VA-Vol-22-No-1-Jan-1994

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EDITORIAL STAFF Publisher Tom Poberezny

Vice-President,

Marketing and Communications

Dick Matt

Vol. 22, No.1

January 1994

Editor-in-Chief

Jack Cox

Editor

Henry G. Frautschy

CONTENTS

Managing Editor

Golda Cox

1 Straight & Level/

Art Director

Espie "Butch" Joyce

Mike Drucks

Computer Graphic Specialists

Olivia L Phillip

2 AC News/

Sara Hansen

Compiled by H.G. Frautschy

Jennifer Larsen

Advertising

4 Type Club Notes 6 More EAA Oshkosh '93/

Mary Jones

Associate Editor

Norm Petersen

H.G. Frautschy

Feature Writers

10 What Our Members are Restoring/

Page 6

Norm Petersen

George Hardie, Jr. Jim Koepnick Carl Schuppel

13 Turquoise TwinThe Bastian's Cessna 310/ H. G. Frautschy

Mike Steineke

Danna Bushman

Editorial Assistant

Isabelle Wiske

EAA ANTIQUE/ CLASSIC DIVISION, INC.

OFFICERS

18 Jerry Ross's PA-24 Comanche/ Norm Petersen

21 Lead Fouling Prevention/ Bill Claxton

22 From the Archives/Dennis Parks 24 AlC Odds 'n Ends/

Dennis Parks

Staff Photographers

Page 18

H. G. Frautschy

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

Vice-President Arthur Morgan 3744 North 51st Slvd, Milwaukee, WI 53216 414/442-3631

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

Treasurer E.E. 'Suck' Hilbert P.O. Sox 424 Union, IL 60180 815/923-4591

DIRECTORS

26 Welcome New Members 27 Pass it to Buck/ E.E. "Buck" Hilbert

28 Mystery Plane/George Hardie 29 AlC Calendar 30 Vintage Trader

Page 22

FRONT COVER. . The colors of the airplanes and cars reflected the optimism of the 1950's, and Art Bastian's 1956 Cessna 310 certainly is a bright turquoise example, The twin was judged the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary at EM OSHKOSH '93. EM photo by Carl Schuppel. Shot with a Canon EOS-l equipped with an 80-2oomm lens. 1/250 sec. at f8 on Kodak Kodachrome 64. Cessna 210 photo plane piloted by Bruce Moore, BACK COVER ...Jerry Ross' 1959 Piper PA-24- 180 Comanche was judged the "best of the best" in the Contemporary category during this year's EAA Convention. EAA photo by Carl Schuppel. Shot with a Canon EOS-l equipped with an 80-200mm lens, 1/250 sec , at f8 on Kodak Kodachrome 64 . Cessna 210 photo plane piloted by Bruce Moore.

Copyright © 1994 by the EAA Antique/Classic Division Inc. All rights reserved.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The words EAA, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM, SPORT AVIATION and the logos of EAA, EAA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB, WARBIRDS OF AMERICA are ® registered trademarks. THE EAA SKY SHOPPE and logos 01 the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION and EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above association is strictly prohibited.

John Berendt 7645 Echo Point Rd, Connon Foils, MN 55009 507/263-2414 Gene Chase 2159 Carlton Rd. Oshkosh, WI 54904 414/231-5002 Phil Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawton, MI 49065 616/624-6490 Charles Harris 7215 East 46th St. Tulsa, OK 74145 918/622-8400 Dale A. Gustafson 7724 Shady Hill Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46278 317/293-4430 Robert liCkteig 1708 Say Oaks r.

Albert Lea, MN 56007 507/373-2922 Gene Marris 115C Steve Court, R,R. 2 Roanoke, TX 76262 817/491-9110

Robert C. ' Bob' Brauer

9345 S. Hoyne

Chica~o, IL 60620

312 79-2105

John S. Copeland 28-3 Williamsbur8 Ct, Shrewsbury, MA 1545 EIJ8/842-7867 George Daubner 2448 Lough Lane Hartford, WI 53027 414/673-5885 Stan Gomoll 1042 90th Lane, NE Minneapolis, MN 55434 612/784-1172 Jeannie Hill

P.O. Sox 328

Harvard, IL 60033

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

181 Sloboda Av.

Mansfield, OH 44906

419/529-4378

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

DIRECTOR EMERITUS S.J. Willman

7200 S.E. 85th Lane

Ocala, FL 32672

904/245-7768

ADVISORS Joe Dickey 55 Oakey Av. Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 812/537-9354

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

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

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

STRAIGHT & LEVEL

by Espie "Butch" Joyce

As we start out our new year of 1994, it causes me to reflect back and look at some of the past highlights of the EAA Antique/Classic Division. By the mid­ dle of this past year, we started issuing a newly designed membership card that many of you have already received. I hope that those who received this card are pleased with the new design. You may have noticed an addition to the front of the card: "Member Since."

Those of you who have been EAA members before joining the Division in the first year or two of the Division's existence may be surprised to see a 1973 date on your card. Antique/Classic numbers were first issued starting in January of 1973. The "Member Since" on your A/C card refers only to your division affiliation, not how long you've been an EAA member. That's listed on your new EAA card. I hope this may help with any confusion on anyone's part.

Your Division early on had growing pains as the group tried to fmd its niche within the EAA organization. It was through the strong leadership of a num­ ber of people, a few of whom I'll men­ tion: Kelly Viets, Al Kelch, Morton Lester, Brad Thomas, Buck Hilbert, Art Morgan, George York and Paul Poberezny. They got us pointed in the right direction. Membership at first was small and VINTAGE AIRPLANE was a much smaller publication (16 black and white pages!). The Division management (Officers and Directors) were consumed in running the Anti­ que/Classic area of the Oshkosh Con-

vention. The Division today still manages this area of the Oshkosh Con­ vention grounds, but this is only part of what your Officers and Directors do now.

The Antique/Classic Division of the EAA is today recognized as the national and international leader of the Antique, Classic and Contemporary aircraft. Our membership stands at almost 9,000 members. We have 18 Antique/Classic Chapters nationally and internationally.

Nearly 10% of our membership is of people outside of the United States. I'd like to extend an invitation to our inter­ national members to write in and list the types of things they would like to see in Vintage Airplane, and we'll see if we can accommodate their requests. On the international front, we will soon have a full color article on the restoration of the oldest floatplane remaining in Italy, the Caproni CA 100 restored by Gerolamo Gavazi. It's quite a story!

Our magazine VINTAGE AIR­ PLANE continues to improve as the years have gone by, thanks to the efforts of the editorial staff at EAA Head­ quarters, but it has and will continue to be the submissions and suggestions of the membership that will push the magazine to even greater accomplish­ ments.

We still need your input to make this magazine serve the members: Our retention rate of members is ap­ proximately 87 percent, a high number that we are proud to have earned.

We have developed a good relation­ ship with a number of type clubs, another facet to the movement to keep these older airplanes flying and in good repair. Support the type clubs for the airplane in which you are interested ­ they're often the best people to talk to regarding a question on maintaining your airplane.

The jUdging system established

through the Division is becoming the recognized standard throughout the movement, allowing those who have expended a great deal of effort to be recognized for their restorations.

We have established the Anti­ que/Classic Hall of Fame to recognize noteworthy people within the Anti­ que/Classic movement. The Anti­ que/Classic Division also worked to establish an aircraft insurance program tailored to our kind of aircraft and flying. Your Division felt that it was time to recognize those aircraft manufactured between 1956 and 1960, a new category to be called Contem­ porary class. This class is now being judged and I promise you that because of this, you'll see some great rebuilds.

Many of the airplanes in this category are great candidates for restorations, and will be practical airplanes to boot.

You'll be able to have your cake and eat it too!

Your Division has a very good relationship with EAA Headquarters and together we will be able in the future to do more for the membership. The Division is from time to time able to help with the restoration of one of the Museum's aircraft and to participate with the operation of Pioneer Airport.

I personally am proud of your Division and am honored to be able to serve the membership. Anytime a mem­ ber has a suggestion that will benefit us, please pass it on to me. I requested a couple months ago that suggestions be sent in for a Contemporary Class patch; I have only received two logos so far - I would like to have some more, folks.

Hope each of you had a relaxed Holiday and that you have a very posi­ ti ve New Year. Let's all pull in the same direction for the good of aviation.

Remember, we are better together. Join ..... us and have it all!

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1

compiled by H.G. Frautschy

EAA PETITION ON RECREATION­ AL MEDICAL TO BE PUBLISHED Just before this month's magazines were going to press, EAA was informed

by FAA Headquarters in Washington , D.C. that the EAA petition filed Septem­ ber 24, 1993 expanding recreational med­ ical privileges would be published for comment in the FEDERAL REGISTER during the week between Christmas and New Years. In early November, FAA Administrator David Hinson had com­ mitted to publication of this petition by year's end.

Many EAA members have called Headquarters seeking further information on the status of the petition, which would permit self-certification similar to that currently required of pilots of hot air bal­ loons, sailplanes and motor gliders. These pilots can "self certify" their physiological condition in lieu of a FAA third class medical certificate. It is anticipated that the petition will have a 60 or 90 day open comment period.

EAA forwarded this petition as a method to encourage more people to fly or continue flying by reducing the cost and hassle factor of unneeded govern­ ment certification. Unfortunately, we were not able to obtain the Docket num­ ber or address for comments prior to our press deadlines; next month 's magazines will include complete details on the ad­ dress and deadline for filing your com­ ments on this proposal.

LEAD-FREE AVGAS From Harry Zeisloft, EAA Director, we have word of new specifications for both low and high octane no-lead aviation

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gaso line. Applying these to the present fleet may require STC's for a ll present aircraft, with the probable exceptio n of those currently operating under a n EAA (or other) auto gas STC. Reports on current activities show that all companies involved in the production of ge nera l aviatio n piston engi ne gasoline are increasing efforts to speed up the de­ velopment of a lead-free aviation gaso­ line.

EAA's flight tests on unleaded auto gas with 17% MTB E have shown good performance and supports the use of ether additives as octane enhancers in new avia­ tion gasolines. Our materials compatibil ­ ity laboratory testing (at the Florida Insti­ tute of Technology) will provide design data for materials used with ether-type componen ts which are expected to be a factor in new unleaded avgas.

Support of lead-free gasoli ne opera­ tion in present aircraft also comes from Sweden, where unleaded 91 Grade avgas has been used since 1981; and recently with the approval of the use of unleaded auto gas in Saudi Arabia.

Contrasting with this positive experi­ ence in both Sweden and here in the States, a domestic cylinder rebuilder ad­ vised during recent meetings that they would withhold warranty coverage for en­ gines operated on unleaded Grade 80 av­ gas (not currently available in the U.S.) or unleaded auto gas.

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association anticipates that the new spec­ ifications will provide stability in the fuel market so that buyers of newly certifi­ cated aircraft will have the assurance of a continued supply of a satisfactory gaso­ line.

As stated before, present aircraft in

the U.S. fleet will need FAA approval for the use of these new unleaded aviation gasolines - un less you are one of the for­ tunates who already have an STC for D­ 4814 gasoline. The really good news is that aviation gas will have the potential for no longer being a minuscule "spe­ cialty" product of the oil indust ry as it is today. And, being a lead-free, we antici­ pate relief from the specter of a quantum leap in aviation gasoli ne prices when the EPA phases o ut lead in all gasoline, which would force a comp lete ly independent, costly, dedicated distribution system for lOOLL avgas.

AIRCRAFT SPRUCE

AVIONICS SALE

Aircraft Spruce & Specialty Co. has expanded into the sales and service of avionics, and to celebrate, they' re having a Grand Opening sale, January 22 and 23, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day. Late word has it they will be selling a wide range of aviation products in addition to avionics, so if you are going to be in the vicinity of Fullerton airport, you may wish to stop in and check it out. We're sorry about the short notice, but we just found out about it a coup le of days ago. Air­ craft Spruce Avionics is located on the north side of Fullerton Airport, and both drive-in or fly-in customers are welcome.

For more information, call 1-800/824-1930 or 714/994-2221.

ALEXANDER AEROPLANE

WORKSHOPS

Alexander Aeroplane, the aircraft restoration supply house, has announced the dates for their Aeroplane Builder's Workshops. Courses to be offered are Fabric Covering, Basic Welding Tech­ niques and Composite Basics. Each indi­ vidual course takes place over two days , and costs $150 , with a $25 discount for spouses or individuals who wish to repeat an Alexander course they have taken be­ fore. Different courses will be offered at different locations , so be sure and call Alexander Aeroplane at 1-800-831-2949 (Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.

(EST) , or Saturday, 9 a.m.-l p.m.) for course information . The Winter/Spring schedule is: January 15-16 and February 26-27 , Lakeland , FL, Sun ' n Fun Head­ quarters , March 19-20, Denton , TX, Air Denton (FBO) , April 30-May 1, Griffin , GA, Alexander Hangar. Courses will be offered throughout the year, so if you

do n't see a date yo u can work wit h , be sure and call A lexander to see if a course will be scheduled at a time and place more convenient for you.

WACO INFO NEEDED Andy Ha nnul a sent us a copy of an original invoice from the Waco Aircraft Co ., with a list of parts that wou ld lead yo u to believe someone had damaged a few parts of a Waco YKS-7 in some sort of accident. Included on the list were a new lower right wing ($247) and a ileron ($46.75), a new wood Hartzell prop ($107), and a new landing gear. Also included were various pieces of hardware, and a

Cole and Rita Palen pause during a visit to the EAA Museum in Hales Corners, WI in

1978.

ga llo n of G unmetal grey do pe ($4). T his pa rticular YKS-7, SIN. 4551, NC17452, is be in g researc hed by A ndy for a frie nd who use d to own t h e a irp lane, Go r dy Ne wstrom of Gra nd R ap ids, M I. If yo u have any info rm ation abo ut this airplane co n tact A n dy at P. O . Box 303, Grand Rapids, MI 55744.

TYPE CLUB CHANGES AND

ADDITIONS

Here's anot h er cl u b for o u r annua l Type Club List: Lake Amphibian Flyers Club Bill Goddard, Editor 815 N. Lake Reedy Blvd. were a testament that his dream was a shared one, and that many enjoyed reliv­ ing the early days of aviation.

Cole was a voracious collector of early aviation artifacts, and had amassed a siz­ able collection, a large portion of which was on display at the Aerodrome. Earlier this year, he began work to establish an organization known as the Old Rhinebeck Museum Foundation to take care of the Aerodrome and the new museum building recently added to the collection of sheds and hangars already on the airport.

Our condolences are extended to his wife Rita, his worldwide circle of friends , and the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome fam­ ily of friends and volunteers.

Cole Palen

1925-1993 A name familiar to almost every old airplane enthusiast , Cole Palen of Rhinebeck, NY, passed away December 8, in Del Ray Beach, FL. He had suffered a stroke this past April, but according to Brian Coughlin, one of the pilots at the aerodrome, he had fully recovered from it. We understand Cole was looking for­ ward to next year's flying season at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome.

Cole's efforts to preserve and fly an­ tique aircraft, particularly those of the Pi­ oneer and WW I era were largely unher­ alded when he first began collecting old airplanes after WW II. "What do you want that old junk for?" was often the re­ sponse when he asked if some part was available. He had the foresight to know that the " old junk" was priceless and his­ torical. Thanks to his perseverance, the generations that have flocked to the Aero­ drome he built with his own hands out of a rocky farm in the Hudson river valley have been able to still hear, fee l and smell the early days of aviation. Some came to recall " the olden days," and others to ex­ perience for the first time the fl ight of an airplane powered by a rotary engine, but the crowds of both customers and vol un­ teers who headed towards the Aerodrome each spring and summer, year after year,

August Wegner III

1941-1993 Antique/Classic aviation here in the Midwest suffered a great loss when we learned of the untimely passing of Augie Wegner (EAA 8567, A/C 17581) of Franklin, WI. He passed away November 23, 1993 while rehearsing with his music students at the University of Wisconsin , Parkside .

Augie was an avid enthusiast of Aeronca and Stinson aircraft, having re­ stored examples of both. While in the process of restoring his 11 AC Chief, he and his wife Pat started the Aeronca Club as a means of getting" Aeronca-nuts " to­

Frostproof, FL 33843-9659 813/635-3381 Newsletter: Bi-Monthly Dues: $40 per year, ($70 first year, includes 300 page book) Add $10 for overseas mail U nder the heading for the Society of A ir R aci ng H is t orians, we need to u p ­ date the person t o contact. T he gentle­ man ha nd ling that respo nsibi li ty for the society is: Herman Schaub, SeclTreas

Society of Air Raci ng Historians

168 Marian Lane

Berea, OH 44017

216/234-2301

gether so they could share information.

Later , he merged his club into the Na­ tional Aeronca Club. At his passing, Augie was working on the restoration of one of the few remaining pre-war Aeronca Chiefs equipped with sticks instead of a pair of control wheels. His gorgeous Stin­ son 108, restored over 10 years ago now, is still looking as though it has just been rolled out for its first flight.

While well known in Stinson and Aeronca circles , Augie's "other life" out­ side of aviation was not as well known, al­ though it certainly could have been. An accomplished musician , he was a music professor at UW-Parkside, where he taught music theory and composition.

Music was a big portion of his life, and he was quite adept at its many facets. His im­ pact on his pupils was quite evident in the words and music offered by them at a memorial service held at the university'S performing arts center. Obviously, he was a man they would remember for the rest of their lives. Our condolences to his wife Pat, their children , and his many friends and acquaintances throughout the coun­ try.

The family has asked that any dona­ tions be sent to UW-Parkside to establish a scholarship in Augie's name. The ad­ dress is: UW-Parkside, ATIN: Jim Mc Keever­ Music Dept.,900 Wood Rd , Box 2000 , ....

Kenosha, WI 53141

One of sport aviation's nicest citizens, August Wegner III and his restored Stinson 108.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

Notes

by Norm Petersen

From Doug Combs we have this Lus­ combe Foundation update from his mailing dated November 1993: As this issue (Luscombe Foundation Update) was going to press, the FAA called and said that an east coast FAA office had inquired as to Luscombe ser­ vice difficulties related to intergranular corrosion in the wing spars. As the Lus­ combe TC holders, the Don Luscombe Aviation History Foundation (DLAHF) is required by FAA to respond and take some action on the problem as they per­ ceive it. We acknowledged that there were a few (less than 20) known difficul­ ties of this nature, and that we had plans for a future service/bulletin to investi­ gate this further. We pointed out that both Jack Norris and Gar Williams had been working on the problem/history/so­ lution. The FAA asked (that) we move forward quickly, so we are now very busy investigating the issue. User input is needed IN WRITING . DLAHF be­ lieves that this corrosion difficulty has been limited to post war , metal wings , rear spars only. Please help us confirm or deny this service history.

If you are an A & P, or an owner that has had some experience with this corro­ sion, please drop us a line. If at all pos­ sible, please include the A/C registra­ tion, A/C serial number, wing type and wing serial number (located on the top of the butt spar at wing root). DLAHF is developing an approved inspection kit which should be installed in metal wings to provide inspection access to look for corrosion (Luscombe Service Recom­ mendation #2, Dec. 1993). Luscombe owner co-operation is greatly appreci­ ated and encouraged. You can send your information to DLAHF, P.O. Box 63581, Phoenix, AZ 85082-3581

From the Waco Pilot­ edited by Ray Brandly Curtiss-Reed propellers: The most popular propeller ever used by the Waco Aircraft Company was the Curtiss-Reed fixed-pitch propeller. Tests have proven this propeller to be superior in engine cooling, smooth ness of operation and in obtaining desired performance. Curtiss­ 4 JANUARY 1994

Reed propellers were extensively used on the following Wacos; YOC AVN-8 YKS-6 ZGC-8 ZKS-6 ZGC-7 ZPF-6 ZKS-7 ZQC-6 VKS-7 ZVN-8 UPF-7

99" X 81" pitch 99" X 84" pitch 99" X 78" pitch 99" X 84" pitch 99" X 81" pitch 99" X 84" pitch 99" X 73" pitch 99" X 84" pitch 99" X 84" pitch 99" X 73" pitch 102" X 78" pitch 96" X 71" pitch

Vibration tests made jointly by Waco Aircraft and the Curtiss Propeller Divi­ sion of Curtiss-Wright have determined an ideal setting for the #55501 metal pro­ peller on your Waco to give the smoothest operation.

This setting is 45 degrees ahead of the marked spline on the crankshaft. You will find in one of the channels between two splines at the outboard end of the splined area an "0 " stamped in the spline depression. Propeller should be placed on the crankshaft so that its open spline stands at the 45 degree angle ahead of the "0" in the direction of rota­ tion.

From the International 180/185 Club, Inc. - "Buz" Landry, Pres.

Vacuum Systems Can Be Vexing Problems - FYI from the FAA:

Airplane instrument systems are the heart of an aircraft, monitoring the air­ craft and alerting the pilot to danger signs. Instrument systems which fail can be life-threatening and even fatal.

The following is a n article reprinted from FAA's General Aviation Airwor­ thiness ALERTS No. 121 (August 1988) which could be of importance to you.

Numerous articles have been written regarding instrument failures.

After receiving an in-depth letter

from a repair station in Ohio, we felt ob­ ligated to print another opinion on vac­ uum system failures. This manager of an instrument (shop) with almost 30 years experience working on aircraft instru­ ments, has some worthwhile suggestions and theories regarding vacuum system failures.

In a previous Airworthiness Alert, a submitter suggested installing an in-line filter to the vacuum system as a possible corrective action.

This submitter states that is (only) a quick fix and that past experience shows you can put an adverse effect on the pump itself by doing this. According to engineers, any extra restriction put into the system could cut down on the life of the pump and flow efficiency. The the­ ory is any restriction at a "Line in Line" filter or standard AN hardware can cause flow restrictions and cut down pump life.

They recommend that only specially designed free now fittings be used in the entire system. The main problem, in his opinion, is poor pump design and im­ proper installation.

In his personal opinion and from al­ most 30 years in the instrument and air­ craft business , the problems are as fol­ lows: a. To address consumers ' complaints of oil on the belly of the aircraft they ny, the manufacturer designed a dry vacuum pump; the submitter thinks it was not properly designed and efficiency was marginal with respect to now capabilities that were needed to run the systems. To aid the flow problem , the submitter says they designed a new type fitting to cut down on restriction and help air nowing through the system. b. The aircraft manufacturers, seeing we now had no oil blow on board from the dry pumps, quit installing the over­ board vent line. They felt there was no need to have one because no oil was coming from the pump. c. Due to the fact that the vacuum pump is not vented over board and is vented into the engine compartment, we have generated two problems. Due to ram air pressure in flight , we have a slight pressurization in the engi ne com­ partment, causing back pressure on the pump and cutting down on its life , ac­ cording to engineers. When the pumps

vanes fail , we now have a dir ec t line from the pump ve nt to the instrume nts with no restriction. The ram a ir blows all particles from the vanes into the in­ struments causing carbon contamination and shortening gyro life. d. The instrument manufacture rs left the vacuum outlet open and unrestricted to the system (no filter), beca use with the wet pump, all contaminants we re ve nted over board. The first and imme­ diate solution is to install a tube from the vent tube using a section of hose (Aero­ quip #3 06 or e quival e nt) , two ho se cl amps and a piece of aluminum tubing with an Adel cl a mp holdin g it rigid.

With the end cut at an angle, creating a slight vacuum with the air flow from ram air (see dr aw ing), this will relieve th e back pressure on the pump and increase pump life. It will get rid of the carbon particles if th e pump blows , saving the instruments from har m. It will a lso aid in helping the pump's efficiency.

From the International Aeronca

Association - by Buzz Wagner

In the last coup le years , there have been severa l accidents , usually fa t al, where an ai rpl ane was worked on, or as­ semb led after repair with the ailero ns hooked up backwards. On takeoff, the pilot evidentiall y was not quick eno ugh to realize what was happe ning and as a wing dropped , kept feeding in the wrong ai leron and crashed. Apparently the in­ structors have quit teaching pilots to check the controls before takeoff. I even know of a couple L-3 's that were asse m­ bled usin g TA wings and 'w hat do yo u know ', the ai lerons work backwards on tha t switch. There have been ot hers ­ some Cessnas and some business planes.

Now comes one to top them all. The ' Mainliner' reports that in Alberta an im­ ported DHC-3 was removed from crates,

asse mbled by licensed mechanics and test flown by the owner, an ex perienced pilot, who was killed along with his mechanic.

Another mechanic survived. It turn e d out the aileron and ba lance cables we re crossed when hook ed up and would you be lieve - left aileron resulted in BOTH ailerons going down - and right a il e ron made the m both go up! This guy didn ' t have a ch a nce . With ones hook e d up backwards, he mi ght have been quick and sharp e nough to reverse their train­ ing and get it back on the ground.

I'm not saying I won't 'screw up' some day, but I was taught to check and dou­ ble check, and never be liev e anyone .

After run-up and b efore takeoff, my standa rd practice (even if no one has touch ed o r worked o n the plane an d I have just flown it an hour ago) is to check the controls for free movement and cor­ rect movement.

TR Y THIS BEFORE TAKEOFF- ­ Look Le ft-Mov e stick OR roll whee l left- that ai leron WILL BE UP. Look right-Move stick OR roll wheel to right-that aile ron will be up.

Look Back-Move stick or wheel back­ -Elevator will be up.

Look Back-Push left rudder-Rudder will be to left Look Back-Push ri ght rudder- Rudder will be to right.

(Pre tty simple - but it might save yo ur life!)

From the Fairchild Flyer ­ edited by John Berendt Jim Martin of South Bend, IN , adds a Technical Topic e ntitl e d " The St rap With a T hou sand Uses ." It 's a multi­ purpose product ca lle d " Wraplock ", (a product we' ve used to hold the wood to the top of the PT fuselage.) Wrap lock will tie a nything that can be tied with a

clamp, it will make any size clamp and it will conform to any shape. Wraplock , " the tie th at binds," is made of stainless or galvanized steel and co mes in 100' packages of varied width s. A ratch e t wrench for installation and 100 steel buckles are included in the package with th e instructions. Contact th e company directly for pric es and d e livery: The Hanler Corporation , 37 North Bond Street, Mount Vernon , NY 10550 - (914­ 688-6091).

American Navion Society ­ Hugh Smith, Editor

Navion Maintenance Tips:

Factors That Contribute to

Spark Plug Fouling

Labo ratory tests conducted by a ma­ jor oil compa ny have revealed that the following six operating variab le s con­ tributed to spark plug fouling in aircraft e ngines using today's aviation fuels:

1. Excessively rich mixture at idle speed.

2. Extremely lean mixture at cruise.

3. Abnormally low cylinder tempera­ tures.

4. Large spark plug gap.

5. Abnormally low carburetor air temperature.

6. Excessive oil pumping.

It has been found that a irplanes en­ gaged in types of operation requiring frequent landings and takeoffs are more susceptible to spark plug fouling. T his is probably due to the increase in engi ne idle time usually connected with thi s type of operation.

From the Bellanca/Champion

Newsletter

First Solo - Uses Triple Tail Attach to vent tube

\ or equivalent

Aluminum Tube ­ Attach to engine:-----..... mount or airframe I.A.W. AlC 43.13-2

Hose Clamps (2 ea.)

J an and Ka y Gerstner (Cruisemaster Editor) are proud to announce that their son, Mich ae l, did on hi s 16th birthd ay, May 29, 1993, pe rform his first solo in a Bellanca 14-19 Cruisemaster , N6553N (#2005), a t Hart ford, WI (HXF) .

Michael has been flying this plane since he was 3 years old. He was instructed by hi s father , me, anytime [ co uld get the controls away from him .

Near perfect weather graced the event, which was witnessed by his broth­ ers, his perfectly calm parents, his beam­ ing grandpare nts and an assort me nt of kibitizing resident airport bums. The lat­ ter publicly scored each landing.

The Gerstner 's will be pleased t o show the vid eo of the event, over and over and over again. ..

E

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1J C

OJ

...J {)

~ ~~--~~----------~~

EAA OSHKOSH '93

by H.G. Frautschy

You're likely to see somebody carrying just about anything at EAA OSHKOSH! 6 JANUARY 1994

(Above) This pretty 1941 Culver Cadet was flown in by Ted Giltner (A/C365) of Tamaqua, PA. (Right) Our own Norm Petersen spent a few moments with the An足 tique/Classic portable speaker system to interview Roger Fiennes about his deHaviliand Fox Moth. Roger' s wonderful sense of humor proved to be a big hit among the crowd who gathered to learn more about the antique British aeroplane.

(Above) Things are always hopping in the Antique/Clas足 sic Type Club tent. Be sure to put it high on your " must do" list when you come to the Convention.

(Left) If you haven't gone to the Antique/Classic picnic before because you weren 't sure you 'd know anyone, look at this crowd. If you still couldn't find anyone you knew, make some new friends!

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

- - -.

~-

Bill Rose's beautiful Ryan STA is captured by Eric Lundahl as it accelerates for takeoff to par足 ticipate in the Antique/Classic parade of flight.

(Right) The Antique judges find t ime from their busy schedules to pose for a group photo. They are (back row - I to r) Phil Coulson, Bill Johnson, Gene Morris , Dave Morrow, Dave Clark , M i ke Shaver, Bob Kitslaar, Mike Kitslaar, Dale Gustafson, (front row - r to I) Dave Anderson, Don Coleman, Faye Gustafson, Steve Dawson, Pete Covington, Ace Cannon, Bob Wilson and Gene Chase.

(Left) A good looking 1946 Fairchild 24 powered by a Ranger engine has a familiar feline as its flying mascot. It's owned by Marshall and Kathy Fried足 man (AiC 4806), Denver, CO.

If you stop by this booth near the Red Barn (left) and volunteer whatever time you can spare during the Convention, you'll be able to stop by . . . and enjoy a sandwich with a drink from the fine ladies in the Antique/Classic Volunteer center (above).

Where is this spot we keep AlC volunteers fed and watered?

You'll have to volunteer first to find out!

8 JANUARY 1994

"Bonanzas To Oshkosh" the sign proclaims, and there were many parked on Wittman Field, includ足 ing Gary Whittaker's (AiC 17605) 1947 model 35 Bo足 nanza.

(Right) Short wing Pipers have been coming out of the woodwork (or should we say steel tubing?) lately. John Monnett, (AiC 18563) of Oshkosh, WI who many will recall as the designer of the fine series of Sonerai amateur built airplanes, has been busy restoring airplanes as of late.

This Piper PA-15 restored by John was completed just be足 fore Oshkosh. Sharp eyed readers will spot the PA-17 style landing gear with shock absorbers on this PA-15.

(Below) Its hard to beat the Grumman G-44 Widgeon for good looks in the amphibian ranks. This nice looking ex足 ample belongs to Charles Greenhill, Mettawa, IL.

When the sun drops below the horizon, and campers start heading off to their tents in Showplane camping, its hard to fine a more serene location, where all is right with the world. Tom Harvey of Lockport, NY was lucky to have the end spot of one of the rows for his 1946 Aeronca 11 AC Chief.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

WHAT OUK MEMBERS ARE RESTORING

-------------------------------------------------------byNorrnPetersen

Bob Lickteig's J-3 Cub Former Antique/Classic prexy Robert (Dobby) Lickteig (EAA 71468, A/C 2433) of Albert Lea, MN has contributed pho­ tos of his latest project , a 1946 Piper J-3 Cub , N6711H, SIN 19925 , which was re­ stored with a Continental C-85-12, com­ plete with electric starter! A wind driven alternator, located on the landing gear ca­ bane, provides power for the battery which is mounted below the baggage com­ partment. The wheels and brakes are

Brian Hodgdon's Piper PA-1S-90 These photos of Piper PA-18 Super Cub , N8594D , SIN 18-6258, were sent in by owner Brian Hodgdon (EAA 435230) of Centreville, VA. Brian reports the Su­ per Cub is named "S hatzi II ," which fol­ lows "Shatzi ," his 1947 PA-ll Cub Spe­ cial , which is now on the bottom of the Caribbean off the coast of Belize, after an engine failure in June 1990 . He pur­ chased the PA-J8, which had been rebuilt 10 JANUARY 1994

in August of 1978, and has been fly in g it ever since. It has 660 SMOH on the Con­ tinental C-90-12F and 3470 IT on the air­ frame . With all electrical instruments, ra­ dio , transponder, lora n and stereo cassette, it is indeed well equipped. Brian expects the airplane to go up for sale be­ fore too long, so if interested, write him at 6321 Old Ce ntrevi ll e R oad, Centrevi lle, VA 22020.

Cleveland with 7:00 X 6 tires installed .

The fuel system is an 18-gallon left wing tank with a small header tank, making it a "front seat solo" Cub. The on ly demerits we can ascribe to this otherwise beautiful restoration is the white and blue trim paint scheme vs. the politically correct yellow and black trim. "Dobby" main­ tains he had a batch of white paint left over from the last project " he had to use up!"

Ronan Harvey's Tiger Moth These two neat photos of deHavilland DH-82 Tiger Moths , G-ALNA and G­ AGPK , were sent in by Ronan Harvey (EAA 396010) of Northants , England.

Ronan ' s Tiger Moth , G-ALNA, had crashed in a lak e in 1986 from where it was recovered and subsequently restored

by Ian Castle of Northhampton, England.

Ian also restored the matching G-AGPK, the paint scheme s being identical red , black and silver. (G-ALNA still requires the deHavilland logo on the two main gear hubcaps.) This is English sport fly­ ing at its absolute best!

Don Pantone's Piper

PA-12 Super Cruiser

Purchased new in 1947 by the Spanish Fork Flying Service, Spanish Fork, Utah, this Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser, N3505M, SIN 12-2353, was used for charter, ambu­ lance , training and crop dusting until it was rebuilt and sold in 1960 to a shrimp company in Ogde n, Utah. In 1962, Don Pantone (EAA 410174) of Ogden , UT and two friends purchased the PA-12. He

bought out the other two owners in 1964 and then proceeded to recover the wings and install a Lycoming 0-320 of 150 hp and a Hartzell constant-speed propeller (both from a twin Navion) . The STC was quite a struggle, however, after flying 50 hours locally (test area) , FAA approval was granted. In 1970, a new interior was installed , the fuselage was recovered and

the instrument panel was redone. In ad­ dition, Cleveland wheels and brakes were installed. Don has enjoyed the PA-12 for years now and has flown as far as Yel­ lowknife in the NWT in Canada. The PA-12 is presently registered with his three sons as owners, so we expect the air­ plane to remain in the family for many, many years!

Bill Ewertz and his Aeronca C-3 This photo was sent in by owner/re­ storer Bill Ewertz (EAA 42278, A/C 7005) of Sonoma , Ca lifornia. The 1931 Aeronca C-3 , NC16549, SIN 690, was re­ stored to original condition including the Aeronca E-l13 two-cylinder engine. Bill says the little two-placer is for sa le or trade with information ava ilable at 707­ 938-1465 after 6 p.m.

Bill finished the rebuild of an Arrow Sport F in 1991 th at is now in an Oakland, CA air museum.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

This photo of Stinson 108 , N8871K, SIN 108-1871, was contributed by owner Marc Dunbar (EAA 337583) of Rocklin, CA. When Marc bought the Stinson in 1986, he had about 60 hours in his log­ book and 40 minutes of taildragger expe­ rience! Heading home with his new pur­ chase, Marc attempted his first landing

and came within an eyelash of losing the airplane! His recommendation: Get more tailwheel time before going solo! The Stinson was restored with the Superflite process, new glass was installed, new inte­ rior and new seats. The result was a first class airplane which has been to Oshkosh several times. Note the polished pro­

peller and spinner, the chromed venturis and entrance steps. Marc has flown the pretty burgundy and white Stinson about 700 (enjoyable) hours to date.

Mark Evans' Taylorcraft BL-65 This pretty Taylorcraft BL-65, N27461 , SIN 2103, was restored by Mark Evans (EAA 265823, A /C 19188) of Traverse City, MI. The " prime" basket case re­ quired nearly five years of work to go from bare fuse­ lage to the finished airplane. In the process , the T­ Craft was converted to an A65 Continental, which would make the airplane a BC-65 . Other features in­ clude swing-out cabin windows and a wooden pro­ peller. The large round control wheels of the 1940 models are retained along with the "flipper" trim tabs under the tail surfaces. These pre-war Taylorcrafts are noticeably lighter in weight that the post-war models and performance is rather spritely to say the least.

Mick Jackson's

Piper PA-24 Comanche

Posing in front of his Piper PA-24-180 Comanche, N5639P, SIN 24-709, is Mick Jackson (EAA 435446) of Cody , Wyoming. Recently retired from corpo­ rate flying, Mick looks forward to upgrad­ ing the nice looking Comanche with some instrument panel work. Mick is a new member of Cody, Wyoming's EAA Chap­ ter 713 (hangar in background) and being an A & P, is in position to render some excellen t help. His 1959 180 Comanche is one of 287 "180's" remaining on the FAA register. There are 3,309 Comanches of all types on the register. ....

12 JANUARY 1994

Carl Schuppel

ho among us doesn ' t re­ member the first time they saw a Cessna 31 O? Even today , when you see a 310 , it ' s hard to imagine an airplane of its type being used as a purely pleasure airplane - most folks who care for and feed a twin-engine air­ plane like a 310 tend to use it in connec­ tion with a business, and then get to use it for a pleasure trip as an added bonus.

Art Bastian (EAA 225040, A IC 8368) and his wife Patty have just completed the restoration of one of these Cessna busi­ ness tools, a 1956 white , turquoise and black Cessna 310. Judged the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary at EAA OSHKOSH '93, the bright 6-place twin is based in northern New Jersey at Sussex Airport.

Art Bastian was a typical youngster with a touch of the aviation bug in him - he built models and always loved airplanes, but he was afraid of heights. Still, his love for even the idea of flight still had a strong hold on him, and he eventually was able to come to grips with his concerns about heights by flying. He earned his license in 1983. Like many of us, earning his wings had to be done the hard way , by selling this and that and earning a few more dol­ lars to finance the entire program.

W

By H.G. Frautschy

One of his friends , Bruno Ferretti (EAA 372303, AIC 16400), had a Star­ duster , and it caught Art 's eye. At that time he was involved in the restoration of Chevrolet Corvettes, so he sold one of his cars to finance his first airplane purchase.

While he was learning to fly in a Cherokee 140 with instructor Norman Caswell he bought Bruno's Starduster.

"I used to go up there (to Sussex Air­ port) at five in the morning and taxi back and forth , get the tail up and put it down.

I just kept practicing," Art recalled.

He eventually became comfortable in the biplane and flew it for a couple hun­ dred hours, including a trip of Oshkosh in 1984 to attend the EAA Convention. The next year, 1985, saw him touring around the United States in the Starduster.

Aerobatic biplanes were one of his fa­ vorites - he had one of his earliest flight experiences in a Pitts S-2 flown by Fred Wilner at Sussex Airport. Even after re­ turning with a slightly queasy stomach, he £ decided he really enjoyed the flight, and Mwanted more. Being afraid of heights ~ didn 't seem to matter anymore.

As a youngster, Art also was interested :i in all things mechanical including cars, and hot rods in particular. As he matured, he learned how to restore cars, build race car engines, and started selling wholesale

o Art and Patty Bastian

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

parts. He later owned his own business , restoring Rolls-Royces (!) and building race car chassis'. He owned the business for 17 years before selling it and changing careers. The contacts he made while in business would help him when the restora­ tion of the 310 started.

The Cessna 310 was not the first twin built by the Wichita company, not by a long shot. (Remember the T-50 series and its variants?) But it was the com­ pany's first venture into an all metal twin, and the first put into production by the company after WW II. Across the coun­ try in Lock Haven , Cessna's competitor, Piper, was hard at work on their twin, the PA -23 Apache. Both aircraft received their Type Certificates within a month of each other - the Piper on February 2, 1954, and the Cessna 310 the next month.

14 JANUARY 1994

But they really were airplanes looking at two different segments of the market.

The 310 was geared towards the business owner, and the Apache as a lower cost twin engine trainer. (The Apache cost about 25 percent less than the 310.) Even with its straight tail and round tip tanks, the 310 was like nothing else in the sky in the fifties - it could zip along at 220 mph, and climb to 20,000 feet. Of course, one can't write about the airplane without re­ membering one of the airplanes that filled the screen "From out of the West­ ern Sky" on your Dumont television set: Sky King's Songbird II, a 1958 310 B, the successor to " Uncle Sky's" Cessna Bob­ cat.

A twin appeared in Art Bastian's life when he and a couple of partners, Bruno Ferretti and Victor Sardella, decided to

go in on a twin together, earn their rat­ ings and then enjoy the comforts of twin engine flying. A flyable 310 owned by George Papovitch of Terrytown, NY was purchased, with each of the partners chipping in five thousand. Later, Bruno and Victor decided they did not wish to be in on the twin 's ownership. Art took out a loan and bought his partners out.

He went to work on his instrument rat­ ing, along with hi s commercial in the 310. He also bought a Piper J-3 Cub to enjoy, and flew it on a long cross-coun­ try to EAA OSHKOSH '87. With the 310 all to himself, the cost of twin own­ ership was becoming all too apparent to Art, so when an old friend from the hot rod business, Darryl Haggerty , wanted to do some flying and was willing to share some expenses, Art was more than

pleased to bring him into the fold .

While flying the airplane, a running restoration was started. The paint was stripped off starting in 1990, and the rest of the airplane began to get a going over.

After stripping the paint , each area had to be gone over with a Scotchbrite® pad and etched, followed by a thorough clean­ ing with water. Art flew it to EAA OSHKOSH '91 with the airplane "in the buff, " where it was parked in the tran­ sient aircraft parking section. He was sure it was quite a sight as it sat without paint and towels that needed drying draped over the propeller blades.

At about the same time, Art's busi­ ness life changed - he sold his company and went to work at Condit Ford in New­ ton , NJ. His partner, Darryl, decided to move to Virginia, so Art was again with­

out a partner. His personal life took a different tack also - he ran into a lady who he knew from the body shop busi­ ness. Patty had run a body shop , and as time went along, they became close, and eventually were married.

1991 saw less and less work done on the Cessna. Time and money were a bit tighter, so flying and the 310 took a back seat for a time. A check was made of the engines on the Cessna, and what was found was not encouraging - out of the 12 cylinders on the engines, six had broken rings. The rings had broken due to ex­ cess wear in the piston ring grooves, al­ lowing the rings to chatter as each piston moved up and down in its cylinder. Art started to pull the engines , planning a complete overhaul on the pair of Conti­ nentaI0-470-B's.

The next year saw priorities change again - early in the year , Patty was not feeling too well, and was diagnosed with a serious illness that required immediate attention , keeping her sidelined for the rest of the year. Art also needed some medical attention , but by the end of 1992, both he and Patty were well on the road to recovery. Sitting on the cold ramp in its tied own, Art could see his twin Cessna looking less and less like the airplane he enjoyed flying.

1993 would be a much better year!

The cylinders were all off and in a warm (relatively speaking!) hangar , and so work began. By the 4th of April, the air­ plane sat outside with no engines, no con­ trols and with the interior still left to be removed and replaced. Earlier , Art thought the airplane might be repainted VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

in time for Oshkosh, but looking at it that April, he began to have second thoughts.

Patty was also feeling a lot better, and began to help on the project, making new engine baffles, helping tap out some of the sheet metal dings and dents , and later, as the rebuild would get closer to completion, she refinished the entire in­ strument panel with black crinkle finish paint. The work accelerated as Art and Patty brought others into the project.

Tom Lord, who was Art's body shop manager, was tasked with the formidable job of painting the airplane. Joe Oshin­ ski, of Engine Aids, did the work on the engine cylinders. Steve Decker, who ran the machine shop at Art's old business, helped with the engine overhaul, under the watchful eye of A&P's Bill Clark, Arnold Witherill and Paul Styger, the owner of Sussex airport. Carol Behr, who runs the office there at the airport was also a big help in the project. Art 16 JANUARY 1994

pointed out that they were all instrumen­ tal in getting the 35-year-old Cessna back in airworthy condition. .

Larry Ball (EAA 272089), of the Twin Cessna Flyer, was able to supply Art with good copies of the original color scheme of the ' 56 310, so that using a pair of vernier calipers, he was able to work up a set of guidelines for Tom Lord to apply the white, turquoise, black and gold trim to the 310. With the engines finished and the airframe going back together, Art and his crew replaced every part they thought needed attention. New wiring, new rub­ ber seals and anything else that caught their eye was renewed. The heater was re­ built, and with the extra cash available af­ ter refinancing his home, the Cessna pro­ ject began to move into high gear.

Tom Lord had a lot of work in front of him as he tackled the paint job. The paint was something familiar to he and Art as one they had used during the restoration

of Rolls-Royce automobiles. Used by the Rolls factory, the finish is a German-made polyurethane enamel called " Glasuret" that comes in a wide range of colors. Af­ ter having spent so long in the prep ","ork on the airplane, Art wanted a finish that would last as long as possible.

The "CESSNA" decals on the wingtip fuel tanks were a rare find from the shelves at Miller Aviation. The only missing de­ tails that Art has been unable to locate so far are the trim emblems used on the con­ trol yokes and the crown emblems mounted on the sides of the fuselage . Art and Tom had additional help with the final details and trim - Billy Zega was there to finish off the delicate work. You can imag­ ine the amount of taping and masking that had to happen to reproduce the color scheme you see on the Cessna, and Rich DeVries was a big help in that regard.

(Continued on page 29)

--

Carl Schuppel

(Above) The Bastian's 1956 Cessna 310 banks away towards New Jersey after the photo shoot with EAA. When it first was introduced to the flying public in 1954, the 310 was billed as a sleek transport for the flying executive or businessman.

(Below) Resting on the flightline at EAA OSHKOSH '93, the bright turquoise color scheme really stood out among the Contemporary airplanes.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

by Norm Petersen Jerry was born in Quanah, Texas, just below the Oklahoma border and grew up there, building model airplanes in his spare time - most of which crashed, he says. Af­ ter high school, he spent his college years at Texas Tech in Lubbock, majoring in An­ imal Husbandry. It was during this time that he took a few lessons from instructor, Emmett Morris, who promptly sent him out on a solo flight in the J -3 Cub after three hours of instruction. Jerry says the flight went well until he did a rather sharp pull-up and smoke billowed out of the C-85 engine. He was just barely able to land the airplane by hanging his head out of the up­ per door to see around the smoke! Appar­ 20 JANUARY 1994

ently, leaking oil had fallen on the exhaust pipes.

During the next ten years, Jerry fooled around with a Taylorcraft and a Student li­ cense, but didn't get serious about flying until 1964, when he bought a Cessna 180 and earned his Private license.

He flew the 180 for a spell and then traded for a Cessna 195 that had spent its first three years with the State of New Mexico doing high alti­ tude mapping . This big, round-engined machine was followed by a Stinson 108, which was flown for a while and then replaced with a Stinson 108-2. The latter ma­ chine was in dire need of a great deal of help, so Jerry tore it down and commenced a total rebuild.

The experience was worth "all the tea in China" as Jerry flew it to the National Stinson Cl ub convention in 1981 and ran off with the Best of Series award.

The following year, 1982, was not a par­ ticularly good one for Jerry R oss as he went through a divorce and sold the award­ winning Stinson 108-2. His three children all made it through co ll ege and are now gai nfully employed. As Jerry says, " I ex­ plained to them, they had better get a good education or they would really be in trouble. " By 1985, he had married a lovely lady named Sandra and together, they decided to purchase a Piper C herokee 140. To make matters even better, Sandra took

lessons, learned to fly and earned her Pri­ vate license. They put over 400 hours on the Cherokee, majored the Lycoming en­ gine and then ran it another 600 plus hours.

As Jerry says, " We covered a lot of terri­ tory!"

Shopping around for something a little faster in the summer of '92, Jerry stumbled on to a Piper Comanche that a dealer in Lees Summit , MO, had in stock. It had been owned by a gentleman for twenty years, who had flown it a couple of thou­ sand hours. In 1986, he majored the en­ gine - and then suffered a stroke. After the Comanche sat in the hangar for a few years , he tried flying it one day and on landing, the Comanche ate a fence post with the wing and a lawn chair with the prop! That's when the dealer bought it.

Jerry checked it over closely as the dealer explained that he had fixed the pro­ peller, however, the wing still ne eded work. A ferry permit was obtained and Jerry bought the Comanche and flew it home to Weatherford , OK. The fun be­ gan!

With only 55 hours on the engine, it ran beautifully , howeve r , about everything else needed work. The Piper Comanche came in three models, the Custom, Super Custom and the Piper Autoflite, which had all the goodies plus the Autoflite auto-pi­ lot (built by Mitchell). Jerry's machine is the A utoflite - and it didn' t work either!

He took the unit over to Autopilot Central in Tulsa, OK, and had it overhauled (they have a good stock of parts) . It now works like a charm.

(Continued on page 25)

D G

by Bill Claxon (AIC 17837) e of th e EAA Antique /Classic Division and others who fly the o lder ai rpl a nes are face d with many problems. Finding pa rt s to keep them flying or finding the almost nonexis­ tent fuels our engin es were d esigned to run on can be a challenge.

Many of these e ngi nes were designed to use 80/87 octane fuel , while others were designed to use 73 octane or 91 oc­ tane aviation (" A V") gas. We a re now faced with the fact that 73 and 91 octane A V fuel is virtually a thin g of the past and that it is difficult or not economically fea­ sible for many of the FBOs to provide the 80 octane fuel we need for the older e n­ gin es . Despit e th e nam e , the 100LL ("Low-Lead") fuel ava ilable has four (4) times the TEL (tetraethyllead) as the 80 octane. This has given rise to much more lead fouling of our engines, especially the spark plugs. The current outlook is it is going to get worse in the future. We may not be able to eliminate th e use of so much lea d in th ese fuels but we can greatly re duce th e effects of the high e r lead content.

I have gleaned some ways of doing this from a recent course at the Lycoming ser­ vice school, from articles contained in the Lycoming Flyers , Champion Spark Plug

W

serv ice materials , severa l maintenance journals and my many years of experience as a mechanic and instructor. Some of the ways to combat this problem include proper ground operations, good fuel man­ agement and so me minor mai nte na nce proced ures. These procedures produce beneficial effects such as reduced tenden­ cies of valve stick ing, prolonged TBO, re­ duced spark plug fouling and lower oper­ ating costs.

These highly leaded fuels a re blended with bromide scave nge rs in the TEL. Whe n these bromide scavengers are fully activated, they dispose of th e lead with the combustion gasses in the exhaust cy­ cle. It requires a te mperature of 900 de­ grees Fahrenheit on the spark plug nose insulator to fully activate th ese scav­ engers. A tempe rature of 800 d egrees Fahr e nheit is much too low for thi s .

Proper ground operations are highly rec­ omme nded to maintain th ese higher op­ erating temperatures.

Some of these recommendations are: 1. Idle engines at 1000 to 1200 rpm to promote the lead scavenge rs to operate.

Avoid closed throttle operation as much as possible.

2. C heck magnetos at 1800 rpm for fixed pitch props for 15 to 20 seconds and

at about 2200 rpm for CS props.

3. After flight a nd before shutdown, run the e ngi ne at 1200 rpm for about a minute and increase to 1800 rpm for 15 to 20 seconds. Reduce the rpm to 1200 and cut the engin e with the mixture. (Edito r's Note: If you have a Cub, Champ or one of the many light airplanes built without a mixture control, you simply do everything listed above except you 'll have to use the switch to shut down.)

4. Avoid abrupt throttl e move men ts on the ground.

These procedures will help to maintain the higher operating te mpe ratures con­ ducive to better lead scavenging.

If you have a mixture control, efficient fuel managem e nt (good leaning tec h­ niques) will help to prevent lead fouling.

Some of the recommendations are: 1. Lean at any altitude consistent with the manufacture r's recommendations at cruise power.

2. Lean as close to best economy mix­ ture that will permit a smooth running en­ gine.

3. When desce nding to traffic patte rn altitude , maintain mixture at the lea ned cruise condition with gradual richening of the mixture . Carry some power a nd a sensible airspeed to maintain the most ef­ ficient engine temperature.

4. Avoid low power -high speed d e­ scents that cause rapid cooling.

5. Sometimes a magneto check will re­ veal a roughness caused by a fouled plug.

Overcome thi s by slowl y advancing the throttle to cruise rpm a nd lea n th e mix­ ture as far as possible with a smooth run­ ning engine for several seconds. If two at­ tempts fail to clear the condition, return to the lin e for further mai ntenance. Be sure to return the mixture to full rich for takeoff and climb.

These procedures are con du cive to producing the engine temperatures capa­ ble of fully activating the bromide scav ­ engers to retard the formation of lead salt deposits that form on the spark plugs and the valve stems.

Perhaps these ideas will help you to fly a littl e less expensive and to enjoy hap­ pier flying.

Bill Claxon has written two more arti­ cles concerning spa rk plug and engine maintenance. Look for them in the next two issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE.

*"

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

FROM THE ARCHIVES ...

by Dennis Parks These two photos (left) are from negatives supplied by James LaMalfa, and were shot at the 1922 Pulitzer Race held in Detroit,

MI. The first shows the Waco model 4, the first single bay biplane built by the company. It featured all-wood construction, and was powered by the ubiquitous OX-5. It used the high lift USA 27 airfoil section, later used to noteworthy success on the Dou足 glas World Cruisers.

Another interesting shot from the Pulitzer race is this one of the Huff-Daland Petrel.

22 JANUARY 1994

The rest of the photos were provided by Joseph Flow­ ers of Wooster, OH. Joe purchased the negs at an es­ tate sale in Akron, OH. (Left) This shot of a New Standard 0-25, NC176H, was registered to Erie Isle Airways, Put In Bay, OH. (Above) Here's a Fleet 2 next to what appears to be another Fleet 2, with a pre-war Taylorcraft behind it.

(Right) The Pitcairn PA-22 autogiro, complete with a 90hp Pobjoy "Niagara. " You can plainly see the pol­ ished leading edge of the cowling supplied by the en­ gine manufacturer with engine, thus ensuring ade­ quate cooling of the engine no matter what the airframe designer mounted aft of the engine.

(Right) This dapper looking Stinson SR-5A, NC14157, was powered by the Lycoming R-680-6. A 4-place air­ plane with lots of panache, the SR-5 was one of the most popular of the Reliant series.

(Below) This shot of a Loening C2C Amphibian pow­ ered with a Wright Cyclone is a bit of a mystery.

Knowing the general location of the negatives, and based on the registration list from Ohio, we suspect this is either Loening NC9157 or NC9784, both of which belonged to Thompson Aeronautical Corp.

(They were the only Loenings registered in the state!)

With it's close proximity to the roller coaster in the background, this may be Cedar Point Amusement Park, near Sandusky, OH.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

Antique/Classic Odds 'n I:nds

by H.G. Frautschy As we sit down to put each issue of Vintage Airplane together each month, every so often we run across a small item or tool that is of interest. It really doesn 't fit the Ale News format, and we don 't have a particular spot to run items like this, so I thought it might be appropriate to create a place in the maga zine for mis­ cellaneous Antique/Classic tidbits. I can 't tell you it will be on a regular schedule, since it is dependent on what yo u and I find as we search th e fly-ins and peek in workshops, but when the file fills up, th e page will run. Have you found something that you've found useful- either a com­ mercial product or homemade, and think others may also benefit if they knew about it? Send it in!

Here's the first item.

During EAA OSHKOSH '93, while looking over Fred Price 's beautiful Aeronca 7AC, I spotted his version of a control stick lock he had installed.

(Readers will recall the recent article by Harold Armstrong detailing his control lock, in the August 1993 issue.) Fred 's is very similar, with a pair of tubular lugs that slip over the forward edge of the seat frame , and a padded half tube with a clamp to secure t he stick. If yo u look closely in the photo, yo u can see that Fred has chosen to make sure the lock stays in place by extending the lugs that slip over the seat frame beyond the di­ ameter of t he tube, then securing the

lock around the seat frame with a pair of lock pins that look like this:

The end of the control lock that at­ taches to the stick is simply a tube split lengthwise, with a hinge welded or brazed to one side. On the other side, a lug is welded to the outer half of the tube, and a bolt is welded to the control lock so that the hinged half of the tube can be secured around the control stick using a wingnut.

Thin rubber padding is used wherever the control lock contacts the seat or con­ trol stick.

Control locks are a good idea for main­ taining the well being of your airplane ­ use 'em!

Our second item this month is not ex­ actly uncommon , but it sure is useful.

Strap wrenches in various forms have been around for years, often with varying degrees of success. In certain situations, they're invaluable. When a knurled nut is tight, nothing works as well as a strap wrench , and one of the nicest ones I've found is the wrench you see in the photo, made by Klein Tools, Inc. It's appropri­ ately called the "Grip-It." The "Grip-It" is made with a ny lon strap coated with a plastic coating, with a cast aluminum han­ dle. I had seen one of these wrenchs a couple of yea rs ago when Bauken Noack, our crackerjack mechanical genius here at EAA lent one to me to remove the alu­

The "Grip It" strap wrench can be useful for applying torque to parts that are otherwise easily damaged.

24 JANUARY 1994

minum fuel gauge nut on my Aeronca Chief. A little bit of heat from a high temperature hot air gun he lped soften up years of sealant, and with a little torque applied using the wrench the nut came off easily, without any damage to the delicate al uminum knurls.

Now, of course, none of this was earth­ shattering " mechanicing," but later, when I went to buy a strap wrench like the one I had just used , I was surprised that my normally well equipped hardware store didn't carry one. In fact , it was downright hard to find one locally anywhere.

The difficulty was compounded by the fact that the wrench Bauken had lent me had no markings whatsoever to tell me who made it! Finally, a couple of weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find the exact same wrench at my local True Value hardware store. The smaller size pic­ tured , the S-6H , reta ils for about $10.50.

Think of all the useful places you can use a strap wrench - oil filters, certain axle nuts and the fuel gage nuts I previously mentioned all are fair game now , with practically no possibility of damage. If you can't find it locally , write to Klein Tools, 7200 McCormack Blvd., P.O. Box 599033, Chicago, IL 60659-9033, attention William Fix or Jamie Mullins. They'll be able to tell you who sells the tool in your area.

That's all for now - remember, if you 've run across something you think others would find useful, let us all in on it.

Send your item to me here at EAA HQ, ... using the address on the title page.

Fred Price's control lock as seen at EAA OSHKOSH '93.

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One evening, a friend called Jerry and said, "I've got something that I know you want - and it's free!" Jerry replied, " I don't care what it is, if it's free , I'll come and get it." He journeyed to his friend's house and discovered the man had just acquired a factory brochure on the " New 1959 Piper Comanche" - the exact model that Jerry owned! He now had an origi­ nal paint scheme to follow plus a detailed original interior.

The Comanche was taken to Red and Vera Brend of Ada Aircraft Painting in Ada, Oklahoma, who have been painting airplanes for many, many years. After much preparation, the final finish was done in Pratt & Lambert " Acryglo" and the results speak for themselves. Again , the factory brochure was a big help in get­ ting the paint scheme accurate.

To finish off the interior, Jerry flew the Comanche over to Oklahoma City where Rick Harris has his interior shop in the Gulfstream complex. With the interior photo from the brochure, Rick went to work and duplicated it exactly. The Oshkosh judges were in for a real treat when they went over the airplane from nose to tail. Needless to say, Jerry scored well on the original interior so accurately done by Rick Harris - with the precious brochure to guide him.

All glass was replaced in the airplane including the 114" thick, one-piece wind­ shield - a rather ticklish operation in that the chunk of plexiglass is rather massive and extreme care must be taken to get everything to fit without forcing any part

of it - or you hear a loud CRACK! Jerry's good friend, Craig Easter (EAA 361559) gave him a most welcome helping hand on the installation. The side windows were replaced by routing the edges of the 1/4" plexiglass with a router to where the finished .100" size would just slip into the window groove with the outside surface exactly flush with metal window trim . A close examination of the finished job re­ veals a near perfect fit. (Jerry calls it pa­ tience.)

Craig Easter was also the genius be­ hind the wing repair which is absolutely undetectable. As Jerry says, "He is the kind of dog that can catch anything!

When you roll something into Craig's shop , he grabs the tools and he 's on it.

H e spends very little time wiping his hands on a shop rag. We rolled th e Co­ manche into his shop at 3 p.m. and it was rolled out the door the next forenoon at 11 o'clock! " There was a host of small details to re­ pair a nd redo on the airplane , but these were taken care of one at a time. Hoses and clamps, seals of all kinds, gaskets that leaked, etc, etc. were all replaced one at a time until the oil quit dripping. About the time that Jerry thought he had them all , something else would start leaking!

That's the nature of the beast. However, if you can put up with all the small details, you get a dandy flying airplane.

Jerry always liked the conventional geared airplanes, however, as he has " ma­ tured in years," he notices the tricycle gear is much nicer to land with and the

Comanche is a delightful machine to land.

The low-wing configuration gives a nice ground cushion before touchdown and when you add in flaps for descent control, it is hard to make a bad landing . At cruise , Jerry can consistently make 158 mph at nine to eleven thousand feet with fuel consumption at 9-10 gph. The best he has done is 8-1/2 gph and the worst at low altitude is about 11 to 12 gph. With the 180 engine, the Comanche has consid­ erable range with 60 gallon fuel tanks, in fact , somewhat beyond most pilot's kid­ ney capacity.

With the autopilot working, Jerry says his airplane is ideal for cross-country and he and Sandra have flown over 200 hours this past year making jaunts in all direc­ tions. Jerry uses the airplane mostly for pleasure, however, once in a while a busi­ ness trip is worked into the schedule .

With Sandra's son a student at Northern Arizona State and her daughter at MIT in Boston , a certain amount of travel is in­ evitable! The Comanche does its job per­ fectly, especially with Jerry as pilot and Sandra as co-pilot. The admiring glances the Comanche gets at every fuel stop aren' t too hard to take either.

Congratulations again to Jerry and Sandra Ross for taking home the very first ever Contemporary Grand Cham­ pion " Lindy" at EAA Oshkosh '93. We look forward to seeing the pretty red and white champion in the Antique/Classic Division ' s enclosure marked PAST GRAND CHAMPIONS at EAA Oshkosh '94. ...

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

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

Butler, TN Mike Adkins Mount Juliet, TN J. Gary Allen Union Grove, WI Larry Armstrong Sumner, WA Lissa Ashby Dr. Anthony Avallone Springfield, MO Edmund Barry Rancho Cucamonga, CA Irvine, CA John S. Baynock Norman, OK Karl H. Bergey Jr. Marostica, Italy Mario Berton Mathews, NC Chuck Bingham John B. Bitner Williamson, GA Robert D. Boatright Tulsa, OK Roger E. Boyd, J r.

Valdosta, GA Bradley F. Boyd McDonough, GA Mark C. Breitenbach Scottsdale, AZ Mark M. Briggs San Antonio, TX Barry J. Brocato Newport, RI Stanley H. Brown Reno, NV Len 1. Buckel La Mesa, CA Mikel P. Buczkowski Rome, NY Clinton, TN John P. Byrne Jemison , AL Keith Carden Montvale, VA Jeffrey R. Casey Penn Valley, CA Ralph Chase Riverside, CA Michael T. Clegg Jack Clifton La Junta, CO Vero Beach , FL Ken Coleman E. A. Connon Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Forrest H. Copeland Oakland, CA Douglas L. Corlette Princeton, NJ Robert Cralle Hague, V A Gary Debaun Lakeville, MN James L. Delaney Lebanon , TN Douglas D. Dodds Alamo, CA Richard S. Drury Anchorage, AK Robert Glenn Duke Cleveland, TX J. M. East Meola, Saskatchewan, Canada James H. Edsall Jamestown, NC Matthew H. Elkins Accokeek, MD Homer G. Ellis Fort Smith, AR Robert W. Forker, Jr. Frazeysburg, OH Donald G. Frank St. Clair Shores, MI John R. Fulton Covington, IN Daniel Geer Ledyard , CT Russ Gehling Basking Ridge, NJ Roger Gonzalez Miami, FL Michael G. Grady Scottsdale, AZ Sam Griggs Wilsonville, OR Mark Gronneberg St. Charles, MO Earl Guckelberg Kent, WA Steve R. Hamer Apple Valley, CA Mark Hamm Lakeville, MN Nels Hanson Marengo,IL Charles Harter Dupo, IL William Harter Belleville, IL Zip Hinton Locust Grove, GA John Holcomb Helena, MT Don R. Holmes O'Fallon , IL Donald Hoppe Placentia, CA Robert E. Hughes Polson, MT Helen V. Hutchings Thousand Oaks, CA 26 JANUARY 1994

George H. Johnson Bonsall, CA Hakan Johnson Borlange, Sweden Larry Johnson Anoka , MN Ellen S. Jori Occidental, CA Neil Kaufman Pendleton, KY Carl B. Kaufmann Wilmington, DE Destin, FL Wallace C. Kemper, Jr. Phoenix, AZ Bill R. Kibler Wally J. Kinate Kansas City, MO Mary Ann Kinney Gaylord, MI John E. Layman Asheville, NC Venice, FL A. Kendall LeBlanc Kingsport, TN Brian A. Liley Benton , KS Jerry L. Long James C. Looney Corvallis, OR Chris Loria Edwards AFB , CA Robert B. Lowrie Ann Arbor, MI Steve T. Lutte Omaha, NE Stan Lyons San Ramon, CA John Mauney Wilmington, NC Larry McElmuray San Jose, CA Daryl Millard Long View, WA Rondo T. Miller St Cloud, MN Portland, ME Jane E. Murphy George O. Navarini Pembrooke Pines, FL Glenn A. Neely Bealeton, V A Marie A. Norwood Houston , TX Ridgeway, V A Thomas D. Pace Orchard Park, NY Raymond R. Pech Gerald S. Pepper Collierville, TN Gary Phillips Wichita, KS Gilbert H. Pierce Germantown, TN Palmer Putnam Boise, 10 Rod D. Rau Nevada City, CA Ralph K. Roberts Sagniaw, MI Eudaldo J. Roig Miami, FL Paul M. Romano Boulder, CO Arvada, CO Dave Schoenberg Gary Schroeder Nakina, Ontario, Canada David Mark Schut Watervliet, MI Allen Severtson, Jr. Valley Springs, SO Lawrence Shapiro Sebastopol , CA Carl Shearer Golden City, MO Al Sheves Coatesville, PA Richard R. Smith Austin, TX Robert Straw Angora, MN Franklin D. Strickler Denton, TX Charles S. Sylvia Middleboro, MA Robin Tilley Pit Meadows, British Columbia. Canada Wichita, KS Paul N. Uhlig David G. Ullman Corvallis, OR Montecel, NY Joseph M. Vanaman Ronald R. Wallace Scottsdale, AZ David A. Weaver Hamilton, OH Charles P. Weekes Lancaster, PA Winneconne, WI Berry E. Wentzel William R. Whitaker Baylis, IL Warren H. Wiggett Grand Junction, CO Franklin, TN Nicholas Ives Wood Tower, MN William G. Worringer William A. Wright Greensburg, PA Thomas L. Yingst Downingtown, PA

MEMBERSHIP

INFORMATION

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

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

Family membership is available for an additional $10.00 annually. All major credit cards accepted for membership.

FAX (414) 426-4873. (Plus $13 for foreign members to cover air postage.)

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

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

Non-EAA Member- $30.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/ Classic Division. 12 monthly issues of Vin tage Airplane, one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards. Sport Aviation not included. (Plus $6 for foreign members.)

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

WARBIRDS Membership in the Warbirds of America, Inc. is $30.00 per year, which includes a subscription to Warbirds . Warbird members are required to be members of EAA. (Plus $5 for foreign members.)

EAA EXPERIMENTER

EAA membership and EAA EXPERI足 MENTER magazine is available for $28.00 per year (Sp ort Aviation not included). Current EAA members may receive EAA EXPERIMENTER for $18.00 per year. (Plus $6 for foreign members.)

FOREIGN

MEMBERSHIPS

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

EAA A VIATlON CENTER

P.O.BOX 3086

OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086

PHONE (414) 426-4800

FAX (414) 426-4828

OFFICE HOURS:

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

1-800-843-3612

MEMBERSHIP DUES TO EAA AND ITS

DIVISIONS ARE NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE

AS CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS.

An information exchange column with input from our readers.

by Buck Hilbert (EAA 21 , Ale 5) P.O. Box 424 Union, IL 60180 I'm sitting here studying the remains of the Aeronca Champ tail post that you see in the pictures. On a recent trip out east to the Finger Lakes region of New York, I took the opportunity to visit with "Chuck" Burtch. Chuck is a long time EAAer with special fondness for the Antique/Classic Division. He is also one of the Instructors in the EAA Air Academy program, but more on that later.

Chuck was working on about four different airplanes in his hangar in back of his home in Phoenix, NY. Two of them were Champs. One of my favorite airplanes, of course, so I was interested in what he was doing to them. The two Baby Lakes homebuilts were real neat, but I wanted to talk Champs!

"What are you doing?"

"Well," he explai ned, "Look at this

tail post. I have repaired a bunch of Aeroncas with this INTERNAL same failure. It's caused by SLEEVE TUBE spinning the airplane at the REPAIR WITH end of the runway prior to ROSETTE WELDS take off. I usually try to tell PER Ale 43-13-1A the guys to taxi in a loop pattern to keep the load off the tail post. Maybe you ought to write this up in your 'Pass It To Buck' column."

Apparently, there was just a little rust on the tube in its lower portion, and the tube was weakened by the corrosion. Chuck fixed the post by replacing it. He built a jig to hold a replacement cluster, which he welded up.

Both lower longerons were NEW PARTS replaced, along with the lower portion of the tail post. The sheet steel tail spring pad was also replaced. Welding it with an Advisory Circular 43.13-1A, chapter 2. oxyacetylene torch required the use of So here it is, fellow taildraggers. two torches - one to keep the heavy Take a good look at what the torsional plate heated to a dull to medium red, loads caused by mashing on the brake and the other to run the weld bead. and spinning on a dime can do to your Without two torches, it would have tail post of your airplane. It dosn't been difficult to get proper penetration necessarily have to be an Aeronca. in the weld bead as it runs on the tail Those Pipers and T-Carts can have the spring plate - by the time the metal on same problem too! Take a good look at the plate would be hot enough, the thin those brackets (and the skin) near the wall tubing being attached to it would airl of those Cessnas and Luscombes as burn through. well. We are all candidates for the The tail post and the two longerons problem. What's that old saying about were we lded to the existing structure a word to the wise? using internal stee l tube sleeves and Thanks C h uck, and it's Over to rosette we ld s as exp lained in FAA You! ...

The torsional loads applied spinning a Champ around while taxiing for takeoff, coupled with a little corrosion, caused this tailpost to fracture just above the lower longerons.

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 27

MYSTERY PLANE

by George Hardie

Here 's another from the Golden Age of Aviation. The photo was sent in by Roy Cagle , Prescott, Arizona. Answers will be published in the April issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Deadline for that issue is February 20.

Vic Smith, Uxbridge, England writes: "The October Mystery Plane is the Vance Viking , NR12700 , designed by Claire K. Vance and built for the Vance Aircraft, Inc., Oakland, California by the Boeing School of Aeronautics as a single seat high speed mail aircraft. Wingspan was 55 feet , length 35 feet , with a 660 hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine fed from 1,000 gallon tanks for a range of 7,200 miles. It started in the 1932 Bendix Race but retired with fuel system problems.

"After Vance's death in the crash of Boeing 40B NC3281 at Rocky Ridge , California on 17 December 1932, the Viking was sold in 1934 to Lt. Murray B. Dilley , USAAC who entered it in the England-Australia McRobertson Race , and also announced a nonstop Los An­ geles-New York-Los Angeles flight, a long distance record attempt and a solo endurance attempt. None of these hap­ pened and the Viking was next in the news in 1936 when it had been converted to a two-seater as seen in your picture .

Clyde Pangborn and Monty Mason were planning a Dallas, Texas to Paris, France nonstop flight. Once again nothing hap­ pened and the Vance Viking finally faded from sight. " John Underwood, Glendale, Califor­ nia adds this: "In 1934 the Viking became the Ma­ son Meteor, so named for promoter 28 JANUARY 1994

Monty Mason who had a tie-in with MGM , and plans were laid for an MGM sponsored endurance flight. A bigger Wasp was installed, but there was little if any flying. The V-1languished until Clyde Pangborn came along with a pro-

posal to fl y nonstop from Dallas as far as he could go into R ussia. This was in con­ junction wit h the D all as Centennial and fina ncing was to come in part from the sale of mail covers. It was a bust, proba­ bly because the Soviets took a dim view of the idea and would not cooperate.

Paris was an alternative destination , but the enterprise would not fly. Pangborn was by then involved with Burnelli in a projected nonstop , air-to-air refueled round the world flight in a UB-14 . Al­ most certainly that is ' Pang' leaning over the cockpit at Burbank in 1936. Don't have a clue as to what happened after that , but suspect corrosion and dry rot had a lot to do with it. " Other answers were received from Charley Hayes, Park Forest, IL; Michael R. Baas , Irving , TX ; James Borden , Menahga , MN ; H . Glenn Buffington , EI Dorado, AR; Theodore N. Wales, West­ wood, MA; Frederick A. Vernon, Ozark, AL, Dr. Joseph Handelman , Annapolis, MD, Cedric Galloway, Hesperia, CA , Ralph Nortell , Spokane , W A, and Her­ bert G. deBruyn , Bellaire, WA. ...

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Ralph Nortell sent along these two Mark Campell shots of the Vance Viking from his collection.

CESSNA As mentioned before, one of Patty's many contributions to the Cessna was the time she spent painstakingly scraping the paint off the instrument panel and then refinishing it with crinkle finish paint. She also learned how to safety wire, as well as double check some of the work Art had done. Patty's dad, Ray Fagnano, even got into the project a lit­ tle, helping out where he could when he came for visits.

A bit more work needs to be accom­ plished, including some radio work , and the replacement of a few cracked knobs.

Patty has also been bitten by the flying bug and has been taking ground school courses, waiting until she is ready to pass her medical exam.

With Oshkosh fast approaching, it be­ gan to look as though it might just be possible to make it to the big fly-in . One last big hurdle remained. The interior.

An appointment had been made with Alan Boothroyd of Airborne Uphol­ stery, just across the Delaware river in East Stroudsburg, PA. Alan did a neat job of fitting the inte rior to the cabin of the twin Cessna. Gary, at their sister fa­ cility, Airborne Electronics, was helpful in going over the radio installation in the airplane. With no time to spare, it was time to leave for EAA OSHKOSH '93.

The adventures with the 310 were not over yet. Patty, Art and their two friends Joe Glennon and Frank Leferink headed off to Wisconsin the Wednesday the Convention began . As they nea red Wa­ tertown, WI , Art noticed that the amme­ ter was dancing up and down the scale.

Figuring he had a short circuit, they turned off all non-esse ntial items and landed at Watertown . It turned out the cable from the auxiliary power cable , one they had not yet replaced, had shorted out and caused the battery to boil over, spilling acid all over the struc­ ture surrounding the battery box. After spending the rest of the day flushing the area out with baking soda and water , they finally were able to land at OSH Thursday evening. With the heavy rains that had pummeled the airport just a

(Continued/rom page 17)

couple of days before the Convention began , the parking arrangements were a bit unusual - since they would not be camping, the 310 was parked next to showplane camping , but on the other side of the crowd line, as though an air­ show of Contemporary airplanes was planned for the south end of Wittman Field!

After they arrived, Patty and Art took a moment to look at each other. It had been a remarkable past couple of years, and they both knew it had been a long airway to get them to that parking spot next to runway 18-36. They were just plain happy to be there together.

Frank Leferink , who is from the Netherlands, had never seen so many dif­ ferent airplanes in one place before. Art said his head just kept moving trying to take it all in , and the longer he looked, the more his mouth fell open in amazement!

After parking the airplane, they had been told to be sure and register the air­ plane , and more than one person re­ marked that it should be judged . So when Art filled out the registration sheet, he checked "Yes" under the " Do you want the above aircraft judged for an award?" spot on the form . Boy, was he in for a surprise!

Getting there was just the start of the story - after they returned home, Art and Patty found out the Cessna had been se­ lected as the Reserve Grand Champion Contemporary! They were stunned and pleased . For a time period that had started out so bleakly, the culmination of their efforts at EAA OSHKOSH were the icing on the cake.

So what is next on the horizon for the turquoise twin ? Art and Patty hope to put together a package with local tour rides that will include the crew dressed in 1950's attire, as well as sharing expenses for trips to Martha's Vineyard. Art is also looking forward to using the Cessna and his Piper Cub to give EAA Young Eagle rides to local youngsters. Whatever Art and Patti do with the airplanes, you can bet they'll both be thrilled to get the chance to do it. ....

The f ollowing list of coming events is fu rnished to our readers as a matter of information only and does not constitute approval, sponsorship, invol vement, control or direction of any event (jly-in, seminars, fly market, etc.) listed. Please send the inf ormation to EAA, All: Golda Cox, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Information should be received four months prior to the event date.

MA R C H 4 - 6 - CASA GRANDE , AZ - 36th Annual AZ AAA Cactus Fly­ In. 602/641-7467.

A PRI L 10 - 16 - LAKELAND, FL­ The 20th An nual Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In and International Aviation Convention.

Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport. For information call 813/644-2431.

MA Y 13 - 15 - CAMARILLO , CA Camarillo EAA Fly-In and Air Show. ex­ perimental, antique, classic, warbirds, type clubs. Pancake breakfast , BBQ , and awards dinner , Vendors , lAC air show and flight demonstrations , Factory and FAA seminars. For information , call 805/584-1706.

J UNE 5 - LACROSSE, WI - Annual Fly-InlDrive-In breakfast. 6081781-5271.

J UNE 5 - DEKALB, IL - DeKalb-Tay­ lor Municipal airport. 7am - noon. EAA Chapter 241 serves its 30th Annual Fly­ In /Drive-In breakfast. For information , call 815/286-7818.

JUNE 3 - 4 - BARTLESVILLE, OK ­ Eighth Annual National Biplane Conven­ tion and Exposition. Frank Phillips Field.

Biplane airshow with world famous per­ formers, forums, seminars and workshops.

Biplanes and NBA members free - for all others an admission charge applies. For information call Charles Harris, Chair­ man, 918/622-8400 or Virgil Gaede, Expo Director, 918/336-3976.

JUNE 23 - 26 - MT. VERNON, OH­ 35th Annual National Waco Reunion Fly­ In. 513/868-0084.

JULY 28 - AUG. 3 - OSHKOSH, WI ­ 42nd Annual EAA Fly-In Convention.

Wittman Regional Airport. Contact John Burton, P.O . Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086,414/426-4800.

ITS NEVER TOO EARLY TO START MAKING PLANS!

NOMINATIONS FOR ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS In accordance with the EAA AntiquelClassic Divisions bylaws, the terms of nine directors, the President and Secretary will expire at the Di­ vision 's Annual Business Meeting at Oshkosh, WI on Tuesday, August 2,1994.

Nominations for any elective office can only be made on official nomination forms which may be obtained from EAA Headquarters (contact Ms. Shirley McQuillian). Up for election this year are the positions for nine elective directors: John Be rndt , Robert C. Braue r, Gene Chase, George Daubner, Charles Harris, Jeannie Hill, Robert D. Lumley, Gene Morris and George York. Nominations are also to be made for the po­ sitions of President, (Espie Joyce) and Secretary, (Steve Nesse ).

Each nomination form must contain a minimum of ten (10) signatures of EAA Antique/Classic division members in good standing, together with their membership number and expiration date. The nominating pe tition shall contain a brief resume of the nominee 's experience and back­ ground and shall be accompanied by a recent photo. To be eligible for a nomination, a candidate must be a member in good standing.

Nominating petitions must be submitted to the Chairman of the Nominating Committee, clo EAA Headquarters, no later than the end of the sixth month prior to the annual business meeting (March 5, 1994).

Voting instructions and the official ba llot will be published in the June 1994 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

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

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

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

CONVENIENT LOCATION - Off Hwy 41 at the hwy 44 exit, Oshkosh , WI, adjacent to Wittman Regional Airport.

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EAAAlR ADIlENTURE MUSEUMTh1 OSHKOS H. WI

EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION EAA Aviation Center, P.O. Box 3065, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3065 414-426-4800 (Weekends 414-426-4818)

GEE BEE's etc. - Scale model plans (used for Benjamin R-2).

Catalog $4.00, refundable. Vern Clements, 308 Palo Alto, Caldwell, ID 83605. (c-3/94)

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

Payment must accompany ad. VISA/MasterCard accepted.

CURTISS JN4-D MEMORABILIA - You can now own memorabilia from the famous "Jenny·, as seen on "TREASURES FROM THE PAST". We have posters, postcards, videos, pins, airmail cachets,

etc. We also have R/C documentation exclusive to this historic

aircraft. Sale of these items support operating expense to keep this "Jenny· flying for the aviation public. We appreciate your help. Write for your free price List. Virginia Aviation Co., RDv-8, Box 294, Warrenton, VA 22186 . (c/5/92)

SUPER CUB PA-18 FUSELAGES - New manufacture, STC-PMA-d, 4130 chrome-moly tubing throughout, also oomplete 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 .

WINDSHIELDS - WINDOWS - CANOPIES - for all unpressurized,

certified, custom or experimental aircraft. Unmatched 1/2 price replace­ ment warranty covers damage during installation and service for 6

months after purchase. AIRPLANE PLASTICS CO., 8300k DAYTON ROAD, FAIRBORN, OH 45324.513/864-5607. (C-1/94)

30 JANUARY 1994

(NEW) This & That About the Ercoupe, $14.00. Fly-About Adventures & the Ercoupe, $17.95. Both books, $25.00. Fly-About, P.O. Box 51144, Denton, Texas 76206. (c-3/94) 1915-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - 4,000 sq . foot warehouse full' Buy - sell - trade, 44-page catalog, $5. Airmailed . Jon Aldrich, Airport Box 706, Groveland, CA 95321, phone 209/962-6121 . (c-5/94) Cessna 120/140 Parts - Rebuilt 15 amp generator, $75.00 - Good

Reg, $75.00 from 90 Continental. Call 315/695-3326 after 6 p.m.

Leave message. (1-1)

ENGINES:

Brownback Anzani Tiger 90 hp Engine - C-400 Twin Row 6

cylinder radial. I need parts, overhaul info or complete engine to

compare. Ralph Graham, 1745 S. Lexington, S1. Paul, MN 55118, 612/452-3629. (1-2)

WANTED:

Wanted - Original Juptner's Vol. 8. Will trade original Vol. 9 in excellent condition without dustjacket or purchase outright. John Dupre', 111 Court Street, #3, Exeter, NH 03833-2612. (3-3)

All you need is our catalog and toll-lree number••• Call fo r

I--::-~~~;:;::J Steve Lund's Kinner Hatz

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FREE cop}:' of

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Champions Know Stits

Subscribe to Aer v pla ne ~ews

Oshkosh '92

Grand Champion

Custom Built

From Plans

late st catalo g

COVERING SYSTEMS

~ ·Poly-Fiber · Randolph

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·Ceconite ·Air-Tech Dopes, Fabrics, Tapes, Primers & Accessories

FABRIC ENVElOPES · Poly-Fiber PI 03 , PlI O& PI 06 ·Ceconite 101 and 102

READY-TO-INSTALL UPHOlSTERY KITS · Anlique & Classic Aircraft

INTERIOR ITEMS

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A.N . HARDWARE · Bolts ~ ·Rivels · Nuts ·Washers · Pins ·FillingS ·Screws tJrriiiiB · Fasteners

~ ..,:.

ACCESSORIES

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·Cushion Sets ·Headliners ·Seat ·Carpeting Slings ·Canopy/Windshield Covers ·Baggage Compartments

CUB)

DECALS, STENCILS & PLACARDS

·Filters ·Windshi elds ~~\ :? ·Tires ·Shock Cords t~.~ AIRFRAME PARTS ·Tu bes ·Spark Pl ugs {It ·Spruce •Fir ·Pl ywood ' Adhesives · Nails ·Propellers ·Tail Draggers ·Steel Sheet & Tu bing · Malco Wheels and Brakes · Masler Cylinders ' Aluminum Sheet &Tubing ....,~

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P.O. Box 909 • Grilfm. GA 30224 FAX Line (404) 229-2329

Visitour retail outlet The AEROPLANE Store located at 900 S. Pine Hill Road

Griffin, GA 30223

And Stits Is Now Poly-Fiber Over the decad&tieThirty , years of this little biplan trouble-free .use identified Stits made Poly-Fiber Poly-Fiber aircraft the ~Iear choic~ of covering products. champions and flrst­ Today those products time builders alike. have a new name Now it's coupled with and logo, but they still a level of service and come with the best support all too rare manual and how-to these days. Give us a video in the business. call, 8 to 5 Pacific time.

Customer Setvice: 800.362.3490 Other Stuff:

909.684.4280

FAX:

909.684.0518

Box 3084-5

Riverside, California

92519-3084

p .O. box 468 madison , north carolina 27025 (919) 427-0216

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation.

AWWA

MEMBER

MEMBER

Custom quality at eco nomical prices.

• Cushion upholstery sets • Wall panel sets • Headliners • Carpet sets • Baggage compartment s ets • Firewall covers • Seat slings • Recover enve lopes and dopes Free catalog of complete product li ne.

lANK PAINIINb AND REPAIRING SANOIlASTING. lANK liNUS AND COAIINGS PREvENIiVE TANK ..AINIENANCE INSPKIION SERVICE lADDER SAfETY EQUIP.. ENI RESERVOIR LINERS AND ROOfS DISMANILING AND ..OVING IANKS NEW. USED AND RECONDITIONED IANKS

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials: $3.00.

Q iFteJi:RoDUCTS.INC. 259 Lowe r Morrisville Rd ., Dept. VA

Fallsington , PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

AVIATION UNLIMITED AGENCY

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BENEFITS INCLUDE: • Lower Uability & Hull Premiums

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• Fleet Discounts • No Age Penalty • No Hand Propping Exclusions • No Component Parts Endorsements • A+ Company with In-House Claims c---~ Service • Option to Repair Your Own Aircraft

800-727-3823

APPROVED

Learn the basics of oxyacetylene welding from

BUILDING YOUR OWN

AIRPLANE

f:AA!

TAKf TNf MYSTfRY OUT Of AIRCRAfT WfLDING! Join host Gregg Ewert and instructor Bill Roerig as they take you step by step through the process of oxy­ acetylene welding.

You'll learn how to: • "read" a puddle • run a bead • tack weld • weld a 90° tube intersection • cluster weld • and see examples of rosette, lap and fillet welds Whether you've never held a torch before, or haven't welded in years and want to brush up on your skills, this video will provide you with the background to get you started.

$24.95*