VA-Vol-29-No-4-April-2001

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VAA NEWS 4

TYPE CLUB NOTES EXTRA! H.G. Frautschy

6

REMEMBERING ANNE! John Underwood

8

AIR MAIL FOR SMALL TOWNS/ Earl Stahl

14 UNKNOWN TAYLORCRAFT/ H.G. Frautchy 19 WHAT IF?/ Steve Johnson 24 MYSTERY PLANE 25 PASS IT TO BUCK/ Buck Hilbert 27 NEW MEMBERS 28 CALENDAR 30 CLASSIFIEDS

www.vintageaircraft.org Publisher

TOM POBEREZNY

Editor-i,,-Chie!

scon SPANGLER

Executive Director, Editor

HENRY G. FRAUTSCHY

VAA Administrative Assistant

THERESA BOOKS

Executive Editor

MIKE DIFRISCO

Contributing Editors

JOHN UNDERWOOD BUDD DAVISSON

Art/Photo Layout

BETH BLANCK

Photography Staff

JIM KOEPNICK LEEANN ABRAMS MARK SCHAIBLE

AdvertisillglEditorial Assistalll

ISABELLE WISKE

ON THE COVERS Front Cover .. . Dick Roe was looking for something in a Classic airplane, and he found it in his rare Taylorcraft 15A. The 15A has four seats and cruises at a stately 105 mph behind a Continental C-145 engine. EM photo

by Mark Schaible, shot with a Canon EOS1 n equipped with an 80-200 mm lens on 100 ASA Fuji slide film . EM Cessna 210 photo plane flown by Bruce Moore.

Back Cover ... EM Master Artist William Marsalko, 3717 Addington Ct. , Fairview Park, Ohio 44126 painted his tribute to "Eddy's No.1 ." He writes: Nieuport N.28 C-1 . In combat with the German Albatros, Fokker Triplanes and Pfalz O.III's, the '28 could hold its own. Capt. Rickenbacker, Maj. Lufbery and Capt. Meissner were a few Americans who flew the '28 with the 94th Pursuit Squadron.

SEE PAGE 31 FOR FURTHER VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INFORMATION

VAA NEWS

compiled by H.G. Frautschy

Because of the inclusion of the exten­ sive Cessna landing gear news item, VAA President Butch Joyce's column, "Straight & Level," will not be included in the April issue.

GOVERNMENT SERVICES One of our greatest challenges as an organization is keeping abreast of the constantly changing govern­ mental scene. One of the benefits of VAA membership is our organiza­ tion's access to EAA's Government Services office, headed by Earl Lawrence. Their mission is: "To pre­ serve the freedom of flight, and to reduce regulatory barriers regarding the affordability and access to mem­ bers' participation in recreational aviation.

To that end, in addition to speak­ ing with EAA and VAA members on a daily basis, the Government Ser­ vices staff meets regularly with EAA President Tom Poberezny to confirm the department's goals. This year, one of their four major goals relates to aging aircraft. The personnel from EAA's Government Services office serves on the Aging Aircraft Ad Hoc Committee and participates in the FAA review process for ADs (EAA, AOPA, and affected type clubs are consulted prior to the FAA writing the ADs).

The Government Services staff is actively gauging feedback on their ef­ fectiveness in dealing with issues of concern and have been expanding their attention to include rotorcraft.

They've also been actively working on the concepts of owner mainte­ nance for vintage aircraft.

EAA and the Vintage Aircraft Asso­ ciation's goal is to ensure that owners of aging aircraft continue to have the support and services needed to main­ tain their recreational aircraft and to prevent the establishment of rules or regulations that would restrict or make impractical the recreational use II

of older aircraft no matter what cate­ gory they may operate under (e.g., experimental exhibition, amateur­ built, or standard category).

There may be times when it seems that little is being done to further the causes we all hold so dear, and we may not always "win," but I can as­ sure you these folks are among the hardest working in the EAA family.

This VAA News page is filled with is­ sues being worked on by the Government Services staff.

VACUUM PUMP MEETING There are a numbe r of members who fly IFR with their well-equipped vintage airplanes. In an EAA-facili­ tat e d m eet ing , hosted by Ea rl Lawrence, attendees at a sp ecia l meeting in Kansas City on March 5 concluded that more n ee ds to be done to heighte n safety and aware­ ness relating to pn e umatic gyro syste m failure s in IFR general avia­ tion aircraft. Seve ral aircraft manufacturers, including Mooney Aircraft, Twin Commander Aircraft, Cessna, and New Piper, as well as the American Bonanza Society and Swift Museum Foundation were r epre­ sented. Also prese nt were officials from the FAA, AOPA, and Parker Hannifin's Airborne Division.

The group will look into design­ ing a study project involving private pilots to test the effectiven ess of pi­ lots using partial panel and various types of backup systems in a simula­ tor. Data from this study may hold th e key in measuring the effective­ ness of backup systems for IFR flying and/or a highly visible warning sys­ tem that alerts pilots of a pneumatic system failure.

EAA maintains that this is an ag­ ing aircraft iss ue since aircraft manufacturers have installed redun­ dant systems in new aircraft since 1986, using backup pneumatic sys­ tems or e lectrical sys t e ms plus

warning systems that activate in the event of a primary system failure.

Parker Hannifin's Airborne Division is concerned that FAA regulations for older aircraft are not sufficient in this area.

Airborne's position is clear, ac­ cording to John Hruska, general manager. He referred to the 1986 Safety Warning Service Letter No. 31 that was recently updated and mailed to piston single- and twin-engine air­ craft owners (Vac u um/Pressure Gyroscopic Flight Instrument Power System). It includes strongly worded statements including, "A backup pneumatic power source for air-dri­ ven gyros, or a backup electric attitude gyro instrument, must be in­ stalled in all aircraft which fly IFR," and" Any inoperative air pump or other component of the gyro system, and any inoperative backup system or component, must be replaced prior to the next flight.

Hruska announced that Airborne will no longer sell air pumps "for older aircraft that do not meet our Safety Warning Service Letter No. 31," meaning those aircraft without installed backup pneumatic or elec­ tric flight indicator systems.

Owners of aircraft deemed ineligi­ ble by Airborne 's requirements will likely buy from other manufacturers like Rapco or Sigma Tek. Champion also recently announced its inte n ­ tions to enter the market.

For more information on the dan­ ge r of pn e umatic system fai lu res, visit the FAA website at www.faa .gov/ avr/news/silent.htm and rea d "The Silent Emergency."

II

AEROMATIC PROPELLER MAY BE GROUNDED The Federal Aviation Administra­ tion has not yet issued an Airworthiness Directive on Aero ­ matic propeller models and all Flopttorp (formally Beach Roby) proVINTAGE AIRPLANE 1

pellers fitted with FA200 Flopttorp blades. The FAA is exploring the need for an Airworthiness Directive (AD) on all in the wake of an Aero­ matic propeller failure in April 2000.

The current type certificate holder Tarver Propeller has issued a service bulletin, No. 2000-001, requiring the repetitive inspection of the propeller blades for looseness . If an AD were issued, the propeller would be effec­ tively grounded due to the lack of replacement parts. Tarver is in the process of obtaining a production certificate but is still working with the FAA to comply with all agency requirements. Until the production certificate is issued to Tarver Pro­ peller, there will not be any replacement parts for the propellers currently in service.

For updates, check in periodically at EAA's website: www.eaa.org. You can also e-mail Jay Turnberg, the FAA aerospace engineer who is work­ ing on this issue, at jay.turnberg@ faa.gov or call him at 781/238-7116.

CESSNA FLAT SPRING STEEL LANDING GEAR Just as this issue was going to press, the NTSB sent a Safety Recom­ mendation letter to FAA administrator Jane Garvey asking the FAA to take action on what they perceive as a problem with the flat spring steel main landing gear used on many high-wing Cessna 170,180, 185,190 and 195 aircraft. Here's the full text of the letter (minus an illus­ tration of the Cessna 180 main landing gear):

National Transportation Safety Board Washington, D.C. 20594 Safety Recommendation Date: March 16, 2001 In reply refer to: A-01-01 and -02 Honorable Jane F. Garvey Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration Washington, D.C. 20591 In this letter, the National Trans­ portation Safety Board recommends that the Federal Aviation Adminis2

APRIL 2001

tration (FAA) take action to address a safety issue concerning corrosion and fatigue cracking of main land­ ing gear (MLG) spring struts on Cessna 170, 180, 185, 190, and 195 series airplanes. The recommenda­ tions were prompted by the Safety Board's investigation of a September 14, 1999, accident involving a Cessna 185, N85LC, near Delta Junc­ tion, Alaska. This letter summarizes the Board's rationale for issuing these recommendations.

On September 14, 1999, a Cessna 185, N85LC, operated by Tamarack Air Ltd., Fairbanks, Alaska, sustained substantial damage while landing at a remote dirt airstrip near Delta Junction, Alaska. Near the end of the landing roll, the left MLG collapsed and dug into the ground, causing the airplane to nose over. The pilot and one passenger suffered minor injuries; the remaining passenger was uninjured. The flight was an on­ demand passenger flight operating under 14 Code of Federal Regula­ tions (CFR) Part 135. At the time of the accident, the airplane was 24 years old and had accumulated 5,892 flight hours.

Cessna 170, 180, 185, 190, and 195 series airplanes are tail wheel­ equipped with MLG that have a tapered, spring-steel cantilever strut supporting each main wheel. The spring-steel cantilever strut is made from chromium-vanadium steel, which is heat treated and shot peened for added fatigue resistance, and is attached to the fuselage bracket and clamp by bolts at the upper end. The lower end of the spring strut has four holes through which the axle is bolted.

The Safety Board's post accident examination of the Cessna 185 re­ vea led the left MLG spring strut had fractured above the left wheel axle through the upper two axle bolt holes. Further examination of the fractured spring strut at the Board's Materials Laboratory re­ vealed corrosion pitting had caused fatigue cracks to emanate from two regions on the interior surface of

the forward upper axle bolt hole.

A review of Safety Board records 1 indicated that from 1984 to the pre­ sent, 16 of the approximately 76,000 Cessna 170,180,185,190, and 195 series airplanes in service (including the accident airplane) had experienced MLG spring strut fatigue failures;2 at the time of the failure, the average age of these air­ planes was approximately 15 years.

Five of the 16 failures occurred at the upper end of the spring strut; fatigue typically initiated from fret­ ting and corrosion pitting near the fuselage attachment clamp area.

Eleven of the 16 failures occurred at the lower end of the spring strut; fa­ tig u e typically initiated from corrosion pitting in and around the ax le bolt holes. In addition, a re­ view of the FAA's Service Difficulty Reports (SDR) data indicated that from 1974 to the present, at least nine other reports exist of cracked or failed MLG spring struts on Cessna 170, 180, and 185 series air­ planes) Because previous reviews of SDR data have revealed the SDR system frequently underreports ser­ vice failures, it is likely that other unreported MLG spring strut fail­ ures have occurred.

Inspections of the MLG spring strut are required by 14 CFR Part 43 and recommended in th e Cessna Aircraft service manual. Ac­ cording to 14 CFR Part 43, airplanes must undergo an annual inspection in accordance with th e inspection plan in Appendix D of Part 43, which requires a general visual inspection of the MLG com­ ponents. In addition, the Cessna Aircraft service manual recom­ mends inspecting the MLG spring strut every 50 hours of service and provides general instructions to in­ spect the movable and metal parts of th e MLG for cracks and corro­ sion. However, 14 CFR Part 43 and the Cessna Aircraft service manual do not specifically require or rec­ ommend a detailed inspection of the MLG spring strut near the fuse­ lage attachment clamp area and

axle assembly area for corrosion and cracks, removal of the MLG spring strut to expose the fuselage attachment clamp area and axle as­ sembly area, or the use of nondestructive inspection (NOl) techniques. The Safety Board notes that a d etailed inspection of the MLG spring strut near the fuselage attachment clamp area and the axle as se mbl y area for corrosion a nd cracks can only be accom­ plished if the spring strut is removed from the fuselage and the axle is removed from th e spring strut.

Despite the inspection s required by 14 CF R Part 43 and recom ­ mend ed in the Cessna Aircraft service manual, MLG spring strut failures continue to occur. Visual inspections have not prevented all spring strut failures and do not ade­ quately detect the relatively small fatigue cracks before failure occurs.

The lack of a requirement for de­ tailed inspection s of the MLG spring strut fus e lage attachment clamp area and axle assembly area allows airplanes with corrosion and cracks in the spring strut to experi­ enc e fatigue failures. An initial inspection, involving the removal of the MLG spring strut and the use of NDI techniques to examine the spring strut, should aid in the de­ tection of fatigue cracks that cannot be identified through visual inspec­ tions, th e reby re ducing the possibility of an incident or acci­ dent. The Safety Board notes that initial inspections, although benefi­ cial, might not be enough to monitor whether corrosion and cracks are developing in the spring struts . Rep etitive inspections per­ formed at ap propriate intervals 4 should further reduce the possibil­ ity of fatigue failure incidents or accidents.

Therefore, th e Na tional Trans­ portation Safety Board recommends that the Federal Aviation Adminis­ tration: Issue an airworthiness directive to req uire an initial inspection of

Cessna 170, 180, 185, 190, and 195 series airplane main landing gear spring struts, involving the removal of the spring struts from the fuse­ lag e attachm ent clamp and axle assembly and the use of nonde­ structive inspection techniques to exa mine the upper and lower ends of the spring struts for corrosion and cracks, at the next 100-hour or annual inspection, whichever oc­ curs first . (A-Ol-Ol) Issue an airworthiness directive to require repetitive inspections of Cessna 170, 180, 185, 190, and 195 series airplane main landing gear spring struts, involving the removal of the spring struts from the fuse­ lage attachm ent clamp and axle assembly and the us e of nonde­ structive inspection techniques to examine the upper and lower ends of the spring struts for corrosion and cracks, at appropriate intervals.

(A-01-02) Vice Chairman HALL5 and Mem­ bers BLACK and CA RMODY concurred in these recommenda­ tions. Members HAMMERSCHMIDT and GOGLIA did not concur.

Original signed by: Carol]. Ca r­ mody, Acting Chairman Footnotes:

1. Th e Safety Board contacted Cessna regarding MLG spring stmt fa­ tigue failures, but Cess na had no record ofsuch failures.

2 . Eleven of th e 16 failures oc­ curred from 1993 to 1999.

3. The Safety Board notes that Cessna tail wheel-equipped airplanes and Cessna nose wheel-equipped air­ planes have MLG spring struts similar in design. However, a review ofBoard reco rds indicated that from 1984 to th e prese nt, only 5 of the approxi­ mately 118,000 Cess na nos e wheel-equipped airplan es in service have experienced MLG spring strut fa­ tigue failures. In addition, a review of the FAA's SDR data indica ted that from 1972 to th e present, no reports exist of cracked or failed MLG spring struts in Cessna nose wheel-equipped airplanes. On the basis of this review, the Board notes that the fatigue failure

rate of MLG spring struts in Cessna nose wheel-equipped airplanes is sig­ nificantly lower than that in Cessna tail wheel-equipped airplanes; there­ fore, the Board is only addressing spring strut fatigue failures in Cessna tail wheel-equipped airplanes in this letter. However, the Board will monitor the spring strut fatigue failure rate in Cessna nose wheel-equipped airplanes to assess whether additional safety rec­ ommendations are necessary.

4. Appropriate intervals would al­ low ea rly evidence of corrosion and fatigue cracks in MLG spring stmts to be detected before a failure occurs. The Safety Board notes that the Cessna Aircraft Company Model 100 Series Continued Airworthiness Program con­ tain s an in spection of the MLG outboard spring supports of Cess na 180 and 185 series airplanes that in­ volves removing the MLG spring struts from the airplane every 1,000 hours or every 3 years.

5. Vice Chairman Hall was serving as the Safety Board's Acting Chairman at the time of his concurrence.

You can obtain a PDF electronic copy of this lette r on the NTSB's website at www.ntsb.gov/recs/

letters/2001/A 01_01 _02.pdf As we were going to press, we had not been notified of the FAA's inten­ tions, but we are certain an Airworthiness Concern Sheet will be issued, similar to the one just issued regarding Piper lift strut attachment fittings. You can read about that is­ sue starting on page 4.

For continued updates on the Cessna landing gear issue, please visit EAA's website at www.eaa.org.

TULSA FLY-IN AND BIPLANE EXPO The 15th annual Biplane Expo and Convention at Bartlesville, Ok­ lahoma , originally scheduled for June 1-2 has been rescheduled be­ cause of delayed taxiway con­ struction at the Bartlesville airport.

It will now take place in conjunc­ tion with the Tulsa Regional Fly-In, September 21-22. Please see the Fly­ In Ca lendar on page 28 for more information. ....

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

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YPE CLUB

by H.G. Frautschy

The FAA's Airworthiness Concern Sheet program, and the Piper lift strut A CS.

Over the past year the FAA, EAA, issued with 30-, 60-, and 90-day the failure, due to undetected corro­ and other aviation organizations comment periods. It's nearly impos­ sion, of a lift strut fitting on a Piper have agreed to a program using the sible to get an item with a 30-day PA-18. The NTSB fe lt the issue war­ resources of the many active vintage comment period to you via the mag­ ranted an AD; the FAA has aircraft type clubs. Called the Air­ azine, so the web is our best resource maintained that it is a maintenance­ worthiness Concern Sheet (ACS), it is when confronted with a short fuse. related issue and should be dealt issued by the FAA when they desire You'll probab ly also hear from the with by the production of a manda ­ input from the aviation community appropriate type club, if yo u 're a tory manufacturer's service bulletin, affected by any proposed action . To member. complete with inspection procedures clarify, the issuance of an Airworthi­ Recently, the FAA issued an Air­ to adequately inspect the forward ness Concern Sheet does not worthiness Concern Sheet regarding side of the forward u pper lift strut necessarily mean an Airworthiness the upper lift strut fittings on all fitting.

Directive (AD) will be issued. The Piper high -wing aircraft. The 30-day The NTSB does not concur with process is used to gather information comment period closed just before the FAA's assessment and has asked that could influence the content of you rece ived this magazine, with that the agency again review the an AD for whatever action may be comments and recommendations by possibility of issuing an AD. In this needed . the various type cl ubs solicited di­ case, the Airworthiness Concern As the program matures, we plan rectly by the FAA. Sheet program now gives the FAA a on presenting each ACS affecting The NTSB has asked the FAA to re­ tool to gather information that can vintage airplanes on our website at view their decision not to issue an be used to formulate a plan of action www.vintageaircraft.org. We'll post Airworthiness Directive concerning that will satisfy both the NTSB and them as soon as they are received. With each type club receiving this no­ tice directly from the FWD LIFT STRUT FAA and with our web ATTACH FlmNG postings, we'll all be able to respond to the situa­ tion in a timely manner.

Checking in at www.vintageairaaft·org on a regular basis will give you a chance to see the ACS almost as soon FILLER BLOCK as we do, giving you time to add your opin­ ion to the FAA's folder FWD "~(I 00 on a particular item, par­ ticularly those with ~INBD

short comment periods. ..... ~Typically, the sheets are

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4 APRIL 2001

The forward wing strut attachment fittings on all high-wing Piper aircraft are the subject of an Airworthiness Concern Sheet recently issued by the FAA, as well as the subject of a mandatory Service Bulletin, No.1 044, issued July 27, 2000, by The New Piper Aircraft, Inc. The PA-18 wing structure is shown in this view, with the other aircraft being nearly identical.

owners/operators of high-wing Piper airplanes. After all, the New Piper Corporation is not in the business of building high-wing, fabric-covered aircraft any longer, and the best ex­ perts in this area are most likely the active restorers who rebuild these aircraft on a regular basis . They're the ones who can address practical inspection methods and intervals.

To summarize, it is the NTSB's contention that the forward lift strut is susceptible to undetected corro­ sion due to the manner in which the wings are constructed and covered.

Both the fabric covering and leading edge skin obscure the forward por­ tion of the fitting. Also , since the vast majority of fabric-covered air­ planes are now covered with Dacron fabric, the interval between inspec­ tions of areas hidden by the fabric has been lengthened substantially.

In this particular case, the Super Cub was re-covered in 1967 and had a to­

tal of 21 years and 761 hours since the re-cover job. All that time, it would have been impossible to accu­ rately determine the condition of the forward side of the fitting. Any inspection of the forward portion of the fitting above the covered area would require some form of aircraft modification that would include re­ moving a portion of the leading edge skin and installing some form of inspection plate or patch.

The notification method is the source of debate between the NTSB and FAA. The FAA believes a mandatory service bulletin would be appropriate given the relative rareness of the failure of this part (one non-fatal in-flight failure, less than 10 Service Difficulty Reports reporting corrosion on the fitting).

This in no way minimizes the po­ tential for a failure such as this to be a fatal accident. A mandatory service bulletin is exactly that, with

no leeway.

For this particular ACS we don't have the electronic versions of each of the FAA's enclosures (this entire program is still in the process of ma­ turing), but you can access the NTSB's website for the narrative for the accident report. Go to www.ntsb.gov/aviation/Accident.htm. click on "Use a Query Form," and enter this NTSB accident number: MIA98LA226. If you have comments or questions regarding this mainte­ nance issue, contact FAA engineer William O. Herderich at the FAA's Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office, ACE-Il7A, 1895 Phoenix Blvd., Suite 450, Atlanta, GA 30349; phone: 770/703-6082; fax: 770/703 -6979.

You can also e-mail him at william.o.herderich@(aa.gov.

As mentioned, the normal com­ ment period for this Airworthiness Concern Sheet just ended, but a quick reply couldn't hurt! ....

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

5

feme A remembrance ofAnne Morrow Lindbergh, 1906-2001

by John Underwood ne could not begin to do Anne Morrow Lindbergh jus­ tice in a few words. She was too remarkable a woman for that. In­ deed, she was unique. At various times over two decades she became the most envied, the most pitied, and the most hated woman in America, according to her biographers.

Anne Spencer Morrow was born June 22,1906. Her father, banker Dwight W. Morrow, was a U.S. sena­ tor and diplomat. Shy and retiring by nature, Anne inherited her mother's love of poetry and fine literature. She became the author of thirteen vol­ umes, most of which becam e bestsellers.

Anne was an English major at Smith College when she traveled to Mexico City to be with her family during Christmas 1927. Her father was then the ambassador to Mexico, and Charles Lindbergh, on a good­ will tour south of the border, was the Morrows' houseguest for the holiday week.

So tongue-tied was Anne in Lind­ bergh 's company that she hardly spoke. Her elder sister, Elizabeth, the outgoing one, seemed to have caught the Lone Eagle's eye. In truth, being with Anne was a welcome respite for Lindbergh, who was ill at ease as a conversationalist in mixed company.

When they did talk, it was mostly about flying. Anne was fascinated.

Lindbergh had never dated a girl in his life before meeting Anne.

Painfully shy, he had always gone out of his way to avoid socializing

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6

APRIL

2001

with single women his own age. With Anne it was different. The chemistry was right, and they both knew it.

Two years later they were married.

Lindbergh had started teaching Anne to fly on their first date in a rented Gipsy Moth. Over a period of time he gave h er more lessons in a Curtiss Fledgling, a Fleet, and an Aeromarine-Klemm. Anne qualified for her private pilot's certificate, #20169, in her own Bird BK in 1930.

She was also the first woman in the United States to qualify as a sailplane pilot. She remained active as a pilot until the onset of World War II. By the time the Lindberghs made their survey flight to the Orient, Anne was sufficiently seasoned to co­ pilot their Lockheed Sirius. That flight, which ended prematurely in China when the Sirius capsized on the flood-swollen Yangtze River, was the subject of her first book, North to the Orient.

Whereas Anne had been envied by women everywhere for what seemed a storybook romance and marriage, her life took a tragic turn in 1931 when the Lindbergh's first child was kidnapped and killed. Overnight Anne became the most pitied woman on the planet. It was a singularly cal­ lous crime, and the case kept the couple under public scrutiny for sev­ eral agonizing years. Ultimately it led to their self-imposed exile, first in England, then in France.

Charles Lindbergh's years in Eu­ rope convinced him that a war with Germany would destroy Europe. He

had seen Germany's industrial might firsthand and had flown their latest aircraft, which he believed were supe­ rior to anything available anywhere else in the world. The upshot of this was his isolationist stance. Lindbergh became a spokesman for non-inter­ vention in a European war that began in September 1939.

Anne supported her husband 's views, which seemed pro-German to many, and tried to explain them in a small volume titled The Wave of the Future, which argued against U.S. in­ volvement in WWII. It was perceived to be a pro-Nazi polemic and served to fuel the growing anti-Lindbergh sentiment. Anne was crushed by the widespread denunciations and didn't write again for 15 years.

Charles rendered valuable war ser­ vice as a test pilot and technical advisor, ultimately restoring the Lindbergh name to a place of honor.

Anne, in the meantime, devoted her­ self to raising a growing family, two girls and three boys, almost entirely on her own. In her spare moments she began writing again.

Gift From the Sea, published in 1955, was perhaps Anne's most en­ during success and restored her to the ranks of the country's most beloved authors. That was followed by her di­ aries, five volumes, encompassing the years 1922 to 1944.

Anne Morrow Lindbergh had out­ lived her husband by more than a quarter of a century when she passed away on February 7 at her home in Passumpsic, Vermont. She was 94 . ....

(Above) Taken at the start of the Lockheed Sirius' shakedown flight in April 1930, Anne accompanied her husband as they set an unofficial transcontinental record of 14 hours, 45 minutes. Anne became quite proficient at sending and receiving Morse code. Left to right in the photo are: Carl Squire, Lockheed sales manager; Hugh White, assistant to Squire; Charles Lindbergh, Anne Lindbergh and designer Jerry Vultee.

(Below) Anne looks intently down the hill as her husband stands next to the wing of the Bowlus sailplane she would solo in 1929. The flight would last six minutes, a quite respectable performance from a bungee launch.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

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PERMANENT PICKUP ROUTES

ESTABLISHED

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Under the plan for permanent routes, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) would be the contracting agency rather than the Post Office Department. Routes would be ex­ panded from two to five, serving all of the original destinations as well as over SO more. Radiating a total of 1,380 miles from the Pittsburgh hub, two routes would be to Huntington, West Virginia, with others being to Jamestown, New York; Williamsport, Pennsylvania; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Communities in six states with populations of 800 to 120,000 thus would be served.

Despite the one year demonstrated success of the trailing grapple pickup system, it became increasingly evi­ dent that a further improved method was necessary. Under the existing means, holding optimum altitude in heavy turbulence was difficult, some­ times resulting in a miss at capturing the horizontally stretched transfer rope. A miss of an inch required a circle to try again. Further, in bumpy air, the 8-pound grapple would some­ times swing laterally to collide with the wooden markers atop the poles, damaging them or even breaking the cable.

NEW PICKUP SYSTEM DEVELOPED

Work on an entirely new system had been in progress at All Ameri­ can's experimental shop at Wilmington, Delaware, so, in agree­ ment with the CAB, service to new destinations would be delayed until planes were provided with new equipment and totally different ground facilities were in place. The Stinsons would be fitted with re­ tractable IS-1/2-foot long, 2-inch diameter ash booms to be positioned for pickup at a 4S-degree angle with a single prong hook at the lower end

(Graphic 4). A completely new con­ cept, a compact mechanism consisting of reel, brake, and electric motor, wou ld be mounted at the hatch on the floor of the aircraft.

Forty feet of 3/8-inch diameter nylon rope connected reel and hook.

Ground stations would, likewise, be much different. Gone would be the tall, husky steel poles. In their place would be portable, small-diam­ eter aluminum tubes tipped by short lengths of bamboo. Set upright in ground receptacles, they would be 20 feet tall, which would later be re­ duced to 12 feet, and 20 feet apart.

Small orange canvas triangles with wire hitch pins would hold aloft a loop of 3/8-inch diameter nylon rope attached to the delivery con­ tainer situated on the ground between the poles.

The 28-inch tall delivery contain­ ers remained unchanged. To protect the contents, each had a thick fiber dome and a vulcanized rubber skirt as well as an internal canvas bag with a closure strap.

Patent records credit Stuart Plum­ mer as the inventor of this radically changed system, which enabled pi­ lots to approach pickup stations with greater accuracy and higher speeds .

With the incoming delivery trailing above and behind the extended hook, the pilot would release the rope with bag about 200 feet before reaching the upright poles. Once the boom contacted the nylon transfer rope, causing it to pull free, the rope would slide down the boom to disen­ gage the hook. Under the strain of lifting and accelerating the outgoing load, the nylon ropes stretched; con­ currently, rope briefly played out from the reel while an automatic brake smoothly stopped the unwind.

Once the flight mechanic assured there was no fouling, an electric mo­ tor was activated to draw the

container close; the last short dis­ tance to bring the bag through the hatch was by hand. Using nylon rope in this process was critical since under stress of pickup the nylon elongated somewhat without rapid recoil. That rope stretch, reel un­ wind, and smooth braking so effectively dissipated energy and strain that capturing a load was barely felt by the flight crew.

Within months all the Stinsons were fitted with the new equipment.

Then, because of higher allowable pickup speeds, schedules, terminal­ to-terminal, were shortened. The allowable total weight of regular and express mail to be placed in the bag was increased to SO pounds. Flight crews as well as station attendants found this new system to be a vast improvement.

CAB PROPOSES WEATHER RESTRICTIONS

Once under CAB administration of the contract, some flight rules were imposed. A minimum ceiling of 500 feet and 1 mile of visibility as viewed from the cockpit was to be observed. En route, if atmospheric conditions became worse and pilots had to pull up on instruments to re­ turn to base, that action had to be justified with a letter of explanation.

By "liberal/l interpretation of ob­ served weather, pilots found it unnecessary to write many letters.

Decades later Captain Lloyd Sant­ myer reflected, ''If we had followed those rules, we would have been bankrupt in one year./I In plying their routes, there were countless in­ stances when crews pushed the limits of "contact flying" to get their jobs done.

DR. LYTLE S. ADAMS DEPARTS

During its first year, All American had notable success in fulfilling its VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

As shown in these two pictures, the new pickup system, with a retractable boom made of ash and a single hook, underwent development testing at Wilmington, Delaware, during the summer of 1940.

As the Stinson approached the pickup point, the arriving load was released .

With the messenger standing by near his car, the Stinson was caught by the photographer just as the hook began to pull the nylon rope free of the poles. And in a fraction of a second, the 28-inch tall delivery container was pulled off the ground and reeled into the cabin.

Airways photos via Earl Stahl

u.s.

primary mission of hauling mail.

But, there was increasing tension be­ tween the two top officials.

Visionary, inventor, and promoter Dr. Lytle Adams and pragmatic, wealthy Richard duPont wer e in­ creasingly at odds. Adams was terribly offended, for example, when he was excluded from participation during two upgrades of pickup appa­ ratus. DuPont excluded him because he felt Adams would not be open to ideas for major changes to the equip­ ment and methods he had evolved over many years. To allay further dif­ ficulties, a financial settlement was agreed upon so Adams would fade 10 APRil 2001

from the aerial deliv­ ery-pickup scene.

When one looks back, it is obvi­ ous that expansion of the system was at a most favorable time. The Great Depression was slowly fading while World War II was ignited in Europe.

Soon we would be involved. Prod­ ucts from th e region being served were in escalating demand. With time, some routes had sufficient vol­ umes of regular and express mail to make two round trips a day neces­ sary. One manufacturer of aircraft parts at the sma ll town of Cory, Pennsylvania, had such quantity of urgently required product going out

that multiple pickups were neces­ sary . On one occasion pilot Dave Patterson and flight mechanic Ralph Monaco had to make 33 successive pickups to get the whole load on board before they could wing on to the next station.

Observing the success of this feeder service, other regions became interested . All American considered creating another network for the Northeast. In fact, Richard duPont's vision was to carry passengers along with the regular and express mail. A competitor wanted to establish seven

routes in the Midwest using AAA­ type equipment. When the United States entered the war in December 1941, all considerations for such ex­ pansions were put on hold.

PRESIDENT duPONT RESIGNS

Our involvement in World War II had a mounting impact on All Amer­ ican Aviation. Early on duPont demonstrated glider pickups to high­ ranking Air Corps personnel using AAA's Stinson SR-10F, Wasp-powered, research and development craft. Chief pilot Norm Rintoul and other AAA personnel soon joined the mil­ itary to help develop the capability to pick up humans as well as troop- and cargo-car­ rying gliders. Before long duPont resigned as All Ameri­ can president to head the Air Corps expanding glider pro­ gram. Unfortunately, within five months he would lose his life, along with five others, in the crash of a new cargo glider.

Upon duPont's departure, Halsey R. Bazley, former vice preSident, became acting presi­ dent. A seasoned pilot, he was also an effective administrator.

His elevation to the top posi­ tion was favorably viewed by flight crews and ground per­ sonnel alike.

With the military's vora­ cious demands for personnel, equipment, and supplies, most private industries encountered tightened staffing and mainte­ nance and equipment replacement problems. With its fleet of as many as 16 Stin­ sons operating over rough terrain, often in foul, turbulent weather, few, if any, carriers had greater requirements for

superior maintenance achievement.

Planes were aging; parts were becom­ ing scarce. At the Pittsburgh maintenance shop, there were more than 50 technicians: about 20 A&E mechanics, an equal number of ap­ prentices, and the rest inspectors and supervisors. Different levels of maintenance were carried out at 15, 60, 120, and 450 hours; major over­ hauls were scheduled at 4,500 hours.

Of necessity, most maintenance was done at night, starting as soon as planes completed the late-day tours.

Queried decades later, pilots had only words of praise and admiration for the maintenance crews.

For several of the early years, an impediment to most efficient opera­ tions was an inability to communicate with messengers at pickup stations. So, appropriate ra-

The redesigned ground station equip­ ment. A pair of 20-foot aluminum/ bamboo poles, held upright by a pair of ground receptacles, was soon shortened to 12 feet. The nylon rope was held at pickup height by wire clips on orange-colored canvas flags. u.s. Airways photo via Earl Stahl

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Top) The new pickup apparatus was also mounted next to a hatch in the floor of the Stinson. The un it was made with a frame, a reel (including 40 feet of nylon rope), a brake to decelerate the rope's unwinding, and a motor to drive the winch to reel the mai lbag up to the hatch. u.s. Airways photo via Earl Stahl

dio receivers were installed in mes­ sengers' cars. This enabled the base radio station to relay information about schedule deviations or, sometimes, to request a note be placed in the outgoing bag when the plane's radio reception was in­ adequate. The radios also enabled pilots to call stations about multi­ ple deliveries or rare overflights when local weather was un flyable.

Throughout the war years there was a steady growth of AAA's on­ the-fly delivery services. During fiscal year 1945, 1,370,826 miles were flown, almost a million pounds of mail carried, and 75,787 pickups made. A comparison of miles scheduled as opposed to miles actually flown showed 95.8 percent completion in that year.

(At the outset of the venture, the Post Office Department hoped for 70 percent completion!)

(Left) The business end of the 1S-1/2-foot long ash boom was tipped with this beautifully machined hook. The shaft and tip were displaced to the side to enable the hook to slide in a track in the back of the boom. Photo by AI Cleave ~A-IR~PI-~-U-P-W-IT-H~EN-E-R-~~A-B-W-R-B-IN-G~R-O-~-/-R-EE-L~(I-9-41--4-9-)~~~~~~~~~~~~~

STINSON SR-IOC

12

APRIL

2001

ACCIDENTS OCCUR

With the frequently marginal weather and, possibly, because newly employed flight crews had lesser experience than the first hires, some accidents were likely to occur. On a February day in near zero-zero conditions with sleet and snow,QP~inFo~erThomasa~

tempted to return to the Williamsport terminal, but he had to put down at a nearer field where the wheels broke through crust-coated deep snow, causing the Stinson to flip on its back.

Months later captain Thomas Bryan attempted to cross the 2,100-foot South Mountain. He climbed into the overcast sky and reached the far side of the range, but unexpectedly strong head winds slowed ground speed.

Still in the clouds, he let down , hitting scrub trees , brush, and rocks. He and his flight mechanic were painfully injured. Wander­ ing down the mountain in fog and rain, after eight hours they

AIR

PICKUP

BEECHCRAFT

e'

WITH DI8C.::r

PASSENGER

FACILITIES

(1946-47)

(CAAAIAGE OF PAYING PASSENGEAS NEVEA APPAOVED)

-4" PICKUP SPEEDS

~--

ENAOUTE

-

140-155 mph

DEMONSTRATED -

200+ mph

GRAPHIC 5

came upon a hunter's cabin . Next day a rescue team found them. Some time later the same mechanic, Victor Gasbarro, was on another trip; his pilot was following a small river to­ ward the next station. They collided with wires strung across the narrow valley; luckily the plane was not grounded, so they were able to re­ turn to base.

A more serious event occurred in the summer of 1944. Flying down the Ohio River Valley, the Stinson approached a station serving three nearby communities. After exchang­ ing incoming and outgoing bags , captain Lindemuth pulled up into fog, only to clip the tops of trees along a hillside. In the crash the plane's structures were mangled and commenced to burn. The pilot was briefly trapped amongst the wreck­ age, but despite a broken leg and fractured ankles he was able to pull free. Flight mechanic, Ralph Monaco was thrown clear, receiving a badly injured hip. Both recovered.

Then, after having completed over three-and-one-half million

miles of flight, All American had its first fatal accident. At State College, Pennsylvania, the rope on the out­ going container broke, leaving the bag on the ground. With the severed rope trailing on the pickup hook, it was reeled in. Knowing it was needed for a second try, the pilot circled to drop the rope. In a tightening left turn, the flight mechanic observed the airspeed decay from 85 to SO mph. The plane nosed down and cras hed among trees. Pilot Wilson Scott lost his life; crewman Robert Taylor was hurt but recovered.

Soon after that tragedy, a recently hired pilot snagged the outgoing rope and bag on the Stinson's land­ in g gear where it hung . In a steep turn preparing to land for removal of the burden, the plane stalled and nosed in. Pilot Albert Holstrum per­ ished; flight mechanic Cecil Linger was painfully injured, but survived.

PEACE ON HORIZON

Looking toward the end of the war, acting president Hal Bazley re­ vived the idea of carrying paying

passengers on pickup routes. Seeking to reach that goal, an order for sev­ era l of the well-proven twin-engine Beechcraft D18s was placed. Instead of the 4S0-hp P&W Wasps installed on most of the previously produced Beech Twins, two Wright-Continen­ tal R9A, S2S-hp engines would power the AAAs. Pickup equipment would be situated in the forward cabin, and accommodations for four passengers would be at the back (Graphic 5). Although CAB had still not approved carrying paying pas­ sengers, the feeling within All American was that taking along in­ vited, non-paying passengers could conclusively prove the viability of the concept.

Around the same time a remanu­ factured, military surplus Noorduyn UC-64A was ordered. Originally de­ signed for far north bush flying, that larger, faster, rugged, 4S0-hp Wasp­ powered plane was viewed as a possible ideal replacement for the aging, weary Stinson fleet.

To be concluded in the May Issue of Vintage Airplane. .....

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

It's fun to walk around Oshkosh testing Jour knowledge.

There are alwaJs bound to be some airplanes Jou've never seen before. The Kreutzer Tri-motor and Fokker Universal fell into that (ategory for most people. But, then Jou'd exped that. However, lots of old-time observers were mught un足 aware when Di(k Roe and his four-pla(e TaJloruafl15A taxied in. The most universal (omment made bJ those who stumbled a(ross the airplane was, uTaJloruafl didn't make afour-pla(e airplane-did theJ!"

by Budd Davisson

aerial photography by Mark Schaible, ground photos by Reiley NuH

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

The obvious answer was, appar­ ently they did, because there it sat.

Dick Roe calls himself the Taylor­ craft club's four-place guru, which, as he points out, isn't hard because so few of the airplanes were made and so few still exist.

Roe came to own his airplane as part of a long-delayed entry into avi­ ation. Roe recently retired after 32 years with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the last 20 or so in manage­ ment. "For 12 years I was a practicing marine biologist in Mississippi super­ vising fisheries. That was fun. Being in management wasn't fun."

At the end of his long govern­ ment stint, he was manager of Marine Fisheries.

He started flying in 1991, but "I should have started back in 1952, when the bug first bit me. It's one of those things I've always regretted not doing, so one day I looked around and said, 'If I don't do it soon, it's not going to get done."'

16 APRIL 2001

Born in Hackettstown, New Jer­ sey, he explains that he discovered girls and cars, and they diverted him from getting into flying when he should have. When he finally did get started, it was in a Tomahawk at Beverly Municipal Airport outside of Boston.

"From the very beginning I wanted to fly taildragger airplanes, but couldn't do it until after I had my license because no one gave pri­ mary instruction in them. So, I went over to Hampton, New Hampshire, where I checked out in a Cub. That's when I knew I'd really started fly­ ing."

Dick said he knew he wanted to fly a particular type of aircraft, specif­ ically a classic-those "almost­ antique" airplanes. He wanted to do as much traveling as he could, which ruled out the more serious antiques and pointed him at the classics, which combine old age with modern utility. He also knew he had to have a four-place airplane, if nothing else

for the baggage room.

"I was actually looking for a 108 Stinson," he says. "I looked quite a while but was having a terrible time finding a good one. Everyone I looked at had something I didn't like."

He had been working with a local mechanic in looking for an airplane, and one day the mechanic said, "Why don't you think about a four­ place Taylorcraft?"

Roe's reaction was typical of most: "Taylorcraft? Taylorcraft didn't make any four-place airplanes."

The mechanic then proceeded to take him down to a hangar and on opening the door said something like, "Surprise!" And there sat the first Taylorcraft 15A Dick Roe had ever seen. To make things more in­ teresting, his mechanic knew of another one in Ohio that had just been rebuilt and might be for sale.

"I went out to Ohio to look at the airplane and eventually bought it. It had been rebuilt by Bob Cash, who

The engine-turned instrument panel inset contains the engine gauges, and the leather­ wrapped control wheels add to the comfort of a long cross-country trip.

Dick Roe

had bought it from someone who had found it in Alaska. It wasn't an Oshkosh award-winning restoration, but it was a solid airplane, and that's all I was looking fOL/I According to Roe, the four-place series (Taylorcraft built two types of four-place airplanes; more on that in a minute) was designed in 1943­ 1944, and supposedly old e.G. himself had a hand in it. The proto­ type, dubbed the TOllrist, flew in 1945 in preparation for the big avia­ tion boom that fi zz led. That prototype was powered with a 125­ hp, 0-290 Lycoming, which wasn't up to the task of hauling the big air­ plane around.

The Taylorcraft company found itself in deep trouble (along with the rest of the industry) and was sold to Ben Morrow, who got the prototype 15A as part of the deal. He moved the factory and sometime around 1950 or 1951 had a 150-hp Franklin put in the prototype. That proved to be a tremendolls boost to its perfor­ mance, and that engine is what is listed on the airplane's original type certificate. At the same time he re­ portedly had e.G. come in and make improvements on the airplane.

The factory began to think seri­ ously about producing the airplane, but then they had some concerns about Franklin's viability as a manuVINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

(top) The aft fuselage lines of the Taylorcraft lSA might remind you of a much larger airplane, the Howard DGA or perhaps the Fleet Canuck. (bottom) The six-cylinder, 14S-hp Continental C-14S-2 resides under the cowl of the Taylorcraft, giving it a lOS mph cruise speed. A pair of Consolidair hydro-formed aluminum wheel pants dresses up the land­ ing gear. The four-place Taylorcraft also fea­ tures three doors, one each for the pilot and co-pilot and the third for the passengers seated in the aft cabin.

facturing com pany and decided to change the engine again. This time they went with a 145-hp Continen­ tal C-145-2 (NOT 0-300 Roe points out).

Roe says one of the more frustrat­ ing things about researching the airplane is that the factory never did keep very good records, and what records there were have, for the most part, disappeared . However, some­ time around 1954, the factory did a marketing research survey in which they toured the country visiting dealers with the 15A. They received a strong, positive response, so in 1953 they committed to producing the airplane.

"It's hard to tell for sure, but they were only building the airplanes one at a time, and it's possible they were building them to order," Roe says.

They built a total of 24 15As, and of that total, Dick says 14 are still listed on the registry, with four that fly and six that could fly. He says 18 APRIL

2001

there are two listed in Brazil and one in New Zealand.

In 1954 Taylorcraft started an­ other series of four-place airplanes that was obviously based on the 15A but moved well ahead into serious airplane territory. These planes were designated F-20s. Taylorcraft re­ placed the engine of the 15A with an early 0-470 of 205- to 215-hp and hung a constant-speed prop on the front. The tail was subtly revised, and the landing gear was changed from bungees to a hydraulic shock system. The big change, however, came in the covering. Rather than using fabric, rigid fiberglass shells were constructed for the fuselage, and the wings were sheeted with thick layers of pre-laid-up fiberglass .

The fuselage and vertical tail were covered with a two-piece shell that was split, model airplane style, at the top and bottom where it was joined with a line of rivets. Since fiberglass was in its infancy, the shells were

thick and heavy, and the perfor­ mance of the airplane suffered accordingly. Roe says there wer e more F-20s built than F-15As, and most have had the fiberglass re­ moved and replaced with the conventional fabric covering.

Roe's F-15A has slotted flaps that move down in lO-degree increments to 30 degrees, but they aren't used for takeoff. He says his airplane lifts off at 55 to 60 mph and " ... the climb is pathetic. Maybe 300 to 400 fpm."

"It'll cruise at 105 mph at 8-1/2 gallons per hour and 2350 rpm. Since I'm in no hurry, that's plenty fast enough."

He says it's an easy airplane to land. "I generally get one notch of flaps out on base and another on fi­ nal, then decide at the last minute whether to use the last one. I fly short final at 70 mph, and it settles on at about 60 mph. It actually stalls at around 38 mph, so if I want, I can put it on really slowly, but it's such a pussycat it's not necessary. If there's much crosswind, it handles a lot like a Stinson in that it really could use more rudder."

Having flown the airplane quite a bit, he says he likes it, but one of the most enjoyable aspects is standing around the airplane at a fly-in. "Peo­ ple are constantly looking at the Taylorcraft logo on the tail. Then they notice the back door, and they walk up and peek in. Then they say, 'Taylorcraft didn't make a four-place.'

All I do is point at the airplane and grin."

In a world full of experts who think they've seen everything, it must be fun to show up with some­ thing that gets their attention. ......

t so happens: acute pangs of

withdrawal and frustration

have me drowning my sor足

rows in liquid refreshment these

days-my "D" is grounded a few

weeks for its annual inspection.

My wife hates my being around at these times; I appear listless and seemingly without purpose.

I

I)

A treatise on takeoffprocedures for the Beech Staggerwing and other retractable-gear aircraft.

by Steve Johnson

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

ne of my time-killing exer­ cises during this hiatus, though, is to play the game of "What if...?"-pondering various scenarios one could inadvertently find oneself in with the airplane, sce­ narios that call for some immediate action to save all aboard and/or the airplane. It can be a sobering process, and it's one I recommend for the armchair, not just when taking the runway when a quick review of in­ flight immediate action items is always called for.

If you land your Staggerwing with the gear anywhere but fully extended or fully retracted, you are going to tear the guts out of the gear system as well as adjacent major compo­ nents. We're talking here of parts and components for which there are few or no spares-you break 'em, you make 'em.

Once you move the gear handle from "down" to "up" and it begins its funny dance as cog teeth ratchet by a pawl, you cannot arbitrarily move the gear handle back down until the gear has fully cycled up . To do so is to guarantee, at best, stripping either the cog

O

teeth on the main gear crossbar spindle or the lock pawl that holds the gear up and down or, at worst, jamming the entire mechanism so it will neither retract further nor ex­ tend, electrically or mechanically.

These operating mistakes are ab­ solutely to be avoided unless you have very deep pockets and even deeper patience with the fresh ma­ jor rebuild that would necessarily fo llow.

With these inherent system "faults" in mind, I think you can see that the criterion for when to retract the gear must be based on TIME­ time to get the gear fully retracted for a belly landing or, even more de­ sirable, time to fully retract and then fully extend the gear for a landing, you hope, on the airport grounds.

The retract mechanism on my "0" takes 14 seconds to go from full down to full up and 12 seconds to fully extend again. So from the mo­ ment I move the gear handle out of the" down" position after liftoff, I need a minimum of 26 seconds of flight prior to contacting the ground again to be fully protected from any subsequent

(Opening photo) The large wheel wells of the Beech Staggerwing contribute a great amount of drag to the airframe when the gear is exten ded . You can see the landing light installation t ucked up in the rear of the wheel well.

bending of the airplane.

Twenty-six seconds is a long time.

Of course, just 14 seconds would al­ Iowa belly landing, but there are inherent heartbreaking conse­ quences of that, the worst of which is to belly onto concrete or asphalt and scrape off the sump drains from the lower wing and belly tanks, which, with the inevitable shower of sparks amidst now free-Bowing fuel, subsequently fries you and/or your precious airplane. So to make any plan that calls just for a belly landing is not an option for me. Nor can I simply opt to leave the gear alone for 26 seconds into the flight for the ob­ vious reason that with the engine dead, my rate of de-

Steve Johnson's

Cubs, an Aeronca Champ, and a Stinson SR­ 10 Gullwingl, Steve knewhe was buying a project. It hadn't flown in the previous two years, Canal so he spent three months getting it airworthy, figur­ Zone . Sur­ ing he'dfly it for ayear until the next annual came piused out of the military at due. Then it would be ripe for a complete restora­

by H.G.Frautschy war's end, it waspart of the family for seven previ­ tion. That year stretched into four, with an annual each year putting the airworthy but not quite-so­ Some old airplanes become a part of the fam­ ous pilots before Steve bought it in 1984 from pretty Beech back in the air. ily, like a comfortable house or even a loyal pet. Doug Koeppen of Sanger, Texas. Doug had owned Finally, Steve faced facts and kept the airplane SteveJohnson's 1943 Beech Staggerwing is a lot the Staggerwing since 1973, and he had flown on the ground for a complete teardown, inspection, likethat. He's had it for over 15 years and enjoys it most of the time put on the airplane since 1943. and restoration. Staggerwings have been knownto Still, when first purchased by Steve, it had less than more and more each time he fliesit. occasionally humble even the most prolificrestor­ Steve's Beech started out itsflying career in the 1,500 hours total time on the airplane! ers, because of both their size and complexity, but Nostranger to restorations (he had done six Navy. Based in Corpus Christi, Texas, it spent the he w as not intimidated by the project. Still, there war years performing courier dutyin the Panama other restorations in the past, including acouple of

Staggerwing

20 APRIL 2001

scent is going t o be a great deal higher than my initial climb rate. For one thing, the exposed gear well pro­ duces an incredible amount of drag, and with no power and already at an airspeed slower than the best power­ off glide speed for the airplane, the inevitable "brick" descent results.

If my power-off descent with the gear out averages 1,500 fpm and I need 26 seconds to fully cycle the gear, plus a few seconds of "pucker power" (i.e., the time it takes to rec­ ognize the problem and initiate action), that means I cannot safely retract the gear until I'm at least 750 feet AGL (30 seconds at 1,500 fpm descent rate). Not only are 26 sec­ onds a long time, but 750 feet AGL is a long way up to keep the gear ex­ tended, and a little silly looking.

Ah, dear friends, take heart. There is another way to retract the gear at an earlier time and still keep all your

Steve Johnson, Staggerwing owner

eggs safely in a basket. On our circuit breaker panels, we all have a circuit breaker labeled "landing gear mo­ tor." Pulling this circuit breaker disables the gear's electric motor, and the gear stops retracting. In fact, on my airplane there is a built-in dy­ namic brake so that with power loss to the motor, it stops very quickly.

With the motor stopped, I can then move the gear handle opposite to where it is without consequence and

(Left) Steve was pleasantly surprised by a visit during Sun 'n Fun '98 by former owner Doug Koeppen, who joined him during the flight for our photos. Doug flew NC1785 for a number of years after purchasing the air­ plane in 1973. He sold it to Steve in 1984.

wos 0 lot to occomplish, ond ofter doing neorly 011 of the teordown ond some of the restorotion work, he reolized thot if he wonted the oirplone done be­ fore he retired os 0 pilotfor Americon Airlines, he'd need some help.

Steve turned to Mike Stonko of Gemco Aviotion Services in Youngstown, Ohio. Mike ond his crock group of mechonics hove done 0 number of oword­ winning restorotions of vor ious models of Beechcroft's beoutiful biplone, so Steve felt he put the completion of the project in good honds. The completion of this oirplone would be Gemco's sev­ enth Stoggerwing rebuild.

The toto Itime on the project wos nine yeors, but Mike certoinly didn't use up 011 of thot! The first post-restorotion flight of the oirplone took ploce in 1997, ond Steve promptly flewit to the EM Con­ vention thot following summer, os well os the Sun 'n Fun EAA fly-In during the spring of 1998. Thot tripto Sun 'n Fun wos one thot hod no return to

work pressures ossocioted withit. Steve hod retired from Americon just two weeksbefore.

Steve's long been blessed with 0 wife who not only likes oviotion, but olso enjoysflying on 0 reg­ ulor bosis with her husbond. Ruth ond Steve expected they would be using the restored Stogger­ wing to go ploces during their retirement yeors.

Thot drove their desire to include 0 modern instru­ ment ponel with 011 the omenities in the Stogger­ wing's cockpit. The stondord duol communications rodios ore ougmented by 0 ponel-

mounted Bendix-King GPS ond 0 Ryon TCAD system coupled with 0 Stormscope. An HIS ond modern ot­ titude gyro help round out the Johnson's IFR ponel.

Bosed out of the Monroe County field in Bloom­ ington, Indiono, the Johnsons ore en joying the benefitsof the time they ond Mike Stonko's Gemco Aviotion Servicesput into moking certoin thot one more Beechuoft Stoggerwing stoys inthe oir. •

Standing proud ly on the f light line, the Beechcraft Staggerwing has elicited admiring glances f rom pi lots on the ramp since the first model was first intro­ duced in 1932.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the whee l wells.

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing, one of the first commercial produc足 tion airplanes so equipped.

22

APRIL

2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted.

reinstate the circuit breaker, and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it. Thus, the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (i.e., down) is 12 seconds. At an average descent rate, power off, of 1,500 fpm, that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember, I need 12 seconds to ex­ tend a fully retracted gear; any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration, Steve realized that he wouldn't get the project done in time for his retirement, so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane. Gemco did much of the work, including the Ceconite covering, which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint.

altitude) . Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to ac­ complish everything "unpuckered" with an engine failure at very low al­ titude, I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above.

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane, and , addition­ ally, on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up, I purposely sight it so I'm ready to go for it should that be necessary. But what's more comforting, I have a plan, thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally!) that I'm up a creek without a paddle. Now I have a timely idea of what to do, except wait for some kind of controlled im­ pact. Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cir­ cuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency, I at least hope this arti­ cle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden, safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed]. We need to share our procedures and techniques as owners/pilots if to­ gether we are to protect and preserve every example of this mar­ velous airplane. ......

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by H.G. Frautschy

This month's Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of air­ plane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel!. It's a Lloyd Phillips photo.

Send your answer to: EAA, Vin­ tage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, VVIS4903 -3086. Your an­ swer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane. Beca u se of changes in the Vintage Airplane pro­ duction schedule, we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months.

You can also send your response via e-mail. Send your answer to

vintage@eaa.org.

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state!) in the body of your note and put "(Month) Mystery Plane" in the subject line.

It's always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants. This 24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlva ine of VVadsworth, Ohio, who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane.

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing.

Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon, Ohio, built it in 1927/28.

It was first flown Ju ly 22, 1928, by

Phil Goembel. It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1). Specifi­ cations are: Overall length: 23 feet; wingspan: 29 feet; height: 6 feet, 6-3/4 inches; weight: 749 pounds; cruising speed: 95 mph; high speed: 105 mph; landing speed: 35 mph.

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon, Oh io, around 1928. The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massil­ lon, Ohio.

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo, New York . The pieces were shipped back to Ohio, and another plane was made. When the Aero Corpo­ ration co ll apsed, Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him. He flew it to his farm near Creston, Ohio. What happened to it after that is somewhat of a mystery.

It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years.

Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in No rthwestern Ohio.

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina, Ohio, area. The above information was taken from the publication They Wa lked On Wings: A History of Early Stark County Aviation by Robert L. Bur­ well, published by Saracen Publications, 1988.

Other correct answers were re­ ceived from Ralph Norteli, Spokane, VVashington, and Marty Eisenmann, .....

Alta Lorna, California.

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

PASS

IT TO

BU C K

by E.E. "Buck" Hilbert EAA #21 VAA #5 P.O. Box 424, Union, IL 60180

Preheaters, oil temps and "see and avoid" Let's start off with a couple more notes on oil temperature and pre­ heaters: Dear Buck:

I must compliment you on your fine articles regarding preheaters and oil oper­ ating temperatures. I am planning to use your articles to convince the Feds that us Stinson owners who have installed Nia­ gra oil coolers as replacements for the original Harrisons need to have some method of regulating oil temperature. In case you are not aware of the problem, Harrison quit manufacturing oil coolers for the Franklin engine many years ago.

Over time the coolers have deteriorated to the point that they are no longer re­ pairable. The original Harrison coolers had an external thermostat that mixed the hot engine oil with cooled, bypass oil to maintain an oil temperature of 180°F. This arrangement meant that during the winter months the oil cooler acted like a dead spot in the line and a collector of acid, water, and sludge. The replacement Niagra cooler has the same cooling ca­ pacity but is a full-flaw-through cooler without a regulator valve. The fact that the cooler is full-flaw-through solves the sludge and water buildup problem; how­ ever, when the OA T gets below around 30°F, the engine oil temperature does not exceed 100°F, which is not good. I have talked to owners who have told me of chipping ice out ofthe oil drain hole dur­ ing the winter. The original STC should have included a temperature-regulating feature, but somehow it was overlooked by the engineering office and the design­ ers.

I have just invested about $12,000 to zero time my engine, and there is no way that I am going to run my engine at the

temperatures that I have talked about. I have invented a cockpit adjustable gate, which works on an air-mass-flow princi­ pal that allows me to dial in the precise oil temperature that I want. The interest­ ing feature of this device is that it has one moving part, has no mechanisms in the oil system (i.e. , it is passive), and is self-regulating once the ratio of power output from the engine to mass flow of air through the cooler is established, so that very little adjustment is required during the course ofa day.

I have tested this device on homebuilt airplanes through their altitude range from 1,000 feetAGL and at speeds from 100 knots to 160 knots and through the temperature range of -1SOF to 106 °F, with the [oil?] temperature never exceed­ ing 190°F on the hottest days . I want to install this device on my Stinson, but 1 feel that 1 have about as good a chance as a snowball in hell to get the Feds to buy into it. My ultimate goal would be to publish the drawings and materials list so that other Stinson owners could use it.

I would like to approach the Feds with your two articles and some test data and see if they might agree to a test program or whatever and ultimately an STC. Thank you and keep up the good writ­ ing.

L.F. Wojdac

hold what should appear!

Well, seeing you wanted some input, here it is for what it is worth. All the en­ gines mentioned were well maintained and flown regularly (at leas t once a week). 1 must state here that I have not found this condition on an engine with a Tanis heater where the cylinders and case are heated. In my opinion, the pan heater, if turned on two or three hours before flight, would probably cause no problem. If you want to leave it on all winter, you had better fly every day and get the engine up to temperature or make a call to your friendly engine builder.

Ron Unertl Note: The engine discussed below was a first-run factory engine. A cylin­ der was pulled beca use of compression loss . The cam damage and rust was found on inspection .

The engine was still running fine and gave no indication of its dangero us condition.

Jim,

Your engine was disassembled at ap­ proximately 700 hours because of Dear Buck, cylinder compression loss and worn-out If 1 remember correctly, you had an cam lobes. Th e cylinder was found to article on pan heaters and rusted engines have a broken ring. This may have been a few issues back in Vintage Airplane. caused by rings that did not have the At the time 1 tried looking for a short proper gap. One other cylinder showed note I wrote to a atstomer. Well, I could­ signs ofhigh heat buildup, as you could n't find it at the time. Today my wife count the fins by the heat marks on the was cleaning up my files, and 10 and be­ inside of the cylinder bore. This cylinRichland, Washington

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

25

der's top compression ring was checked in the clean part of the bore and found to have less gap than factory minimum.

The camshaft was beyond grinding mini­ mums, and all the lifter bodies, except three, were badly galled and pitted.

There was a lot ofrust in the engine.

The crankshaft was pitted, and the gear would not pass inspection because ofrust pits on three teeth. Other gears had rust, but cleaned up okay. The rocker covers could not be reused as the interior plating on the top side had corroded and the bare steel was rusting and flaking. The cam and lifters more than likely went out be­ cause of moisture and acid buildup on the cam, which caused rust pits. [ have found this rusting condition in the last three Lycoming engines I have re­ built. All three were equipped with oil tank heaters. It is my opinion that these heaters were left on for more than the normal three hours or so that it takes to warm the oil before flight. Thus, the heated oil caused moisture to form on the cold metal parts, where it builds up. The engine block and working parts get warm enough to evaporate the moisture so it clings to the parts where the acidic water can do its thing." This would probably account for the three pitted teeth on the crank gear. They were probably in the up position when the heater was left on for a considerable time. The cylinders were also heavily pitted on the top ofthe bores.

The crank was pitted and had to be ground.

In winter flying, the engine may not come up to 180°F, which is about the temperature that the oil will boil off ab­ sorbed moisture, so the engine actually builds up more moisture in the oil in win­ ter fIying. If you warm up a pan of water and place a cool cover on it, the cover will pick up the moisture. I think the same thing happens in these engines over an extended time of heating with the pad.

This is the only scenario [ can come up with for the amount ofrust and con-osion found in your otherwise well-maintained, clean lOa-hour Lycoming 0-320.

If

Ron Unertl, A&P Mechanic I think we've certainly given a lot of thought on keeping the oil warm.

Keeping it warm is important, but 26

APRIL 2001

equal attention needs to be paid to keeping moisture out of the mix!

On to my thoughts this month ...

I just finished looking at an acci­ dent report. An F-16 creamed a Cessna 172. This was back in November down near Sarasota, Florida. Both aircraft were destroyed. You can imagine what the C-l72 must have looked like ... a bug on the windshield comes to mind. The F-16 pilot survived with minor injuries by ejecting.

Typically, the Air Force identified two causes for the accident: Failure of "see and be seen" and ATC did NOT notify the Cessna of the traffic con­ flict. My comment at first reading was something like, how can a wingman fIying formation off his leader be ex­ pected to see and avoid? His entire attention is on his leader. He keeps his position by visual reference to stay in the "slot!" There's no other way!

The report goes on to state that a critical combination of avionic anom­ alies, procedural errors, and individual mistakes were the cause. How right they are. It was a real snafu caused by complete reliance on avionics that must have been programmed erro­ neously to begin with. The F-16s were 11 miles out of their bOX-intruding on both the Tampa Class B airspace and then the Sarasota Class C air­ space. There was no communication with either controlling facility. Their data was wrong, wrong, WRONG! The Cessna never had a chance. By the time the controllers saw the im­ pending conflict it was too late. It was all over. So what can we do about all this? Unfortunately, nothing will help that poor Cessna pilot; his worries are over. It's us that I'm worried about.

Whenever I venture near a MOA or a Military Warning or a Restricted Area, I feel like I'm starting to cross a busy street . I may be in a properly marked crosswalk and the sign over there on the post says something like, "The pedestrian in the crosswalk has the right of way," but I'm still the leeriest walker you ever saw.

I' m the same way around these MOAs. Take a look at your sectional.

They are clearly defined with pretty blue and magenta lines, and in the margin are explanations as to their depth and width. Some of them are effective from 150 feet above ground level up to 15,000 or 16,000 feet.

Now, I ask, where do they begin? Is that wall portrayed on the map from the lowest altitude to the highest?

How does the operator get into his airspace? Does he come in from the top down? Does he enter at the bot­ tom? When the exercise is over, where does he exit?

My point is, as I started out to say, I may be in the crosswalk, but if that guy doesn't see me or I don't see him, then we have all the makings of a per­ sonal catastrophe! If he's under radar surveillance and taking directions from a military controller, he is on a frequency I cannot receive and there­ fore unknown to me. He doesn't exist at all if I'm in my Fleet or Champ with no electric and no radio.

This is what we can do about it...We'd better be right there with our noses up, looking in all directions at once and staying well clear of the operations area. If we have a passen­ ger or passengers, they better be looking, too . And, we sure should look at the NOTAMs and ask FSS about the area before we ever depart­ ask them if it is "HOT" and to notify the controlling facility that our route of flight is somewhere near.

Pay close attention to the "special" notifications, too. In Central Wiscon­ sin we have an Army National Guard summer camp, and this year they are conducting night-vision, low-altitude cross-country maneuvers. I won 't go into great detail about it, but wearing those night-vision goggles results in tunnel vision. Here we are at night, and this guy can only see through a tunnel. If your light happens to be at the end of that tunnel, you might be okay, but if you're just outside his pe­ ripheral scope ... watch out!

Like our President Butch Joyce says, "Together we ' re better." Let's take every precaution to stay that way.

Over to you, t'( ~t(ck.. ~

NEW MEMBERS

Yang Kuo-Shan ....... .... .... ... .......... ..

Paul Gearen ......... .Jacksonville, FL

Douglas Reid .. .... Thomasville, NC

.. ..... ............. Toayuan City, Taiwan Fabio Labrada .. ........ Palm City, FL

Shawn Johnson ......... ... Omaha, NE

Hans-joerg Berg Buende, Gennany A. William McGraw ... .................. .

Keri-Ann Price .... Portsmouth, NH

David W. Friday .. .... ....... .... ............ .

...... .... ........... .Fernadina Beach, FL

Frank Mazza ............ Bridgeton, NJ

.................... Riyadh, Saudia Arabia Paul 1. Schiebler ...... ....Arcadia, FL

Keith Allen Courson ................. .... .

Luke Bowman ............................... .

Byron C. Starr .... ... . Edgewater, FL

.... ........... ............. .... Las Vegas, NY

... ..... .... .... Picton, Ontario, Canada Earl Webb ..... .Saint Augustine, FL

William 1. Holland ...... Bergen, NY

Ian McQueen ... ............. ..... ............ .

Ken Taylor .... Stone Mountain, GA

Kenneth R. BalL ... .... ..Sidney, OH

.. ...... Ailsa Craig, Ontario, Canada Donn Sensor ........ .... ....Clinton, IA

Chris Hollinger .......... Fairfield, OH

Emanuele Sironi ..... .......... ...... .. .... .

Holbrook Maslen ..... .. .. ... Boise, ID

Mark A. Mastrangelo ... ......... .. ... ... ..

...... ... .. ... ... .. ...Nova Milanese, Italy Edward C. McKeown ......... .... ... ... .

... ...... .. ..... ... ....... ......... .Mentor, OH

Michael Lee ............ Fairbanks, AK

................ ........... ..... Barrington, IL

Mark Homp .......... Ponca City, OK

Billy 1. Singleton .. ...... Thorsby, AL Michael T. Gray ... .Indianapolis, IN

David C. Kelly ..... ... Redmond, OR

Ivan Mc Laws ......... .. ...Payson, AZ David Jones .......... Terre Haute, IN

Jack Cutler ... .. .....Wyomissing, PA

Perry S. Neal .............. Phoenix, AZ Ronald Scott Blum ....Goddard, KS

Barton Glass ............. .Reading, PA

Stephen Thompson .. Scottsdale, AZ David Mueller. .. ...... ..... Verona, KY

Thomas H. Sullivan ..... ............... .. ..

Pauline Atilano .......... Ontario, CA W. Jeff York ..... .. .....Lexingon, KY

... .... ............ ... ........ Little River, SC

Michael K. Brasier ................ .. ... ...

Gary Spiller .............. .. .... ... .. .... ...... .

Robert Burr ... ..... .. ...... Franklin, TN

... ... ... .. .. .. ... ........ Palm Springs, CA ...... ..... ...... ...........Baton Rouge, LA

Mike E. Hale ...... ..Georgetown, TX

Paul Clary ........ ...... San Rafael , CA William S. Hunt... ... ... ..... .. ............. .

Nick Leonard ........ Pipe Creek, TX

.......... .......... .... .. Winchendon, MA

James Lindsey ....... ...Amarillo, TX

Dick Hersman .. ...... ..Riverside, CA Charles Lohrniller ......Sharon, MA

Mark Payne ...... ......Lewisville, TX

Charlie Miller.. .. .. Morgan Hill, CA Buck Carlton ..... .. .. .California, MD

Gordon B. Richardson .. ... .. ...... ... ....

JeffPearson.. .... Anaheim Hills, CA Russell Guibord .......... Bristol, ME

......... ........ ..... ............ Caldwell, TX

James Sands .... .. .. yucca Valley, CA William Appleberry .... Warren, MI

P. A. Smith ...... .. ........... .Dallas, TX

Ronald M. Wilcox ..Lancaster, CA James C. Russell .......... Pontica, MI

Kenneth G. Sorenson ..... ... .. ... .. .... .. .

Gerald L. Vincent ........Cortez, CO Stanley N. Kittelson ...... ...... .... ....... .

.... ............ ...... .. .. .... .... Houston, TX

Richard R. LaQuerre ..Enfield, CT ................. ...... ......... Litchfield, MN

Danny S. Sorensen ..Bountiful, UT

Joseph K. Larrimore .. ..Milton, DE Kenneth L. Aigiere Columbia, MO

Jack Chapman ....... .Great Falls, VA

Bryce Bock .. ... ......... .. .................. ..

Floyd E. Shewmake .... Granby, MO

Ted Klapka ......Fairfax Station, VA

................New Smyrna Beach, FL Paul S. Cash ... ....... Morganton, NC

Nelson G. Purinton ...... Bristol, VT

William De Vries ... .... ...... ....... ....... .

Harold Norton ......Bladendoro, NC

Frederick Lundeen .... Olympia, WA

...... ........... ... ....Boynton Beach, FL Larry Peoples ... ....... Louisburg, NC

Neil Whittlesey ........ ... .. .Kent, WA

Leslie Day ................ La Mesa, CA

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

27

Fly- In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter ofinformation only and does not constitute approval, sponsorship, involvement, control or direction ofany event (fly-in, seminars, fly market, etc.) listed. Please send the information to EAA, All: Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Information should be receivedfour months prior to the event date.

MA Y 4-5 - Beall/ort, NC - Annual Spring EAA Fly-In, sponsored by VAA Ch. 3. Awards. Friday seafood cookollt and early bird gathering. Info: 919/225­ 0713.

Warwick Aerodrome (N72). 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

Unicom advisOly Fequency 123.0. Food available, trophies will be awarded. Registration for judging closes at 2:00 p.m. Info: Michael 212-620-0398.

MAY 4-6 - Shelbyville. IL - "Mayday" Antique Fly-In. She/~y County Airport. BreaAfast Sat. & Sun. morn­ ings. Lunch available. Pig roast Sat. night. Two grass rU/lways. One asphalt runway for training wheel equipped airplanes. Info: 217/774-41 11

MA Y 20 - Romeol·iIIe, IL (L 0 7) - EAA Ch. 15 Fly-In Breakfast, 7 a.m.- Noon. Lewis Romeoville Airport.

IlIfo: Frank 815/436-6153.

MA Y 5 - Wiscasset, ME - Katahdin Wings 99s host Maine Poker Rull. Info: Ann at 207-882-5475.

MAY 25-26 - Atchison, KS - 35th Allllual Greater Kansas City Area Fly-In, Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport. Friday night potluck dinner for registered guests. Saturday catered Awards Banquet. Accom­ modations avail. ill town, camping on the field Sat. concessions avail. Info: Stephen 816/223-2799, 9m03@ponyexpress.net, or leffjsullens@kc.rr. com

JUNE 10 - Sugar Grove, IL (KARR) - 17th Annual Aurora AirExpo sponsored by Fox Valley Sport Aviation Assoc.- EAA Ch. 579 and Aurora Munici­ pal Airport. Antique, Classic, Homebuilt, and Warbird aircraft static displayljlight demos. Pan­ cake breakfast 7 a.m.-noon. Lunch served Noon-3 p.m. Free breakfast for pilots j/ying in with a full airplane. Fuel discount forj/ight demo pilots. Free parking and admission. Info: Alan 630/466-4579.

MA Y 26 - Zanesville. OH (Riverside Airport) - EAA Ch. 425 Annual Memorial Day Pancake Breakfast Fly-In/Drive-I", 8 a.m.-2 p.m. (Rain date May 27.)

Lunch items, airplane rides after II a.m. Info: 720/454-0003

JUNE 16 - LaGrange, OH - EAA Ch. 255's 7th AIl­ Ilual Fly-In/Drive-In Pancake Breakfast, 8 a.m.-I p.m. Harlan Airfield (92D) Info: Dale 440/355­ 6491.1

JUNE 1-2 - Merced, CA - 44th Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In, Merced Airport. Info: Virginia or Ed 209/383-4632

JUNE 21-25 - Terrell, TX - 2000 Ercoupe National Convention. Everyone welcome. Info: 972/524­ 1601.

MA Y 12 - Kenn ewick, WA - EAA Ch. 391 Fly-In Breakfast at Vista Field Info: 509/735-1664.

JUNE 3 - DeKalb, IL (DKB) - 37th Annual EAA Ch. 241 Fly-In/Drive-In Breakfast, 7 a.m. -Noon. Info: Ed 815/895-3888.

JUNE 23-24 - Longmont, CO - Rocky Mountain EAA Fly-In.

May I2-I3-Green Sea, SC-Green Sea Ai/port and Myrtle Beach EAA Chapter 1167 Fly-In Air Festi­ val. 843/756-1497, shirshaw@Sccoast.net..

JUNE 3 - St. Ignace, MI Airport - EAA Ch. 560 An­ nual Fly-ln/Drive In Steak Out, Noon- 4 p.m. Public welcome. Info: 23//627-6409 or 231-238-0914.

MAY 18-20 - Coillmbia, CA - 25th Annual Gathering ofLuscombes 2001. Aircraftjudging, spot landing andj/our bombing competitions. and the 9th An­ nual Great Luscombe Clock Race. Info: 360/893-5303 or 253/630-1086.

JUNE 3 - Russell, KS - Prairiesta Fly-In, Russell Mu­ nicipal Airport. Chuckwagon Breakfast, Military Static Displays, Walker Air Base Reunion, Antique Cars and Tractors, Ralliesnake Show. EAA Ch. 1214, Fuel 100LL available on field, RSL 16/34, 4402 x 75 nmway paved, Unicom 122.7. Info: Rus­ sell 785/483-6008

MA Y 6 - Santa Paula. CA - Piper Cub Fly-In, in con­ junction with Santa Paula Airport First Sunday of the Month Fly-In. Info: 805/525-7081.

MA Y 6 - Rockford, IL - EAA Ch. 22 Fly-In/Drive-In Breakfast, Greater Rockford Ailport, Courtesy Air­ craft Hangar. Info: 815/397-4995.

MA Y 6 - Dayton, OH - EAA Ch. 48, 38th Annual Fun­ day Sunday Fly-In Breakfast. Moraine Air Park.

Fly market, awards, lunch, vendors and milch more.

Sal. night free camping with things to see and do.

Many antiques on the field. Info: 937/29 1-1225 or 937/859-8967.

MA Y 12 - Rock Hill, SC - Wings & Wheels Day Fly­ In/Drive-In. Lunch available. Info: 803/329-4454

MAY 19-20 - Wine/rester, VA - EAA Ch. 186 Spring Fly-In. Winchester Regional Airport (OK V) from 8 a.m.- 5p.m. Pancake breakfastS-II a.m. Stalic dis­ play ofaircraft; airplane and helicopter rides, demos. aircraft judging, children 's play area, and more. COl/cessions, souvenirs. goodfood Info: Ms. Tangy Mooney 7031780-6329 or EAA 186@netscape.net.

MA Y 19-20 - Hampton, NH - Hampton Ailfield Fly­ Market. Info: 603/964-6749.

MAY 20 - Niles, MI - VAA Ch. 35 Hog Roast Lun­ cheon, Niles Ailport (3 TR). Info: 616/683-9642 or bobjackson@triton.net.

MAY 20 - Wanvick, NY - EAA Ch. 501 Annual Fly-In,

MA Y 25-27 - Watsonville, CA - EAA Ch. 119 's 37th Annual Fly-In & Air Show. Info: 83//763-5600.

JUNE 8-9 - Akron, Oll - Funk Aircraft Owners Assoc.

2nd Ever Reunion and Fly- In, Akron-Fulton Air­ port. Info: 302/674-5350.

JUNE 8-1 0 - Gaill esville, TX Municipal Airport (GLE) - Texas Ch., Antique Airplane Assoc. 40th Annual Fly-In. Info: Jim 8/7/ 429-5385, Don 817/636-0966, or Janet 81 7/421-7702.

JUNE 9 - Elba Mllllicipal Airport, AL (141) - Ch. 351 hosts Fly-In, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Fly market,food, early arrivals we/come, Fee transportation to local mo­ tels, under wing camping permitted, restroom available in terminal, Young Eagles. No raill date.

GPS Coordillates: 31-24-59N 86-05-33W. Info: Mike 3341897-1137.

JUNE 9-Salisbury, NC - Rowan Co. Airport (RUQ) ­ Boys & Toys All Day Airport Fun Day. Breakfast at 7:30, Young Eaglesj/igius, aircraji, car, camper, boat, motorcycle static displays. Goodfood all day.

New Cessna 2001 display. Fun for all ages. Info: 336/752-2574 or lebrown@infoave.net.

JUNE 9-10 - Petersburg-Dill widdie, VA - Virginia State EAA Fly-In.

J UNE 23-24 - Walworth . WI - 5th Annual Bigfoot (7V3) Fly- In Breakfast. (0700-1300) Aerobatic demo,j/y-by, rides. Info: 815/385-5645.

JUNE 23 - Zanesville, OH (Riverside Airport) - EAA Ch. 425 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In/Drive-In. 8 a.m.-2 p.m. (Rain date June 24.) Lunch items and airplane rides ajier II a.m. Info: DOll 740/454­ 0003.

JULY 7-8 - Hampton, NH - 5th Annual Hampton Air­ field Biplane Fly-In. Info: 603/964-6749.

JULY 11-15 -Arling/ol', WA - Northwest EAA Fly-ln.

J UL Y 17-20 - Keokuk, IA - Joint Liaison & Light Trainer Formation Coalition Annual Formation Clinic at Keokuk Municipal Airport. Ground School starts at 8:30 a.m withj/ight training tofollow. All Liaison-type aircraft and Primary Train ers wel­ come. Anythingfrom an L-Ithru OV-I, PT-3 timt whatever. ILPA Fly-In immediatelyfollowing clinic.

Info: 715/369-9769 J ULY 21 - Wausau, WI - Wausau Downtown Air­ port's 3rd Annual SwingDing/Dinner and Dance.

Info: 715/848-6000 or website wwwjlywausall.com or e-mail j/yacub@dwave.net.

JULY 22 - Zanesl'iIle, OH (parr Airport) - EAA Ch. 425 Annual Pre-Oshkosh Fly-In/Drive-In Pancake

Breakfast, 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. Lunch items and airplane rides after 11 a.m. Info: Don 740/454-0003.

Breakfast, Moraine Airpark. Info: 937/291-1225 or 937/859-8967.

JULY 22 - Burlington, WI - 9th Annual Group Er­ coupe Flight Into AirVenture. Wheels up at 12:00 noon. Everyone welcome to join. Info: 715/842­ 7814

AUGUST 24-26 - Coffeyville, KS - Flink Aircraft Owners Assoc. 24th Annual Reunion and Fly-In Coffeyville Municipal Airport. Info: Gerald 302/674-5250.

JULY 24-30 - Oshkosh, WI - AirVellture Oshkosh 2001, Wittman Airport. IlIfo: 9201426-4800, www.airventure.org.

AUGUST 31- SEPTEMBER 2 - Prosser, WA - EAA Ch. 391 's 18th Annual Labor Day Weekend Prosser Fly-ln. Info: 509/735-1664.

JULY 27 - Oshkosh, W/ - Stinson Lunch, Oshkosh, 11:30 a.m. meet at the Vintage Red Bam for afree, short bus ride to Golf Celltral Restaurant. Pay on your own at the restaurant. Sign up in Type Tent or call 630/904-6964.

SEPTEMBER / - Zanesville, OH (Riverside Airport) - EAA Ch. 425 Annual Labor Day Weekend Fly­ In/Drive-In, 8 a.m.- 2p.m. Lunch items and ai/plane rides after 11 a.m. Info: Don 740/454-0003

JUNE 30-Prosser, WA - EAA Ch. 391 Fly-In Break­ fast. Info: 509/735-1664.

AUGUST 5 - Queen City, MO - 14th Annual Water­ melon Fly-In, Applegate Airport. Info: 660-766-2644.

AUGUST 10-12-Snohomish, WA - 19th Annual West Coast Travel Air Reunion. Harvey Field (S43).

Largest Travel Air gathering for 2001. Local air tOllr, memorabilia auction and more. Info: Larson 425/334-24 I3 or Rezich 805/467-3669.

AUGUST 11- Cadillac, MI - EAA Ch. 678 Fly­ In/Drive-In Breakfast, Wexford County Airport (CAD), 7:30 a.m.- 11:00 a.m. Info: 213/779-81 I3.

AUGUST 19-Daytoll, OH - EAA Ch. 48 Pancake

SEPTEMBER / - Marioll, IN (MZZ) - 11th Annual Fly-In Cruise-In, Marion Municipal Ai/port. Pan­ cake Breakfast. All types ofaircraft, plus antique, classic and custom vehicles. Info: 765/664-2588 or rayjohnson@bpsinet.com.

Info: Nick or Suzette, 630/904-6964.

SEPTEMBER 21-22 - Abilene, TX - Southwest EAA Fly-In SEPTEMBER 2/-22 - Bartlesville, OK - Frank Phillips Field. 45th Annual Tulsa Regional Fly-In. Vin­ tage. warbirds, ultralights, experimentals. Info: Charlie Harris 918/622-8400 or www.tlllmjlyin.com.

SEPTEMBER 21-22 - Bartlesville, OK - Frank Phillips Field. 15th Annual Biplane Expo. World's largest gathering ofbiplanes, in conjunction with Tulsa Re­ gional Fly-In this year only. Info: Charlie Harris 918/622-8400 or www.biplaneexpo.com.

OCTOBER 5-7 - Evergreen, AL - 11th Annual SOllth East Regional EAA Fly-In. On field campground, showersJood,jlying &fim. Info: www.serfi.org.

SEPTEMBER 2 - Mondovi, WI - 15th Annual Fly-In, Log Cabin Airport.

Info: 715/287-4205.

SEPTEMBER 7-9 -Sacramellto, CA ­ Golden West EAA Fly-In. SEPTEMBER 7-9 - Marion, OH - Mid­ Eastern EAA Fly-In. SEPTEMBER 14-/6 - Watertown, WI (R YV) - 17th Annual Byron Smith Memorial Midwest Stinson Reunion.

TN' G"LY ~nR. WAYTG 'G"'R. ~

YGUR.

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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 line.

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

Qir'~RODUCTS,

INC.

259 Lower Morrisville Rd ., Dept. VA

Fallsington, PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

website: www.airtexinteriors.com

Fax: 800/394-1247 VINTAGE AIRPLANE

29

VINTAGE

TRADER

Aircraft Exhaust Systems Jumping Branch, WV 25969

800-227-5951 30 different engines for fitting

VIIiTAGE. AE.RO fAP.>RICJ, LTD ~ C))11f I I (

Something to buy, sell or trade?

Classified Word Ads: $5.50 per 10 words, 180 words maximum, wilh boldface lead-in on first line.

Classified Display Ads: One column wide (2.167 inches) by I, 2, or 3 inches high at $20 per inch.

Black and while only, and no frequency discounts.

Advertising Closing Dates: 10th ofsecond month prior to desired issue date (i.e. , JanuQ/y 10 is the closing date for the March issue). VAA reserves the right to reject any advertising in conflict with its policies. Rates cover one insertion per issue.

Classified ads are not accepted via phone. Payment must accompany order. Word ads may be sent via fox (920/426-4828) or e-mail (elassads@eaa.org) using credit card payment (VISA or MasterCard). [nelude name on card, complete address, type of card, card number, and expiration date. Make checks payable to EAA . Address advertising corre­ spondence 10 EAA Publications Classified Ad Manager, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WT 54903-3086.

WANTED - 1950's era McCulloch radial two-cycle engines (aircraft), also known as Umbaugh autogy­ ro engines. Radial design with even number of cylinders. Complete engines or crankcase, and misc. parts. Send info, or picture if possible, to Joe Hicks, P. O. Box 159, Fisherville, KY 40023.

502-649-5833

~

Antiques, Warbirds, General Aviation 304-466-1724 Fax 304-466-0802

Certificated Grade A(allan

Early aircraft (allan

Imported aircraft Linen (beige and tan)

German WW1 Lozenge print fabric

Fabri( tapes: straight, pinked and early Ameri(an pinked

Waxed linen lacing (ord

Vintage Aero Fobrics, Ltd. 18 Journey's End, Mendon, VT 05701 tel: 802·773·0686 lox: 802·786-2129 website:www.ovdoth.(om

EAA's 2002 Calendar Features the Best In Aviation Photography with ...

MISCELLANEOUS BABBITT BEARING SERVICE - rod bearings, main bearings, camshaft bearings, master rods, valves. Call us Toll Free 1/800/233-6934, e-mail ramremfg@aol.com Web site www.ramengine.com VINTAGE ENGINE MACHINE WORKS, N. 604 FREYA ST., SPOKANE, WA 99202.

1/01,\

Don't compromise yourrestoration with modern coverings... finish the iob correctlywith authentic fabrics.

• 13 flight inspiring months to schedule appointments and important events.

• 12" x 24" format you can proudly display in your home and office.

World of Flig The Best in Aviation Photography

• Full-color images ideal for framing.

• Dates and web sites to assist in planning your trip to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and the many EAA Regional Fly-Ins throughout the US.

WANTED - Aviation magazines from 1920s, '30s & '405, "Air News" or similar types, single magazines or sets. Mail info or call, J. D. Hicks, P.O. Box 159, Fisherville, KY 40023. 502-649-5833.

Airplane T-Shirts

150 Different Airplanes Available

WE PROBABLY HAVE YOUR AIRPLANE!

www.airplanetshirts.com

1-800-645-7739

Private cabin, water sports, fishing, Baker's Valley Airfield, Canada www.ihorizons.net/rbaker Wanted : 3 cylinder radial, Lenape, Szekely, Jacobs, etc. Also HSGA blade 11 C1 (4350), 360­ 457-0377, evenings 360-452-3096.

To Order Cal l:

1-800-843-3612 (Outside US & Canada 920-426-5912)

Send your order by mail to : EAA Mail Orders

PO Box 3086 WI 54903-3086

- ,

Oshkosh,

Major credit cards accepted. WI residen ts add 5% sales tax. Shipping and handling not included.

THERE'S JUST NOTHING LIKE IT ON THE WEB!! www.aviation-giftshop.com A Web Site With The Pilot In Mind (and those who love airplanes)

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The Leader In Recreational AlIiation

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Membershi~ Services Directo!y_ VINTAGE

Enjoy the many benefits ofBAA and the

AIRCRAFT BAA Vintage Aircraft Association ASSOCIATION EAA Aviation Center, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh WI 54903-3086

~

OFFICERS Vlce·Presldent

President Espie 'Butch' Joyce P,O, Box 35584 Greensboro. NC 27425 336/393-0344 windsock@aol.com

2448 Lough Lane

Hartford. WI 53027

262/673-5885 antlque2@aol.com

Secretary Steve Nesse 2009 Highland Ave, Albert Lea. MN 5I:JJJ7 507/373·1674

Chanes W. Horns 7215 East 46th SI. Tulsa. OK 74147 918/622-8400

George Doubner

Treasurer

cwh@hv5u.com

DIRECTORS David Benne"

Jeannie Hili

P,O.80x328

Harvard. IL 60033

815/943-7205

P,O, 80x 1188 Roseville. CA 95678 530/268-1585 antiquer@inreach.com

dinghao@owc.net

Robert C. ' Bob' Brauer 9345 S. Hoyne Chicago. IL 60620 773/779-2105 photopilot@aol.com

Steve Krog 1002 Heather Ln. Hartford. WI 53027 262/966-7627 sskrag@aol,conn

John Berendt 7645 Echo Point Rd. Cannon Falls. MN 55009

507/263-2414 fchld@rconnecl.com

Robert D. ' Bob' Lumley 1265 South 124th SI.

Brookfield. WI 53005 262/782-2633

John S. Copeland 1A Deacon Street Northborough. MA 01532 508/393-4775 copelondl@juno,com Phil Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawlon. M149065 616/624-6490 rCQuIsonS16@cs.com RagerGamoll 321-1/2 S, Broadway #3 Rochester. MN 55904 507/288-2810

rgomall@hotmail.com

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

EAA and Division Membership Services 800-843-3612 • •••• • • • •• • • • FAX 920-426-6761 Monday- Friday CST) (8:00 AM -7:00 PM • New/ renew memberships: EAA, Divisions (Vintage Aircraft Association, lAC, Warbi rdsl.

National Associa tion of Flight Instructors (NAFl)

• Address changes • Merchandise sales • Gift m emberships

Programs and Activities EAA AirVenture Fax-On-Demand Directo ry . " . . ... . , . , . , . " . , . " . , ... " . 732-885-6711 Auto Fuel STCs . . , .. .... , . ..... 920-426-4843 Build / restore information ...... 920-426-4821 Chapters: locating/ organizing .. 920-426-4876 Education ... , .. . ............ .. 920-426-6815 • EAA Air Academy • EAA Scholarships

Flight Advisors in formation ... . . 920-426-6522 Fligh t Instructor inform ation . .. 920-426-6801 Flying Start Program •....•.•.•. 920-426-6847 Library Services/ Research ... , . , 920-426-4848 Medical Questions., .. . , .... , ., 920-426-4821 Technical Counselors ... . . , . , .. 920-426-4821 Young Eagles .. ... .. . ... , . , .... 920-426-4831 Benefits Aircraft Financing (Textron) . . . .. 800-851-1367 AVA . , . " " ... ... .. . .. . " . . ... 800-727 -3823 AVEM CO " . .. .. " . . .... . " . . . 800-638-8440 Term Life and Accidental . .. . . ,. 800-241-6103 Death Insurance (Harvey Watt & Company) Editorial Submitting article/ photo; advertising information 920-426-4825 ... • ...•..•• • FAX 920-426-4828

EAA Aviation Foundation Artifact Donations. , . , ... ... , . . 920-426-4877 Financial Support , . .. , . . .. , . ,. 800-236-1025

lumper@execpc.com

Gene Morris 5936 Steve Court Roanoke. TX 76262 817/491-9110 n03capt@flash.net Dean Richardson 1429 Kings Lynn Rd Stoughton. WI 53589 608/877-8485 dar@apriloire.com

Geoff Robison 1521 E. MacGregor Dr, New Haven. IN 46774 219/493-4724 chief7025@aol,conn S.H. "Wes" Schmid 2359 Lefeber Avenue Wauwatosa. WI 53213 414/771-1545 shschmid@gdlnet.cam

DIRECTORS

EMERITUS

Gene Chase 2159 Canton Rd, Oshkosh. WI 54904 920/231-5002

Phone (920) 426-4800 Fax (920) 426-4873

Web Site: http://www.eaa.org and http://www.airventure.org E-Mail: vintage @eaa.org

E,E. ' Buck' Hilbert P.O, Box 424 Union. IL 60180 815/923-4591 buck7ac@mc,net

ADVISOR Alan Shackleton

P,O,80x656

Sugar Grove. IL 60554-D656

630/466-4193

103346,1772@compuse!V9,com

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is $40 for one year, including 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION. Family membership is available for an addi­ tional $10 annually. Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $23 annually, All major credit cards accepted for membership. (Add $16 for

Foreign Postage.)

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION Current EAA members may join the Vintage Aircraft Associaton and receive VINTAGE AIRPLANE maga­ zine for an additional $36 per year.

EM Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine and one year membership in the EM Vintage Air­ craft Assoc iation is available for $46 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included). (Add

$7 for Foreign Postage.)

lAC Current EM members may join the International Aerobatic Club, Inc, Division and receive SPORT AEROBATICS magaz ine for an additio nal $40 per year.

EAA Membership, SPORT AEROBATICS magazine and one year membership in the lAC Division is

available for $50 per year (SPORT AVIATION mag­ azine 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.

EM Membership, WARBIRDS magazine and one yea r membership in the Warbirds Divis ion is available for $45 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included ). (Add $7 for Foreign

Postage.)

EAA EXPERIMENTER

Current EAA members may receive EAA

EXPERIMENTER magazine for an additional $20

per year.

EAA Membership and EAA EXPERIMENTER mag­

az ine is avai lable for $30 per year (SPORT

AVIATION magazine not included).(Add $8 for For­

eign Postage,)

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in Un ited States dollars . Add required Foreig n Postage amount for each membership.

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

Copyright ©2001 by the EM Vintage Aircraft Association All rights reserved, VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) IPM 1482602 is published and owned exclusively by the EM Vintage Aircraft Association of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published 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. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EM Vinlage Aircraft Association, P.O, 80x 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086, FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES - Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to toreign and APO addresses via surtace mail, ADVERTISING - Vintage Aircraft Association does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through the advertising. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken, EDITORIAl POLICY: Readers are encouraged to subm. stories and photographs, Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely lhose of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. No renumeration ~ made. Material should be sent to: Edilor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086, Phone 920/426-4800, The words EAA, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM, SPORT AVIATION, FOR THE LOVE OF FLYING and the logos of EAA, EAA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, EAA VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION, INTERNA­ TIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB, WARBIRDS OF AMERICA are ® registered Irademarks, THE EAA SKY SHOPPE and logos ot the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION, EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION and EAA AirVe"ture are trade­ marks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above association is strictly prohibited.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

31

Douglas Conciatu Sterling Heights, MI

Master CFI-IAG

Aviation Safety

Counselor

Flying for over 32 years

First 5010 flight in 1969

at the age of 16

AUAis

Douglas Conciatu has owned his 1950 Aeronca TEC Chomp since 1991. The plane was one of the last light airplanes to come off the Middletown, Ohio assembly line.

"I went from one company to another looking for one that would meet my

AUA's Exclusive EAA Vintage Aircraft Assoc.

Insurance Program

insurance needs at a competitive price.

approved.

I finally found this and more with AUA and have been with them ever since."

To become a

- Douglas Conciatu

Fleet discounts for multiple aircraft carrying all risk coverages

No age penalty

look forAUA

at Sun 'N fun - Booth # B57

Association call

800-843-3612

Medical payments included

No hand-propping exclusion

member of the Vintage Aircraft

Lower liability and hull premiums

The best is affordable.

Give AUA a call - it's FREE!

No component parts endorsements Discounts for claim-free renewals carrying all risk coverages

Remember,

We're Better Togetherl

800-727-3823

Fly with the pros... f1y with AUA Inc.

AVIATION UNLlMlnO AGENCY