VA-Vol-22-No-3-March-1994

EDITORIAL STAFF Publisher Tom Poberezny Vice-President,

Marketing and Communications

Dick Matt

Vol. 22, No.3

March 1994

Editor-in- Chief

Jack Cox

Editor

Hen ry G. Fraut schy

CONTENTS

Managing Editor

Golda Cox

1 Straight & Level/

Espie "Butch" Joyce

Art Director

M ike Dru cks

Computer Graphic Specialists

Sara Hansen

l. Phillip Jennifer Larsen

2 AC News/

Compiled by H.G. Frautschy

O liv ia

Advertising

Mary Jon es

4 From The EAA Archives/ H.G. Frautschy 6 Nothing New Under The Sun/ Frank Ryder

ASSOCiate Editor

Norm Pet e rsen

Page 6

10 What Our Members are Restoring/ Norm Petersen

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INC,

OFFICERS

13 Swift Fun/ H.G. Frautschy 18 AlC Showplanes· Winners AII/ Norm Petersen Page 12

23 Pass it to Buck!

E.E. "Buck" Hilbert

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

Vice-President Arthur Morgan 3744 North 51st Blvd.

Milwaukee, WI 53216 414/442-3631

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

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

DIRECTORS

24 Replacing Rusty Longerons/ H .G. Frautschy 25 Welcome New Members 27 AlC Calendar 28 Mystery Plane/George Hardie

Staff Photographers

Jim Kaepnick Mike Steineke

Carl Schuppel Donna Bu shman

Editorial Assistant

Isabelle W iske

12 Sun 'n Fun Preview/ H.G. Frautschy

22 Read Your Plugs/ Bill Claxton

Feature Writers

George Hard ie, Jr. D ennis Parks

Page 18

30 Vintage Trader FRONT COVER ... Mark Hollidoy and C harlie Nelson form up for a portrait with a pair of Swifts. In the foreground is Mark in his 1946 Globe GC· 1B Sw ift, powered by a Contineta l 0-300 o f 125hp. Charlie Nelson's modified Globe t::;;~:;:=-.:::J GC·l A Swift sports just about every STC'd change you can make to the airplane. EAA photo by Jim Koepnick. Shot with a Canon EOS- l equipped with an 8O-200mm lens. 1/ 250 sec . a t f8 on Kodak Kodachrome 64. Cessna 210 photo plane p iloted by Bruce Moore.

BACK COVER .. ."Making a Date ' is the title of this painting by artist John Dormer of Son Diego , CA. The pilot of the Stearman C3R in the foreground tries to charm the young lady in the '36 Ford Roadster. while Louise Thaden's Travel Air turns final in the background . See A / C News for more on this painting entered in the 1993 Sport Aviation Art Competition.

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

VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EAA Antique/Classic DiviSion, Inc. 01 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 Anlique/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 AFO addresses via surface mail.

ADVERTISING - Antique/Classic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through the advertising. We inv"e 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 subm" stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibilrry for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. No renumeration is made.

Material should be sent to: Ed"or, 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 of the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION and EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above association is strictly prohibited.

John Berendt 7645 Echo Point Rd. Cannon Falls, 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. Tulso, OK 74145 918/622-8400 Dale A. Gustafson 7724 Shody Hill Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46278 317/293-4430 Robert UCkteig 1708 Bay Ooks r.

Albert Leo, MN 56007 507/373-'2922 Gene Morris 115C Steve Court, R.R. 2 Roonoke, TX 76262 817/ 49 1-9110

Robert C. ' Bob' Brauer

9345 S. Hoyne

Chicaw, IL 60620

312/ 79-2105

John S. Copeland 28-3 Williannsbur8 CI. Shrewsbury, MA 1545 fIJ8/842-7867 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

HaNard, IL 60033

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

181 Sloboda Av.

Mansfield, OH 44906

419/529-4378

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

DIRECTOR EMERITUS S.J. 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

640 Alamo Dr.

Vacaville. CA 95688

707/ 451-0411

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

Geoff Rolbison 1521 E. MocGregor Dr. New Haven , IN 46774 219/493-4724

STRAIGHT & LEVEL

Contemporary aircraft. I think this is a great improvement.

The Sun 'n Fun Fly-In is a very well organized and well run event. Those who have attended in the past have re­ ally enjoyed it. I will be there and will be in the Antique/Classic area much of the time ... visiting from aircraft to aircraft and around the headquarters building.

About the only thing I have done this winter is work on my 172. I started out to put a windshield in this plane for my annua l ... and ended up com­ pletely redoing the interior back to new condition with all new glass - 360 front and rear. I then stripped and re­ painted the interior, replaced broken plastic on the instrument panel , in­ stalled soundproofing and completed the job with a leather interior. This was done by a friend of mine from North Wilkesboro , NC. The airplane looks like new on the inside. Just this past weekend, I completed this project with the help of my friend Rob Kam­ sch, and hopefully when the weather breaks, we will be out flying as soon as I can get the annual signed off. This is a 1967 172 which is the last year they put the Continental engine in this Cessna.

In February we held the winter An­ tique/Classic Board of Directors meet­ ing at Oshkosh. Several things were discussed concerning OSHKOSH '94.

The board is very concerned about im­ proved services for those people who attend the Fly-In and park further 0

by Espie "Butch" Joyce This winter we have had so much rain and cool weather here in the Car­ olinas that it certainly strains me to be enthusiastic when I write my STRAIGHT & LEVEL article. The basic reason is the lack of flying activ­ ity here because of the weather ... it becomes difficult to have the inspira­ tion needed to talk about certain sub­ jects. I am looking forward to the spring season so that we can start fly­ ing again. My enthusiasm will build again for the flying part of aviation.

I sit here every day looking at the calendar .. . counting down the days that remain until the Sun 'n Fun Fly­ In. When we return from that fly-in, we will return with a lot of enthusiasm to carry us right on through Oshkosh.

Billy Henderson, the executive di­ rector of Sun 'n Fun, has assured me that all those people attending the fly­ in will have a great deal of fun.

The Antique/Classic area , as you know, was moved from west of the field to an area south of the field. Last year, this area had some very soft ground for the larger airplanes. They have been trying to remedy some of these problems for this parking area.

One of the disadvantages of the old parking area was the fact that when the airshow was being performed you had to remove yourself from the area in which the airpla nes were located.

This area was past the show line. Now, the new parking area is not in the show line and thus permits people who are there for a short time to walk around and view the Antique, Classic and

south on the field. I hope there will be more "porta-johns" available this year and that we will have a mini-store with ice and other necessities for those peo­ ple camping in that area . Also the possibility of showers was discussed but due to zoning regulations and lo­ gistics, that might not be possible this year. It is also our hope that we might be able to run a tram from this area to transport people with baggage, and who are not camping, to the main bus terminal. This is a real dilemma for those people who park to the south as sometimes there is a possibility they may end up carrying their baggage nearly 2-112 miles by foot to get to the bus area. We are very concerned that this should be corrected. Of course, with the growing pains that we have at the Convention, we just ask for every­ one's patience. Should you have any comments along this line , please for­ ward them to me . My address is shown in the mast head of the magazine.

With reference to the magazine , I hope everyone is enjoying the new color that we are presenting each month. Our membership has broken the 9,000 member mark and we are still growing. I certainly appreciate ev­ eryone's loyalty. Should you have any comments of any type concerning your Division, do not hesitate to contact me. Please ask a friend to join our Di­ vision so that we can be even stronger.

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

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1

compiled by H.G. Frautschy

ABOUT THE BACK COVER ... " Making A Date" is the painting artist John Dormer, of San Diego, CA did for his friend Bill Allen, whom John describes as a " talented aviator, collector and de­ voted aviation buff." John describes the painting: "The Stearman C3R in the foreground, the '36 Ford Roadster, the Ryan ST in the hangar and the ex-Louise Thaden's Travel Air racer turning final are all aircraft in Bill's collection, and Allen Airways is the name of one of his businesses. I com­ bined all these subjects into a nice sunny, happy scene, reminiscent of the mid-thir­ ties, and used my imagination to place the airport in a kind of central California set­ ting. The painting is done in Gouache, a medium I very much enjoy. Bill likes it too and says he 's going to miss the paint­ ing for the year the EAA has it on dis­ play."

Fear not, Bill, your painting will be on its way home to you in a couple of months, after the crowds here at the EAA Air Ad­ venture museum have had a chance to ad­ mire it.

John Dormer has been nuts about air­ planes since he was a kid. He was able to realize many a young boy's dream by be­ coming a USAF pilot, first as an instructor in T-33's, then as pilot for the Tactical Air Command , flying the RF-101 Voodoo.

All through that time he dabbled with sketching and watercolors, but he made no serious effort to earn an income with his artistic talent. After leaving the Air Force, his keen interest in sports cars led him into a career in that field , both in ap­ praisals and as a dealer. He also built a Mong Sport biplane. By 1987, John was able to get more serious about his art ca­ reer, which he had continued to work on.

John's painting was the recipient of a Merit ribbon from the judges of the 1993 EAA Sport Aviation Art Competition.

Our thanks to Bill Allen and John Dormer for sharing the painting with EAA and its members.

EAA OPPOSES CORPORATE ATCSYSTEM In testimony before the FAA, EAA has formally expressed opposition to the federal plan being proposed to remove the FAA's jurisdiction over the nation's Air Traffic Control system and turn it over to a federal corporation.

EAA believes that turning the system over to a corporation would endanger the 2 MARCH 1994

aviation infrastructure of the U.S., and weaken the state of general aviation in the country as well as further limit an individ­ ual's ability to use airspace open to all.

The restructuring plan currently being developed could include individual charges for such items as weather brief­ ings, the filing of flight plans and contact with air traffic controllers. EAA is con­ cerned about general and sport aviation users being forced to pay for services that are not needed by most of those airspace users. Furthermore, the corporation by definition would be a monopoly, eliminat­ ing an efficiency motive inherent with competition.

"General, or more particularly, non­ commercial aviation, has been the grass roots of aviation and the basis for the su­ periority our country enjoys in the field of aviation today," said EAA President Tom Poberezny. "If we weaken or diminish those roots we will eventually weaken and diminish all aviation. We are concerned that placing the A TC system within a fed­ eral corporation will do just that."

Also of note was the apparent lack of concern by the current Administration to­ wards public input on the proposed plan.

EAA and other concerned organizations and citizens were given only 5 business days notice that public hearings would be held on the plan.

"The freedom for all to enjoy the bene­ fits of our nation's airspace is disappear­ ing," concludes Poberezny . "That free­ dom and access has been the foundation of our growth and leadership in aviation.

It is a fundamental premise of our country and must be preserved."

EXPERIMENTAUEXHIBITION

CATEGORY INFO

For A/C members who own foreign aircraft such as a Blicker, Stampe SV-4 or the deHavilland Tiger Moth or Chip­ munk, and other Antique/Classic aircraft registered as Experimental/Exhibition, the current review by the FAA regarding the operation of these aircraft is of great importance. The FAA is currently study­ ing the situation which may affect new ap­ plicants and could impact current opera­ tors of these aircraft. While the rules regarding the operation of those aircraft with existing aircraft airworthiness certifi­ cates issued as Experimental/Exhibition have not changed, there is the perception that the enforcement of the operating lim­ itations issued with the aircraft airworthi­ ness certificate would be more strictly in­

terpreted.

On February 17,1994, a meeting was held in Washington, D.C. regarding this Issue.

A number of recommendations had been made to the FAA after a workshop held at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh in October 1993. The FAA re­ quested the recent meeting to receive in­ put from individuals and organizations who have concerns in this area. Accord­ ing to the FAA , nearly 1,000 comments were received in response to the notice in the Federal Register, a significant number when weighed against the number of air­ craft that are affected by the restrictions imposed by the FAA regarding their op­ eration.

It is anticipated that further word re­ garding the workshop'S recommendations and the FAA's response will come no ear­ lier than the beginning of April. EAA will continue to work with the FAA to en­ sure the flight rules placed upon these air­ craft are not unduly restrictive. The FAA has made no commitment regarding the final disposition of these rules, and they are still working on the problem at the staff level. EAA will cooperate with the FAA to be certain they have all the ap­ propriate information they need to make a set of rules with which the operators can continue to fly their aircraft. We will keep you advised on the situation as it devel­ ops, and are planning an article concern­ ing the rules governing the operation of Experimental/Exhibition Antique/Classic aircraft. At that point in time we should have a clearer picture on exactly what you can and cannot do with a foreign Antique or Classic airplane registered in the Ex­ perimental/Exhibition category.

EAA AIR ACADEMY '94 The EAA Air Academy for youth age 15-17 will be presented from July 16-31 , 1994. Applicants will be considered in the order received. Interested youth, parents members and EAA Chapters are urged to secure further information about the eleventh annual Air Academy by contact­ ing the EAA Education Office, P.O. Box 3065, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3065 or call 414/426-4888.

CONTINENTAL LUSCOMBE ASSOCIATION MOVES Here is an update on the address and phone number of the Continental Lus­ combe Association. They've moved from California to Idaho. The new address is 705 Riggs, Emmett , ID 83617 . Phone 208/365-7780.

ERCOUPE SERVICE BULLETIN Univair Aircraft Corp., the holder of the Ercoupe type certificate, has just is­ sued a service bulletin regarding inspec­

tion for corrosion in the outer wing panel.

All models of the Ercoupe are affected, in­ cluding the 415-C, -CD, -D, -E and -G models, as well as the Forney F-1 and F­ lA, Alon A-2 and A-2A, and the Mooney M10. The inspection is due within the next 100 hours of operation or at the next periodic inspection, whichever occurs first.

According to the SB, reports have been received that several aircraft built under the Ercoupe type certificate have been found to have severe corrosion in the outer wing panel structure. There is cur­ rently no existing provision for complete visual inspection of the outer wing panel structure.

The bulletin details the inspection pro­ cedure, including the locations of inspec­ tion holes to be cut into the wing covering (metal or cloth) . If you have not yet re­ ceived a copy of this bulletin, and you have an aircraft that could be affected by the Service Bulletin, contact Univair Air­ craft Corporation, 2500 Himalaya Rd ., Aurora, CO 80011. Phone 303/375-8882.

HAC HELP NEEDED Ben White , P.O. Box 5862 , Arizona City, AZ 85223, is looking for an STC or a one time approval on an FAA Form 337 to cover the installation of a Lycoming 0­ 290 in an Aeronca l1AC. If there is any­ one who has done such a conversion, Ben would like to hear from you. We were un­ able to find an STC for the 0-290 installa­ tion , but perhaps someone has done it on a one time approval basis.

ILLINOIS AVIATION HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES When the Illinois Aviation Hall of Fame made its selections for this year's in­ ductions , long time EAA member and Antique/Classic supporter Ted Koston was included in the group. Ted was hon­ ored for his volunteer leadership in sev­ eral aviation organizations as well as EAA over the past 45 years. It seems everybody knows Ted Koston - over 45 individual nominations were received for his nomina­ tion . Ted is known to most EAA 'ers as a world class photographer whose photos have graced the pages of EAA publica­ tions for many years. (You can see one of his photos on page 16 - the shot of Jack Nagle's SuperSwift.)

Ted is active in the Coast Guard Auxil­ iary, Cross and Cockade society, Civil Air Patrol, and EAA Chapter activities, plus he serves as a judge for the Antique/Clas­ sic Photo contest. Ted was also instru­ mental in the formation of the Midwest Aviation Photographers society.

Congratulations, Ted, on yo ur induc­ tion into the Illinois Aviation Hall of Fame.

Also inducted into the Hall of Fame were aviators Ralph Eckley and Art Chester.

Ralph Eckley (deceased) was a pioneer (WW I era) pilot and barnstormer from the ' 20s. He was one of the founders of the Monmouth, IL airport and the instiga­ tor of severa l feeder airli ne attemp ts to serve Illinois and Iowa cities prior to WW II. Ralph was also an accomp lished avia­ tion journalist who authored more than a thousand articles dealing with aviation .

Even into his late 80's, Ralph was active in Illinois aviation. Ralph 's son-in-law is none other Jim Haynes, the president of the Curtiss Robin club. Jim married Ralph's daughter Ann. Art Chester (deceased) was a pioneer aviator as well, and is well-known to mem­ bers who enjoy air racing history. Art was a barnstormer and race pilot who was the operator of the Wilhelm Airport near Joliet , IL for nearly 30 years , from 1920 until his untimely death in 1949. He raced some of the most well-known airplanes in racing history, including the famous "Jeep" and "Swee ' Pea II. " Chester was also one of the early presidents of the Pro­ fessional Race Pilots Association (PRPA).

His willingness to demonstrate flying to everyone with airshow performances, pas­ senger rides along with his enthusiastic aviation preaching earned him recognition before his air racing career even started.

Art was always willing to share his racing experience with the younger race pilots, and was active in a number of facets in air racing, including acting as the race referee for the National Air Rac e s during the post-war years.

The Hall of Fame dinner and induction ceremonies will be held at the Collinsville Holiday Inn in conjunction with the Illi­ nois Aviation Conference . The confer­ ence will be held May 3-6, with the induc­ tion May 5.

At the same dinner, the Spirit of Flight award will be presented to the Illinois Army National Guard in recognition of their patrol and rescue efforts during the Great Flood of 1993. Many of these Guard pilots and crew members are EAA and Antique/Classic members - our congratu­ lations to you all!

NANCY DAILY Charlie Nelson had the sad duty to re­ port to the Swift community of the passing of Nancy Daily, the fine lady who had hosted the national Swift Fly-In since 1980. An accomplished multi-engine pilot and instrument instructor, Nancy was killed when the plane she was piloting crashed in the Smoky Mountains near An­ drews, NC. The crash occurred during the second approach attempted by Nancy to McMinn Airport during a n unscheduled landing.

She and her husband Jim were the op­ erators of the FBO at McMinn. Nancy also served as an agent for AUA , Inc .

Many Swift enthusiasts will recall h er warm welcome and friendly smi le when

they stopped by for a visit.

Our condolences to he r husband Jim and their 3 daughters, as well as to her many friends and fellow "Swifters."

ZACKMOSLEY One of the most popular comic strips of the '30s and '40s was "Smilin' Jack ," a comic that mixed the world of aviation with the action of the imagination. Zack Mosley the creator of that memorable comic, passed away December 24,1993 at the age of 87. His was the creative genius behind the strip that featured such unfor­ gettable characters as " Fatstuff" and " Downwind Jaxon," not to mention Smilin ' Jack himself. The strip ran from 1933 until 1973, and during that time ap­ peared in 300 newspapers around the world. Capturing the romance of aviation in the strip was easy for Mosley, who had been inspired by aviation when he was a young boy watching a mail plane fly over his home.

He was a gre at supporter of the Civil Air Patrol, lending his expertise with a pen to draw a number of logos for use by the service. His detailed drawings within his strip helped keep aviation in the minds of thousands during the years, and inspired countless youngsters towards aviation ca­ reers.

Zack Mosley is survived by his wife, Betty, his daughter, Jill of Gainesville, FL, and his three brothers, Joe , Bob and Doyle.

JAMES C. REDDING James Redding passed away November 14, 1993 at the age of 86.

He enjoyed a long career in aviation , starting with his work as an engineer with Grover Loening following his graduation from MIT in 1929 with a degree in aero­ nautical engineering. Jim later worked for EDO, Seversky and Kirkham before he worked at Fleetwings, where he designed the airplane for which most Antique/Clas­ sic members will remember him - the first stainless steel airplane put into produc­ tion , the Fleetwings Seabird. Two Seabirds of the seven produced are still flying - Burke Oliver ' s and Channing Clark 's Seabirds are still both beautiful ex­ amples of the amphibian.

Jim joined Eastman Kodak in 1939, where he worked on aerial photography equipment design. Towards the end of his career, Jim was involved in the design work for the cameras and film processing equipm ent used to map the lunar surface in preparation for the Apollo missions .

He retired in 1972.

Jim was a pilot for over 60 years, and was an active member of EAA Chapter 44 in Rochester, NY. Our condolences to the families and friends of Nancy Daily, Zack Mosley and James Redding.

'*

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

FROM THE ARCHIVES ...

by H.G. Frautschy

The EAA and its members are fortunate in that a number of significant photographic collections have been do足 nated to the EAA Aviation Foundation. The photos you see here are part of the Worthington collection, a series of photos taken by an unknown photographer from the Los Angeles area. The photographer worked for a Packard dealer, and so many of the shots feature a bright, shiny new Packard in the foreground.

The photos all share a terrific amount of detail, by virtue of the fact they are printed from glass plate negatives.

We have W.L. Worthington (EAA 100415) of Inglewood, CA to thank for saving these valuable artifacts of aviation history.

The Graf Zeppelin during its stopover at Mines Field, Los Angeles, during the famous around the world flight in 1929. In the inset shot, employees of the LA Dept. of Water and Power appear to be working with some electrical equipment related to ma intaining the " Graf" while it was moored. Perhaps they ' re supplying power for electrolysis to generate hydro足 gen. Imagine the ride on those wooden spoked , solid rubber tired wheels! There is one more fun de足 tail on the truck - a mechanical turn signal. Look closely, and you can see a painted arm and hand in the window. Pull on the handle, and the arm points to tell everyone where you 're headed! You can also see some great details on the Zeppelin, including the ground handling rails along the length of the cabin. The " Graf" was a reliable and safe dirigible throughout its career, and was never involved in a accident fatal to its passengers. It was eventually scrapped by Hitler's government, the last of the great rigid airships to carry paying passengers in revenue service.

4 MARCH 1994

The Buhl CA-3E Air Sedan, SIN 57, powered with the Packard DR足 280 diesel engine. This particular plane was first delivered with a Wright J6, but the airframe was one of several different aircraft modified to use the new Packard diesel, an engine that held great promise as it was developed in 1929-30. (Packard was awarded the Collier Trophy in 1931 for its work with diesel engines.) The en足 gine was designed by Capt. L.M. Woolson, a noted engine designer for Packard. Unfortunately, just as the engine was reaching it's peak as far as development goes, Woolson and two passengers were killed in the crash of a Packard diesel equipped Verville Air Coach near Attica, NY, when they lost their bearings in a storm.

While Packard continued some work with the engines, without the zeal of its chief designer the project eventually fell by the wayside.

We have no identification regarding the location or identities of the people in either shot, although the large brick and stucco hangar in the background may offer a clue.

Trading places - A local native American and who we presume to be one of Union Oil's pilots take a moment to trade their mounts.

The four-legged variety seems very well behaved, but what ap足 pears to be a whip in the hands of the Indian may have something to do with that! This particular Travel-Air 4000 is SIN 722, and was delivered to Union Oil of California with a 220 hp Wright. The loca足 tion is unknown.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

by Frank Ryder Despite the proven long-distance pin­ point accuracy of modern day missiles, the military still believes there is a combat need for a highly maneuverable manned fighter. Thus the new X-29.

Instantly recognizable by its forward swept wing, this unique airplane is touted as a new concept in fighter design. Imag­ ine an aircraft so unstable it requires the constant attention of a computer to spare it from self-destruction. The operational G forces the X-29 is designed to with­ stand are reportedly much greater than those its pilot can endure.

This strangely beautiful new jet fighter isn't designed for maximum multisonic speed to out race enemy missiles, and it wasn't created for flying at stratospheric altitudes out of hostile reach. Instead , its mission is intended to engage, outmaneu­ ver and destroy the enemy by utilizing a totally unstable design that turns on a dime.

A radical new concept, right? If you're referring to 75 years ago in 1917, the an­ swer is yes, and the aircraft that pioneered and combat tested this approach was the Fokker DR-l. The famous/infamous , 6 MARCH 1994

loved/feared, rewarding/frustrating killer of pilot and foe alike, Fokker Triplane.

Also intentionally designed inherently unstable, it, too, required uninterrupted computer monitoring (the brain) and con­ stant servo input (the hands and feet) to prevent self-destruction. What resulted was the consummate air fighter, the high­ water mark against which to measure all later designs.

To appreciate how advanced and radi­ cal the DR-l was, you must compare it to its contemporaries, which represented the state of the art late in World War I. As with the X-29, there were faster and higher flying machines, but when it came to engagement in the deadly duel of "dog­ fighting," it was peerless. In one, the bril­ liant German Ace, Werner Voss, single­ handedly fought two flights of British SE-5's to a standstill before finally suc­ cumbing. That day he reportedly shot down four Allied planes and left bullet holes in every other bewildered adversary while demonstrating the Fokker's ability to instantly turn on its attackers with con­ trolled flat spins.

The Great War raged from mid 1914

to late 1918, just 11 to 15 short years after Kitty Hawk . By comparison, the F-4 Phantom is still a potent weapons system effectively used as recently as Desert Storm, and yet it was designed over 35 years ago. Back in World War I, going up against the enemy in even a two-year-old design was a certain death sentence.

During the little over four years , or 223 weeks, of hostilities, an average of more than one new aircraft design was in­ troduced each week. Can you imagine such a feat? Designs constantly being sketched on floors, walls and tables with prototype construction immediately un­ dertaken. No EAA for support or Trade­ A-Plane for scrounging parts, those folks were real pioneers with their fledgling en­ gines. Little wonder more World War I airmen died from accidents than from en­ emy gunfire.

New aircraft were accepted or rejected by governments trying to establish mean­ ingful standards through trial and error methods. Most pilots today know of the SE-5 , yet very few are familiar with the SE-4, an earlier and faster design. Unfor­ tunately, the British government rejected

the prototype because, according to them: "nobody can safely land an • • • aircraft at 52 mph."

41 Even though World War I combat machines quickly incorporated most features embodied in today's air­ craft, the Allies persisted in utilizing wire braced and strutted, thin winged biplanes. At the same time, the Ger­ mans were experimenting with radical new designs. As an example, Junkers cre­ ated the first corrugated aluminum skinned monoplanes during WW I, a de­ sign feature that carried into the next World War. Surprisingly, the Sopwith Triplane pre­ ceded and prompted the much better known Fokker, but it still possessed pilot forgiving dihedral and other stabilizing features. As the owner and pilot of Char Wille's authentic Sopwith Tripe replica, I can attest it is a delightfully maneuver­ able, yet strong and forgiving, craft.

We even plan to add the relatively ob­ scure Nieuport Triplane to our collection in the future and then compare flight characteristics of all three . Excuse me, but we'll take a pass on those four and five wingers except in static model form.

Certain fighter aircraft betray their mean intentions even sitting idly on the ground. The P-38 and F-15 are two prime examples. Likewise, jaunty, colorful paint schemes do little to disguise the deadly purpose of the Fokker DR-l.

With an airman 's eye, let 's analyze the design a bit.

First off, it is very compact and close coupled, features that handicap ground handling as quickly as enhancing maneu­ verability in the air. With three 25' wings, it has over 70 feet of stacked wing. Add to that another five feet of airfoil between the wheels and you realize the total lift available with light loading and short lever arms. Even the huge horizontal sta­ bilizer provides lift by way of its angle of incidence. As a result, our trip lanes climb like homesick angels.

Notice the absence of drag inducing flying wires . As Anthony Fokker's de­ signer, Rheinhold Platz introduced a rev­ olutionary and unbirdlike thick airfoil with one piece cantilevered box spars four inches high by eight inches wide. It is told that the big interplane struts out near the wingtips were unnecessary but were reluctantly added at the insistence of suspicious combat pilots who didn't trust their lives to wings just sticking out there with no visible reinforcement.

A single set of crossed cables above the fuselage reinforce and align the ca­ bane struts, while a second set below does the same for the landing gear.

Heeding the input of a battle tested command, Fokker made the triplane so it would knock down and reassemble very quickly. Even a team of mules could haul a DR-l to the front. In a matter of min­

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utes a ground crew would posi­ tion and fasten one wing on top of the fuselage and one on the bottom, slap on the cabanes , the top wing and interplane struts, adjust the ca­ bles, connect the aileron controls, fuel up and go face the enemy. Try that with an

X-29.

If you study those big "elephant ear" ailerons as shown in the illustration, you can see a large area out in front of the hinge (illustrated by the shaded areas) .

This effectively balances the controls , making roll forces very light on the stick.

Unlike the Sopwith Triplane which has a pair of ailerons on each wing, for a total of six , the DR-l has a pair on the top wing only. Combined with how far the top wing is located above the prop thrust line, the resultant roll axis seems to be displaced somewhere above the fuselage centerline. This allows aileron only banked turns with little yaw, apparently because of a pendulum effect.

When we acquired the first of our four Fokker triplanes, I would say, "Let's go hide the ball" when I climbed into the cockpit because the DR-l is quite content to fly in any uncoordinated attitude it finds itself. Lots of hours of familiariza­

tion later , I now usually discover that the ball is naturally cen­ tered each time I check, instead of buried at one end of the slip indicator or the other. Forget "stepping on the ball" as we taught in flight training, for you might quickly find yourself in an atti­ tude that grows more unusual by the mil­ lisecond. In keeping with its other unset­ tling habits, if you don ' t apply forward stick pressure in a steep bank , it will just wrap up tighter and tighter. Against all normal flight instructor admonitions, you coordinate by keeping in a little top rud­ der and I caution each of our pilots to ap­ ply full power to all of our replicas when in tight steep banks.

I have finally reached an uneasy truce with these craft for they have almost be­ come an extension of my will. However, realizing pride goeth before a fall, and here in Alabama they say a mule will be good to you for 10 years just to get a chance to kick heck out of you once , I never totally let my guard down.

By examining the empennage, you im­ mediately realize there is no vertical sta­ bilizer. As with the other control sur­ faces , that famous " comma" shaped rudder has enough area in front of the hinge to pretty well keep it turned when turned. Most modern aircraft control sur­ faces are designed to safely neutralize and

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trail. Not this air plane . Wit h a rudder bar under your feet , you must constantly push one foot against the other to posi­ tion the rudder where you want it. If you remove your feet, the plane will set up an increasingly violent oscillation at certain speeds. I frequently get out with a cramp in my right foot. Don ' t ask me why , be­ cause I' ve been too busy with cockpit chores to figur e out why only the right foot hurts and not the left.

The slab sided fuselage and the large wedge shaped horizontal stab pair up at a steep angle of attack to function like a snowplow, forcing the re lative wind out and away from the small rudder, robbing the top portion of effectiveness. Refer­ ring to the illustration , you see the eleva­ tor is also balanced , large, and built with another " trademarked " Fokker shape. I gu ess he believed in the tail forms be­ cause they appear on most of his air­ planes, right through the D-VIII. Taxiing a DR-l has been compared to walking into a moving closet and slam­ ming the door. If it wasn't for the "mouse holes " conveniently nipped o ut of each side of the inside trailing edge of the mid­ dle wing, you would be totall y taxi blind instead of just horrib ly impa ired. Slow "S" turn taxiing can be accomplished by 8 MARCH 1994

alte rnately laying your cheek on each side of the cockpit coaming and peeking under the m id- wing. Such a deal! That guy Tony Fok ker tho ught of everyt hing. It was obvio usly either mouse ho les or a periscope.

H igh speed taxiing for takeoff is an­ other story. Just lock the tail wheel, push both throttle and stick forward and, voila!

The tail is up almost instantly, revealing a whole new world through that panoramic opening between the top two wings. Sur­ prise of surprises, in that level attitude even the rudder becomes effective. But before you can pause to count your new found blessings, you 're making like an el­ evator.

Combine all of the turbulent air spilling over that mid-wing with the air twisting around the exposed machine­ guns, and you discover anything less than a Harley Davidson windshield is almost worthless. That , comb ined with the vi­ sion obscuring castor oil thrown from an original rotary engine appa rently explains why many German triplane pilots opted for no wi ndshields whatsoever.

T hey say the longest surviving fighter aces had swivel necks and never forgot that death constantly lu rked above a nd behind . The DR -l not only has a terrific

forward offensive field of vision without a lot of struts, wires, wings and hardware to obstruct your view, but it is blessed with unobstructed defensive visibility behind.

I am fr e qu e ntly ask e d which of o ur growin g colle ction of World War I ai r­ craft is my favorit e. Imm e di a te ly re ­ minded of my fo ur grown sons, I respond by sayin g I love ea ch on e in a di ffe re nt and individual way. I usually add that if I had to go to wa r in just on e airpla ne, it would be the Fokke r DR- 1 Tripla ne . I also te ll the m it might just sca re you to death having a skilled enemy stalking you in one. Just think what Anthony Fokker and his staff could have done if the Ger­ mans had trusted this hired Dutch genius enough to make the ir most powerful en­ gines available to him earlier in the war.

All right, enough conversation ; let's go fly ! Into my sno wmob ile suit , Nom ex gloves and leather helmet; even in Spring it ge ts co ld up the re . Th at no nsta ndard foot peg we installed halfway up the side of the fuselage eliminates the need fo r the ladder often seen in old photos. T he nor­ mal step hanging down from the fuselage side ca n be reached fro m t he ground but it requ ires th e p il o t to have about a 44 inch insea m to reac h t he cock pi t - not sta nd ard iss ue in Wo rld Wa r I beca use the pilots were a ll short by today's stan­ da rd s. At 5'-7 " , so am 1. T he DR- 1 is roo my but not enough to accommodate lo ng legs, and in order to see under that mid-wing, yo u must sit very low.

Latch the seat belt and sho ulder har­ ness, make sure your gogg les or s u n­ glasses are in p lace , and ye ll "c\ear. " Si nce someone could conceivably and un­ knowing ly assemble an entire marching band under your nose, you look to your gro und crew to give thumbs u p before cranking. A few blades and you're run­ ning. No need to hold t he stick back in your lap because the landing gear is so far forward it would take lots of throttle to put it over on its nose . Engine instru­ ments O .K., so let's taxi . A wing walker is mandatory in crowded air show situa­ tions.

Back taxi with constant "s" turns, and do it slowly to minimize brake wear be­ cause our landing technique really goes through brake pads in short order. Com­ plete our run up and turn the plane point­ ing about 45 degrees away from the glideslope. This removes all those wings from your line of vision as you look slightly over your shou lder for landing traffic.

All clear, so we roll into position on the centerli ne. Tighte n shoulder harness and slowly roll straight forward as we lock the ta il wheel. If any clouds are visible , choose a feature in the sky centered over the end of the runway to use as a localizer during the brief transition , and pour the coal to it. Push stick full forward till tail comes up, then neutralize; another 150

feet and we're flying. Hold airspeed at 80 mph as we climb about 2000 feet per minute.

Where are those two SE-5s that took off a little while ago? Even with brightly colored roundels and knowing they are lurking nearby, they're still tough to spot, so we look for shadows moving across the ground. There's mine! Aha, and there are theirs, behind me. They're coming out of the sun above me, pressing the early advantage. Only way to avoid them before they get too close is to swap ends and go back under them since they are committed to their diving speed and di­ rection.

Back on the power, nose momentarily up, hard left rudder, nose down, full power, speed up, and back into a climb right at them. As they break left and right, I continue to climb while they try to trade speed for altitude and match my climb. Turning to take stock, I can see they have unwisely separated, so I turn to press the attack on the closest one who is now banking a little below me. Nosing over, I quickly gain the speed advantage and have closed the gap before he realizes I'm located in Position A. Mentally blast­ ing him from the sky before he knows what hit him, I then break left, scanning the sky.

Where's his fight mate? There to my left, turning towards me. I respond by banking toward him as we begin circling, each seeking the advantage, neither of us able to bring our gun sights to bear on the other while locked in this spiral.

As taught in published World War I tactics, I quickly roll from a left turn into a right turn to fly directly away from him as I mentally time his turn to when I feel he is beginning to line up behind me.

Once again I kick around to come at him nose to nose, but when I broke away, he intelligently did the same. Instead of closing the gap, he was now about a half mile distance, climbing away from me to­ ward the sun for greater altitude.

Deciding to take him from behind and underneath despite Mannock's warning of "always above, seldom on the same level, and never below," I dive to pick up speed before he locates me. Fishtailing left and right to alternately look over each of his shoulders, I simply match his moves so his large tail feathers continue to hide me from view.

Evidently thinking I no longer pose an immediate threat, and without checking for telltale shadows, he begins to bank to the left. Now I'm so close, all I have to do is stay below and outside his turn, but since my arc is bigger, I have to apply full power. As my adversary straightens out, flying directly back to the area of our last engagement, I ease up alongside his right rear and with amusement watch him scan the empty skies for my presence. Sud­ denly, as his scan belatedly widens to in­

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clude looking over his right shoulder, he spots me and grins as we wave with no more than 50 feet separating us.

We then join up with our other SE-5 for a couple of formation victory passes over the field. Von Richthofen wouldn't have dreamed a replica of his famous Red Triplane would one day be peacefully fly­ ing wing tip to wing tip with a brace of Al­ lied SE-5a's.

After playing for another 20 minutes, I break off, check for traffic, make a short approach, slip at 70 mph to kill airspeed and to allow a clear unobscured view of the runway . Over the numbers, power off, flare at four feet, ease on down in flight attitude, airspeed to 50, 40, feel the wheels rolling, pinch forward stick to keep from floating into the air again, toes up on the brakes, neutralize the stick, let the tail drop just a little and brake to a stop on the mains. Just before coming to a full stop, ease off the brakes just a tad to gently inch the tail down without banging.

The whole landing process only took about 300 feet and now we're sitting stock still in the middle of the runway. Unlock the tail wheel, loosen the shoulder har­ ness so this ground animal can once again peek under those mouse holes, and taxi back to the hangars while video cameras whir and still cameras click. Fuel lean, switches off, unbuckle, remove helmet from head of "computer," disconnect foot and hand "servos" from controls, up and out. Hard to tell who's grinning most, the pilot or the audience.

Our landing technique isn't recom­ mended for nontaildragger low time pi­ lots, the faint of heart, or those without a good sense of feel and balance. It has been compared with automotive's Joey Chitwood, although I still can't fathom how they balance a whole darned car on two wheels. Steer it, too.

Calm days or those with a steady wind directly down the runway wouldn't neces­

sarily require this brake landing method, but if you let the world totally dictate your flying opportunities, you will get aw­ fully rusty just waiting for that perfect day. You probably won't venture far from home either. Stopping in the flight attitude takes most of the wind out of the equation unless it's strong and gusting di­ rectly across the runway.

Despite its reputation as the king of ground loopers, this airplane doesn't re ­ ally weather vane until the tail is down, and by then you're motionless. The land­ ing roll is short, the speed slow, the tail wheel locked, and at the first sign of trou­ ble you simply shove the throttle forward and you're safely flying to go around and try it again.

It's just an uneducated opinion but I'll bet the X-29 utilizes a landing technique that is more akin to that of other modern military jets. Its onboard computer isn't altitude impaired as were those World War I pilots. Nobody knew about the ad­ verse effects of hypoxia from daily flights at 18,000 feet altitude without supplemen­ tal oxygen, especially since most of them were smokers. Today's crews are even monitored for signs of battle fatigue, also an unrecognized cause of pilot perfor­ mance deterioration in 1917.

But whether flying an X-29 or a DR-I, both pilots have at least one thing in com­ mon. The earthbound masses have seri­ ous doubts as to whether either of our computers are properly working.

Frank Ryder is the president of the Lake Guntersville Aero Replica Museum in Guntersville, AL You can see the Fokker Triplane replicas as well as a wide range of other WW 1 era replicas in the air at Aerodrome '94, to be held this year in Gadsten, AL, August 20 - 21, 1994. Write to the Replica Fighter Museum at P.O. Box 6, Guntersville, AL 35976, or phone 205-582-4309 for more information. ....

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

WHAT OUR. MEMBERS ARE RESTORING

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

Ken and Lorraine Morris' Cessna 140A These photos of Cessna 140A, N5693C, SIN 15653, were sent in by Ken and Lorraine Morris (EAA 286755 , A/C 11423) of Marengo, IL. Their 140A was delivered to Milwaukee, WI on December 23,1950 and was distributor Howard Morey 's demonstrator at Middleton , WI for quite a spell. After spending a considerable number of years at New Holstein , WI (where the annuals were all signed off by Steve Wittman), the 140A moved to northern Illinois where it was gobbled up by a run­ away Piper Cherokee in 1978 which punched in the left side of the fuse­ lage, chewed the left wing into two-inch ribbons and then sliced the two righthand cylinder heads off the engine! Gar Williams saved the pieces from the scrap heap and used the engine in a homebuilt. This author bought the remains from Gar and accumulated most of the necessary restoration parts including two left wings, a C90-14 Continental engine with mount, a 71 X 54 cruise prop, a set of original metal wheel pants with mounting brackets and right side rudder pedals with brakes. The project was sold to Ken and Lorraine who promptly spent two dedicated years completely restoring the pretty little two-placer. After all the hard work, the sore muscles and many dollars later, the Cessna looks for all the world like a brand new machine and cuts a pretty picture in the sky. Note th e interior photo with original bezels around the instru­ ments, the piano keyboard and the original Hallicrafters radio in the lower left panel. Congratulations to Ken and Lorraine Morris for an ex­ cellent piece of restoration work and also their chief helper, A/C Judge Gene Morris, Ken's father. (As a former "owner," I'll be looking for­ ward to a ride on their first trip to Oshkosh with N5693C - N.P.)

Bill Rausch's Aeronca Chief This photo of a nicely restored Aeronca 11 BC Chief, N4045E, SIN 11 BC-133, was sent in by ownerlrestorer Bill Rausch (EAA 301629, A/C 12011) of Alexandria Bay, NY. Bill reports the rebuild was a labor of love and a nos­ talgia trip for him as he had owned an Aeronca 11AC, N85820, SIN 11 AC-232, from 1953 to 1955 and had earned his Private license in it. " Four-Five-Echo" has new wood , Ceconite covering, tires, glass, headliner and upholstery. In addition, the en­ gine and prop were overhauled. The colors are silver trimmed in Bahama Blue with white pinstriping as in the original Aeronca paint scheme. Bill is retired so he enjoys the Chief for local flying. He hopes to get his two sons checked out in the Aeronca as both are licensed pilots but have only flown "three-wheel factory builts."

10 MARCH 1994

George Schoeler's "Ponca City" J-3 Cub Parked on the neatly mowed grass of Sandridge Airport is a Piper J-3 Cub, N3580N , SIN 22821, owned by George Schoeier, Jr. (EAA 443597, AIC 21137) of Collinsville, OK. (Did you ever notice how well Cubs and grass go together?)

According to George, the Cub was built in 1947 at the Ponca City, OK, Piper plant and spent most of its years in the mid­ western states, doing what most Cubs do - allowing their owners to fly with the least expense. During the 1960's, it spent time in Kansas as an aerial sprayer (like so many Cubs). From Kansas it bounced around the Tulsa, OK area until George purchased the Cub from an acquaintance in November of 1992. The aircraft has about 2020 hours total time, and according to the logs, has never been totally re­ stored. It has been recovered and repainted more than once with replacement of windows and upholstery, but has never been completely restored . George is busy building a new hangar so that by next year he will be able to do a much de­ served complete restoration on the little yellow and black jewel. Meanwhile, the Cub waits patiently at the airport for George to show up so they can go flying together and enjoy the Oklahoma sunrises and sunsets.

Dan Linn's Taylorcraft BC-12D This sharp looking Taylorcraft BC-12D, N96542, SIN 8842, was photographed on the way home from Oshkosh '93. It is owned by Dan Linn (EAA 319613, A IC 16196) of Col­ leyville, Texas, who was written up in the April '92 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE (page 2) as being one of the youngest Antiquel Classic members (age 18) to own his own airplane. The pretty T-Craft, nicknamed "Ragtime," is a 65 hp BC-12D and features a red and white paint scheme with silver wings. Note the wood pro­ peller with the polished metal spinner. Dan is a genuine "airplane nut" of the finest order and is heavily involved in restoring several antiquel classic aircraft. With young men of Dan's quali­ fications coming on strong, the future of our AIC Division can only get better.

J-3 Cub Racing Team From down Texas way comes this photo of the famous (or in­ famous) J-3 Cub Racing Team in their patriotic color schemes of red, white and blue. (Cub yellow won't cut it with this group!)

Featuring red caps emblazoned "J-3 Cub Racing Team," the threesome puts on a crowd pleasing show at various airport events in the area. The trio is made up of Tom Hamblet, Grand Prairie, TX in the red J-3, N98641 ; Bob Branson, Burleson, TX

in the blue clipped wing J-3 , N70108 and Larry Coker, Arling­ ton, TX in the white and red '41 J-3, N41473.

Fearless racers to the core, this group has been known to take on tricycles, wheelchairs and even rototillers! When they really feel their oats and the engines are really humming, they have been known to take on a fast moving hot air balloon and end up in the lead - especially if the race is upwind! ....

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

SUN'NFUN

PREVIEW Can you believe it? Most of us have had to deal with exceptionally crummy weather during this past winter, but Sun fn Fun f94 is just around the corner.

Here are a couple of people and airplanes from last year's event that may serve to wet your appetite for next month's kickoff of the 1994 fly-in season.

(Above right) Pudgy little Stinson 10' s are a welcome sight at any fly-in , and Sun 'n Fun had a couple in 1993, includ足 ing Tom Julian's airplane from Niceville, FL. Isn't it cute?

(Left) M.B. "Sonny" Huggins and his wife Bettie, from Timmonsville, SC had this nice Pi per PA-12 Super Cruiser on the showplane line at last year's event.

(Above left) Chuck Inderwiesen, Jr. is one of the many vendors whose booths we all shop during Sun 'n Fun. His "Wiz Bang Toy Co." of Sarasota, FL features many of the model kits and cast metal toys of our youth. If you don't see it, ask him - just a fraction of his total stock can be transported to the Convention. In the Antique/Classic movement, we already know you can live a little in the past - now you can do it in miniature! (Above right) Parking during the Fly-In can get a bit hectic, but Sun 'n Fun has a great cadre of dedicated volunteers to guide you on your way, like this pleasant mother/daughter team on the south taxiway.

12 MARCH 1994

Anything that s like that must be a Svvift . . .

by H.G. Frautschy Certainly one of the darlings of the Classic airplane crowd must be the Globe Swift, the snazzy low wing two-place job with the unpainted metal structure. Its racy great looks and accommodating structure have led it to be one of the most modified airplanes from the 1945­ 1950 era.

First conceived just prior to WW II , the Swift was originally going to be pro­ duced using wood construction, built with a process known as "Duraloid."

The process, similar in makeup to Bake­ lite, used plywood bonded with a plastic material to form various parts of the structure. One airplane was built at the Fort Worth plant just before the start of the War, powered with a 65 hp Continen­ tal. Performance was, shall we say, less than desirable . An A-80 Continenta l was then put in the airplane, and the air­ plane began to show some promise. The

first Swift was put on ho ld for the dura­ tion of the War , whi le Globe Aircraft was given a contract, by virtue of their work with the Duraloid process, to pro­ duce the all wood Beechcraft AT-la, a twin-engined trainer needed for the war effort. They also built parts under sub­ contract for other aircraft manufacturers, as well as dro ne aircraft. As the end of the war neared, the Swift design was re­ vived, but some major changes were in store for the airplane.

January 1945 saw the first flight of the newly re-designed Swift. The basic lay­ out of the plane remained , but it was completely revamped, with a strong, all metal structure. A Continental C-85 was installed in the updraft cowl , and the cockpit was revised to include more clear plastic for better visibi lity. O h boy, it did look like it was a fast li tt le rocket!

By the fo llowing November, the first pro­

duction Swift rolled off the line, and for the most part the aviation press began to write about the Swift in glowing terms.

All was not rosy, however , and even though the airplane enjoyed a period of healthy sales , there were rumblings of discontent among some pilots. Even though the airplane looked like a hot lit­ tle number, some of its performance characteristics were less than exciting.

Appearances can be deceiving at times, and the GC-1A Sw ift began to gain a reputation as " an airplane that would bite you ." It seems that some pilots thought the airplane was more capable than its 85 hp was able to supp ly, and when they placed their demands on the airplane , it sometimes rebelled . When flown within its limitations , the 85 hp VINTAG E AIRPLANE 13

Swift was a safe and snappy airplane to fly , but one could not expect fighter-like performance from the 85 hp mill , espe­ cially if the Beech-Roby prop was in­ stalled.

According to Max Karant, in his arti­ cle in Flying magazine dated July 1946, when the Swift was first put into produc­ tion , the intent was to deliver the air­ planes with an Aeromatic prop. Koppers was unable to supply enough Aeromat­ ics , and th e manually controlled Beech prop was installed. Unfortunately , the Bee ch-Roby they were able to obtain

was designed for a 65 hp installation, and the airplane's take-off, climb and cruise performance suffered. As soon as the Aeromatic was installed, the Swift began to perform as advertised . All in all, its pluses far outnumbered the minuses , with light controls in all three axis, and a 120 mph cruise speed on 85 hp. The lower horsepower version of the Swift could be flown at full power in ground effect, like some light planes both back then and today. During takeoff, if the airplane 's nose-high attitude was kept without lowering the nose, allowing the

With the exception of modern radios and the small turn and bank, the panel on Mark's Swift is just as it was in 1946.

14 MARCH 1994

Mark Holliday airplane to accelerate, the pilot could find himself running out of room in a hurry. For some early Swift pilots, used to the Cubs and Champs they learned to fly in, it took a bit of educating before the concept of flying in ground effect sank in, and unfortunately , a couple of crashes resulting from this type of flying marred the Swift's reputation. It was the kind of mark that has stuck with the Swift since that time, even if that side of its reputation could be considered unde­ serving.

Realizing the airplane could use more power , Globe set out to re-engine the Swift. The Continental C-125 was shoe­ horned into the cowl , and the results were exciting. The airframe really re­ sponded to the change - cruise speed (according to the factory brochure) went up to 140 mph , but most of the added performance could be seen in the airplanes willingness to climb on a hot day, something pilots of the earlier Swift had complained about.

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with the Swift - not all were new, but they seemed new when included in the Swift design.

The Swift seemed to elevate the re­ tractable landing gear to a new level for light planes. It also used an updraft cowl­ ing system, giving the Swift its "toothy" grin when viewed from the front. NACA wing slots were added to the wing to make the stall more docile, maintaining aileron effectiveness at low speeds. Wing flaps helped to slow its approach speed.

For the fighter pilot returning from the war, it had lots of appeal. It required a light touch on the controls, and pilots

used to other airplanes found it took a couple of hours to get used to flying the airplane with their fingertips instead of horsing the airplane around the sky.

Globe had a pocketful of orders for the new 125 hp GC-IB Swift, but as has happened before and since, if you don't have the cash to build the airplanes, you can't fill the orders. Globe wound up declaring bankruptcy. The Texas Engineering and Manufacturing Co. (Temco) of Fort Worth, TX picked up the pieces and started building the GC-1B Swift under its name in 1947.

Temco had been a subcontractor for

Globe before that company's collapse, building 329 Swifts before Globe suc­ cumbed . One of the most noticeable changes in the Temco Swift was a revised canopy - now the airplane had a metal hatch over the center of the cockpit, with a pair of vertically sliding windows on each side, similar in function to an Er­ coupe. They changed the tailwheel to a steerable, non-swivel unit , and revised the flap stop, limiting flap travel to 30°, instead of the 40° used before. Two mod­ els were available - the standard model, selling for $3,250, included a fixed-pitch prop. You could also upgrade to a deluxe model, equipped with an Aeromatic prop and General Electric radio. The up­ graded version cost $3,750.

For the private pilot trading up to a new airplane, the Swift could be a hand­ ful, but with careful attention paid to transition training, many found the up­ grade to be a pleasant surprise. The same can be said for the vintage airplane enthusiast looking for an interesting and exciting two-place airplane to fly. We'll devote the remainder of this article to highlighting a variety of different Swifts and their owners.

First on our list of Swift owners is Mark Holliday (EAA 87406, A/C 1316)

Many members will recall this airplane, the SuperSwift as modified by Jack Nagle.

It's hard to believe, but it has already been 10 years since this airplane had every­ body at Sun 'n Fun and EAA OSHKOSH '84 turning their heads with their eyes bug ­ ging out as they said " WOW! " The f irst of the modified Swifts to have the bubble canopy modification later STC'd by Jack, the airplane was simply stunning. One of the other outstanding changes he made to the airplane was the sUbstitution of con­ trol sticks instead of control wheels. Now you could really fly it like the little fig hter it looked like! Coupled w ith the 220 hp Franklin engine and constant-speed prop, the machine was a real go-getter, able t o true out at around 200 mph while cruising at 10,000 feet. This was quit e a rebu ild, and a lot of engineering hours were put in before any new sheet met al was c ut. For those of you who would like to read more about Jack's Swift, see Jack Cox's artic le " SuperSwift" in the November 1984 issue of Sport Aviation.

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16 MARCH 1994

of Athens, TN. A pilot for US Air, Mark is a Swift fanatic from the word go.

When he was a young man, his father , who ran the family FBO , took a 125 hp Swift in trade for a Bellanca. Before it was sold, Mark flew the airplane, and he really liked what he experienced. At that time, the hottest conversion of the airplane involved the installation of a 150 hp engine in the Swift. Mark bought an 85 hp Swift in Detroit, fully intending to convert the airplane to 150 hp. A funny thing happened on the way home though - he fell in love with the way the 85 hp version flew, and he decided to keep it as it was delivered. How much does he like the Swift design? Since that first Swift in 1969 , Mark figures he ' s owned about 42 of the airplanes! He currently has two flying Swifts, inclu{iing the 125 you see here, and N2353B , a Temco GC-IB Swift for which he was awarded a Best Class II (81-150hp) tro­ phy at EAA OSHKOSH '93.

The airplane you see in the photos is a rare item in the ranks of Classic airplanes - it is basically unrestored since the day it was built. Flown and maintained for nearly 40 years, this GC-IB has been zip­ ping around the skies of the America for some time now. It's no hangar queen ei­ ther. Mark hops into this Swift as often as he can , and is quite willing to fly it all over the United States.

Its first owner, Bob Rusch of Apple­ ton, WI, flew the airplane for 34 years before selling it to Mark. His only change

to the airplane during that time was the addition of updated radio gear. Other than that, Bob kept the Swift annua led and flew it when he could, according to Mark.

After acquiring the Swift from Bob, there was little that needed to be done.

A new polish job was in order, and the blue and red trim, along with the G lobe emblems, was repainted. During its en­ tire flying career, this Swift has had only one damaging incident. A pin in the gear selector failed, and Bob was unable to lower the landing gear. A skillful wheels up landing was done, with minimal dam­ age done to the airplane.

The instrument panel is also nearly stock, and has never been repainted . It features stock instruments , with a turn and bank added by Mark for some of the limited instrument flying he has done with the airplane.

As mentioned before , Mark enjoys flying the 85 hp version of the Swift, and has even performed a smooth aerobatic display with the example that currently resides in the Swift Foundation Museum in Athens, TN. He mentioned that the airplane seems to perform best with a fixed-pitch metal prop.

Mark says he enjoys all of the various versions of the Swift that have been built over the years, from the completely stock GC-1B he flies to the super modified Swifts you see at various airshows across the nation, which brings us to . ..

Charlie Nelson's modified GC-1 B "It was built like an airplane ought to be built. I was impressed with the in­ tegrity of the airframe .. . it has eye ap­ peaL" So says Charlie Nelson (EAA 30647, A/C 523), the owner of Swift N80367, and the president of the Inter­ national Swift Association, the type club devoted to the little low wing hot rod.

When he is talking to his non-aviation friends , Charlie explains the appeal of

The " Swifters" don't just sit back and admire their airplanes after they finish polishing t hem - they go out and race! Patrick Moore flew his 200 hp Swift to a third place fin­ ish in the Sun 60 race (for factory built airplanes) held during Sun 'n Fun '93. Right next to him was J immy Hunt in his 210 hp Swift. Charlie Nelson was second with his 210 hp Swift. Out of the first 4 positions, 3 were won by Swifts - the winner was Neil Bird with his 260 hp Marchetti SF.260. To the right of Pat is his wife Vicky, who's also a Swift fanatic.

the airplane in this way. "The airplane appeals to us in the same way that sports cars appeal to automobile owners. It's fun to fly , it's responsive and there is a certain pride of ownership that goes with owning a Swift." As Charlie points out, when you are looking for a certified airplane, nothing compares to the Swift and all its variants. It is light on the con­ trols and a delight to fly , according to Charlie and the members of the Swift Association.

Charlie's airplane is a flying testimony to the va rious STC's that are available for the Swift. It has the bubble canopy that has become such a valued change to the airframe, along with the conversion to stick controls. With the control wheels gone, the instrument panel is opened up

The Swift Magic Team, DeWayne Upton, Lowell Sterchi and Michael Kennedy, with

the 220 hp modified Swifts they use during their airshow act.

for a full panel of instruments, and he had a great time filling the holes . For navigation, both a GPS and a loran are installed, along with a Stormscope and a moving map display. Charlie has flown the airplane all over the U.S. and with the STC'd increase in gross weight, up to 1970 Ibs from the original weight of 1710, the airplane is able to carry a reasonable amount of baggage. At times Charlie has been able to load up the airplane with two people, lightweight golf bags and a couple of sets of clubs packed neatly with the heads draped over the hat shelf edge, and still had room for fuel and bags. To help increase his enroute legs , he 's installed a pair of STC'd out­ board wing tanks, for a total fuel capac­ ity of 54 gallons.

The airplane is powered by the Con­ tinental 10-360 engine, the same engine as on the Cessna T-41 or the Skymaster.

The cowl for the engine follows the same contours as the original, with the excep­ tion of the grillwork on the front. The new cowl is a downdraft style, while the toothy grin of the original Swift had an updraft style cowl behind it. To help the airplane go a bit faster, a retractable tail wheel has been added . Charlie pointed out that his airplane is not flush riveted, although many Swift restorer/modifiers have flush riveted the entire airplane to clean it up even more. While you can 't see it in the photos, a slick STC has been done to allow the use of low-profile tires on the Swift, allowing the wheels to be complete ly retracted into the wells for

(Continued on page 26)

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

Antique/Classic Show Steve Culp's Piper PA-22120 "Pacer"

Custom Class B Winner, Oshkosh '93

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(Above) The instrument panel shows why the judges were quick to single out this airplane for close scrutiny. Note the cast aluminum rudder pedals with dual toe brakes for instruc­ tional safety. The handle between the seats activates the flaps.

(Below) The engine compartment drew some admiring glances from the public and the Ale judges. Note use of doublers at each baffle fastner screw to help eliminate vibration cracks.

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18 MARCH 1994

Back in 1989, a certain customized airplane had a most amazing effect on many, many observers at EAA Oshkosh.

The aircraft in question was a red and maroon Piper Pacer that not only looked extremely sharp, but also had "GO" written all over it. Utilizing an entire series of aerodynamic clean-ups, the builder, Jim Younkin (EAA 68509, A/C 1729) of Springdale, AR, had perfected a sharp looking Piper Pacer into a reall y fast cruising machine. In short, everybody wanted one just like it!

One of the admirers was John S. Culp (EAA 319063, A/C 15669) of Shreveport, LA who answers to the name, Steve. He wanted a Pacer like Jim 's so bad he could taste it. Before long, he had negotiated to trade a basket case Piper Cub for a 150 hp TriPacer in Shreveport and soon began work on his dream ma­ chine.

Steve Culp grew up in Dallas, TX, soloed in a Cessna 152 and moved to Shreveport, LA where he worked in the custom race car and show car business. His muli-talented hands could do amazing work and the word soon got around that he was available. Although always busy with plenty of work, the avia­ tion "bug" was starting to get to him . When he began the Pacer rebuild, he was surprised to learn that aviation uses old technology from the 1930's - a piece of cake compared to the high tech race car world.

The PA-22120 airframe needed help in the vertical fin (al­ most rusted off) and the lower longerons needed to be re­ placed. The cabin section was opened up and found to be in good condition. Once repairs were made (with his friendly IA looking over his shoulder), the airframe was sprayed with DuPont Corilon epoxy primer and finished with Imron white.

The U nivair P A-20 conversion from nosewheel to tailwheel

(Continued on page 20)

planes

Winners All!

Bill Dasilva's Grumman G-21A "Goose" Best Amphibian Award at Oshkosh '93 Amid so me pretty fierce competition from a rather large group of pristine amphibious aircraft at EAA Oshkosh '93 , a white and two-tone blue Grumman G-21A "Goose," N37487, SIN B-52, flown by owner, Bill D as ilv a (EAA 170165) of Tecumseh, Michigan, ran off with all the marbles at EAA Oshkosh '93. The Best Amphibian Award was indeed a well ea rn ed trophy as it involved five years of blood, sweat a nd tears. Few people in this world would have the tenacity of Bill Dasilva and his helpers to complete such a total rebui ld pro足 ject. It is an extraordinary story.

Designed in 1937 by Leroy Grumman as his company's first commercial-type amp hibian, the G-21A Goose proved to be a winner from the very sta rt. The military picked up the ex足 tremely useful twin-engined amphibi an during World War II an d many were built for the Navy and Coast Guar d. Bill D asilva's G-21A was built as a Navy JRF-5 in April of 1944, just fifty yea rs ago. Its service li fe was spent in Puerto Rico and Anacostia Naval Air Station before being relegated to Phoenix, Arizona for storage in 1953.

Purchased by Alaska Coastal Airlines, th e Goose was flown in southeast Alaska until 1977, when it was accidentally sunk at Ketchikan when the pilot made a water landing with the gear down! The Goose was salvaged by Nils Christianson of Victoria, BC, and totally restored to flying condition. In 1987, the Goose was being put down at Petersburg, AK when the pilot forgot to keep the whee ls up for a water landin g (sound familiar?). This time the Goose went down in 300 feet of water!

A Seattle salvage company fished the remains o ut of the "deep" and hauled the the pieces to Seattle. Here is where Bill D asilva came in. H e bought the remains and hauled a

(Continued on page 21)

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The power levers are all overhead in classic amphibian make-up.

(Below) Locking tailwheel (for takeoff) is located just before the retractable water rudder which unfolds downward when used in the water at low taxi speeds.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

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Steve Culp and his "Pacer" (Continued/rom page 18) confi guration wa s acco mplished along with new Cleveland wh ee ls and brakes.

Dual toe brakes we re built into the rud足 der pedals because Steve knew he wo uld need pl enty of dual instruction to over足 come the in grained " nosewheel" habits he had learned in the beginning.

T he win gs chec ke d out in exce ll e nt sha pe, needing o nl y n ew stainless steel control cables and a few new pulleys (for that velvet smooth control fee l). A coat

Bill Dasilva and his Goose (Right) Goose restorer Bill Dasilva on the left with his lovely wife, Vir足

gina, on the right. Bill is holding their youngest son, Kurt, while their

older son, Jack (age 9) was off to the Fly Market! By looking at

Kurt's toy, you can easily see this busy youngster's "aviation bent."

(Below right) The interior of this beautiful airplane is finished in blue,

silver and mahogany paneling. Note the posh executive folding table

and the "gold plated" overhead air vent.

(Below) The graceful lines of the Grumman Goose are accented by

the three color paint scheme as used by Bill Dasilva on N37487.

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of zinc chromate primer and things were ready for cover with Stits HS90X light­ weight fabric. The final color coats were Stits Aerothane in Sa nta Fe R e d a nd Boston Maroon. Most of th e sa nding was done by Steve's friend, Lydia We lch , a lovely lady who seems to e njoy work­ ing on a irpl a nes. (Steve, by all mea ns keep such a jewel on a short leash!)

New cowlings were fabricated from .040 al uminum to reduce th e incipi e nt cracking of the lighter we ight mate rial.

All glass was replaced and th e inte rior was redone in new material. The instru­ ment panel was tastefully done in a wal­ nut burl finish that really adds a look of class. Even the control wheels and instru­ ment knobs were repainted in a gloss black with the red inserts setting them off.

Such attention to detail is what caught the judges eye at EAA Oshkosh '93.

Up front, the engi ne compartment displays Steve C ulp 's talent from the firewall to the spinner. Every nut, bolt, fastener and screw is not only the proper one and the proper length, it was pol­ ished before installation. Nothing was left to chance and co lor is everyw here.

The 800 hour Lycoming 0-320 engine was overhauled completely and when in­ stalled, looked like the proverbial crown jewel. Again, it was attention to detail.

The prope ll er had some questionable marks on the tips from previous encoun­

ters, so it was sent in for overhaul.

The two main wing ta nk s of 18 ga l. each were in fine shape , howeve r , the a ux. tank in the aft fuselage was badl y corroded, so it was p e rman e ntl y r e­ moved from service. A close exa mina­ tion of the four wing struts revealed they were in remarkably good condition with n o s ig ns of internal ru st. They were cleane d a nd oiled before being painted.

Steve fully realizes he is subj ect to th e two-year examination rule o n the struts in the future.

A pair of fiberglass wheel pants from Aircraft Spruce were moun ted on the air­ plane with specia l attention given to the handcrafted fairings o n the inside of the wheelpants where they join with the land­ ing gear. These fairings required over 40 hours of work. Not on ly do they look nice, they earn their keep in streamlining.

Once the Pacer was comp letely as­ sembled and ready to fly, the fun began.

Steve had his friendly "tailwheel instruc­ tor" spend over ten hours teaching him the rudiments of keeping the tail behind the nose when going down the runway.

The instruction paid off well as Steve has nearly 200 hours logged so far and is starting to feel comfortable in the Pacer.

In addition, Steve has logged 60 hours in a Decathlon under the expert tutelage of Marion Cole (EAA 48), who is just a few hangar doors away in Shreveport.

(Continued/rom page 19)

wards . Result - a really watertight Goose.

Perhaps the overall size of a Goose will impress the reader with the extent of Bill 's rebuild. The wingspan is 49 feet , the length is 38 feet , four inches and the weight is approximately 5500 Ibs. empty!

Now you can see why it took five years to rebuild. It is a very large , all-metal airplane , built hell-for-stout to withstand the rigors of seaplane use.

The interior is done in mahogany pan­ eling, all carefully installed and varnished to a high shine . Behind the paneling is heavy insulation which quiets the cabin of the big bird in flig ht. Normal cruise speed is 145 mph accord ing to Bill with fuel consumpt ion at 50 gph with both fa ns turning . With the NACA 230015 airfoi l, the Goose is rather quick off the gro und . Bill has flown in and out of 1500 foot strips without difficulty. Off the wa­ ter, the Goose does a very respectable job. At the Lake Otsego, MI Fly-In, Bill beat a Cessna 185 and a Cessna 206 off the water in short takeoff competition.

The Goose has 19,800 hours on the airf r ame , so it is no t a low-t im e m a­ chi ne, however, with as much rebuilding a nd restoration work done over the yea rs, it is questionable if anyo ne piece of the airpl a ne has th at many ho urs o n it. Mea nwhile, the Goose flies merri ly on its way and Bill D asilva and his fa m­

semi-load of " bent Goose " to Michigan where the long rebuild began. Parts and pieces were scrounged from all over. A new nose section was purchased from Dean Franklin (Gr umm an Guru) in Florida. Those parts not available were hand built from scratch by Dave Heal , a near genius with metal , and John Glover, another metal magician.

A pair of almost new Pratt & Whit­ ney R-985 engines (450 hp) were ob­ tained in California along with a pair of three-bladed prope llers which are no­ ticeably quieter than the two-bladed va­ riety. To help alleviate rather severe propeller blade erosion, a stainless steel tape was installed on the leading edges of the blades.

All parts were anodized before as­ sembly and then a special Boeing primer was applied and allowed to cure for two weeks. A lthough Imron was used in the wheel wells, the balance of the airp lane was sprayed with PPG Durathane using a DeVilbiss High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP) spray gun . Observers who ex­ ami ned t he Goose at Oshkosh '93 a ll com me nted on the beautiful pai nt job on the ai rplane. Bill says the secret to a tight hull is to use PRC tape in all joints before asse mbl y, to ma ke them water­ tight a nd then ca ulk the corners after­

Steve re ports th e Pacer has b een clocked at 118 kts on one occasion while turning 2400 rpm a nd at 2600 rpm, the airspeed (uncorrected) registe red 152 mph. This is ri g ht in lin e with Jim Younkin's Pacer that cruises at 155 mph.

To have a really nice looking Pacer that moves out smartl y while still collecting trophies "ain't too shabby," according to Steve .

On e un usa I aspec t of the Pacer re­ build ha s been Steve's occ upational change to full time aircraft restorer. T he word has gotte n o ut on his abilities and he is now in th e throes of restoring a 1936 R yan STA to mint condition while waiting in the wings are two Beechcraft Staggerwing restorations to be followed by a Travel Air 4000! In additio n, Steve is busy building up an aerobatic biplane that is somewhere between a Pitts and a Skybolt and will be powered with a 360 hp Ru ssian radial eng in e swinging a three-bladed MT propeller.

Perhaps you, lik e me, have this strange feeli ng that Steve Culp has found his niche in life. He is excited because things are goi ng so we ll. We can only add : Congratulations on your well earned Custom Class B award and best wishes for a ful filling life in the airplane business. We look forward with antici­ pation to seeing your next restoration at Oshkosh. ...

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ily have a beautiful machine with am­ phibious capabi liti es. As they sayan th e " tube," " It doesn't get any better than this."

Bill 's Goose is o ne of 64 remaining on the FAA register.

Congrat ul ations to Bill D asi lva and hi s "crew " for winning the Best Am­ phibian Award at EAA Oshkosh '93. It was indeed a well-earned award. ...

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

spark plug. It is fairly common in the lower plugs and in the bottom plugs of ra­ dial engines, hence the reason for swap­ ping the top and bottom plugs in the hori­ zontally opposed engines. Us ually this is caused by oil drainage past the oil rings af­ ter sh utdown. However, when both plugs in the same cylinder of an opposed engine show excessive oil fouling and carbon , some type of engine damage is suspect.

Cylinder inspections are indicated to pre­ clude further damage or engi ne failure.

Mild forms of oil fouling can usually be burned off with a gradual increase of power until the deposits are removed.

4. Lead fouling is indicated by hard, dark cinde r-like deposits or glob ules that will gradually fill the firing end cavity and shor t out the e lectrodes . The primary cause of this is poor fuel vaporization cou­ pled with a high TEL content. Cleaning as discussed in the February article and a change in operation conditions can help to remedy this condition.

S. Fused electrodes are a result of vari­ ous types of malfunctions. The common reason for fused electrodes is associated with preignition either as the cause or as th e effect. Cracked nose ceramics is a common defect associated with fused elec­ trodes. A small part of the nose core will break away and remain trapped behind the ground e lectrode where it will build up heat to the extent that it will cause pre­ mature firing of the air/fue l mixture. The high temperatures and pressures can dam­ age the cylinder and piston. Copper runout is also associated with preignition .

The copper center e lectrode can melt and flow out, bridging the electrodes. Any in­ dications of preignition sho uld be investi­ ga ted to prevent catastrophic damage.

6. Metal deposits on the electrodes is a sure sign that a failure of some part of the engine is in progress. The type and loca­ tion of the metal deposits can he lp to lo­ cate the impending failure . If th e metal spray is evenly distributed in each cylin­ der, the most like ly ca use is in the induc­ tion system. For a turbo- or supercharged engine, this may be a good indication of impeller failure. If the metal spray is iso­ lated to only one cylinder, it will generally be piston fai lure. Any indication of metal spray must be thoroughly in vesti gated to establish the cause and make corrections to prevent secondary damage or complete engine fa ilure and the possible associated problems.

A few words cannot give a complete description of the deposits that are found in the plugs but very good pictures are available from the spark plug manufactur­ ers, usually free of charge. Champion and Auburn both have these charts. You may find them at your local FBO or with the mechanic.

R emember, look at those spark plugs.

They can tell you a lot and save you a ... lot.

READYOUR

PLUGS

Last time we discussed cleaning and gapping the spark plugs and the rotating of the plugs to obtain maximum service life and efficiency from both the engine and spark plugs. One of the important as­ pects of spark plug maintenance is to properly read the spark plugs. The read­ ing of the deposits can tell you a lot about what is going on inside your engine. It can even predict the gloom and doom of pos­ sible engine failure as well as indi cate good operating conditions.

After you have removed your spark plugs , place them in a tray or container showing the location of each plug in the engine. You do this so you can determine which cylinder and location in the cylinder of each plug. Often people will remove the plugs and place them in a container all mixed up. If you do that, you'll be unable to tell where the deposits came from or where the specific plug should be replaced.

Look at each spark plug very carefull y using a lighted magnifier if needed . Look for the amount and type of wear or ero­ sion and for the various color and types of deposits.

1. Look at the e lectrode wear. E lec­ trodes are eroded by the blasting of the 22 MARCH 1994

by Bill Claxon (AlC 17837)

hi gh-vo ltage sparking and the corrosive gasses in the combustion chamber.

(Editor'S note: The high voltage spark, as it jumps the gap between the electrodes, strips a few atoms from the metal of the first electrode and tries to deposit it on the electrode on the other side of the gap.

Eventually, you can see the results of this action, especially the spark plug of an oth­ erwise perfectly good cylinder. - HGF) Generally speaki ng, spark plug e lectrodes eroded beyond 1/2 of the original thick­ ness should be replaced. Excessive center electrode erosion is not normal. If yo u observe this, check to determine if the plug is of the proper heat range. Also check to see if the ignition timing and op­ erating procedures conform to the manu­ facturer's recommendations.

2. Carbon deposits are the dull, black sooty deposits on the e lectrode end of the plug. The most likely causes are excessive ground idling and/or an idle mixture that's too rich. Plugs in the cold heat ranges can also do this. Check the idle mixture to be correct and el imin ate as much of the ground idling as possible.

3. Oil fouling is a wet, black carbon de­ posit covering the entire firing end of the

PASS IT TO

--7] An information exchange column with input from our readers.

by Buck Hilbert (EAA 2 1, Ale 5) P.O. Box 424 Union, IL 601 80

Getting Ready For Any Flying Season his winter so far has been a doozy, so I've put together a few hints and helps that apply during the start of your flying season, whenever it may be. Those timely little hints to get ready for flying with Old Man Winter's cold breath down the back of your neck, or when Spring comes in like a lamb (we can all hope!).

When it gets COLD we all try to stay warm. How about some consideration for that airplane of yours? You put an­ tifreeze in the car , you lube it, change the oils and make sure the battery can stand the gaff. Now how about doing the same thing for that precious jewel of an airplane?

Let 's get the oil changed to the en­ gine manufacturer ' s specs, unless, of course , you are using multi-grade or synthetic. And while you're at it, let 's get the oil cooler and air inlet winter plate(s) installed. Check the air filter too, and if it's oily and dirty or needs at­ tention, change it or clean it! A re­ minder: no anti-ice additives are ap­

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proved in the fuel! That goes for auto fuel in your airplane as well. The alco­ hol based additives give O-rings, gas­ kets and rubber products a hard time and that could give YOU a hard time!

How about the heat muffs and "SCAT" tubing. Leaks? Cracks? Se­ cure and functional? Carbon monox­ ide is an insidious killer in the cabin; it doesn't help the efficiency of the induc­ tion system either. Any doubts in this area calls for a complete inspection.

Take a good look at your exhaust gas­ kets and stove pipes . Hot exhaust blowing on spark plugs and the wiring harness can cause expensive problems.

It can blister the paint and, in extreme cases , BURN holes in the cowling.

Let's be sure. Let's look at the intake pipes and carburetor gaskets too. One sure clue that there may be an induc­ tion leak is fuel staining. If it's leaking out, air can get in and that means a lean running cylinder. Valve problems could result.

How about tire inflation ? I shrivel

up in the cold; so do those tires. They have a way of getting sort of flat on the bottom when the temperature drops.

Same with oleos. The contracting metal makes the O-rings work hard, and they get stiff too. Let's check them really well on the preflight. And please don't ignore the tail wheel; it, too, needs more than a cursory glance.

Take a good look at the control sur­ faces. Are they caked with grease? Are the pulleys and rod ends lubed with some lightweight , free flowing stuff?

All the controls will work better if the attach fittings, hinges and control points are clean and lubed. While we 're in the mood, let's check the electrical system.

Is the battery ready for the hard use it'll get? Check the water level and the ca­ ble connections. How old is this guy, anyway? Maybe we should replace it now instead of some morning when it's 20 below. How do the electrical con­ nections to the battery and starter solenoids check out? Does that starter crank as efficiently as it should? Alter­ nator belt tight? Generator not spitting oil, is it?

And now to a subject we all hear varying stories about-preheat. If you are fortunate enough to have one of those oil pan heaters and the electricity to run it, man, USE IT! Use it anytime the temperature goes down below twenty. It'll save a lot of wear and tear on the engine. There are a lot of ways to preheat and I'm sure you've seen them all. I saw one of our guys preheat his old Stinson 108 last winter using his car heater. He made a neat little insert for the side window of his car with a coup le holes in it and used some flex hose from there right into the nosebowl openings. He let the car idle, turned his heat full up and the blower to high and viola! The heat coming out of those two flex tubes heated the engine beautifully, and in a little more than the time it took him to do his preflight. Simple and ef­ fective! Making up something like this as a summertime project would be a lot more fun than trying to jury rig some­ thing next winter when you really want to fly .

I could ramble on and on, but the one message I would like to get across is that you should treat winter flying with the utmost respect. The same goes for the Spring or Summer - if your winter flying has been a bit on the light side , both you and the airplane may need a good review. YOU are the PILOT IN COMMAND! You have all the respon­ sibility for the safety of the flight on your shoulders. Your safety, the safety of your passengers and the safe perfor­ mance of the airplane all are yours.

Over to you, Buck

* VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

Replacing Rusty Lower Longerons

by H.C. Frautschy Illustration by Bill Blake

wards the shank should do the job. This part of the bit will act as a pilot shaft for th e res t of th e drill bit. B e sur e a nd leave a good sha rp edge o n th e sho ul­ der between the ground and unground portio n of the bit , so it can effective ly cut the tubing in the next step.

Use a large power drill and drill out th e re mainin g tubin g a t each clu ste r.

The pilot portion of the drill bit you re­

gro und sh o uld preve nt th e bit fro m jumping around as th e old longero n is r e m ove d. Wh e n yo u a r e d o ne, yo u should have a cluster with a neat arc of remaining tubing and weldment.

Afte r checking the alignment of the fu se la ge, yo u ' re rea d y fo r th e new lo nge ro n to be clamp ed in pl ace a nd tack welded prior to welding.

..

A s mentioned in last month 's issue of VINTAG E AIRPLAN E, R a nd y Howell used a method suggested to him by hi s fri end R on Warren to re move th e ru s te d lowe r longerons on the Taylorcraft he and his so n res tore d .

Ground Shoulder shown exaggerated Here's how they did it: First, th e fu se lage is ~----~~--~~~ jigge d to pr e ve nt it fr o m moving after the rotten tub­ Drill Bit to match ing is removed. Th en, a re­ 0.0. of tube ­ ciprocating saw with a metal Grind to match I.D. of §J.i9.tllli' oversize cuttin g blad e is use d to re­ tube. (Length of ground okay. bit is not critical , but it move the longerons between should be at least 1".) each weld cluster. (Remem­ ber that the entire longe ron was removed during this re­ pair - if you inte nd to onl y re m ove a porti o n of th e lon ge ron , th e ne w tubin g must be spliced into the orig­ inal fuselage structure usin g a weld repair done in accor­ First section of longeron to dance with FAA Advi sory be removed Circular 43 .13. An an gle splice with an inte rnal sleeve and rose tte we ld s would prob ably be bes t in that in­ stance.)

A stub of tubing an inch or tw o lon g is le ft on e ach sid e o f the clu st e r. The len gth is not import a nt ­ Insert "Pilot Shaft" portion _ _ _ _- . whate ve r dist a nce is com­ of drill bit into tube. Drill fortabl e to you , as lon g as (cut) out remaining tube. you av oid d a mag in g th e good tubin g ne ar the we ld clu st e r. A squ a re cut will he lp in th e next ste p, but a fe w degrees off o ne way or another is not critical.

Next, a drill bit the same size as the external diameter of the longeron tubing is ob­ This is how the ~ tained. A little bit ove rsize cluster looks after (say 0.010 or .020" ) would cutting half way through. still be okay. Carefu lly grind the business end of the dri ll bit down to the inside diam­ eter of the tubing, sized so it can act as a pilot for the rest Removing Rusted or Damaged Longerons of the dri ll bit. Grinding the bit about an in ch down to­

X

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

On this page you'll see the latest additions to the ranks of the EAA Antique/Classic Divi足 sion. Whether you're joining for the first time, or are coming back, we welcome you, al/d we'd especially like to welcome those of you who are joil/ing us with your interest iI/ Con足 temporary class aircraft. Welcome ol/e and all!

Lyle L. Adleman Eau Claire, WI James Ahman Flanders, NJ David W. Allen Huntington Beach, CA Alfred Andersen Morrison, CO Appleton Public Library Appleton, WI Arch Archer West Point, GA Ft Lauderdale, FL Scott V. Armstrong Claude A. Barber Selkirk, NY Michael Becker Saarburg, Germany Rich Beider Lincoln, NE Dayton,OH Wilbur L. Benjamin Larry W. Bereuter Columbia Heights, MN Jeffrey A. Bickett Renner, SO Bernard R. Black Gahanna, OH Decat ur, IL Jeffrey S. Black Gary Boyce Palos Hills, IL Gregory Bridges Calais, ME James R. Browder St Louis, MO Steven D. Brower Ramona, CA Eric J. Burnette Hood River, OR Roland 1. Burton Thompson, PA Newton, IN James M. Cambell William M. Charney Reno, NV Phil Claus Thornton, IL Theodore M. Colombo Hawthorne, NJ James A. Colyer Arroyo Hondo, NM F. R. Corbacho Tampa, FL Jack E. Coshow Salem, OR Gerald R. Crawmer Clifton Park, NY Bennett Cullison Harlan , IA Fred G. Daddi Audubon, PA Donald C. Davis Henderson, KY Ralph E. Davis Daytona, FL Victor, IA Robert V. Dentel P.M. Dressler Gelnhausen, Germany Ellenburg, WA John R. Dugan Aurora, NE Elton Elge Herkimer, NY Alexander A. Fasolilli Mark Feldman Napa, CA Kent Felkins Tulsa, OK Scott Freeman Winthrop, MA Timothy M. Freudenthal Wautoma, WI Duane E. Frey Freeport, IL Michael Furlong Kent, WA Visalia, CA Terry W. Gallian Dean Gauf Laguna Hills, CA Tony Griffin Tampa, FL John Grunik St Louis, MO Sam Harmon Lexington, SC Kenny Hayes Roanoke, VA Randall C. Hebron Westland, MI Kuikka K. Heikki Kajaani , Finland Mary Ann Heilman Cheyenne, WY Arthur J. Hendricks Minneapolis, MN Daryl Heusinkveld Arlington, TX James F. Hoak Harrisonburg, VA James Hoerle Wilbraham, MA Chuck Honer Gettysb urg, PA Robert E. Hood Hillsborough, NC Kermit Leon Howell Oklahoma City, OK Ralph A. Hoyt Apple Valley, CA Eric Jaderborg Wichita. KS Chuck Jopson Boise, ID Ken Kavanaugh Richmond, KY Jam es Keehl Oldsmar, FL Macomb, MI Donald Key Randy Kizer Rancho Palos Verde, CA Capt. David Y. Knox Columia, SC Brad 1. Koal Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada Erik Kristensen Illusiat, Greenland Nicholas J. Lalla New Orleans, LA Russell Lassetter Marietta, GA Edwin H. Lathrop Roseland, FL

Glen F. Lau Lincoln, NE John MacKay Winter Park, FL Rick Mantei Columbia, SC Eva nston, IL Steven Mark Jackson, GA Albert Martin, Jr. Arlington, VA James A. McMahon Miami, FL Linda E. Meyers Edward L. Moore Hixson, TN Howard D. Morrison Jamestown, RI Mesa, AZ Raymond Myers [J] Bud Newhouse Cincinnati,OH Jerry Nibler Anchorage, AK S. John Owen Englewood, FL Tampa, FL Ronald W. Padgett Carl D. Parks Palmetto, GA Madrid, Spain P. H. Peraita St Lancaster, PA Ken neth Lee Peris White Bear Lake, MN Ted J. Perron Scott Perrot Vero Beach, FL Raymond I. Pfeifer Whitewater, WI Steven F. Pinello Brooklyn, NY Robert Potter San Francisco, CA William R. Presson Jackson, MS Gainesville, FL Clifford M. Preston Edgar F. Provencal South Lawrence, MA Bushnell, FL J. Lane Purcell Ronald Reader Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Farmingdale, NY

James T. Record C. M. Roberts Islington, Ontario, Canada Apple Valley, CA Donald G. Rowland Paul E. Sangster Flagstaff, AZ Mengotti Saverio Switzerland New Orleans, LA Ernest A. Schiro Steve Schmid Houston, TX Randel E. Scott Stockbridge, GA Martin Seibel Asbury, NJ Ivan Shelton Newmarket, Ontario, Canada Los Altos, CA Rand W. Siegfried Sylvester J. Sikora Orlando, FL Quinn Smet Stoughton, WI David K. Smith Manchester, CT E. M. Smith Saudi Arabia Palmyra, PA George R. Smith Martin G. Snow Rochester, NY Ken Sorensen Spanish Fork, UT David L. St. John Troy, AL Lufkin, TX B. B. Stanfield Plymouth, MN Warren Starkebaum Robert H. Starkweather Stafford, VA Claude L. Stenvig Hoffman Estates, IL Goose Creek, SC David W. Summers, Sr. Ronald Szewczyk Brighton, MI Kenneth J. Terrio Higganum, CT Columbia, CA Jeannie Thompson Linden, TN James O. Tucker Parker H. Tyler Skowhegan, ME A. Robert Urbach Louisville, CO Sigurjoen Valsson Hueragerdi, Iceland Brian Vickery Redlands, CA Sam Vickey Bentley, MI Robert Wassam Elk Grove, CA Philip R. Welsch Plano, TX John E Wesson Guntown, MS Rodney D. Whipple Angier, NC Riverside, CT Joseph S. Wilcox, Jr. David Wilke York, PA David L. Williams Toston, MT James N. Williams Sonoma, CA Elkhart, IN Edwin Lamar Wilsey Arthur F. Worden Clarence Center, NY Alexander, KS Loren W. Wright Robert Wykoff Erie, PA Lowell R. Yates Jackson, OH Albany, GA Roy M. Young

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 EM Antique/Classic Division. 12 monthly issues of Vintage Airplane and membership card.

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

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

lAC Membership in the International Aerobatic Club, Inc. is $30.00 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics. All lAC members are required to be members of EM. (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 EM. (Plus $5 for foreign members.)

EAA EXPERIMENTER

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

DIVISIONS ARE NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE AS CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

SWIFTS

(Continued/rom page 17) better streamlining. All the streamlining

has paid off - with a normal cruise speed

of 155-160 knots , Charlie has fun catch­

ing up to Mooney 201 's and dusting them

off as he flies by. (He's honest though

when he says that he can catch them

down low, say five or six thousand feet,

but the Mooney will get the best of him if

he goes up higher!)

The Swift is certainly a favorite among

the Antique/Classic crowd, and to its

credit, it even makes a good airshow air­

plane. The Swift Magic Team, a 3-plane

formation team, uses modified Swifts to

perform an act that is enjoyed all over

North America. Lowell Sterchi and

Michael Kennedy have been performing

since 1979 as a two man team, and in

1986 they added their friend Dewayne

Upton to the formation. Their Swifts all

have 210 hp Continentals under the cowl,

which makes the airplane quite a per­

former.

Michael Kennedy bought his Swift af­

ter returning from his third combat tour

in Vietnam flying F-4 Phantoms . After

400 missions in the F-4, he had devel­ oped a certain set of requirements for a sport airplane, and after reading a Budd Davisson article on the Swift, he decided that was the airplane for him. He ' s owned one ever since, and thoroughly enjoys it.

The Swift enjoys a tight knit group of followers, both those who delight in the snappy performance of the modified air­ planes, as well as the stock airplanes that are showing up more and more on the fly-in circuit. Either way, the airplane can be a sharp looking head-turner at your local fly-in. It's not hard to see why this airplane has such a devoted hard core following - it is great looking, han­ dles beautifully , and performs well (sometimes spectacularly!) in its varied configurations. Could we be so lucky to see some new Swifts coming down the as­ sembly line? Stay tuned, folks .. .

*

*

*

*

If you would like more information on the Swift Magic Team , contact Michael Kennedy, 813/353-9656. .:.: u

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~ ~~--------------~------~---------26 MARCH 1994

The address for the International Swift Association is P.O. Box 644 , Ath­ erns , TN 37371-0644. They publish a monthly newsletter, with dues $25.00 per year. ....

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

APRIL 10 - 16 - LAKELAND, FL ­ The 20th Annual Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly­ In and International Aviation Conven­ tion . Lakeland-Linder Regional Air­ port. For information call 813/644-2431.

APRIL 24 - GREENSBORO , NC­ North Carolina De pt. of Trans. NC Wings Weekend. Free flight instruction and seminars. To register contact: NC­ DOT Div. of Aviation, 919/840-0112.

APRIL 24 - HALF MOON BA Y , CA . - Half Moon Bay Airport. Pacific Coast Dream Machines benefit. Gates open from 10 A.M . until 4 P.M. To ben­ efit Coastside Adult Day Health Center.

Participant fee - $10 per vehicle, ($20 day of the show) Contact: 4151726-2328, or write 645 Correas St., Half Moon Bay, CA 94019.

APRIL 29 - MAY 1- BURLING­ TON , NC - Annual EAA Antique/Clas­ sic Spring Fly-In . Trophies in all cate­ gories. For information, call R. Bottom, Jr. , 103 Powhatan Pkwy, Hampton , V A 23661. Fax 804/873-3059.

APRIL 30 - MAY 1- WINCHES­ TER, VA - Winchester Regional Air­ port. EAA Chapter 186 Spring Fly-ln.

On field camping, trophies for winning sbowplanes. Pancake breakfast Sunday, rain or shine. Concessions and ex­ hibitors. Contact Al or Judy Sparks, EAA Chapter 186. 703/590-9112.

MAY 1- DAYTON, OH - 31st An­ nual Funday Sunday Fly-In at the Moraine Airpark. Breakfast, awards, flea market and lots of antiques. Con­ tact: Jennie Dyke, 513/878-9832. or write Jennie Dyke , 2840 Old Yellow Springs Rd., Fairborn, OH 45324.

MAY 13 - 15 - CAMARILLO, CA Camarillo EAA Fly-In and Air Show. experimental, 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.

MA Y 14 - MT. VERNON , TX ­ Franklin County Airport. BBQ and campout Fri. night. Pancake breakfast Sat. morning , Hamburger lunch . Con­ tests, Forums , door prizes and awards.

Contacts: Ted Newsome 903/856-5992, Tom Willis, 903/885-5525 or the airport at 903/537-2711.

MA Y 20-22 - COLUMBIA , CA ­ 1994 Luscombe Gathering. 18th Annual event, and will feature judging, spot landing and flour bombing, plus a clock

race. Contact : Art Moxley, 206/432­ 4865.

May 27-29 - ATCHISON , KS ­ Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport. 28th Annual AAA, Kansas City Chapter Fly­ In . For information, call Herb Whitlow, 913/379-5011 or Stephen Lawlor , 806/238-216l.

May 27-29 - WATSONVILLE , CA ­ 30th Annual West Coast Antique Fly-In and Airshow. Call 408/496-9559 for more information.

JUNE 3-4 - MERCED , CA - 37th Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In. For more information , contact Merced Pilots Assoc., P.O . Box 2312, Merced , CA 95344 or Mike Berry 209/358-3728. For concessions information , call Dick Es­ cola , 209/358-6707.

JUNE 4-5 - V ALP ARAISO , IN (VPZ) EAA Northwest Indiana Chap­ ter 104 3rd Annual Fly-In Breakfast.

219/926-3572.

JUNE5-JUNEAU , WI-EAA Chapter 897 Fly-In, drive-in pancake breakfast at Dodge County Airport.

Breakfast served 8 - 1 pm. Hamburgers and brats served from noon until 3 p.m .

Aviation fly market. Co-sponsored by the Goldwing motorcycle and Hot Rod associations. Contact: Rick, 414/885­ 3696.

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

JUNE 5 - DEKALB , IL - DeKalb­ Taylor Municipal airport. 7am - noon .

EAA Chapter 241 serves its 30th Annual Fly-InlDrive-In breakfast. For informa­ tion, call 815/286-7818.

JUNE 3 - 4 - BARTLESVILLE, OK ­ Eighth Annual National Biplane Con­ vention and Exposition. Frank Phillips Field. Biplane airshow with world fa­ mous performers, forums, seminars and workshops. Biplanes and NBA members free - for all ot hers an admission charge app li es. For information ca ll Charles Harris, Chairman, 918/622-8400 or Virgil Gaede, Expo Director, 918/336-3976.

JUNE 11 - WHEREVER EAA MEMBERS ARE , WORLDWIDE ­ INTERN ATIONAL YOUNG EA­ GLES DA Y. Check with your local EAA or Antique/Classic Chapter to find out if they are holding a Young Eagles Rally . If you're too far away from a chapter activity, you certainly can do it on your own. You can inspire a life­ take a youngster for a ride! For more info, contact the EAA Young Eagles Of­

fice, EAA Aviation Center , P.O. Box 3086, O s hko s h, WI 54903-3086. Call 414/426-4800.

JUNE11-DECATUR , AL-EAA Chapter 9411Decatur-Athens Aero Ser­ vices 7th Annual Fly-In. All invited.

Vendors, Demonstrations, Judging. For info call 205/355-5770.

JUNE 17-19 - DENTON , TX - Den ­ ton Municipal Airport. 31st Annual AAA Texas Chapter antique airplane Fly-In. Contact: Dan D oy le, 214/542­ 2455 . Ho s t hotel is th e Radisson: 817/565-8499.

JUNE 18 - HUNTSVILLE , AL Moontown Airport. 2nd Annual EAA Chapter 190 Father's Day Fly-In. Poker run, spot landing contest, refreshments, etc. Camping OK. 100LL and auto gas available. Rain Date: Jun e 25. For in­ formation , call Rick Nelson 205/539-7435 or Frank Fitzgerald 205/882-9257. Or you can write EAA Chapter 190, P.O. Box 18852, Huntsville, AL 35804.

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

JUNE 4-5 - V ALP ARAISO , IN (VPZ) EAA Northwest Indiana Chap­ ter 104 10th Annual Foodbooth during the week of Oshkosh. 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily. 219/926-3572 for info.

JULY 1-3 - GAINESVILLE, FL­ EAA Chapter 611 26th Annual "Cracker" Fly-In. Antiques, homebuilts, Judging in 9 categories. Contact: S.S. McDonald,404/889-1486.

JULY 8-10 - LOMPOC , CA - 10th Annual West Coast Piper Cub Fly-In .

Contact: Bruce Fall , 805/733-1914.

JULY 17-23 - ROSWELL , NM ­ 25TH Anniversary convention of the In­ ternational Cessna 170 Assoc. Contact: Lyn Benedict, 136 E. Orchard Park Rd., Dexter, NM 88230. 505/622-3458.

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!

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

MYSTERY PLANE

by George Hardie This month's Mystery Plane is a snappy looking job for its day.

Does the background scene reveal where it was built? The photo is from the EAA files. Answers will be published in the May issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Deadline for that issue is March 20,1994.

The first reply to the December Mystery Plane came from Robert Taylor, Ottumwa, IA who writes: "The December Mystery Plane is the 1922 Elias ES-l, powered with two 80 hp LeRhone rotary engines and carried four passengers

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28 MARCH 1994

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Chester Peek, noted aircraft historian from Norman, OK, sent in this photo of the Brown Columbia sesquiplane built by Willis Brown after his departure from Spartan Aircraft. As mentioned in Chet's note, Willis' next projects were the biplane trainer, and then the Southernaire (September and November 1993 Mystery Plane).

and pilot. Built by G. Elias and Bro., Inc. of Buffalo, NY. Would be quite a sight to see at any fly-in."

Doug Rounds, Zebulon, GA writes: " It 's the Elias Model ES-l Com­ mercial, powered by two LeRhone ro­ taries of 80 hp each. The picture shown is featured in the 1922 AIrcraft

Yearbook, with lin e drawings of the aircraft."

Details of the airplane appeared in Aerial Age Weekly magazine for June 26, 1922. IT was labeled the Elias-Stu­ par ES-l. The Stupa r in the name re­ ferred to the designer, Max Stupar, who was a pioneer builder and fli er

who was with the Elias company from 1919 to 1927. He later worked for the Curtiss company and the Bell Aircraft Corp.

The other correct answers were re­ cieved from William H . Rogers, Jack­ sonvi ll e, Florida and Charley Hayes , ...

Park Forest, Illinois.

Elias Model ES- t Commercial

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

1 year subscription $25 Overseas $30

Sample issues $4 each

MEMBERSHIP

INFORMATION

EAA

WW1 AERO (1900-1919), and SKYWAYS (1920-1940)

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.)

Two Journals for the restorer. builder. & serious madeller of early aircraft.

• • • •

information on current projects news of museums and airshows technical drawings and data photographs

• scale modelling material • news of current publications

• • • •

historical research workshop notes information on painUcolor aeroplanes. engines. parts

for sale • your wants and disposals

Sole distributors lor P3V. a computer program to generate a 3-view Irom a photograph.

Published by

WORLD WAR 1

~,

INC.

15 Crescent Road. Poughkeepsie. NY 12601 USA (914) 473-3679

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 mem­ ber and must give EAA membership number.

Non-EAA Member- $30.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/ Classic Division. 12 monthly issues of Vintage Airplane, one year 35¢ per word, $5.00 minimum charge. Send your ad to

membership in the EAA and separate The Vintage Trader, EAA Aviation Center, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

membership cards. Sport Aviation not Payment must accompany ad. VISA/MasterCard accepted.

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

AIRCRAFT: Aeronca C-3 Razorback - E-113C engine. Total restoration just completed including new wings, ailerons, etc. $28,000 or trade. Projects considered. 707/938-1465. Also, A-40 with all accessories - $1,000. (3-2) For Sale - 1951 Cessna 170A. Four passenger. All metal. Taildragger. Well cared for.

2364 n, 218 SMOH. $22,000. 608/882-4152, phone/fax. Jones Barbells Ltd., 175 Union Street, Evansville, WI 53536.

MISCELLANEOUS:

CURTISS JN4-D MEMORABILIA - You can now own memorabilia from the famous "Jenny", as seen on "TREASURES FROM THE PAST". We have posters, postcards, Membership in the Warbirds of America, videos, pins, airmail cachets, etc. We also have R/C documentation exclusive to this Inc. is $30.00 per year, which includes a historic aircraft. Sale of these items support operating expense to keep this "Jenny" flying subscription to Warbirds. Warbird mem­ for the aviation public. We appreciate your help. Write for your free price List. Virginia bers are required to be members of EAA. Aviation Co., RDv-8, Box 294, Warrenton, VA 22186. (c/5/92) (Plus $5 for foreign members.)

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

MENTER magazine is available for (NEW) This & That About the Ercoupe, $14.00. Fly-About Adventures & the Ercoupe,

$28.00 per year (Sport Aviation not $17.95. Both books, $25.00. Fly-About, P.O. Box 51144, Denton, Texas 76206. (c-3/94)

included). Current EAA members may receive EAA EXPERIMENTER for $18.00 1915-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - 4,000 sq . foot warehouse full! Buy - sell ­ per year. (Plus $6 for foreign members.) trade, 44-page catalog, $5. Airmailed. Jon Aldrich, Airport Box 706, Groveland, CA 95321,

phone 209/962-6121. (c-5/94)

FOREIGN

NEW and IMPROVED Reproductions of Aeronca/Sensenich Wood Prop Decals ­ MEMBERSHIPS

Outstanding six-color silk screen water transfers - accurate replicas of those used on

props "ESPECIALLY MADE FOR" Aeronca by Sensenich. For a set of prop decals and a

Please submit your remittance with a black and white contact photo of an original, plus a small "AERONCA" decal used on the

check or draft drawn on a United States Airpath compass and application directions, send $27.50 to: Dick Love, Box 448, Dillsburg,

bank payable in United States dollars.

PA 17019, telephone 717/238-8160. (3-1)

address: MAGAZINES AND BOOKS - Collection for sale dating from 1917-1950's including Aero

EAA AVIA TlON CENTER Digest, Aviation Weekly, Aviation Monthly, Western Flying, etc. Also some books of merit,

P.O.BOX 3086 technical and otherwise. List for SASE. LEE INGALLS, P.O. Box 145, Baldwinsville, NY

OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086 13027315/638-2307.

PHONE (414) 426-4800 GEE BEE - R-1, R-2 super-scale model plans used for Wolf/Benjamin's R-2. GB "Z", FAX (414) 426-4828 "Bulldog," "Goon," Monocoupe, Culver, Rearwin. Updated, enlarged (1/3, 1/4, 1/6-1/24).

OFFICE HOURS: PLANS on SHIRTS/Caps! Catalog/News $4.00, refundable. Vern Clements, 308 Palo 8:15-5:00 MON.-FRI. Alto, Caldwell, 1083650. (c-9/94)

1-800-843-3612 MEMBERSHIP DUES TO EAA AND ITS

DIVISIONS ARE NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE

AS CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS.

30 MARCH 1994

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

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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

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AWWA

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

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Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials: $3. 00.

Qin~RODUCTS'

INC.

259 Lower Morrisville Rd ., Dept. VA Fallsington , PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

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