VA-Vol-26-No-11-Nov-1998

EDITORIAL STAFF Publisher

Tom Poberezny

November 1998

Vol. 26, No. 11

Editor-in-Chief

Jack Cox

Editor

CONTENTS

Henry G. Frautschy

Managing Editor

I Straight & LeveIlEspie "Butch" Joyce

Golda Cox

Contributing Editor

2 AlC News

John Underwood

Computer Graphic Specialists

Beth Blanck Olivia L. Phillip

3 Aeromail

Pierre Kotze

4 The Steco Aeroplane/ H. G. Frautschy

Staff Photographers

Jim Koepnick LeeAnn Abrams

Ken Lichtenberg Mark Schaible

Advertising/Editorial Assistant

7 Mystery Plane/ H. G. Frautschy

Isabelle Wiske

8 What Our Members Are Restoring/ H. G. Frautschy

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INC. OFFICERS

10 Chaos or Orderly Confusion?/ Steve Krog

President Espie "Butch" Joyce P.O. 80x 35584 Greensboro, NC 27425 91O/393-{)344

12 From the Archives/ H. G. Frautschy

Secretary Steve Nesse

2009 Highlond Ave. Albert Leo, MN 5tiYJ7 507/373-1674

13 The "Spirit of Carnauba"/ H.G. Frautschy

DIRECTORS

17 Vintage Excitement at EAA AirVenture '98 19 A Rare Bird!

Norm Petersen 22 Born Again!

Tome & Ei leen Macario 25 Welcome New Members 26 Pass It To BuckIBuck Hilbert

Page 19

30 Membership Information/Classified Ads/Calendar

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Vice-President George Daubner 2448 Lough Lane Hartford, WI 53027 414/673-5885 Treasurer Cha~es Harris 7215 East 46th St. Tulsa. OK 74145 918/622-&100

FRONT AND BACK COVERS ... Test pilot Tom Wallis and Born Again Restora tions founder R.W. "Buzz' Kaplan fly one the the most spectaculor ftying replicas yet built. a Sikorsky S-38 •Amphibion. · Built in Owatonna. MN. the S-38 project was commissioned by SC Johnson Wax president Sam Johnson. who Is currently fly­ ing the 71ft., 8 in. biplane while retracing his father's 1935 expedition in search of Carnauba palm trees in Brazil. Accompanying Sam are his two sons, Curt and Fisk. They'll be joined by o ther family members in Brazil during the four­ week long journey. EAA photos by Jim Koepnick, shot with a Canon EOS 1n equipped with an 8O-200mm lens. EAA Cessna 210 plane flown by EAA 's Direc­ tor of Flight Operations, Joe Schumacher.

Copyright © 1998 by the EAA Antique/Classic Division Inc. All rights reservec .

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

Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices. The membership rate for EM Antique/Classic Division, Inc. is $27.00 for current EM members for 12 month period of which $18.00 is for the publication of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation.

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

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

EDITORIAL POUCY: Readers are encouragee to submn stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressad in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. No renumeration is made.

Material should be sent to: Editor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 920/426-4800.

The words EM, ULTRAUGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM, SPORT AVIATION, FOR THE LOVE OF FLYING and the logos of EM, EM INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, EM ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB, WARBIRDS OF AMERICA are ® registeree trademarks. THE EM SKY SHOPPE ane logos of the EM AVIATION FOUNDATION, EM ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION and EM Air Venture are trademarks of the above associations and their use by any parsen other than the above association is strictly prohibitee.

John Berencft 7645 Echo Point Rd. Connon Falls, MN 55009 507/263-2414 Phil Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawton, MI 49065 616/624-6490

Gene Morris 5936 Steve Court Roonoke, 1X 76262 817/491-9110 Robert C. "Bob" Brauer 9345 S. Hoyne ChicaW' IL 60620 312/ 79-2105

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

John S. Copeland 1A Deacon Street NOrthborout, MA 01532 fIJ8/3 3-4775

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

Stan Gomoll 1042 90th Lane, NE

Minn6?~~_~l~F Jeannie Hill

P.O.80x328

Harvard, IL 60033

815/943-7205

Robert UCkteig 1708 Bay Oaks r.

Albert Lea, MN 5tiYJ7 507/373-2922 Dean Richardson 6701 Colony Dr. Madison, WI 53717 608/833-1291

Robert D. "Bob" Lumley 1265 South 124th St. 8rookfield, WI 53005 414/782-2633

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

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

DIRECTORS EMERITUS Gene Chase 2159 Co~ton Rd. Oshkosh, WI 54904 920/231-5002

E.E. "Buck" Hilbert P.O. Box 424 Union,IL601BO 815/923-4591

George York

181 Sloboda Av.

Mansfield, OH 44906

419/529-4378

ADVISORS Steve Krog 1002 Heather In. Hartford, WI 53027 414/966-7627

Roger Gomoll 321-1/2 S. Broadway Apt. 3 Rochester, MN 55904 507288-2810

Alan Shacklefon P.O.80x656 Sugor Grove, IL 60554-0656 630-466-4193

David Bennett 403 Tanner Ct. Roseville, CA 95678 916-782-7025

STRAIGHT & LEVEL

by ESPIE "BUTCH" JOYCE

n the continuing saga of the house restoration I've been telling you about for the past few months, we did get to move in the house the first Friday of Octo­ ber, but it is like flying a restored aircraft without a spinner, wheel pants, and no ra­ dios. As you can see, I have more work to do, but the good news is that it is not too far to my bed when I finish up a project!

I was able to get to the NC Chapter 3 Fly- In at Darlington, SC on Saturday. I missed the Friday night activities, which I understand were most enjoyable. The Darlington County Airport group put on a great "pig pickin," and old movies were shown at the airport, which allowed everyone to stay at the airport until they were ready to go to bed. I took off in the Luscombe early on Saturday morning for the fly-in and there was a thin broken cloud layer around 3,000' msl , so I climbed up to 4,500', where the ride was silky smooth. At 2,400 rpm I was indicat­ ing 105 mph. After I got trimmed up, I just crossed my arms and sat back, only having to touch a rudder pedal from time to time. That's great flying! While at the fIy-in [ saw a number of people with what I felt was a renewed interest on their part in flying. Many of them I hadn't seen in quite a while.

EAA was well represented at this gath­ ering. I walked up to the registration desk and was pleasantly surprised to see Bob Reece. Bob, who is an EAA Director, is from Texas, and serves as the Chief judge of the Custom Built aircraft at Oshkosh.

Bob infonned me that he had come to the fly-in in a 1929 Waco, which turned out to be Farrell James' new restoration of his RNF. Jack Cox from EAA had come down for the day to check everything out. EAA Director Susan Dusenbury also was there.

Susan is a past president of NC Chapter 3.

This fly-in is not advertised to the gen­

I

eral public and there is no air show - it is a "sit under the wing and give buddy rides" type of gathering. The judging takes place on Saturday afternoon from 2 to 4 pm.

There is an awards dinner on Saturday night and an on-field breakfast Saturday and Sunday morning. I fired up the Lus­ combe about 4:30 p.m. to start the trip home. While approaching the end of the runway I saw this 7EC with the tail lifted and the tail wheel removed. It was a long time friend of mine, Earl Brown. Earl, who hails from Greensboro, gave the high sign that he had everything under control. I left for a great flight home to my home base, Shiloh airport. 1 later learned from Earl that the tail wheel tire had gone flat , tearing up the tube. He went down to the local EAA Chapter hangar where he found some of the rolled foam that is used to put in joints that are going to be caulked.

He stuffed this inside of the tail wheel tire, which worked well enough to allow him to fly home . This is one of the rea­ sons I prefer the solid tire tail wheels on lighter aircraft.

By the way, here 's more information about hand propping an aircraft. Sporty's has a video available on the proper method of hand propping. I just ordered it the other day, and I'll pass along a quick re­ view of the program in my next column.

Here 's a tip I picked up from the Tay­ lorcraft newsletter. One method that can be used in hand propping is to tum on your fuel valve and pull your prop through as necessary to prime the engine with the mags OFF. When you switch on the mags, tum the fuel selector OFF. When the en­ gine starts at idle, you should have one to two minutes to tum the fuel back ON be­ fore the engine quits. Should the engine start at full throttle, it will expire from the lack offuel rather quickly. Needless to say, you have to be a faithful user of your checklist to absolutely ensure you turn the fuel back on! This technique would have prevented the flyaway acci­ dent we all heard about in the news involving a Champ that flew around cen­ tral Ohio for several hours with no one on board before crashing, fortunately with no

injury to anyone on the ground.

Several weeks ago I happened to see an aviator starting his Cub. This guy had learned how to tie the tail wheel of the Cub using a slip knot, extending the re­ lease end into the cockpit. Once he had the Cub running and he was secured in the rear seat, he would pull the rope, releasing the tail wheel from being tied to a fence­ post, tie down or what have you. You may recall NC Advisor Joe Dickey's ar­ ticle on a similar subject a few years ago. If you'd like a copy of the article, send a self addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) to EAA VINTAGE AIR­ PLANE , PO BOX 3086, OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086. Mark on the outside of your envelope "Hand Propping."

I thought that thi s was a neat way to handle this problem. Send us a note if you have any suggestion regarding anything that might help us all be safer while oper­ ating our aircraft. The type clubs are a great source of information and I would like to thank Charlie Nelson of the Swift club for his kind words about the NC Di­ vision in his last newsletter. Charlie, we welcome any new members and thank you and the "Swifters" for your support over the years.

We were given some bad and good news regarding one of our own this past fall. Charlie Harris, your Antique/Classic Division Treasurer, was hospitalized just after Labor Day and diagnosed with Guil­ lian Barre syndrome, a nervous system disorder that manifests itself with tempo­ rary paralysis.

Thankfully, Charlie was diagnosed quickly by his doctor, whose brother had the disease 18 years ago! Charlie quickly progressed to a rehabilitation center in Tulsa, and a full recovery is expected, but it will take some time. He is now able to work full days and sounds great, but it will be a couple of months before he is com­ pletely back in the saddle. Should anyone like to send Charlie a note, his address is on the opposite page.

You can help your Division grow by asking you friends to join up with us. Let's all pull in the same direction for the good of aviation. Remember we are better to­ gether. Join us and have it all! ...

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

1

A/C NEWS

compiled by H.G. Frautschy

STAN GOMOLL 1926-1998 Stan Gomoll, 71, passed away Oc­ tober 27, 1998. Stan (EAA 44419 , A/ C 369) was a current EAA An­ tique/Classic Director, as well as the Chairn1an of the A/C Construction and Maintenance committee for the annual EAA Convention.

Stan' s devotion to antique aviation spans his lifetime. He once said he was a lways interes ted in airplanes. As a youngster, he built models and in the summer of 1940, at the age of 14, he re­ ceived his first airplane ride in a J-3 Cub, which he acquired in return for working all day around the airport.

He worked as a line boy at the Rob­ binsville, MN airport for 25¢ an hour, which was paid as 10¢ cash and 15¢ flying time in a Cub! He soloed on his 16th birthday on November 30, 1942 . In February, 1945 he entered the service and served as a Stan Gomoll ground crewman on B-29s at North Field on the island of Guam in the south Pacific.

When he returned home, using the GI bill, Stan attended the Spartan school of Aeronautics in '48 and '49, where he earned his Airframe and Engine license.

He also finished the work to earn his Private Pilot license.

Moving back home to Minneapolis, MN he worked at the local small airport for a few years. Northwest Airlines was hiring, and in 1951 Stan went to work for them as a mechanic. He didn't stay on the floor though - he wanted to fly as a crew member, and he progressed to become a flight engineer on the DC-6 and DC-7, then on to jets as an FE on the 707 and 727 . When he retired as a flight engineer and copilot from the air­ line, he had been flying as a crew member on the 747.

All during his years Stan has been 2

NOVEMBER 1998

active enjoying antique aircraft. His first airplane was a 193940 hp Taylor­ craft. He completed the restoration of a Model B Funk which now resides in the EAA Aviation Foundation's col­ lection at Pioneer Airport.He also restored a 1928 Heath Super Parasol, for which he was awarded the 1994 Antique Custom Built champion tro­ phy. Stan owned and flew a J-3 Cub and his prize find, a 1936 Waco EQC­ 6, which he bought in 1968. Stan set a record unlikely to be broken by flying the Waco to every EAA Convention since 1968, until he grounded the air­ plane just a couple of years ago for a recover job. Only recovered once since 1936, the Waco was Stan's pride and joy, one which he was able to share with his family as they headed east each year to the annual pilgrimage to Oshkosh.

Stan has been active restoring a num­ ber of aircraft, including a Gullwing Stinson, and was the longtime president of Antique/Classic Chapter 4. A mem­ ber of the Antique/Classic Board of Directors since 1984, he has served as an advisor since 1976. One of Stan's great joys was the appointment of his son, Roger, an active antiquer himself, to an advisors post with the A/C Board in 1996.

Stan was always ready to wield a hammer or screwdriver during the never ending tasks of maintaining and up­ grading the Antique/Classic facilities, and much of what we enjoy today dur­ ing the Convention can be attributed to Stan and his many helpers.

Our condolences to his wife Irene and their their children, Dale, Roger and Susan, and grandchildren Addie, Holly and Dale Lee.

MINNESOTA SPORT AVIATION CONFERENCE If you're a Midwesterner, mark your 1999 calendar with the dates for the Minnesota Sport Aviation Conference, held at the Minneapolis Convention Center February 13-14. Among all of the other facets of aviation from ultra­ lights to models, Steve Nesse , A/ C Division Secretary is arranging a metal working demonstration clinic with some of the most accomplished names in the industry. Check out their web site at www.flightexpo.com or call Wayne Petersen at the Minnesota Dept. of

Aeronautics at 1-800/ 657-3922 for more information.

If your state aeronautics department hosts a similar event, be sure and tell them to drop us a note telling us about their event. To be sure and give at least a couple of months notice, please ask them to send the notice at least four months in advance. They can e-mail their notice to us here at vintage@eaa.org, or send it via regular mail to Vintage Airplane, P.O . Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

NATIONAL TRAVEL AIR REUNION? Jerry Impellezzeri of the Travel Air Restorers Association wrote us the fol­ lowing note, and asked us to pass it along to the membership: I am trying to determine the level of interest from Travel Air owners and en­ thusiasts for organizing a National Travel Air Reunion at Travel Air Field in Wichita, KS in the year 2000, the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Travel Air Co. Raytheon (Beech) Air­ craft is interested and willing to host the event if "they will come." I would like to know the following in order to kick off this event.

1. Who would be willing to fly their Travel Air to Wichita for this event in the summer or fall of2000.

2. For those who don't have flying Travel Air would you seriously inter­ ested in attending.

3. Who would be willing to serve on the organizing committee or help in some way with the reunion.

This reunion would likely be the only event of its type specifically for Travel Airs to be organized for anytime in the foreseeable future. That could make this event especially important. I would like to see at least 15 Travel Airs planning on attending to make this worthwhile. All comments are wel­ come. I will be adding to our mailing list all who contact me and report the results back to you at Vintage Airplane.

Keep the Travel Air Flying,

Jerry

You can write to: Travel Air Restorers Association 4925 Wilma Way San Jose, CA 95124 408/356-3407

VINTAGE

AeroMail

UNION OIL TRAVEL AIR Dear Mr. Frautschy, I am writing with respect to the arti­ cle about "The Worthington Collection" in the September 1998 is­ sue of Vintage Airplane. The aircraft mentioned belonged to Union Oil Com­ pany, and that Mr. Carl Lienesch was their chief pilot. It was also mentioned that he had had a bad accident with their Travel Air B9-4000, and that one or more of his passengers were killed.

I believe that this may be in error, as I have an article from the Union Oil Bulletin dated December, 1932 , that described his crash which indeed did kill two of the geologists for Union Oil Company. It happened in Wharton, TX and may have been caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. The reason I am writing is that I am currently restoring the same aircraft that Mr. Lienesch crashed. It is not a Travel Air B9-4000, but a Curtiss-Wright A-14-D , SIN 2008, which Union Oil Company pur­ chased in December, 1931. This aircraft

ha s passed through many hands since 1932, and my father purchased it from John Cournoyer in 1988 . John had bought it from Jack Coul son of Mid­ dlesboro, KY, but decided to sell it for some reason. From the records that I have, it appears that this aircraft has not flown since the mid to late 1940s. The aircraft is in reasonably good shape, but some of the woodwork had to be re­ placed, and the landing gear and brake system needed major repairs.

Enclosed are copies of the original bill of sale to Union Oil Company (below, left), the airworthiness and registration certificates, photocopies of pictures of the two Curtiss-Wright aircraft Union Oil Company purchased in 1931 , a telegraph sent to the Department of Commerce re­ lated to the crash, and an article describing the crash.

There were only five of the A-14-Ds built, and only two still remain in exis­ tence . Besides the one I am working on, there is another one that belongs to Mr. Allen Watkins of Greensboro, NC. I have flown in that aircraft when it was based at Hurdle Field in Mebane, NC . My brother repaired the air­ BILL OF SALE craft and made it Fin. ANI) IX COK.1I0U.4T~ON or IHl 9':t;. ~I'y~ . 9: Y:~: • •.. . • • • ..• ~.uars. flyable again for in han~ ' pi.id we htrcbr adl a~J (raru;(f unto . ~ • • • .• VttiQQ. Qil. ~Ql)lP\lt'y ••••••• • •• Mr. Watkin s.

The aircraft is ,, ' •• ~~. ~~<]~!';~ t • ~~ }~!: .. .. . . . ... ,'n;: •• • <:\f!~~~~-:"'!:!~J:t~ . ........'\irpl~nt' . currently on dis­ ·i Yp< .• • • ~7H7Q • •. • .•. MIII· li.ri.I;'<uonl .<•••. ?QQ~ •• • • • 1::"lIin. Number.• lnn... play at the 1.1Ia; ;nc rypc..• • •••• ~!,~9J.l~. ~:-?~9:-~ ........ . Dale manuJ8("tured . r;>~~t;I!'l?~~.;!,! ?~l Virginia Science Ikp.HtlHt'nl of Conuu':hc ~umbcr .•• ~~! ?~? ~ ....... including the followina ".,co.. 1 equip­ Museum at the ,ucn" • •.•. • nH~ .!\~l~H~.1M"l;t~Qh'l' . ...... . ...... . ...................•

Richmond Inter­ ...... ... ..... ................... ........ .. ... ........ ... ......... . national Airport, t ;,luAntecd free and clrar nflitnl .• ~d ~nl·umbr;Ulcts of whatever kind ur nature. }"hia... l1t-Q •• Richmond, VA. .: .. 0(. • .. . 1(~~~.wH ••• • . • •. •• •.• 19 • H , . ..

I hope thi s c.:l)l; I'I~::~~.~ ~. c.:O~IPANY. ha s been of "'Hnelll Hy._..-L~l:...;..~_...Ll_~~=~_~==-- _ _ __ some intere st 'Vl.c e rlUlur.Jr; l :2~t;od&& to you and the "g, .we. f,.Vintage Air­ plane readers . I SOl til • • • • • •

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would appreciate any pertinent infor­ mation about thi s Curtiss-Wright aircraft from anyone who might have known about it, including Mr. John Un­ derwood.

Sincerely, Jim Hurdle AlC 26104 10212 Little Valley Rd. Fort Worth TX 76108 WAYNE KING'S AIRPLANE Dear Mr. Glass, Responding to you letter in the May, 1998 Vintage Airplane, the airplane in question was a Stearman 4 series which in 1937 was in the possession of the late lO. Dockery, who had cotton dust­ ing operations in Clarksdale, MS and Pine Bluff, AR. The Stearman was at the latter and had not then been con­ verted to a duster.

This was an enlarged version of the C-3-B model and had either a more powerful J-6-9 or Wasp Jr. engine, I don't remember which, in place of the usual Wright J-5 , giving it a nominal useful load of around 1,500 Ibs vs . about 1,000 Ibs for the ubiquitous J-5 's.

It would have made a useful duster but business was bad that year.

The three open-cockpit version must have been the 4-DM model which had two separate airmail holds in front of the pilot's cockpit. But the Wayne King airplane had only the two-place front cockpit and the rear pilot's cockpit.

I was working for lO. that summer and one night understood him to invite me to check it out, which I did early the following morning. He was annoyed because he said I misunderstood him. It flew just about like a regular C-3-B .

Hope this is useful.

Very truly yours, Dick Sampson AlC 15146 Ft. Lauderdale, FL VINTAGE AIRPLANE

3

Time Machine

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by H.G. Frautschy, with acknowledgements to Judy Peterson and Dennis Eggert ave you ever been part of a time capsule opening, when the gran­ ite slab is slid back from the top of some old cornerstone, and relics from the past see the light of day for the first time in a century or more?

Dennis Eggert has, for he was present when a set of crates stored since 1914 were opened for the first time. Inside the crates were the products of the Stephens Engineering Company (Steco). The major portion of the arti­ facts inside the wooden boxes comprised the Steco aerohydroplane, a unique design built in 1911 in Chicago, [L. [n the 1880s and '90s, James S.

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4

NOVEMBER 1998

_"

In this head on view. 1)U Cl!il see-tile unusua.l i edral " of the l:ilplane. and the 50 hp Gnome roti!ry_engi!!e~' I installation . . The twin floats w1!re.built by. the Burge»' ~ ' company ofMarSlehea~. MA. ! ". . .,

Stephens was the mechanical superin­ tendent for the Milwaukee Railroad in St. Paul, MN, as well as serving as an engineering consultant for the Hamm's Brewing Company. In 1892, he was chosen to serve as the chief electrician for the Colombian Exposition in Chicago. In later years while living in Chicago, Stevens designed and built the aircraft you see here, equipping it with an innovative control system. In fact, the control system was awarded a U.S. Patent. Instead of having ai lerons and separate elevator and rudders, the Steco used a different approach.

The only vertical control surfaces on the airplane were a pair of rudders

which were hinged to swing only out­ board, and were used for controlling slips and skids, similar in fashion to the modern-day Rutan Vari-Eze. But the horizontal tail was the most interesting feature of the controls of the Steco - it was gimbaled so that the single control column in the cockpit could effect both pitch, roll and yaw control with the one surface, both tilting it on the lateral axis as well as "nom1al" tilting for changes in pitch. There is no vertical surface in the rear of the aircraft, only the vertical surfaces mentioned above. The tail sur­ face was mounted at the rear of an open wire braced truss framework.

The fuselage for the Steco is a fabric

covered "tub," with a 50 hp Gnome ro­ tary engine mounted in front. The cockpit was mounted on top of the lower wing, which has a span of 36 ft. and has a slight amount of dihedral.

The upper wing, which spans 42 ft. , has a flat center section, and then features a pronounced anhedral to the middle strut bay . From that point, the upper wing out to the tip is flat. Both the wing planform and it's unusual dihe­ dral are known as the "Zanonia seed" configuration . The Zanonia macro­ carpa seed comes from a vine that is native to Java, and has been known to naturalists for many years. Able to sus­ tain gl ides of amazing duration with inherent stability, it was the basis for many pioneer era aircraft designs, in­ cluding the early work ofIgo Etrich, the designer of the famous Etrich Taube . Stephens evidently did his homework, surmising that if the seed planform was being used with success, he too might find it advantageous.

Stephens apparently finished his air­ plane in 1911. For land use, he built

and fitted a tricycle landing gear, com­ plete with a caliper brake on each side, controllable nosewheel steering, and pneumatic shock ab sorbers for the landing gear. The twin float landing gear for water operations was a pair of Burgess aluminum floats, made in Mar­ blehead, MA. They were mounted in 1914, and Stephens soloed the airplane that same year. It wa s then packed away in shipping crates. Also packed aw ay were parts and pieces of four Steco cycle cars, a patented automo­ tive design headed up by Stephens' son, Ralph. The crates gave the im­ pression they were to be shipped somewhere else, but it was never to be.

Stored in the elder Stephens' hangar in Chicago, they remained there until the mid-1920s, when James Stephens passed away. Ralph Stephens arranged to have the crates delivered to his May­ wood , IL home , beyond the western edge of Chicago.

Ralph and his cousin , Doris Webb, shared the house in Maywood until his death in 1959, and ownership of the

crated airplane and other material s went to Doris. She lived until 1989, when upon her passing she willed the crated aircraft and cars to Joseph Shan­ non of Minneapolis, MN. Shannon was a nephew of Stephens, and at age 82, had been instructed to donate the air­ plane to a museum. But who? Various established museums were contacted, but were unable or unwilling to accept the donation, since they could not iden­ tify the airplane or the designer. Then Dennis Eggert, president and founder of the Minnesota Air & Space Mu­ seum, wa s contacted regarding the artifact. The MASM was established in 1981 , but does not have a permanent home for its collection. Still, the Steco was a remarkable find . But what was really in the crates? Was it just an old, beat up, decrepit relic with fabric in tatters, or had it been crated with care?

Only time would tell .

Before he passed away in 1990, Mr. Shannon signed over the transfer pa­ pers to the MASM , and a five man recovery crew armed with a video cam-

The Stephens Engineering Company (STECO) aerohydroplane rests on the shore of Lake Michigan in 1914, shortly before it was placed in crates and stored for over 75 years.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

5

era and four trucks headed down to Maywood from the twin cities.

The crates were not immediately opened completely, for fear any exces­ sive exposure might cause further damage, but what little they could see gave them high hopes indeed. The parts and drawings they uncrated were in outstanding condition, having been carefully preserved and packed in 1914. While they were dirty from the dust accumulated over 77 years, in most cases when the protective wrap­ ping was removed, the parts showed little or no deterioration. The Chau­ viere propeller needed only a coat of wax to make it look new.

In Owatonna, MN R.W . Buzz Ka­ plan has been working to preserve Minnesota's transportation heritage by creating the Heritage Halls Museum , just a few hundred yards north of the Owatonna airport. With a steam loco­ motive once driven by the legendary engineer Casey Jones parked outside, inside is a collection of rare aircraft.

Also represented are various modes of transportations , from first generation

snowmobiles to antique autos. The Stephens Steco aerohydroplane is one of the rare aircraft on display.

As you first enter the building, you are greeted by this aviation relic, and are amazed at the exceptional condition the airplane is in. From the Burgess floats to the varnished linen tail, the Steco is in perfect condition, and is now fully assembled and on display in a climate controlled environment. Even the Gnome rotary engine, which was carefully packed wrapped in oil cloth, is in excellent condition, looking as though it needs only gasoline, castor oil and a good strong spark to get it running again.

As each of the crates were unpacked, the wonders inside highlighted a once­ in-a-lifetime event. A set of spare wing ribs, carefully wrapped in fabric, show varnish that looks brand new , with hardly any signs of aging. Even the fabric for the fuselage, which is at­ tached to the structure with mechanical fasteners, was in perfectly flexible con­ dition, and was able to be unrolled from its paper wrapping and reinstalled

on the fuselage. The bright red pen­ nants with the blue and white "STECO" emblem were also in excel­ lent condition, mounted on each of the vertical stabilizers.

It 's a spectacular piece of machin­ ery, and even with no information on the actual flight characteristics on the Steco, as a piece of aeronautica from the Pioneer era, it is fascinating to look at and study. Our thanks to Dennis Eg­ gert, who saw to it that the Steco was preserved, and had the patience not to unpack the aircraft until it had a home, and to Buzz Kaplan and the Heritage Halls museum, which has chosen the Steco as its opening centerpiece in the museum building.

For information on the Heritage Halls museum, located at 2300 Heritage Place, Owatonna, MN 55060 , you can call them at 507/451-2060 or 888/317 -0057.

Group tours and discounts are available, and free transportation can be provided from the Owatonna airport. Just a few hundred feet away is the huge Cabala's store, a sporting goods store that must be seen to be believed. ....

The Pioneer era Steco is now on display in the entrance foyer of the Heritage Halls museum in Owatonna, MN .

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6 NOVEMBER 1998

This high wing, boxy fuselage comes to us from member Don Topel of Chicago, IL. We really don't know what it is - Don was given the picture by some friends who knew he was a pilot, but no other information came with the photo.

We hope someone might recall it from their distant past when they were but a youngster, nosing around the local aero­ drome.

To be included in the February issue of Vintage Airplane, your answer needs to in to the Vintage Airplane office no later than December 28,1998.

by H.G. Frautschy Our August Mystery Plane wasn 't too well known either, and only two of you felt confident enough to send in answers to the question. Ralph Nortell, Spokane, WA and Lennart 10hnsson of Eld sberga, Sweden sent us notes. Both are regular contributors to the Mystery Plane, and we thank them for their participation!

Here's what Ralph wrote: "The August Mystery Plane is the Cor­ nelius LW-I (XI3706). The LW-I was built in 1933, and was powered by a Martin 333

120 hp engine.

"AsideFom the unusual cockpit place­ ment, the LW-I apparently had another very distinctive feature - pivoting wing panels in lieu ofailerons for turn and bank maneu­ vers. Ref: Experimental Light Aircraft and Midget Racers, Underwood and Caler. " Lennart wrote: "Enclosed is a clipping from Popular Science, April 1934 with a short description ofthe August Mystery Plane, one ofGeorge Cornelius' experiments in freewing design,

built in 1933 and registered X13706. The Popular Science item concentrates on the spin characteristics ofthe airplane, but mentioned nothing about lateral control.

Its forerunner, the "Fre- Wing " parasol built in 1931 had no ailerons. Instead, the incidence ofthe two wing halves could be varied individually to give an aileron ef feet. 1 would guess XI3 706 had the same feature. The 1934 register says: 'X-13706 Cornelius Aircraft Corp., Los Angeles, CA ; Cornelius Frewing; 2POLM; #LW- I; 1933; Martin 120 hp.'

In 1936 it is registered as a three­ seater, but it could be a printing error.

Or did they open a third cockpit between the other two? There certainly was room for it."

Sincerely, Lennart 10hnsson The term "Fre-Wing" was an attempt to coin a word for use when describing the Cornelius design. We don't have a copy of that issue of Popular Science Monthly, so I have to apologize for the quality of this re­ production, but here is another view (lower left) of the LW-l 's pivoting wing.

NEW FREE-WING PLANE CAN'T STALL

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STALLING and tail spins are said to be prevented in a new type ofairplane demonstrated the other day at a Los Angeles, Calif., airport. The wings are ~!!I!!!iJI!III pivoted to the fuselage at a point one-third of their width from the leading edge, and the pilot may release them in flight so that they will tilt to counter­ act a dangerous spin. With the coordination between wings and tail surfaces, the craft rights itselfautomatically and Wings on this plane are pivoted to the fusetage one-third of their

this prevents a spin. width back from teading edge. Tilting the wing prevents a tail spin.

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE

7

WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - by H.G. Frautschy At the 1998 Aeronca Convention.

AERONCA 7EC CHAMP From member Doug Conciatu (EAA 426975, AIC 20288) Royal Oak, MI, wrote the following about his "new" Aeronca: "This is my newly restored 1950 Aeronca 7EC Champ, SIN 7EC-8 . It first flew April 7, 1998 after a long two and a half year restoration . The restoration was completed by rag and paint man "extraordinare," Kim Kovach. Bernie Brandt did most of the sheet metal work. It is covered us足 ing the Poly-Fiber system, with original colors and paint scheme. One interesting point about 59E is that it has spent its entire 48 year career based in Southeast Michigan, with every owner being affiliated with the former McKinley Airport. I purchased it from my good friend Fred Kagel in 1991. My sincere thanks to all my friends, too numerous to mention, who helped me with every phase of the project."

GREENE J-3 CUB Charlie Greene (EAA 278945, AIC 16883) of Montauk, Long Island, NY is a retired airfreight pilot who flew for Fed足 eral Express, Seaboard World Airlines and Flying Tigers.

These days he flies something a bit smaller! He sent us pic足 8

NOVEMBER 1998

tures of his 1941 Piper J-3 Cub, SIN 7686, completely re足 stored by Joseph EraJe of Bayshore, Ll. Complete with a wood prop, it also has a 9 gallon wing tank. Charlie flies the Cub from Montauk airport, way out there on the eastern end of Long Island. You can also see the giant scale RIC model of the Cub that has also been built.

Dorothy and Louis Lufker, proud owners of the Bird CK.

BIRD CK A little more than halfway out on Long Island is East Moriches, NY, now the home of this pale blue and white 1931 Bird CK, SIN CK4035 . Restored by Ralph Prince of Penn Valley, CA, and previously owned by Ralph Chase, new owner Louis Lutker and his son Greg flew a commercial flight to Cali足 fornia to ferry the Bird to its new home. The trip out took but five hours, but the flight home needed 52 hours, 25 minutes to complete, requiring the Lutk足 ers to head south towards Mexico and then head across the country using the southern "low-level" route used by many pilots whose airplanes don't perform all that well above 7-10,000 ft. Now based at the family field, Lutker Airport, the pretty biplane is now not all that far from where it was first built in the Glendale section of Brooklyn, NY.

Previous owner of the Bird, Ralph Chase and Greg Lufker, copilot for his dad on the return flight home to Long Island, NY.

Ralph Prince, restorer of the Bird .

Do you have a photo ofyour favorite airplane you'd like to share with us? We'd love to publish it, all we ask it that it be properly exposed, in focus and at least one ofthe shots you send should show the entire airplane. Send your photos to Vintage Airplane, Members Projects, P.O. Box 3086 Oshkosh Wl54903 VINTAGE AIRPLANE

9

Uncontrolled Airport Fly- ins

CHAOSOR ORDERLY CONFUSION!

by Steve Krog, CFI Antique/Classic Safety Committee o st of us learned to fly at uncontrolled (non-towered) airports. But over time, many, many pilots have forgotten the correct procedures for flying safely at these uncontrolled airports. Flying at these airports is usua lly quite safe and uneventful provided pilots main­ tain diligenc e to scan for airport traffic and practice common traffic pattern procedures.

Several weeks ago I attended a three-day "members only" fly-in . Over 340 airplanes participated, most of which were antique or classic aircraft.

This fly-in is held at an uncontrolled airport with three runways, two of which are "Xed" or closed for the dura­ tion of the event. This fly-in is one of the last hold outs from the early days where a tremendous amount of flying, ride hopping and airplane swapping occurs during the event. It's not un­ common to have 15 or more airplanes in the traffic pattern and another dozen or more in the parallel fly-by pattern.

The fun begins when a non-member pilot decides he or she wants to "just stop in and look at neat airplanes for an hour." Or, a first time attendee flies in.

Or worse yet, some flies in without re­ viewing the simple procedures sheet he was sent. You can bet that before the pilot gets on the ground, he or she will have totally screwed up both the traffic and fly-by patterns, while simultane­ ously becoming very frustrated with the situation.

One arriving pilot decided to at­ tempt a straight in approach with over

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10 NOVEMBER 1998

15 aircraft established in the traffic pat­ tern. He began radioing his po sition from 10 miles out. At three miles , he became quite huffy and issued several expletives when the pattern traffic did­ n't make way for his honored arrivaL. The pilot was then reminded by radio that over 15 aircraft were in the pattern and probably none of them had a radio as they were antique aircraft. It was also pointed out to that if he were prac­ ticing safety procedures, he ' d execute a go around establishing himself in se­ quence for landing, which he did .

Another arriving non-member pilot became so flustered he attempted to land on a closed runway rather than properly enter the traffic pattern and land on the correct runway. Only fran­ tic arm waving by people standing on the closed runway prevented the indi­ vidual from landing.

Numerous other arriving aircraft seemed to have a problem flying in heavy traffic. Later in the day, while visiting with some of these pilots, it was clear they normally fly at tower airports where controllers provide traf­ fic clearance and they had difficulty negotiating the rigors of a busy non­ tower airport.

Much information has been pub­ lished on proper procedures at uncontrolled airports . We all need to assume the responsibility to review this information and help prevent compro­ mising safety at the next fly-in we might attend.

There are more than 18 ,000 air­ ports in the United States and just

over 2 percent or about 400 of them have FAA towers. So, the vast major­ ity of antique and classic aircraft fly at uncontrolled airports .

When flying at an uncontrolled air­ port, the pilot is responsible for seeing and being seen. Most midair collisions occur in VFR conditions within 5 miles of an airport and below 3,000 feet.

Most collisions occur on the downwind leg or on final approach, usually with a faster aircraft overtaking a slower one.

While most pilots eventually do enter the traffic pattern for landing , their pattern entries can get quite creative. And this is not the place for creativity!

Recommended Traffic

Pattern Entries

The preferred method for entering the pattern is from the downwind side.

First descend to pattern altitude, then approach the pattern on a course 45° to the downwind leg and join the pattern at midfield.

Some pilots, when trying to expe­ dite their approach and landing, make their descent to pattern altitude while making the 45° entry. If two aircraft are entering the pattern using this method, one a low wing and another a high wing, the consequences can be fatal.

When entering the pattern from the side opposite of the downwind leg, the preferred method is to cross over the runway maintaining an altitude at least 500 feet above pattern altitude. When well clear of the pattern, make a de­

scending right teardrop 270° tum (ap­ understand that excuse if I had been tips and information on flying at un­ proximately) and when at pattern flying something small and fast like a controlled airports. Before your next altitude, enter at 45° to the downwind Long-Eze, but I was flying a full size fly-in, take a moment and review the leg. Diving into the pattern while enter­ biplane and had been established in the procedures for uncontrolled airports . ing on downwind from overhead the pattern for nearly an hour!

It'll make you a safer, more confident It is imperative that you always pilot the next time you share the pat­ airport can have fatal results similar to keep your head and eyes in the full tern with 15 more aircraft. If you ' d the episode described above!

Another accepted pattern entry is swivel mode when flying . It is even like a copy of the complete AC 90­ to enter upwind at pattern altitude more critical at a busy uncontrolled 66A , contact EAA Information and tum crosswind at approximately airport. You must expect the unex­ Services at 920-426-4821 , and they ' ll midfield. Continue the turn to down­ pected and always assume the other send you a copy.

NOTE: In an effort to be politically wind but give way to aircraft already guy doesn't see you. If you ' re flying estab li shed on the downwind leg of with passengers, ask them to help correct, the FAA has changed the the pattern. watch for other traffic and call it name of airfields with no control Once safely estab li shed on the left out, especia ll y when in the traffic tower. An "uncontrolled airport" is pattern . Don't ass um e the passen­ downwind leg, maintain pattern alti­ now referred to as a "nontowered air­ tude unti I abeam of the approach end gers see traffic either - keep you port." It was felt that ' uncontrolled' of the runway (your left wingtip is scan as vigi lant as you would if you meant that pilots could pretty much aligned with the runway numbers), were flying solo , but their added in­ do whatever they wanted while oper­ ating from that airport. By changing then extend your downwind leg far put can be beneficial.

There are a number of publications the name, the responsibility of prac­ enough to assure at least a quarter­ mile final. If an aircraft is ahead of from AIM to Advisory Circulars, in­ ticing proper procedures more clearly you in the pattern, start your turn to cluding AC 90-66A, which provide falls upon the users. ..... base when your are abeam (wingtip r-----------------------------------, to wingtip) to other aircraft. Slower AIRPORT OPERATIONS SINGLE RUNWAY aircraft shou ld fly a slightly tighter traffic pattern.

APPUCATlON OF TIwFIC ~:::'" ~" One reference publication I've PATIERN INDICATORS ~ ",:;, £'~~'\~-{ used as an instructor states, "Once ,-<2)~~ in the pattern at the downwind po­ SASE CROSS-t­ IND sition , remain vigi lant for other traffic and expect the unexpected." ;ASE .. ... SEGMENTEWM 6 I've had severa l experiences over STRAIGHT-IN APPROACH ,s", CIRCLE the years that certainly prove this -----:Il0.l(3).-+ RUNWAY "~ ~ ~ LANDING statement true.

HAZARD OR "~. :=u~~ DIRECTION Recently, I flew into an airport .:4tPOPULAADAREAIb,~. " INDICATOR with intersecting runways having .; .' . '-.? ~,d1 TRAFFIC PATIERN _ INDICATORS , • ." .' .~. lANDING RUNWAY common thresholds. I was estab­ ....... • ' (OR lANDING STRIP) n INDICATORS .:l WINDCONE lished on a short final approach when I noticed movement to my right. An­ other aircraft was just below me, KEY aligned to land on the intersecting G) Enter pattern in level flight. abeam the midpoint of ® If remaining in the traffIC pattern. commence turn to crosswind leg beyond the departure end of the the runway, at pattern altitude. (1000' AGL is runway. The situation certainly got runway, within 300 feet of p~ttern aHttude. recommended pattern altitude unless established my attention and I initiated an imme­ otherwise) . ® If departing the traffic9 pattern, continue straight diate go around . The other aircraft out, or exit with a 45 left turn beyond the depar· Maintain pattern altitude until abeam approach

had not flown a pattern and I don ' t ® end ture end of the runway, after reaching pallern of the landing runway, or downwind leg. altitude. believe they ever saw me.

Complete turn to final at least 1/4 mile from the

Another time, again on a short fi­ ® Do not overshoot final or continue on a trae!< runway. which will penetrate the final approaCh of the nal approach , I noticed a shadow parallel runway.

Continue straight ahead until beyond departure overtaking me . I turned hard to the end of runway . right just in time to see an aircraft ® Do not continue on a track whiCh will penetrate the departure path of the parallel runway. that had made a straight in approach pass inches above me. We later This abridged illustration copy of the "nontowered airport" traffic pattern comes from FAA "chatted" about the incident and the Advisory Circular AC90-66A. "Recommended Standard Traffic Patterns and Practices For pilot stated he never saw me. I could Aeronautical Operations at Airports Without Operating Control Towers."

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE

11

From theArchives

by H.G. FRAUTSCHY

This set of photographs comes from the Ken Flaglor collection. Our thanks to Ken for donating them to the EAA Aviation Foundation Library collection .

This Focke-Wulf FW.56 St6sser was seen at the National Air Races in Cleveland in the days before WW-II. Before the war, Germany sent aircraft and pilots to demonstrate their aeronautical prowess to the American people.

Jimmy Doolittle's "Shellightning," the one and only Lockheed Orion built with a metal fuselage. Originally an Altair DL-2A, after being returned to Lockheed by TWA it was converted to the Orion 9C Special configuration, with the 500 hp Wasp E engine originally installed in the airplane. Purchased

by Shell Oil and flown by its famous aviation department head, Jimmy Doolittle, the Orion was re-engined with a 650 hp Wright Cyclone, and was wrecked in 1936. Parks Air College rebuilt the airplane and it was sold to Paul Mantz in 1938. Many years later, it was purchased by the Swiss Transport Museum and rebuilt for static display as Swissair's first Lockheed Orion, a 9B registered as CH-167. It is on display at the museum's Lucerne, Switzerland location.

Art Chester's "Jeep" racer. The remains of the Jeep are now part of the EAA Aviation Foundation's collection, and have most recently been worked on by volunteers under the direction of EAA Founder and Chairman of the Board, Paul Poberezny in an effort to restore the Golden Age racer.

The Boeing Model40B mailplane, first certified in 1928, was the backbone of a number of fledgling airlines, ~~!!!:~::I including United and Boeing Air Transport. Powered with the 500 hp P&W Hornet, it could easily carry both mail, cargo and two passengers with its prodigious payload ......'-'-.....::..-==~_ _ _ _ _ _"'--:::..=..;:.:..;;---";....:..:......-=-...;:...:;..........:.:.....;....=..;;:;:...::..;;...---' capacity of 1,436 Ibs.

12

NOVEMBER 1998

by H.G. Frautschy e ' ve been honored by R.W. "Buzz" Kaplan and his staff at Born Again Restorations to have been given the opportunity to pho­ tograph the Sikorsky S-38 replica constructed for Johnson Wax. The S-38 project was conceived by Sam Johnson, great-grandson of the founder S.c. John­ son, and Buzz Kaplan , who formed a company uniquely suited to building such a replica. The company, Born Again Restorations, has the talents of Dick An­ derson, Gary Underland, Dana Ulen , Chris Holtz, Brent Langer, Marv Davis, with equally talented assistance from Jan Boers, Gerry Barry, Dennis Lubbers, Dennis Johnson, Duane Wallin, J.D. Nel­ son and Jim Sandberg.

The original S-38, christened " Car­ nauba ," was flown by H .F. Johnson , grandson of the founder, who, while serving as Johnson Wax ' s president, wished to gather information regarding the production of this particular wax, which is gathered from the palm leaves

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of the Camauba palm tree. Beaten off the cut leaves and then further refined, the wax, which even today is an important ingredient in many products, is only grown in certain arid areas of Brazil.

As you read this, Sam Johnson and his sons, Curt and Fisk, along with a film crew and other crew members will be in the middle of retracing H.F. Johnson's trip. The flight serves as a focal point to remind the present generation that the legacy of the Johnson family's commit­ ment to real values is deeply rooted in the spirit of adventure which has been a part of the company since its founding over 100 years ago. It will also serve as a tangible reminder of the commitment Johnson is making conservation efforts in Brazil ' s Caatinga region of Brazil.

During the flight to Brazil, Johnson Wax will make a major financial contribution through the Nature Conservatory to help protect this area, the same region visited

by H.F. Johnson's expedition in 1935.

First flown in August of 1998, the

replica constructed by B.A.R. is a re­ markable piece of aviation and corporate history come to life. We wish the expedi­ tion well on their journey, and congratulate B.A.R.' s Buzz Kaplan and Johnson Wax' s Sam Johnson on their vi­ sion and commitment to seeing this spectacular project through to comple­ tion. On the following pages is a scrapbook of images ofthe S-38 - we' re sure you'll find them fascinating. For the story of the "Spirit of Carnauba" S-38, please see the November, 1998 issue of EAA's Sport Aviation magazine. .....

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

13

Just coming off the step, test pilot Tom Wallis and co-pilot Buzz Kaplan keep the nose up as the big Sikorsky decelerates on the landing splashdown .

(Above) One of the interesting technical features put in to the design of the S-38

by Igor Sikorsky are the gently curved rudder surfaces, which help the pilot dur足 ing engine-out operations.

Jim Koepnick

Jim Koepnick

(Left) The cockpit of the Johnson Wax S-38 replica is laid out with modern instrumentation, to enable the flight crew to operate the airplane in today's ATC environment. Since the air足 plane will embark on long cross-country operations, a full set of communications, including an HF transmitter/reciever, is installed.

14 NOVEMBER 1998

Jim Koepnick

(Top right) The 5-38 f ills the hangar at Born Again Restorations in Owatonna, MN .

(At right) The interior of the 5-38's cabin is just as it appeared when Herbert F. Johnson and his expedition crew flew to Brazil in 1935.

The beautiful woodworking comes from the talented hands of Dana Ulen, seen working on the the fuselage hull structure of the second 5-38 replica being built by B.A.R.

Jim Koepnick

Jim Koepnick

R.W. "Buzz" Kaplan

(Above) The Born Again Restoration team was able to obtain some original parts to check against their drawings. On the floor are the pair of tail booms discovered by Buzz Kaplan after a tip from fellow EAAer Dave Galvin. Dave had been in a warehouse in Glendale, CA with his friend, Jack Ward, and they had seen what looked like a pair of booms for an 5-38. Sure enough, they were, and thanks to the tip, Buzz was able to obtain the booms, a wing center section and ailerons from the owner of the build足 ing. The parts had once belonged to famed Hollywood aviator Paul Mantz. The outer wing panels were obtained from Dick Jackson of New Hampshire, who had been collecting parts for Sikorsky airplanes while researching an 5-39 project.

16 NOVEMBER 1998

Sam Johnson, alias "Wisconsin Johnson," enjoys a moment with his sons Curt (left) and Fisk (right) during the dedication of the 5-38 replica on October 19, 1998 at Johnson Wax's Racine, WI hangar. In his remarks to the assembled crowd of company employees and well wishers, Johnson recalled the spirit of adventure that led his father to lead a ground-breaking expedition to Brazil in 1935: "No matter what the future brings, we will maintain our focus on people and our spirit of adventure - as a family and as a company. That's what this trip is all about."

VINTAGE EXCITEMENT AT

OSHKOSH-1998

iA~

by H.G. FRAUTSCHY

Oh, the Porterfield Collegiate. Such a pretty Antique monoplane, and this one, owned by Betsy Hoffman of Andover, MN is an LP-65.

Interested in a new version of the Luscombe? Rena issance Aircraft LLC is about to start deliveries of their new Luscombe Renaissance, equipped w ith a 150 hp Lycom ing 0 -320. With a cruise speed of 140 mph and a initial rate of climb of 1,500 足 2,000 fpm, the airplane is priced at $67,900. Contact Renaissance Aircraft, Monkton, MD at 410-357-5815.

Jim Koepnick

Ken Uchtenberg

(Below) This really is one of those airplanes you really don't see very often, a Beech-Bay " Super V." Starting w ith a 1953 Beech Bonanza, the type-certificated modifi足 cation includes a pair of 180 hp Lycoming 0-360 engines.

Owned and flown by Rick and Rocio Panozzo of Cove Bay, MN, they're looking forward to giving it some much needed care.

The DeHaviliand (Canada) DH-2 Beaver is becoming a subject for pristine restorations, and this nice example is owned and flown by Pat Wiesner of Highlands Ranch, CO. It's the Contemporary Class III Single Engine award winner.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

17

David Taylor of Mexico, MO is having a great time with his newly restored Piper PA-22!20 Pacer. With a 150 hp Lycoming, it gives him a 130 mph cruise speed.

Andrew Smith, Hillsboro, TX took home the Best 170/180 trophy for his 1955 Cessna 170B.

This Globe Swift, nicknamed "Re-Entry," is from Niceville, FL and is flown by Tom Hughston, who had it parked down south in row 148.

The "T-Bone" is just one of the nicknames given to the very capable Twin Bonanza, one of the few airplanes with three abreast seating for the pilot and passengers in the front row. This example was flown down from Alaska by pilot/owner Craig Emory.

" Gee, when I grow up I want to be just like my Pop! " A pretty DH Tiger Moth pedal plane built from the plans and materials supplied by Marv Hoppenworth's Aviations Products, P.o . Box 8303, Cedar Rapids, IA 52408. Send them an SASE for more information. The big Moth belongs to Leon Whelchel of Vint on, IA.

Jim Koepnick

18 NOVEMBER 1998

The man himself, Ben Runyan, retired airline captain (Delta) and connoisseur of fine aircraft.

As soon as Ben opens the throttle, the Riviera is off the water and climbing.

Dekevin Thorton

The factory original interior is quite comfortable and is complimented by the fulllFR panel which includes a stack of radios. Note GPS in the control wheel.

Wing root scoops for engine cooling air do a good job for the 470 cubic inch engine. Note oil cooler under right wing.

This rugged main landing gear retracts into the hull and is fully covered when retracted . The Goodyear wheels and tires are 6.50 X 8.

Ken Lichtenberg

The welded aluminum wingtip float makes an effec足 tive wingtip aerodynamically. The wingtip light is mounted on a separate leg that remains in place when the float is lowered for water use.

(Left) The sleek design of the Riviera is accented by the full cantilever wing, the large windshield and side win足 dows and the well laid out paint scheme.

20

NOVEMBER 1998

excitement, often coming across old blood and hair from former air battles. It was quite a lesson in re­ ality. Eventually, he would go in the Air Force for a hitch where he learned to fly at the Chanute AFB Aero Club, making his solo flight in a Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser in 1960. Following his service stint, Ben emolled in Spartan School of Aeronautics and earned all of the ratings including his A & P ticket.

In January, 1966, he hired on with Delta Airlines and spent the next 31 years flying airliners and build­ ing up over 20,000 hours in his logbook. When Delta offered an early retirement package at age 55, he and 500 other captains jumped at the chance. Ben has been enjoying re­ tirement ever since.

In addition to the Riviera amphib­ ian, Ben is presently working on a number of "project" airplanes, such as a Cessna L-126C, which is the equivalent of a Cessna 195 in mili­ Bolted to the ContinentaII0-470-P engine is this fully reversable Hartzell three-bladed propeller tary garb; a VKS-7 cabin Waco, a that really improves the capability of the amphib­ couple of Cessna C-34 Airmaster ian. Note the really fine fairing of the engine cowl projects, and an Aeronca 15AC into the propeller.

Sedan project. Flyable airplanes in­ clude the Riviera, a straight tail low time airplane with only 800 plus Cessna 310 and a Piper PA-ll on 1500 hours on the airframe and about 300 Aqua floats to keep his sea-legs current. plus hours on the engine and prop since Luckily, Ben has the support of his major. He located the airplane in Rock­ lovely wife, Sally Marie, who is also a ford, IL, where Warbird expert, Mark Private pilot and helps with the flying Clark, had the airplane for sale. With and navigation when they go off into the nobody around with prior flight time wild blue yonder. The family includes a in the airplane, it was pretty much daughter, Leah, who nearly earned her "teach yourself' how to fly the bird. Private license before going off to col­ Ben was noticeably impressed with lege, and a son, Ben, Jr., who presently the flight handling of the Riviera and is not interested in airplanes and lives in after a bit of negotiating, struck a deal Texas. The basic idea behind the Riviera and flew the pretty bird home to Van­ amphibian was to have a fairly fast air­ couver, WA. plane, capable of land and water When summertime came along, he operations, which could be flown fFR on decided to fly the Riviera to Oshkosh trips, if necessary. When Ben first tried for the big EAA Fly-In, now referred to to fly the Riviera on the gauges, he found as AirVenture. This is where the crowds himself over-controlling the airplane and looked at the pretty beige machine with moving all over the glideslope . The its brown and orange trim, wondering more he flew the pretty four-placer, the just what they were looking at. more he realized that fingertip control Born in northeast Texas in January, was all that was necessary to control the 1942 , Ben Runyan had his first expo­ airplane . It was far more sensitive to sure to airplanes in the late 1940's when control inputs than most airplanes he had his parents moved to the old Air Base at flown . Concentrating on this one item Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, for schooling. and practicing IFR approaches, one after The base was a depot for war- weary B­ another, he was soon able to place the 17 aircraft that were being cut up for airplane on the glideslope and stay right scrap and melted down. For entertain­ where he belonged. In fact, as Ben says, ment, Ben and his sister would crawl "It has become a pleasure to fly the Riv­ through the aging hulks ofB-I7's for iera on instruments since I discovered

how to do it - with the finger light touch ." One of the neater items on the airplane is the fully reversible Hartzell propeller. Ben says its fun to point the nose to the gas pump and when ready to leave, climb aboard with a crowd watch­ ing (and snickering), close the doors, fLfe up the engine and back away from the pump! Ben says he has left more than a few jaws hanging open with that stunt.

In addition, the airplane can be maneu­ vered on the water very handily, backing away from a dock or moving about on the water with complete authority.

The hydraulic flaps operate from 20 degrees , to 30, 35 and a maximum of 42 degrees, which creates all drag and almost no lift. On a water takeoff, Ben says he likes to leave the flaps up until the airplane is on the step and accel­ erating. He then deploys the flaps until the Riviera literally "jumps" out of the water at about 65 mph. With a twinkle in his eye , Ben admits the jump is more subdued at gross weight. One item that must not be forgotten when operating from water (Thank the Lord for checklists) are the hydraulically operated wingtip floats that form the shape of the wingtip when flying, however, when cycled downward, form a float on each side to keep the airplane from turning turtle in the water.

Ben says the hull of the airplane is remarkably tight without almost no leakage when left floating overnight.

About the only water might be a cup or so in the nose compartment that con­ tains the nose wheel and its attendant mechanism. Ben admits he has never has to pump the hull dry because he says it is so much easier to land on dry land and open the drains. During Air­ Venture '98 , we were able to photograph the Riviera air-to-air and get some dandy pictures of Ben's rare airplane. We espe­ cially want to thank Ben for this opportunity and hope he enjoys the Riv­ iera for many years to come. As he left Oshkosh at the close of the EAA Con­ vention, the weather had turned wet and windy for the final day, however, Ben calmly filed an IFR departure and headed west on the gauges . He broke into the clear near Fargo , NO, and stopped at Bismarck for fuel. From there he flew into Cheyenne , WY, for an overnight stop and continued the next day to Vancouver and home. As Ben says, quoting an old airline slogan, "The only way to fly!" ...

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

21

born again.

ATaylorcraft Story

by Tom and Eileen Macario

he old Freeway airport has dis­ appeared from the city maps now, and most of the people now living in Tuscon would say they never heard of the Freeway Airport. But at one time in the 1930s and ' 40s, it was filled with all of the sounds and activi­ ties of a busy airfield - the shouts of flight instructors, the voices of young, eager aviation students, the cries of "Co ntact," the sound of 65 hp Conti­ nental engines revving up, and the squeal of brakes on the runway.

In those days, the flight school was a busy place. The Big War was on, and students were anxious to learn the ba­ sics of flying in order to be eligible for the Government program introducing them to flying . so that they could enter the military to receive further flight training prior to becoming military pi­ lots. There was a fleet of eight shiny, brand new Taylorcraft airplanes in ser­

T

22

NOVEMBER 1998

vice, and these T -Crafts were well used every day.

Later, after the war, veterans using the GI Bill of Rights again used these same T-Crafts for training. But by the mid-1950s, there was a lack of interest in flying. The flying school closed, the runway fell into disrepair, the remain­ ing airplanes and some vehicles were placed in the hangar, and the big doors were shut for the last time. Soon, in­ dustrial businesses and small factories began to surround the old Freeway.

The last entry in the Taylorcraft's log­ book in 1962 showed an airplane with 7,600 hours of flying time.

In 1990, we had retired to Tuscon, and Tom (who had restored about 30 antique airplanes while living in Penn­ sylvania) was getting itchy to start another project. We heard the son of the now-deceased owner of the old Freeway Airport had given several of

the old airplanes to the Pima Air Mu­ seum, but was interested in selling the remaining two Taylorcrafts. Tom con­ tacted the man, and we arranged to meet at Freeway.

We drove to Prince road, turned off onto a dirt road, past a ramshackle lit­ tle house, and suddenly we were in the 1940s again. There was the old flight office to the right, and to the left was the hangar, unpainted , leaning a bit, but still a hangar. The owner met us and unlocked the big door. Pushing open the squeaking old doors, we looked into the gloom. There , like ghosts, covered with 40 years worth of dust were a 1920 Cadillac touring car, a 1930 Model A Ford station wagon, a 1920s Duesenberg sedan which had been cut into a truck, a 1947 Bonanza straight 35, a Taylorcraft fuselage, and a complete 1940 Taylorcraft BC-65 .

That was the one we were interested

in. Tom studied it carefully - flat tires, of course, rubber all dried up, fabric rotted, interior rotted, headliner in shreds, prop to be reconditioned, but the important thing was: all the pieces were there . It even had the original control wheels, and instrument panel with the combination tachometer, oil pressure and oil temperature gauges adapted from the old Chrysler products spee dometer, vintage 1935-36 . So, money was discussed, a deal was struck, and we had ourselves a 1940 Taylorcraft project.

We decided to strip the airplane in the hangar, take it apart, and then truck it back to our house on La Cholla Air­ park. (Actually, I didn't want to bring 30 years accumulation of dust and dirt into our clean hangar.) So, the follow­

--~""~~-.--

As the airplane arrived home, stripped of its rotten covering and ready for restoration.

Tom reassembles the Continental A-65 engine at the Tuscon home at La Cholla Airpark.

Eileen Macario cleans up the newly recovered refinished wings.

ing week with some friends we stripped off the rotten fabric, unbolted the wings, loaded it on a borrowed trailer and brought it home. While it was sitting in front of our hangar Tom thought he'd check to see if the old en­ gine would start. There was clean oil in it, he replaced the rotten fuel line, put a little gas in it, pulled the prop and amazingly, the engine started up just as though the last time it started was yes­ terday , and not 33 years ago. Tom warmed it up, checked the oil pressure (which was perfect), did a mag check (again, operating perfectly), brought it back to idle and it sounded like a sewing machine - smooth. But Tom decided to completely overhaul it any­ way, no knowing the internal condition of the engine.

Tom carefully fits the wing root fairings next to the newly installed headliner sewn by Eileen.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

23

The instrument panel of the Taylorcraft includes the large combination tachometer/oil pressure/oil temp gauge and the original large circular control wheels.

The fuselage was completely dis­ mantled, stripped of all parts and pieces and inspected. To Tom's de­ light, it was free of any corrosion or rust. We took it to a commercial sand­ blasting company in order to have the tubing cleaned in preparation for new primer, which was an epoxy product.

Next , we began to reassemble the fuselage, installing new cables, new bolts and hardware. Eileen, using the remaining fragments of the headliner, made a paper pattern and stitched up a new one, using the same original old 1940 zippers. We then installed it along with the newly made seat sling and baggage compartment.

We were then ready for the new fabric to be put on the fuselage. We used Ceconite 104 material , heat shrunk it with the heat gun and built up the finish, using the Randolph dope process, ending with 16 coats with a wet sanding every third coat.

The finish color is Madrid Red, with a black stripe and gold pinstripe in the original paint design.

New floorboards were made, and new instrument panel was fabricated Tom Macairo and and the original in­ the 19408(-65 struments were Taylorcraft he and his wife overhauled and in­ restored after it stalled. The round had laid dormant control wheels were in a hangar at the powder coated and now defunct Freeway Airport the shafts chromed.

The wings were in Tuscon, AZ. 24

NOVEMBER 1998

then inspected, and new sheet metal leading edges were fabricated and in­ stalled. The spars were in excellent shape and just needed another coat of varnish, this time in polyurethane. No repairs were needed on the ribs, but the trailing edges were replaced with new ones . New cables and pulleys and aileron hinge brackets were in­ stalled. The wings were then covered with the same material, using the same process. The tail group and ailerons were inspected and covered the same as the wings and fuselage.

-

The engine was completely disas­ sembled and all parts cleaned and inspected visually and magnafluxed, and reassembled with new pistons , piston pins , new valves, valve­ springs, fresh ground cylinders (.015 oversize) . A new camshaft, lifters , new rear case and new oil pump gears went into the overhaul, as did a over­ hauled magnetos , which had new points, coils, condensers and bearing installed . The carburetor was over­ hauled with new needle valve and seat and main jet. All new bearings, gaskets and hardware was used in the reassembly of the engine, which was then installed on the fuselage.

New tires, brakes and brake cables and wheel bearings were installed on the aircraft. A new upper and lower engine cowling was purchased from Taylorcraft. Tim straightened out any dents in the nose bowl , which was otherwise in good shape. The cowling and new lift struts were painted and installed when we re­ assembled the aircraft.

The engine started right up, which was a culmination of a lot of work and effort. The test hop and subsequent flights showed us that no adjustments in the rigging was needed. The air­ plane flew perfectly, and looked great in its original colors with original wheel pants and Heath tail wheel.

(Note: the Taylorcraft BC-65 has been sold, and now resides in Patton, PA.) .....

Hector Arrichetta .......... .

· ..... Monteagudo, Argentina

Ruth Van Mark .... . ....... .

Owen Waywood . ...... .. .. . · ... Serpentine, WA, Australia

Luis Hernandez, Jr.... .. . . .. .

Charles Ippersiel. ....... . .. .

John S. Pettit . .... . ... . . .. . .

St. Denis La Bruyere, Belgium

· .... Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Robert B. Turpin ....... . ... . · North Battleford, SK, Canada

Patrick Quinlan............ .

David E. Cooper Maguire .... · .. . ..... Surrey,Great Britain Pietro Viscardi .. Lissone, Italy

· ........... Washington, DC · ..... . ......... Delona, FL

· ........... Cooper City, FL Mark B. Scott .. . . .. ....... . · ............ Vero Beach, FL Daniel Evans ...... Perry, GA

Gordon Collen . ........... .

William A. Konicek .. . .. . . . .

· .. . . . . Mahebourg, Mauritius

· ....... . ........ Clutier, IA

A. Resan Bayraktaroglu ..... .

Jim Adrian ........ . .. . .. . .

· . . ... ... .. Izmir TR, Turkey

· ..... . ...... Maple Park, IL

Linn M. Carper ... Mobile, AL

Paul K. Blankenfeld ....... . .

Pamela C. Wilson .. Selma, AL

. . . ....... . .... Geneseo, IL

Luther T. Adams .......... . .

Peter J. Cox ...... Chicago, IL

· . . .......... Scottsdale, AZ

Sam Kelso .. . .. Caledonia, IL

Daniel Mowbray .... . ..... . .

Curtis McMullan II . . . .. . . . .

...... ... . . ..... Alpine, AZ

· ........ . University Park, IL

Karl Allmendinger .. . ...... .

Richard E. Miller .. Batavia, IL

· ...... .. .. . ... Milpitas, CA

Robert H. Oberholtzer ...... .

Arthur R. Anderson . . ..... . .

· ............... Streator, IL

· ........... . Livermore, CA

Michael L. Smith . . . Macon, IL

Paul A. Brooking .... Lodi, CA

John E. Houser .. .... .. . . .. .

Wayne S. Gibson . . . . .. . . .. .

· ...... . ... . . Fort Wayne, IN

.. . ............ Ramona, CA

Charles J. Wiers . . Demotte, IN

Richard Marlow ... Pinole, CA

Kenneth Perkins .. . Olathe, KS

Don McClish .... Winters, CA Donald R. Schwartz ....... . . · .... . ........ Encinitas, CA Ed Slingland ...... . ..... .. . · . . . ... . . . . Rohnert Park, CA Tom Warner . . . ..... Pal a, CA John Goglia .. Washington, DC

Arthur H. Kudner III . .... .. . · .. .. .. .. . .. Grasonville, MD Richard Ham ... . Monroe, NC Richard T. Goss .. . ........ . · ............. Hampton, NH Andrew 1. Kilpatrick . . . .. . . . · ............ Hyde Park, NY

John N. McCaul ........... . . .............. Monroe, NY David T. Sprouse .......... . · ...... . .. . .. Deer Park, NY Robert Szego . .... Athens, NY R. W Cronquist ........... . · .... . .. . .... Ashtabula, OH Stan Mohler . . Centerville, OH Terry Womack ............ . · .......... . . Pendleton, OR Richard A. Eyler. .......... . · . . .. . ... .. . McKeesport, PA Gregory E. McKnight. ...... . · ........... Green Lane, PA Walter Canfield ........... . · ............ . Columbia, SC John Frick . .. . Blythewood, SC Mark J. Stein . . ... . Santee, SC Joe Wyatt ... . .. Nashville, TN R. G. Floyd . . .. Kingsland, TX John M . Greenlee .. Bowie, TX Hal Becker .... Annandale, VA Tony Broderick . ... Catlett, VA William S. Butler . . ........ . · .......... Falls Church, VA Scott Crossfield .. Herndon, VA Bernard A . Geier .. Fairfax, VA Dwight W. Galbraith..... . . . . · . ... . .. . ... Oak Harbor, WA Boyd E . Patzkowski .... . ... . · . . .. . .. .. . Walla Walla, WA Stephen D. Rush . . Everett, WA Jack Worman . . .. Sequim, WA William E. Bargholtz ....... . ............... Palmyra, WI Judd Koenitzer . .. Rubicon, WI Norbert Langer. Lakewood, WI David V Uihlein ... . ....... . · . . .... .... Germantown, WI VINTAGE AIRPLANE

25

PaSSitto

Buel{

by E.E. "Buck" Hilbert

EM #21 Ale #5 P.O. Box 424, Union, IL 60180

More summer Fly-Ins. Continuing last month's theme, the other fly-in conven­ tion was the National Aeronca Association event at Aeronca's home town of Middletown, OH. We launched out of here with three Champs and the Sedan. I rode with our editor H.G . and his daughter Jenny in the Sedan - I sold it to Verne Jobst and Vern wanted the airplane to at­ tend the fly-in, so we recruited H.G. to do it. I must say, we had some real arm twisting to get OUR arms back in shape after he volunteered!

Sons Elroy and Robert flew the family Champs with Roland Hall leading the way in his 7 ACA. In Indiana they stopped at Rensselaer for some 80 octane and Muncie for auto fuel. We did it non-stop in the Sedan. All four of us had beautiful tailwinds and made really great time. Yours truly was absolutely amazed to read ground speeds of 160 mph(!) on the 110 mph Sedan. It was a great trip.

The Friday night steak dinner put on by the Middletown A viation Club was a real success. They must have served more than 300 people. Lots of Aeronca stories and a real great time.

Saturday, the weather forecast looked so ugly to the west, south and northwest, that it faked out a whole bunch of us. It looked like if we didn't get out that morning, we'd be there for several days sweating out some severe weather. Since the boys had to be at work on Monday, and since H.G. had a Father's Day happening to attend, all three Champs and the Sedan departed just before 10 a.m. for home. They made it just fine, and the weather never was a factor. Everything dissipated even though the weather never was a factor. Everything dissipated even though the weather people were still making dire predic­ tions. (It did get a bit hazy, and Jenny and I made it back to Oshkosh only a halfan hour ahead ofa line ofthunder­ showers that came through just before nightfall. It was a few days before th e weather in Indiana and Ohio went sour. - HGF) I stayed over because I had volunteered to judge air­ planes. Dale Gustafson , Dave Clark, Paul Workman and myself were the judges. 135 Aeroncas came. 36 wanted to be judged, however, that threatening ugly weather forecast took its toll, and we could only find 22 airplanes to judge. continued on page 28 26

NOVEMBER 1998

Rowland Ha" leads the way home with his Be"anca Champ 7ACA, which has a Continental A-65 installed.

...his brother Elroy in Buck's Champ, N84991 .

Nancie Cummings and her friend Richard Field flew up to Middletown from Key Biscayne, FL in this 1959 Champion 7FC, judges the Best Restored Champion Built airplane at the 1998 Aeronca Convention.

H.G.'s nine-year-old daughter Jenny picked this colorful (green with gold trim) Pre-War Super Chief as her favorite of the Convention. Owner Larry Fox flies this airplane, with over 750 hours on the airplane since its restoration in 1991 . It even features a Beech-Roby controllable propeller!

Eric Barnhill and Greg Davis took home the Best in Class - Post Wa r Aeronca Chief trophy with their 11AC Chief.

Richard Charette's 7AC Champ was picked as the Grand Champion Classi c.

Th is very pretty Chief is the production prototype, lovingly restored by Aeronca retirees Harry Pratt, David Morgan and Bob Hollenbaugh. Completed June 29, 1945, the CAA flights tests for issuance of the Manufacturing Certificate were done with this airplane. Besides the one-off color scheme of cream w ith brown t rim, there are a number of differences between this Chief and later production models. We will have an article on this Chief later in 1999.

In anticipation of a museum to honor the Aeronca series of aircraft, the first airplane donated to the National Aeronca Association is this 1939 Aeronca 65CA Chief. We have Dick Birnbach of Falls Church, VA to thank for th is start of the collection of Aeronca airplanes to be displayed one day in the Aeronca Museum.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

27

Its always nice to see a good looking L-16, and we had George "Bud" Myers of Moontown, AL to thank for his nice example of an L-16B.

Of the 22, only six were award winners . Aeronca had sponsored a whole flock of awards, as well as sev­ eral other sponsors, and we just didn't have that many winners.

Our standards for judging just won't let us give an award just because an airplane is present. The airplane must score at least a 50 before the judges will consider it. Don't misunderstand. We had a real good bunch of happy airplane people there. Of the 135 airplane, only 36 people felt their airplanes were of show plane qual­ ity, and the weather took a bunch of them out. Our job was very difficult because those that were there were all the same types, mainly Champs and Chiefs. It was like trying to do an ROTC Saturday inspection. There were some real beauties there, and the final decision had to be based on the final point score. There were half a dozen so close, it became a search for negatives to get winners.

I know Jim Thompson, the president of the National Aeronca Association was upset with the judges be­ cause we didn't give out all the awards, but in all fairness to the ones that did deserve the award, we couldn't diminish the importance of those awards by just giving them away . That would make the awards meaningless.

(This type of situation occurs at allfly-ins, even EAA AirVenture. For an award to be presented, there is a requirement that the airplane's score meet the threshold mentioned above for an award to be consid­ ered. - HGF) A word about the volunteers at this fly-in . Wally Baldwin and the re st of the Middletown flyers do a magnificent job. Without them, there just wouldn't be the biennial Aeronca Convention. This group works their hearts out. I personally want to extend a hand­ shake and heartfelt thanks for their efforts, their friendship , and their loyalty to Aeronca and Middle­ town. Take a look at the pictures H .G . took of the Aeroncas and Champions we had - it was great. I'll be back there for the next one in two years! f( 3«ck. ~ 28

NOVEMBER 1998

The Champion 7FC is always interesting to see. Gene Shoemaker of Syracuse, IN has this fine example, SIN 185 built in 1958.

The pre-war Tandem Trainer has been popular for restoration as of late, and these two pretty airplanes belong to James Hammond (the 65TL in the foreground) and Lowell Conant (the 65-TA on the right).

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~ UNITEDST,4TES

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29

VINTAGE TRADER Something to buy, sell or trade?

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TOOL PLANS - Build 'em yourself and save! Our English Wheel forms and restores cowls and other compound curves like a pro . The Tu bing Cutter/Notcher makes ready-to-weld cuts in sec­ onds with no filing! Build our Sandblast Cabinet for peanuts and clean and restore parts in your own shop! $7.50 each. all three $20. Brian Amato. 3871 Whispering Oaks Dr.. Traverse City. MI 49686 or use VISA or MASTERCARD by calling (616) 946-1071 .

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JANUA RY 1, 1999 - NA PPA NEE, IN - EAA Chapter 938, F1y-lnIDrive-ln Lunch. Nappanee Airport, (219) 773-2866 APRIL 11-17, 1999 - LAKELA ND, FL - 25th Annual Sun 'n Fun EA A Fly-In and Convention. Info: 9411644-2431. Web site: www.sun-njun.org JULY 28-AUGUST 3, 1999 - OSHKOSH, WI- 471h Alllllwl EAA AirVelllure Oshkoslr '99. Willmall Regioll al Airport. COli tact Johll Burtoll, EAA, P.O.Bo.'( 3086, WI 54903-3086 or see the web site al: www.airvelllure.org 30 NO VEMBER 1998

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Programs and Activities EAA AirVenture Fax-On -D emand Dir ectory . ............ .. ... . ... . . . .. ... 732-885-6711

Auto Fuel STCs .. . ... .... .. . . .. 920-426-4843

Build /rest ore inform ation ..... . 920-426-4821 Chapters: l ocating/organizing .. 920-426-4876 Edu cati on .. . . .. . .... .. ........ 920-426-6815

• EAA Air Academ y

• EAA Scholarships • EAA Young Eagles Camps

Fligh t Advisors inform ation . .. . . 920-426-6522 Flight Instructor inform ati on . .. 920-426-6801 Flying Start Progr am •• • •• • . _.•• 920-426-6847 Library Servi ces/ Research .. . . .. 920-426-4848 M edical Questions ...... . .. . . .. 920-426-4821 Technical Counselors . ... .. . . . . 920-426-4821 You ng Eagl es .. . . . . .. .... . . .. . . 920-426-4831 Benefits Aircraft Financing (Green Tree) ... 800-851-1367 AVEMCO . . ... . .... . . . . . .... . . 800-638-8440 AUA ... ..... .... . . . .. . . . . .. . . . 800-727-3823

Term Life and Accidental . .... . . 800-241-6103

Death Insuran ce (H arvey Watt & Compan y) Editorial Submitting article/photo; adverti sing information 920-426-4825 • •••.••••.••• FAX 920-426-4828 EAAAviation Foundation Arti fac t Donations .. .. . . . . . . . .. 920-426-4877

Fin ancial Support ..... . .. • . ... 800-236-1025

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Associ­ ation . Inc. is $40 for one year, including 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION. Family membership is available for an additional $10 annually. Ju­ nior Member ship (under 19 years of age) is available at $23 annually. All major cred it cards accepted for membership. (Add $16 for

Foreign Postage.)

ANTIQUE/CLASSIC

Division is available for $50 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included). (Add $10 for Foreign Postage.)

WARBIRDS Current EAA members may join the EAA Warbirds of America Division and receive WARBIRDS magazine for an additional $35 per year.

EAA Membership, WARBIRDS magazine and one year membership in the Warbirds Division is available for $45 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included). (Add $7 for Foreign

Current EAA members may join t he Antique/ Postage.)

Classic Division and receive VINTAGE AIR­ PLANE magazine for an additional $27 per year.

EAA EXPERIMENTER EAA Membersh ip. VINTAGE AIRPLANE mag­ Current EAA members may receive EAA azine and one year membersh i p in the EAA EXPERIMENTER magazine for an add it ional Antique/ Classic Division is available for $37 per $20 per year. year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included).

EAA Membersh ip and EAA EXPERIMENTER (Add $7 for Foreign Postage.) magazine is available for $30 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not inciuded).(Add $8 for

lAC

Current EAA members may join the International Aerobatic Club, Inc. Division and receive SPORT AEROBATICS magazine for an additional $40 per year.

EAA Membership. SPORT AEROBATICS maga­ zine and one year me m bershi p in the lAC

Foreign Postage.)

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in Un ited Stat es dollars. Add requ ired Fore ign Postage amount for each membership.

Membership dues to EAA and its divisions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions.

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A. Eggplant-Colored Windbreaker Gold Stitching on Antique Classic Logo. Elastic cuffs and waist. 100% Nylon construction.

L- 2X V41037 $26.99 B. Navy Presentation Portfolio Features gold, blue and white Antique Classic embroidery. Nylon construction. Has two handles plus adjustable shoulder strap. Zippered closure.

V00098 $14.99 C. ladies Black Turtleneck Pullover Vintage Airplane (inset) embroidered on coliar. 50/50 cotton/poly blend.

SM -XL V41147 $9.99

E. long-sleeved Polo Shirt with Ribbed Collar and Cuffs Soft and luxurious feeling 70/30 cotton/poly blend. Navy Antique Classic embroidery. Four-button placket.

LG V10836 $40.99

Classic Caps All feature gold, blue and white Antique Classic Embroidery and adjustable back.

F. Field Grade Officer Cap with Oak-leaf Clusters Polyester and nylon construction. 8ack is nylon webbing.

V11244 $8.99 G. Burgundy Six-panel Cap with Navy Brim V11242 $8.99

32 NOVEMBER 1998

D. Vintage Airplane Sweatshirt THICK sweatshirts feature four-color, bi-plane applique made from a photograph by EM's own Jim Koepnick.

90/1 0 cotton/poly blend.

SM -XL V10895

H. Navy Denim Cap with Carmel Suede Brim V11329 $8.99 I. Red 6-Panel Cap V11240 $8.99 J. Sky-Blue Cap with Carmel Suede Brim V11330 $8.99 K. Navy Corduroy Cap with Braiding V11322 $8.99 1. Maroon Corduroy Cap with Braiding V11323 $8.99

All Antique Classic Socks feature Antique Classic design woven into the sock and are constructed of 75/25 hi-bulk acrylic/stretch nylon blend.

T. Denim Shirt with Velveteen Collar 100% cotton construction with black and silver antique classic embroidery on frant.

LG V20116 $11.99

T.

U. Heavy Cotton White Sweatshirt EM Antique Classic blue and gald embriodery on front. 90/10 cotton/poly blend. Features singlecolor pictoral of the Crites Brothers, the faunders of Crites Airfield which later became Waukesha, Wisconsin Airpart. SM - 2X Vl0906 $12.99

M. White Long Crew Socks V11284 $3.99 N. Royal Blue Short Crew Socks VI1283 $3.99 o. White "Turn-Down" Socks with Blue Heel and Toe VI1285 $2.99 P. large (4 3/8 n wide' Antique Classic Patches V32560 $1.99 Q. Small (2 3/4 n wide' Antique Classic Patches V32360 $.99 R. Antique Classic Name Tags Measure 3Xl"; can be engraved for personalization.

Vl0813 $.99 S. Marble-Base Deskset Heavy base has Antique Classi( logo etched into it. Foam rubber on bollom protects desktops. Comes complete with pen.

V60025 $10.00

V. Heavy Cotton Royal Blue Sweatshirt EM Antique Classic Aplique adorns the front. 90/10 cotton/poly blend.

SM -2X $12.99 Vl0880

W. Ell Antique Classic Applique T-Shirts Made by Fruit of the Loom. 50/50 (otton/poly blend.

Available in three colors.

Ash SM - XL Vl0875 $6.99 Navy SM - XL Vl0870 $6.99 Royal SM -2X Vl0865 $6.99

x. Cobblestone Crew

x.

Sweatshirt Made by Sope Creek. Features ribbed cuffs, waist and collar ond same (olor Antique Classic embroidery. Available in red, white and blue.

SM -XL V11215 $31.99

Y. Long-sleeved Twill Shirts Feature button-down collar, two-button adjustable cuffs and front pocket. 100%cotton construction.

Khaki M- XL V11301 $20.99 Denim L- XL V11297 $13.99