VA-Vol-19-No-12-Dec-1991

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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 Koepnlck Carl Schuppel

Mike Stein eke

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC

DIVISION. INC.

OFFICERS

President Espie " Butch" Joyce 604 Highway St. Madison, NC 27025 919/427-0216

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

Milwaukee, WI 53216 41 4/442-3631

Secretory Steven C, Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Leo, MN 56007 507/373- 1674

Treasurer

E.E . " Buck" Hilbert

P.O . Box 424

Union, IL 60180

8 15/923-459 1

DIRECTORS John Berendt Robert C . " Bob " Brauer 7645 Echo Point Rd. 9345 S. Hoyn e Connon Falls, MN 55009 C hica go. IL 60620 507/263-2414 312/779-2105 Gene Chase 2159 Carlton Rd .

Oshkosh, WI 54904 414/231-5002

John S. Copeland P.O. Box 1035 Westborough, MAOl581 508/836-1911

Philip Coulson 284 15 Springbrook Dr. Lawton, MI 49065 616/624-6490

George Daubner

2448 Lough Lone

Hartford, WI 53027

414/673-5885

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

Stan Gomoll

104290th Lone. NE

Minneapolis, MN 55434 6 12/784- 11 72

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

Jeannie Hill

P.O. Box 328

HaNard. IL 60033

8 15/943-7205

Robert Lickteig 1708 Bay Oaks Drive Albert Lea, MN 56007 507/373-2922

Robert D. " Bob" Lumley 1265 South 124th St. Brookfield, WI 53005 4 14/782-2633

Gene Morris 115C Steve Court, R.R.2 Roanoke, TX 76262 817/491-9 110

George S. York 18 1 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 Lone

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, WI 53717 608/833- 1291

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

December 1991 • Vol. 19, No, 12 Copyright © 1991 by the EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc. All rights reseN ed.

Contents 2 Season's Greetings 4 Aeromail 5 Vintage Literature/by Dennis Parks Page 10

10 The Complete Story of Parks Aircraft, Inc./by Terry Bowden

13 Harold Armstrong's Pitcairn PA-4/

by H.G. Frautschy 18 It's A Bonanza!/by Norm Petersen

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21 Bob Everts' Aeronca Chief/

by H.G. Frautschy

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23 Pass It To Buck/by E.E. "Buck" Hilbert 24 Vintage Seaplanes/by Norm Petersen 29 CalendarJWeIcome New Members 30 Vintage Trader 32 Mystery Plane/by George Hardie FRONT COVER . . . The Beechcraft " Bird" stripe on the side adds a cla ssy link to the past heritage of this 1952 C-35 Bonanza b elonging to Sam James a nd David Siova chek. The p ristine early Bonanza was named the 1991 G rand Champion Classic d uring EM Oshkosh '91. Photo by Carl Schuppel. shot with a Canon EOS- 1 with on 80-200 lens. l /SOOth sec . at f5.6 using Kodachrome 64. Cessna 182 photo plane flown by Gen e Chose.

BACK COVER . .. The sole remaining Pitcairn PA-4 Fleetwing II. powered by a "millerized" Curtiss OX-5. is flown by Harold and Bob Armst rong o f Rawlings, MD. This outstanding restoration was named Gran d Champion Antique during EAA Oshkosh '91 , Photo by Jim Koepnick, shot with Canon EOS- 1 with 80-200 lens. l/SOOth sec . at f5.6 using Kodachrome 64 . Cherokee 6 photo plane flown by Buck Hilbert.

The wOfds EM. ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM, SPORT AVIATION, and !he logos of EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC., EM INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION. EMANTIOUEJCLASSIC DIVISION INC., INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUBINC., WARBIRDS OF AMERICA INC. are registered ~ademarks . THE EM SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EM AVIATION FOUNDATION INC. and EM ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are ~ademarks of !he above associations and !heir use by any person other than !he above associations is strictfy prohibited.

Editorial Policy: Readers are enoouraged to submit stOfies and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors.

Responsibility fOf accuracy in reporting rests entirely with !he contributOf. Material should be sent to: EditOf, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, P.O. Box 3066, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone: 414/426-4BOO. The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (SSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by EM Antique/Classic Division, Inc. of !he Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. and is published monthly at EM Aviation Center, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 and additional mailing offlOOs.The membership rate for EM Antique/Classic Division, Inc. is $20.00 fOf current EM members fOf 12 month period of which $f 2.00 is fOf the publication of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation.

ADVERTISING· Antique/Classic Division does not guarantee Of endorse any product offered through our advertising. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of interiOf merohandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EAA Antique/Classic Division, lnc. P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3066.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

EARLY RACING NOTES Dear Mr. Frautschy, For the past six months Delmis Parks has been reviewing the National Air Races in VINTAGE AIRPLANE. The literature of that time is fairly silent on the years 1927 and 1928, which affected Mr. Parks efforts.

Cliff Henderson related the follow­ ing, but I can't recall the conversation verbatim, so it has to be the way it is recalled. With the termination of the Pulitzer contests, aviation events gradually declined. Rock bottom was reached at the 1927 N.A.R. (National Air Races) in Spokane, Washington, when the organizers and backers were bankrupted by the scanty turnout.

For the 1928 event, Cliff garnered the title of Operations Manager, and selected the site for Los Angeles' new airport, which alienated many of his friends, many of whom were airport owners or operators.

The first four days of the 1928 races at Mines Field were as much a financial flop as they had been in Spokane the previous year. Disaster struck on the fourth day when Army Lt. J.J. Williams (of "The Three Musketeers") flew into the ground and was killed. Just by chance, Charles Lindbergh was in the area and volunteered to take Lt. Wil­ liams place. When this news was released to the public, a virtual stam­ pede ensued at the airport for the final days of the National Air Races.

With the 1929 races being held in Cleveland, C.A.L. balanced the account by flying with the Army pilots. Again, a monstrous crowd filed through the turnstiles to see "everybody's hero" . As far as Cliff was concerned, this one ac­ tion salvaged the N.A.R. and made them the success that they were through 1939.

Now try to imagine what the American aviation scene would have been if Cliff had failed in 1928. The great pilots, and designers and builders, would scarcely have developed, without C.A.L. 's participation at that critical juncture. The next time some­ 4 DECEMBER 1991

body says "There is no such thing as the indispensable man", just think about this.

Cordially, Ted Businger (A/C 2333) Evening Shade, Arkansas STEVENS AND MAC READY Dear Mr. Frautschy, Bob Whitmoyer's October article about the first cropduster flights is infor­ mative and interesting, yet it overlooks later substantial achievements by two participants. John A. Macready, the duster pilot, was half of the crew on the first transcontinental flight on May 2-3, 1923. In 1921 he had set an altitude record of 34,508 feet. Macready sur­ passed that in 1924, then again in 1926 when he reached 38,704 feet.

A.W. Stevens, who flew the photo plane accompanying Macready's duster, achieved even greater heights of success. For starters, in 1922 he estab­ lished a record parachute jump from 24,200 feet. In May, 1924, he and Macready together flew to 31,540 feet.

Stevens set other altitude records during the 1920s and '30s, but his ultimate feat came in November, 1935 when, with Orvil Anderson in the National Geographic/Air Corps stratosphere bal­ loon "Explorer II", they rose to 72,395 feet. Truly a remarkable accomplish­ ment for that day.

Both Macready and Stevens were twice awarded the Mackay Trophy, given to Air Force personnel for the year's outstanding achievement.

Stevens was also an authority on aerial photography, having helped develop that technology during World War I. Sincerely,

Edward Peek (A/C 3225)

Louisville, Kentucky

GREAT LAKES TAILS Dear H.G., During our visit last week, George Hardie asked me to write you a short note relative to the Great Lakes article

by Bill Madden contained in the Sep­

tember issue.

We most certainly go along with Bill's rationale, but would like to make the following comments: A long time ago, we read the com­ ments by the pilot who flew the "Straight Wing" version to the Detroit Showing. He indicated that he planned to go "island jumping" over Lake Erie from Cleveland to Detroit. However, the plane was so tail heavy and difficult to fly that he decided to go the land route to Toledo, Ohio, then follow the old Telegraph Road to Detroit.

With that knowledge we decided that as an engineer, we might do several things to remedy the situation.

The first thing that would come to mind would be to sweep back the upper wing. This would, however, be quite a project. The next easier possible solu­ tion would be to alter the horizontal tail surfaces. First increase their span, next revise the incidence of the surface, and as a last resort go to an airfoil section making a lifting tail group, which was fairly popular at that time .

We also feel the aircraft shown on photos 1312 and 1316 was a "company hack" wherein many ideas were tried.

One would note the "Airwheels" which appeared not to be standard on produc­ tion models (see side view). Also on the side view note the difference in the stringer configuration aft of the rear cockpit (side view and rear photo 1316).

This difference is also shown on the two versions of the model by Cleveland Model and Supply Company. It must be remembered that H.C. Richardson was with Great Lakes, then later with Cleveland Model as their V.P. of En­ gineering, most certainly taking a great deal of Great Lakes information with him.

Much of this probably could be con­ firmed by Ed Packard of Cleveland Model fame, as their first major kit was the Great Lakes Trainer.

Best Regards, Richard Gates (A/C 611) Sheboygan Falls, WI

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by Uennis Var-ks~ Libr-arr/ Ar-chives Uir-ect()r-

THE NATIONAL AIR RACES THE GOLDEN AGE (Pt. 11)

1938 Fewer and fewer races for fewer planes was the trend of the National Air Races in 1938. In 1937 there were 12 racing events spread over four days.

For 1938 there were three races in three days. The races for the lower displace­ ment classes had been dropped for lack of entrants. For example, the 397 cubic inch class had only four entries in 1937.

However, to help stir interest up for 1938, the prize monies were doubled with a $25,000 purse for the Greve Trophy, $30,000 for the Bendix Race and $45,000 for the Thompson free-for­ all. The largest number of entries was for the Bendix, with 11 pilots in the running. The Greve pull ed seven entries and the Thompson nine. In an effort to spread the money around there was a rules change for 1938 that aircraft entered in the Bendix could not also compete in the Thompson. This was probably brought about by the fact that in 1937 three of the Bendix planes also placed in the Thompson - the two Severskys and the Marcoux-Bromberg.

The 1938 National Air Races were run September 3-5 in Cleveland with the Henderson brothers, Clifford and Phil­ lip again running the show. And quite a show it was with over 80 events in the three days. Among the air show pilots were Hanna Reitsch, the German women's champion glider pilot, Count Otto Hagenburg, European aerobatic champion, Harold Johnson tossing his Ford Tri-Motor about the sky and many military displays.

THE EIGHTH GREAT

AIR-EPIC

BLAZING THE TRAIL OF

TRAVEL-SAFETY!

"Again, for the eighth consecutive year, aviation prepares to reset its fron­ tiers of achievement! Again America's top-flight pilots contest for the guerdon and glory symbolized by the Bendix Trophy - champion's reward in the annual Bendix Transcontinental Free­ for-all Trophy Race.

Frank Hawk's "Times Flies" rebuilt as the Military HM-l.

"Not the prize, but what it proves, is important. For this year, as seven times before, this famous race will forecast new and vital advances in commercial aviation. More speed, assurance, com­ fort, safety - all inevitably pointing toward more mental relaxation aloft, hence more confidence in the mind of the traveling public."

The above is from an advertisement

by Bendix in the 1938 race program.

For 1938 Bendix offered a total purse of $30,000 with $9,000 going to first place. An additional $5,000 was of­ fered to the pilot, who after finishing the race in Cleveland continued on to Ben­ dix Airport, Bendix , New Jersey, and established a new transcontinental speed record.

The race had two new rules for the year: blind flying instruments and radios were required for planes, and pilots had to be instrument rated . Also, it was ruled that planes entered in the Bendix could not participate in the Thompson, although the pilots could themselves fly both contests.

There were 11 entries for the 1938 Bendix Race from Burbank, California to Cleveland, Ohio. There were three Beech D-17Ss, a Bellanca 28-92 Tri­ Motor, the Granville QED, a Lockheed Orion , a Northrop Gamma, two Seversky SEV -S2s, a Spartan Executive and the Wedell -Williams 92 now

known as the Utican.

With the Seversky's winning in 1937, they were the class act in 1938 with Jacqueline Cochran and Frank Fuller as the pilots. Paul Mantz was also a strong contender flying Lockheed Orion equipped with a 750 hp Wright Cyclone.

Ten planes departed Burbank for Cleveland, Bernarr McFadden having an accident in his Northrop Gamma prior to the race. In addition to the above, Max Constant, Ross Hadley and Robert Perlich left in Beechcraft Stag­ gerwings, Lee Gehlbach in the Wedell­ Williams, George Armistead in the QED, John Hinchley in the Spartan and Frank Cordova in the Bellanca trimotor.

Four pilots were forced out along the way: Lee Gehlbach in the Wedell-Wil­ liams, Bob Perlich in his Staggerwing, Frank Cordova in the Bellanca and Ar­ mistead in the QED. Jackie Cochran won in her Seversky SEV with an average speed of 249.74 mph, the second highest speed since 1932. Second was last year's winner.

Frank Fuller at 238 mph, down 20 mph from the previous year. Third was Paul Mantz in the Lockheed Orion. All six finishers reported instrument weather conditions for the entire 2,043 miles of the race. Jackie Cochran, after a 15 minute gas stop at Cleveland, continued on to Bendix, New Jersey to establish a VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

The Light Airplane Developers F-15, powered with a Pobjoy.

Flown by Walter McClain.

new women's west-east transcontinen­ tal record of 242.1 mph.

GREVE TROPHY The 1938 running of the Greve Trophy was on a Sunday, September 4.

The race was an international free-for­ all, men pilots only, open to engines of 549 cubic inch displacement or less.

The distance was 200 miles, 20 laps of the 10 miles course. The purse offered was $25,000 donated by the Cleveland Pneumatic Tool Company, Louis W. Greve president.

This was the fifth running of the com­ petition and for 1938 there were seven entrants. These were: the Bushey-Mc­ Grew Special (old Rider R-l) , Chamber Chambermaid, Chester Goon, Crosby CR-4, Rider R-4 Firecracker, Rider R-5 Jackrabbit and the new Rider R-6 Eight Ball.

All were powered by six-cylinder Menaso engines except the Bushey-Mc­ Grew which had a four-cylinder Menas­ co. The Chester Goon, the Rider Eight Ball and the Crosby CR-4 were new for 1938. The Crosby was the only all metal aircraft racing in the Greve. The Eight Ball was conventional construc­ tion and the Goon was of all wood con-

struction, a change for Chester.

The race saw thrilling competition between Tony LeVier in his 1936 Firecracker and Art Chester in his new Goon, both of them leading the other contestants by a wide margin. leVier won with an average speed of 250.9 mph beating the 1937 speed by more than eight miles per hour. Art Chester finished second closely behind leVier at a speed of 250.4 miles per hour.

MODEL AIRPLANE NEWS provided the greatest coverage of the 1938 races in their December 1938 issue in the article, "Aviation's Dare-Devil Scientists." The article was spread over six pages and included the best photo coverage of the event with 28 photos of race and air show aircraft. The follow­ ing is their view on three of the Greve racers.

FIRECRACKER "Tony leVier, bespeckled Angeleno, emerged as King of the Closed Course Racers this year with a startling 250.885 mph average over the two hundred mile grind of the Greve Trophy Race. Why did he win? What scientific problems did he solve that baffled the other five planes in the race? His ship, the

The Rider R-1 was now known as the Bushey-McGrew.

6 DECEMBER

Probably the most heavily used racer in Bendix and Thompson racing, the old Wedell-Williams 92 had been around since 1932.

Schoenfeldt Firecracker, is a fairly con­ ventional low wing monoplane of steel tubing construction, fabric covered with a tiny retractable landing gear. But Tony leVier spent months of constant mathematical research on his ship. He designed and tested five propellers before he found the most efficient model. He has designed two oil coolers.

He set to work on the Menasco C6S4 supercharged engine and wrought several radical changes that only a hand­ ful of trusted workmen know."

GOON "A nose behind him was Art Chester, no stranger to any follower of air racing and a real dare-devil scientist. The things he's done in airplane and motor design are now accepted practice and this year he was back with even more startling innovations.

"This time he brought a completely new ship, the 'Goon,' to Cleveland. Art watched, with sinking heart, as Michael Detroyat roared by him in the 1936 Air Races in Los Angeles. And he watched especially the performance of the new Ratier two-pitch propller. He resolved to have one and it has taken nearly a year to cut all the red tape spun out by the

Earl ortman finished second to Turner in the Marcoux-Bromberg Rider R-3.

Pearson-Williams Curtiss V-12 powered Mr. Smoothie flown by lee Williams.

French goverment to obtain it. It ar­ rived, but more complications had to be ironed out; more problems to be solved!

The propeller rotated clockwise instead of counter-clockwise as all American motors do.

"Dishearted? No sir! Art set to work on his Menasco and changed the direc­ tion of rotation! That, feJlows, is real aviation achievement. Further new ideas was the use of a symmetrical air­ foil and changes in incidence at two points: 20 inches out from the fuselage and at the wing-tips."

EIGHT BALL "Joe Jacobson of Kansas City flew one of the most beautifully designed ships at the Races, the Keith Rider 'Eight Ball,' into third place. This ship, tested by Roger Don Rae, who no longer flies in competition due to his airline employment, features a hydraulically retracting landing gear, trailing edge flaps and hydraulic brakes. It was built by the Story-Gawley Company, famous propeller designers, and looked every inch a winner."

THOMPSON TROPHY For 1938 some of the rules for the

The new Rider R-6 Eight Ball flown by Joe Jacobson.

Thompson Trophy Race were changed.

The contest committee was worried about the takeover of the race by military aircraft such as the Severskys that finished 4th and 6th in the 1937 Thompson plus winning the 1937 Ben­ dix. The committee hoped to keep the series open for grassroots operations and homebuilt aircraft.

The new rules limited engine dis­ placement to 1,830 cubic inches. The number of entries were also limited to 15 and the minimum speed in qualifica­ tion to 225 miles per hour. Also, no aircraft entered in the Bendix could race in the Thompson. This in hopes of spreading the prize money around fur­ ther.

Nine aircraft were entered for the 1938 race. These were the Chester Goon, Crosby CR-4, Laird -Turner Pesco Special, Marcoux-Bromberg, Military: HM-l, Pearson-Williams Mr. Smoothie, Rider R-6 Eight Ball, Wedell-Williams 57 and the Wittman Bonzo. The Chester Goon and the Pear­ son-Williams were the only new aircraft.

Art Chester who had worked with Al Menasco believed his design was the ideal Menasco powered racer. Its con­

Jacqueline Cochran's Bendix winning Seversky racer.

struction was conventional with a fabric covered steel-tube fuselage and a plywood covered wooden wing. Mr. Smoothie, as was Wittman's Bonzo, was built behind a Curtiss V-12 engine.

Its fuselage was also of steel-tube but aluminum covered. The wing was of spruce spars and aluminum ribs with aluminum covering.

Four of the aircraft had Pratt & Whit­ ney radial engines. The Turner and HM-1 having Twin Wasps, the Mar­ coux-Bromberg a Twin-Wasp Jr. and the Wedell-Williams a Hornet. Bonzo and Mr. Smoothie had Curtiss V-12's and the remaining aircraft, six cylinder Menasco engines.

For 1938 the race distance was in­ creased to 300 miles, ten laps around the four pylon ten-mile course. The dis­ tance was to encourage more practical airplanes.

ROSCOE'S VICTORY In the October 1928 issue of AERO DIGEST Cy Caldwell reported on the races in his article, "Three Days in a Daze at the Air Races." The following were his views on Roscoe Turner's vic­ tory in the Thompson.

"Well, sir, doggone my tough old

Art Chester's Goon placed second in the Greve.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

The all metal Crosby CR-4 flown by Harry Crosby.

hide and thick skull! Here it's taken me about fifteen years to learn why I never came in first when I used to race - at a hundred hair-raising and blood curdling miles an hour - against such now su­ perannuated speed demons of the old days as Casey Jones, Jim Ray, Walter Beech and Walter Lees. The best I ever came in was third. One race a cynical reporter wrote, 'Cy Caldwell fought stubbornly for last place and won it.' " It was Roscoe Turner who gave me the key to my early failures in the racing game. Dragged to the announcers stand by admiring hordes after he won the Thompson Trophy on Labor Day, the Great Roscoe magnanimously gave the world his secret formula for winning. 'I knew I'd win the Thompson,' he said, 'because just before the race two old ladies came up with a prayer book for me to autograph. That's what brought me luck. The plane, the engine, every­ thing worked perfectly.'

"Now that the secret is out, however, Roscoe must expect competition. Next year we may see all of the racing pilots followed by flocks of little old ladies armed with prayer books and fountain pens."

ROSCOE'S STORY In the Novem­ ber 1938 issue of AIR TRAILS, Roscoe Turner told his story of victory in the Thompson Race under the title "We Win The Thompson!"

"The following months were cer­ tainly busy ones 8 DECEMBER

The Seversky flown by Frank Fuller to second in the Bendix.

for me. My Pesco Special, the plane I was counting on, had been in winter storage in the hangar of the Queen City Flying Service at the Lunken Airport, Cincinnati.

"Bunny Hinsch, president of the Sportsman Pilot Association of America, and his partner, Larry Schmidlap, were of great assistance to me in getting the kinks out of her in preparation for flying across country to the Pacific Coast. On the coast my mechanic, Don Young, was already working on my other racing ship, the Wedell-Williams Special, the ship in which I finished second in the Thompson Trophy two years ago and set a transcontinental east-to-west record in 1933.

"I had secured the services of Lt. Joe Mackey, former Army pilot, to fly my other ship. We flew across the con­ tinent at leisurely stages and arrived in Cleveland on August 5th. The follow­ ing days were entirely devoted to get­ ting those two planes in the most perfect condition possible.

'Then came the day of the qualifying trials. We had to make two laps of the

Robert Hadley's Beechcratt Staggerwing.

ten-mile rectangular course. I had the old ship well opened up during these two laps, and qualified at the average speed of 281.25 miles per hour, the fastest time, gi ving me the pole position.

Lt. Mackey qualified at 261.438 miles per hour, giving him third position and Earl Ortman qualified at 270.473 .

"For three days preceding the race, I flew with my friend Bill Smart of Detroit in his Waco cabin plane. We spent about an hour each evening be­ tween seven and eight cruising leisurely around and around the ten-mile course, fixing in my mind every landmark which would readily enable me to pick up the pylons.

"You know, when you are tearing around a ten-mile course which in­ cludes four right-angle turns in a few seconds over two minutes, you don ' t have much time for casual observation.

I firmly believe that this preliminary work was of great help in enabling me to come through this year.

"I took my ship off the ground this year with fifty-five more gallons of gasoline on board than I had ever had in it before a takeoff, making 220 gallons in alL This gave me a few anxious moments before the start, but the ship handled the job perfectly and took the increased load in its stride.

During my duel with Ortman around the first few laps neither one of us opened up his motor to the fullest extent. We were still carrying a full load of gasoline, and

The Marcoux-Bromberg Rider R-5 "Jackrabbit" flown by Earl Ortman in the Greve. This racer is currently on display at the EAA Air Adventure Museum.

The Delgado Trade School Flash. Though not sucessful at the races, it would set a closed course speed record of 227.027 mph in 1938.

Roscoe Turner taxis in the Pesco Racer after seHing a record of 283.261 mph in 1938.

when you are whirling a ship around the pylons at 300 miles an hour a heavily loaded ship is a great disadvantage.

"The start was straight down the field past the grandstands and made a race for all airplanes to get off the ground and safely around the first pylon. I managed to lift my ship off a moment behind Ortman in his Marcoux-Bromberg.

Earl had a lighter load to lift than I did, and beat me into the first turn by a short distance.

"I imagine the lead changed a dozen times during the first part of the race.

However, after rounding the sixth lap and going into the back stretch, 1 pulled my choke to get a little leaner mixture into the carburetor. It was a successful move, as I immediately picked up about

ten miles per hour and with that I had the necessary speed to pass Ortman, not meeting up again with him until the twenty-ninth lap.

"On that lap, coming into the stretch in front of the grandstand, I finally suc足 ceeded in lapping Ortman. I knew this assured me of a ten-mile lead, and if I avoided cutting my pylons and the old motor continued to tick as sweetly as she had been doing during the past hour, 1 was in. When I got the checkered flag as 1 completed the thirtieth lap, 1 went around the course again just for luck and the sheer joy of it.

"Now that I had accomplished what 1 had planned for so long, the next thing to do was to get the old bus safely down on the ground. She hit the ground O.K.,

then started to bump as I hit some rough spots while rolling at about 95 miles per hour and hopped off the ground several times, but 1 finally managed to hold her and level her off. In taxiing up to the winner ' s enclosure I was a greatly thrilled and happy person.

"Jackie Cochran and Mr. Crawford grasped my hand. The next minutes were too crowded to attempt a descrip足 tion, but you can understand how 1 felt after having set a new world's record at 283 .149 mph, beating the previous record of 264.261 made by Michael Detroyat of France at Los Angeles in 1936, and being the only one to have won this classic for the second time."

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

The Complete Story of:

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1928 - 1935

by Terry L. Bowden AUTHOR'S NOTE: Many early publications produced some rather confusing reports about the history of the Parks airplanes. This has led to the publication of some erroneous information in later years. It is the intent of this article to clear up some of the details of Parks Aircraft, Inc. It is hoped that this article will generate futher interest and cause further clarification of Parks histori­ cal data.

T

he city of Saint Louis, Missouri saw quite a bit of growth in aviation during the late 1920s, as did many other cities across America. One year in particular, 1928, the midwest metropolis ex­ perienced great advancements in aircraft manufacturing. The success of the "Robin" design of Curtiss­ Robertson Manufacturing Company and of the "Ryan" monoplane of the Ryan-Mahoney Aircraft Company in­ spired local investors to look toward the aviation market. With a flourishing economy and a booming aviation in­ dustry, aircraft manufacturing had much appeal to the insightful investor and businessman. This specifically caught the attention of Oliver Lafayette Parks.

Though not blessed with great wealth, O. L. Parks was the shrewdest of shrewd businessmen. He was a visionary dreamer with a special gift of salesmanship. His ability to sell an idea to an investor and tum it into a success­ ful reality was marveled at by all who 10 DECEMBER 1991

knew him, and by the city of Saint Louis, who had watched his one man flying school blossom into a thriving college of the air. In slightly more than one year, Parks Air College had ex­ panded to an enrollment of more than 700 students and it had established its own airport, which provided Saint Louis with its best equipped flying field, located in East Saint Louis, Illinois. It is not surprising, therefore, that when Parks suggested an idea for an aircraft manufacturing company to Russell and Fred Gardner of the local Gardner Motor Car Company, the brothers lis­ tened.

An announcement by the Saint Louis Dai ly Globe -De mac rat on September 7, 1928 marked the beginning of an or­ ganization which was to give competi­ tion to cross-town makers of the "Ryan," the "Robin" and the "Cardinal" (of Saint Louis Car Company).

Founded by the Gardner Motor Car Company, the new enterprise was a reported $2 million venture. With the initial announcement of the new firm coming in the absence of Gardner Com­ pany President, Russell E. Gardner, the exact details of the company's inten­ tions were unclear. Reports were sketchy and speculative. First reported as "Sunbeam Aircraft Company," the formal announcement in mid-October esta blished "Parks Aircraft Incor­ porated" as the official name of the Saint Louis manufacturer. The com­ pany, along with Parks Air College, was affiliated under Parks Air Lines, Incor­ porated.

Planning to enter the transport monoplane market, Gardner immedi­ ately brought in Amos o. Payne, a noted designer from Swallow Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas. Work began at Parks Airport on a 4-place monoplane of ap­ proximately 200 hp. The airplane was to have a high-lift, high-wing arrange­ ment lending itself toward short takeoff ability, large cargo capacity and low landing speeds. The plane was ex­ pected to have a cruising speed of more than 100 mph.

The company was incorporated in mid-October under the laws of Delaware with $2 million capital. Of­ ficers were named as follows: Chair­ man of the Board, Russell E. Gardner (pres. Gardner Motor Car Co.); Presi­ dent, Harry P. Mammen (pres. Parks Air Lines, Inc.); Vice President and General Manager, o. L. Parks (vice pres. Parks Air Lines, Inc.); Executive Vice Presi­ dent, Fred W. Gardner (vice pres.

Gardner Motor Car Co.). Other board members named were Olvier A. Ander­ son (prominent Saint Louis broker) and Thomas Reyburn (an officer of Gardner Motor Car Co.). Amos O. Payne was named Chief Engineer and would be assisted by Richard F. Hardin (former naval officer and designer) .

Construction of a modem factory, to cost $175,000, was started at the Parks Airport in East Saint Louis, Illinois during October, 1928. The 101 foot by 580 foot building was to include a two story section to house the design offices and drafting room. In addition, a $65,000 dope and paint building would

Parks Airport - November, 1928. The flight line includes Travel Air biplanes used in the training of Parks Air College students. Located just south of East St. Louis in Cahokia, Illinois, the 113 acre airfield was also home to Parks Aircraft, Inc. Construction had just begun on the factory building, which today serves as base for the A&P classes held at the college.

The Parks Aircraft Factory (looking north) during the production of P- l's. Forty-seven P-l's were built. Peak production was in September, 1929.

be erected adjacent to the factory.

As the foundation and brick work for the factory were getting underway, the first of two new cabin planes was nearing completion. Powered by the 9cylinder Wright J-5 Whirlwind, the Parks "Arrow" was constructed by Parks Air College students under the

direction of R. F. Hardin. The Arrow was issued an experimental license (X­ 329E) in the last week of December, 1928. By February, 1929, officials reported the Arrow to have exceeded expectations in a rigorous program of flight testing. A takeoff roll of 66 feet from a muddy field was recorded by

Test Pilot Edgar C. Schmid who was flying the plane daily. The Arrow was seemingly on its way to success. A second monoplane was reported near completion by mid-February and was planned for further development.

By March of 1929, work on the fac ­ tory was finished and the announcement came of a new line of Parks biplanes.

The new open cockpit biplanes would be known as models P-1 and P-2. The emergence of the Parks biplane design came quickly. It was, in fact, a design which had already been tested and thoroughly proven by another manufac­ turer. (The practice of copying designs from other makers had become com­ monplace by 1929.) It was actually a student, one Charles J. Ritsch, who can be credited with the creation of the first P-l. It was he who, because of his artis­ tic nature, was assigned to go and paint the Parks insignia on the tail of one new Kreider-Reisner C-2 "Challenger" biplane (C-7877) as it landed on the Parks field. It was about this same time that the Kreider-Reisner Corporation in Hagerstown, Maryland sold out to the Fairchild Aviation Corporation in Far­ mingdale, New York. Fairchild con­ tinued producing its own version of the design as the KR-31. Kreider-Reisner stopped producing the C-2, but con­ tinued making other planes at Hagerstown under the parent Fairchild Corporation.

By the end of April, 1929, Parks Aircraft was working on four models of planes for production. The P-1 (C­ 7877) was developing quite nicely . The P-2 was an effort to remodel the P-l with a more powerful radial engine. An experimental license (X-8386) was as­ signed by the Department of Commerce for the P-2. The Arrow (X-329E) was redesignated as the P-3. Another ex­ perimental license (X8385) was issued in the week of May 4, 1929 for a second P-3. And in the same week, experimen­ tal certification (X-8384) was issued for a new model P-4. One example of each of the four models was displayed by Parks officials at the Spring 1929 Detroit Aircraft Exhibition.

But the development of the Parks monoplanes was soon discontinued. In fact, the completion of the second P-3 (X-8385) was probably never achieved.

If so, documentation of this plane has not yet surfaced. Photos of the com­ pleted P-3 "Arrow" (X-329E) and one of the completed P-4 (X-8384) are provided here in this article. These two VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

obscure monoplanes soon disappeared.

The Parks company turned toward the development of the biplane designs.

Only speculation can establish a reason for the abandonment of the monoplane projects. It is likely that the weakening of the summer's economy prompted company planners to go with the biplanes, which promised lower costs for full development.

Four more Kreider-Reisner C-2's were purchased by Parks to aid in the development of the Parks P-l biplane.

One of these was completely dis­ mantled for use as jig patterns and for structural testing. Modifications were made to the others as the factory prepared for production. From April until July, production was slow as the company worked toward "type cer­ tification." The plane that eventually emerged as the P-l was barely distin­ guishable from its C-2 ancestor. The most noticeable change was the reloca­ tion of the radiator from its position at the top of the fuselage, in front of the forward cockpit, to a location just ahead of the "spreader bar" landing gear un­ derneath the fuselage. Also, the P- l was fitted with a Parks modified OX-5 engine called the "Parks Super OX-5" and with a special shock absorbing tail skid. On July 23, 1929, the Parks com­ pany was awarded Approved Type Cer­ tificate No. 179 for the P-l design.

Forty-seven P-l's were built by the East Saint Louis factory. Evolutionary changes to the P-l necessitated an amendment to the original type certifi­ cate by November 1929. The later P-l's came equipped with a "split axle" land­ ing gear. Some changes in construction methods and in the engine specifica­ tions led to a weight increase and to improved performance figures. The colors of the early P-l 's, as recalled by Mr. Ritsch , were light green (fuselage) and pale orange (wings and tail).

"Some of the later ones were blue with silver wings," recalls Stanford B. Roper, who owned a P-l (NC915K) from 1929 until 1934, and who worked in the drafting department of Parks Aircraft as a student in 1929. The fac­ tory price for a new P-l was $3,165.00.

A second biplane, the Parks model P-2, was introduced concurrently with the P-l in April, 1929. The P-2 was powered with an Axelson radial engine of 115 hp and followed the same basic design of the P-l. The prototype P-2 (X-8386) was completed in the month (Continued on Page 26) 12 DECEMBER 1991

Parks Air College airplane and engine mechanic students participated in the construc­ tion of two Parks monoplanes in the fall of 1928. This photo of the monoplanes ruggedly constructed wing shows the highly cambered airfoil.

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~~~--------~------~--------------------~--------------~~ The first Parks airplane, the "Arrow" (X-329E) was completed in December, 1928. The 4-place cabin monoplane was powered with a 220 hp Wright J-5 "Whirlwind" engine.

The Arrow was designed for carrying large payloads, for short takeoff runs and low landing speeds.

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The 6-place Parks P-4 (X-8384) was powered with a 330 hp Wright J-6-9 engine.

Completed in May, 1929, the plane was photographed on May 30, 1929atthe Gardner Air Races held at Parks Airport. The Parks company factory is visible behind the plane.

1991 Grand Champion Antique-

Harold Armstrong's

Pitcairn PA-4 Fleetwing II

by H.G. Frautschy The November issue ofSPORT A VIA TION features a comprehensive article by Jack Cox covering the history of Harold Armstrong's Pitcairn PA-4 Fleetwing.

Here in the pages of VINTAGE AIRPLANE, we'll give you afew construction tips and a bit more history on the restoration that resulted in the first awarding of a perfect score by the Antique Judges at EM Oshkosh '91, as well as the first time one individual has won the Reserve Grand Champion Antique, Grand Champion Antique and Grand Champion Classic awards for his restoration efforts, all accomplished during the past decade.

One

of the "quiet masters" of airplane restoration has done it again.

You don't have to be an expert to ap足 preciate the workmanship excellence that Harold Armstrong has put into his latest effort, the sole remaining Pitcairn PA-4 Fleetwing II. The careful work done by this patient man from Rawl足 ings, Maryland was evident in the hand wrapped and soldered control cables, neatly placed drain grommets, and the expertly tailored cockpit coaming.

7 years, and 4,300 man-hours, were expended during the time it took for the

Pitcairn to be restored. But that short amount of time is just a fraction of the time it really took Harold Armstrong to resurrect the PA-4. Before he had even written his wife, Martha, to ask her to fmd the Pitcairn, Harold had been col足 lecting antique airplane parts for his Waco 10, and the pursuit of OX-5 parts that would ultimately make it possible to restore the PA -4 was to take the better part of two decades. Scrounging for parts would take him to an antique auto swap meet in Hershey, PA, where he paid $20 for a Bosch booster magneto,

picked out of a wagon full of old, dirty magnetos. If you're an antiquer, old car meets can be a great source for parts that were adapted for use in aircraft, as well as sources for replica fabrics and paint for certain periods. The restoration of the instruments turned up another automotive adaptation - the Tasco fuel gage was actually a unit made for Buick, and had been modified with different markings for the Pitcairn.

The reconstruction on the serial No. 5 PA-4 was a daunting task for even the most avid antiquer, even one with as VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

much motivation as Harold Annstrong, aided by his son, Bob. Harold is quick to point out that if it were not for quite a number of fellow en­ thusiasts, the restoration would simply not have been possible. As is nonnally the case in the restoration of any airplane, there are many in­ dividuals who traded or sold Harold parts that would com­ plete the restoration. Tops on his list of contributors is Steve Pitcairn (A/C 4080), the son of Harold Pitcairn, whose com­ pany produced the PA-4 .

Steve generously provided the company drawings that made the construction of so much of the aircraft possible. What needed to be done, you ask?

Take a deep breath and read on.

The fuselage was missing everything forward of the firewall, (including the firewall!), and had been modified with a different (KR­ 31) landing gear. The lower longerons on the fuselage were rusted out and split by water freezing inside. Both lower wings had to be constructed from scratch, as the hardware for the lower left wing was all that remained, and the right wing was unusable. A new center section, cabane struts, landing gear, engine mount, radiator and mount, floor­ boards, front control assembly, baggage compartment, wing struts, seats, cockpit cowling, headrest, engine nose bowl and cowling, tail skid, and instru­ ment panel were the major pieces that needed fabrication.

Attendant with all of that were the little projects that are inter­ twined with the big picture, such as control cable fabrica­ tion, beading the cowling edges, and making a wooden pattern for the nose bowl.

14 DECEMBER 1991

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'-H--'a'-ro-Id-A-rm ...s-t-ro-n.....;::g had to weld up a complete landing gear for the PA-4, since previous owner "Torque" Landis had substituted a KR-31 landing gear in the past.

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The light, rugged construction of the PA-4 is evident in this photo of the aft fuselage.

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Harold hand-wrapped and soldered all the new cables he made up for the PA-4.

Resurrection, not restora­ tion, seems to be the best word to describe the work required put the Pitcairn back in the skies.

The nose bowl is quite a piece of work. Made in two sections, just like the original, it was hammered out by John Neel of Georgia Metal Shaping in Griffin, GA. John made the upper cowl out of three pieces, welded together, and the lower nosebowl was made out of four pieces. None of the weldment is visible on the exterior of the nosebowl. Harold supplied a wooden mold for the metal to be fonned on, based on factory drawings. Harold says it was worth every penny he paid for it, and that it is really "a work of art".

All through the project, Harold had one of the other "quiet masters" looking over his shoulder - Bill Pancake, of Keyser, West Virginia is an A&P with an AI who also has a talent for making mechanical devices look and work as though they were brand new.

Bill lent his expertise and machine shop skills to the res­ toration of the Pitcairn, as he had before on the Annstrong's Aeronca Champ (Grand Champion at EAA Oshkosh '83) and their Waco 10 (Reserve Grand Champion, EAA Oshkosh '81). Newex­ haust manifolds for the OX-5 were made by Ken Hyde.

During the fabrication of the sheet metal parts, the edges of the panels were "beaded", a process by which the edge is rolled up around a steel wire.

The beading of an edge will make the panel stiffer, while making the edge less suscep­ tible to cracking due to vibra­ tion. During the early part of this century, when sheet metal

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fabrication was more widespread for a variety of purposes, beading was com­ monplace, and machines were available to form the edge and locate the wire in the fold. When it came time to do the beading on the Pitcairn's cowling pieces, Harold formed them all by hand.

He also did the edges of the seats the same way. Bill Pancake, Harold's lA, has a beading roller, but Harold says it is tough to work with, and he gets better results when he does it by hand. Here's how he did it: First, make sure your work surface is clean of any items - one little rivet or metal chip can cause a dimple or scratch that can be tough to remove. Cover your table with a cloth (an old flannel sheet works great) to cushion the sheet metal.

A backing board made of fir plywood is cut to the curvature of the finished product. The edge of that curve is then rounded to an 1/8" radius.

Then, clamp another board on there to hold it, and using a plastic hammer, hand roll out the edge around a 90 de­ gree bend with the 1/8 inch radius.

Inside the beading is 1/8" hard wire.

That is preformed to match the curva­ ture. Then using a pair of small clamps (Harold likes the small 2" parallel clamps, one of which you see in the photo) the wire is clamped up against the vertical portion of the bend, holding the wire in place.

To roll the edge, back up the wire with a bucking bar, and roll the aluminum on down around the wire.

Once you get it past the 180 degree bend, work it down in there. He used a variety of tools to push the aluminum in tight to the wire, including a hand seamer, a bucking bar and a flat tipped sheet metal body hammer.

According to Harold, you will in­ evitably wind up with a ding or two in the panel, which he worked out with a hammer and dolly. The trick appears to be patient, and to carefully form the hard wire before clamping it to the aluminum for forming. If the wire ex­ erts too much force against the soft aluminum, the beading will crack VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

during use, once the vibration loads of everyday use are applied.

The flat panels for the Pitcairn were fabricated from commercial grade aluminum Harold purchased from a metal fabricator near his home. They also had the metal spinning capability and performed the spinning work to form the wheel discs used on the PA-4.

After the disc blanks were spun, Harold had to trim the edges and dimple the holes for the hardware to hold the disc to the wire wheels. How did he dimple them? Simple - he just dug out a piece of steel bar stock, chucked it in the lathe and made a male and female set of dies matching the shape he wanted. After the pilot hole was drilled, he punched the disc with the dies and, presto, one completed and ready to paint wheel disc! The flush door on the right side of the cowling was also formed in a similar manner. The door itself is completely beaded along the outside, making it al­ most 3/16" thick. To form the recessed portion of the door frame on the cowling panel, Harold again made a wooden form, with a base of plywood covered by an overlay of marine grade mahogany, rounded out to give the radius. The recess has an inside flange of about 5/8". After cutting out the hole undersize, he clamped the panel down to the wooden form. Using a flat rivet set in his riveting gun, and regulating the pressure from a light to a medium tap, he just started tapping away with the rivet gun and kept moving around the radius, working the metal down into the form. It's tough to tell the finished product from a hydro-formed piece produced by a large metal stamping company.

When it finally came time to as­ semble the nose bowl and the cowling, the note on the factory drawing said "Fit on Assembly". With the folded edges on all of the cowl pieces, (any straight edge on the cowl is a simple folded edge) the initial manufacture of the pieces had to be exacting. Harold is quite satisfied with the final fit - the dimensions he worked out and all of the prior check for fit during the panel fabrication paid off in a very handsome cowl.

All of the sheet metal work would then be subjected to one of the toughest tests one can imagine. Each would be finished in black paint, one of the easiest paints to see the smallest defect or rip­ ple. When the acrylic lacquer was

With the wooden form clamped in place, Harold bumps out the recess for the cowl door using a rivet gun and a flat rivet set.

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Forming the rolled edges on the cowling.

You can see the pre­ viously formed 90 de­ gree bend, as Harold works the metal around the hard steel wire. The small parallel clamps mentioned in the text are just above the ham­ mer head.

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The instrument panel, including the Pitcairn logo on the tach. The hole on the lower left is for the water temp gauge.

These two grinning guys are Bob and Harold Armstrong just after Harold's first ride in his restored PA-4. What a satisfying feeling!

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With its " Millerized" valve train, the OX-5 on the PA-4 loped along dependab ly all the way from Rawlings, MD to Oshkosh without missing a b eat.

The Johnson Airspeed indicator adds to the nostalgic air surrounding the Pitcairn.

State of the art fo r a rugged, dependable landing gear shoc k absorber in 1927.

rubbed out, the panels on Harold's cowling probably looked better than the original panels delivered on the PA-4.

The rest of the aircraft is covered in Grade A cotton and finished in AN yel­ low and black Randolph butyrate dope, again with just enough sanding to smooth out the finish. As Harold pointed out, many of the aircraft produced on an assembly line in the '20s and '30s were not finished with a a super glossy finish, simply because no one could afford the man-hours it would take to produce such a job. One of the interesting little highlights of the cover­ ing job was the use of a metal grommet for drain grommets. The metal will not curl up when exposed to the dope, and is covered with a simple "dollar" patch of Grade A fabric.

What could possibly follow this project for Harold Armstrong and his family and friends? Not another big biplane, he says. He would like to do an Aeronca C-3, since he has a good Aeronca E-113 engine for it, or some other small lightplane of the '30s.

Whatever it may be, you can be sure it will something to behold. You'll want to be here at Oshkosh to see that one!

The use of strut -braced tail surfaces would add to the rugged reputation of later Pitc airn airplanes.

Shortly after EAA Oshkosh, Harold and the Pitcairn par­ ticipated in a reenactment ofthe first airmail flight from Keyser, wv. The airmail cargo for the flight was a set of 300 special postal covers, with a special cancellationfeaturing the PA-4 and autographed by Harold. A small number of these covers are still available on a first come, first serve basis. Send a SASE to Jack Truetle, 47 St. Could St., Keyser, WV 26726­ 3109. The charge for each cover is $3.00.

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W hen I mention the fact that the 1991 Grand Champion Classic award winner at EAA Oshkosh was actually the result of a football injury, people kind of snicker in wonderment. Then they quickly remind me of the story about my Uncle Lars, who was killed by a weasel! (Yah - da train vas coming an' he didn't hear da wheesel!)

The lead character in this scenario is a man of Welsh-German descent named Sam James (EAA 26216,NC 11583) of Milwaukee, WI, who attended Carlton College in Northfield, Minnesota as a young, eager, football player. Suffering a career-ending football injury, Sam decided instead to take flying lessons from the late Malcolm Manuel at nearby Stanton airport. (Malcolm was a legend in Minnesota aviation circles, an FBO and instructor, whose positive approach to flying will be felt for years to come by his many, many students.)

Completing his first solo on October 23,1953, in Cessna 120, N1748V, Sam James earned his Private ticket in March of 1954. From this humble beginning, Sam has recorded over 20,000 hours in 18 DECEMBER 1991

by Norm Petersen

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Three of the "characters" involved in the Grand Champion story: from leff; Sam James, Brian Siovachek and Dave Siovachek, each holding one of the three major trophies won by the beautiful Bonanza.

his logbook and is presently Ad足 ministrator of Pilot Proficiency Train足 ing for the American Bonanza Society (ABS). It was in this capacity, while finishing some bookwork at ABS head足 quarters in Wichita, KS, that Sam in足 nocently learned of Beechcraft Bonanza, N2017D, SIN D3368, which was almost derelict, sitting in a hangar in New Lenox, IL,just 93.7 miles from his front door in Milwaukee. The time was September, 1986.

Please bear in mind that up to this point, Sam James had never owned an airplane! He was mostly intrigued by this "elderly" Bonanza because it sat so forlornly in the back of the hangar, covered with a thick coating of dirt and dust and smelled to high heaven of mouse nests. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps the old v-tail bird could one day be restored to its original condition - a C-35 model, the very first Bonanza with standard overall paint and the only Bonanza to use the "Beechcraft Bird" in the paint scheme.

The owner of N2017D for the 18 years of non-use was an engineer named

John Janush, who had moved west to work at Boeing, leaving the Bonanza to be annmiled by Herb Sorensen, an A & P with AI. Herb had done the annuals up through 1976, even though the plane had not been flown, having been relegated to the back of the hangar at the New Lenox airport. It was Herb Soren­ sen who stumbled into the ABS office to inquire what the ABS stood for and then told of the derelict Bonanza that needed help before it was dismantled for parts!

In what has been described as the most intense examination in history, the musty old Beechcraft was subjected to close scrutiny, inside and out, for a period of weeks. Sam James and his cohort, Gene Donor, even used a high tech borescope to examine the inside of the cylinders. Eventually, the aircraft was pushed outside in November 1986 and the Continental E-225 engine was fired up for the first time in 18 years! It was then discovered that someone had put an extra 10 quarts of oil in the engine at some previous time. This had to be extracted before the dipstick read the proper amount. This "error" by some poor soul had literally pickled the en­ gine for probably 18 years! (Again, the fickle finger of fate had helped.)

A highly regarded Bonanza expert named Ken Pierce was called in to have a look at 01' N2017D. For two solid hours, he meticulously pawed his way through the airplane, while the prospec­ tive buyers nervously chewed their fingernails. Suddenly he announced,

"We have a restorable airplane!" In short order, negotiations commenced.

Although the two parties started out $10,000 apart, both worked towards an amicable meeting and on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1987, a deal was struck and Sam James and Gene Donor were the new owners of N2017D. On March 3rd, the Bonanza was carefully ferried to Milwaukee's Timmerman Field and the long road to center stage at the" Theater in the Woods" began.

One of the really fme helpers in this project was Norm Colvin, technical ex­ pert and answer man for the ABS in Witchta, KS . Time and time again, the restorers would be stumped, only to have Norm come to the rescue. Even the original factory invoice was located, which indicated the Bonanza was delivered to West Bend, WI from the factory . Many small details were fer­ reted out which allowed the rebuilders

A 1951 factory option was this shaded lettering on the wings and tail, expertly done by Randy Effinger and his crew. Very attractive.

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Detail ofthe immaculate nosegearwith its scissors, mud scraper, static wick and shimmy damper. Take a look at all those caps on the grease fittings! Don't you wish your airplane looked like this?

to authenticate each detail to factory original. This is the essence of a Grand Champion Classic airplane.

The original Beechcraft electric propeller was still on the airplane, com­ plete with original 88-inch metal blades and spinner (without cracks). The electric propeller system, which uses a vacuum tube in its operation, was in perfect working condition and only needed cleaning. (This propeller has not had an "AD" on it since new!)

American Propeller Service in Illinois was selected to overhaul the prop and completed the job for less than $700!

The final touch was the locating of three original Beechcraft propeller logos, of which two were installed on the prop blades. Although the logos were only $3.50 each, it took three years of hard

Nearly three years and hundreds of phone calls were necessary to run down these original Beechcraft propeller decals ­ another point for the judges to scratch their heads over.

work and phone calls to find them!

The Continental E-225 engine, which had 600 hours since a major overhaul many years ago, has proven to be in fine shape mechanically and only needed an exterior cleanup, bead blasting and repainting to original colors. The mags needed work due to accumulated AD notes! It has been flown over 60 hours to date and has performed well. Normal cruise is 21/21 square which yields 160 mph at 9 to 10 gph . Fuel is carried in two 20-gallon wing tanks and a 1O-gal­ Ion auxiliary tank in the rear of the fuselage. Cold weather starting is aided by an original electric primer that feeds the front four cylinders on the engine.

The cabin is remarkedly quiet, due to the use of insulation, provided by Gary Buettner, throughout the walls, floors and baggage compartment before the new in­ terior was installed. New upholstery, done by Maury and Garnet Parkhill of Menomonee Falls, WI, was compli­ mented by new shoulder harness and seat belt combos for all seats. The original headliner was retained along with the windshield and the original sun visors.

Midway in the restoration, Gene Donor sold his interest in the Bonanza to Dave Slovachek of nearby Colgate, WI, who continued the restoration process with Sam James. Dave is a sales manager for a Toyota dealership and is also possessed of the qualities and just plain stubborness required to see a multi-year restoration through to com­ pletion. The hours and hours of dedi­ cated work, the sore muscles, the tired eyes and late night snacks are all part of the tenacity needed to complete such a project. Winning the Best of Show award in 1989 and the Reserve Grand Champion award in 1990 merely served to bolster the confidence and renew the VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

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The original "throw-over" control wheel is enhanced by the totally restored instrument panel and refinished interior. You are looking at many hours of hard dedicated work and quite a few $$$$.

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Slovachek. In addition, Dave's son,

Brian, jumped into the fray at the tender age of 12, and has been a great help. (It is amazing how much these youngsters can do and how much they learn in such a short time when doing something they enjoy!)

Randy Effmgerat Central Aviation in Watertown, WI, handled the repainting of the Bonanza with his crew taking great pains to end up with a perfect job.

The Imron paint scheme was done in the original yellow and blue and fmished with four coats of clear to give it that beautiful shine. The numbers were done in a factory option "shadow" type style and include the large wing num­ bers on the lower left and upper right

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wing panels. The detail painting in places like the gear wells, access panels etc. really caught the judges' eye at Osh­ kosh '91.

Incidentally, it's surprising how the price of a Bonanza went up during the Korean War. From 1951 to the end of 1952, the advertised price was $12,990, then $15,990, and finally $18,990. Al­ though expensive at the time, these prices look reasonable today!

The instrument panel was refinished in original Bengal Tan before the over­ hauled and repainted instruments were reinstalled. Even the original 3 1/8 inch accelerometer was redone and placed in its original panel cutout. A modem avionics package was installed in the lower left panel where it detracts very

little from the overall impression of the viewer. A "new" ADF copper-clad an­ tenna was run from the wingtips to the tail surfaces. The wire has to be polished every so often to keep the cop­ per shiny.

The retractable entrance step was rechromed along with the "Beechcraft Bonanza" nameplates on each side of the cowl. As these parts were original chrome, they do not count against originality. Final touches include an original glove box cover, a 1952 Bonan­ za Owners Manual and no less than two towbars in the baggage compartment ­ one of which will not scratch the nose gear when used.

It is always good to see where avid restorers have taken a rather original ap­ pearing ai rplane and slowly applied much elbow grease, many dollars and hundreds of hours of time to bring forth a pristine airplane that will cause an oldtimer to take a second look with that tinge of longing for the day the particular airplane was on the showroom floor.

Such is the case with Sam James, Gene Donor and Dave Slovachek. They have gone the extra mile for three years in a row and have worked their way up to Grand Champion status. The beautiful "Lindy" trophy is theirs to savor for years to come. They have earned it.

Please remember that if Sam James hadn ' t been injured in football, he might not have taken up flying, which lead to his position with the ABS, which lead to the discovery of Beechcraft Bonanza, N2017D, which lead to the beautiful Grand Champion Lindy! I still say the whole thing was the result of a football injury - irregardless of my Uncle Lars!

....

B

by H.G. Frautschy What has a Continental 0-200 in the nose and pops off the water like a scalded duck? An Aeronca Chief with the Buzz Wagner 100 hp STC, that's what! Just over a year ago Bob Everts bought his Chief on floats and flew it to Winter Haven, Florida from the Bal­ timore, Maryland harbor. He flew it for about a month, and then it was flown to Joe Hindall's place in Englewood, Florida. (You may recall that Joe and his crew have res­ tored a couple of aircraft that have been featured in VINTAGE AIRPLANE, the most recent ofwhich was Dick Folsom's Aeronca 15AC Sedan in the Feb­ ruary issue.) About four months later the Chief was out of the hangar, resplendent in its yellow with

orange trim . When Bob's Chief originally came out of the factory in Ohio, it was delivered as an llAC Chief. At some point in its past, it would be converted to an I1BC Chief with an engine change to the Continen­ tal C-85-8 and the addition of the large dorsal fin . During the rebuild, the con­ version to a zero-time Continental 0­ 200 engine was done per Buzz

Wagner's STC covering the change. To keep the empty weight down, neither the starter nor the generator is installed.

Bob is pleased with the engine; "It's started every time on the first pull, so we ' re very happy with that," he said. A few other mods were done on the plane, the most noticeable of which is the in­ stallation of a seaplane door on the right side that is hinged on the upper edge, and is covered com­ pletely with clear acrylic plastic. The door was designed

by Joe Hindall, and is really a first class unit, with pneu­ matic hatch cylin­ ders to hold the door in the open position.

One other modi­ fication caught my eye - the installation of a tow hook on the tail spring. A tow hook? Without an electrical system VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

Setting himself up in the seaplane base fly-by pattern, Bob Everts rolls the Chief out of the turn.

and a starter, if you want to start the airplane by yourself, and there is no one around to help, a tow hook is very handy. Just loop a piece of rope through the hook and a stationary object on the shore or dock, leisurely start the engine, hop inside through your convenient seaplane door and, when you are good and ready to depart, pull on the release ring for the tow hook and you're off!

It's quite a bit easier and safer (and easier on the prop and engine) than using a blast of engine power to pull off the beach.

The floats are a pair of Edo 1400's, and have a color scheme complementing the rest of the airplane. New nose bumpers were made that really added to the overall lines of the floats and made them more shock resistant when impact足 ing the inevitably encountered rocks and docks. The rounded top of a 1400 float can be a bit treacherous with a little water on it, but the addition of anti-skid tape to

A Joe Hindall creation, here is the very convenient seaplane door on the right side of the Chief.

the area where your bare feet are likely to land improves the situation.

How does it perform? Bob was kind enough to fly me around the pattern a couple of times, and it certainly can climb! The vertical speed indicator seemed as though it were glued on 900

After starting, just reach down and pull this ring to release the towhook!

to 1000 fpm during each climb, while indicating about 60 mph on the airspeed. At 65 mph it would indicate

Bob Everts and his bare toes arrive at the seaplane base during Sun 'n Fun '91 .

22 DECEMBER 1991

. 850 fpm . The top end airspeed will increase about 10 mph, so most of what you gain is in the climb portion. As with most of the post-war light airplanes, you would need to clean up all of the loca足 tions that have excessive interference drag, such as the wing strut ends, and landing gear fairings to pick up more cruise speed. A close look at the Piper PA-17 Clipper of Mitch Freitag (August 1991 issue of SPORT AVIATION) is a good example of what can be done with drag reduction on these classics.

With floats installed, this little Chief will really go! Bob was grinning from ear to ear, and so was I. This was FUN! The Chief is Bob's first floatplane that he has owned, and he is very pleased with the job that Joe Hindall and his shop did. It's easy to see why - the perky Chief seems quite eager to launch into the air at the slightest encourage足 ment. Have fun with it, Bob!

Getting up on the step, there sure is a lot of water flying about!

An information exchange column with input from readers.

by Buck Hilbert

(EAA 21 , AIC 5)

P. O . Box 424

Union. IL 60180

This past month has been a real hum­ dinger. I attended the FAI (Federation Aeronautique Internationale) Con­ ference in Berlin, Germany as a delegate from NAA, the Aero Club of America. There wasn't much time for sightseeing, but I did spend several very pleasant days with Walker Koppe (EAA 113268) in and around Frankfurt.

Walker is one of the Chapter 439 "G" Men that you see at Oshkosh every year.

The Chapter puts on the "Schweinfest" after working the Garbage Trucks all day during the Convention. Walker is retired Manager of Maintenance for Pan Am's Frankfurt operations.

Walker escorted us around Frankfurt with trips to the Wasserkuppe, several flying fields (mostly glider), flew me around a little in a Tri-Champ, and, in general, provided us with a very enjoy­ able time.

We then departed Oberusal and drove through the former "East" zone up through Dassau where the famous JU 52 was built and on into Berlin. It was a real experience.

At the FAI Conference, it was a pleasure to be there, to meet my counterparts from Russia, China, Japan, Holland, Poland, Italy, the Virgin Isles, Australia, England, Ireland, Spain, France and every other country. I was readily accepted and sat in on working sessions as well as the general meetings.

I watched and listened and learned. I have a new appreciation of how much these people must go through just to spend a little time in the air. I hope to be back again next year.

Back home, my desk was over­ loaded, my answering machine swamped and, to make matters worse, I came home with the worst upper

respiratory infection I can remember. I coughed so much and so hard I was sore everywhere. Blew a muscle in my back and another in my abdomen. I had a very bad time.

I've answered most of the letters and returned a majority of the phone calls, but I'm still way behind. I'll catch up, though, after I get back from San Diego and Santa Monica, CA. I'm going out to visit with the famous "Glue Angels" at Gillespie Field in SAN ... I may even have time to visit the gang at the San Diego Air Museum. We will see. I will then hitch a ride up to the Santa Monica Air Museum for the NAA awards presentations the 6th of November. I'll be back home just long enough to pick up some clean clothes and then it's up to OSH for the Wisconsin Dept. of Aero's Flight Instructor Refresher. I'll be bugging H.G., our Vintage Airplane Editor, during each coffee break, 'cause the sessions are right there in the EAA A viation Center.

Meanwhile, in reading the various newsletters, more and more space is being devoted to the parts problems and the modifications people are doing to their airplanes. I can't emphasize this enough, guys and gals, the type clubs are your best source of information.

There isn't anything you want or can do to your Antique or Classic that hasn ' t been done before! Save yourself some heartaches and pocketbook distress by asking around and taking advantage of others experience before you jump into an engine change or a mod that you feel might better your performance or make your airplane more to your liking.

Write the type club and let them steer you clear of bogus parts and non-ap­ proved modifications. I read over and

over how Champs are not approved for C-75s, and that some big engine instal­ lations in Navions are just not possible.

There are precedents like field ap­ provals, but as one Type Club Chairman says, "When the FAA inspector is ten years younger than the airplane he is inspecting, you may have a problem!"

Maybe it's just a case where you will have to educate him a little, but, remem­ ber, all he has are his spec sheets and if your various parts and pieces of airplane and equipment are not in the scope of his spec sheets, you is in trouble, fella!

Also, in one of the recent newsletters of the Cessna 150-152 Club, there was a very complete list of aircraft salvage and parts dealers. I'm going to say the obvious, we are not bird dogging for any of these businesses, but they just might HAVE the part you need for your airplane, parts like ORIGINAL gas­ colators, and other accessories. If you would like a copy of that list, Skip Car­ den of the Cessna 150-152 Club has kindly allowed us to reproduce the list.

If you would like a copy, please drop an SASE in the mail. Send it to: H.G. Frautschy, Editor EAA Aviation Center P.O. Box 3086 Oshkosh, WI 54952-3086 Please mark on the outside: "Salvage Dealer Info Request" Whether you have a Tiger Moth, Stearman, 182, Piper, T-Craft or whatever, there is experience and fellow airplane owners out there. Take ad­ vantage of them - that's what they're there for!

Over to you . .....

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by Norm Petersen

Barkley-Grow T8P-l These pictures of a Barkley-Grow T8P-1 on Edo 65-9225A floats were taken at the Wall Street seaplane ramp in New York on June 25, 1940, by Mr. B. K. Patrick. They were submitted for publication from the private collection of Jim Barton (EAA 16807) of Osh­ kosh, WI. Built in Detroit, MI during the 1937­ 40 period as a contempory of the Lock­ heed Electra and the Twin Beech, the Barkley-Grow featured a fixed landing gear when on wheels, a feature enjoyed by the Canadians for converting to skis and floats. Most of the eleven models built ended up in Canadian service where they performed in an excellent manner. It is believed one still exists to this day, CF-BQM. Much of the preliminary test flying was done in 1937

by Lee Gehlbach of GeeBee fame .

Serial #2 Barkley-Grow was sold to Alex Papana, aerobatic ace of the 1937 National Air Races from Romania, who attempted to fly it to his home country without success under the registration YR-AHA. Later it was sold to Peru where it was registered OG-BBK and flew as a working airplane for a consid­ erable time.

Carrying 6 to 8 passengers, the Barkley-Grow would cruise at 204 mph on wheels with its two P & W R-985 engines, yet the landing speed was only 65 mph, a feature well liked by float operators. The Type Specifications list a maximum cruise (red line) on floats as 193 mph. In addition, the specs. list the weight of the floats at 1162 Ibs. with an additional 42 Ibs. for the fittings! One Barkley-Grow, NC18470, was used by Admiral Byrd during his 1939-41 ex­ pedition to Antarctica.

In the background of the second pic­ ture can be seen the nose of a Grumman J2F "Duck" parked just inside the han­ gar door. The third picture shows the nose of a Bellanca Sky Rocket mounted on a set of Edo Ya 6235 floats with two mechanics on the ladder leaning against the wing.

24 DECEMBER 1991

A close inspection of the nose of the Barkley-Grow reveals a "B-G" logo rest­ ing on a world globe, the symbol of Barkley-Grow Aircraft Corporation.

An additional picture of the prototype Barkley-Grow, NX18388, is shown on wheels in front of the factory in 1937 to show the fixed landing gear. This photo is from the EAA archives.

Our thanks go out to Jim Barton for allowing us to use these vintage seaplane pictures.

The photo of a Piper PA-12 seaplane being used as a skiplane was sent in by Steve Hartl (EAA 306105, AIC 12315) of Neosho, WI. The pride and joy of Willie Benzing (EAA 338795) also of Neosho, the PA-12, N2958M, SIN 12­ 1351, is mounted on a set of Edo 89­ 2000 floats and features a 150 hp Lycoming in the nose. Willie, who is pictured by the nose of the airplane, makes normal landings and takeoffs using the floats as skis when the snow is the proper depth (and softness!). The process does save the rather large job of changing over to wheels and skis, espe­ cially with a standard PA-12 which re­ quires replacing the internal bungee cords on each changeover - a miserable, knuckle-busting job at best!

This very pretty white & dark blue Stinson 108-3, N6937M, SIN 108-4937, mounted on Edo 2425 floats, was photographed at the Brennand Seaplane Base during EAA Oshkosh '91. Flown by its owner, Bruce Dudley (EAA 347684) of Duluth, MN, the pristine Stinson still has the original Franklin 165 engine and fixed pitch propeller.

Note the small venturi used to run a gyro in the panel.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

(Continued from page 12) of May. Its design featured a "split axle" landing gear, single wing "frieze" ailerons, increased fuel capacity and the radial engine as a departure from the P-1 design. The P-2 was painted deep red with silver wings. Type certification (No. 200) for the P-2 came in August.

By that time, the Axelson engine had been upgraded to 150 hp, making the P-2 a real performer. The factory price for the P-2 was $6,000.00. But this seemingly "perfect" plane and engine combination was not produced in large numbers, for the Axelson lacked reliability . Only seven were built before the plane was recertified as the P-2A "Speedster" with the popular Wright J-6-5 engine (Type Certificate No. 276). At least two of the original P-2 's were modified at Parks to become P-2A's.

It is interesting to note that both Kreider-Reisner and Fairchild were separately involved in development of their own radial engine planes which followed similar patterns as that of the P-2. First into the game was Kreider­ Reisner with the C-3 (110 hp Warner), and later the C-4 (130 hp Comet), the C-4A (165 hp Curtiss Challenger), the C-5 (another 110 hp Warner version) and the more successful models known as the C-4B and the C-4C (both with the 165 hp Wright J-6-5) . Fairchild's ver­ sion was known as the KR-34C, which also used the Wright J-6-5 powerplant.

With three companies producing very similar planes, one would easily be­ come confused in efforts to sort out their differences, especially since no com­ pany ever produced any model in sig­ nificant quantities. This is further complicated by the fact that three addi­ tional companies would later become involved in the production of their own examples of the same design.

The "crash" of the stock market in the fall of 1929 brought sudden changes to Parks Aircraft, Inc. and to Parks Air College as the parent company, Parks Air Lines was taken over by Detroit Aircraft Corporation. Oliver Parks sud­ denly found his empire to have been almost completely swallowed up by this major aviation holding company.

26 DECEMBER 1991

The first Parks P- 1 was a converted Kreider-Reisner, model C-2. Initial conversion was merely the erasure of the K-R emblem on the tail and the painting of the Parks insignia in its place. Later developments of the P- 1 led to the relocation of the radiator to a position under the fuselage. This photo was taken in April, 1929.

The Axelson powered P-2 was certified (ATC No. 200) in August, 1929. Only seven were built. Equipped as a night training ship, this P-2 (C-9295) was used for more than seven years by Parks Air College. Students in the Transport Pilot Course received 10 hours of night solo flying time.

ATC No. 276 was issued in November, 1929 for the Parks P-2A. The 165 hp Wright J-6-5 engine was decidedly more reliable than the Axelson engine ofthe P-2. Six P-2A's were built at Parks. Three of these were converted from the P-2.

A promotional photograph of the OX-5 powered Parks model P-I . This one is an early example, which used the straight axle landing gear. Other features included a special shock absorbing tail skid, a Parks modified "Super OX-5", and an underneath mounting of the coolant radiator.

The Parks P- I-Twas converted (under Group 2 approval) with the liS hp "Tank" engine by the Milwaukee Parts Company in 1935.

Detroit Aircraft controlled many com­ panies, including: Lockheed Aircraft Corp., Ryan Aircraft Corp., Eastman Aircraft Corp., Blackburn Aircraft Corp., Gliders, Incorporated, Marine Aircraft Corp. and others. The school's operations continued normally, while the Detroit company went through some reorganization. Meanwhile, Parks Aircraft managed to assemble three P2A's in the Parks plant. Slowly, over the next two years, Mr. Parks, with the help of several close friends, was able to buy "back" his famous Air College. But he was unable to regain control of the Aircraft Company. The fate of Parks Aircraft was in new hands.

Production for the Parks P-2 was moved to a Detroit, Michigan plant at the end of 1930. This was a result of a

An experimental P-I (X-SOl N) fitted with a Wright Gipsy air­ cooled powerplant. Little is known about this experimental model. The wide split-axle landing gear was used in the later production P- 1'so

restructuring within Detroit Aircraft which merged the Ryan and Parks com­ panies into one. Six more P-2A 's, known as "Ryan Speedsters," were manufactured before the demise of the Detroit Aircraft Corporation in 1931.

No P-1's were produced under the Detroit operations.

All remnants of the Parks Aircraft Company were acquired from the Detroit firm by a young designer named Dean Hammond, from nearby Ann Arbor, Michigan. Included in the sale were various parts, most of the jig fix­ tures and all of the blueprints from the models P-1, P-2 and P-2A. From this, Hammond Aircraft Corporation began in an effort to revive the P-1 design.

President and General Manger, Dean B.

Hammond, was assisted in his efforts by Galey Alexander and Erwin F. Skoc­ dopole, technicians and pilots. The first Hammond built plane was completed in the week of June 25, 1932. Built from original P-1 drawings, the new plane was designated as the Parks P-1H. The P-1H bore only slight resemblence to the original P-l. The new plane used a 100 hp Kinner K-5 engine, had a squared rudder shape, a tail wheel and an improved split axle landing gear with a 100 inch spread. Hammond renamed the plane the "Hammond 100." Six of these were built from June of 1932 to early in 1935 on a Group 2 Approval certification, which limited production.

Mr. Hammond closed his plant on North Huron Street in Ypsilanti, Michigan and VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

moved to California in 1935.

Another firm obtained Group 2 Ap­ proval in June of 1935 to produce a modified version of the Parks P-l. Mil­ waukee Parts Company, makers of the "Tank" conversion for OX-5 engines, modified a Parks built P-l with a new Tank engine. The 115 hp air-cooled engine was somewhat lighter and was a bit more reliable than the WWI surplus OX-5. The Group 2 Approval was ap­ plicable to any P-l (built under Type Certificate No. 179), but it is doubtful that more than one was changed to con­ form. The P-l T was the last descendent in the rather tangled limbs of the Parks Aircraft, Inc. family tree.

Parks biplanes have taken on a variety of roles over the years. Though originally advertised as the "Parks trainers," very few actually were used as such by Parks Air College, who favored the rugged Travel Air biplanes. A few Parks planes saw their way into the hands of other training schools. Many were purchased by businessmen for use as personal ships. Others had colorful and sometimes short histories in the barnstorming business. A P-1 nick­ named "Ole Shazam" (NC91H) was used by Emil Yankik and stunt man Ted "Captain Marvel" DeLavergne in the 1930's "Spellbinders Air Shows." The book "Biplane" is based on author Richard Bach's experiences of touring America in a Parks P-2A (NC499H).

Though never credited as an outstand­ ing performer, the Parks planes were known as nimble and easy to handle by the pilots who flew them.

Only a handful of Parks planes remain today. "Ole Shazam" (now NC91HA) was restored by Mr. Yandik in 1969, but reportedly cracked up soon afterwards. Rumors suggest that its remains are stored in upstate New York.

Another P-l (NC964K) was restored by Bob Douthitt in the early 1970s and still flies in southern California. A P-2A "Ryan Speedster" (NC499H, formerly Richard Bach's) was beautiflly restored in 1976 by Wayne Amelang. It is now owned and flown by Glenn Johnson in north Texas. A P-2 (NC965K, con­ verted in 1929 to P-2A) is rebuilt and flying in Danbury, Connecticut. It is owned by John Donnelly, III. The only remaining P-IH (NC15771, Hammond 100) has recently been revived in southern Michigan by Zachra Howard.

28 DECEMBER 1991

The four known remaining Parks aircraft. In the top photo, Wayne Ameland flies his Parks P-2A "Ryan Speedster" over the Parks campus during 1983. The Parks company was taken over late in 1929 by the Detroit Aircraft Company, who merged the Parks and Ryan companies. This aircraft was constructed using materials stamped with East Sf. Louis addresses. NC 499H was the Parks P-2 barnstormed in the midwest during the 1960's by author Richard Bach. Wayne restored the aircraft in 1976.

The Parks P-l H (Hammond 100) produced by the Hammond Aircraft Company of Ypsilanti, MI. Six were built under Group 2 Approval from 1932 to 1935. This last remaining Hammond (NC15771) has .ecently been revived by Zachra Howard.

Restored by Bob Douthitt in the early 1970's, this P- 1 (NC964K) still flies over southern California. It is the only one known to be currently in flying condition.

"

Possibly, the remains of other Parks planes lie waiting to be resurrected for a renewed chance to fly. As for Parks Aircraft, Inc., it's gone - but not for足 gotten.

My thanks to : Lori, Cheryl and Sandy of the Parks Library/Archives staff; Nita Browning, Parks Public Relations ; Zachra Howard; Bob Douthitt; Charles Ritsch; Stan Roper; June and Richard Kamm. Special thanks to my wife, Laura.

Completed in 1984, this restored Parks P-2A is owned by John Donnelly and is flown from its Danbury, CT base. The plane was restored by John, his father Jack, as well as Paul Williams, John Barkal, and les lefferts, with support from many friends and John's wife laura.

April 5-11 Lakeland, FL - Annual Sun 'n Fun EAAAy-In. Make your plans

to join us for the wann weather! for more information call 813/644-243l.

June 7 DeKalb, IL EAA Chapter 241 28th Annual Breakfast Fly-In .

Info: 815/895-3888.

July 8-12 Arlington, W A Northwest EAA Ay-In. Info: 206-435足

(Editors Note: Terry supplied an ex足 tensive bibliography with his article. If additional infonnation is needed by the reader, please contact the Editor here at EAA Headquarters for a copy of the bibliography.) . . .

5857.

July 31-Aug. 6 Oshkosh, WI - 40th Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport Aviation Convention. Wittman Regional Airport.

Contact John Burton, EAA Aviation Center, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086, 414/426-4800 . . . .

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: Lithonia, GA Donald K. Abrames W. Kenneth Austin Charlotte, NC Lexington, KY Lee Ballard New York,NY Jack Beech R. C. Biedebach Pasadena, CA Rockville, MD Thomas Blair Beaverton, OR J. Rion Bourgeois J. R. Boyer Pittstown, NJ Clifford W. Burrell, Jr. Memphis, TN Robert J. Carlos Covina, CA Raymond L. Coker Spring, TX Cary Wayne Cook Newport, WA Bernard Coppock Franklin, OH (Sponsor: Ralph Orndorf) Frank T. Cuden Albert Lea, MN (Sponsor: RJ. Lickteig) John R. Cullere Waldwick, NJ Roy S. Cundiff Long Beach, CA Cary Dennen Buffalo Grove, IL (Sponsor: Buck Hilbert) Kimberly L. Elmore Longmont, CO Lewis K. Fisher Garden Grove, CA

James A. Fitch Anchorage, AK Delbert T. Goodlett Alvarado, TX Harry Guinther Chagrin Falls, OH Tim P. Harper Senoie, GA Tom Hruska El Toro, CA Cliff Hyde Laporte, TX Fred H. Johnson Auburn, WA Benjamin C. Jones Cummaquid, MA (Sponsor: Bill Richardson) John Kellog Cayton, NY (Sponsor: L.R Trumpore) Jane Kimball Zellwood, FL Ralph Knight Lantana, FL San Francisco, CA Colin N. Lind Malcolm Airplane Co. Muskegon, MI Richard Maybery Sun City, AZ (Sponsor: J.R Downs) Jerold B. McEwen Frankenmuth, MI George Mimikos Apollo Beach, FL George Nunez Miami,FL John L. Ovnick Chatsworth, CA

Ronald M. Pankow Monmouth Junction, NJ James C. Patterson Houston, TX (Sponsor: Peter Fisk) Jack Planchak Cincinnati, OH Chester, PA Eugene Ramsey Dick R. Ridgway Bethel, AK George R. Ringer Bloomington, IN Richard A. Roberts Aoresville, TX Marcel A. Seguin Canada Donald R. Simon Princeton, NJ L. W. Smith San Ardo, CA George B. Sparling Arlington, TX Scott D. Stevens Corsicana, TX Robert B. Swift, Jr. Cherry Hill, NJ Paul J. Thomas Edgewood, MD James Sherwood Thompson Wilmington, NC Laurent Van Den Bremt Canada Andrew C. Whyte Norwalk, CT Lewis G. Wilson Rock Hill, SC Turlock, CA Stephen P. Wright VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

,INC.

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Y\fhere The Sellers and Buyers Meet...

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

AIRCRAFT: 1957 Cessna 172-3415 TT, 1009 SMOH, Feb. annual. 720 Nav/Com . Transponder w/Mode C Enc. AN 8 inside and out. Asking $15,000.919/355-7638. (12-2) 1929 New Standard - D-29-S project. In­ cludes front half of aluminum fuselage NC­ 151-M. Engine mount, landing gear, cockpit cowlings, oil tank, throttle quadrants, floor boards, instrument panels and some tail pieces. Similar in structure to five-place 0­ 25. $2,500. Will crate. Brian Coughlin, 4944 N. Eagle Village Road, Manlius, NY 13104, 315/682-8417. (12-1) 1960 Cessna 150 StraightTail-4475 TT, 576 SMOH . Two NavComs, AT 150 transponder, Jefferson loran, full face DG, new altimeter, long range tanks. Plane is mechanically excellent, but needs paint.

Call 717/278-3215. (12-1)

MISCELLANEOUS: 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, air­ mail cachets, etc. We also have R/C documen­ tation exdusive to this historic aircraft. Sale of these items support operating expense to keep this "Jenny" flying for the aviation public. We appreciate your help. Write for your free price list.

Virginia Aviation Co., RDv-8, Box 294, Warren­ ton, VA 22186. (C/5/92) 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 station No. QK5R148N. 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 Linda Lane, Suite A, Vincentown , NJ 08088, 609/859-3397. (c/7/92) If you love biplanes - join us and be a part of Biplanes Forever. Annual Convention , quarterly newsletters, museum forthcoming , annual membersh ip $25 .00 . National Biplane Association , Dept. VA, Jones-River­ side Airport, Tulsa, OK 74132. 918/299­ 2532 or 918/742-7311 . (12-3) TOP SCALE ACCURACY RATED 1930'S Aircraft Model Plans by Vern Clements, EAA 9297, 308 Palo Alto, Caldwell , 10 83605. Catalog . $3.00. (12-3) ANC-19 Bulletin - Wood Aircraft Inspec­ tion and Fabrication, 1951 edition, now avail­ able 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) VINTAGE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINES ­ Out-of-print literature: history; restoration ; manuals; etc. Unique list of 2,000+ scarce items, $3.00. JOHN ROBY, 3703V Nassau, San Diego, CA 92115. (Established 1960) (c-10/92) C-26 Champion Spark Plugs - New and reconditioned . New - $14.75, reconditioned ­ $5.75 to $9.75. Eagle Air, 2920 Emerald Drive, Jonesboro, GA 30236, 404/478-231 O. (c-1 0/92) Warner 7900 20 Spline hub - Continental 20 spline hub nuts, one ring dip. Kinner 10 Spline hub nuts. Continental hub fits A50/A75.

76AM6 Metal prop (airworthy) . W72GK48 Wood prop, 85-90 hp (airworthy). WW II military tie-down kit, complete. Gypsy Major prop hub (new condition). Funk B prop hub, fits "E" en­ gine. Wood prop for Funk "B" (airworthy). Bruce Sheaffer, 717/627-4104. (12-1) Curtiss Robin Patches - Authentic Robin logo with orange, blue and yellow colors. $5.00. Jim Haynes, 21 Sunset Lane, Bush­ nell, IL 61422. (12-1) Instruments for sale - 1920s, '30s, and '40s, air speed, tachs, turn and bank, com­ passes, 3-in-1 plus much more. Including many rare instruments for that restoration.

Jerry, 408/356-3407, evenings. (12-1)

PLANS: Great Lakes Trainer GURU - Harvey Swack will help you buy or sell a Great Lakes Trainer or a Baby Lakes. Welded parts for Experimental 2T-1A's available. Write P.O. Box 228, Needham , MA 02192 or call week­ days 10 to 5 EST. 617/444-5480. (c-10/92)

WANTED: Wanted - J-3 Cub fuselage or complete Cub in need of rebuild. Dick Brehm, P.O. Box 215, Lanesboro, MN 55949. (12-2) Wanted - Manuals, drawings and any parts for restoring Aeronca C-2 with E1 07 A engine and C-3 with E113 engine. Young, 11 Willow Ct. , Totowa, NJ 07512, 201/256-1342. (12-2) Wanted - Stits Playmate SA 11-A landing gear and other Playmate parts. David W. Mills, 426 Cherokee Lane, Jackson, MI 49202-3834, 517/784-9623. (12-1) Wanted - Information/plans/remains of " National Bluebird ," Built by National Airplane and Motor Company, Billings, Mon­ tana in 1935. Also, whereabouts of "National 35" eng ine (Wright-Morehouse, two­ cylinder opposed) . Last in possession of late Rod Nimmo in California. Planned restora­ tion/replica. John Schlaht, 2964 Hwy. 87 East, Billings, MT 59101 . 406/245-7200.

(12-1)

Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is $35.00 for one year, including 12 issues of Sport Aviation.

Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $20.00 annually.

Family membership is available for an additional $10.00 annually. All major credit cards accepted for membership (FAX (414) 426-4873.

ANTIQUE/CLASSICS EAA Member - $20.00. Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division . 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card.

Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number.

Non-EAA Member - $30.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique­ Classic Division. 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane, one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards. Sport Aviation not included.

lAC

Membership in the International A eroba tic Club, Inc. is $30.00 annually which in­ cludes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics. All lAC members are required to be members of EAA.

WARBIRDS

Membership in the Warbirds of America, Inc. is $30.00 per year, which includes a subscription to Warbirds. Warbird mem­ bers are required to be members of EAA.

EAA EXPERIMENTER

EAA membership and EAA EX­ PERIMENTER magazine is available for $28.00 per year (Sport Aviation not in­ cluded). Current EAA members may receive EAA EXPERIMENTER for $18.00 per year.

FOREIGN

MEMBERSHIPS

Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars.

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

EAA A VIA TION CENTER

P_O_ BOX 3086

OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086

PHONE (414) 426-4800

FAX (414) 426-4828

OFFICE HOURS:

8:15-5:00 MON_-FRI_

1-800-322-2412

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31

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A 44 ,000 ft. museum addition dedicated to the men, women and aircraft who served our country in World War II . See legendary airplanes such as the immortal 8-17 Fly­ ing Fortress, prototype XP-51 Mustang, P-38 Lightning, 8-25 Mitchell , and others.

Impressive exhibits and audio/v isual presentations both exciting and informational, an experience the entire family can enjoy. Visit the EAA Air Adventure Museum where the world 's largest private collection of aircraft are on display ­ antiques, warbirds, classics, homebuilts, racers, aerobatic and many others ­ including a fan­ tastic exhibit on round-the-world " Voyager ", full scale replicas of the 1903 Wright Flyer and Lindbergh 's "Spirit of St. Louis". Plan a visit soon .

OPEN - Monday through Saturday 8:30 a.m . to 5 p.m. ­ Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33

MYSTERY PLANE

by George Hardie

This month's Mystery Plane comes from deep in the archives of Jim Haynes, Bushnell, Illinois. Answers will be published in the March 1992 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE .

Deadline for that issue is January 20th, 1991. (Editor's note: The 20th ofeach month will now be the normal deadline for the previous months Mystery Plane, but send in your letters whenever you are able - we'll always try to acknow­ ledge everybody who goes to the trouble ofsending in an answer.)

The September Mystery Plane was no mystery to racing fans. Jeff Shafer of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin sent in a detailed answer: "The Mystery Plane is the Heath Cannonball Racer. According to "The Golden Age ofAir Racing ", it was built for the 1930 Chicago races and flown by Ed Heath. He took first in the 275 cu. in. race at 118 mph.

"The Cannonball was designed by Clare Lindstedt, as was the Baby Bullet.

It originally used a Heath 4-cylinder engine that used a lot of Dodge auto engine parts. It had a pretty good racing career using this engine, which was in the 65-70 hp range.

"In 1932, Ben Owen purchased the aircraft and had it modified at the Heath factory; most mods were engineered by Charles Morris. The Heath engine was replaced by a Martin D-333 inverted 4-cylinder of 120 hp.

"After the fuselage was shortened, new landing gear having streamlined tube and fabric parts was installed. The wings had one inboard bay removed from each wing, reducing the span by 3 feet. The new cowling completely enclosed the engine with a flush cock­ pit. Fuselage was painted black with yellow wings and horizontal tail. Roger Don Rae was selected as the pilot.

"It never did much good after all the mods, being outclassed in the 500 cu. in. class. Just before its first race at Omaha in 1932, Roger was returning to the Cannonball's home base at Niles, Michigan when he ran out of fuel. In attempting to make the field, he caught 34 DECEMBER 1991

a boundary fence and flipped the Can­ nonball over, causing a lot of damage to the cowling, fin and rudder, prop, wheel pants and landing gear. Only 48 hours after the accident, the racer was ready to be test flown - after 36 hours straight by the Heath factory crew.

"It never placed better than third in 1932. Ben Owen then made further mods by putting in a head rest and rais­ ing the windshield. Its new race number was 102. Piloted by Clarence Mc­ Arthur in the 1933 Chicago American races, it placed third and fourth in the 350 cu. in. races at 127 and 135 mph.

After this it must have disappeared into the back waters of air racing for I can find no mention of it in any results up to the time it was written off in 1936."

Other answers were received from Charley Hayes, Park Forest, Illinois; Herb DeBruyn, Bellevue, Washington; Lynn Towns, Brooklyn, Michigan; John Carter, Bradenton, Florida; Marty Eisenmann, Garrettsville, Ohio; H.G. Buffington , El Dorado, Arkansas; Pappy Weaver, New Baden, Illinois; Francis Taylor, Woodward, Iowa; Cedric Galloway, Hesperia, California; and D.W. Jackson, Toulon, Illinois ......

Heath "Cannonball" racer.

DISCOVER EAA VIDEO

THE STEALTH REVEALED. A VISIT TO EAA OSHKOSH AND BEYOND!

AEROCAR, GIVING THE AUTOMOBILE ITS WINGS

One of the first major public showings of the U.S. Air Force F-117A Stealth Fighter came during EM OSHKOSH '90. Now, relive that historic moment and witness never-before-seen gov­ ernment footage of the Stealth in combat during the Gulf War! Also features an exclusive interview with Capt. Rob Donaldson, leading F-117A pilot of the Gulf War. NEW RELEASE! (30 min.)

A chronicle of the 40-year history of the AEROCAR. Produced in cooperation with designer/inventor Moulton B. "Molt" Taylor, this video features rare test flight footage, exclusive interviews, scale models, drawings, significant photographs and press clippings of all four models of the AEROCAR - the "roadable" airplane.

(35 min.)

EAA OSHKOSH '91

AVIATION

AT ITS BEST! Experience this annual gathering of the family of flight with the offi­ cial 1991 EM Fly-In Convention video. Enjoy the tribute to the 1930s Golden Age of Air Racing, the 50th Anniversary of the Flying Tigers and a special salute to the Allied air power of Operation De­ sert Storm. Plus plenty of an­ tiques, classiCS, warbirds, the latest in homebuilts, ultralights and more! (60 min.)

NEW VIDEO!

$24.95*

GETTING

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$39.95*

FASCINATION WITH FLIGHT From the quiet beauty of ballooning to the excitement of aerobat­ ics, this new video from EM's award-winning Paul Harvey Audiol Video Center is a fast-paced overview of the many distinct facets of sport aviation. Included in this show are segments on Balloons, Hang-Gliders, Ultralights, Antiques and Classics, Homebuilts, Warbirds and more. (30 min.)

$24.95*

Hear from some of the best-known names in aerobatics as they relate their experiences and suggestions for selecting the proper instructor,

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aerobatic flight. (60 min.)

$29.95*

(Available In November 1991)

TO ORDER ANY EAA VIDEO Call 1-800-843-3612 (Outside U.S. 414/426-4800)

or write: EAA Aviation Foundation, Dept. MO, P.O. Box 3065, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3065

Major credit cards accepted.

Ask about saving money on every purchase through the EAA Air Adventure Video Club.

Wisconsin residents add 5% sales tax. *plus $3 shipping and handling.

SUPPLEMENT TO SPORT AVIATION