overhaul the ignition harness, it was dis­ covered that it was a Jacobs part, and made out of solid brass. To work out all the little dents and dings that inevitably find their way into an item like that, the music shop was found to have all sorts of neat tools to put the brass back in shape. Small expander type tools were fitted into the tubing, just as though they were working on a tuba or a French hom. To finish it off, the harness was polished to a high sheen. It looked so nice when it came back, Jerry left it as is to complement the polished aluminum of the propeller and other engine compartment items. The other polished brass item, the Pitot tube, is an original strut-mounted piece.

With a full electrical system, Jerry's Waco has a set of original wing and tail lights by Grimes. The wing lights have a 45 degree socket to mount on the leading edge of the wing, and the light 18 OCTOBER 1991

The Carpathian elm instrument panel and leather trim set the tone for the nicely appointed cockpit.

mounted on the top of the rudder fea­ tures the then standard post mount to fit in the rudder spar. A full radio package, including a transponder, enables Jerry to go anywhere in the U.S. he cares to fly. A remote mounted ELT rounds out the modem items.

One of the themes that Jerry and his friends held to was the premise that they would only do what the people at Waco could have done in 1941, if they chose to do so per a customer request. A few modem concessions were chosen, such as the fabric work, but by and large they were able to hold to their intended theme.

One other interesting policy was used

by Jerry in documenting the restoration.

During his search, if a questionable item came up, he would work to have 3 dif­ ferent sources of information that back­ ed each other up. He used the drawings available from the Smithsonian, but since the factory would occasionally

make a running change on the line and not document it on a drawing, they could not always be regarded as infal­ lible. Jerry credited Ray Brandly with being a great source of inspiration and help during the entire 3 -1/2 years it took to restore the biplane, and feels a debt of gratitude to him for all he has done to keep Wacos flying.

For all the efforts spent by Jerry and his friends, Jerry's UPF-7 was awarded the Champion Customized Aircraft trophy. I'll bet Clayton Brukner would have approved! . . .

For more information on the Waco, contact the National Waco Club, 700 Hill Avenue, Hamilton, OH 45015.

Another group ofWaco enthusiasts is the International Waco Association, P.D. Box 2065 - WACO, Terre Haute, IN 47802. Please include an SASE when requesting membership infor­ mation from these clubs.

T

his story does not begin a few short years ago. It goes back nearly twenty years to when our major participant, R. W. (Buzz) Kaplan, and his multi­ talented chief mechanic, Gary Under­ land, became aware of a 1929 Curtiss Robin that was slowly being restored in Osseo, Minnesota. The man behind the budding restoration was Norm Sten (EAA 7735), antiquer extraordinaire and donor of the EAA Foundation's Lincoln PT-K and Tank-engine powered Curtiss Robin , NC50H . (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE, February, 1991) Our subject, award-winning Curtiss Robin, NC292E, SIN 130, was com­ pleted on April 26, 1929 in its St. Louis, Missouri factory, where it was assigned to the Curtiss Robertson Flying Service as a B model Robin with a 90 hp OX-5 engine. Some 17 years later, it was con­ verted to a B-2 model by Edgar B. Todd of Billings, Montana, who installed a 115 hp "Tank" engine on July 16, 1946.

George Carver of Highwood, Mon­ tana, converted the Robin to a sprayer by installing a 220 hp Continental R­ 670 on June 9, 1952. It remained in this

Buzz Kaplan,

Gary Underland

and the

Curtiss Robin J6-5

by Norm Petersen (Above) Gary Underland and Buzz Kaplan show off the Lindbergh Trophy presented to them at EAA Oshkosh '91 tor winning the Silver Age Antique Championship.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

"heavy hauler" configuration until Nonn Sten purchased the Robin in 1961 with the idea of returning it to B-2 status with a Tank engine restoration. In ad­ dition to the Robin, Nonn had accumu­ lated a set of "previously owned" Edo 2665 floats with Curtiss Robin rigging.

This was the "trigger" that set the future course for Curtiss Robin, NC292E. Any person who has ever come in contact with R. W. (Buzz) Kaplan (EAA 70086, AIC 8609) of Owatonna, Min­ nesota, knows without the slightest doubt that he is a seaplane "aficionado" of the first order! (It has been rumored that his toes are fully webbed by now!)

Buzz always feels that an airplane that can't be put on floats is sort of a social outcast. He has owned any number of floatplanes, up to and including a tur­ bine-powered Cessna Caravan mounted on the prototype Wipline amphib floats.

Previous chronicles by this author in SPORT AVIATION and VINTAGE AIRPLANE include the restoration of Waco YKS-6, "Old Barbeque" on Edo 3430 floats and Buzz's Grand Cham­ pion Antique Savoia-Marchetti S56 flying boat amphibian, which went on

Buzz shows the reliable (as long as the "startee" holds up!) inertia starter for the Wright J6-S.

to score a Grand Slam for only the second time in history when it also won the FAI "Phoenix" award in internation­ al competition, having garnered the AAA Championship award the pre­ vious year.

By 1974, Nonn Sten's health was

failing and he decided to sell the Robin and the floats to Buzz Kaplan. The Robin was in fairly good shape for rebuilding, however, the Edo 2665 floats looked like the last rose of sum­ mer - only the most determined (and stubborn) restorers would have at-

c

.g

~ c

.. ""

'> Just when he needed them, a company named Coker started making just the right kind of smooth tread tires that were

needed to complete the restoration.

20 OCTOBER 1991

2l

One of the busiest collections of struts on a cabin monoplane!

tempted to rebuild such merchandise.

As the Robin restoration slowly progressed with Gary Underland (EAA 43898) putting his expertise to good use, the hammer fell! It was discovered the Tank engine had a severe crack in the crankcase and was near hopeless.

Realizing the 115 hp Tank engine would be rather weak for float opera­ tions, it was decided to look for a Wright J6-5 engine of 165 hp and restore the Robin as a J-l model. The search began.

All inquiries regarding Wright J6-5 engines seemed to lead back to one place; Ft. Calhoun, Nebraska, and a Robin enthusiast named John Rathjen.

John (EAA 2576, A/C 272) had ac­ cumulated parts and pieces from five J6-5 engines besides the one he had used in his beautiful restoration of Curtiss Robin, NC766M, which garnered the Silver Age Champion Trophy at EAA Oshkosh '81 (see VINTAGE AIRPLANE January '83). One of the extra engines had supposedly been owned by Douglas "Wrong Way" Cor­ rigan at some time in the past.

Now the problem. John Rathjen was interested in selling his mint condition Curtiss Robin with the extra engines and numerous extra parts as an added in­ ducement - a tantalizing deal, indeed!

However, Buzz Kaplan was interested in buying the spare engines and parts as he already owned a Curtiss Robin in the process of restoration. The equivalent of a Mexican stand off developed!

Negotiations continued.

As the years went by, Buzz could see the Robin was getting ready for an en­ gine, the time was getting ripe! The restoration had been in process for over a dozen years and something had to be done - it was either fish, or cut bait.

Buzz swallowed hard and proceeded to make an offer for John Rathjen's Robin, spare engines and parts - the whole works. A deal was struck and the Robin (NC766M) was flown to Owatonna, MN along with a truckload of engines and parts.

The quality of John Rathjen's work, along with his son, Bill (EAA 122305), was quickly substantiated when Buzz flew the Robin to EAA Oshkosh' 89 and promptly won the Silver Age Champion trophy. While at Oshkosh, an Australian named Jeff Davis inquired about buying NC766M from Buzz Kaplan and a deal was struck. Back in Owatonna, Gary Underland carefully dismantled the Robin and mounted the

neapolis. The prop had been installed on Richard Bach's Parks P-2 biplane at one time!

Although the late Norm Sten had started rebuilding the woodwork on the fuselage, Gary Underland had to finish the job, replacing some bulkheads and fmishing the stringers. When every­ thing was varnished and the many small interior jobs were done, it was time to consider covering.

The Robin was covered with Grade A fabric and finished in Randolph butyrate dope - with much sanding and polishing. The colors are burnt orange and Cub yellow. A matching enamel

parts in a huge ship container. With extra room left over, Gary negotiated to sell his own Aeronca 7AC project to Jeff Davis also. Result - he packed the Champ in the same container and the whole works was shipped to Australia.

Needless to say, a very happy Jeff Davis is now flying the only Curtiss Robin in all of Australia and "enjoying it immen­ sely" as the Aussies say.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the project Robin was progressing and Gary Underland began working on putting a Wright J6-5 together from the many parts and pieces. Realizing the skills needed with the old five-banger, he shipped it to Florida where Mike Con­ ners, who runs a father, son, wife opera­ tion, finished the overhaul and assembly. A matching Hamilton Stand­ ard ground adjustable prop was located at Forrest Lovley's place near Jordan, MN and after purchase, was redone by Kenny Maxwell's Prop Shop in Min­

was found in Martin Senour acrylic which covered the metal parts of the aircraft. Gary says he found many original paint chips on the airplane, but they were all different colors! Ah, the joys of restoring an old airplane.

Working from a set of Robin blueprints obtained from Dick Fisher in Lancaster, CA, Gary was able to fabri­ cate a new tailskid which is suspended by rubber doughnuts in compression.

An optional tail wheel is also available for use when the aircraft is not being judged on authenticity. He also made an aluminum frame to enclose the large inspection panel that is laced to the fuselage, just under the stabilizer. The rawhide lacing goes around hooks that are put on with special pop rivets into the aluminum frame. (Such authentic laced panels always catch the judge's eye.)

One more contribution from John Rathjen was a very substantial motor mount jig which Gary put to good use in building up the mount for the J6-5 en­ gine. A close inspection of the welding VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

reveals the hand of an artist - so typical of Gary Underland and his workman­ ship. He also welded in two new pieces of tubing on each side of the windshield posts. These had been replaced at some earlier time and Gary was not satisfied with the quality of the weldments. One mandatory item that was also taken care of - seaplane fittings were installed!

A complete new exhaust manifold was fabricated and carefully colored with oil while still hot, to get that "blued" look. Again, the excellent welding by Gary is so evident. The plate glass in the forward windows was all replaced while plexiglass was used on the side windows in the cabin. The traditional wicker seats were entirely redone with new wicker, a tricky piece of work by itself.

By a stroke of luck, a company by the name of Coker started making antique smooth tread auto tires about the time Buzz was looking for a set. These tires also fit Curtiss Robins! The smooth tires really give the airplane that antique look - a point well noticed by the judges.

One more point was the Curtiss Robin logo on the tail that was carefully painted by Dennis Dunkirk of Owaton­ na, MN. Such detail work is what es­ tablishes award winning airplanes.

At Oshkosh, Buzz reported about four hours of flight time on the Robin.

He readily admitted the starting proce­ dures were not totally worked out. The combination of a hand cranked inertia starter and the proper priming of the engine gave rise to many grunts and groans, blue smoke and hard work to get the old girl running. However, everybody is moving up the learning curve and success is improving with each starting experience.

Between now and next summer the really difficult work will be forthcom­ ing. Gary and Buzz hope to finish the huge job of rebuilding the Edo 2665 floats (new bulkheads, new skins, etc.) and mounting the Robin on them for a summer of float flying - circa 1929. All of us look forward to the graceful old cabin job, with its orange and yellow paint scheme, entering the harbor at Bill Brennand's seaplane base and slowly taxiing to the dock, the J6-5 ticking over slowly. Oshkosh '91 is over and we can hardly wait for Oshkosh '92. It's called anticipation! .....

22 OCTOBER 1991

Curtiss Robin Background

by Norm Petersen Introduced in March of 1928, the Curtiss Robin was one of the most sig­ nificant aircraft designs of the 1920's.

A three-place cabin monoplane, the Robin represented a trend toward the "modern" airplane as we know it today.

Up until this time, most aircraft were open cockpit biplanes - a legacy of World War I. Several parameters were used out of necessity in the design of the Curtiss Robin. First, the aircraft would have to out perform the majority of the biplanes in use, especially in the area of pas­ senger comfort!

Second, the powerplant would have to be the 90 hp Curtiss OX-5 - of which thefactory had 1150 brand new examples on hand, left over from WW-I. Third, the Robin would have to be designed with excel­ lent flying characteristics and a long term service life to win over the hearts of the pilots and potential buyers.

The Robin was probably the most completely engineered private plane of its day. It was designed at the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, Inc. plant at Garden City, L. I., by an en­ gineering group composed of men who had designed and engineered the well­ known Curtiss Hawk pursuits. All Curtiss aircraft were named for birds such as Falcon, Condor, Lark and Oriole. The name "Robin" seemed to fit a first time civilian aircraft to be built for the growing public airplane market.

Every part of the Robin was built to standards customarily employed in military designs. The Robin's aerodynamics were very thoroughly tested in the Curtiss wind tunnel.

Numerous experiments, design chan­ ges and wing and cabin arrangements were tried and the best one fmally used.

Particular attention was paid to control surface design.

The fuselage, made entirely of welded steel tubing, was braced by the Warren Truss method, eliminating all wires and their subsequent adjustments. "Alclad", so new at the time that trade descriptions carried an explanation ofwhat it was, was utilized wherever other metals had been used before. Alclad was also used as wing rib material.

The 41 foot semi-cantilever wing, which employed the Curtiss C-72 air­ foil, was braced by two struts on each side, the upper extremity attaching to an auxiliary structure which used two streamlined wires to form a rigid "box" which reduced any wing twisting mo­

ments, especially during full aileron deflection (this same system was used on early Bellanca cabin aircraft).

Ailerons and control surfaces were un­ balanced, but designed to give full con­ trol at the stall, with low stick loads over the entire speed range.

Fuel for the Robin was carried in welded aluminum tanks set in each wing root and were available in two sizes, giving a total of 30 or 50 gallons.

The first four Robins were built and tested at the Curtiss, Long Island, New York plant. Not wanting this new com­ mercial venture to interfere with military production, a completely new company - Curtiss-Robertson Airplane Manufacturing Co. - was formed and a new plant erected at Anglum, Missouri, near St. Louis, for construction in quan­ tities. Production was begun in mid­ 1928 on the OX-5 powered version of the Robin, which lasted until 1929, when the old familiar horsepower race began and larger engines came on the scene. The Curtiss Challenger radial engine of 165/170 hp was installed on many Robins, improving the perfor­ mance of the three-placer and giving rise to a series of endurance flights that were notably "one upmanship"! First was the 150 hour mark followed by a 246 hour flight set by Reinhart and Mendell. Jackson and O'Brine estab­ lished a record of 420 hours aloft in 1929, the mark standing until 1930 when the Hunter brothers remained aloft for 533 hours in a Stinson Detroiter. However, Jackson and 0'­ Brine secured another Challenger Robin and took off on July 21, 1930 for a record flight of 647 hours, 28 minutes and 30 seconds!

Curtiss Robins have been powered with Wright J6-5 engines, Warner en­ gines of various horsepower and many have used 220 hp engines in difficult and challenging jobs. It is primarily the result of the excellent stress analysis and substantial engineering in the early stages of design that allowed these modifications over the years. As the oldtimers have said for years, "The Curtiss Robin was built hell-for-stout!"

The famous flight of "Wrong Way Corrigan" was made from New York to Ireland in a J6-5 powered Curtiss Robin in 1938, the flight lasting 28 hours and 13 minutes. No other airplane has come close to such a long trip while going the "wrong way". It is all part of history! .....

PASS IT TO

--rJuck

An information exchange column with input from readers.

by Buck Hilbert

(EAA 21 , Ale 5)

P.O. Box 424

Union, IL 60180

September! Already? The fmal fall Fly-Ins are fast diminishing from the scene. In the past few weeks since I got back from fishing it seems like the time has really gotten away from me.

Soon after I got back here, I packed a bag and had John Kuranz, (A/C 7946) of Barrington, IL fly me over to Jack­ son, Michigan so I could repossess my Champ, and work on my Fleet. Brian Van Wagner, Joe Knight and the boys were having so much fun "Clunking Around" as they call it, they never delivered it to me at Oshkosh like they were supposed to.

I hadn't been there 10 minutes and I HAD to get it off the ground. What a sweetheart. There's nothing like a Champ for airport hopping and just visiting with the friendlies at all the little strips around the area. With two '41 Chiefs leading the way, we went "Clunkin'" every evening for the next five days. I took time out from the Fleet to fix a leaking gas tank and Brian and I painted the belly of the Champ orange, so now I have an off colored Ocala Orange Champ with an International Orange belly. It may not be the exact color but it's the right color scheme and it heads off the question, "Is that a Piper Cub?" I did manage to wreck the Fleet a little. I didn't like the oil tank or the engine controls hookups, so I dis­ mangled them. I also removed the mag­ netic compasses and the seatbelts for rebuild and replacement. Wag-Aero re­ webbed the belts for me and even replaced the leather buckle guards and they came out beautiful. So much better than the worse for wear military. The compasses were both almost dry, so they are at the shop being overhauled.

I contacted George Gregory, the Fleet Club President, and asked him for draw­ ings of the original oil tank. He didn't have them, so I called Bob Von Willer out in California. He is searching!

Meanwhile, he aced me out of a Y-150 starter to put on Hiroshi Morita's Fleet Two. Anything to help keep an airplane in flying condition.

Then I flew home in the Champ and I must admit there is something very peaceful about enjoying the scenery passing by at seventy mph. There is also a tremendous sense of accomplishment traversing under ARSAs and TCAs, knowing that because you don't have an electrical system, you are EXEMPT! More phone calls than letters the past month. Bill Rausch from upstate New York, the Thousand Island country, called about his Aeronca C-1 replica plans. It was real nice hearing about his plane to build a C-1 replica. I'd like to see it happen.

Chuck Burtch, from Phoenix, New York, not too far from Bill Rausch, sent me a very interesting article about "Buzz" Wagner. Seems Buzz was flying his Aeronca Super Chief on floats when he was involved in a mid-air with a Cessna 150. Both landed safely, with Buzz's tail­ feathers hanging in shreds, and the ISO's prop all twisted and the windshield busted out. It was a pretty close call for the old "Buzzard" and the Aeronca Lovers of the world, including me, heave a sigh of relief. (Me too! - HGF) Oh yes, this all happened August 24th at Pelican Lake, South Dakota, near Watertown.

Chuck also sent along a three-view drawing of a Fleet Two. Thanks, Chuck, maybe after I get the real one flying I'll build that model.

Been attending a few local fly-ins.

It's great to be back in the wing of things again. Some of my neighbors, Dennis and Debbie Jankowski had a picnic and invited the entire local flying com­ munity. We had a great time. Then last weekend it was out to Brodhead, Wis­ consin for their annual. The Antiques and Classics were there in force. Art Morgan, George Daubner, Bob Brauer and several other of the Antique and Classic crowd were there, including your editor and mine, H.G. Frautschy, plus Gene Chase and Norm Petersen.

I'm sure you'll see pictures and articles on several of the airplanes there, espe­ cially the Lincoln Sport biplane prototype and the "Hisso" Travel Air that belong to Dennis Trone. Dennis is

a riverboat Captain on the Mississippi who is first an A viator and then a Sailor.

Wait 'till you see that little Lincoln Sport. What a cute little machine!

One of the topics of conversation was the FAA man who is bent upon ground­ ing every airplane he comes into contact with. This guy is apparently determined to put us all out of business. He recent­ ly, according to the rampant rumor, grounded a whole line ofsmall airplanes because they had AC gascolators in­ stalled and supposedly, he claims, these are automotive and therefore not ap­ proved for aircraft installation.

This is a real touchy area. Somehow the idea that the manufacturer can get an aircraft certificated as a whole and yet the individual parts are not certificated seems ridiculous! Yet it happens. I've just read of similar circumstances in the Navion Newsletter, where certain re­ placement parts are not considered PMA-ed, although they come from ven­ dors and distributors who sold them to the original manufacturers. How do we get through to these people?

One bright ray ofsunshine! One of our aircraft restorers told me a local FSDO inspector who is quite new to the game, called to tell him he was about to inspect a Culver Cadet. He called to ask our friend what it looked like so he wouldn't feel too foolish when he did the inspec­ tion. That I like! At least he was earnest in seeking advice and not ashamed to admit his inexperience. I'm sure we would all help a FAA inspector who came to us with that kind of question, eh?

A nice letter from Al Meyer arrived.

Al is from Panacea, Florida, near Tal­ lahasse. He has his Aeronca C-3 flying at last. He is having a little trouble believing its performance which is something less than an F-16, but never­ less, it IS flying! Al Fitzgerald was a big help in getting this one into the air.

Father Tom Rowland writes that he missed Oshkosh and that he is waiting patiently to read all about it in SPORT A VIATION and VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Me too, Father Tom! Over to you! .....

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

AGRICULTURE TAKES TO THE AIRThe First Crop Duster

1\

\

By Bob Whitmoyer Sometime in 1920, C. R. Neillie of the Cleveland Parks Department con­ tacted the Ohio Agricultural Experi­ ment Station in Wooster, OH with an interesting idea. Mr. Neillie had be­ come frustrated trying to spray tall trees and remote areas of the Cleveland parks to combat insect infestations. He wanted to know if the station could devise some way to drop "insect poison" from a balloon, dirigible or one of the new flying machines. J. S. Houser of the Entomology Department agreed to take on the project. In order to obtain an airplane and qualified pilot, an agreement was arranged between the station and the Air Services Engineer­ ing Division, U. S. War Department, McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio. The pilot assigned to the project was 1st Lieut. J. A. Macready. Actual work was started in the summer of 1921.

The airplane used for the test was a Curtiss IN-6 Army biplane. A sheet metal hopper was constructed to hold about 135 pounds of arsenate of lead obtained from the Sherwin-Williams Paint Company of Cleveland, OH. A hand crank and chain apparatus turned a rotating vane in the bottom of the 24 OCTOBER 1991

Historical Records Officer

Ohio Agricultrural Research

and Development Center!

Ohio State University Wooster, OH

hopper to push the powder out and into the slipstream of the airplane. The hand crank was turned by a second person riding in the rear cockpit of the airplane.

An initial test was made in late July of 1921 using lime. The test was run over the landing field at Dayton. The lime produced a cloud of "dust" that settled to the ground but the crank proved too hard to operate. This was corrected by reducing the size of the rotary vane by one-half. More tests were being con­ sidered when an actual opportunity to do this for real came up unexpectedly.

H. B. Carver of nearby Troy, Ohio had a 6 acre Catalpa tree grove that was about to be completely defoliated for the second time that year by the Catalpa Sphinx caterpillar. Mr. Carver asked if they would be willing to try out their ideas on his wood lot. It was either that or a lot of dead Catalpa trees! So, based on one test that showed the hopper worked and the plane didn't crash over a level landing field, pilot J. A.

The Curtiss IN-6 used for the first cropdust­ ing tests.

Macready and 1. S. Houser agreed to try.

At 3:00 p.m. on August 3, 1921, all was ready. Macready had made a care­ ful ground inspection of the woodlot. J. S. Houser commented that "Although the ground inspection seems to be of considerable value to the aviators, it may not be essential." A Lt. Kelly and a Capt. A. W. Stevens, aerial photographic staff, were standing by with a DeHavilland airplane to take air photos of the trial. The hopper was loaded with 135 pounds of arsenate of lead. Macready commented later that this caused the plane to pull to the right, but not too badly! A Mr. Dormoy climbed aboard to operate the hopper crank and they were off. (Editor's Note: The Mr. Dormoy referred to here is believed to be Etienne Dormoy, later of "Domory Bathtub" fame.)

J. S. Houser and his crew were in the middle of the grove of trees in position to observe if any of the insect poison settled onto the trees.

Now, folks, J. A. Macready was no wimp when it came to flying. He circled the grove a couple of times and then banked around to the windward side of the trees from about a mile away.

c:

o

~

oo

B ~~~Ii1Il~

1st Lt. J.A. Macready makes a pass above the Catalpa trees while Etienne Dormoy cranks away at the hopper to create a cloud of insecticide.

Macready opened the throttle on the Curtiss and brought the plane by the grove at 80 miles per hour, 25 feet off the ground, while Mr. Dormoy cranked away. The 80 mph slipstream combined with the propwash made a wonderful cloud of dust which settled gently over the trees. As Mac­ ready banked the plane around and up­ ward, he noted two things. The first pass had taken 9 seconds and it must have been successful as he could see Houser and his crew "fleeing for their very lives out c: the far side of the .,o o grove to escape the .! oo cloud of poison ."

Five more times ==:....;......:....-==..l~"'" Macready brought The hopper and crank designed and buiH by Etienne Dormoy. the plane across the

B

grove at tree top height while they emptied the hopper. The total dusting time was 54 seconds, immediately es­ tablishing a world's record for speed of insecticide application on forest areas.

The results were astounding and far exceeded everyone's wildest expecta­ tions. Forty-eight hours later J. S. Houser recorded these comments during his inspection of the grove: "Hanging on the trees, foliage, fence posts and weeds, and lying on the forest floor were millions of dead and dying caterpillars. Less than one percent of the caterpillars remained alive. As an entomologist I was both repulsed by the destruction and elated by the success of the experiment."

The word of this experiment took the nation by storm and "airplane dusting" became famous nearly overnight.

Houser gave talks at national meetings that winter and in March of 1922 the experiment was written up in the pres­ tigous National Geographic with worldwide circulation. Almost lost to history is the name of the first crop duster, J. A. Macready, and the en­ tomologist who made it possible, J. S. Houser of the Ohio Agricultural Experi­ ment Station, Wooster, Ohio. .....

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

New

Products

THE ULTIMATE DZUS TOOL Are you tired of scratches in your finish because you slipped with your stubby screwdriver while turning a Dzus fastener on your cowl? Charles Dickey has the answer. The "Ultimate Dzus Tool" is fashioned from 4130 heat treated steel, with an injection molded handle. Light weight and small enough to fit in your pocket, this tool is reminis­ cent of a tool North American (and I'm sure many other manufacturers) sup­ plied to their workers during WW II. With two different radius' on the tool, you'll have "the right tool for the job", as they used to say in A&P school. $25.00, postpaid in the U.S. (Calif. resi­ dents add $1.37 sales tax, foreign resi­ dents add $5.00 for shipping). Order from : Charles Dickey, 246 S. Empire St., Anaheim, CA 92804 SERENGETISUNGLASSES VFR flight can result in some of the most demanding visual conditions en­ countered - a hazy day with bright sun­ light can make it tough to spot other traffic or landmarks. In the 1980's, the use of a brown or amber lens to cut through the haze became popular with pilots. With the production of the Corn­ ing Serengeti Driver, a variety of fea­ tures have been brought together to make them an excellent choice for the pilot. The pair I used this summer fea­ tured a strong welded frame that resisted distortion, and the frame held its adjust­ ment to my face without changing every time you put them back in the case. The sunglasses also feature a gradient lens, allowing the instrument panel to be seen easily. The strongest item in my book was the enhanced ability to see items in a hazy sky while in flight. The photochromatic amber lens darkened enough while in the cockpit, and the increased defmition of the clouds was an added bonus that miss when I don't have them on. I used to wear a grey­ green lens, but no longer. VFR flying doesn't require a lot ofspecial tools, and this is one I do not want to part with.

A vailable nationwide from optical stores, as well as many aviation retailers.

-H.G. Frautschy 26 OCTOBER 1991

Book

Reviews

FLYWORD PUZZLES by "Buddy Bob" Gardner Book Review? I'm puzzled!

Our VINTAGE AIRPLANE Editor H.G., handed me a booklet a month or so back, during Oshkosh, and I really didn't have time to look at it. He said something like," Since you are a crossword puzzle nut, let me know what you think of this."

Well, like so many of these things, I shelved it. Not really, Ijust put it on that pile ofstuff I want to read, someday, and left it there until that time.

The time came! Came because of a phone message from H.G. asking me what I thought of it. I rummaged through the pile and there it was! Now for a quiet few moments to pore over it, I ducked into the bathroom. I often use the bathroom as a library, and especially when I work my morning crossword puzzle.

The "Library" provided a few minutes that turned into a few more minutes while I worked some of these fascinating Aviation Puzzles. I was really intrigued! The puzzles cover all facets of Aviation. General Aviation, Antique and Classic, Commercial A via­ tion, Warbirds, Person's name and Nicknames, Airports, Military, Weather, and even the Cockpit.

Hey! The jargon is great, the subjects are what we all like, and it turns out to be a real challenge! I must admit I get a real kick out of working these puzzles, and I find they educate you as well with the answers on the last pages. So you can always say, " I knew that! I just couldn't think of it!"

Want some fun and a chance to get educated? Try Flyword Puzzles, and think of Buck when you're in your "Library" doing your thing!

-Buck Hilbert Available for $8.95, postpaid, from Flyword Puzzles, P.O. Box 37527, Omaha, NE 68137.

PIPER CUB ERA at Nicolet Airport ­

by Beverly M. Butler If, per chance, you should ever meet a pilot from the "Green Bay Area" of

northeast Wisconsin and the name, Nicolet Airport, is mentioned, you will be in for quite a dissertation on how things were when flying was fun . And much of the conversation will revolve around a gentleman who made it so ­ Beverly M. Butler - one time airport manager and flight instructor ex­ traodinaire.

Fortunately for all of us, Bev Butler has written a 200 page book on his ex­ periences during the six years he managed the Nicolet Airport and, best of all, probably touched more people's lives in a positive way than at any time in his life. Granted that he was an ex­ cellent pilot and top flight instructor, but most of all, was his unique insight into the wants, needs and desires of his many, many students. They enjoyed (and learned) so much about flying that they have become permanent ambas­ sadors for grass roots aviation. The benefits of his endeavors are still being enjoyed today, nearly thirty years later.

As one who learned about flying in the "Piper Cub Era" of the 1950's and 1960's, I can truthfully say that Beverly Butler tells of his experiences exactly like it was in those days. There is no embellishment in the 150 stories in his book, he tells it straight from the heart in a most delightful manner. I found the book fascinating from cover to cover and impossible to put down until finished. PIPER CUB ERA at Nicolet Airport is highly recommended reading for the true grass roots flier.

- Norm Petersen Available at $14.95 plus $3.00 S & H from EAA Mail Order Department, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 or call toll free: 1-800-843-3612.

by Walter McNeil

EAA363051

4506 Dolphin Place

Corpus Christi, TX 78411

Continuing our occasional presentation of Snap-on's "Hints For Homebuilders ", here's an item that many A&P's have used for years, as related to us by member Walter McNeil When doing restoration on my 1946 Ercoupe 415-C-D, I often run into stub足 born screws not defeated by penetrating oil. I have found that by wetting the tip of my screwdriver with valve grinding compund, the grip on the screw im足 proves, and most screws come out without "buggering" the screw head or requiring major surgery.

Readers are invited to submit entries to EAA, Hints For Homebuilders, Att: Golda Cox, EAA Aviation Center, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

Entries will be reviewed by a panel of EAA judges. Readers whose hints are published in any EAA magazine will be awarded one of three monthly prizes 足 a 3/8" Drive Socket Wrench Set, a 1/4" Drive Socket Wrench Set or a Nine足 piece Long-Handle Combination Wrench Set. The contest will run from August through July of each year with a Grand Prize of a Snap-on Tools KR657 Roll Cab and KR637 Top Chest being awarded the best entry for the year.

This award will be presented during the EAA Convention. Our thanks go to Snap-on Tools for providing the awards.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

October 19 - Hampton, NH. EAA A/C Chapter 15 1st Annual Pumpkin Patch Pancake Fly-In. Call 207/967­ 5415 for more information.

October 19 - Kerrville, TX - 27th Annual EAA Southwest Regional Fly­ In. Contact: 800/221-7958.

October 19 - Evergreen, AL. Evergreen regional EAA Chapters Fly­ In. Aircraft camping, R.V. Grounds nearby, motels. Dinner Sat. night.

Breakfast both Sat. and Sun. AlC Judg­ ing and static displays. Contact: Bubba Hamiter, P.O. Box 1551, Monroeville, AL 36461 or Evergreen Airport, 205/578-1274.

October 19 - Bellanca/Champion

Club Regional Fly-In and meeting for members living in the southwestern U.S. If you plan to attend, please notify in advance: Joe Field, P.O. Box 3729, Kingman, AZ 86402 602/753-7654 (evenings).

October 25 - 27 - Reklaw, TX. EAA Chapter 727 Fly-In and Campout at Flying M Ranch. For more informa­ tion, call Judy or Dave Mason at 409/369-4362.

October 26-27 -

Hickory, North

Carolina, Municipal Airport. 6th An­ nual Fly-In, sponsored by EAA Chap­ ter 731. Awards for homebuilts, antiques, classics and warbirds. Static display of military aircraft, fly-bys, and banquet. Contact Doug Teague, days 704/751-3598 or evenings, Norman Rainwater, 704-328-5807.

October 27 - Sussex, NJ. EAA Chapter 891 3rd Annual Great Pumpkin Fly-In. Contact: 201/875-7337, or 875­ 9359 for more information.

October 31- November 1 - Jack­ son, MS. Swift Fly-In, Slobovia Out­ ernational Open House '91. Call D. Upton 601/879-3655 or E. Mahaffey 601/879-3357 for information.

WELCOME

NEW MEMBERS

More and more Antique and Classic enthusiasts are signing up to join EAA's Antique/Classic Division. To help you sponsor your friends and your neighbor at the airport, and earn gifts from the Division, use the tan insert included in this issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. You can earn 1 full year of Antique/Classic membership by sponsoring 3 new members!

Here are the latest additions: Aakre, Leann S. A. San Diego, CA Winter Haven, FL Adrion, Janeen Baird, Lawrence J. Huntington Beach, CA Woodland, CA Belisle, Barry A. Bengston, Jim F. Longmont, CO Blackman, Robert L. New London, OH Blankenship, Raymond C. Hanahan, SC Blomquist, Dennis J. Arroya Grande, CA Bolin, William Coldwater, MI (Sponsor: Dave Bennett) Oshkosh, WI Brown, Mike A. Virginia, MN Burgess, John H. Tempe,AZ Cell, David S. Houston, TX Chastain, Terry R. Memphis, TN Chiodo, Tom A. Mission Viejo, CA Chivens, David E. Denham Springs, LA Coates, Billy Dublin, PA Cutler, Richard F. Glen Carbon, ll., D' Angelo, Dennis L. Dachille, Frank Johnstown, PA Dailey, Donald Russell Leesburg, VA Frenchtown, NJ Daley, Francis James (Sponsor: Bob Smith) Demarco, Gene Rhinebeck, NY Donnelly, Andrew J. Staten Island, NY (Sponsor: Bob Smith) Columbus, OH Easter, Marvin Engler, Nick West Milton, OH Evans, Rex O. Hawkes Bay, New Zealand Renaca, Chile Fassino, Franco B. Dover, DE Fratelli, Alfonse 28 OCTOBER 1991

Frenzel, CarlO. Gray, Don Grooms, H. P. Grubb, Norman L.

Grand Prairie, TX Houston, TX Leesburg, FL McComb, OH

Guizzardi, Fernando Pergamino, Argentina Hamilton, J. Joe Baton Rouge, LA Cumberland, MD Harris, Hubert J. Harrison, Arthur L. Ames, IA Hartman, Ernest C. Creamridge, NJ Hilsendeger, Robert E. Fargo, ND Hixon, Fred Phoenix, AZ (Sponsor: Jeff McKeever) Hoag, Michael R. Augusta, MI Jefferies, Mark Graham Little Gansden Airfield, England Jeffries, Mark Little Gansden Airfield, England Kowalczyk, Edward W. Benson, AZ (Sponsor: Walter Kowalczyk) Kram, Remco Hackensack, NJ Kreydich, Frank Oak Lawn, ll., Krumlauf, John Nashport,OH Larsen, Chuck Oshkosh, WI (Sponsor: H.G. Frautschy) Leiser,Don Bethlehem, PA Forked River, NJ Leon, Charles J. Liu, Weston B. Nashua, NH Manning, Robert Briantree, MA Manzo, Anthony B. Gainesville, GA Marschke, Ernest Sussex, WI Matthews, Douglas G. Atlanta, GA

McDivitt, James A.

Arlington, VA

McKean,Graeme T. Parksville, B. C., Canada McMillan, James A. Kent, WA McNeal, Staff Sgt. John H. APO - AE, NY McNutt, Robert Amarillo, TX Morgan, William R. Paragould, AR Moxley, Arthur W. Maple Valley, WA Nardi, Raymond B. Millville, NJ Nelson, David A. Arden Hills, MN Nisbet, Matthew Leland, ll., Noyes, Daniel W. Vacaville, CA Packard, Paul L. Wellington, KS Pardee, Douglas L. Wilmington, NC Pickard, Nancy J. Winneconne, WI Platner, Gary L. Double Oak, TX Reynolds, David Lawrenceville, GA Reynolds, Ron E. Westport, CT Riley, David K. Paducah, KY Roth, Donald C. Norwalk,OH Rundstrom, C. R. Keamey,NE Smith, Melvin Woodstock, GA Snow, John W. Macon, ll., Swenty, Jim J. De Pere, WI Tenney, Jr., Charles M. Plymouth, MA Thompson, Matthew V. Madison, NJ West, Harry Sonoma,CA Wilkens, Delbert D. Elk City, KS Yandrasevich, Daniel Oakland, NJ Young, Ben Los Osos, CA Zaro, Lynn Lauderhill, FL

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EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION

EM Aviation Center 30 OCTOBER 1991

Oshkosh. WI 54903-3086

EM OSHKOSH '91 Aviation At Its Best

SHARE THE EXCITEMENT! Enjoy the best aviation has to offer at EAA OSHKOSH '91. The annual Fly-In Convention is one of the high足 lights of the aviation year. "EAA OSHKOSH '91, Aviation At Its Best" features all the activities includ足 ing a salute to the Flying Tigers; famous air racers of the 1930s; and a patriotic tribute to the allied air power of Operation Desert Storm. See the latest homebuilt designs plus antiques, classics, ultralights, warbirds and much more. Makes a great gift, too!

$39.95* (*plus $3 shipping/handling)

ORDER TODAY 1-800-843-3612 (outside U.S. call 414-426-5900) FAX orders accepted (414) 426-4873 Major credit cards accepted Order your copy of "EM OSHKOSH '91, Aviation At Its Best' today and your credit card will not be billed until the tape is shipped in mid-October.

EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION

Dept. MO, p.o. Box 3065, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3065

ULTIMATE

WHEEL PANTS

Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet. ..

25$ per word, $5.00 minimum charge. Send your ad to

The Vintage Trader, EAA Aviation Center, Oshkosh, Wl54903-2591 .

MISCELLANEOUS: or choose from stock of antiques. homebuilts and ul tralights Hlgh~s t reng t h seamless hand~ l ald S ~g l ass W ith prim er gelcoa t Call for free brochure or estimate

AVIATION PHOTOGRAPHY - 250,000 images, 1909-91. Specialists in restora­ tion/model documentation, theme displays.

Try us for dassics, racing , personalities.

Heritage Press, Glendale, CA 91209-0167.

(1 0-1)

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HARBOR ULTRALIGHT PRODUCTS 1326 Baley Place. Harbor Cily CA 907 10

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CURTISS JN4-D MEMORABILIA - You can now own memorabilia from the famous "Jenny", as seen on "TREASURES FROM THE PAST". We have posters, postcards, videos, pins, airmail cachets, etc. We also have RIC documentation exdusive to this historic aircraft. Sale of these items support operating expense to keep this "Jenny" flying for the aviatio public. We appreciate your help. Write for your free price list. Virginia Aviation Co., PDv-8, Box 294, Warrenton, VA 22186. (C/11-90)

If you love biplanes - join us and be a part of Biplanes Forever. Annual Convention, quarterly newsletters, museum forthcoming , annual membership $25.00. National Biplane Association, Dept. VA, Jones-River­ side Airport, Tulsa, OK 74132. 918/299­ 2532 or 918/742-7311. (12-3)

SUPER CUB PA-18 FUSELAGES - New manufacture, STC-PMA-d, 4130 chrome­ moly tubing throughout, also complete fuselage repair. ROCKY MOUNTAIN AIRFRAME INC. (J. E. Soares, Pres.), 7093 Dry Creek Rd ., Belgrade, Montana. 406­ 388-6069. FAX 406/388-0170. Repair sta­ tion No. QK5R148N .

Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet . . .

A new classified ad section in

THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE

25~ per word, 20 word minimum

Send your ad and payment to . .

THE VINTAGE TRADER

EAA Aviation Cenler,

PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086

TOP SCALE ACCURACY RATED 1930'S Aircraft Model Plans by Vern Clements, EAA 9297, 308 Palo Alto, Caldwell , ID 83605. Catalog. $3.00. (12-3) ANC-19 Bulletin - Wood Aircraft Inspec­ tion and Fabrication , 1951 edition , now available as reprint. Early aircraft Service Notes, rigging data, other titles available.

Send SASE for listing and prices. John W. Grega, 355 Grand Blvd ., Bedford , OH 44146. (c-3/92)

Parachutes - Toll Free 1-800-526-2822, New & Used Parachutes. We take trade-ins, 5-year repair or replacement warranty, many styles in stock. Parachute Associates, Inc., 2 Unda Lane, Suite A, Vincentown , NJ 08088,609/859-3397. (C/7/92)

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WANTED: Want Aeronca C-3 Parts, E113 engine and parts, Continental A-40 engine, carb, mag, hub and parts. Young, 11 Willow Court, Totowa, NJ 07512, 201/256-1342 (dial ac­ cess code 286 if requested). (1 0-1)

C-26 Champion Spark Plugs - New and re'Xlnditioned. New - $14.75, reconditioned - $5.75 to $9.75. Eagle Air, 2920 Emerald Drive , Jonesboro, GA 30236, 404/478­ 2310. (10-3)

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MYSTERY PLANE

By George Hardie

Here's a special purpose design that will add a little variety to our Mystery Plane series. The photo was submitted

by Pete Bowers of Seattle, Washington.

Answers will be published in the January, 1992 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Deadline for that issue is November 25, 1991.

The July mystery plane is the Fair­ child 21. Marty Eisenmann of Garret­ tsville, Ohio sent a page from the January, 1929 issue of Aero Digest which gives a complete description of the airplane. Quoting from the article: "The new Fairchild 21, a two-place low wing semi-cantilever monoplane of simple construction, has been designed specifically for the instruction of stu­ dent fliers . The two cockpits in tandem are easily accessible, and the design al­ lows excellent range if vision from both.

"The cockpits are so situated that the airplane can be flown solo from either cockpit without the use of ballast. The dual controls located in each cockpit include rudder pedals, brake pedals, control sticks, throttle, mixture control, ignition switch and gasoline shut-off control.

"Wings are of conventional construc­ tion with box spars and spruce ribs .. . ailerons are balanced to compensate for yaw . . . the fuselage is constructed entirely of welded chrome-molyb­ denum tubing, reinforced at the joints.

Tail surfaces are constructed of built-up Alclad channels riveted together and covered with cloth, forming stiff, light structure.

"The landing gear is of the split-axle type, having an unusually wide tread of 8 feet . .. Brakes of simple and positive

action are standard equipment on the Fairchild 21. They are unusual in a plane of this type.

"A tail wheel which replaces the con­ ventional tail skid is carried in a fork which is free to travel the full 360 degrees.

"The Genet engine installed in the Fairchild 21 is a five-cylinder air­ cooled, radial type. A Hamilton wooden propeller was selected as stand­ ard equipment."

Only one was built. Evidently, the design was a victim of the Great Depres­ sion then getting underway. Other answers were received from Charley Hayes, Park Forest, Illinois; Glenn Buf­ fington, El Doraro, Arkansas; Cedric Gallowat, Hesperia, California; and Ralph Nordell, Spokane, Washington.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33

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34 OCTOBER 1991

Antiques & Classics足

You're Welcome Here!

I s there a pilot among us whose heart doesn't swell when a WACO, Stearman or a pretty little Jenny flies overhead? On the wings of these airplanes, we all experience the leather helmet days before radios, nose wheels and controlled airspace. We're fortunate your EAA is dedicated to keeping our flying heritage alive.

Keeping antique and classic aircraft flying means investing substantial money as well as time.

AVEMCO's antique and classic air足 craft coverage provides protection of your financial investment at a surprisingly reasonable cost. In ad足 dition to liability and hull coverage, you can be compensated for your labor if you make repairs yourself.

After all, who knows your airplane better than you do ?

Stop by and see us at Oshkosh.

Your antique and classic aircraft, as well as your enthusiasm, is welcome here.

CALL DIRECT TOOA Y FOR AN IMMEOIA TE, NO OBLICA TlON QUOTE.

1-800-638-8440

INSURANCE COMPANY

rHf SPORT AIIATION ASSOCIA1ION

By Aviation People .. . For Aviation People

This is intended as a brief description of the coverage offered. Certain exclusions and limitations apply. We will be glad to send you a sample policy for your review.

AAA04揃0 (6/90)