VA-Vol-21-No-11-Nov-1993

EDITORIAL STAFF Publisher

Tom Poberezny Vice-President,

Marketing and Communications

Dick Matt

Vol. 21, No. 11

November 1993

Editor-in-Chief

Jack Cox

Editor

Henry G. Frautschy

CONTENTS

Managing Editor

Golda Cox

1 Straight & Levell

Art Director

Espie "Butch" Joyce

Mike Drucks

Computer Graphic Specialists

2 AlC Newsl

Olivia L. Phillip

Sara Hansen Jennifer Larsen

compiled by H.G. Frautschy

Advertising

3 James H. Doolittle· A Biographical Sketch/Dennis Parks

Mary Jones

Associate Editor

Norm Petersen

5 Aeromail

Feature Writers

George Hardie, Jr. Dennis Parks

6 The Air Zoo's TG·4A Glider/

Staff Photographers

Gerald Pahl

Jim Koepnick Carl Schuppel

8 What Our Members Are Restoringl

Mike Stein eke

Donna Bushman

Editorial Assistant

Norm Petersen

Isabelle Wiske

10 From the Archives/ H. G . F rautschy

EAA ANTIQUE/ CLASSIC DIVISION, INC.

OFFICERS

12 Hints For Restorers 13 A Banner Year For Mr. Davis' D·IWI

H .G . Frautschy

Page 13

16 Guiseppe's Triple Tail Bellancal

Norm Petersen

Vice-President Arthur Morgan 3744 Narth 51 st Blvd.

Milwaukee, WI 53216 414/442-3631

Secretary Steve Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Lea, MN 56007 507/373-1674

Treasurer

E.E. ' Buck' Hilbert

P.O. Box 424

Union, IL 60180

815/923-4591

DIRECTORS

21 1993 Type Club Listing 25 Pass it to Buckl E.E. "B uck" Hilbert 27 Welcome New Members

28 Mystery Plane/G eorge H ardie 29 AlC Calendar

President Espie ·Butch' Joyce 604 Highway St. Madisan, NC 27025 919/427-0216

Page 16

30 Vintage Trader FRONT COVER . .. The Contemporary c lass covers a lot of territory - Mike and Sue Frost took ·Best Bellanca' honors in the Contemporary category at EAA OSHKOSH '93 with their 1958 14-19-2 Cruisemaster. EAA photo by Corl ~;:;<'~==3 Schuppel. Shot with a Canon EOS-l equipped with an 80-200mm lens. 1/250 ... sec. at f8 on Kodak Kodachrome 64. Cessna 210 photo p lane piloted by Bruce Moore .

Davis D-l 's are not a ll that common, and this year we were BACK COVER. lucky enough to have two on hand at EM OSHKOSH '93. In the foreground is Jack and Kate Tiffany's D-1W, with Dr. Roy Wicker flying off the wing in his D- 1W. Brown Dillard is the pilot of the Tiffany's Davis , with his daughter Gibby as his passenger. EM photo by Carl Schuppel. Shot w ith a Canon EOS- l equipped with an 80-200mm lens. 1/250 sec . at f8 on Kodak Kodachrome 64. Cessna 210 photo plane p iloted by Bruce Moore .

Copyright © 1993 by the EM Antique/Classic Division Inc. All rights reserved.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EM Antique/Classic Division, Inc. of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EM Aviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd., P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086.

Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices. The membership rate for EM Antique/Classic Division, Inc. is $20.00 for current EM members for 12 month period of which $12.00 is for the publication of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EM Antique/Classic Division, Inc., P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES - Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surtace mail.

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

EDITORIAL POLICY: Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. No renumeration is made.

Material should be sent to: Editor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 414/426-4800.

The words EAA, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM , SPORT AVIATION and the logos of EAA, EAA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB, WARBIRDS OF AMERICA are ® registered trademarks. THE EM SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION and EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above association is strictly prohibited.

John Berendt 7645 Echa Point Rd. Cannon Falls, MN 55D09 507/263-2414 Gene Chase 2159 Carlton Rd. Oshkosh, WI 54904 414/231 -5002 Phil Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawton, M149065 616/624-6490 Charles Harris 7215 East 46th St. Tulsa, OK 74145 918/622-8400 Dale A. Gustafson 7724 Shady Hill Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46278 317/293-4430 Robert Lickteig 1708 Bay Oaks Dr. Albert Lea, MN 56007 507/373-2922 Gene Morris 115C Steve Court, R.R. 2 Roanoke, TX 76262 817/491 -9110

Robert C. ·Bob' Brauer

9345 S. Hoyne

Chicago, IL 60620

312/779-2105

John S. Copeland 28-3 Williamsburg Ct. Shrewsbury, MA 01545

EiJ8/842-7867 George Daubner

2448 Lough Lane

Hartford, WI 53027

414/673-5885

Stan Gomoll 104290th Lane, NE Minneapolis, MN 55434 612/784-1172 Jeannie Hill

P.O. Box 328

Harvard, IL 60033

815/943-7205 Robert D. ' Bob' Lumley 1265 South 124th St. Brookfield, WI 53005 414/782-2633 George York

18 1 Sloboda Av.

Mansfield. OH 44906

419/529-4378

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

DIRECTOR EMERITUS S.J. Wittman

7200 S.E. 85th Lane

Ocala, FL 32672

904/245-7768

ADVISORS Joe Dickey 511 Terrace Lake Rd. Columbus, IN 47201 812/342-6878

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

Dean Richardson 6701 Colony Dr. Madison, WI 53717 608/833-1291

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

STRAIGHT & LEVEL

by Espie "Butch" Joyce What a tremendous month! The high­ light of the joint EAA Board of Direc­ tor's meeting was the induction into the EAA Antique/Classic Hall of Fame of two of our members , George York and Buck Hilbert. The ceremony was held in the Cessna Restoration Center in the EAA Air Adve nture Museum on Octo­ ber 22, 1993.

In front of an audience of nearly 300 people, George and Buck were inducted, as well as other deserving EAA members who were inducted into the Home­ builders (Paul Poberezny, Steve Wittman and George Bogardus) and International Aerobatic Club (Clint McHenry and Neil Williams) Halls of Fame.

George York has served the world of antique and classic airplanes since the first days of the Convention, serving as a judge since 1970. Within that area, George has served as the Chairman of the Classic aircraft judging for a number of years and has been a member of the Division's Board of Directors since 1980.

While on the A/C Board, George most recently served as the Secretary.

He has restored a number of airplanes, including several Aeroncas, a Taylorcraft and a Beechcraft D17S Staggerwing. He is currently working on the restoration of another Staggerwing. A charter member of the Staggerwing Museum , he also serves as the Secretary/Treasurer and newsletter editor of the Staggerwing Club. A pilot since he soloed an Aeronca Chief in 1943 , George also served in the U.S. Navy as a pilot during WW II. He flew the PBY Catalina and the Mariner during his service in the Pacific. He has been a member of EAA since 1962.

E.E. "Buck" Hilbert. Buck has been there since the beginning of the Division, one of the originals who asked Paul Poberezny if it would be possible to park all of the antiques in one place during the EAA Convention. "Sure, as long as you supply your own manpower!" was Paul's response. Buck had been a longtime en­ thusiast for old airplanes, a restorer who

sti ll has the Aeronca C-3 he restored in February Antique/Classic board meet­ the 1960's. Many members will recall the ings.

Swallow TP Buck rescued from the top On the chapter scene, each of the Di­ of a garage in Chicago, which he used as rectors will be assigned a region in the the " wake up" airplane for many Con­ country by A/C Board member and ventions, until he donated the airplane to Chapter Liaison Bob Brauer. It is in­ the Seattle Museum of Flight, where it is tended that each Director serve as a point now on display. of more local contact for the Chapters Buck served as the Division's first pres­ with the Board. Local activities are im­ ident, filling that position from 1971-1974. portant to the Antique/Classic move­ He currently serves on the A/C Board as ment, and we are interested in your opin­ Treasurer, and he also serves on the EAA ions and problems. We hope this move Aviation Foundation Board of Trustees. will be beneficial.

Buck's early days of aviation started as a For those of you who have served as line boy at the old Elmhurst Airport south­ Antique/Classic Volunteers, we have west of Chicago, and eventually led him to something special in the works - an A/C a career in the U.S. Air Force, whe re he Volunteer's Newslette r. Expected to be served in the Training Command. He also issued quarterly, it will feature stories served as an Army aviator during the Ko­ about various volunteers and the many rean war, where he flew liaison missions activities you can ge t involved with dur­ on Stinson L-6's. Buck's civilian career led ing the EAA Convention. If you haven't him to United Airlines , where he retired yet had the chance to work as a volun­ as a Captain in 1986. teer, give it a try next year - you'll find it Our congratulations to George a nd well worth your time. Directors Art Buck upon their induction into the EAA Morgan and George Daubner along with Antique/Classic Hall of Fame .

A/C Advisor Geoff Robison will be head­ As you can imagine, deciding who will ing up the effort to put together the receive this honor is a tough choice to newsletter, which will be published and make. There were a number of other de­ mailed out of EAA Headquarters. serving candidates nominated for this Be sure and check out our A/C insur­ honor and their petitions will be held for ance program if you are in the market for review during our next round of induc­ aircraft insurance - we a ll need to stand tions. together as a group. I'll be writing to you Other business was attended to at the all again after the first of the year, with a A/C Board meeting. One of the most ex­ report on your A/C Division , and news citing actions to come out of the meeting about our exciting new membership drive.

Let's all pull together in the same di­ was the decision by the Board to expand the color coverage in the pages of VIN­ rection for the good of aviation. We are TAGE AIRPLANE to every issue! Start­ better together. Join us and have it all!.... ing with this issue, every month's edi tion of YIN­ TAGE will include an eight page color section.

We hope you enjoy it!

Another item we dis­ cussed was the Contem­ porary class. Many of you with airplanes in this An­ tique/Classic judging cate­ gory asked to have a patch logo designed , and as a result we will work to have some items available for you in 1994. I'd lik e to invite those of you with an interest in this area to -"" u submit an idea for a Con­ 'ca.

Q) temporary logo. Please o ~ send your drawing to me E '=j as soon as possible, so we can get going on this pro­ A very happy and humble George York accepts his ject. We hope to have the Antique/Classic Hall of Fame award from AlC president design finalized at the Butch Joyce.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1

compiled by H.G. Frautschy and Norm Petersen

EAAlESPN SHOW TO BE

SHOWN AGAIN

If you missed it during October, you'll have another chance to see the 1993 EAA Convention highlighted on national tele­ vision when the cable network ESPN re­ broadcasts a one hour special produced in cooperation with the staff of EAA's Paul Harvey Audio- Video Center. You can sit in the comfort of your livin g room and see various aspects of the Convention ex­ perience spotlighted, including the after­ noon airshows, the Breitling Masters Aerobatic contest, and the Aerohell Speed Dash.

The show is scheduled to run the day af­ ter Thanksgiving - Friday, November 26, at 1 pm EST. Be sure and check your lo­ cal TV listing for your cable system to con­ firm the date and time.

EAA SUPPORTS BIANNUAL

AIRCRAFT INSPECTION

PETITION

EAA has voiced its support for the pe­ tition submitted by EAA Founder and Chairman Paul Poberezny, who presented it as a private citizen. In the petition, Poberezny asked the FAA to extend the current annual aircraft inspection interval to two years (or 200 hours) for airplanes that are not operated for hire or for giv­ ing flight instruction.

EAA is also suggesting a minimum in­ spection interval for those aircraft used more than 200 hours in an year - an in­ spection would be required at intervals no less than the current 12 and 24 month intervals.

In addition, EAA proposes the FAA consider the development of structured owner-assisted inspection programs. Many groups already provide various levels of support for owners in this manner, in­ cluding the World Beechcraft Society and the Cessna Pilot's Association. Some of these groups and " type clubs" also provide guidance related to parts availabi lity, op­ erations and maintenance. These efforts provide continuous involvement in safe maintenance of simple sport aviation air­ craft. According to EAA, the proposed program could be built on the experience of the amateur-built repairman's certifi­ cate, which allows builders of amateur-built aircraft to maintain their own aircraft. Over the decades, that program has proven to be of great value to help ensure safety within the amateur-built program.

2 NOVEMBER 1993

"EAA believes that if nothing changes, the foundation of American aviation will continue to decline," noted Tom Poberezny, EAA President. " The current effort to revitalize general aviation with the program initiative of FAA 's Central Region, in sup­ port of the goals of the agency's General Aviation Action Plan , would appear to sup­ port the concepts of this proposal. We hope this is an opportunity to make a difference."

EAA ADULT AIR ACADEMY The EAA Adult Air Academy will take place February 20 - 26, 1994 at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh , WI. Basic aircraft maintenance, building and restora­ tion skills will be the subjects of classroom and workshop activities. Participants will have the opportunity to meet th e EAA Headquarters staff and learn more about the wide range of EAA activities.

For further information and registration materials, contact the EAA Education Office by calling 414/426-4888 or by writing to: EAA Education Office, P.O. Box 3065, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3065. Participation is limited to 25 people per session, and it is al­ ways a sellout - so call or write right away!

OUR APOLOGIES . ..

To Richard Ward, the president of the Twin Bonanza Association, for misidenti­ fy ing his aircraft in the Oshkosh '93 awards list. Dick flies a beautiful D50 twin Bonanza, N12FH , and has taken the time to display it during the EAA Convention the past couple years.

To Paul Gordon, the restorer of the fine looking Interstate L-6 liaison airplane shown in the September issue and identi­ fied as an Cadet.

And finally, to Richard Ardell, Peru, VT, the winner of the Contemporary Custom Class III award this year for the misspelling of his last name in last month 's edition.

FIRST INDUCTIONS INTO THE

ANTIQUE/CLASSIC HALL OF

FAME TAKE PLACE

The first two antique aircraft enthusiasts have been inducted into the EAA Antique/Classic Hall of Fame in ceremonies conducted durin g the joint EAA/EAA Aviation Foundation Board of Directors meetin g held October 22-23. The inaugur­ a l inductees were George York and E.E. "Buck" Hilbert (see Straight & Level on page 1 for more information).

From Wes Schmid, Co-Author of "The Golden Age of Air Racing " we ha ve this sad news ...

TRUMANC. "PAPPY" WEAVER 1917·1993 Truman C. " Pappy " Weaver one of air racing's most dedicated and knowl­ edgeable historians died in Sioux Falls, SD, September 30, 1993. He was 76.

His interest in air racing dates back to the first racing event attended as a 12 year old boy in Sioux Falls in 1929. It was th e beginning of what grew into a lifelong in­ terest in air racing, and eventually into one of the largest collections of air racing his­ tory and photos in ex istence.

In addition to all the major races, Pappy concentrated much of hi s research on smaller, lesser known 1930's region al and local events that served as dress rehearsals for many pilots to test aircraft and skills.

Pappy entered the Army Air Force in 1942, retiring as a major in 1964. He flew 110 combat missions in Korea, earning two DFCs and four Air Medals.

Following retirement he spent 12 yea rs flying for the U.S. Civil Service. Later, he took an active role as operations manager of Formula One , T-6 and biplane race events that were scheduled during the '50s, '60s, and '70s. In 1981 he was named cu­ rator of the Wedell-Williams Aviation Museum in Patterson, LA, a position he held until ill health forced him to retire in 1984.

He wrote hundreds of published arti­ cles, many of which were featured in VIN­ T AGE AIRPLANE and SPORT A VIA­ TION. Early EAAers may recall his ex­ cellent series of articles in SPORT A VI­ A TION, " Captain Weaver's Racing Album," which started in 1958. That se­ ries served as the basis for the EAA Aviation Foundation book, "The Golden Age of Air Racing - Pre-1940. " Pappy always shared whatever knowl­ edge he had willingly, providing pictures and stat istics to hundreds of authors, builders and museums. All requests for in­ formation were honored to the best of his ability. He was instrumental in keep­ ing the romance of the pylons in the fore­ front , providing recognition to events and people that otherwise would be forgotten today. He was air racing's best friend , and he will be missed!

The internm ent was held at Spring Grove, IA . ....

Editor's Note: As we promised last month, to honor Jimmy Doolittle's passing, we have more on his incredible life. Dennis Parks compiled this biography on the occasion of the presentation of the 1992 (Milwaukee School of Engineering) MSOEIEAA Medal to Jimmy Doolittle.

JAMES H. DOOLITTLE

A Biographical Sketch

by Dennis Parks

EAA Aviation Foundation

Boeing Aeronautical Library

Pilot, scholar, engineer, daredevil , gen­ eral , James H. Doolittle was one of Amer­ ica's greatest aviation heroes. Over the course of th e 20th century , " Jimmy " Doolittle and aviation grew up together.

Born in California and raised in Alaska, James Doolittle returned to Cali­ fornia and entered Los Angeles Junior College. Doolittle had decided he wanted to do two things: to build things and see the world. To pursue his interests, he de­ cided he would become an engineer and entered the School of Mines program at the University of California.

His education was interrupted by the American entry into World War I and he enlisted in the Army Signal Corps as a fly­ ing cadet. Since he displayed a talent for flying, he was assigned as a flight instruc­ tor to Rockwell Field in California where he spent the rest of the war as an instruc­ tor.

With the end of the war, Doolittle, with his strong interest in flying, decided to stay in the Army. At this time the service was interested in ideas that would demon­ strate the potential of aviation. Doolittle, believing that one could fly east to west across the United States in less than 24 hours, applied for permission to do so. In September 1922, he did just that , flying from Jacksonville, Florida to San Diego, California in 22 hours 30 minutes. Along the way he pioneered the use of a new fly­ ing instrume nt, the turn and bank indica­ tor.

While attached to McCook Field in Ohio, Doolittle was ab le to continue his studies by attending MIT. In addition to his studies at MIT, he set up a test pro­ gram at McCook Field using Air Service aircraft. He was studying G loads on air­ craft and had the airplanes instrumented with accelerometers. When the tests were completed , he wrote his thesis , " Wing Loads as Determined by the Accelerome­ ter." In 1925 he was awarded a Masters Degree by MIT. The results of his studies resulted in the rewriting of the strength

specifications for fighter aircraft.

Doolittle was anxious to put his new knowledge to practical use and was able to do so when assigned to the Army race team entered in the Pulitzer Prize race and the Schneider Trophy race for sea­ planes. His immaculate preparation for the seaplane race did him we ll as his racer was by far the fastest. He won the race with a speed of 245.73 mph , setting a new world record.

Jimmy Doolittle proudly wears the MSOE/EAA medal he was awarded in

1992.

Having become interested in academic study and engineering, Doolittle stayed on at MIT and in 1926 earned his Doctor of Science in aeronautical engineering, one of the first such degrees to be awarded in the United States. His thesis was an inves­ tigation of wind velocity gradients and their effect on flying characteristics. Re­ turning to McCook Field, Doolittle was named as Chief of the Flight Test Section.

In 1926, Doolittle's skills as a test and demonstration pilot had come to the at­ tention of the Curtiss- Wright Corpora­ tion. They were interested in demonstrat­ ing and selling their Hawk fighters in South America and asked the Army to give Doolittle leave to fly their aircraft there. Doolittle did an impressive series of flight demonstrations which resulted in Hawks being sold . He also became the first American to fly over the Andes-a trip which took his fighter to 18,000 feet.

Curtiss-Wright was also able to obtain his services in 1928 on a similar trip.

After flying demonstration tests in South America, Doolittle was sent to Mitchel Field on Long Island in 1928 at the request of the Daniel Guggenheim Fund for the Promotion of Aeronautics to assist in fog flying experiments. As part of this assignment, Doolittle gave the first public demonstration of " blind" flying in an experimental plane equipped with an artificial horizon and directional gyro­ scope.

Doolittle resigned his Army commis­ sion in 1930 to become an executive of the Shell Oil Company. There he helped pio­ neer the development of higher octane aviation fuel which gave rise to a new gen­ eration of higher power , more efficient piston engines . He was able to demon­ strate the new fuel and engine develop­ ments through his racing. In 1931 he won the Bendix Trophy, flying the Laird Super Solution, and setting a new transcontinen­ tal record of 11 hours 16 minutes. In 1932 he won the Thompson Trophy unlimited closed course race piloting the Gee Bee R-l at the record speed of 252.686 mph­ a record that would stand for years.

It was during World War II that Doolit­ tle earned his greatest renown. Recalled to active duty in 1940, he was assigned the task of helping automobile manufacturers convert to production of aircraft parts.

He was then called to the Pentagon to work on a top secret project. That project became known to the world when on April VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

(Left) Doolittle and the famed "Shel­ lightning." They made a 2,600 mile flight in one day to commemorate the U .S. Mail.

(Above) Jimmy in the cockpit of the Laird Super Solution.

(Right) James H. Doolittle in 1931, shortly after winning the Bendix Race.

(Above) Cliff Henderson welcomes Mary Pickford to the 1934 National Air Races. Doolittle flew her there from Chicago.

(Right) Doolittle poses in race gear after winning the 1931 Bendix Race.

18,1942, Colonel Doolittle led a flight of 16 B-25 medium bombers from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS HORNET to bomb five cities of Japan. A month later he was promoted to brigadier general and awarded the Medal of Honor.

In Jul y 1942, he was given the task of organizing the Twelfth Air Force in North Africa. He participated in 20 combat sor­ ties before being placed in command of the 15th Air Force in Italy. Later as head of the Eighth Air Force in England, he commanded the intensive strategic bomb­ ing of Germany during 1944-1945.

In 1946 Doolittle returned to reserve 4 NOVEMBER 1993

status and rejoined Shell Oil as vice-presi­ dent and director. He served on the Na­ tional Advisory Committee of Aeronau­ tics from 1948 to 1958, the last two years as chairman. Doolittle retired from both the Air Force and Shell Oil in 1959, but remained active in the aerospace industry continuing to serve on a great many advi­ sory boards and committees. In 1989 Doolittle received recognition from Presi­ dent Bush when he received the Presiden­ tial Medal of Freedom at the White House.

His passing at age 96 marks the e nd of a remarkable life that had seen daring

feats of courage and exceptional academic abi lity. What a combination . He honestly believed he was simply ab le to take ad­ vantage of good fortune in his life, as he stated in the title of his recent autobiogra­ phy - " I Could Never Be So Lucky Again."

Sure you could have been , Jim - and we would have been just as lucky to have you fly our missions in wartime, figure out how to safely find our way back to the ground using just our instruments, and thrill us with your racing exploits. Per­ haps th e title of the book should have been "We Could Not Have Been So Lucky Again." ....

MAIL

Dear Folks: Just a lin e to say thanks for sharing with us the note pertaining to th e lin e drawings that appear at the head of " Aero Mail ," VINTAGE AIRPLANE, May is­ sue 1993. Also, there is another fine drawing by Casey C. Stiles on page 28, February issue , that I think shows good taste for our type of publication. I know in my case these drawings take me back to my early days in aviation-as I recall many aviation publications of that time period illustrated their articles with pen and ink almost as much as with photos. I suppose much of this had to do with the more primitive printing presses of those bygone days.

Also, in the February issue it was good to see an old Aeronca advertisement in the "Buck Hilbert column;" it sure put me in a "nostalgia" frame of mind. Buck, thanks for the memories.

While in my early teens I had this burning desire to build my very own air­ plane, so down to the local library I go for reference material. The only document available at the time was a book printed in England which featured a few designs from the 1800s. The only flying machine that seemed to be of a good practical de­ sign was known as the Aerial Steam Car­ riage, a monoplane design that came about from the talented and mechani­ cally-minded W. S. Henson of1842. The craft was to be powered by a steam en­ gine of about 30 hp. Although only a large model was built by Henson , the de­ sign inspired many other inventors and designers to actually build full-size craft of similar designs. However, none made any real flights, only uncontrolled crow hops down long hillsides. Of course to­ day we know th e reason why most aero­ nautical experimentations faltered - they just did not have the efficient power and controllability that was needed for sus­ tained flight.

Needless to say, my building proj ect got only as far as a pile of good used 2x4s, a bunch of old steel telephone wire and , of course, a Model-T Ford engine in place of the steam engine. I did make up some 3-view drawin gs, a few pen and ink with water color drawings, so I will enclose a photo of one of those so you can see what ambitions a 13 year old boy can have. I

might add he re, one who had never seen an aircraft on the ground. Perhaps that is th e reaso n the Aerial Steam Carriage project didn ' t look so big to me to start with.

While I am writing I would lik e to th a nk all of you for the attractive ways you have presented my Alaska photos from time to time. It is a lot of fun for me and also I hear from old friends whom I have lost contact with . I plan to fly back up there in the near futur e for a visit ; maybe I can get a few more good shots.

Alaska has more aircraft per capita than any place I know of.

Well, keep up the good work . llook forward to each issue of the fine little magazine, and, oh yes, the color is great.

Sincerely yours, Roy G. Cagle EAA 15401, AIC 1691 Dear Editor, One small side story that was not told in the article on the Speedbird in the May issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE is that back in 1971-72, or thereabouts, I bought that same 85 LeBlond from Jim Nissen, 5DF-85-669 and I rebuilt it and put it away for safekeeping with intentions of e ventually building a small homebuilt with an antique character around it.

That same engine now hangs on the front of my 90% look-alike Davis 0-1 which I've been flying since 1983.

Since the 5DF-85 engine was in pro­ duction from 1931 to 1934-35 , and with th e initi a tion of th e Speedbird project starting in 1932, I strongly suspect that Bird bought that engine n ew from Le Blond. The timing fits.

If that is so, and unless th ere was some other engine change in the time span be­ tween the beginning in '32 and the demise in '37, I think I can safely say it has to be the very same engine that I have today , and that my airplane must be only the second airplane that engine has ever been hung on.

I would like a paper verification from old logs or whatever that would give th e SIN of the original 85 LeBlond installed on the Speedbird , but I have no doubt it is th e very same engine.

I originally had a Le Blond 60 on my D av is, replaced it with a 70 a littl e later,

broke th e light two bearing crankshaft in the 70 , and th e n , since the 5DF-85 still had that same shaft, I decided to update it to the later three bearing configuration and that's how the engine stands today.

It is now almost an "F" by virtue of that crankshaft and the late style cam fol ­ lowers, but it still has the original 85 cylin­ ders.

The original nameplate is now affixed on the "F" style nose plate and I've added the letter " M" after the model designa­ tion to indicate "modified," but it is still SIN 669. End of story.

Very truly yours, Frank Luft EAA 115657 Dear Tom Poberezny, I always look forward to the subject section of VA and the August issue was particularly interesting, ie., the story of Budd Stainless Steel Aircraft during WW II. I have a very good friend here in St. Pete that spent over 30 years with Budd in Philadelphia , and had a big hand in making stainless steel aircraft a reality.

Joe Schmidt is the person that solved the shot welding problems that made air­ craft, trailer and rail car bodies possible with stainless steel. As Joe explains, stainless shrinks during the welding process, rather than expanding as conven­ tional steel does, creating unusual prob­ lems to get a perfect joint. Joe came up with a method that overcame the prob­ lems and made sheet stainless work in air and ground transportation equipment.

Apparently, the big aluminum inter­ es ts , Kaiser and Alcoa, saw dangerous competition arising and were successful in squelching S.S. aircraft. Joe says most of the few aircraft finished and shop fixtures were dumped in Chesapeake Bay by gov­ ernment order.

Anyone interested in talking with Joe, let me know and I can probably get them together.

Sincerely,

Ken Chalker

Chairman , Sun ' n Fun Raiders

St. Petersburg, FL

Editor's note: Drop us a line here at EAA HQ if you wish to get in touch with ... either Ken or his friend Joe. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

by Gerard Pahl Director of Education/ Marketing, Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum

'Ie

stealth aircraft of its day was the little known CG-4A Waco cargo glider used to land troops and equip­ ment behind German lines in Nor­ mandy and Belgium and to surprise the Japanese in Burma and the Philippines during World War II. Silently gliding below enemy "radar," (called "Freya " and " Wurzburg" by the Germans) usu­ ally at night or dawn, these powerless transports were crucial in taking vital enemy communication and reinforce­ ment points . To train the pilots who would man these gigantic gliders (over an 83 foot wingspan), the Army Air Force "drafted" many known sailplanes of the day. Th e one most used by the military was the descendent of the fa­ mous "Yankee Doodle" bui lt and flown in] 937-38 at Lawrence Institute of Technology, Highland Park , Michigan

by Jack Lasiter and a team of students.

The craft was so successful it was the first American sai lplane invited to fly at the famous Paris Air Show . G liding was a very popular state supported sport in both prewar Germany and Rus­ sia. T hough the "Yankee Dood le" did 6 NOVEMBER 1993

not win the glider competition, ob­ servers from both countries were very impressed.

During World War I I , the U. S .

Army Air Force wanted to build up a

Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame nominee Pat Schiffer celebrates the unveiling of the Air Zoo TG-4A with glider owner and Hall of Farner "Babe" Weyant Ruth.

g lider force having seen the success Germany had in capturing the Island of Crete. Jack Lasiter , who had been working for both Douglas and Curtiss, approached officials at Wright Field , Ohio with the idea of converting the el­ egant " Yankee Doodl e" into a trainer glider, the TG-4A . To do so, some ma­ jor design changes had to be made and fin a nci a l backing acquired. The engi­ neering was easy enough-it would take tim e, but it was " doable." Jack formed a partnership with John Kauff­ mann to secure the financial backing.

Contrary to what has been writt e n in the past, according to Jack, Mr. Kauff­ mann did not supply the money to start the company. He did help rais e the money. So, in an old store building on Ivory Avenue in St. Louis , Missouri , work began.

"Yankee" had the graceful gull wing seen on many glide rs of the day. (The design did not really increase perfor­ mance , but perhaps Jack , like Wolf Hirth , thought the beautiful design made the craft look fast and therefore wo uld sell better.) Such a wing, how­

ever, was time consuming to produce so it was straightened. Since the trainer was to carry an instructor and cadet, the wingspan was also lengthened four feet and the center section of the wing was designed to withstand a plus or minus 12 Gs. The cockpit and fuselage were elongated with the tail skid , axle and brakes beefed up . A less streamline military canopy was produced to allow a less distorted view for the rear pilot.

Even with these modifications, the plane was fast and, indeed, instructors enjoyed the training because of the TG4A's soaring abilities. But, the aircraft was not meant to be used for fun. It's whole purpose was to prepare pilots to manhandle the huge CG-4A Waco cargo gliders-not what one would call a sailplane. All winged, powerless air­ craft are gliders but only those which have a 25:1 sink rate or better are sailplanes. The CG-4A was a glider, not an aerobatic sailplane. Conse­ quently, spoilers were added to reduce the glide ratio down to about 22:1 and simulate the steep landing path re­ quired of the CGs, which would have to drop quickly into unprepared strips, possibly at night. (Incidently, the spoil­ ers and braking system worked off the same lever.)

The prototype was produced in less than 90 days and required few alter­ ations. Gliders with trailers and water­ proof tarpaulins were sold to the Air Force for only $3 ,200 each! Including three prototypes, only 156 were built.

But after the war they were in great de­ mand and several kits were produced to improve performance and return them to civilian use. The LK-lO (civilian des­ ignation) or " Yankee Doodle Two" was still the glider of choice in the U.S. until 1958-59 when the Schweizer 1-26 caught up with it.

Now, one of these rare gliders has taken residence with the other vintage aircraft of the Kalamazoo Aviation His­ tory Museum. Aircraft serial number 92 (N58189) was built in March of 1943.

Unfortunately the original logbook was lost in 1968 at which time it was owned by the Eastern Maine Soaring Club and had been since 1963. It was owned in the mid-70s by Glenn and John Leonard of Wilmington, Delaware. Glenn later took possession and moved to Lansing then Marquette, Michigan. The glider stayed in Lansing where it was found by "Babe" Ruth. It is on loan to the Kala­ mazoo Air Zoo courtesy of the Michi­ gan Aviation Heritage Association and Glenn Leonard.

Restoration of the predominately wood and cloth aircraft took almost a year as the glider required more atten­ tion than was initially thought. It had

(Continued on page 29)

The TG-4A as it was received by the Air Zoo. Though it looks pretty good, looks can be deceiving ... under the skin there was a lot of rot.

Air Zoo volunteer Dick Verdon applies masking to the cockpit area of the TG-4A be­ fore final painting.

Project Supervisor Alan Clark puts the finishing touches on attaching the wing before the TG-4A is hoisted into place.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING

-----------------------------------------------------------byNornn Petersen J ohn Anderson's Luscombe 8F

The photo of this nicely restored 1959 Lus­ combe 8F, N9906C, SIN S-9, was contributed by owner, John Anderson (EAA 11153, A/C 344) of Sharpsburg, Georgia. John reports that Ray Lett of Custom Aircraft, Sylacauga, AL, rebuilt both wings , cowl and vertical fin. The pretty white, red and blue paint scheme is most becoming.

Other features include wheel pants, flaps , Loran, Narco Com 810, transponderlencoder and a C90­ 12F engine. And the best part is that it flies just great! John is 68 years old, has been an EAA member for many, many years and enjoys life to the fullest.

Jim Blackburn's '46 J-3C-65 Cub,

N92647, SIN 17018

This photo of Jim Blackburn (EAA 425464) of Ne­ ligh, Nebraska, standing by his 1946 J-3C-65 Piper Cub (Jim was born the same year) was taken after the Cub was restored. Jim originally purchased the Cub way back in 1977 for $3500 and flew it for a few years before recov­ ering became necessary. His father helped out with the rebuild - especially with the rib stitching - and together the rebuild was completed. Jim had redone a couple of airplanes earlier so it was not all new to him. The 65 hp Continental engine was in fair shape but eventually needed a couple of new cylinders and a pair of new mag­ netos. A Navy " Wings of Gold" flyer since February 1971, Jim has always liked the high performance air­ planes, however, when it comes down to giving rides or having just plain fun, the Cub is still the best.

Randy Miller and the "FUN BIRDS" These photos were senl in by R a ndy Miller (EAA 370838, A/C 16267)) of Grand Junction , CO who writes, " At age 24, I just received my Commercial rating and plan on hopping rides in the N3N. " This particular Naval Aircraft Factory N3N, N45033, SIN 2614, sports a nea t yellow U. S. Navy paint scheme and fea­ tures a 450 P&W engine complete with polished spinner and a stainless "dish­ pan" behind the engine. That's R andy in 8 NOVEMBER 1993

the dark glasses and the smile on his face getting ready for anothe r flight. When he isn't enjoying the N3N , Randy flies a stunning Aeronca 7AC Champ, N1869E, SIN 7 AC-5436 finished up in a two-tone brown paint scheme and finished off with a wooden prop and polished hubcaps. In addition, Randy drives a restored Ford Mustang with "A RONCA " on th e li­ cense plates . We have only three tiny bits of advice for Randy: (1) Keep the rubber side down , (2) keep the polishing rag handy , and (3) " thank your lucky stars! "

John Johnson's 1954 Cessna 180 These two photos of a 1954 Cessna 180, N180Ff, SIN 31083, on wheels and Edo 2960 floats were sent in by owner, John Johnson (EAA 398657) of Wasilla,

Alaska. Finish e d off in a bright red paint scheme with white trim , the classic bush plane cuts a pretty picture. Visible upgrades include a cuffed leading e dge on the wings, drooped wingtips and stall fences on the topside of the wing. John

hopes to fly the plane to the Oshkosh Splash-In one day.

(Perhaps in Oshkosh, he can lead us in the song, My Name is Yon Yonson , I Come From Visconsin, I Verk in da Lumber Yard Dere!)

Scott Thomas' Bellanca 14-13-2 This photo of a triple tail Bellanca, N74432, SIN 1545, taken over the Eastern Shore of Maryland , was sent in by owner Scott Thomas (EAA 62459, A /C 12684) of Gra­ sonville, MD. Scott reports the 1947 Bellanca is used for in­ strument training and his son, Chris, is in the process of earn­ ing hi s instrument ticket with the 14-13-2. Finished in a snappy red and cream paint scheme, Scott is planning on changing the " N" numbers to the upper and lower wing posi­ tions as per factory original. From the EAA archives, we lo­ cated several pictures of original Bella ncas displaying the large wing numbers. These should give Scott a good refer­ ence to from which to start.

Don Johnston's Percival Gull Four A real bit of history is this 1933 photo of a Percival Gull Four, G-ACHA , SIN D30, taken at the Hendon Air Pageant, H e ndon , England. Built in January 1933, the Gull Four (the 11th one built) was exported to Australia in 1935, taking up registration VH-UTD. Don Johnston (EAA 412641, A/C 20186) of Singapore (Malaysia), is presently restoring the pretty much all wood , three-place mon opla ne. Original factory engines were the 165 hp Napier Jave lin , 120/130 hp He rmes IV or the 130 hp De­ Havilland Gipsy Major. When the restoration is finished , D o n reports the Gull Four will once again take up VH­ UTD registration. We eagerly look forward to pictures of this classic British design when it is aU finished and flying.

Colette and Patrice Wiess' Piper L-4H This nicely restored Piper L-4H , bearing French registration, F-BKNO, was recently fin­ ished in May , 1993, by Collette and Patrice Weiss (EAA 329635, A /C 16599) of 19ny , France. They write, "This is simply an L-4H born in 1944 and restored last month to thank you for coming 49 years ago. We intend to fly over Normandy next year and if possible, over Paris on the very day of its liberation - August 26,1944. As members of the EAA and Vin­ tage Division, we send you this picture to show you that we are proud of your fantastic job.

Best regards, Colette Weiss."

Ed. Note: Th e restoration is especially eye catching with its wooden prop, gen­ uine "OD" hub caps and " Bugs Bunny" cartoon on the side of the boot cowl. Note also the French "tri-color" on the fin . ...

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

FROM THE ARCHIVES ...

(Above) Ah, the pre-war days at Palwau­ kee Airport, northwest of Chicago. Look carefully at the legend on the side of the blimp shed - "COME IN - RIDE IN THE AIRSHIP." What a deal! Show up at the door and go for a blimp ride! The blimp is Goodyear's NC-7A "Puritan," one of 6 blimps of various sizes built by the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation between 1925 and 1929. "Puritan" was 138 feet long and held 100,000 cubic feet of he­ lium. Power was a pair of 110 hp Warner Scarabs. The blimp shed, incidentally, was torn down prior to WW II, and be­ came the airport dump, according to EM volunteer Jim Barton, who recalled seeing the Nemeth Umbrella plane, sans wheels and engine, laying upside down on the heap, free for the taking!

(Right) The Bach CT -8 Air Yacht was type certificated in 1929. It had a number of interesting features, including the use of a single, more powerful engine (a 525 hp Pratt & Whitney "Hornet") mounted on the fuselage and a pair of smaller radials (165 hp Wright J6) mounted in the na­ celles under each wing. The 8 passenger CT-8 was built completely out of wood at a time when the trend was towards all metal aircraft for the transport compa­ nies. The reasoning put forth was that the wood structure was designed to ab­ sorb the engine vibrations and make traveling in the Air Yacht a pleasant ex­ perience. The few Air Yachts made were built at the factory located on the Los Angeles Metropolitan Airport, Van Nuys, CA. 10 NOVEMBER 1993

(Above) One of the many cabin models that came out in the late ' 20s and '30s, this is the General Aristocrat, model 102足 E, SIN 24. An improved version of the 102-A, the new Aristocrat had a 5 cylin足 der 165 hp Wright J6. There is only one known remaining example of a 102-A Aristocrat, NC278H. Expertly restored

by Franny Rourke, it has been a prized display at the Antique Airplane Associa足 tion's Airpower Museum in Blakesburg, IA since 1986.

(Right) Another print from the Radtke collection, this Laird LC-B was used by the Sheriff's Department of Riverside County, CA. This particular airplane is SIN 184, and was powered by a 300 hp Wright J6. The lettering surrounding the sheriff's star reads "Air Patrol - Deputy Sheriff - Riverside County."

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Other than the fact that this is indeed a Curtiss Fledgling, I can't tell you much more about this shot. I wonder if that's a relative of Bob Herendeen (who does his airshow act dressed in a full tuxedo while flying a Glasair III) riding astride the aft fuselage? We suspect the shot was taken at Cleveland during one of the acts at the National Air Races, since most of the photos in the Radtke collection were taken at those events. Perhaps one of our more experienced readers may recall seeing this airshow act. Vee hal VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

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SPONSORED BY • AIRCRAFT SPRUCE & SPECIAL TY • FLUKE • SNAP-ON TOOLS • AMERICAN SA W

Here's our second winner in the 1993-94 EAA Hints for Homebuilders con­ test sponsored by Snap-on Tools, The John Fluke Manufacturing Company, Inc., Aircraft Spruce and Specialty and American Saw. And this month's winner is ...

Russ Runnels (EAA 26513) 528 Greene Road Martinsville, OH 45146 Since there are many homebuilders and restorers constructing their aircraft from steel tubing, here's an idea for you that worked well for me.

In order to hold the various pieces of fuselage tubing in proper relationship to one another, I used a couple of special clamps from a chemistry lab. I pur­ chased two of them; that's all I needed for the entire airframe construction , They are known as: "Contort Holders" and are available from Fisher Scientific, Catalog Number 05-764. Fisher Scien­ tific has several locations around the country; one is at 9403 Kenwood Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45242. Fisher maintains several locations with "800" phone num­ bers. One source for purchasing the clamps is: Kitrick Management, Cincin­ nati, OH; phone 513/533-2339. The clamps have gotten a little "pricey-" about $24 each, but they worked really well.

Photo #1 is of one of the clamps.

Each 'section' rotates about a 360 de­ gree axis. The sections intersect at 90 degrees to each other. As such, you are able to locate two intersecting pieces of tubing in just about any position you want, from two pieces running parallel to each other to intersecting at 90 de­ grees and anything in-between.

Photo #2 shows two pieces at about 45 degrees to one another. In my case, I choose to grind each piece of tubing to "fit" the one I wanted to weld it to, re­ gardless of sizes involved, as in 1/2" joining 3/4". The only drawback to the clamps is that they have a maximum size of 3/4".

However , I was able to file away a part of the lip of each clamp so as to hold some slightly larger sizes of tubing.

Using these clamps I was able to weld up my entire fuselage without the need of any assistance from a second person to hold things while I welded the vari­ ous pieces of tubing together.

Readers are invited to submit entries to EAA's Hints For Homebuilders, Att: Golda Cox, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. En­ tries will be reviewed by a panel of EAA judges.

Readers whose hints are published in any EAA magazine will be awarded a 3/8" Drive Socket Wrench Set from Snap-on Tools. Aircraft Spruce & Specialty will award a $25 gift certifi­ cate plus a current catalog, and American Saw & Mfg. Co. will award a Lenox 4012 Hacksaw Frame. Members are also invited to submit hints of an electrical nature. Any electrical hint used will receive a Fluke Model 23-2 Multimeter with Holster from the John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc. The contest will run from August through July of each year with a Grand Prize being presented

by Snap-on Tools (KR657 Roll Cab and KR637 Top Chest), Aircraft Spruce & Specialty ($250 gift certificate), and American Saw & Mfg. Co. (Lenox VBKMA-6 Vari-Bit Kit). A Grand Prize will also be awarded by the John Fluke Mfg. Co. These awards will be presented during the EAA Convention. Our thanks go to our sponsors for these awards.

12 NOVEMBER 1993

by H.G. Frautschy (Above) Jack and Kate Tiffany and son Nick with the newly restored Davis D­

1W.

1993 will go down as one of the best for Walter Davis' little two place para­ sol monoplane - during the year, two of his D-1 Ws would appear on the fly-in circuit, and both were eye-catching, to say the least.

We first saw Dr. Roy Wicker and Barbara Kitchens' Davis at Sun 'n Fun, and it was featured in the July 1993 is­ sues of VINTAGE AIRPLANE and SPORT AVIATION. We had heard that there was to be another added to the Davis fleet soon, and so when we heard it was on the f1ightline at EAA OSHKOSH '93, everybody in the area headed for "the other Davis." Even Jack Tiffany, Jr. (EAA 106731, Ale 15522) the owner of this new restoration, jokingly referred to his airplane as "the other Davis."

The "other Davis" moniker is no slight to the terrific airplane that was restored by the Tiffany family. It is a stunning airplane in its own right!

You hear fe ll ows bantering back and forth about whether or not there still are antiques resting in hangars or old barns, just waiting to be restored.

Just ask Jack Tiffany where he first saw his latest project back in 1971. He'll tell you they still are out there.

"I had a sky diving center up in Win­ chester, Indiana and we got a contract to open up an airport in northwestern Indiana. The weather got kind of crummy and we headed back - I was virtually flying down a railroad track.

We had the jump door open and the jumper was sitting at the door so I said 'Find me a field.'"

(Below) Brown Dillard, the designated pilot for the Davis.

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(Above) Brown Dillard and his daughter Gibby cruise above the clouds in Jack and Kate Tiffany's 160 hp Warner powered Davis D足 1W. The airplane was once owned by legendary 1930's racing pilot Art Davis and his wife Rhonda.

(Below) The Tiffany Davis D-1W rests on the flight line at EAA OSHKOSH '93 with Barbara Kitchens and Roy Wicker's 1933 Davis.

Both were award winners at EAA OSHKOSH '93.

14 NOVEMBER 1993

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The weather was closing in on Jack and his jumper. Jack needed a place to land, now! " He yelled, 'There's a wind sock!,' so I headed 90 degrees right and landed . It was sort of a derelict little airport. I saw this little yellow and brown airplane sitting back in the cor足 ner that really kind of took my eye."

Finally, the weather cleared and Jack and his jumper went on back home , but the little yellow and brown airplane stayed in his memory. In 1978, curiosity got the better of him. He asked a friend if he knew which airport he had found in Indiana that day in 1971. Three weeks later, Jack's friend Steve called and said, "We ll , it's in Selma, Indi a na. The airport is the Selma Airport. The airplane is a Davis and it belongs to a Dr. Herb Ware."

Dr. Herbert Ware, (EAA 31618, Ale 13216) has been an antique airp lane enthusiast for a number of years, and had owned the little Davis since 1959 or 1960. Jack dialed him on the phone and asked the doctor about the Davis.

Dr. Ware told him the airplane's story,

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Two of aviation's finest, Mike and Sue Frost, next to the totally restored Bellanca that brought them together (see story).

16 NOVEMBER 1993

The beautifully detailed panel in 9848B takes you right back to 1959. The best part is that everything works!

Just the thought of looking at one of Guiseppe Bellanca 's elegant triple tailed machines gets some people excited. And when you find one that has bee n totally res tored to new condition - the e xcite­ me nt ge ts a bit quicker! Th e bea utiful "form follows function" is close at hand when you gaze along the smooth all­ wood wing with its tapered wingtips, the airfoil shaped fuselage and the saucy looking triple tails - all Bellanca trade­ marks.

The winner of the Outstanding in Type Award (Contemporary Class) at EAA Oshksosh '93 was a turquoise and white 1958 Bellanca 14-19-2, N9848B , SIN 4100 , flown to Wittman Field by Micha el and Sue Frost of Oconto, WI. Named the "Cruisemaster," this airplane was built in Alexandria, MN after North­ ern Aircraft Co. bought the Type Certifi­

cate, jigs and dies of the Bellanca com­ pa ny and moved the entire factory oper­ ation to Alexandri a. The company is still in business today, over 35 yea rs later - a fact that really helped Mike and Sue Frost during the extensive rebuild.

Mike Frost is in the me tal fabricating and engine rebuilding bu sin ess in Oconto, WI , a small town just north of Gree n Bay. His introduction to flying came when he soloed a Cessna 152 in 1985, earned his Private lice nse and pro­ ceeded to buy an Ercoupe 415-C, N93966, SIN 1289. With diligent effort , he put nearly 700 hours on this machine during the next four years before the "tailwheel itch " got to him and "a little more sp ee d might not be too bad ei­ ther. " The search began.

At Oshkosh '89, he learned of a Bel­ lanca for sale in Vincennes, IN and soon

talked with his friend, Roy Ihde , of Menominee , MI who had a similar Bel­ lanca 14-19-2. Roy's advice was, "Buy it, they are rare ," so Mike bought the 1958 bird over the phone - sigh t unseen!

When they drove to Indiana to haul the Bellanca home, Mike surveyed the " low­ time airplane" (2200 hours IT) and was rather suspicious that he had purchased a "pile of flying junk. " However, not one to sit around and mope, Mike and crew disassembl e d the Bellanca and hauled it home to his shop in Crivitz, WI where it was located at that time. With the late Fred Strobel (A & P and IA) of Shawano, WI looking over his shoulder, Mike (and his girlfriend, Sue) went to work on the rebuild.

One of the wings was in such poor shape that it was sent back to the factory in Alexandria, MN for a total rebuild.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

The other wing needed only minor re­ pairs which Mike was able to do. The fuselage tubing was sanded down , in­ spected carefully and then primed with epoxy . Now the assembly could begin.

A new interior was carefully sewn and the tricky installation was completed be­ fore the covering was started. Detail af­ ter detail was finished as the project in­ tensity increased. Suddenly, a monkey wrench appeared in the flywheel!

Ed Nevlen, a close friend who owned the hangar on his private strip where the Bellanca was being assembled , died.

Arrangements were made to disassemble the hangar, move the pieces to the Crivitz airport, and then assemble the many parts and pieces into a hangar, complete with an operating door. Needless to say, this exercise required time that could have been spent on the Bellanca. C'est la vie!

While the airframe was being rebuilt, Mike's thoughts turned to the big 230 hp Continental 0-470K engine, which was fairly low time and in good shape. His friend, Vern O 'Gorick , a local All , said to be sure and check the engine closely ­ it could be a nasty surprise! The first in­ ternal examination revealed a flat lobe on the camshaft. Back to square one for 18 NOVEMBER 1993

the 470 cubic inch Continental with a ma­ jor overhaul of the complete engine and accessories. Now we can begin to see how Mike and Sue spent over 3,000 hours doing the restoration.

The fuselage was covered in Ceconite and finished with Cooper's Superflite II process , which Mike says is basically PPG Durathane. He likes the way it sprays, using a low pressure-high volume DeVilbiss spray system. Mike had only done limited spray painting prior to the Bellanca so he had to learn as the rebuild progressed. The final finish consisted of five coats being applied with the normal sanding between coats. The results are quite spectacular and speak for them­ selves.

With all instruments sent out for over­ haul and reinstalled with all new fittings and connections , the instrument panel began to look like 1958 all over again.

Combined with the newly covered seats and new interior, the old Bellanca was really starting to take shape. Each little detail was taken care of as the assembly progressed. Meanwhile, the Hartzell constant-speed propeller was sent out for overhaul (spelled $$$) and the landing gear was closely inspected before instal­ lation. Sure enough, a crack was found

in one "scissor," which was replaced by the factory.

When all the parts and pieces were fi­ nally assembled and the Bellanca was re­ ally looking good, Fred Strobel diligently completed the small mountain of paper­ work and signed the airplane off for flight. However, there was one problem.

Remember, Mike had nearly 700 hours of Ercoupe time - with a nosewheel and no rudders! This is not the most ideal set of qualifications for a tailwheel Bellanca with 230 hp, a controllable prop and re­ tractable gear!

Mike began by making a few taxi runs around the airport. Luckily, no damage was incurred, but Mike had this over­ whelming feeling that it was time to get some help! He called his friend, Jon Thorin, from Escanaba, MI, a former p­ SI pilot and highly revered CFI, who came down to Crivitz with his mechanic.

While they stood talking, the mechanic quietly went over the Bellanca from spin­ ner to tailwheel. When finished, he turned to Jon and said , " You can fly this one."

Mike got in the left seat and with Jon in the right, he taxied out for his very first Bellanca takeoff. On the first at­ tempt, Mike came within an eyelash of

losing it! Jon looked over at him and sa id , "That 's why yo u don't fly one of these on your own. " Mike says that Jon taught him a real lesson! He highly rec­ ommends all aircraft restorers swallow th e ir pride and seek competent assis­ tance in learning to fly their newly re­ stored airplanes. It is far cheaper in the long run.

It took over 15 hours of dual with Jon Thorin before Mike felt he had " un­ learned" his Ercoupe habits and Jon fe lt that Mike was ready to solo the Be l­ lanca. He now has about 160 hours in the triple-tailed bird and has had no problems since Jon checked him out. In addition, Sue took about four hours of dual from Jon before she felt ready to handle the speedy airplane. (Sue soloed in 1981 and has a Commercia l license with an Instrument rating and is working on her CFI rating.)

The Bellanca has a 1000 lb. useful load, carries 20 gallons in each wing and 14 gallons in the aux. tank behind the rear seat. Th e 54 gallon total gives a comfortable 4-hour range at 12/13 gph cruise at 23 square. Normal cruise indi­ cates 170 mph , but they have seen 193 mph when the conditions were just right.

(The factory brochure says 195 cruise.)

(Above) The empenage is wire-braced with streamlined w ires and the outboard ''fins''

are solid plywood.

(Below) One can 't help but notice the gracefully tapered wingtips - a Bellanca t rade­

mark.

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The Triple Tall Bellanca - From the Beginning The fertile mind of Guiseppe Mario Bellanca conceived the idea of a low-wing, aerodynamically clean airplane in 1937, calling it the "Bellanca Junior" model 14-7. It was a two-place, side-by-side airplane with a fixed landing gear and powered with a 70 hp LeBlond 5-cylinder radial engine. Seeing the pos­ sibility for increased performance with a retractable gear, the 14-7 was upgraded to the 14-9 model using a 90 hp Ken-Royce engine, retractable gear and room for a pilot and two passen­ gers. With a cruising speed of 120 mph, the 1939 model started the affinity for this particular Bellanca design.

In 1940, the Bellanca Cruisair Jr. was offered with the 90 hp Lenape "Brave" LM-5 engine and designated the 14-9L. Al­ though it was a 3-place airplane, pilots often calIed it a "dandy two-place with baggage." The wooden wing and steel tube fuselage were standard and the retractable landing gear (thirty turns of the crank) allowed a 120/125 mph cruising speed. The distictive triple tails were part of the mistique!

Although a 14-9 had been tried with a 100 hp Lycoming en­ gine, the advent of the 6-cylinder Franklin 6AC-264-F3 engine of 120 hp gave rise to the Bellanca 14-12-F3 in 1941, just before World War II. It had seating for three and could sometimes carry four people if the fuel load was light. Only thirteen mod­ els of the 14-12-F3 were completed before the war called a halt to all civilian production.

The Bellanca was flown to Oshkosh ' 91 in hopes that it would be judged , however, the Contemporary Class was not in existence. In 1992, the Bellanca was again flown to Oshkosh and placed in the Contemporary parking area , how­ ever, the class was not judged that year.

Finally, the pretty low-winger was again flown to Oshkosh '93 and entered in the

The projected postwar boom in lightplane flying brought forth the Bellanca Cruisair Sr., 14-13, with the Franklin 6A4­ 150-B3 engine of 150 hp, the first model to advertise "150 miles per hour on 150 hp." A true four place airplane, the 14-13 was well received by the public and in subsequent years, was up­ graded to the 14-13-2 and 14-13-3 in 1948 and 1949, both with slightly increased performance. The 14-13-4 featured the 165 hp Franklin along with nicer cabin appointments and several deluxe feat ures.

The next development was the Bellanca 14-19 "Cruisemas­ ter" which featured the larger 230 hp Continental 0-470K en­ gine and a constant-speed propeller - such as featured in this ar­ ticle. The steel tube airframe has since been upgraded to a 300 hp Lycoming engi ne - an amazing feat, considering it started out at 70 hp (truly, the American way).

(This author clearly remembers going on a demonstration ride in 1960 with BelIanca dealer, AI Spray, of Spirit Lake, IA in a 14-19-2. The performance was indeed outstanding and the airplane was impressive. The one thing that remains in my mind 33 years later was the incredible ailerons that had the identical "feel" at 45 mph as they did at 200 mph! They did not stiffen up at high speed, but stilI retained the soft, delicate, fin­ ger-tip feel, regardless of speed. This was part of Guiseppe's legacy.)

Contemporary classification. This time the judges came through with a "Best of Type" award that made alI the trips come to fruition. In addition , Mike and Sue could hardly believe the number of peo­ ple who stopped to look at the turquoise and white Bellanca and ask questions by the score. Both admitted the interest in the airplane was unusually high and the

really fine folks they had the privilege of meeting, made all the years and hours of work worthwhile.

Oh yes , one more thing. Mike and Sue were married on January 6,1993.

The Bellanca not only allowed them to fly a first class airplane, it also brought two wonderful people together! These Bellanca's are amazing airplanes! ...

!a. ::J

~

U (/) ~

________________________________________________________________________________

That big, polished spinner makes the Hartzell constant-speed propeller work a bit more efficiently. The partly ext ended wheels help to cushion a wheels-up landing.

20 NOVEMBER 1993

~

~~~~o

1993

E CLIJB LISTING

Once again, as a service to our members, we prese nt the Antique/Classic Division's most current list of type clubs and related or足 ganizations. If your group is not listed, please provide us with information which can be included in a future issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE and it will be added to our follow-up for next year (We'll also list you immediately in A/C NEWS). If you have changes related to yo ur listing, please drop a postcard in the mail with the new listing exactly as you would like it to appear. Send it to: An足 tique/Classic Type Clubs, EAA Aviation Ce nter, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

A new list category has been added to compile the clubs that may not be specific to o ne particular aircraft make , ie., The National Biplane Association. You'll find this new listing before the Organizations list on page 24 .

Aeronca A viator's Club Julie and Joe Dickey 511 Terrace Lake Road Columbus, IN 47201 812/342-6878 Newsletter: 4 issues per subscription Dues: None - $16 subscription

American Bonanza Society Cliff R. Sones, Executive Director P. O . box 12888 Wichita, KS 67277 316/945-6913 Newsletter: Monthly Dues: $35 per year

International Aeronca Assoc.

(Formerly the Aeronca Lover's Club) Buzz Wagner Box 3, 4011st St. East Clark, SO 57225 605/532-3862 Newsletter: Quarterly Dues: $15 per year

Staggerwing Club (Beechcraft) Jim Gorman, President P. O. Box 2599 Mansfield, OH 44906 419/529-3822 (H), 755-1011 (W) Newsletter: Quarterly Dues: $15 per year

National Aeronca Association Jim Thompson, President 806 Lockport Road P. O. Box 2219 Terre Haute, IN 47802 812/232-1491 Newsletter: 6 per year Dues: $20 U.S., $30 Canada, $45 Foreign Aeronca Sedan Club Robert Haley 115 Wendy Court Union City, CA 94587 510/487-3070 Newsletter: 3 per year Dues: $5 per year Bellanca-Champion Club Larry D'Attilo P.O. Box 708

Brookfield, WI 53008-0708

4141784-4544

Newsletter: Quarterly " Bellanca Contact!"

Dues: $32 per year (2 yrs./$56),

Foreign $37 (2 yrs./ $67 U.S. Funds)

Bird Airplane Club Jeannie Hill P. O. Box 328 Harvard, IL 60033 815/943-7205 Newsletter: 2-3 annually Dues: Postage Donation

Twin Bonan7.ll Association Richard I. Ward, Director 19684 Lakeshore Drive Three Rivers, MI 49093 616/279-2540 Newsletter: Quarterly Dues: $25 per year U.S. and Canada, $35 Foreign Biicker Club John Bergeson, SecretaryITreasurer 6438 W. Millbrook Road Remus , MI 49340 517/561-2392 Newsletter: 6 per year Dues: $15 per year U.S. & Canada, $20 Foreign National Biicker Club American Tiger Club, Inc. (deHavilland) Frank Price, President Rt. 1, Box 419 Moody, TX 76557 817/853-2008 Newsletter: 12 per year Dues: $25 per year CaliAir Type Club Dave Decker 3307 Astro Dr. Hereford, AZ 85615 602/378-3688 Cessna Airmaster Club Gar Williams

9 So. 135 Aero Drive Naperville, IL 60565 708/904-8416 Dues: None International Bird Dog Association (Cessna L-19) Phil Phillips, President 3939 C-8 San Pedro, NE Albuquerque, NM 87110 505/881-7555 Newsletter: Quarterly "Observer" Dues: $25 per year Cessna T -50 Flying Bobcats Jon Larson 3821 53rd Street, S.E. Auburn, WA 98002 206/833-1068 Newsletter: Quarterly Dues: Donation Cessna Owner Organization P.O . Box 337 lola, WI 54945 715/445-5000 or 800/331-0038 FAX: 715/445-4053 Magazine: Monthly Dues: $36.00 year Cessna Pilots Association John Frank, Executive Director Mid-Continent Airport P. O. Box 12948 Wichita, KS 67277 316/946-4777 Newsletter: Monthly Dues: $30 annually International Cessna 120/140 Association Bill Rhoades, Editor 6425 Hazelwood Avenue Northfield, MN 55057 612/652-2221 Newsletter: Monthly Dues: $15 U.S. per year West Coast Cessna 120/140 Club Donna Ch ristopherson, Membership 451 Bellwood Drive Santa Clara, CA 95054 VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

408/988-8906 or 554-0474 Newsletter: Bimonthly Dues: $10 per year Cessna 150/152 Club Skip Carde n, Executi ve Director P. O. Box 71018 Durham , NC 27704 919/471-9492 Newsletter: Monthly Dues: $20 per year International Cessna 170 Association, Inc. Velvet Fackeldey, Executive Secretary P. O. Box 1667 Lebannon, MO 65536 417/532-4847 Newsletter: Fly Paper (11 per yer) The 170 News (Quarterly) Dues: $25 per year International Cessna 180/185 Club (Cessna 180- 185 Ownership Required) Howard Landry P. O. Box 222 Georgetown, TX 78627-0222 512/863-7284 Newsletter: 8-9 per year Dues: $15 per year Eastern 1901195 Association Cliff Crabs 25575 Butternut Ridge Rd. North Olmsted, OH 44070 2161777-4025 after 6 PM Eastern Newsletter: Irregular; Manua l on maintenance fo r members Dues: $10 initiation and as required yearly International 195 Club Dwight M. Ewing, President P. O. Box 737 Merced, CA 95344 2091722-6283 FAX 2091722-5124 Newsletter: Quarterly Dues: $25 per year U.S. Corben Club Robert L. Taylor, Editor P. O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 515/938-2773 Newsletter: 3 - 16 pg. Newsletters Dues: $12 per year Culver Club Larry Low, Chairman 60 Skywood Way Woodside, CA 94062 415/851-0204 Newsletter: None Dues: None Culver PQ-14 Assoc.

Ted Heinema n, Editor 29621 Kensington Drive Laguna Niguel, CA 92677 714/831-0713 Newsletter: Ann ual Dues: Donation Dart Club (Culver) Lloyd Washburn ?? NOVFMRFR 1 fl93

2656 E. Sand Rd. PI. Clinton, OH 43452-2741 Newsletter Dues: None Robin's Nest (Curtiss Robin enthusiasts) Jim Haynes, Edi tor 21 Sunset Lane Bushnell, IL 61422 de Havilland Moth Club Gerry Schwam. Chairman 1021 Serpentine Lane Wyncote, PA 19095 215/635-7000 or 886-8283 Newsletter: Quarterly Dues: $12 US and Canada, $15 Overseas deHavilland Moth Club of Canada R. deHavilland Ted Leonard, FounderlDirector 305 Old Homestead Road Keswick, Ontarion Canada L4P 1E6 416/476-4225 Newsletter: Periodically Dues: $20 annually Ercoupe Owners Club Skip Carden, Executive Director P. O. Box 15388 Durham, NC 27704 919/471-9492 Newsletter: Monthly Dues: $20 per year Fairchild Club John W. Berendt , President 7645 Echo Point Road Can non Falls, MN 55009 507/263-2414 Newsletter: Quarterly Dues: $10 per yea r Fairchild Fan Club Robert L. Taylor, Editor P. O. Box 127 Blakesburg, 1A 52536 515/938-2773 Newsletter: 3 - 16 pg. Newsletters Dues: $12 per year Fleet Club George G. Gregory, President 4880 Duguid Road Manlius, NY 13104 315/682-6380 Newsletter: Approx. 2-3 per year Dues: Contributions Funk Aircraft Owners Association Ray Pahls, President 454 S. Summitlawn Wichita, KS 67209 316/943-6920 Newsletter: 10 per year Dues: $12 Great Lakes Club Robert L. Taylor, Editor P. O. Box 127 Blakesb urg, IA 52536 515/938-2773 Newsletter: 3 - 16 pg. Newsletters Dues: $12 per yea r

The American Yankee Association Stew Wilson 3232 Western Drive Cameron Park, CA 95682 916/676-4292 Newsletter Dues: $32 per year U.S., $30 Foreign Hatz Club Robert L. Taylor, Editor P. O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 515/938-2773 Newsletter: 3 - 16 pg. Newsletters Dues: $12 per year American Hatz Association Lorin Wilkinson, President 16225 143rd Ave. SE Yelm, WA 98597-9169 Newsletter: Quarterly Dues: $10 U.S. , Canada, $15 Foreign Heath Parasol Club Wi ll iam Schlapman 6431 Paulso n Road Winneconne, WI 54986 414/582-4454 Newsletter Dues: Postage Donation International Helio Association Steve Ruby , President 673A Franklin St. Oshkosh, WI 54901-4340 414/426-9537 Newsletter: Monthly Dues: $30 The Interstate Club Robert L. Taylor, Ed itor P. O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 515/938-2773 Newsletter: 3 - 16 pg. Newsletters Dues: $12 per year Continental Luscombe Association Loren Bump, Fearless Leader 5736 Esmar Road Ceres, CA 95307 209/537-9934 Newsletter: Bimonthly (6 per year) Dues: $10 U.S.and Ca nada ($ 12.50 Cana足 dian Funds), $15 Foreign Luscombe Association John Bergeso n, Chai rm an 6438 W. Millbrook Road Remus, MI 49340 5171561-2392 Newsletter: 6 per year Dues: $15 per year U.S., $20 Ca nada, $25 Foreign Meyers Aircraft Owners Association William E. Gaffney, Secretary 26 Rt.1 7K Newburgh, NY 12550 914/565-8005 Newsletter: 5-6 per yea r Dues: Postage Fund Donation Monocoupe Club Bob Coolbaugh, Editor

6154 River Forest Drive Manassas, A V 22111 703/590-2375 Newsletter: Month ly Dues: $15 per year Mooney Aircraft Pilots Assn.

Mark Harris 314 Stardust Drive San Antonio, TX 78228 512/434-5959 Newsletter Dues: $30 per year American Navion Society Raleigh Morrow, Board Chairma n P. O. Box 1810 Lodi, CA 95241-1810 209/339-4213 Newsletter: Monthly Dues: $50 for initial membership, then $35 per year Buckeye Pietenpol Association Grant MacLaren 3 Shari Drive St. Louis, MO 63122-3335 Newsletter: Quarterly Dues: $8.50 per yea r U.S., $10.00 Canada & Mexico, $14.00 all other countries International Pietenpol Association Robert L. Taylor, Editor P. O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 515/938-2773 Newsletter: 3 - 16 pg. Newsletters Dues: $12 per year Short Wing Piper Club, Inc. Eleanor and Bob Mills, Editors 220 Main Halstead, KS 67056 316/835-3307 (H); 835-2235 (W) Magazine: Bimonthly Dues: $27 per year Piper Owner Society P.O. Box 337 lola, WI 54945 715/445-5000 or 800/331-0038 FAX: 715/445-4053 Magazine: Monthly Dues: $36.00 year Cherokee Pilots Assoc.

P.O. Box 7927 Tampa, FL 33673 813/935-7492 800/292-6003 FAX 813/238-5889 Magazine: 11 issues per year Dues: $28.00 (US) $30.00 Canada and Mexico $40.00 Foreign International Comanche Society P. O. Box 400 Grant, NE 69140 308/352-4275 Newsletter: Monthly Dues: $34 per year Cub Club

P. O . Box 2002 Mt. Pleasant, MI 48804-2002 517/561-2392 Newsletter: 6 per year Dues: $15 per year U.S., $20 Canada, $25 Foreign L-4 Grasshopper Wing Publisher: John Bergeson, Cub Club P. O. Box 2002 Mt. Pleasant, MI 48804-2002

5171561-2392 Newsle tter: 6 per year Dues: $10 per year U.S., $15 Canada/US Funds, $20 Foreign Note: Must also be a Cub Club member Super Cub Pilots Association Jim Richmond , Founder/D irector P. O. Box 9823 Yakima, W A 98909 509/248-9491 Newsletter: 10 per year Dues: $25 per year U.S., $35 Canada, $40 Foreign

National Stinson Club (108 Section) Bill and D ebbie Snavley 115 Hei nley Road Lake Placid, FL 33852 813/465-6101 Quarterly magazine: Stinso n Plane Talk Dues: $25 US, $30 Canada and Foreign Southwest Stinson Club Jerre Scott, Preside nt 812 Shady G len Martinez, CA 94553 415/228-4176 Newsletter: SWSC Newsletter (10 per year) Dues: $10 per yea r 1-26 Association (Schweizer) Irn Jousma, President 7639 R idgewood Jenison, MI 49428 Newsletter: 9 per year (plus a directory) Dues: $10 per year (Soaring Society of America membership required for voting privileges)

Porterfield Airplane Club Chuck Le brech t 101 9 Hickory Road Ocala, FL 32672 904/687-4859 Newsletter: Quarterly Dues: $5 per year

Swift Association, International Charlie Nelson P. O. box 644 Athens, TN 37303

Rearwin Club Robert L. Taylor, Editor P. O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 515/938-2773 Newsletter: 3 - 16 pg. Newsletters Dues: $12 per year

Taylorcraft Owner's Club Bruce Bixler II, President 12809 Greenbower, N.E. Alliance, OH 44601 216/823-9748 Newsletter: Quarterly Dues: $10 per year

Nat ional Ryan Club Bill Hodges, Editor and Histori an 19 Stoneybrook Ln. Searcy, AR 72143 501 /268-2620 Newsletter: Quarterl y Du es: $20 per year $25 overseas Airmail and Canada

Travel A ir Restorers Associat ion Jerry Impellezze ri , President 4925 Wilma Way San Jose, CA 95124 408/356-3407 Newsletter: 4 per year Dues: $15 per year US and Ca nada

Seabee Club International Captain Richard W. Sanders, Presiden t 6761 NW 32nd Av. Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33309-1221 305/979-5470 Newsletter: Quarterly (plus phone consultati on), membership directory Dues: $20 U.S.; $22 Canada, $25 Foreign Stearman Restorers Association Brian F. Ri ggs, President P.O. Box 10663 Rockville, MD 20849-0663 Newsletter: 4 per year Dues: $25 per yea r National Stinson Club c/o Jo nesy Paul 14418 Skinner Road Cypress, TX 77429 Newsletter: Quarterly Dues: $7.50 per year

6151745-9547 Newsletter: Monthly Dues: $25 per yea r

Travel Air Club Robert L. Taylor, Editor P. O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA52536 515/938-2773 Newsletter: 3 - 16 pg. News lette rs Dues: $12 per year Travel Air Div. of Staggerwing Museum Dub Yarbrough P. O. Box 550 Tullahoma, TN 37388 615/455-1974 Newsletter: 4-5 per year Dues: $25 pe r year American Waco Club c/o Jerry Brow n, Treasurer 3546 Newhouse Place Greenwood , IN 46143 Phil Coulson , President 616/624-6490 Newsletter: Bi-monthly Dues: $25 per year, $30 Foreign

International Waco Association 806 Lockport Rd. P.O. Box 2065-WACO Terre Haute, IN 47802 8121232-1042 Quarterly magazine Dues: $25.00 per year National Waco Club Ray Brandly, President 700 Hill Avenue Hamilton, OH 45015 513/868-0084 Newsletter: Bimonthly Dues: $8 per year MULTIPLE AIRCRAFT

ORGANIZATIONS

Artic Newsletter David Neumeister 5630 S. Washington Lansing, MI 48911-4999 517/882-8433 Quarterly Newsletters for AA 1, AA5 , Arrow , Baron , 310-320, 336-337, Malibu, Musketeer, Norseman, Skipper, Tomahawk, Varga, Maule Dues: $10 per year per type except Maule which is $20 for 12 issues World Beechcraft Society Alden C. Barrios 1436 Muirlands Drive La Jolla, CA 92037 619/459-5901 Magazine Dues: $20 per year National Biplane Association Charles W. Harris, Board Chairman Betsey Kersey, Admin. Coordinator Hangar 5, 4-J Aviation Jones-Riverside Airport Tulsa, OK 74132 918/299-2532 Dues: $25 Individual; $40 Family,U.S.; add $10 for Foreign North American Trainer Association (T-6, T-28, NA64, NA50) Kathy and Stoney Stonich 25801 NE Hinness Road Brush Prairie, WA 98606 206/256-0066 FAX 206/896-5398 Newsletter: Quarterly, Texans & Trojans Dues: $40 U.S. and Canada,$50 Foreign Replica Fighters Association Jim Felbinger, President 2409 Cosmic Drive Joliet, IL 60435 815/436-6948 Newsletter: Bimonthly Dues: $20 per year World War I Aeroplanes, Inc. Leonard E. Opdycke Director/Publisher 15 Crescent Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 914/473-3679 Journals (4 times annually):WW I Aero 24 NOVEMBER 1993

(1900-1919); Skyways (1920-1940) Dues: Minimum - $25 each per year; $25 Foreign for WW I Aero ORGANIZATIONS American Air Racing Society Rudy Profant, President 4060 W. 158th St. Cleveland, OH 44135 216/941-0089 Newsletter: Quarterly Dues: $10 per year Society of Air Racing Historians Jim Butler, Treasurer 36250 Lake Shore Blvd., Apt. 518 Eastlake, OH 44095-1442 216/946-9069 Newsletter: Bimonthly Golden Pylons Dues: $10 U.S., $12 Other American Aviation Historical Society Harry Gann, President 2333 Oits Street Santa Ana, CA 92704 714/549-4818 (Tuesday, 7:00-9:00 PM local) Newsletter: Quarterly and Journal Dues: $25 Flying Farmers, International T. W. Anderson , Executive Director 2120 Airport Road P. O. Box 9124 Wichita, KS 67277 316/943-4234 Newsletter: 10 issues per year Dues: $40 per year U.S. Funds, plus Chapter dues Don Luscombe Aviation History Found.

P.O. Box 63581 Phoenix, AZ 85082-3581 International Liaison Pilot and Aircraft Association (ILP A) 16518 Ledgestone San Antonio, TX 78232 Bill Stratton, Editor 512/490-ILPA (4572) Newsletter: Liaison Spoken Here " Dues: $27 per year US and Canada, $30 per year Foreign Minnesota Seaplane Pilots Association Steve Carpenter 8250 Stevens Avenue, S. Bloomington, MN 55420 612/888-8430 Newsletter: 3-4 per year Dues: $15 per year ($25-2 yrs.)

National Air Racing Group Gerald L. Williams, President P. O. Box 423 Shasta, CA 96087 916/241-2130 Newsletter: Professional Air Racing (lO/year) Dues: $10 per year, domestic National Championship Air Races Susan Audrain, Marketing Director

P. O. Box 1429 Reno, NV 89505 702/972-6663 Naval Aircraft Restorers Association Gerald Miller 3320 Northridge Drive Grand Junction, CO 81506 303/245-7899 Newsletter Dues: $12 per year The 99s, Inc. International Women Pilots Loretta Jean Gragg, Exec. Director WiU Rogers Airport P. O. Box 59965 Oklahoma City, OK 73159 405/685-7969 Newsletter: MonthlylThe 99 News Dues: $40 annually

ox-s Aviation Pioneers Robert F. Lang P. O. Box 201299 Austin, TX 78720 512/331-6239 Newsletter: 6 per year Dues: $10 per year Seaplane Pilots Association Robert A. Richardson, Exec. Director 421 Aviation Way Frederick, MD 2170 1 301/695-2083 Newsletter: Water Flying (Quarterly); 1991 Water Landing Directory $14 - Members/$30 non-members plus $2 shipping Dues: $32 per year Silver Wings Fraternity P. O. Box 44208 Cincinnati, OH 45244 513/321-5822 Newsletter: Monthly Slipstream Tabloid Dues: $15 per year Open to those who soloed at least 25 yrs. ago.

Spartan School of Aeronautics Alumni Association Vern Foltz, Alumni Relations 8820 E. Pine Street Tulsa, OK 74115 918/836-6886 Newsletter: Quarterly Dues: $10 annually Vintage Sailplane Association Jan Scott, Secretary Rt. 1, Box 239 Lovettsville, VA 22080 703/822-5504 Newsletter: Quarterly Dues: $10 per year Waco Historical Society, Inc. R. E. Hoefflin , Treasurer 1013 Westgate Road Troy, OH 45373 513/335-2621 Newsletter: 4 per year Dues: $6 per year, 911-8/31

PASS 1110

--71 An information exchange column with input from our readers.

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

I'm holding our membership list in my hand. Two hands, to be exact, because it has grown that much in the 20 years I have been with the Division. Looking at the names I see thousands, yes, thousands that I can place faces upon and have had contact with, in person, by phone and cor­ respondence. I have many memories-all of them good memories. I'm satisfied, in mind, that the Division is living up to the promise we made when we organized it, and later came up with bylaws a nd a for­ mal organization that was the bas is for what we have today.

I think of those organizatio n a l at­ tempts. And for those of you who didn't know how it all began, it was beca use some of us wanted a place to park "all" the antiques and classics toget h er at Oshkosh. Paul Poberezny gave us t he go-ahead with the stip u lation t hat we provide our own manpower. I t hink of how we began with the "good old boys" vol unteering to take on various segments that best fitted their a reas of inte rest.

How these people just grabbed the ball

a nd ra n . A ll I had to do was channe l their inte rests and hopes and get them to cooperate.

We had some real talent in addition to some ve ry experienced an tique airplane e n t hu siasts. One of t he eagerest and marke t-wise propone nts of t he Division was Dick Wagner. Gar Williams was an­ other o ne who contributed considerable talent, and alo ng with Cla ude Gray and

Al K e lch de ve lop e d th e Stand a rd s of Jud ging that we , a nd almost e veryone else worldwide, use today.

"Kelly" Viets and Jack Winth rop took over t he parking. George Stubbs, Evan­ der Britt, Mo rton Lester and J im H orne a ll c h ip pe d i n a nd a long wit h J . R .

Niela nder, put toget her forums, awards programs, picnics and me mber activities, as we ll as starting Chapters and doing guest speeches . All of us contributed our knowledge with articles for SPORT AVIATION and VINTAGE AIR­ PLANE. And how can we ever thank Jack and Golda Cox! It was Jack who put us on the right path with VINTAGE AIR­ PLANE! The early issues got the nick­ name of Jack & Buck's AERO Digest at first because he and I did most of the writing and Golda did the work.

Bill Hodges pushed the Type Club news, a long with Gene Chase, while Dorothy Chase acted as the Divi s ion Secretary and held me to the straight and narrow.

We all worked, and these are the peo­ ple who made your Division what it is to­ day! It was not a lone man accomplish­ ment by any means; it was many people.

And he re I a m being ind ucted into the Antiq ue and Classic Sport Aviation Hall of Fame. I can accept t his honor only wi th the understanding that all of them deserve to share in this honor. As a mat­ ter of fact , each and everyo ne of you who b uilt t h is D ivisio n and have con­ t r ib u te d of yo u r ta len ts, time a nd, in some cases, mo ney, dese rve t his award.

I t is o n your be half t hat I accept . I am only a symbol of yo ur dedication and ef­ for t. thank you a nd all yo ur wives and fam ilies fo r allo wi ng me this ho nor, on ... yo ur behalf!

October 22, 1993 - Captain Buck receives his EAA Antique/Classic Hall of Fame Award from Antique/Classic president Butch Joyce. Congratulations Buck!

VINTAGE AIRPLAN E 25

Mr. Davis'D-IW (Continued/rom page 15) along with other tidbits - the airplane was SIN 801, and was one of two built by the company in 1935. Built for Art Davis, it was originally vermillion and silver, and then later Art's wife Rhonda had it done in vermilion and yellow.

When Jack mentioned he would be interested in buying the Davis, the doc­ tor reacted as many of us would when asked to sell one of our favorite posses­ sions - Jack said the phone line became very cold! Was he disappointed? Sure, but not really surprised. He under­ stood the doctor's reluctance , but Jack really wanted to see the Davis restored.

He tried to keep in touch with Dr. Ware, and would call him every year or so. Each time the reaction to the slight­ est hint of selling the Davis was met with an icy response. Eventually, Jack had an idea - perhaps the doctor would feel differently if he just met Jack, and could see that he was in earnest and quite capable.

Being a pilot , Jack needed a flight physical every so often, so he hatched a plan.

"1 called up in Muncie, Indiana and found out Doc Ware's office number and called and said, 'Does Doc Ware give flight physicals?' And his nurse said, ' Yes,' and I said , 'Well, just put Jack Tiffany down for a flight physi­ cal.'"

Jack got up in the middle of the night and headed up to Muncie , Indi­ ana from the Dayton area. He was sit­ ting on the edge of the examining table when Dr. Ware came in. He looked at the chart for a while and finally he said , "Tiffany? Tiffany? Aren't you that boy down in Dayton that's been calling me about the Davis?" Jack replied, "Yes, sir. " The doctor continued , "What are you doing up here?"

"Getting a flight physical." " Aren't there any doctors in Day­ ton? " Jack said, " None that own a Davis!"

Dr. Ware looked him in the eye, put down the chart and said, " All right , you ' re up here; you're gonna get a good one."

Later, Jack and the doctor went to lunch , and Dr. Ware explained that he received a number of calls a month about his airplane , and he really was not interested in selling, so he just turned off those people who pestered him about selling the airplane.

A couple of years later, Jack got a clue what the doctor really had in store for him. Dr. Ware was not ready to sell , but he had a fair idea what was go­ ing to happen to the airplane . He had 26 NOVEMBER 1993

let it be known that it was probably headed in Jack's direction. After a friend bought a cabin Waco project from the doctor , Jack ' s friend came back and said, " Jack, I asked Doc about the Davis and he said it was go­ ing to some young man over there in Dayton when he finally got ready to sell it." Jack's patience and persever­ ance paid off years later. By 1988, his fortunes changed, when he and Dr. Ware entered into an agreement whereby Jack would restore the air­ plane and the two of them would own it together.

Stored for over a decade , the Davis was in bad need of restoration. Not everything was in rough shape though ­ Jack had been " taking care " of the Warner engine. Three or four times a year he would drive over to Indiana and "visit" the hangar, where he would pull the engine through to keep the en­ gine innards coated with oil.

The best part about the project was

that it was a complete airplane , so the project became a "clean it up or make a replacement part if needed" project.

A few ribs needed some work , but the rest of the wing parts were , for the most part, in good shape. The wood in the airplane needed the most help - all of the fuselage formers were replaced , along with the stringers. Jack had two young enthusiasts to help in the restoration - Don Hydler and John Weber. Both were going to aviation trade school (they are both now A&P's with Inspection Authorizations) and worked on the project in pursuit of their mechanic's tickets.

Another active person who helped is Jack's wife , Kate. An aircraft re­ storer in her own right , Kate did the fabric work on the Davis. Her current project is a Fairchild 24 , with a 165 hp Warner for power. It sounded like the T iffany family was in the market for Warner parts!

The 160 hp Warner for the Davis was no major problem, due in part to the fact that Jack had been making his

occasional visits to the hangar it was stored in for so many years.

By the time 1990 rolled around , the Davis had been completed , and Dr. Ware got a change to see it all gussied up. "The first time he saw it , he just stood back and shook his head ," said Jack.

The Davis was pointed towards EAA OSHKOSH '90, but on landing, disaster struck - landin g on runway 36R (what normally is a taxiway) dur­ ing the Convention, control was lost as the airplane was landed. It was pretty badly banged up . A trailer trip back home to the shop was required, and the re-restoration was commenced.

Finally, in 1993, the Davis was ready again, with its original vermilion and ye ll ow color scheme gleaming in the Wisconsin sunshine during EAA OSHKOSH '93 . This time, no prob­ lems were encountered during the flight , and it even had a " new" desig­ nated pilot , Brown Dillard from Day­ ton,OH. Brown had been an aviator for a number of years when he quit aviation to devote his time to a window remod­ eling business. A rated CFI , Brown was away from aviation nearly 20 years when his daughter brought him by Jack's shop for a visit. His daughter thought a visit to his shop in Spring Valley, OH would be interesting. It was! He reactivated his CFI , and now flies nearly every day , when he's not working on his own restoration project.

He is the designated pilot for the Davis, which is now based at the New Carlisle a irport in Ohio. Brown and his daugh­ ter Gibby flew the Davis for our series of air-to air shots.

At EAA OSHKOSH, the Tiffany 's Davis was awarded the "Outstanding Open Cockpit Monoplane" award in the Antique Bronze Age (1933-41) cat­ egory.

What does Jack have planned for an encore? How about another Davis!

This one is even earlier. It's a Davis V­ 3, serial number 104 , and is a much more challenging restoration. Jack has various parts and pieces , but the air­ plane is far from complete. When fin­ ished, it will have the original LeBlond , and will still have wire wheels and a tail skid. A lighter airplane than the D­ 1W, this V-3 was built in 1930. A di­ rect descendant of the" American Moth " the V-3 was the D-1's pappy, and shares the sl eek lines and snappy handling that make it an aerial hot rod .

Just ask Jack Tiffany - "It ' s just lik e riding a Harley. It has the same noise, the same vibration, it's, it 's .. . just like a Harley! " At least with the Davis, you won ' t get as many bugs in your teeth while you're grinning as you fly! ...

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

On this page you'll see the latest additions to the ranks of the EAA An足 tique/Classic Division. Whether you're joining for the first time, or are com足 ing back, we welcome you, and we'd especially like to welcome those of you who are joining us with your interest in Contemporary class aircraft. Wel足 come one and all!

Scott N. Aldrich Dallas, TX Scott Edward Anderson Eden Prairie, MN Steven Applebaum Mount Prospect, IL David A. Austin Las Vegas, NV Brooksville, FL Peter F. Ayer John V. Barrett Cicero, NY Jacksonville, IL Robert D. Baxter Terry D. Becker Cavalier, ND David A. Beulke Brookings, SD Vito Bitetto Nicholasville, KY Lindsay, CA Jim C. Bohling Indianapolis, IN Judson Brandt Colleyville, TX David E. Bristol Knoxville, TN Dan Britt Taos, NM John L. Broadbent Ft. Worth, TX Billy E . Brock Liverpool, NY Peter Bronson Robert Campbell Newtownville, Ontario, Canada Bobby Capozzi Cocoa, FL Guy Clarkson Oshkosh, WI Robert W. Dawson Melba, ID John Dellechiaie Apollo Beach, FL Sheila Downey Marthasville, MO Phillip R. Edgington Denton , TX Tim J. Feusi Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada Robert J. Fierberg Watertown, CT Jonathan H. Fink Philadelphia, PA Kenneth A. Freiesleben East Troy, WI Steve E. Gerencser South Bend, IN Kenneth Gibson Warren,OH Steve K. Grimsley Anchorage, AK Christopher Harlow Berkeley, CA Terry W. Hellickson Forest Grove, OR Don Helton Irondale, AL Larry Henderson Ft Worth, TX Gary Henshaw II Boyertown, P A Malcolm H. Heywood Buckinghamshire, England William F. Hill Benton, KS Gaylord Hochstetler Lyons, OH Pam Hodgson Plymouth, WI Eric Houston Lagona Beach , CA Jeff S. Hutcherson Augusta, GA Donald L. James Copper Canyon, TX F. Alfred Jenkins Newton, NC Robert N. Johnston Eugene, OR Harry A. Jones Hamlet, IN Gerald W. Karr Lutz, FL Matt Kato Fairbanks, AK Daniel S. Kemp Oakland, CA Russel Ketenjian Visalia, CA Jon E. Kimberlin Wilton, CT Jan Klaban Praha-Cimice, Czech Republic Chad M. Koppie Gilberts, IL Ed Labrucherie El Centro, CA Leroy Lakey Wichita Falls, TX Chuck Leshe Chandier, AZ Jim R. Levrett Lake Havasu City, AZ

Gerald Long Terre Haute, IN Michael Maniatis New York , NY Wayne Mansfield North Andover, MA John W. Massey Huntsville, AL Janet M. McCormack Union , NJ Montie L. Melau Troy Grove, IL Patrick L. Merrill Memphis, TN John F Metzger Riverside, CA Beatrice Miles Grady, AR William Moening Emmaus, P A Gavin M. Monson Fairfield, OH Mark R. Norton Rogers, AR Scott G . Ogden Coleman, TX Charles Papas Crown Point, IN Wes D. Peters Nevada City, CA Kent Petersen Minocqua, WI Lawrence T. Petty San Antonio, TX Raymond Petty York, SC William W. Phelps Winter Haven, FL Chet Piechowiak Granger, IN Jeff H. Pierce Salt Lake City, UT Richard R. Pirkl Cottage Grove, WI W. R. Plage Atlanta, GA Michael B. Pliam Burlingame, CA Steven W. Price Las Vegas, NV Frankie R. Putnam Denton, TX Daniel J. Rang Chesterfield, MO Anthony W. Rankin Jamestown, NC G. Scott Ray Edmond, OK Charles M. Reynolds Bedford, V A Herbert C. Rigoni Albany, OR Arthur R. Scammell Campbellsport, WI John C. Schnell Fallston , MD George A. Schoeler, Jr. Collinsville, OK Joseph A. Schuster Fayetteville,OH Ted Schwartz Blue Diamond, NV Randy Shanks Johnston , IA John M. Shepherd , Jr. Upper Marlboro, MD Michael D. Sherman Round Lake, IL Stephen M. Shinn Freehold, NJ Charles T . Smith Seattle, W A Eric W. Smith Webster, TX C. David Snare Shirleysburg, P A Barbara J. Sorensen Collinsville, OK Shirley Jean Sorg Lincoln, IL Tom Southern Longview, TX Frederick L. Steinke Ann Arbor, MI Kimberly A. Steve Dubuque , IA Michael S. Tallant Pontotoc, MS Allen M. Thames Fayetteville , GA Christian Vandamme La Trapanelle, France Aurora, CO Bill Wager Green Bay, WI Don Ward Blackfoot, ID Randy D. Wareing Kenney, IL John Warner Eric Witherspoon Atlanta, GA Carl Wooderson Olathe, KS Ramona, CA James G. Woodside San Antonio, TX John L. Wright III Dover, DE George L. Zlock

MEMBERSHIP

INFORMATION

EM 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. (Plus $13 for foreign members to cover air postage.)

ANTIQUE/CLASSIC EAA Member- $20.00. Includes one year membership in EAA Antique/Classic Division. 12 monthly issues of 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 Vintage Airplane, one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards. Sport Aviation not included.

(Plus $6 for foreign members.)

lAC Membership in the International Aerobatic Club, Inc. is $30.00 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics. All lAC members are required to be members of EAA. (Plus $6 for foreign members.)

WARBIRDS Membership in the Warbirds of America,

Inc. is $30.00 per year, which includes a

subscription to Warbirds . Warbird

members are required to be members of

EAA.

(Plus $5 for foreign members.)

EM EXPERIMENTER

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

(Plus $6 for foreign members.)

FOREIGN

MEMBERSHIPS

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

EAA A VIA TlON 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.

1-800-843-3612

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

MYSTERY PLANE

by George Hardie This neat little biplane should appeal to homebuilders. The photo was sent in

by Bob O 'Hara, Georgetown, California.

Answers will be published in the Febru­ ary, 1994 issue of VINTAGE AIR­ PLANE. Deadline for that issue is Jan­ uary 20.

Th e August Mystery was no problem for a number of our readers. Cedric Gal­ loway, Hesperia, California spotted it right away. He writes: The August Mystery Plane is the Cur­ tiss Model O. This aircraft was an experi­ mental using a Model N fuselage widened to accommodate the crew in side-by-side seating. The instability of the Model N was due to a rearward center of gravity, so the Model 0 was built to place the

28 NOVEMBER 1993

weight further forward to a more favor­ able position relative to the center of gravity."

Pete Bowers , Seattle , Washington, gave more details: "The Curtiss Model 0 of 1914115 is an oddity in that it was not designed and built as such , nor was it built at Ham­ mondsport. Actually , the Model 0 was a rebuild of the earlier Curtiss Model N. The "N," which had been bought by the U. S. Army and was in use at North Is­ land, San Diego, was a tandem two seater with a 90 hp Curtiss OX engine. It was notoriously tail heavy and unsatisfactory to the Army.

Glenn Curtiss had his summer flying school at North Island and took the "N"

in for a major rework. It emerged as the Model O. Principal changes were to widen the fuselage for side-by-side seating, which moved the crew weight forward, plus replacing the OX engine with a 6­ cylinder Austro-Daimler engine that was on hand. This lengthened the nose and further improved the balance."

Other answers were received from Herbert deBruyn, Bellevue, W A; Francis E. Rowe , Endicott , NY; Lynn Towns, Brooklyn, MI; Charley Hayes, Park For­ est, IL; Marty Eisenmann, Carrettsville, OH; Chester Peek, Norman, OK and Frank Abar , Livonia, MI, John Linke , Omaha NE, Dave Bealer, Allentown, PA , Jack Lengenfelder, Lawrenceville, ...

NJ.

TG-4 (Continued/rom page 29) set outside for years and though exter­ nally appeared to be in pretty good shape, when the cloth was stripped off, major damage was evident. Much of the plywood of the leading edge had to be replaced and many of the ribs had to be repaired. Air Zoo volunteer Tom McNamara did much of this work and in the process discovered that the spoil­ ers on each wing were slightly different.

Since the wings are easi ly removable, are these two from the glider?

The canopy had to be restyled to conform to military standards and a nose skid had to be added. Though the central landing wheel came with the aircraft, spacers, axle and bracket caps had to be machined. Dozens of small items needed attention, but finally the craft was ready for fabric. Rather than using the original cotton or linen, poly­ ester was tacked and sized followed by painting the standard blue fuselage and yellow wings. Typical of aircraft of the day; a red, white and blue tail was painted as well as the old Army Air Corps insignia with the read "meat­ ball" in the center of the white star.

No pictures of TG-4As could be found showing the underside of the wing, so designer Jack Lasiter was contacted to find out if the " U. S. Army" was painted there - it was not. (After­ wards, a picture owned by Jack Yops from Lasiter's design team clearly shows the lettering!) Finally, a beauti­ fully restored aircraft was placed in its own element-suspended in air from the Air Zoo's cavernous ceiling.

On May 8, 1992 a private dedication of this trainer was held with "Babe" Ruth and friends. "Babe" has been enshrined in the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame, at one time was the youngest licensed pilot in the U.S., is winner of the Joyce Hartung Trophy , was one of five women to be selected as an Instrument In str uctor during WW II, has been named Pioneer Woman of the Year in Aviation and has been included in both Who's Who in Aviation and Who's Who in Ameri­ can Aviation, as well as receiving nu­ merous other honors. Also on hand was Project Supervisor Alan Clark and volunteers Bud Denning and Dick Verdon . Not present were Bob Niewoonder, Bill Hopkins, Henry Campbell, Tom McNamara, Tom Baden and Ken Kelly, all of whom helped restore the trainer glider.

The public dedication of the aircraft was held on Saturday, May 9,1992 with a special program on the history of gliding and the sailplane presented

by A. J. Smith of Tecumseh, Michigan.

Mr. Smith, a former WW II Navy fighter pilot , has a long career in avia­ tion climaxed by winning the U. S. Na­ tional Soaring Championships 1958-80 and the World Soaring Championships in 1968. He also designed and built the world speed record AJ-2 aircraft and is a past director of the Soaring Society of America and the National Soaring Museum. His talk was extremely in­ depth and interesting. Questions and comments after the program explored Mr. Smith's championships with a unique perspective on strategies and techniques used to win the competi­ tion.

Jack Yops of Trenton , Michigan was a young designer working with Jack Lasiter on the aircraft and shared many of his artifacts with the museum visitors. Also, as part of the day's events, the video " Running on Empty," a beautiful film on the grace of gliders, was shown in the Air Zoo's theater.

Mr. Cliff Robertson , actor, glider pilot and owner of two of the aircraft on dis­ play at the Air Zoo, narrates the film.

Though many people visit the Kala­

mazoo Aviation History Museum to see the more noteworthy aircraft such as the Grumman Cats P-39 P-40 P­ 47, P-51 , Corsair and ~thers', the ~u­ seum contains quite a collection of the smaller craft such as the TG-4A and L­ types along with several trainers, trans­ ports and bombers.

You can visi t the Kalamazoo Air Zoo by either car or plane. By car, take 1-94 to the Portage Road exit (#78). Take Portage Road south two traffic lights . At Milham Road turn left (east) and the Museum is at the end of the road. By plane , simply fly to the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek Inter­ national Airport and taxi up on the Museum's flight deck. For more infor­ mation, write: The Kalamazoo A via­ tion History Museum , 3101 East Mil­ ham Road , Kalamazoo, M1 49002-1700 or call: (616) 382-6555.

(Authors note: My thanks to Jack Lasiter, A. 1. Smith, Jack Yaps, "Babe" Ruth, Bob Ellis, Alan Clark and Bill Painter for their assistance in preparing this article.)

*'

The following list of coming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of information only and does not constitute approval, sponsorship, involvement, control or direction of any event (fly-in, seminars, fly market, etc.) listed. Please send the information to EAA, Aft: Golda Cox, P.O. Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086. Information should be receivedfour months prior to 'the event date.

NOV. 12-14 - EASTON, MD - Waterfowl Festival Fly-In - For Fly-In info, call Joe Marsh 410/822-8560. For info call 410/822-4567 or FAX 820-9286.

NOV. 13 - OSHKOSH, WI - EAA Air Adventure Museum 's Cockpit Climb.

The cockpit:s of ~wo of EAAAF's Combat Jets will be open for inspection. Vis­ Itors may chmb mto a T-28 cockpit trainer. The event will be held at the Mu­ seum restoration Shop at no additional charge to museum visitors. Ca1l426­ 4800 for details VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

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Antique and Classic wheel pants - Will custom build in fiberglass from original drawings, blueprints or photographs . Harbor Ultralights Products Co., 1326 Batey Place, Harbor City, CA 90710, 310/326-5609, FAX 310/530-2124. (c-10/93)

35~ per word, $5.00 minimum charge. Send your ad to The Vintage Trader, EAA Aviation Center, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591 .

Payment must accompany ad. VISA/MasterCard accepted.

AIRCRAFT: 1946 Taylorcraft BC12D - 65 Continental, complete restoration 1992.

Mint condition. Call 519/442-3883, Ontario, Canada for information .

(12·3) Cessna 140 - Parts or rebuild. Metal wings, light damage, fuselage parts, tail assembly and six doors. Call 617/274-7706, Fred Bellows, Bedford, MA. (11 -)

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, airmail cachets, etc. We also have R/C documentation exclusive 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, Warrenton, 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. FAX406/388-0170. Repair station No. QK5R148N. 30 NOVEMBER 1993

WINDSHIELDS - WINDOWS - CANOPIES - for all unpressurized, certified, custom or experimental aircraft. Unmatched 1/2 price replace­ ment warranty covers damage during installation and service for 6 months after purchase. AIRPLANE PLASTICS CO" 8300k DAYTON ROAD, FAIRBORN, OH 45324. 513/864-5607. (C-1/94) GEE BEE's etc. - Scale model plans (used for Benjamin R-2).

Catalog $4.00, refundable. Vern Clements, 308 Palo Alto, Caldwell, 1083605. (c-3/94) (NEW) This & That About the Ercoupe, $14.00. Fly-About Adventures & the Ercoupe, $17.95. Both books, $25.00. Fly-About, p ,O, Box 51144, Denton, Texas 76206. (c-3/94) For sale - Copies of old civil aircraft registers , 1929 through 1941.

Kenneth W. Jerolaman, P.O. Box 247, Revere, PA 18953, (11 -1) CAMERON AIRPARK, CA - Sierra foothills above fog . 20 miles E, of Sacramento, 42 x 36 attached, insulated & fin ished hangar and 2-car garage for plane or auto collection . Taxi 2 blocks to 4000 foot paved, lighted runway. 3 br, 2-1/2 ba, 2300+sf incl. solarium w/sunken spa. Once listed at $340K, now by owner at $320K, For a mailer, 916/676-3400. (11-1)

ENGINES: For sale - Lambert R266 engine parts available. Call for list, 813/525­ 7554 (Florida) (11-1)

WANTED: Aircraft wanted - A&P looking for J-3 Cub project to rebu ild this winter. Please call Phil at 408/446-1336 anytime. (12-2)

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