VA-Vol-21-No-8-Aug-1993

EDITORIAL STAFF Publisher Tom Poberezny

Vice-President,

Marketing and Communications

Dick Matt

Vol. 21, No.8

August 1993

Editor·in·Chief

Jack Cox

Editor

Henry G. Frautschy

CONTENTS

Managing Editor

Golda Cox

1 Straight & Level/ Espie "Butch" Joyce

2 AIC News/

compiled by H.G. Frautschy

4 Type Club Notes/

compiled by Norm Petersen

5 Vintage Literature/

Dennis Parks

9 Aircraft Tiedowns

And Control Locks/

H arold Armstrong

and H.G . Frautschy

13 Partnership Aeronca/ H. G. Frautschy 18 Dwain Pittenger's A ward Winning Bamboo Bomber/ Norm Petersen 21 Vintage Seaplanes/ Norm Petersen 23 Pass it to Buckl E.E. " Buck" Hilbert 25 AlC Calendar 26 Mystery Plane/ George H ardie 28 Welcome New Members 29 Vintage Trader

Art Director

Mike D rucks

Computer Graphic Specialists

Olivia l. Phillip

Sara Hansen

Jennifer Larsen

Advertising

Mary Jones

Associate Editor

Norm Petersen

Feature Writers

George Hardie, Jr.

Page 9

Dennis Parks

Staff Photographers

Jim Koepnick Carl Schuppel

Mike Steineke

Donna Bushman

Editorial Assistant

Isabelle Wiske

EAA ANTIQUE/ CLASSIC DIVISION, INC,

OFFICERS

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

Vice·President Arthur Morgan 3744 North 51st Blvd.

Milwaukee, WI 53216 414/442·3631

Secretory Steve Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Leo, MN fH:IJ7 507/373-1674

Treasurer

E.E, 'Buck' Hilbert

P.O. Box 424

Union, IL 60180

815/923·4591

DIRECTORS

Page 21

FRONT COVER ... One of the joys of partnership with the right partners ­ Glenn Frels. EI Campo TX pilots the 1940 Aeronca 65-TC he shares with Max Barbee and Craig Howell. EM photo by Carl Schuppel. Shot with a Canon EOS-l equipped with an 80-200mm lens . 1/250 sec. at f5.6 on Kodak Kodachrome 64. Cessna 210 photo plane piloted by Bruce Moore.

REAR COVER ... From the Radtke collection comes this shot of Waldo Waterman's NO. 3 Arrowbile. The photo was most likely taken at Cleveland. the site of most of the Radtke photos now in the EAA collection. Look carefully in the background. and you can see a Waco ZVN-8 as it zooms down the runway . This Arrowbile was painted white. with red trim. EAA Collection/Radtke 1035.

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 Ihe Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monlhly al EM Aviation Cenler, 3000 Poberezny Rd ., P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086.

Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and al additional mailing offices. The membership rate for EM Antique/Classic Division, Inc. is $20.00 for currenl EM members for 12 monlh period of which $12.00 is for the publicalion 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 al least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail.

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

EDITORIAL POLICY: Readers are encouraged 10 submtt stories and pholographs. Policy opinions expressed in arficles are solely those of Ihe authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting resls entirely wtth Ihe contributor. No renumeralion is made.

Matenal should be senl to: Edilor, 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 CLUBS, WARBIRDS OF AMERICA are ® regislered Irademarks. THE EAA SKY SHOPPE and logos of Ihe EAA AVIAnON FOUNDAnON and EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademarks of Ihe above associations and Iheir use by any person other than Ihe above associalion is slrictly prohibrted.

John Berendt 7645 Echo Point Rd. Connon Falls, MN 55009 507/263-2414 Gene Chose 2159 Carlton Rd. Oshkosh, WI 54904 414/231-5002 Phil Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawton. M149065 616/624-6490 Charles Hams 3933 South Peoria P.O. Box 904038 Tulsa, OK 74105 918/622·8400 Dale A. Gustafson 7724 Shady Hill Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46278 317/293-4430 Robert Lickteig 1708 Boy Oaks Dr. Albert Leo, MN fH:IJ7 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 508/842·7867 George Daubner

2448 Lough Lone

Hartford, WI 53027

414/673-5885

Stan Gomoll 1042 90th Lone, 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

181 ~oboda Av.

Mansfield, OH 44906

419/529-4378

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

DIRECTOR EMERITUS S.J. WiHman

7200 S.E. 85th Lane

Ocala, FL 32672

904/245·7768

ADVISORS Joe Dickey 511 Terrace Lake Rd. Columbus. IN 4720 1 812/342-6878

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 Hoven , IN 46774 219/ 493·4724

STRAIGHT & LEVEL

by Espie "Butch" Joyce

It's been a busy past couple of weeks, trying to get my business all set so I can take off two weeks to help put together the Antique/Classic Division's ac­ tivities at EAA OSHKOSH. I generally try to be on site at Oshkosh a week in advance of the Convention. That's necessary to make sure that all of the equipment and miscellaneous items are in place for the volunteers. Arriving early is an experience in and of itself. It is very interesting to see the tents going up and all of the other activities going on to get the Convention grounds up to speed for the arrival of the mass of people - everything from campers, and aircraft that make Oshkosh a happening.

The P-6E Hawk is here this year, and Buck Hilbert has been helping Ralph Rosanik and his crew over at the Weeks Hangar to get the airplane assembled for display for everyone to enjoy .

Everybody had hoped the airplane would be here last year, but engine troubles at the last minute caused a lot of disappointment. This year, the remarkable workofMr. Rosanikand his machinists are ready for all, and it really is a sight. We'll have more on this remarkable project in a later issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Wet weather had been the rule in the Oshkosh area for most of the spring and early summer (and for many of our friends here in the Midwest), causing a great deal of concern for the conditions of the airport and grounds. The parking areas were very waterlogged until early

July, but for the last 2-1/2 weeks the weather has been normal, with just a little rainfall. The good side to all the moisture is that it made the newly seeded parking areas grow well, so that they are in great shape for aircraft park­ ing. With the exception of two or three spots on the grounds we can work around, the field has been dry for the most part.

We always have Chainnen who have served a number of years doing their jobs, and there are times that I feel some ofthem should move on to another area ofrespon­ sibility or retire.

Then you have someone like Art Mor­ gan, our AntiqUe/Classic Chainnan of Flight Line Operations. He has served in this capacity for a number ofyears, as well as being the vice-president of your Anti­ que/Classic Division. He really does give it a 110% effort, each and every time. This year, Art arrived at the Convention not looking or feeling well. Just before the convention, on Saturday night, his wife Kate, who is also deeply involved in help­ ing the Antique/Classic area run smooth­ ly, had to take Art to the hospital. After an exam at the hospital in Oshkosh, the doc­ tors told Art that there was the possibility he had a life-threatening illness. Art was very concerned on Sunday about his health and that he had to leave the grounds. He returned home to Mil­ waukee, and it was really great to see how quickly everyone jumped in to help fill the void that normally was filled so well by Art. All of us were concerned, and on Monday we got some good news - Art had checked himself into the hospital in Mil­ waukee, and they found that he had a very bad infection, but that it was not the life­ threatening illness the doctors in Oshkosh had feared. Art was able to retum to us later in the week. A scare like that reminds us all that we have a great group of people in the division, and a good many dear friends. Glad you're feeling better, Art! As I briefly touched on before, the flooding here in the Midwest is a major concern. It has been the major

topic of discussion here at the Conven­ tion, with many expressing worry for the people in the affected areas.

A number of airports have been flooded out, including Creve Coeur, Ar­ rowhead, and, we understand both St. Charles and St. Charles-Smartt fields are all under water at this time, with no date given yet as to when they can expect to see the flood waters recede. The water is said to be at the top of the hangar door (or higher!) at Creve Coeur.

There have been stories circulating about other airports flooded, and how they have been affected. I'm sure everyone's heart goes out to all those affected. Our thoughts are with you, and we hope you are able to come back better than ever from this great calamity.

Ask a friend to join your Anti­ que/Classic Division. They surely will enjoy our magazine. Remember, we are all better together. Join us and have it all!

We'd like to help those who have suf­ fered losses to their hangar or airplane because ofthisflood, andfrom a distance, our options are limited, but one of the ways we can start is to help youfind what you need So here is what we will do - if you have suffered a loss to your aviation collection, be it magazines, books, airplane parts or your airplane, we will run a classified ad in a special section titled" '93 Flood Losses "for two months, free of charge. Perhaps then someone else who has what you need will be willing to share it with you. Send in your list, (try to keep it relatively short) along with a short note ofexplanation (where you live, where your airport is, etc.) to E4A Anti­ que/Classic Division, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Attn: '93 Flood Losses. The ads will be added to the magazine starting with the October issue, and will continue until further notice. We hope this helps, and that your losses have been minimal. - HGF

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1

compiled by H.G. Frautschy

A NEW SOURCE FOR J-3 CUB

FUSELAGES

Rocky Mountain Airframe, Inc. of Belgrade, MT has received official FAA STCIPMA approval for the manufacture of Piper J-3 fuselages.

Located in a specialized facility at the base of Montana's Bridger mountains, the firm has long been involved in providing a wide range of precision aircraft components and currently holds STCs to produce Piper PA-18 fuselages and tail sections.

Now, with the PMA in hand for the complete J-3 fuselage, Rocky Mountain is able to supply the restorer with a new, straight fuselage, or, if desired, the tail section alone of both the "long" and "short" versions can also be ordered.

Rocky Mountain can also repair your own J-3 or PA-18 fuselage under their PMA Repair Station certificate.

For more information, contact Jim Soares, Rocky Mountain Airframe, Inc., 7093 Dry Creek Rd. , Belgrade, MT 59714 . You can also reach Rocky

Mountain at 406/388-6069, or FAX them at 388-0170.

PIPERS AND CESSNAS Hot on the heals of their "Standard Catalog Of Cessna Single Engine Aircraft" comes the latest project from Jon es Publishing. The "Standard Catalog Of Piper Single Engine Aircraft," compiled by Jim Cavanaugh, with help from PIPERS magazine editor David Sakrison, is a compendium of over 500 pages of data on all of the single engine Pipers made. Published by the Piper Owner Society, the book features photos, three-views , airworthiness directive lists and other detailed specifications, including resale value trends.

Also being released at the same time is "Aircraft Modifications & Avionics for Piper and Cessna Airplanes." It's actually two books in one, the book begins with a collection of articles from PIPERS and CESSNA OWNER

magazines. The main body of the book focuses on the over 2,000 sources for modifications and upgrades for Cessna and Piper aircraft. To order either one or both of these books, write Aircraft Owners Org a nization, Attn : Book Dept., P.O. Box 337, lola, WI 54945. Or call 1-800/331-0038.

All three books are also available from EAA. Call 1-800/843-3612 for ordering information.

Two of aviation's greats passed away during the past month, each a legend during their lifetimes . ..

OLIVE ANN BEECH 1903 -1993

During a rendezvous at Densel Williams airstrip in Jackson, MI, Butch Walsh of Arrington, VA took Michael Henry on a Young Eagle flight in Butch's award winning 1947 Stinson 108-2, N389C. Michael, 12 years old, is from Jackson and was thrilled by the experience. Our thanks to members Ray and Judy Johnson, Marion IN for sending in this shot. Ray also would like to remind everybody about the Fly足 In/Cruise-In breakfast at Marion Municipal Airport, featuring the cars and planes of yesterday and today. Sounds like a fun event! For information call 317/674-7777.

2 AUGUST 1993

Olive Beech, who co-founded the Beech Aircraft company along with her husband, Walter , passed way July 6, 1993 at her home in Wichita. She was 89. Long admired for her business savvy and acumen, Mrs. Beech dedicated most of her adult life to Beech Aircraft, serving as an officer of the company for 50 years. Olive served as the Secretary足 Treasurer and director from 1932, at the company's inception, until he r

husband's death in 1950. At that time, she was elected Chairman and President of Beech until 1968, and then as Chairman until 1982, when she became Chairman Emeritus.

Olive was born in Waverly, KS, and by the time she was 11, her mother, aware of her daughter's financial abilities, gave young Olive the responsibility of writing the checks and paying the family bills. As she matured and joined the work force, her abilities as a bookkeeper were strengthened, and by 1924, at the age of 21, she became one of the 12 staff members of the fledgling Travel Air Manufacturing Co. The only woman on the payroll at Travel Air, she quickly learned about aviation, a business in which she had no previous experience, from the ground up. She handled the correspondence, maintained the books, and managed the office. Walter Beech took note of the young lady's abilities, and promoted her to manager and secretary to himself.

1929 saw a number of changes at Beech . Walter Beech merged the Travel Air Co. with Curtiss-Wright, and he also made one other substantial change in his life . He and Olive Ann were married.

By 1932, the desire to manufacture airplanes brought the team of Olive and Walter to Wichita to found Beech Aircraft Company, with Walter as President and Olive as Secretary足 Treasurer.

She would serve in that capacity throughout the war years, and also was blessed with the birth of two daughters, Suzanne, in 1937, and Mary Lynn, in 1940. She was kept busy with her corporate duti es and motherhood as Beech worked hard to produce 7,400 aircraft and a number of other subassemblies during the war years.

1950 saw another drastic year of change for Olive Beech. Her husband and partner, Walter, passed away after suffering a heart attack. Recognizing her business abilities, the board of directors of Beech voted Olive to succeed her husband as President and Chairman of the Board.

In addition to her business activities, Olive Beech was also active in a number of philanthropic activities giving her time and efforts to art, music and educational projects.

In 1980, she was honored by the aviation community by two awards.

The " Sands of Time" Kitty Hawk civilian award was presented to her at the Wright Brothers banquet of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce on December 5. On December 12, she was presented the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy by the National Aeronautic Association, in recognition of her significant public service of

enduring value to aviation in the United States.

The next year, 1981, saw the dedication of the Olive Ann Beech Gallery and Chapel in her honor at the Staggerwing Museum Foundation in Tullahoma, TN. Later, she was inducted in the Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, OH, joining her late husband in being so honored. The only other couple enshrined in the Aviation Hall of Fame are Anne and Charles Lindbergh.

Mrs. Beech was known as a savvy businesswoman who insisted that the company's airplanes uphold the quality and reputation of Beech aircraft that had been their trademark since the production of the Staggerwing. Those of us who admire the fine airplanes with the Beechcraft name have Olive Ann Beech to share some of our thanks, due in large part to her financial abilities and her attention to detail. Aviation surely is richer for her having been a part of it.

FRED E. WEICK

1899 -1993 Mr. Fred is gone, earning a well earned rest after a long lifetime making aviation safer for all of us. His life and activities literally spanned most of the history of modern aviation. From his model airplane flying in 1911 with the Illinois Model Aero Club (an organization, incidentally, that still exists) to his design work on the Piper Cherokee series through the '50s and '60s, Fred Weick spent his life dedicated to aviation.

His career in aviation started as an engi ne er by laying out airmail emergency landing fields. Later, after taking a Federal Civil Service exam ination for a junior aeronautical engineer (he took the test more to find out what an engineer of that type was expected to know), he went to work for

the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics and worked on propeller design. Soon afterward, he showed what his terrific intellect could do - he developed a system that allowed the layout of a propeller in only half a day, instead of the two weeks it used to take. With a full time job , he wrote back to his sweetheart Dorothy, and asked if she would marry him. She consented, and they were lifelong partners until her passing in 1991.

He was later able to transfer to the NACA , the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, where he continued to excell.

Some of his other accomplishments included the development of the full scale wind tunnel at Langley Field, Hampton, VA. His work at the NACA continued, with Fred publishing a number of NACA technical papers, including milestone work on the ingenious NACA cowl he and his colleagues at the wind tunnel developed.

In last month's VINTAGE AIRPLANE we documented his work with the W-1 , the predecessor to the Ercoupe, one of Fred's most enduring designs.

Later , he was responsible for the development of an airplane specifically designed for aerial application, the Ag-l , engineered and built during his tenure at Texas A&M . The basic design of the Ag-1 would later be developed into the Piper Pawnee, after Fred went to work for the Piper in 1957. His first task, begun just be fore his departure from Texas A&M, was the preliminary design specifications for what would be the Piper Cherokee. Based on Fred and Pug Piper 's detailed sp ecifica tions , John Thorp did the preliminary design study on the airplane, an airplane that would become the basis for an entire line of modern, efficiently built airplanes that Piper would continue to produce until the mid 1980s. His mechanical and aerodynamic acumen came through time and time again.

A recipient of numerous awards , Fred was also the holder of 7 different patents related to aircraft design.

It 's not often that the appellation "genius" truly applies to an individual, but in this case, it not only applies, but is in some ways inadequate to fully describe his contributions to the light airplane industry. We will enjoy the fruits of his labors for many years to come, and many who will never know his name will have Fred Weick to thank for many of the advances that make the handling of their airplanes safer. We all owe him our thanks.

If you would like , you can add to Fred's legacy by contributing to: The Fred E. Weick Scholarship Fund , Embry-Riddle University, 600 S. Clyde Morris, Daytona Beach, FL 32114. ...

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

PE CLUB

NOTES

compiled by Norm Petersen From the International Aeronca As­ sociation newsletter published by "Buzz" Wagner of Clark, SO (605-532-3862) If you are involved in exporting an airplane to another country, be aware of the regulatory requirements for deregis­ tering these aircraft to avoid a call from the FAA, U.S. Customs and other agen­ cies. FAR Section 45.33 REQUIRES the aircraft owner to remove ALL U.S. registration marks from the aircraft - be­ fore export. You may be only selling it to someone else who is shipping it out of the country, BUT you must be sure this is taken care of. Section 47.41 requires that AC Form 8050-3 MUST be returned to A VN-450 with the reverse side filled out. That is FAA Aircraft Registration, A VN-450, Box 25504 , Oklahoma City, OK 73125.

DON'T BE SURPRISED if your me­ chanic insists that ALL required plac­ ards are in place before signing off your airplane. If you should be so unlucky as to have the FAA do a "RAMP" inspec­ tion to your airplane, yo u WILL hear about any missing placards. Aircraft maintenance has become so complex over the last several years that depend­ ing on one 's memory is no longer suffi­ cient. With the vast amounts of data that must be used daily to complete even small jobs, that if we allow ourse lves to become complacent or overly confident, details like placards could be over­ looked.

Propeller - During cruise flight the aircraft developed a severe vibration.

Reduced power helped and an off-air­ port landing was made. Inspection re­ vealed no obvious damage until they no­ ticed that seven inches was missing from one propeller blade(!)

From the (Cessna) International 180/185 Club, Inc. newsletter in George­ town, TX (512-863-3751): TIP: Here is a maintenance tip some of you might want to look into or under.

A while back, just after takeoff with my wife and two sons aboard , I found our Cessna 180 had locked ailerons and ele­ vators. I was able to make a safe return using throttl e and a touch of rudder.

Upon inspection , it was found that a for­ gotten and unused antenna coax (cable) had found its way into the chain and sprocket. The first time I tried to turn 4 AUGUST 1992

the wheel , due to a very short le ngth of coax hanging down, the elevator was in­ operative also. Over the years, se veral radios had been in and out with not enough regard to clean-up of wires, etc.

New or old planes could have some loose e nd just waiting for a mate - take a look!

Charles C. Curtis, Tucson, AZ From the Cub Club newsletter pub­ lished by John Bergeson in Remus, MI (517-561-2393): Landing Gear Cabane Failure: I had a recent failure on my (1-3) Cub landing gear. Might be of interest to other Cub Club members. The left tube of the ca­ bane strut failed just above the fitting for the shock strut attachment.

The end result of this failure can be more exciting than breaking a shock cord . Because of an internal stop that limits shock strut extension, bungee fail­ ure should be nothing more than a wing drop (I've never had one). A cabane failure allows a wing to drop to the ground and could result in a ground-loop if there is any forward speed . With the aircraft on the ground, the cabane vee is in tension. This keeps the gear from spreading under load.

I have never given this area more than a casual look during my preflights.

The cabane strut was replaced with a new part from Univair, all landing gear bolts replaced, new bungee cords in­ stalled and, of course, all fittings closely inspected. After all this, I will carefully inspect all landing gear parts in the fu­ ture.

The following is an excerpt from the report Tom submitted to the FAA. Tube externally in good condition.

Internal corrosion evident, however, the tube wall is sound adjacent to fracture surface with no weakness or thin areas from corrosion.

Comments: A. The cabane vee is built from tubes welded together in a V -shape and in turn welded between two plates that become the shock strut attach point. Both tubes are oval shaped mechanically at the weld joint perhaps to provide more weld con­ tact area. This aircraft was built in May 1938 with no log book entry or reason to believe that this is not the original part.

B. The fracture started in the tube walls on both sides in the weldment from

the two plates . It was not determined which crack started first or the exact ori­ gin of either crack. The cracks pro­ gressed from the sides around the bot­ tom in fatigue and up the sides to the top where the final failure occurred in over­ load.

C. As can be seen from the enclosed photographs, the crack should have been clearly visible . The pilot/owner for 16 years admits that close examination of this joint had not been part of his normal preflight.

D. The last annual inspection was March 1992. No cracks were evident at that time.

E. A similar report will be sent to the Cub Club and the EAA with recommen­ dations for increased attention during preflight inspections in general and land­ ing gear in particular.

Cubs and Friends: We thank Harry E .

Murray for his thoughtful contribution to the "short subjects" section.

Cubs and friends are like gold - you never know where you'll find them.

About 20 years ago while riding through the Boot Heel of Missouri, amid soybean and cotton fields, I came across a very sma ll grass strip with an open hangar, a tee hangar and an open storage shed. It was one of those places an avia­ tion buff could not pass without stop­ ping. The thing that caught my eye was that the tee hangar held a CUB! In the storage shed was a Stearman fuselage, an assortment of wings and loads of other stuff that required a closer look.

Inside the bangar was a man building up a set of Stearman wings from scratch.

I introduced myself to him. "Dick Rice" answered the man as he continued to work. It didn't take long to realize that this man was a true craftsman.

Little did I know that Mr. Dick Rice and I would develop a friendship that has lasted through the years. He has become my benchmark, advisor and mentor.

About once a year, Dick and his wife, Nell, come through our part of the coun­ try. These visits have become an event around here because it gives a good ex­ cuse for other aviation buffs and myself to enjoy an evening of pure pleasure.

So as you can see , you never know where you are going to find a Cub and a ... friend .

VI~TAf7~ LIT~12ATU12~

by ()enni§

J)ar-k.§~

Libr-ar-y/A.r-chive§ ()ir-ect()r-

IProject for a Low Priced Airplane - Part 1111 On October 18, 1934, the Bureau of Air Commerce awarded a contract for 15 aircraft to the Hammond Aircraft Com­ pany of Ypsilanti, Ml. During the course of 1935, the Bureau contracted for five other aircraft to be purchased. The status of these projects was reported in the 1936 AIRCRAFT YEARBOOK as follows: "The Arrow Company's Arrowplane was still under development. The Ham­ mond Y was bei ng changed by th e de­ signer and manufacturer, and was about ready for furth er tests by the Bureau. The Waterman Arrowplane , a tailless ma­ chine, had been delivered, and was under­ going service tests . A direct control Pit­ cairn autogiro, with chassis drive so that it might be driven on the highway like a mo­ tor car, was scheduled for early delivery in 1936. The Weick machine , as rebuilt by Fairchild to incorporate a new aileron and flap combination, was under tests in the laboratory of the National Advisory Com­ mitt ee for A e ronautics. The Curtiss­ Wright Coupe, an all-metal, two-place cabin monoplane had been delivered."

WATERMAN ARROWPLANE The Waldo W a terman Arrowplan e

was unique not only because of its tailless design but also because it was the only aircraft awarded a construction order from an individual - all the others were from existing aircraft corporations. An irony of the competition was that the winning Hammond design , for which 15 exa mples were ordered, failed to meet the specifications, but the one-off non­ factory Waterman was the first aircraft to meet the specifications.

WHATSIT? Announced in the May 1934 issue of POPULAR AVIATION was "A New Aspirant for the $700 Class." This was the canard type pusher lightplane built by Waldo D. Waterman of Santa Monica, CA. This two-passenger , Kinner pow­ ered, swept-wing design was the prede­ cessor to the Arrowplane purchased by the Bureau of Air Commerce.

For many years Waldo Waterman had dreamed of developing a simple , safe, cheap roadable airplane for the average private pilot. In his biography, WALDO, PIONEER A VIATOR, Waterman re­ ported he was first intrigued by Glenn Curtiss's comment in 1911 , " Now if we

The Waterman Whatsit after being rebuilt in 1932, complete with a canard mounted on the nose.

can just take off the wings and drive this thing down the road, we'd really have something! " In 1932 Waterman found himself with the opportunity to design and build such a machine.

Waterman set up shop in a corner of the then defunct Bach factory at Los An­ geles. He conceived of a swept wing tail­ less configuration which would readily adapt itself to a road vehicle by the re­ moval of the wings. It also featured a tri­ cycle landing gear with a steerable nose wheel and a pusher engine with a de­ c1utchable propeller that could be cou­ pled to the rear wheels for road use.

According to Waterman the tailless design had some intriguing features; that by eliminating the tail structure, some re­ duction in weight, head resistance, and cost would result. Through the reduction in weight and resistance, aerodynamic ef­ ficiency would be gained. Though his ul­ timate goal was a flying automobile, the Whatsit had fixed wings and undriven wheels. This was so that he could prove the tailless concept first.

In July 1932 his low-wing sweptback monoplane was finished . Unfortunately the Whatsit's flight test program would suffer many set backs due to accidents.

The first one being when the nose wheel sank into a gopher hole on the runway, flipping the craft over on its back, result­ ing in a broken propeller , smashed wingtip rudders and a bent nose wheel.

During the rebuild it was decided to increase the sweep back of the wings and, until the aerodynamics of the swept wing were mastered , add a canard. During the n ext test flight in August the canard flipped the aircraft over in a half loop at which time the plane sta lled and slipped back to the ground.

After seve r al weeks the plane was again ready for flight. This time the plane was moved to United Airport in Burbank where there were runways long enough for a straightaway flight. After some high-speed taxi tests , Waterman was talked into giving Eddie Anderson , a pi­ lot with a very good reputation, a chance to fly it. Anderson lost control of the plane during the takeoff attempt and the craft hit the ground so hard that it ended up a pile of wreckage.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

a

'iii

...

(Above) Waldo Waterman cuts a dashing figure with his driving cap and pipe in the cockpit of the Arrowplane.

(Left) Secretary of Commerce Rope and Assistant Secretary Jonson look into the Arrowplane after John Geisse (right) had just landed at Washington's airport after his transcontinental flight.

By now Waldo was broke and had no more money to put int o the project.

However, Mel Oliver, who had helped on the project , volun teered to re build it.

Meanwhile , Waterman obtained a job flying for TW A. While Waterman was flying with TWA and the Whatsit was be­ ing repaired, E ugene Vidal announced the proposal for the $700 airplane.

Though Waterman figured that Vidal was naive to think an airplane could be built for the cost of a car, he pe rceived a close parallel to what he had been work­ ing on with the Whatsit.

In late 1933 Waterman took leave from TW A to work full time on his airplane. In early January 1934 Whatsit was take n to Rosamond Dry Lake in th e Mojave Desert. During testing at Rosamond Wa­ terman and his crew had a problem in de­ termining the center-of-gravity when mov­ ing the canard. To solve this problem they took ordinary machine shop vises a nd moved them back and forth along the front boom. Permanent corrections were made by installing lead weights in the fuselage .

Successful tests flights were made but Waterman felt that the low wing did not work with the high thrust lin e of the pusher engine. So an entirely new design using a high wing configuration was laid out. The plans for the new aircraft were submitted to the Bureau of Air Com­ merce during 1934. Waterman received a contract to build one of his new design called the Arrowplane.

ARROWPLANE The Arrowplane was completed in May 1935. Still not a flying automob il e, its flight characteristics were good enough to give Waterman cause to now think about adapting roadable features.

6 AUGUST 1993

The Arrowplane was turned over to the Burea u of Air Commerce in July 1935. Jo hn Geisse, Chief of the Bureau's D eve lopment Section took delivery of th e craft in California and with only 35 hours of flying experience flew it to Washington, DC. Waterman was a little concerned about Geisse's lack of experi­ e nce but was told by Eugene Vidal , "If John Geisse can fly and successfully han­ dle the airplane, that alone is sufficient proof of its meeting our goals." On Au­ gust 12 he completed the transcontinen­ tal flight without the slightest difficulty.

Geisse reported hi s flight in the NA­ TIONAL AERONAUTIC MAGA­ ZINE for September 1935.

JOHN GEISSE'S TRANSCONTINENTAL FLIGHT "The landing at Washington was made afte r a thirty-one hour flight from Cali­ fornia, spread out over a period of ten days, equaling, as I was informed on my arrival, a transcontin e nta l record set in abo ut 1914. However , it may be state d that the time required for the e ntire trip was not a limitation set by the airplane but by the pilot. In this trip ac ross the Continent, which was my first transconti­ nental trip alone and which included landing on many stra nge fields and my first night landin g, I was impresse d by several features of this airplane.

"Probably the most striking feature is that associated with th e three-wheel la ndin g gear which permits a lmost any kind of landin g a nd th e immediate and full app lication of the brakes at any time.

The other features were the excellent vis­ ibility and the fact that the airplane could not be stalled even with the control in a full back position .

"The unu sua l characteristics of the landing gear were impressed upon me very early in the trip at Lordsburg, New Mexico. This field has a n e lev atio n of 4,200 feet a nd was also so mewh at soft.

With practica lly no wind and approxi­ mately a full load I was unable to get off the field but in my attempts to take off I was able to use practically th e e ntire length of the field without a ny fear of a crash following a n unsuccessful attempt simply because th e brakes could be fully applied at any time. " In the third a tte mpt to take off the sudden application of the brakes at the edge of th e field togeth e r with a very slight wash placed too much of a load on the relatively frai l landing gear and my first landing gear fa ilure occurred. After this damage was repaired I again made many attempts to take off, using the e n­ tire fi eld but without success and was fi­ nally able to make it by using two sides of the field, making a turn during the take off. With a conventional gear I would not have considered trying a turn durin g the take off. " In landing the airplane with this type of undercarriage, with two wheels back of the center of gravity and one wheel in the nose, a wide latitude of landing attitudes is available. The plane can be glided straight on into the field without any leveling off whatever if so desired and the shock of such a landing is not particularly bad. If it is desired, the customary tail down land­ ing also can be made. In making the latter type of landing, or any other for that mat­ ter, there is no tendency of the airplane to bounce back up into the air.

"The feature peculiar to the Water­ man airplane is, of course, the lack of the customary tail. In such airplanes the proble m of longitudinal stability may be

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a serious one and everyone who has flown this airplane has been pleasantly sur­ prised by its longitudinal stability. On most of the transcontinental trip the air­ plane was trimmed for a given speed and the rest of the flying done almost entirely with the rudder. " WATERMAN'S NEW FLYING WING

The November 1935 issue of POPU­ LAR AVIATION provided coverage of the Arrowplane after its arrival in Wash­ ington, "As the Waterman Tailless air­ plane came to a landing at the Washing­ ton , DC airport, at the conclusion of a flight from California, it marked the near end of man's long struggle, since the first days of flying to find a flivver plane that could be manufactured cheaply enough to let every average working man own and fly one.

"The Waterman, a two-place mono­ plane , is at presen t powered by a four cylinder inverted, air cooled aviation en­ gine of 95 horsepower. (A Menasco fur­ nished by the Bureau.) Its distinctive fea­ ture , of course, is the absence of a tail.

Control surfaces are at the trailing edges, and tips of the wings, which sweep back from the nose of the fuselage. It is a pusher, with the engine in the rear, which materially augments forward and down from the pilot's seat.

"T he undercarriage is of th e three wheeled type with the main wheels to the rear, to prevent ground loops and nosing over. It has a top speed of 114 miles per hour. Its simplicity of construction makes the Waterman particularly adaptable to production in quantity with prospects for a low sales price and maintenance cost.

"Partly to demonstrate that the craft is one which may be flown cross-country safely and efficiently by an airman of lim­ ited experience, Mr. Geisse, a novice as far as present day types of airplanes are concerned, went to California to accept delivery of the ship and fly it to Washing­ ton. As the pilot stepped from the ship he patted the nose, which is the windshield and remarked, 'She's a good girl and can't be fooled.' Later on in th e day, while in a more formal mood, he said, , The Waterman airplane is almost fool­ proof and is very close to being abso ­ lutely so. In the condition in which it was flown from the West Coast, the airplane could not be stalled or spun by any nor­ mal or reasonably abnormal use or abuse of the controls.'

"And that, mild as it may seem, is the reason behind many airplane factory exec­ utive s, eng ineers and mechanics walk around wondering when the new low priced planes that anyone can fly is going to put them out of business."

LOENING NOT IMPRESSED

In the September 1935 issue of NA­ TIONAL AERONAU­ TICS MAGAZIN E, Grover Loenin g gave hi s views on the Bu­ reau 's program , "I do not see the necessity of this D e partm ent pro­ ceeding with a some­ what ballyhoo ed pro ­ gram of fixing up a new d es ign of plane to be

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sold more cheaply on its initiative when there are dozens of manufacturers of am­ ple experience doing this al ready on pri­ vate initiative.

"To date I am not Impressed with the Department's results as all I have seen is the revival of the pusher type plane which we found, over twenty-five years ago, was highly unsafe and undesirable from many standpoints. I do not be lieve it offers a single desira ble feature for the private owner. I also venture to predict that the cheap , safe, private owner plane will come from the industry a nd not from a government department. " ARROWBILE

Once the airworthiness of his Arrow­ plan e tailless design had bee n prove n, Waterman turned to the task of adapting the design for road use. Thus late in 1935 Waterma n incorporated the Waterman Aeroplane Corporation and set up a fac­ tory in a former Buick dealership in Santa Monica.

Expecting to build at least 1,000 Ar­ rowbiles annually, Wate rman proceeded to set up a large organization. He was also determined to use automotive mass­ production me thod s. In order to kee p costs down he searched in D etroit for a stock automobile engine th at could be used to power the plane . He selected a new engine from Studebaker in the 90 to 105 hp range. Studebaker would provide 50 engines in exc hange for stock in the Waterman Aeroplane Corporation.

Technical problems in ada ptin g the Arrowplane for road use were monu­ mental. The landing gear required an en­ tirely new design in order to incorporate the road drive. They had to determine how to drive the propeller at h alf the speed of an auto motive engine . The en­ gine needed to be kept as low as possible for best center-of-gravity and still leave nine inch es of gro und clearance for the prop tips. The final decision was to posi-

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THE WATERMAN "ARROWPLANE."

Type-Two-Seat cabin tail-less monoplane.

Wings-Sack-swept high-wing braced monoplane. Wooden structure with fabric covering. Movable surfaces at the wing-tips act as ailerons or elevators. Small vertical fins and rudders at wing-tips. Rudders operated independently and can be deflected inwardly, simultaneously, to act as air-brakes.

Fuse/age-Enclosed nacelle for crew of two.

Underca"iage-Three-wheel type. Two main wheels behind the centre of gravity have oil-spring shock-absorbers with 12 in. travel. Small front wheel under nose of nacelle has similar springing, with 8-in. travel.

Power Plant-One h.p. Menasco four-cylinder in-line inverted air cooled­ engine at the back of the nacelle and driving a pusher airscrew. Fuel tank (26 U.S. gallons) above and behind engine, with gravity feed through short pipes.

Accommodation-Enclosed accommodation for two in nose of nacelle, which is designed to provide comfort and accessibility of an automobile. Saggage compartment for three suit-cases below engine.

Dimensions-Span 40 ft. (12.2 m.), Length 18 ft. 6 in. (7.64 m.), Height 8 ft.

(2.44 m.)

Weights-Weight empty 1,310 Ibs (595 kg.), Weight loaded 1,900 Ibs. (863 kg .).

Performance-Maximum speed 110 m.p.h. (176 km.h.), Cruising speed 95 m.p.h. (152 km.h.), Initial rate of climb 700 ft.lmin. (213.5 m.lmin.), Range 350 miles (560 km.).

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

(Above) The red and white Arrowbile No.3. This photo was most likely taken at Cleveland.

(Left) The general arrangement of the final version of Waldo Waterman's flying wing, the Arrowbile.

tion the engine very low, right above the rear axle and use six V -belts controlled by a clutch pulley connecting the engine drive shaft to the propeller shaft.

As many standard automotive parts as possible were used. Even a standard Studebaker radiator and battery were used. Other automotive parts included brakes, drums, parts of differential gears, headlights and the steering wheel.

Legally the Arrowbile was classified as a motorcycle as it had only three wheels and weighed less than 1,450 pounds. Thus they were able to use only a single head­ light an a small motorcycle license plate.

Waterman set a goal to raise $250,000 - the amount calculated to produce 1,000 aircraft annually. He also looked forward to the prospect of having every Stude­ baker dealer nationwide selling them for only $3,000.

In early 1937 the first Arrowbile (X262Y) was completed and ready for test flying. First flying the plane on February 21 Waterman was very happy with its performance. He then prepared 8 AUGUST 1993

for promoting the plane with its first pub­ lic appearance at the National Pacific Aircraft Show in Los Angeles on March 13. Waterman hoped to sell the plane for $3,000, a wildly optimistic figure. Materi­ als were ordered for ten aircraft and con­ struction began on six.

The Waterman was very popular at the Los Angeles show. A VIA TION mag­ azine said that the craft never failed for an audience and that the display was en­ hanced by an excellent motion picture of the machine , periodic lectures and a twice daily demonstration of the attach­ ing and detaching of the wings.

Waterman received a prize for the best display at the show and better than that, Studebaker announced at the show that they would purchase five Arrowbiles and display them an the Cleveland Air Races. As part of the deal, Waterman would have to modify the planes to ac­ cept a radiator grill matching Studebak­ ers 1938 line.

A VIATION magazine , reporting on the Arrowbile in the May 1937 issue,

held out high hopes for the craft , "The Waterman Arrowbile marks an impor­ tant milestone in the development of pri­ vate flying. Future historians may well rate the Arrowbile as the pioneer of a type of aircraft to revolutionize the use of small planes by the general public, for this unique hybrid auto-plane, incorpo­ rating a host of novel features, has proved thoroughly practical in extensive tests both as a road car and an airplane. " The Arrowbile construction was of metal, the nacelle being of welded steel tubing covered with dural aluminum sheeting. The wings were of two spar construction with spars of routed spruce, formed dural ribs, and steel tube drag bracing , cloth covered . A VIATION listed the cruise at 105 mph and the range as 400 miles. It had a fuel capacity of 24 gallons in its single fuselage mounted tank.

A total of three machines were com­ pleted in time for the National Air Races in Cleveland. From Cleveland the three ships toured the eastern and central United States gathering much publicity along the way. In fact the August 1937 is­ sue of LIFE donated an entire "Pho­ topage" to the Arrowbile.

The fourth and fifth Arrowbiles were under construction when monetary prob­ lems hit Studebaker, curtailing financial support to Waterman. Almost as sud­ denly as the Arrowbile had become, the promising future turned bleak. With the completion of the fifth airplane the Ar­ rowbile plant was forced to close its doors.

In 1958 the six machine was modified and completed with a Tucker auto en­ gine as the Aerobile. The Aerobile was flown many times before joining the Whatsit in the National Air and Space Museum collection. ...

s you walk through the rows of aircraft on dis­ play at Oshkosh and other gatherings through­ out the country, you will find quite a variety of tiedown meth­ ods. Some are good, while others leave a lot to be desired.

Every aircraft owner should be fa­ miliar with the information contained in Advisory Circular #20-35C titled "Tiedown Sense." It gives excellent advice on the proper way to secure your bird so that it will not wind up "gone with the wind ." Page 11 con­ tains a chart which lists the minimum breaking strengths of various types and sizes of rope. On the same page they recommend leaving about an inch of slack in the tied own; however, my opinion is that while the rope should not be excessively tightened, all the slack should be taken up. The only exception would be for hemp rope (which shrinks when wet), but this rope is not longer widely used. (It has poor weathering charicteristics.)

Now for a word about chain tiedowns. I don ' t like them! Some­ time ago I saw a Piper 1-5 that was se­ cured with loose chains which were anchored in concrete. After some pretty stiff winds had passed by, it was discovered that the strut attach fit­ tings had been nearly pulled off by the sharp jerking when the slack was taken up by the wind gusts. Both spars were split and ruined . Other aircraft tied with rope were undam­ aged.

I use 3/8 inch nylon or poly rope of sufficient length that will provide ty­ ing to the stake, looping around the strut and tying back to the stake.

Rather than trusting the tiedown loop, take the rope through the loop, around the strut and back through the loop. Some of these tied own loops are welded on and I have seen them broken. Running them through the loop and then around the strut will keep the rope up at the top where it can do the most good - if you simply tie it around the strut, it can slide down and damage the strut should a wind gust jerk the wing upwards.

As you read AC #20-35C you will get the impression that the FAA doesn't like tiedown stakes that are driven into the ground because they tend to pull out easily when it gets wet. Also note that there is no men­ tion of the screw type tiedown. After trying them I can eas ily unde rstand why. The auger type will absolutely not go into the so il with any rocks, and if you do get it down, then you have a hole full of loose dirt. The spi­ ral screw type is not much better, be­ ing more adapted to tethering a pooch

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AIRCRAFf

TIEDOWNS AND

CONTROL LOCKS

by Harold Armstrong Ale 746

than tying down an aircraft. (In fact, that is the purpose for which most are sold.) The end the rope is secured to is generally just a bent piece, and will open up in a hard wind gust. To make up a good set of stakes, use 1/2 inch diameter steel rod with a minimum length of 18 inches. Make a loop of 114 inch rod and weld near the top, and grind the other e nd to a point.

When driven all the way in at an an­ gle of at least 30 degrees from verti­ cal, make the rope tie through th e loop and around the stake. You now

have a good tied own. (For more on tiedowns, see Joe Dick ey's tiedown ideas on page 11.- HGF) Let's talk about control locks. The most commonly used method of se­ curing the controls is to tie the stick full aft or forward. Many years ago a Taylor E-2 was tied down close to my father's dairy farm. It had the stick secured forward by the safety belt.

The E-2 is very light on the tail and the wind managed to pull the tail stake and get the tail up high enough that the aircraft went up on its nose VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

This aileron bellcrank rod was broken when a control lock was not used on an Aeronca Champ. A fair wind can exert a lot of force.

AERONCA 7AC CONTROL LOCK

NOT TO SCALE

STEEL TUBING OR ELECTRICAL CONDUIT

1/4" ROD

6" STRAP HINGE

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1/4 - 28 FULL THREAD WI WING NUT

NOT TO SCALE

The control lock shown in the drawings on this page can prevent expensive damage from occurring-use control locks when­ ever your airplane is tied down.

CLAMP IS ANGLED DOWNWARD 12°

OR BRAZE / FELT PADDED "U" STRAP

with the wings sti ll tied! More re­ cently, my nephew took his Champ to another airport for its annual inspec­ tion. After completion, the IA tied it down outside with the stick under the seat belt. The wind got up and the stick worked all the way to the left.

The constant pressure and banging of the right aileron bent and eventually broke the act uator rod, leavin g the aileron hanging loose. (See photo.)

While working on the restoration of my son's Champ, I designed a con­ trollock that e liminates this type of problem. It clips on the front seat frame and secures the stick with both elevators and ailerons in a neutral po­ sition. The same concept could be adapted to other aircraft. (Refer to the drawings for construction details.)

The rudder lock is made from a cou­ ple pieces of Masonite hardb oard with felt padding.

One more word of wisdom- al­ ways tie down your aircraft and install control locks, but DON'T FORGET to remove them before flight.

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MORE ON AIRCRAFf TIEDOWNS

by H.G. Frautschy, based on the drawings and notes of Ale Advisor Joe Dickey ALL SIZES IN INCHES UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

FABRICATE FROM DRAWING DIMENSIONS - DRAWINGS NOT TO SCALE

iedowns have always elicited a bunch of opinions, and one of my favorites is a compact set of tiedowns that Joe Dickey built up to secure his Aeronca Champ. Joe uses them to s u pp lement "permanent" tiedowns at airports other than his home fie ld , and as a sole means of constraint whe n he is at a fly-in. He has had good s uccess with them, having never had them pulled out of the ground or break­ ing. The same can 't be said for the "dog anchor" types of tiedowns, which have opened up and broken while Joe was tied down at a fly-in . (Remember the "big blow" at EAA Oshkosh '82?) The set pictured in the doodles on these pages have been used successfully in both rocky and loamy soil , and have proven to be very damage resistant.

Small rocks are pushed aside , and im­ pacting larger rocks or boulders results in a resounding " ring" when the rod is struck by the hammer. When that hap­ pe ns, just move the tiedown. A few whacks with the hammer will straighten the steel stake out. Just follow the di­ mensions shown on the drawi ngs, and re member to always tie yo ur light plane down - it helps when someone decides to run up a helicopter, jet or even another prop driven airplane with the wind blast pointed right at your pride and joy. Hav­ ing your tail surfaces strained through a ch a in link fence wi ll ruin a perfectly good summer, not to mention your checkbook!

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TIEDOWN BASE PLATES (MAKE FROM 1/8 STEEL)

WING PLATE - 2 REQD.

9/32 DIA. (3 EQUISPACED) 7/8 OR TO FIT} FOR 3/8 13/32 DIA. (2) "U" BOLT

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TIGHTEN NUTS PEEN OVER TO LOCK VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

AIRPLANES WITH WELDED ON TIEDOWN RINGS

SETTING ANCHORS ___ DRIVE PINS IN ANGLED TOWARD CENTER.

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TAKE ROPE THROUGH RING,

AROUND STRUT AND BACK.

USE RING ONLY TO KEEP

ROPE FROM SLIPPING DOWN.

ANCHOR PINS - 8 REQD.

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MAKE FROM 114 STEEL ROD THREAD TOP TO SUIT HARDWARE USED. RUN BOTTOM NUT SNUG TO BOTTOM OF THREADS. ADD WASHER (NEED足 ED TO PULL PIN) AND TIGHTEN TOP NUT. PEEN OVER TO LOCK.

900 POINT - SHARP足 ER POINTS BLUNT TOO EASILY

THIS IS A MODIFICATION OF JOE'S ORIGINAL DESIGN BY BION MCPEAK - ELIMINATE THE "U" BOLT, AND ON A NEW SET OF BASE PLATES, CARE足 FULLY RADIUS THE NEW HOLE FOR THE ROPE TO PREVENT CHAFING. THE HOLE SHOULD BE A TIGHT FIT FOR THE ROPE. KNOT THE ROPE AS SHOWN ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE BASEPLATE. MELT OR GLUE THE KNOT TO BE SURE IT WILL NOT COME UNDONE. THIS BASEPLATE IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR USE WITH POLYETHYLENE ROPE. 12 AUGUST 1993

A GOOD HAMMER

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TO REMOVE PINS

MACHINIST'S MALLET WITH ONE PLASTIC HEAD AND ONE STEEL HEAD. DOESN'T WEIGH MUCH. DRIVES TIEDOWN PINS. PLASTIC TENT STAKES AND THOSE WHO IGNORE 'PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH" SIGNS.

USE HAMMER HANDLE TO GRIP SLIP LOOP UNDER WASHER 450 LB. TEST NYLON CORD WORKS WELL USE ONE FOOT TO HOLD BASEPLATE DOWN, PULL STRAIGHT IN LINE WITH PIN. IMPORTANT - SPREAD TIEDOWNS SO PULL IS NOT STRAIGHT UP! YOU'LL NEED LONGER ROPES, BUT ANGLING THE TIEDOWN POINTS WILL INCREASE THEIR RESISTANCE TO BEING PULLED OUT OF THE GROUND.

G U i ng YOll' kkh. aemnauti­ cally speaking, can come in many forms. You can read and enjoy avia­ tion history , build static or flying models , and if your budget allows, you can fly an airplane. One of the ways you can ease the strain on the checking account is to get into a part­ nership on an airplane. It may be the most economical way for you to get airborne, and if you find the right kind of partners, it can be a very pleasant experience. Glenn Frels (AIC 7102), Max Barbee and Craig HowelI did just that to get themselves into the air with their Aeronca , N29473. How they got to that point is just the beginning of the fun.

Billy Dawson had just completed his Hatz biplane and had it on display at the EAA Southwest Regional Fly­ In at Kerrville, TX. Parked next to it was his brilliant red Aeronca 65-TC Tandem Trainer, which he had re­ stored prior to completing the Hatz.

The Aeronca had a "For Sale" sign on it. Glenn Frels was struck, and on his way home from the fly-in with Max, they stopped at Sequin, TX where Billy had his hangar. Glenn flew the Tandem and fell in love. Since he a l­ ready had a Corben Jr. Ace, Glenn felt he couldn' t afford another airplane on his own, so he headed home to see if he could round up a couple of other guys who would be willing to go into a partnership on the neat restoration.

Max and Craig were interested, so Billy Dawson did something that would restore your faith in mankind , even if you were the most street hard­ ened urchin you could imagine - he flew the Aeronca down from Seguin to EI Campo, TX and left it for a week with Glenn and his partners, just to make sure they would really like it!

Now mind you, Billy had never met Glen, Max or Craig before in his life, so it was truly an act of faith on his part. Of course , the guys fell in love with the Aeronca, and Billy had sold his Aeronca. I think the sales jobs on a wife or two had a familiar ring to them , a bit like the job done on a mother or two in the past - "Honest Mom, it just followed me home. Can I keep it? Please?" The red two-place Tandem Trainer s ur e was a cute puppy to bring home and keep in the hangar!

Glenn Frels (left) and Max Barbee at EAA OSHKOSH '92 with Max's sons, Clay (front, left) and Clint. The third partner, Craig Howell, was unable to attend EAA OSHKOSH '92.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

By November of 1991, the Tandem Trainer had a new home. For Glenn, it was not his first round of airplane ownership, but for Max, it was the first time that he owned an airplane that flew! He has been working on his first restoration project, a Cessna 120. His "friends" would come over and terror­ ize him about finishing his project so he too could come out and fly, so Max was "easy pickins'" when Glenn of­ fered up the idea to be a partner in the Aeronca. Max wanted to be in the air, and here was an economical way he could do it.

Max has a job like most of us, and when a rental plane was available, he wasn't, and vice-versa. When he had time to fly, the rental plane was down or gone. Getting into the Aeronca partnership made flying a lot simpler ­ he just has to check with his two friends, and away he goes.

With the expenses split three ways, costs are much more affordable. Own­ ing their own airplane makes it more 14 AUGUST 1993

convenient to fly, and coupled with the lower costs, the three partners fly more often. Flying more often trans­ lates to a higher level of confidence and ability on their part, which means they are safer pilots.

Glenn and Max both had time in airplanes with a conventional landing gear, but the surprise in this three­ some was that Craig not only didn't have any time in an airplane with a tail wheel, in fact, he didn't have any logged time at all!

Craig, a long time friend of Glenn, had always been talking about getting his license, so Glenn approached him with the reasoning that the Tandem would be a good airplane to learn to fly in, and here was his golden oppor­ tunity. Craig was smitten too, and he has his student's license now while he is being taught in the Aeronca.

The Aeronca Tandem Trainer was designed by the company to be used in the Civilian Pilot Training Program in 1940. Designed specifically as a

trainer, it had a number of unique fea­ tures.

First, the rear seat, to be used by the instructor, is 5 inches higher than the front seat. The instructor has a better view of the students actions than in other trainers of the time. A vast amount of glass gives excellent views all around the airplane, and a skylight is standard equipment.

Another feature is the large swing out door (35x40") that makes it easy to get in and out of either seat. The airplane uses the same tail surfaces as the Aeronca Chief, and also has heavy-duty wing struts. A push-pull rod is used for elevator actuation, and the ribs are built up using roll formed aluminum, which is riveted together, and then attached to spruce spars.

Later versions of the airplane, the 65T A series, used wood ribs and spars.

The now standard oleo landing gear developed by Aeronca on the C­ 3 series was used to great advantage

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on the Tandem Trainer, and would be used on all of the subsequent produc­ tion Aeroncas except the 15AC Sedan.

You could order your Tandem Trainer with your choice of 3 engines ­ the 65 hp Continental (you could also get the 50 hp Continental during the early days of production), the 65 hp Franklin or the 65 hp Lycoming. Each airplane with a different engine had a designation - 65-TC was a Tandem Trainer with a Continental, a 65-TF had the Franklin and the 65-TL had the Lycoming.

You had one more choice to make when you ordered your Tandem - you had your pick of blue , orange or silver for color.

If there was one aspect that has made some people nervous it is the lo­ cation of the gas tank - it is in the fuse­ lage , directly over the front pilot's head. While the likelihood of a gaso­ line shower was pretty low, some pi­ lots objected to the tank placement,

(Above) A Continental A-75 powers this 65-TC. (Left) The partnersh ip Aeronca has a Plexiglas@ covered door, as well as a basic VFR instrument panel. c (Lower, Left) A solar panel B keeps a motorcycle battery ~ charged to run the naviga­ ~ tion lights. c (Below) A birghtly polished ~ venturi supplies vacuum fo r ~ the turn and bank.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

(Right) The wide rear seat of the Tan­ dem Trainer has all the pilot comforts - a handheld radio, headsets and the all im­ portant shoulder harness.

(Below) All the engine controls are lo­ cated between the two seats so that both pilots can operate them.

16 AUGUST 1993

and the configuration was never used again on an Aeronca airplane.

By the time war clouds were over the U.S., the Army Air Corps ex­ pressed an interest in the Tandem, which was renamed by Aeronca the " Defender." The 0-58 (later desig­ nated the L-3) Defender had a bal­ anced rudder and some beefed up structures. Nearly 1400 of the 0-58 IL­ 3 airplanes were built and delivered to the military.

Another big plus for the guys was the encouragement of their wives.

Both Max and Glenn mentioned that their wives have been very supportive.

Max said his wife , E lth a, didn't blink an eye when he mentioned the Aeronca - " Do it ," was her reply .

She was with Max as they accompa­ nied the Aeronca with a truck hauling camping supplies and other gear on its trek to Oshkosh last summer, and she thinks having her husband in the

Aeronca partnership is great. Max has had his license since high school , but building time has not come easily.

Knowing how much Max enjoys fly­ ing, Eltha enjoys the positive attitude he comes home with after a day at the airport. She even flies on those smooth, cool days when the air is clear, and she is now beginning to en­ joy flying, something she was not too keen on in the beginning.

The boys, Clint and Clay, enjoy the fact that dad has an airplane that they can fly in , and they both are helping Max with the 120 project. They have complementary skills to add to the 120 - Clint is more artistic, and is busy figuring out a new color scheme for the Cessna, while Clay is mechanically inclined , and is the lucky soul who gets to climb into the area that Max can't quite reach. Max enjoys the fact that it is a project they can work on together. ..

WHAT BILLY DID ...

Here are some of the technical details on Billy Dawson's three year long restora­ tion. Billy bought the airplane from a man in Kansas, where it was nearly destroyed in a tornado. With new spars and a lot of work with a welding torch the airplane was resurrected. Billy opted for the L-3 style windows on the airframe, and since the Aeronca was intended to be flown in the hot Texas sun, he used brown tinted Plexi­ glas® for the side and top windows, as well as a specially cut out panel on the door.

The interior is neatly finished with nicely varnished mahogany trim throughout, and the side panels are trimmed with upholstery. The seats are covered with a combina­ tion of vinyl and fabric, with the vinyl used on the areas that get the most wear, such as the seat edges and the spot your thighs rest upon.

A neat little feature on the rear turtle deck is a small solar panel, used to keep a motorcycle size battery charged up to run the navigation lights. Radio equipment consists of a handheld unit coupled with an intercom and headsets. A strictly VFR panel rounds out the interior. A clock and compass are the two navigation tools mounted on the panel, which guided Glenn to EM OSHKOSH '92. The entire trip took 14-1/2 hours, some of which he even had a tailwind! He was able to average 80 mph for a ground speed.

The airplane is covered using the Stits process, using 0-103 fabric with a Polytone finish throughout.

All of the sheet metal on the airplane was restored, including the metal nosebowl.

Under the cowl is a A-75 Continental, a slight change from the A-65 that was origi­ nally installed. The Continental drives an original 5-ply Sensenich wood prop.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

I seldom forget a face , however, I never forget an accent! And when the owner of a really nice looking Cessna "Bobcat," N78UC, SIN 6185, put out his hand and said, "Howdy, mah name is Dwain Pit­ tenger from Hereford, Texas" - I instantly recognized the deep voice and the (beauti­ ful) "Texas drawl. " I had spoken with Dwain on the phone several times back in 1991 when I was priviledged to write a two-page story on his " Bobcat" in the July '91 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Here we were, standing next to his award­ winning " Bamboo Bomber " at Sun 'N Fun '93, and learning more details than ever about his beautiful airplane, which will be fifty years old by the time you read this (it was built in August, 1943). Dwain had flown the airplane to Sun ' n Fun for his very first visit ever, logging just over 10 hours at a cruise of 135 kts (@ 30 gph).

A man of considerable aeronautical ex­ perience, Dwain Pittenger (EAA 353900, A IC 15435) has been an ag pilot for many years, an A & P with AI for many years and operator of a firm called Deaf Smith Aero, Inc. at the Hereford Municipal Air­ port in Hereford, Texas, a town of about 15 ,000 loca ted in northwes t Texas , just 18 AUGUST 1993

southwest of Amarillo. The area is called the "high plains " country and produces wheat, small grains and vegetables on irri­ gated land along with numerous cattle feedlots. Dwain had actually decided to retire a couple of years back, however, his long-time customers (who are slowly re­ ducing in numbers) would have no part of it and asked in a very firm tone of voice ­ please keep the company going! He does a bout 50 Annual Inspections per year (used to do 100) and the number of air­ craft based on the field has gone from 40 to 18. Hangars rent for about $60 pe r month! Dwain says he grows his own A & P mechanics from local kids who show a real interest.

Way back in 1955, Dwain received his multi-engine rating in a Cessna UC-78 at Panama City , Florida . This ex perience stayed with him over the many years and eventually lead him to go looking for a good project that he could restore. Hi s search brought him to the town of Jules­ burg, a small town in extreme northeast­ ern Colorado, in the summer of 1986 , where he found the big Cessna , N64120, SIN 6185 , stored in a hangar. It had been dormant for about 15 years , the owner

had died and it was now owned by the for­ mer pilot's widow, Mrs. Floyd Daniels, of nearby Holyoke, CO. Negotiations com­ menced.

After fair eva luations on both sides, a deal was struck , however, Mrs . D an iels strongly insisted that Dwain also acce pt her late husband's parachute, goggles, hel­ me t and other flying memorabili a to go along with the airplane, affectionately re­ ferred to by the D a niels family as " Old Betsy. " It took two weeks of diligent work to ready the big twin for the ferry flight back to Hereford , TX , but on September 25, 1986, Dw a in took off from Jul esburg, flipped up the gear switch (it worked!) and head e d for Holyok e, where Mrs. Daniels lived. He circled her home as she stood outside waving heartily - with tears streaming down her face. When Dwain arrived in Hereford some four hours later, he learned Mrs. Daniels had called three tim es on the phone to find out if he had arrived safely! Dwain immediately called her with the news of his safe arrival and the fact that " Old Betsy" flew like a real champion. It was hard to tell who was happier, the buyer or the seller!

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(Above right) Dwain Pittenger carefully refuels "Old Betsy." The fairing behind the engine needed a great deal of help during the rebuild. However, you can see it came out looking like new.

(Right) The new instrument panel looks first class, especially with the custom decals installed and the quality of the upholstery.

(Below) This photo of N78UC was taken at EAA Oshkosh '92 by our own H. G. Frautschy. The airplane's outstanding finish is quite evident even under cloudy skies.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

The rebuild began. The UC-78 (Utility Cargo Model 78) was built in Wichita, KS in August, 1943, and delivered to the U. S. Army Air Corps at Frederick, OK. It was in full military configuration with the 5700 lb . gross weight. In January, 1945, the RFC (Reconstruction Finance Corp.) put the big twin up for disposal (prices ranged from $1000 to $8,500, depending on hours and condition). SIN 6185 went to Omaha, NE where it was converted to civilian con­ figuration. From there, it spent time in Reno, NV, Yuma, AZ and California be­ fore the Daniels family brought it to Col­ orado , where it was flown for a time by Floyd Daniels and then put in storage for 15 years.

Of the approximately 5,000 twin Cess­ nas built prior to and during WW II , only 101 remain on the U. S. register today.

To represent the type, Dwain Pittenge r had SIN 6185 re-registered as N78UC - a point e asily recognized by the WW II crowd! The actual restoration took about three and a half years and required about 3,000 hours of diligent labor plus many hours on the telephone locating necessary parts. Probably the toughest job was re­ moving all the ribstitches in the Razor­ back covering and then re-stitching the entire airplane! All new fabric tapes were then installed and the Razorback was filled and sanded three times to bring it up to the final color coats of white butyrate dope and Imron "Moon Dust. " Few peo­ ple in this world have an appreciation for the really huge size of a "Bobcat" - the fabric covering is done by the acre instead of by the yard! (At least it seems that way!)

20 AUGUST 1993

Dwain does all his own paint spraying with a Binks Model 7 spray gun because he likes the way it works . His advice to other rebuilders is, "Don ' t put Imron on top of silver dope. It doesn't get a good grip on the almost slippery feeling silver finish . Instead , spray two coats of white pigmented butyrate dope on the silver and then follow with the final Imron coats." A close look at the Bobcat reveals a superb finish that will hold indefinitely.

The paint scheme was finished with a medium blue accent stripe that was very tastefully done along with the " N" num­ bers (N78UC) on the fuselage , the word " Cessna" on th e rudder and the word "Bobcat" on each engine cowling. The highlight of the trim is the brilliant shine of two chrome plated spinners and pol­ ished Ham Standard propellers on the 245 h.p. Jacobs engines.

The interior of the airplane received a new instrument panel , specifically arranged for easier flying in today's elec­ tronic environment, plus a set of new wa­ ter transfer decals from Noel Allard in Chaska, MN that really added the finish­ ing touch (and pleased the FAA inspec­ tor). AI! controls and control wheels were refurbished to where everything works smoothly - like moving your hand through a pailful! of whipped cream!

All new glass in the airplane's cabin was followed by the installation of a new interior which included new seats and cushions. Special insulation in the walls of the cabin really tamed the noise level to where Dwain says the airplane is a pleasure to fly cross-country. To date , the big Cessna twin has garnered seven

awards at airshows!

High points have been scored on Dwain 's use of the original Hayes ex­ pander tube brakes, which work per­ fectly with the standard 8:50 X 10 8-ply tires. In addition, each wing has an origi­ nal working Grimes retractable landing light - a "plus" with any Antique/Classic judge. The airplane sold new for $28,000 when they first came out in 1939, a really pricey machine in those days of $700 new cars!

One other point-scoring item is a huge 3-inch scrapbook that Dwain has put to­ gether on the history of the UC-78 along with pictures and comments on the entire rebuild effort. This book is an epic in it­ self! To stop the problem of water seep­ ing into the fuel tanks while pa rked , Dwain discovered a Folger's coffee can lid made a perfect cover for the fuel caps, so he painted them in Moon Dust and labled them like an official Cessna accessory!

They do their job perfectly and nobody knows the source until they are flipped over to reveal the word "Folgers" pressed into the metal!

On his way to Lakeland, FL and Sun 'N Fun, Dwain overflew the airport at Panama City, FL and looked down on the very runway where he had been checked out in a UC-78 "Bobcat" in 1955 - nearly forty years ago. To look down at the field from his own beautifully restored "Bob­ cat" was indeed a heart pounding experi­ ence - even the instruments were hard to read - something about "water in the eyes."

Blessings on you, Dwain Pittenger, and Mrs. Floyd Daniels, and "Old Betsy." ...

Cliff Evert's Travel Air A-6000-A An extremely rare airplane (one of eight remaining) is this Travel Air A-6000-A, N9966, SIN 1099, mounted on a set of Edo Yd-6470 floats and owned by veteran Alaskan pilot Cliff Everts of Fairbanks, Alaska. Powered with a P& W R-985 of 450 hp, the Travel Air is a brisk performer and will handle six or seven fishermen with ease. The photo was contributed by Cliff's friend, Merrill Wien (EAA 58226, NC 9957) of Kent, W A and son of the late Noel Wien, pioneer Alaskan bush pilot.

Dan Kallberg's Piper J-4 Cub Coupe A resident of the Duluth, MN area for at least the past 20 years is this 1940 Piper J-4A Cub Coupe, N60J, SIN 4-1256, mounted on a set of Edo 1320 floats and owned by Daniel Ka llberg (EAA 229372, AIC 16367) of nearby Lake Nebagamon, WI. Previous owners in足 clude Ray Bredle of Duluth in the 1970's and Don Summers of Wrenshall, MN in the 1980's. The original "N" number would have been N30980 according to the factory serial number. Dan KaUberg reports the side-by-side Cub is an excel足 lent performer with a C-85 up front and handy for docking with doors on both sides. In addition to a large, comfort足 able cabin, the 1-4 will haul quite a load with its 36 foot wing and USA 35B Cub airfoil. 1-4 pilots become quite adept at propping the engine from the right hand float and then flying the airplane from the right seat!

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

George Erickson's PiperPA-ll If floats could talk, this set of Edo 1320's

on George Erickson's 1947 Piper PA-11, N4745M, SIN 11-263, could tell stories far into the night! A retired dentist from the Worthington, MN area, George Erickson lives in New Brighton, MN and revels in the opportunity to fly his PA-11 on floats into the north country of Canada every summer, usually above the Arctic Circle!

He has made the trip over 15 times to date and has pretty well covered the en­ tire Canadian far north from one end to the other. His fantastic collection of slides and movies from the many trips makes for a program you will never for­ get. His PA-11 features a C90-8 engine with 18 gallon tanks in each wing for ex­ tremely long range (solo). The wingtips

had been converted by former owner Wes Miller of Brewster, MN to "splates" with a bit more wing area for better per­ formance and a bit longer range (nearly

1000 mi. non-stop). Painted in overall yellow with dark blue trim , the PA-l1 cuts a pretty picture at George's summer cabin near Ely, Minnesota.

Bellanca CH-400 This photo of a Bellanca CH-400, N251M, mounted on a set of Edo Xa­ 5400 floats was contributed by Merrill Wien of Kent, WA. It was taken in Alaska some years ago, date and time unknown. The engine appears to be a P&W 450 hp. The "N" number no longer appears on the FAA register.

Perhaps some of our readers may be able to shed some light on the history of the airplane.

DeHavilland Dragon Seaplane From the EAA Archives comes this photo of a De Havilland D.H.84 "Dragon," CF-A YO, SIN 6086, mounted on a set of Canadian built Fairchild floats. This model was a British built Mark 2 powered with a pair of DeHavilland Gipsy Major en22 AUGUST 1993

gines of 130 hp. With an all up gross of 4500 lbs., the Dragon was rated at a pi­ lot and up to ten passengers! Maxi­ mum speed on floats was 120 mph with a cruise of 95 mph . A gross weight takeoff usually required about 30 sec­ onds. The double sets of wing struts

allowed the outboard sections of the wings to be folded back for storage.

The D.H.84 Dragon was also built in Australia as well as Great Britain.

Note the (enlarged) forward sloping fin which was required when operating on floats . ...

An information exchange column with input from our readers.

by Buck Hilbert (EAA 21 , Ale 5) P.O. Box 424 Union, IL 60180 I've had a number of people ask me how the Canadian fishing trip we nt. It was great! I have not bee n as cold and misera ble sin ce Korea. We froze o ur buns off! It's the firs t time I have ever had to pick the ice off the fe rrul es o n my fishing rod. But the fish didn 't know it was snowing( !) a nd they we re biting very well. (See the photo above.)

We limited out and even had a day or two when the wea ther wa rmed up into the low fo rties. We came home to sum­ mer.

Summe r mea ns fl y-in s a nd o ne of my favorites is the Ostego Lake Splash­ In over at G aylo rd, MI. This year was the 13th si nce the eve nt began. I have

(Above) Gaylord, MI - site of the Ostego Lake Splash-In. Eighty three airplanes flew in and splashed down.

(Right) Cedric Galloway, Joe Juptner and Buck ham it up during the presentation of Joe's special NAA award.

bee n there the last 3 years, and it gets better every year. The weather, though coo l, coo p e r ate d fo r th e thr ee day eve nt, and eve n he ld off lo ng eno ugh for us to get back home before it bro ke loose. It seems like this year in Illinois we o ught to be raisin g goldfi sh! Th e last th ree years were so dry the farm ers we re t a lkin g ab o ut g ro win g ca ctu s.

With th e o nse t of F a ll '92 , th e we t started a nd hasn' t le t up ye t! Almost te n a nd a half in ches fe ll in June, a nd we ' ve already brok e n records fo r the first co upl e of days in July. Not just easy rain e ithe r - grea t big gully wash­ in g, f rog s tran gle r C umulo Nimbu s REX. In other words, KING size thun­ de rs t o rm s with a ll th e trimmin gs.

Heavy rain , hail, gusts, and even torna­ does . It 's been a grea t year for te xt­ book thunderstorm study.

An yway, th e Spl as h-In wa s a n un­ qu a lifi e d success ! E igh ty- th ree a i r­ planes and better than 2,000 people. It was a safe one, too. There we re a cou­ pl e o f br ea tht a kin g ai rshow s as we watched the landings, and one Lake did some da mage , but a ll in a ll the varie ty of floa t and seapl anes ranged from UI ­

tralights, right on up to the Grumm an Goose, operated with efficiency and dis­ patch. The re were bombing and spo t landing contests, buddy rides, good ca­ marad e ri e, and an e xce ll e nt b a nque t and award s celebration . I got som e time in the '39 Aeronca Chief, and also in that newly restored Goose of Bill De­ Silvas. What a wonderful time. Ne xt year I'm going to have on e on float s, just wait and see!

Enough of this fun stuff, now let's get to the technical end of the business. I got a call from "Dobby" Lickteig, our former NC Division President. He is in the process of restoring a J-3. He had just begun the AD inspection on th e Cub's struts and had discove red th ey were absolute JUNK! They looked real good on the surface, but gave way to ru sty crumbles whe n pok e d with a screwdriver. What a surprise! He called to ask me to put out the word that the AD note on the strut in spection is for real and that this is one time the FAA is right on! He sent some pictures and has gone one better on the new struts by in­ stalling 5/8" forks vs. the smaller origi­ nal forks. Ask him about this when you see him at EAA OSHKOSH , a nd be sure and take a good look at th e pic­ tures. Giving yours a good look may cost a little, but better to pay with yo ur wallet than with your life !

The letters and the phone calls keep coming. I've had th e good fortun e of having Joe Juptne r send me a pe rson­ ally autographed copy of Volume 1 of the re-issued U.S. Civil Aircraft. "Little Joe," as he is affectionally known to his frie nds, has said he is goi ng to try a nd make it to OSHKOSH this year. I sure hope he does.

Anothe r great that will be at OSH is Bob Whittier. Bob has authored a num­ be r of really good a rticles fo r SPORT A VIATION as we ll as fo r o the r publi­ cations. It' ll be great to see him again too.

He re are a couple of letters I've got­ ten recently: Dear Buck, Just a short note to let you know that I'm still inte rested in any Va rga pa rts VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

Dobby Lickteig had this unpleasant surprise when he began to inspect the struts on the J-3 he is restoring. His new struts will have the beefier fork (5/8") shown above.

you still have, when you get ready to sell. I've noticed in Trade-A-Plane that the c.A.P. is selling a few off every so often. I'm still gath e ring parts for my 2nd Varga, and I will probably start re­ building the wings shortly.

Keep me in mjnd, Dick Pedersen N6490 Cty. Rd I Tony, WI 54563 Dear Dick, I don't have any Varga parts here I'm willing to sell, but perhaps a fella or two out in our membership will be interested in selling what they have.

Over to you, Buck

Dear Buck, I have been following you and Dick Cutler's recent discussion about using the "Heywood Air Starter" technique to eliminate hand cranking of aircraft powerplants.

I have been in the General Aviation business for the past 50 years, and have seen my share of hand propping inci­ dents. I learned early in my career to consider ALL propeUers are HOT. The ignition switch is always ON, it only says it is OFF. You must NEVER consider the switch OFF. But as times change we must recog­ nize there are many of today's mechan­ ics and pilots that are not trained to hand start an aircraft powerplant.

Therefore, it is imperative we develop a dependable light weight starter system for our older powerplants. Even if it de­ tracts from the original antique status of our old aircraft. The common sense fact is that it makes for a safer operation.

Our bureaucratic FAA wiU not deny the improvement of safety.

After hand cranking my Fleet 2 for six years, I got tired of having to depend on help to start it. Therefore, necessity became my incentive to create a starter system for the Kinner. A httle research ruled out the electric starter. The weight and costs were enough to dis­ courage it.

24 AUGUST 1993

Eugene Breiner starts his Fleet 2 with an air starter system of his own design.

Recognizing the ease a Kinner starts on the Bendix impulse magneto, I de­ cided to use air pressure to move the propeller through the impulse cycle. It worked!

The system I developed applies enough air pressure to drive the crankshaft through two cylinder com­ pressions. However, it starts 90 percent of the time on the first compression.

I made a proposal to the local FAA Flight Standards District Office to install this system on my Fleet, and was able to show them the starter improved the safety of operation. They awarded me an approval with duphcation authority.

Now I am able to safely start the Kin­ ner myself, with the FAA blessing. Last year it made over two hundred starts, many of them demonstration starts .

The system gives me at least five starts per charge for only a ten pound weight penalty. I am now working on a larger capacity system for 15 to 20 starts with a 20 pound weight penalty. The FAA just approved it.

Enough interest has developed re­ cently to encourage me to put together a kit of parts for the antique owners.

Enclosed is a photo of my Fleet 2, sIn 75, NC8689. It was one of Roosevelt Aviation School's training aircraft used on Long Island, N.Y. during the '30s. It has an interesting history. Zack Mose­

ley, the "Smilin' Jack" cartoonist, was one of the many famous personalities that flew that aircraft. Zack tells me "Downwind" Jackson gave him dual in this aircraft.

Keep 'Em Flying Eugene C. Breiner 6 Beachcliff Dr. Carlisle, P A 17013 Dear Gene, The ingenuity of our members never ceases to amaze me! Your air starter sys­ tem sounds like just the ticket for those of us who would prefer to avoid hand propping. I'm glad to see that someone like yourself, a retired FAA Principal Airworthiness Inspector, with your A&P and IA is still looking for ways to im­ prove our existing technology.

Over to you, Buck

Dorothy and I are leaving for OSH right after the 4th of July and we will be there until the last airplane leaves after the Convention. I'll see you there.

Look for me out on the flight line in front of the Communications building where we park the photo ships. I'm fly­ ing the EAA Foundation's T-6, the one with the Navy paint scheme and the big 83 on the nose. ...

Until then, Over to You!

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 (j1y-in, seminars, fly market, etc.) listed. Please send the information to EAA, Att: Golda Cox, P. O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

Information should be received four months prior to the event date.

AUGUST 12-15 - LOCK HAVEN, PA - Willi am T. Piper Memori al Ai r­ port. Sentimental Journey '93. "Aerial Ma il To Loc k Have n" is thi s years theme. All makes and models welcome, espec ia ll y An ti qu e a nd Classi c a ir ­ pl anes. Ca ll 717/893- 4200 (9a m ' til 5 pm ), Fax 717/893 -4218 or write P.O .

Box J-3, Lock Have n, PA 17745-0496.

AUGUST 15 - BROOKFIELD, WI - Capitol Airport. 8th Annual Vintage Aircraft Display and Ice Cream Socia!.

Midwest Antique Airplane Club will also hold its monthly fly-in meeting.

For more information , call George Meade at 414/962-2428.

AUGUST 27-29 - SUSSEX, NJ Sussex Airport. Sussex Airshow . For more information call 2011875-0783.

SEPT. 4-5 PROSSER, WA - 10th Annual EAA Chapter 391 Fly-In .

Food , flying, tours, raffle and more .

Camping on the field. For more info, call Thompson Aircraft at 509/786­ 1034.

SEPT. 4 - MARION, IN - 3rd An­ nual Fly-In/Cruise In breakfast. Mar­ ion Municpal Airport. 317/674-7777.

SEPT. 10-12 - JACKSON, CA Amador County Airport. Ninth An­ nual West Coast National Swift Fly-In. For info ca1l2091223-AERO. SEPT. 8-12 - GALESBURG, IL Gale sburg Municipal Airport. 22nd National St e arman Fly-In . Contact Tom Lowe, 823 Kingston Ln. , Crystal Lake, IL 60014,815/459-6873 or Harold Canada, 370 Hawkinson, Av., Gales­ burg, IL 61401, 309/343-9850.

SEPT.U-U - SHIRLEY, NY - 30th Annual Fly-In at Brookhaven Calabro Airport. Sponsored by the Antique Airplane Club of Greater New York.

No entrant fees , trophies will be awarded.(Rain Dates: Sept. 18-19) For info call: Fred Schmukler, 516/921-5447 or Dan Makoske 516/744-8916.

SEPT. 17-19 - JACKSON, CA Amador County Airport. West Coast Cessna 120/140 Club Fly-In. For info ca1l2091223-AERO. SEPT. 17-19 - KANKAKEE, IL Koerner Airport. 9th Annual Midwest Stinson Fly-In . Seminars on Stinson 108's and Franklin engines. FAA Safety Seminars, Sat. night banquet, Fly-outs, rally and performance contests. Camp­ ing on the field. Contact: Loran Nord­ gren , 4 W. Nebraska , Frankfort , IL 60423. Phone 815/469-9100.

SEPT. 11-12 - MARION, OH ­ EAA Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-In (MERFI). 513/849-9455.

SEPT. 18-19 -Hickory, NC - 8th A n­ nual EA A Chapter 731 Fly- ln . Contact: J ea n Smith , days, 704/396-7032 or No r­ man Rainwater, evenings 704/328-5807.

SEPT. 18-19 - ROCK FALLS, IL ­ EAA North Central Fly-In. 708/513-0642 SEPT. 20 - ROCK FALLS, IL - Pa n­ ca ke Brea kfas t in Conju cti o n with th e North Central Fly-In. SEPT. 25-26 - ZANESVILLE, OH ­ John 's Landing Airfield , 2nd Annual Fall Fly-In. Antique/Classic airpl anes we l­ come. Great food and fun for all. Spon­ sored by EAA Antique/Cl assic Chapter 22. For info call: 614/453-6889.

SEPT 24-25 - HEBER CITY, UT ­ Utah State EAA Sport Aviation 8th In­ termountain Fly-In. Seminars, demon­ strations, aircraft judging, camping, food , tours and fun . Heber Valley Airport (36U) Contact Russ McDonald, 8011645­ 9543.

SEPT. 24-26 - CAMDEN, SC-52 nd reunion of Southern Aviation School, pi­ lot, Primary Flight Training 1941-1944.

For all Alumni, employees and all per­ sone!. Contact: Bill Hawkins, P.O. Box 789, Camden, SC 29020. Phone 803/432­ 9595.

SEPT. 25-26 - WILMINGTON, DE ­ EAA East Coast Regional Fly-In .

3011933-0314.

SEPT. 25-26 - PERGAMINO, AR­ GENTINA - 12th National A/C Fly-In. Sponsored by A/C Chapter 12, Argentina.

Contact: Abel Debock - CC 275.2930 San Pedro, Argentina or phone 0329 24307.

SEPT. 26 - SIMSBURY, CT - Antique Airplane Club of Connecticut 's Antique Airplane Fly-In. Aircraft to be judged must be present by Ipm, trophies will be awarded by 2 pm. Contact: Bob Martin , 87 Raymond Rd. , Windsor Locks , CT 203/623-1823.

SEPT. 30 - OCT. 3 - OWENSBORO, KY. Owensboro Davies County Airport.

Annual Convention of International Cessna 120/140 Assoc. Contact: David Lowe or Gil Pounds. 502/736-5392 or Fax 736-2403.

OCT. 1-2 - BARTLESVILLE, OK ­ 36th Annual Tulsa Fly-In. Special Air­ craft this year include the EAA replica Spirit of St. Louis, and the original Woolaroc, winner of the 1927 Dole Pineapple race. Contact: Charlie Harris, 3933 S. Peoria, Tulsa, OK 74105918/742­ 7311 OCT. 1-3 - GLENDALE, AZ - EAA Copperstate Fly-In. 602/298-3522.

OCT. 1-3 - CAMDEN, SC - Annual Fall Fly-In, sponsore d by EAA A /C Chapter 3. Trophies, vintage films , good

EAA fellow ship ; major spea ker. For info call or wr it e: R . Bo tto m Jr. , 103 Powh a tan Par k way , Ha mpton , VA 23661 ,804/873-3059.

OCT. 2 - MT. VERNON, TX ­ Northeast Texas EAA Chapter 834 Fall Fly Market. Franklin Count y Airport.

BBQ and camp out Friday night. Pan­ cake breakfast Sat. morning. hamburger lunch Sat. Door prizes and award s.

Transportation into town to the Mt. Vernon Countryfest will be available.

Call Ted Newsome 903/856-5992, Tom Willis , 903/885-5525 or the Franklin County Airport 903/537-2711.

OCT. 2-3 - SUSSEX, NJ - Quad­ Chapter EAA Fly-In, Sussex Airport.

Fly/Flea Market sponsored by EAA AlC 7, EAA Chapters 238, 73 and 891.

Forums on welding, magneto timing, Pietenpol and Heath construction , epoxy layup/vacuum bagging. For info call: Konrad Kundig, 201/361-8789 or Paul Styger (Sussex Airport) 201/702­ 9719.

OCT. 9 - TULLAHOMA, TN - Stag­ gerwing Museum airshow and open house. For info call: 615/455-1974.

OCT.9 -10 - MORIARTY, NM­ Second Annual Land of Enchantment Fly-In, sponsored by EAA Chapters of New Mexico. Workshops, forums , fly­ market. Antiques, Classics, homebuilts, warbirds, ultralights, gliders and Con­ temporary aircraft welcome . Friday evening field activities. Saturday evening awards banquet. Camping on field, many motels and buss transporta­ tion available . For more info, call George Applebay, 505/832-0755.

OCT. 16 - N. HAMPTON, NH Hampton Airfield , Barnstormers lounge. A/C Chapter 15 Annual Pump­ kin Patch pancake fly-in breakfast.

Starts at 0700 and ends when everyone is fed. For airport information, call 603/964-6749.

OCT. 15-17 - KERRVILLE, TX­ EAA Southwest Regional Fly-In. 915/658-4194.

OCT. 23 -24 - WINCHESTER, VA ­ EAA Chapter 186 Fall Fly-In at the Winchseter Regional Airport. On field camping, trophies for winning show­ planes. Pancake breakfast Sunday, rain or shine. Concessions and exhibitors.

All Welcome. Contact Al or Judy Sparks, EAA Chapter 186. 703/590­ 9112.

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

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

MYSTERY PLANE

by George Hardie

This neat biplane bears the name of a famous aviation pioneer. The photo is from the Hardie Collection. An­ swers will be published in the Novem­ ber issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Deadline for that issue is September 20,1993.

Blake Oliver, New Smyrna Beach, FL was one of the many who had the answer to the May Mystery Plane. He writes: "The Mystery Plane for May is a Budd Conestoga RB-l of which Fly­ ing Tiger Lines bought 14 to start up their operation in June 1945. Robert Prescott, who flew the 'Hump' in Cur­ tiss C-46's, secured backing from Sig­ nal Oil Co., who came up with the $401 ,000 price tag.

"The Budd Conestoga was of 'shot welded' stainless steel construction and the fuselage skins were only 0.012 in. thick. Fleetwings Corporation had 26 AUGUST 1993

the Patent for such construction which was used in the F-4 and F-5 Seabirds, and in the BT-12 trainer built for the Air Corps, but gave it up when Kaiser Steel bought out Fleetwings in 1947.

"Budd was mainly a railroad car construction company and neither one of their airplanes was very successful.

"The only good feature of the RB-l was the aft loading ramp and flat floor, much like the Lockheed Hercules. It was a real handful to fly, and most Tiger pilots hated it. The one pic­ tured may well be the one that crashed on Tiger's third day of operation as their first revenue flight originated in California carrying table grapes to Georgia."

Michael T. Jones, Miami, FL, adds this: "The aircraft was ordered by the rubber Development Corporation as a part of our wartime efforts. It was de­

signed to haul processed latex out of South American jungles . The U.S. Navy took over the project and or­ dered several hundred. After the ini­ tial aircraft did not meet performance expectations, production was termi­ nated.

"The remains of a Budd RB-1 Con­ estoga are in the possession of the Pima Air Museum, Tucson, AZ. The aircraft is expected to be fully re­ stored."

George Wright , West Midlands , England, adds more: "The prototype RB-l Conestoga, using stainless steel and fabric control surfaces, first flew on October 31, 1943 and gained CAB certification on October 27, 1944. Original contracts of 200 RB-I for the Navy and 600 C­ 93A for the Air Force were canceled with only 17 RB-l's being built."

Channing Clark, Burbank , CA,

whose sparkling Fleetwings Seabird was constructed using the same meth­ ods, also sent along information about the RB-1, as well as a postcard that shows the Budd " Pioneer" amphibi­ ous flying boat as it is today , on dis­ play outside the Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia, PA. The Pioneer, the first aircraft con­ structed by the Budd company, was also constructed of stainless steel in 1930, and was first flown in 1931.

Other answers were received from: Charley Hayes, Park Forest, IL; Steve McNicoll, De Pere, WI; Joseph c Tarafas, Bethlehem, PA; Tim Talen, ~ Springfield,OR; John McMaster, ~ Kansas City, MO; E.W. Gregory II , % ~ Springfield, VA; Wayne Van Valken­ a: . burgh, Ja s per , GA ; Jim Gorman , This Cycloplane is the 2-place Ground Trainer. It only had large ailerons instead of Mansfield, OH ; Toby Gursa nsc ky , wings.

Clontarf, NSW, Australia; Rob er t Clark, Oxnard , CA, James Hays, ancy concerning the e ngine mounted by member Ralph Olsen. There was Brownwood , TX; I.W . Stephenson , on th e nose of th e Sporting Tractor. some information that was missing Menominee , MI ; R a lph Olsen , San John Underwood wrote in to point from the captions, which we'd like to Diego, CA; and Bob Sobotka , Anti­ out that the engine is indeed the add. First, the shot of the two-place och, TX. Lawrence B , which is identical to the CycIoplane on page 24 shows the unit For a good write up on the RB-1 Pierce model B e ngine. The engine used for ground runs only - if you Conestoga, see Joe Juptner 's U.S. can be considered the forerunner of look closely at the wings in the pic­ Civil Aircraft, Volume 8, page 194. the Wright Whirlwind e ngine of a few ture above you'll see it really has no years later. Charles Lawrence, the wings at all - just ailerons! The first designer of the e n g ine , was S.S . ground run was made with this MORE ON PREVIOUS

Pierce 's chief engi neer. As an inter­ ground trainer. All subsequent MYSTERY PLANES

ground runs were made with the sin­ esting side note, John me ntioned that Pierce was from a wealthy family gle-place ground trainer shown at the In the March and May My s tery (chain grocery mark e ts) , which in­ top of page 25. Finally, with no ac­ Plane columns, we ran information dulged his interest in flying, at least tual dual in the air, and after the stu­ about the Pierce Sporting Tractor, for a time. He later pursued a career dent had "mastered " the Ground built by the S.S. Pierce Aeroplane as an educator.

Trainer, he was allowed to fly the sin­ Company of Southampton , NY . In Also in the May issue, we high­ gle-place flying Cycloplane C-1 in a the past, there has been some discrep­ lighted the CycIoplane photos sent in series of longer and longer hops. ...

Budd RB-l Conestoga

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

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

Maple Grove, MN Timothy Aanerud Gary W. Abshagen Perrinton, MI Rosemount, MN Loren E. Anderson David R. Arcand Forest Lake, MN James J. Barry Willowdale, Ont. , Canada Guy Beauchemin La Sarre, Que., Canada Robert L. Bell Daytona Beach, FL Clark Bentley Manhattan Beach, CA Timothy Bogenhagen Dubuque, IA James Boldt Inver Grove Height, MN William Bond North York, Ont., Canada Scott E . Boynton Campbell Hall, NY Hugh Brady APO, AE David Bratager Grand Forks, ND Mark Bryant Wilsonville, OR Ward Bryant Peterborough, NH Carl W. Buck Pasedena, CA Thomas J. Buscher San Diego, CA Henry B. Campbell Nashville, TN Franklin A Cirino, Jr. Sullivan, IN Tim Cislo Waikoloa, HI Philip E. Clayton Lexington, V A Ralph Cloud San Leandro, CA Dale Cole Durango, CO Dennis A. Collins Alstead, NH Stanley G. Compton Ada, OK Bob Cunningham Durham, NC Fred J. De Nuccio Huntington Beach, CA Thomas Howard Deutsch Overland Park, KS Malone, WI Joseph L. Dixon James K. Dompier Honolulu, HI Austin, NV Joseph W. Dory Winter Haven, FL William J. Doty Michael Dunn Mesa, AZ David L. Eckmire Saskatoon, Sas., Canada Marc Edelstein Evanston, IL Joel Elliott Long Beach, CA Daniel A. Ernst Maplewood, MN Keith Fleming San Antanio, TX Gary Flynt Baytown , TX Larry W. Forsyth Rio Grande, NJ Gerald Freimuth Sparta, WI Gary Frey Bartlett, TN Walter E. Fritz Indianapolis, IN Gary G. Gabbard Las Vegas, NV William H. Gallogly Powell, WY Terence G. Gandy Wichita, KS Daniel R. Germain, Sr. Haverhill, MA Howard Gill Dundee, OR Neil W. Goddard Fuquay Varina, NC Robert D. Grasse Vancouver, WA John M. Griffin Chicago, IL

Andrew S. Heins Dayton,OH Carrollton, GA Barrie Hiern , Sr. Robert Holtaway Bedminster, NJ Raymond Hopper Tulsa, OK Deer Park, W A Paul E. Hubble Ft. Worth, TX Willie Jeffrey James G. Jenkins Stoneville, NC Gary J. Johnson Beaver, PA William J. Johnson Chesapeake, V A Grant E Jordan Cobb,CA S. Milwaukee, WI Jim Kaiser James W. Kelly Oil Springs, Ont. , Canada Essexville, MI Tom H. Kennedy Brian A. Kuehn East Peoria, IL Ronald R. Lamb Sacramento, CA James Harold Layman Lauderhill, FL John B. Lee Chicago,IL Colin K. Lineberry Corpus Christi, TX William J. Linn Coventry, cr John R. Livingston South Bend, IN Rosemary J. LoGiudice New Lenox, IL Mark Thomas Lokken Oshkosh, WI Joe B. Long San Antonio, TX Leonard L Louden Brookfield, WI Edward Maloney Monrow,GA Joseph F. Mancusi Abingdon, MD Allan Mann Georgetown, KY David R. Marrs Kiowa, CO John A Martino Lenox,MA Peter W. Mastalerz Monson, MA Bruce McGlochlin Tomales, CA John McLaughlin Portland, OR Scott A. McMaster Hamilton, Ont., Canada Woodrow T. Merrill, Jr. Orlando, FL Richard A Meyerhofer Wasilla, AK David G. Morrow Crystal Lake, IL Michael D. Morten Alliston, Ont. , Canada Martin J Murray Bergen, NY Herndon, VA Ron ald B. Natalie Fredy Neely Covington, GA Ord Ercoupe Club Ord, NE Stephen J. Palinkos Norwalk, cr Harry R. Palmer Butler, MD Denham Springs, LA Greg E. Parker Gene Patrick Carey, IL Robert B. Patterson St. Croix Falls, WI Hendrik H. Pieterse Kempton Park, South Africa Jim Platt Ada, OK Mark T. Poole Jupiter, FL James M. Preiss Germantown, WI Dale Provence Prescott, AZ

Jerry Revels Lexington, SC Eric F. Robathan Redding, CA Jerald W. Roberson Baltimore, MD John A Schaefer Portsmouth, RI Steve Schutz New Kent, V A John Seeley Scott Ft. Mill , SC Edward Shenk Garrett, IN John Sich Vicksburg, MI J . Slingers Brussels, Belgium Randall W. Snodgrass Sumner, W A John E. Southworth El Cajon, CA Michael E. Stachelek Detroit, MI Malcolm Stanton Orangeville, Ont., Canada Allan Starke Helena, MT Ronald J. Steber Hazleton , PA Dale M. Stevens Jackson, MI Jim Stevens Iowa Park, TX Tomsville, NC Dale E. Still Bob Stoney Bethesda, MD Kenosha, WI Charles Styles Thomas M. Taylor Ft. Worth, TX Tecumseh Aircraft Deerfield, MI David Thayer Newark,OH Donald F. Tolmie Newport Beach, CA William P. Tredo Norton, MA Zain P. Turpin Roanoke, VA Claude R. Vaughn, Jr. Maumelle, AR Donald Wade Newcastle, ME David D. Walker Danville, WV James G. Ward SanTee, CA Richard Warren Kingman, AZ Larry D. Webb Camarillo, CA Kenneth L. Weik Libertyville, IL T. Timothy Weitzel Columbus, IN James W. White Laurens, SC Mark R. Whitfield High River, Alberta, Canada Leslie F. Whittlesey Newport Beach, CA Kurt M. Wien Federal Way, WA Dale Wilkens Independence, KS Larry Y. Winn Webster, MN Glen W. Winterscheidt San Diego, CA Sandra G. Zane Naperville, IL James M. Zeier Olahoma City, OK

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Payment must accompany ad. VISA/MasterCard accepted.

AIRCRAFT: 1923 Stearman NS-1- Model 73, SN9688, fuselage, landing gear, complete blueprints.

Glenn, 817/389-2196 after 8 p.m. (8-3) 1946 BC-21 D Taylorcraft - 1,279 TT AF, 32 SMOH, Chrome cylinders, 3 fuel tanks, Scott tailwheel, new paint, rebuilt by I.A. Complete records. $12,000. 303/675·3269 303/675-5347. (8-1) ,

MISCELLANEOUS: CURTISS JN4-D MEMORABILIA - You can now own memorabilia from the famous ·~enny", ~s se~n o~ "TREASURES FROM THE PAST". We have posters, postcards, Videos, pinS, airmail cachets, etc. We also have R/C documentation exclusive to this hi~toric aircraft. .S~le of th?se items support operating expense to keep thi s "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) Fly-About Adventures and the Ercoupe - Full color, 130 pages, $17.95. Fly·About, P.O. Box 51144, Denton, TX 76206. (ufn) SUPER CUB PA-18 FUSELAGES - New manufacture, STC-PMA-d, 4130 chrome·moly tubing throughout, also complete fuselage repair. ROCKY MOUNTAIN AIRFRAME INC. (J.

E Soares, Pres.), 7093 Dry Creek Rd., Belgrade, Montana. 406·388·6069. FAX 406/388· 0170. Repair station No. QK5R148N. GEE BEE, etc. - Scale model plans (used for Benjamin's R·2). Catalog $3.25. Vern Clements, 308 Palo Alto, Caldwell, ID 83605. (c-8/93» Anti~ue and CI~ssic wheel pants - Will custom build in fiberglass from original draWings, bluepnnts or photographs. Harbor Ultralights Products Co., 1326 Batey Place, Harbor City, CA 90710, 310/326-5609, FAX 310/530·2124. (c·10/93)

WIN~SHIELDS - WINDOWS - CANOPIES - for all unpressurized, certified, custom or expenmental aircraft. Unmatched 1/2 price replacement warranty covers damage during installation and service for 6 months after purchase. AIRPLANE PLASTICS CO., 8300k EAA membership and EAA EXPERI­ DAYTON ROAD, FAIRBORN, OH 45324.513/864·5607. (C·1/94) MENTER magazine is available for $28.00 per year (Sport Aviation not Antique Aero Engines - formerly OX-5 parts and service. Subscriptions $18.00 included). Current EAA members may per year, ads free to subscribers . P.O. Box 134, Troy, OH 45373 . (6·8/93) receive EM EXPERIMENTER for $18.00 peryear.

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GAS WELD ALUMINUM - Just like the old timers. We guarantee excellence. Tools.

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916/292-3506. (7-3) " ,

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Sensenich Propeller - assy. mode. 74DMG·0·60, zero time since overhaul. Certified, best offer cover $950.00. Contact Lou at FAX 305/227-1530. (7-1) 1/16 and 3/32 Endess cables made. $80.00 and $90.00 ppd. Specify length. George Grubich, 443 Culver Ave., Box 36, Buhl, MN 55713, 218/258·3313. (9·2) Enn-Bee Safety Belt Buckles- Exact copy of "Commercial Grade" 5·inch clasp. Nickel plated. $150.00 per set. Riter Restorations, 716/385·4151. (8·1)

ENGINES: For sale - K-5 Kinner engine in good shape. 715/743-3969. (8·1)

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