VA-Vol-36-No-12-Dec-2008 by EAA Vintage Aircraft Association

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VOL. 36, No. 12

2008

CONTENTS 2

News

VAA Volunteers

make it happen at EAA AirVenture 2008

by H.G. Frautschy

The Thunderbird

by James E. Dunavent

Dennis Trone's Thunderbird

by H.G. Frautschy

Light Plane Heritage

The Messerschmitt M.I?

by Jack McRae

The Vintage Mechanic

Precover Inspections

by Robert G. Lock

The Vintage Instructor

Sometimes you've got to push ...

by Doug Stewart

Mystery Plane by H.G. Frautschy

Calendar

Classified Ads

STAFF

EAA Publisher Director of EAA Publications Executive Director/Editor Production/Special Project News Editor Photography Advertising Coordinator Classified Ad Coordinator Copy Editor Director of Advertising

Tom Poberezny Mary Jones H.G. Frautschy Kathleen Witman Ric Reynolds

Jim Koepnick

Bonnie Kratz

Sue Anderson Lesley Poberezny Colleen Walsh Katrina Bradshaw

Display Advertising Representatives: u.s. Eastern Time Zone-Northeast: Ken Ross Spedalized Publications Co. 609-822-3750 Fax: 609-957-5650 kr4O@comcast.llet

COVERS FRONT COVER: One of the rarest Golden Age biplanes still flying, this is the Thunderbird W-14. Now part of the Eagles Mere Museum collection on Merritt Field (4PN7 ), it is being ftown in these photographs by its previous owner, Dennis Trone , who passed away this year. See the ar颅 ticle and sidebar starting on page 14. VAA photo by H.G. Frautschy. BACK COVER: Without them , EAA AirVenture just doesn 't happen! A large contingent of the VAA volunteer corps gathers for a photo near the Operations Center during EAA AirVenture 2008. VAA photo by Steve Moyer.

U.S. Eastern Time Zone-Southeast: Chester Baumgartner Specialized Publications Co. 727-532-4640 Fax: 727-532-4630 cballf1l 11 1@mindspring.com

U.S. Central Time Zone: Gary Worden Specialized Publications Co. 800-444-9932 Fax: 816-74 1-6458 gary.wordell@Spc路mag.com

U.S. Mountain and Pacific Time Zones: John Gibson Specialized Publications Co. 916-784-9593 Fax: 510-21 7-3796 jollllgibsoll@Spc-Illag.com

Europe: Willi Tacke Phone: +49(0)1716980871 Fax: +49(0)884 1 / 496012 willi@(lyillg-pages.com

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

EAAers Urged to Respond to TSA's Ominous Proposal As reported last month, the U.S. Transportation Security Adminis tration (TSA) has proposed sweep ing security rules for the operation of aircraft that weigh more than 12,500 pounds. The proposed reg ulation, titled the Large Aircraft Security Program, would require owners of those aircraft to obtain permission from TSA to operate their own personal aircraft every time they carry passengers. Addi tionally, all flight crews would be required to undergo fingerprinting and a background check, all pas sengers would have to be vetted against the government's terrorist watch lists, and numerous security requirements would be imposed on airports serving these "large" air craft. EAA adamantly opposes this regulation and urges all members to respond to TSA. In early November, TSA did ex tend the comment period on the proposal, as EAA and other aviation groups had requested. Instead of the original comment deadline of December 29, 2008, TSA extended the comment period until February 27, 2009. EAA had asked for a 90 day extension, but was nonetheless pleased with TSA's prompt action. "We thank the TSA for agreeing with the many industry group and EAA members' requests for an ex tension, providing an additional two months to study and react to the proposal," said Doug Macnair, EAA vice president of government relations. "This proposal would be an unprecedented restriction on the freedom of movement for pri vate U.S. citizens. It would also, for the first time, require governmental review and authority before a per son could operate his/her own per sonal transportation conveyance. "I would think many more peo ple, such as owners of large recre ational vehicles, also would share 2

DECEMBER 2008

VAA Volunteers of the Year Each year the VAA honors a pair of volunteers who have shown exceptional dedication to the division and its membership through their service related to the annual convention. This year we have three honorees: Dave and Wanda Clark and Wheeler North. Our congratulations and thanks to them and to the more than 500 volunteers who dedicate a week or more of their lives each year to the VAA and their fellow members. For more on the volunteers who make it happen, see our article starting on page 6. rE~·~~--.4L r-~<~--------~

Wheeler North of Carlsbad, California, was selected as the Art Morgan Flightline Volunteer of the Year for his dedicated service to the members who fly in and park their airplanes in the Vintage area. Wheeler, a lifelong resident of the San Diego area, has been a regular volunteer for more than two de cades. His enthusiasm for avi ation is in part thanks to his father, a renowned professor of environmental science, who used the family Cherokee to survey kelp beds in the Pacific Ocean. Wheeler flies an RV-6 in the San Diego area. During the convention Wheeler is rec ognized for his ability to work well with fellow volunteers and members alike and for his great sense of humor, including a wonderful ability to compose a great limerick!

field, Indiana, the "peanut butter and jelly" couple (you always see them together!) of the Vintage Aircraft Association, are a multi talented pair. They were chosen as the 2008 Behind the Scenes Volunteers of the Year. Dave and Wanda are here work ing for EAA and VAA in Oshkosh almost as soon as the ice is out of the lake, and they're here help ing close out the convention site when the leaves are falling from the trees. Dave and Wanda, who celebrated their 50th wedding an niversary at AirVenture this year, are often seen on the convention grounds with a pair of hammers or screwdrivers in their hands. Dave serves as the judging chairman for the VAA, the master of cere monies for the awards ceremony, and as a judge in the Antique cat egory. Both he and Wanda cook at the Tall Pines Cafe. If you en joyed the French toast during this year's convention, thank Wanda.

many of the same concerns air craft owners have about this pro posed regulation." How to Submit a Comment To comment-refer to Docket No. TSA-2008-0021, "Large Aircraft Security Program, Other Aircraft Operator Security Program, and Air port Operator Security Program." By Mail, In Person or Fax to the Docket Management Facility, U.S. Dept. of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave SE, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, Washington DC 20590-0001. Fax 202-493-2251. To comment electronically access the Federal eRulemaking por tal at www.Regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submit ting comments. You can review all the public comments to the TSA security pro posal at the docket site on www.

fuel-related issues. The EPA is pro posing a broad-sweeping program of air-quality testing and monitor ing to enforce newly adopted, and considerably more stringent, stan dards for allowable levels of lead. The final rule was not yet published in the Federal Register as this issue went to press.

As part of this effort, the EPA will direct state governments to exam ine whether general-aviation activ ity at certain airports contributes to unacceptable levels of lead in the air. The new standards lower the al lowable amount of lead to 1/10 of previously accepted levels. "We're encountering increased

Regulations .gov.

Another Chance to Sound Off on 51 Percent Rule Policy Changes Those of you who did not submit comments to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) proposed changes to interpretation and en forcement of the 51 percent rule have another opportunity to do so from now until December IS, 2008. According to the FAA, reference materials were inadvertently re moved for several days during a pre vious comment period, so the FAA decided in late October to accept further comments until Decem ber 15. The reference materials and other related documents are again posted at www.FAA.gov/aircraft! draft_docs/display_docs/index. c fm?doc_type=pubs

Working to Ensure Current and Future GA Fuel Supply Announcements made in Octo ber by the Environmental Protec tion Agency (EPA) could further tighten the nation's general avia tion (GA) fuel supply, making in creasingly relevant and urgent EAA's ongoing advocacy work on

Member Suggestions Drive AlrVenture Site Enhancement Program The comprehensive, multiyear program to expand and enhance the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh convention grounds is well underway, and many of the changes are a result of feedback provided by EAA members at last summer's convention. "We've extensively polled, surveyed, and listened to members since the site-planning process began," said EAA Executive Vice President Brian Wierzbinski, a member of the AirVenture Site Task Force. "The feedback was very supportive and provided some valuable and construc tive suggestions. Our members recognized the need for improvements and the benefits of modernizing and upgrading while retaining the event's unique culture and heritage." As a result of the members' input, the implementation schedule in cludes even more attention to improving site transportation and creat ing more shade and rest areas for members. Other priorities specifically driven by members' comments include: • Refurbishing campground showers with restroom facilities • Improved way-finding aids • Expanded tram service • Better management of ground and road dust in the campground during exceptionally dry conditions • Preserving some campground areas that have loyal return visitors year after year • Establishing a restricted-vehicle zone .Creatin b a bicycle path connecting the North 40 with Camp Schol ler within the next few years. We'll have an announcement next month concerning exciting changes in store for the Vintage Aircraft Association area in next month's Vintage Airplane. VINTAGE AIRPLANE

pressure on the availability of fuel for piston-powered aircraft on two fronts," said Earl Lawrence, EAA vice president of industry and reg ulatory affairs . "For those whose aircraft may operate on unleaded autogas, we've had to fight on a state-by-state basis to try to pre serve a supply that does not con tain ethanol or other additives not approved for aviation use. Now, with this EPA announcement, we're also seeing the potential for restric tions on aircraft running on leaded fuel in a given area." The EPA indicates that testing and monitoring must first reveal whether any such restrictions will become necessary. In cases where monitoring confirms that an air port region's air exceeds allowable lead limits, the respective state gov ernment will be required to resolve the issue ... which could mean re strictions on aircraft operations us ing 100LL avgas. "There isn't enough data to pre dict whether aircraft burninglOOLL in any airport region will cause lead levels to exceed the new lim its there. That's why the EPA must do all this testing and monitoring first," Lawrence said. Meanwhile, EAA continues its work not only to address immediate fuel concerns, such as promoting the availability of usable unleaded fuel and advocating against undue restric tions on leaded fuel, but also to help develop alternatives for the future. "Innovative spirit, creativity, and industriousness are hallmarks of the EAA community. As pressure on the use of traditional aircraft fuels con tinues to mount, this community of dedicated enthusiasts who under stand the value of general aviation will surely contribute to solutions," Lawrence said.

Old Oshkosh Control Tower EAA has received several calls since the end of AirVenture 2008 about the fate of the old Oshkosh control tower and wondering if souvenirs might be available. The tower was originally scheduled 4

DECEMBER 2008

Stocking Stutter Give the Gift of Oshkosh This Year

EAA is again offering advance ticket purchasing for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009-and just in time for the holiday season. EAA mem bers and non-members may prepurchase daily and weekly AirVenture admission tickets via a secure website and get a $2 daily or $S weekly discount. This system was created by ClicknPrint Tickets and is made possible through support from Jeppesen. "The response to the availability of online advance tickets for Osh kosh 2008 was overwhelming," said Rick Larsen, EAA's vice president of marketing. "It was an easy deci sion to bring back that system for Oshkosh 2009, and we're focused on making the admissions process even more convenient so you can get to the fun even faster!" To access the advance ticketing, visit www.AirVenture.org and click on "Buy Tickets Online Now." Full instructions and answers to frequently asked questions are available at that site. Advance EAA AirVenture tickets also make great Christmas and holi day gifts and allow recipients to enjoy many months of anticipation prior to their own Oshkosh experience. "We wanted the advance ticket option to be available prior to the holidays to satisfy the many requests we received to make AirVenture admissions an easy-to-give holiday gift," Larsen said. Steps to simplify the admission structure will also be enacted for next year's event. Youth and student admissions have been merged into a single admission category, while children S years old and younger continue to be welcomed to the event free of charge. In addition, EAA members are encouraged to bring guests, with a guest weekly admission now including a one-year EAA membership. for demolition this fall, but Witt man Regional Airport Director Pe ter Moll recently said an actual demolition date was never estab lished. "The best guess right now is that it won't happen until late winter or early spring." Some re maining equipment in the build ing belongs to the FAA, and the agency needs to remove it before it can be demolished. Once the FAA has taken every thing out, the building becomes (per the tower construction con tract) property of Miron Construc tion Company, which will raze the structure . Moll said that, accord ing to Miron, it would not be ec onomically feasible to demolish the building in such a way as to

save any "souvenirs" that could be made available to the public. The old tower will definitely be torn down well before EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009.

H~~}{uilders VIDEO TUTOIU4LS

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50 th video

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Homebuilders Videos Have Large Following EAA's new Hints for Homebuild ers videos have become among the most popular destinations on

@EAA.org New Photo Galleries

View several new photo galleries recen tly posted to the EAA web site, including: • U2 at AirVenture • Copperstate 2008 • AirVenture Museum

25th anniversary

• SERFI 2008 • EAA Hall of Fame ceremonies Visit www.EAA .org/photos to see all these galleries and more.

Upcoming

Major Fly-Ins

U.S. Sport Aviation Expo Sebring Regional Airport (SEF) Sebring, Florida January 22-25, 2009

www.Sport-Aviation-Expo.com Aero Frledrlchshafen Messe Friedrichshafen, Friedrichshafen , Germany April 2·5 , 2009

www.Aero-Friedrichshafen.com/ html/ en Sun 'n Fun Ay-In at Lakeland Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL) Lakeland , Florida April 21-26 , 2009

www.Sun-N-Fun.org Golden West Regional Ay-In Yuba County Airport (MYV) Marysville, California June 12-14, 2009

the EAA website. The brief how-to hints demonstrate helpful, timesav ing tips for aircraft homebuilders and restorers. More than 325,000 video down loads have occurred since the Hints debuted in March 2008, and EAA re cently added the 50 th installment. "We couldn't be more pleased with how our members have embraced this series," said Charlie Becker, EAA's director of member programs. "Hints for Homebuilders captures what EAA is all about: members helping each other, passing along their knowledge and skills to others; inventing better, simpler, and less expensive ways to do things; and sharing with anyone who wants to learn." EAA welcomes your ideas for fu ture Hints for Homebuilders. If you wish to contribute an idea, send an e-mail to info@eaa.org, and please put "Hints" in the subject line.

First EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009 Highlights Announced It's only December, but it's not too soon to start making plans for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009, scheduled for July 27 to August 2. EAA staff and volunteers are prepar ing for the annual aviation home coming, as several highlights have already been announced.

Visitors next year can expect a visit from WhiteKnightTwo, the car rier ship for the new SpaceShipTwo space tourism vehicle; a reunion of participants from the five visits of British Airways' Concorde to Osh kosh in the 1980s and 1990s; special recognition of aviation's humanitar ian role around the world; and pro grams saluting international aviation anniversaries and homebuilt aircraft. In addition, comedian/ven triloq u ist Jeff Dun h am, one of the nation's hottest comedy con cert draws and an expe ri ence d helicopter builder and pilot, has confirmed his return for an ap pearance on Saturday, Au gust I, presented once again by RotorWay International. Du nham's appear ance at Oshkosh in 2008 drew an estimated 10,000 people. All that plus thousands of show planes, more than 800 exhibitors, and of course, "EAA University" with 1,000 forums, workshops, and semi nars. Look for regular updates on next year's World's Greatest Aviation Cele bration, along with everything you need to plan your 2009 visit, on www. AirVenture.org in the coming months.

EAA Seeks GA Relief From Proposed Canada ELl Rule EAA is asking Transport Canada continued on page 39

www.GoldenWestFlyln.org Virginia Regional Festival of Alght Suffolk Executive Airport (SFQ) Suffolk, Virginia May 30-31 , 2009

www.VirginiaFlyln.org Rocky Mountain Regional Ay-In Front Range Airport (FTG) Watkins , Colorado TBD

www.RMRFI.org Arlington Ay-In Arlington Municipal Airport (AWO) Arlington , Washington July 8-12 , 2009

www.NWEM.org EAA AlrVenture Oshkosh Wittman Regional Airport (OSH) Oshkosh , Wisconsin July 27-August 2 , 2009

www.AirVenture.org MId-Eastern Regional Ay-In Grimes Field (174) Urbana , Ohio September 12-13, 2009

www.MERFI.info Southeast Regional Ay-In Middleton Field Airport (GZH ) Evergreen, Alabama October 23-25, 2009

www.SERFI.org Copperstate Regional Ay-In Casa Grande Municipal Airport (CGZ) Casa Grande, Arizona October 22-25, 2009

www.Copperstate.org For details on EAA chapter fly-ins and other local aviation events ,

visit www.EAA.orgjevents.

VINTAGE AIRP L AN E

The Volunteer Appreciation Party, sponsored by AUA Inc., Is held on Friday night during the convention. Pizza Is served to all, and then the skits and silliness from our talented volunteers Is presented as the evening's entertainment. In addition to the skits, many volunteers earn certificates of distinction. At times the recipient wishes that the action that precipitated the certificate had not been noticed or so "honored," but few procedures escape the watchful eyes of their fellow volunteers, who are only too happy to engage In some good-natured ribbing. There are hundreds of other folks who also dedicate their time to the benefit of all by bringing their aircraft to the convention-the pilots and owners. Skip Reed, Roy Roberts, Shelly Tumbleson, Durwood Blasingame, Jake Jacoby, Glenn Welblen, and Mike Jagge were all relaxing at the end of the day as they told flying stories around the seml-circle. 6

DECEMBER 2008

Stili other volunteers are highlighted for their contributions, Including these folks who were presented with MI Shared My Talent" certificates.

~ Why Is this crowd so dumbstruck at what Is on stage during the Volunteer Appreciation Party? Turn the page and find out ...

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

Michael Kosta, one of our resident thespians, struts his (her?) stuff as "Michelle," one of the Judges for the "Vintage Idol" talent contest. Michael, also known In our area as "Denver," Is chairman of VAA fllghtllne safety.

Kathy McGurran, Paige Dorlac, and her mom, Trish "Patty" Dorlac, do their best Andrews Sisters impressions for the appreciative crowd during the party. Kathy is our parking and flightline safety vice chairwoman, and Trish is one of the co-chairwomen in that area. S

DECEMBER 2008

Denny Grulzenga gets a good laugh from the shenanigans going on during the Volunteer Appreciation Party.

Along with Trish Dorlac, Curtis Presten and his little brother, Ben, find something hilarious in the Volunteer Appreciation Party goings-on.

From north to south along the fllghtllne, the VAA covers the parking area from four "point buildings." Here are some of the folks who volunteered on the flightline on Wednesday, July 30.

Andrew Archibald also known as Archie, pauses during a run with the Antique Taxi, a John Deere Gator used by the flightline safety crew to shuttle volunte\rs from the Operations Center to the various point buildings. The use of this particular Gator Is donated by longtime VAA volunteer and Flightline Safety Co-Chairman Phil Blake. VINTAGE AIRPLANE

"You put how much hot sauce In the chili?" Sue Eichman and Lorraine Eberle take care of feeding hundreds of volunteers each day In the VAA volunteer kitchen, using EAA Operation Thirst-supplied food supplemented by donations from various volunteer functions, such as the corn boll, plus a touch of their own culinary talents.

EAA's Tall Pines Cafe Is a great place to volunteer If you 're a morning person! They're up and at 'em, ready to serve, as the sun comes up. They start serving early arrivals on Friday morning before the convention begins and don't stop serving breakfast each morning until after Saturday morning's last pancake or Wanda 's French toast Is flipped and placed on the plate of a hungry camper.

DECEMBER 2008

H.G. FRAUTSCHY

The Classic airplane Judges.

The Antique airplane Judges.

The VAA board of directors and officers of the division pause for a moment after the annual business meeting on Sunday morning, August 3. VINTAGE AIRPLANE

~--"'Ity of Shawano,WIecoMIn~ 4S nIIl.. north of OshkOsh, boats the Shawano FIy-Out. Juat for btl...."; their vintage airplanes to the annual event, pilots are given a free breakfast. jeannie HOI coordinates the fIy-out with the Oshkosh tower and the pilots, many of whom are shown here prior to their early-momlng departure.

The f1lghtllne safety crew at Classic Point picks up Jerry Wenger's Waco YPF as it is taxied in by Ben Redman of Rare Aircraft.

VAA Director Steve Krog, president of the Cub Club and editor of its newsletter, also serves the membership as the co-chairman of the Type Club tent. Look for exciting news concerning that part of the VAA area in next month's issue of Vintage Airplane. Left: Dozens of Cessna 195 owners have made AirVenture their "go-to" spot to gather and swap 195 stories. Here "Tall Tom" Taylor, who's easy for the pilots of the 195 to spot, guides Randy Gillette's 195A into a parking spot. 12 DECEMBER 2008

long ago

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tUtu,. iaaue Of Wntsge AkpIane... Anna Osborn and her husband, John, have served the division with decades of service to their fellow volunteers.

One of the benefits of being a VAA member Is the annual fly-in participant plaque. As aircraft are parked in our area, one of the volunteers in the VAA participant plaque corps heads out and takes a digital photo of the airplane. Those photos are sorted by N number and then printed out and mounted on a wall plaque, a nice keepsake of the event. Free of charge to VAA members, the plaques are handed out in the west end of the VAA Red Barn.

Jeannie Hili, chairwoman of VAA hospitality, answers a question in the VAA information booth in the Red Barn. Hundreds of questions of all types are handled here and in the auxiliary booth ....... located on the porch of the Red Barn. VINTAGE AIRPLANE

BY J AMES

lthough this disclosure may shake the Ford Motor Company to its corporate roots, it was not the first to produce Thunderbirds ... an air craft of that name was being turned out in respectable numbers as far back as 1926 by the W. F.W. Air plane Company of Glendale, Cal ifornia. However, it may be some small consolation to the Ford boys to know that the California article was just as dashing and advanced, stylewise , as their more widely touted Dearborn status symbol. The 1926 Thunderbird was con ceived as an improvement over the converted Standard trainers then being used for commercial passen ger carrying. Between 40 and SO of these clean-lined three-place bi planes were built before a split in company management, followed by the 1929 slump, brought produc tion to a complete halt. They were a familiar sight at fields in Southern

D UNAVENT

California during the late '20s and early '30s; many an old, bold pilot, who learned the stick-and-rudder trade in the Los Angeles area at that time, remembers the T'birds oper ated by the Warren School of Aero nautics from Burdette Field, which was located on Western Avenue just south of Imperial Highway .. .almost completely open country then and ideal for flying operations. Today, the same area is completely over grown by sprawling suburbia. Commercial aircraft construc tion in California was unorganized and sporadic until 1925. During World War I, a small volume of ]ennys and a few flying boats had been produced in the San Fran cisco Bay region and at Santa Bar bara by Howel and Lesser, Liberty Iron, Fowler, and the Loughead brothers, but these firms did not attempt continued production af ter the Armistice. In 1923 Douglas established its first small factory

REPRINTED FROM

14 DECEMBER 2008

Model Airplane News

at Clover Field, Santa Monica, for construction of the famed Army World Cruisers and the first Navy DT torpedo planes. A number of interesting civil craft had been built as early as 1919 by individu als and by small companies, but none reached any self-sustaining status. These shoestring ventures inevitably folded after a few short months, as the market was then saturated with surplus aircraft that could be purchased for a few cents on the original dollar value. By the mid-'20s, however, the glut of war surplus ]ennys and Standards had noticeably thinned out; this, plus the fact that some of the early OXAbove: Manufactured by the W.F.W. Airplane Company of Glendale, California, these clean lined three-place biplanes were a familiar sight at Southern California fields In the early '30s.

AU GUST 1964

NASM COLLECTION

In this photo from the EAA Archives, the Hisso-powered version of the Thun derbird soars over the' Los Angeles area during the late 1920s. EAA ARCIjIVES

powered Eaglerocks and Swallows were beginning to be flown in over the mountains, soon convinced the flying fraternity that their slow-climbing, lumbering surplus aircraft were definitely outmoded, even for casual passenger work. Some operators in Southern California had successfully mod ified Standard SJ-I s to carry two or more passengers in addition to the pilot, by fitting more powerful engines and widening the original fuselage . Although this increased the available payload, it did not provide either the extended range or additional speed so desirable in scheduled service or charter work. During the summer of 1925 Jack Frye, who later was to found Stan dard Airlines and head up the combined airline that eventually became TWA, was operating a fly ing service and school at Burdette Field. Believing that such an air craft would be of use for charter work, he asked Theodore Woolsey, a young pilot with a strong bent

for engineering, to design high-lift wings and a new fuselage structure for one of these Standards. Once the work had been started, it soon became apparent that an entirely new aircraft would be more feasi ble for proposed operations-one with increased speed, range, and ceiling to get over the mountains. The problem of financing the development of an entirely new craft was solved when Paul Whit tier, a young man of independent means who was being taught to fly by Frye, came forward with an of fer to underwrite the cost. A short time later the preliminary design drawings were finished by Wool sey and promptly approved by Frye and Whittier. As it was expected that such an aircraft would find a ready market, the W.F.W. Airplane Company was formed, and a small rented building at 6100 South Man hattan Ave. became the headquar ters and "factory." The prototype Thunderbird was rolled out early in July 1926, and shortly afterward,

on Sunday, July II , Frye took it aloft on a 45-minute test flight. After first making a few taxi runs to get the feel of the ship, Frye lifted it from the hard-packed dirt strip in less than 100 feet after the throttle was opened. The Thunder bird gained 2,000 feet of sky in less than three minutes, and during the ensuing half-hour Frye cavorted all over the sky, giving the ship a prime "wringing out" to show its aerobatic and handling character istics. Once the initial show was over, the Thunderbird was put to work almost immediately, there being no federal requirement for air traffic control (ATC) approval in those easygoing days .. .if an air craft could stagger off the ground, it was flown . The Thunderbird was a good looking ship, having better lines than most of the early OX-5-pow ered light biplanes. Particular at tention was paid to fairing in the lower wing root-fuselage junction and to cleanly cowling in the enVINTAGE AIRPLANE

gine. Although the airframe was stressed to take powerplants of up to 22S hp, a used, overhauled OX-S was installed in the prototype from the standpoint of economy and to demonstrate the performance that could be obtained with the lower powered engine. The engine could be detached from the main airframe by removing four retaining pins, and a new engine of the same or different type could be mounted in less than one-half hour. Later Thun derbirds were fitted with a variety of the engines then availablethe lS0-hp Hisso "A" vee-type liquid-cooled powerplant and some less well-known types, such as the 12S-hp Bailey Bull's-Eye or the 140-hp Floco air-cooled or the 9S-hp Dayton Bear taken from a defunct prop-driven iceboat in one of the northern states. The first Bailey-powered ship was test flown by Earl Chubb at Bur dette Field in September 1927. When Department of Commerce li censing became mandatory in early 1927, the Thunderbird received ATC approval under DC Memo No. 2-141, covering all current engine installations other than the one with the Dayton Bear, which was reportedly flown only a few times on an unlicensed, bootleg basis be fore it ground-looped into a thresh ing combine in Montana and was wrecked beyond repair. Early Thunderbirds incorporated welded steel tube fuselages braced with steel wire and cable trusses; this was changed in later ships to diagonal steel tube bracing. Some minor dimensional changes are also noted; there was a 33-foot and a 31-foot span T'bird, and the aspect ratio of the fin and rudder was in creased to provide increased direc tional stability. Wing structure in early models was entirely of wood, with solid spruce spars routed to an I-section. The tip structure and spars were then redesigned to use steel tubing for the tip bows and tip ribs, plus stamped aluminum sheet nose ribs attached directly to

the forward spar; the remainder of the ribs were conventional wooden webs. A five-piece laminated spar structure was also incorporated in place of the solid beams that had previously been used. Both up per wing panels were joined at the centerline and formed a continu ous spar. Lower wing panels were hinged to a fuselage stub wing), which was an integral part of the fuselage framing. The tail assembly was welded steel tube, and the pilot could ad-

Early Thunderbirds

low-powered OX-S engine . .. a 9S mph high speed was guaranteed (this was given in cruising aircraft performance tables published in 1928 by some aeronautical maga zines) . Also, as irrefutable proof, the company test pilot, Clint Burrows, flew a three-year-old stock Thun derbird to an average 119.4 mph pace over four timed speed runs, upward and downward, at the Na tional Guard Field in Los Angeles on November 21, 1927. The same ship had previously won a trophy in the event for light commer cial aircraft under 100 hp at the 1927 Santa Ana air meet, where it averaged 114 mph over a triangular course. With its 12-to-1 factor of safety, the T'bird could per form the most violent aerobat ics then known, being limited only by the inability of an OX-S to run satisfactorily under neg ative G or inverted conditions. The 43-gallon fuel tank gave it a nominal range of 440 miles at an average 10-gallon-per-hour (gph) fuel consumption. Gross weight was 2,248 pounds; of this, 81S pounds was disposable load including a 340-pound payload. Empty weight was 1,433 pounds . Climbing abil ity was listed as 700 feet per min ute (fpm) for the first S,OOO feet; the service ceiling was lS,OOO feet. It re quired 20 minutes to get the ship to its rated absolute ceiling-approxi mately 17,000 feet. The Hisso-powered W-14-H was somewhat heavier, and all perfor mance figures were slightly better. .. a 13S-mph top and 11O-mph cruise; l,OOO-fpm initial climb with a SOO-pound payload; and the service and absolute ceiling were increased by about 2,000 feet. A 60-gallon tank provided the same range as shown for the lighter ship, the added ca pacity being required to satisfy the lS-gph fuel consumption rate of the more powerful engine. By 1927 production of Thunder birds was in full swing, and they were beginning to appear in in creasing numbers at the various

incorporated welded steel tube fuselages

braced with steel wire and cable trusses ...

16 DECEMBER 2008

just the stabilizer in flight to com pensate for trim with various loads. The radiator was built into the leading edge of the upper center section and faired into the upper wing curve. The main landing gear and tailskid were sprung by shock cord, and brakes were not fitted. These, plus an improved "oildrau lic" shock system, were planned as standard and optional equipment respectively on subsequent produc tion aircraft, but it is doubtful if any such equipment was actually in stalled except as owner-made mod ifications during later years. The thickened fairings over the inner landing-gear struts were a hallmark of later-production Thunderbirds and contained the shock absorber cord wrapping. The OX-S Thunderbird W-14-0 was listed at $2,9S0 less engine, and standard equipment included dual controls, a Story wood pro peller, and wiring for navigation lights. Edo or Hamilton floats were available for an extra $1,100. The W-14-0 delivered a phenomenal performance with the relatively

fields in Southern California and on the West Coast. Principal dis tributors in California were Cliff and Phil Henderson, a dealer in Or egon handled sales in the Pacific Northwest region, and Lee Schlens was named the southwestern dis tributor, covering Arizona, Nevada, and contiguous states other than Southern California. Mr. Woolsey recalled that several Thunderbirds were sold in Canada and states east of the Rockies, and one or two were exported to the Philippine Islands, reportedly being flown there un til the Japanese invasion. Several of the small flying schools in the Los Angeles area, located at Dycer, Rog ers, and the old Angeles Mesa Field later taken over by Western Air Ex press, operated Thunderbirds at one time or another, and according to Mr. Woolsey, two were sold to a gentleman who intended to use them for filming an unidentified World War I air epic. Roscoe Turner had a stock Thunderbird modified at the factory to incorporate a 50 foot diameter parachute packed in a center-section compartment, and later he used the aircraft, which was given license number NX-9830 due to the experimental nature of the modifications, for his attempts at parachuting the entire aircraft safely to the ground. During 1926 Jack Frye, Walter Hamilton, Paul Richter, Monte Edwards, and Theodore Woolsey formed the Aero Corporation of California and moved to a field at 106th and Western, just north of Burdette Field. This operation quickly became devoted to sched uled transportation, rather than sales and service, so it was de cided to separate the two . Frye and Paul Whittier turned their in terest in the Thunderbird over to Theodore Woolsey, who remained with Aero Corporation as secre tary and chief engineer, although in a rather inactive capacity. The Thunderbird Aircraft corporation was reorganized, and manufactur ing activities were moved to a new and larger factory building at 900

North Allen St. in Glendale. In reorganizing the company, Woolsey had brought in new cap ital and taken in several partners to handle the business end while he was concerned with the techni cal and manufacturing side of the business. Several sizable orders had been received, including one for SO aircraft from Lee Schlens, the southwestern distributor. While he was engrossed with production and with obtaining a valid approved type certification for the Thun derbird, two of the partners made a power play to take over the op eration through a forced sale. As things were by that time in a le gal tangle, Woolsey obtained new backing from Maj. C.C. Moseley, William Henry of the Los Angeles Times, and E.C. LeMunyon of Rocky Mountain Steel Products, and when the assets of Thunderbird Inc. were put on sale, successfully outbid his previous associates. A new corpo ration was to have been formed, which would be known as Moseley Aircraft, and one of the first items of business was to design a mili tary trainer version of the Thunder bird for submittal to the Army Air Corps. However, by that time the 1929 business slump was beginning to have disastrous consequences in the aircraft industry, so it was de cided to shelve the project, and no further aircraft were built under the Moseley trademark. Woolsey, who had built-his ,... first airplane-a Cur tiss-type pusher-at the age of IS, barnstormed Jennys while barely out of high school, and raised the Thunderbird from a nestling, went to work for Douglas as a design en gineer until prosperity should again come back from around the corner. In the late '30s, he designed the In terstate Cadet, which was used in the Civilian Pilot Training Program by a number of flying schools just prior to our entry into World War II. One example of the Thunder bird is known to exist today-an OX-5 W-14-0 that was restored and is being flown on occasion around Ontario, California.

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Dennis Trone's

Thunderbird

About a year ago I spent a very en joyable Sunday afternoon hang ing out with Dennis Trone at the Brodhead, Wisconsin, airport. Denny was airing out a couple of his old biplanes, including one I didn't know much about, the Thunderbird W-14. The biplane was talC and a little intimidat ing. I got to be the prop-flipper each time Denny needed a re-

H.G.

FRAUTSCHY

start after doing a bit of engine maintenance that early-fall day. Propping a little Sensenich on a Continental bolted to the front of a Cub is one thing, but that big propeller on the front of that OX-S was something else! I need not have worried; Denny was an old hand at expertly getting it ready to go so that all I had to do was take a short walk while

pulling the prop down, and as I let go, Denny would have the engine controls set just so and the Curtiss V-8 would rumble to life . Denny loved the really old stuff and was an expert at creat ing ways that made it easier and safer to operate many of the old engines he loved. Unfortunately, Denny passed away earlier this year, before we could fill in some

A view of the Thunderbird In action at Brodhead, Wisconsin, on a beautiful early fall day In 2007.

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Denny was airing out a couple of his old biplanes, including one I didn't know much about, the Thunderbird The late Denny Trone, antique-airplane man.

The instrument panel of the Thunderbird. 20

DECEMBER 2008

W-14. of the blanks on the history of his Thunderbird. In a wonderful coincidence, this summer I was thumb ing through a collection of old model-airplane newsletters from the early 1970s, published by the North American Aviation Flight masters scale model-airplane club, and 10 and behold, there was a three-view of the Thunder bird. I realized that the artist who created the artwork was none other than Jim Dunavent, now deceased, whose Stinson artwork had been a part of our coverage ofJohn Seibold's Stinson SM-l in the November 2007 issue. Jim's artwork was done in con junction with an article he wrote on the history of the Thunder bird, published in the August 1964 issue of Model Airplane News (MAN). Thanks to the generos ity of the folks at Air Age Publi cations, the publishers of MAN, and Chip Dunavent, Jim's son, we've been given permission to republish this (see page 19) and others in the MAN Historical Air craft series from the 1960s. After passing, his widow, Eliz abeth, put the collection up for sale, and the Thunderbird is go ing to a new home in Pennsylva nia at George Jenkins' museum on Merritt Field, in Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania. .......

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Light Plane Heritage

OR I GINALLY PUBLISHED IN

EAA Experimenter JULY

1993

The Messerschmitt M.l?

BY JACK

t may come as a surprise to learn that Willy Messerschmitt, builder of the famous Bf 109, Bf 110, and other German military airplanes of World War II, got his start in aviation by building gliders and light airplanes that were very similar to modem ultralights. As a teenager, before World War I, Messerschmitt helped an archi tect friend build several rather crude primary-type gliders that nevertheless allowed them unof ficially to break Orville Wright's en durance record of 11 minutes. After his friend joined the German army, Messerschmitt continued to build improved versions of the gliders

McRAE

and in 1923 started his own glider design and construction business with a much refined design. This was the S.14, which featured an en closed streamlined fuselage and a high aspect ratio wing. In 1922 some of the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles had been re moved, and low-powered airplanes were allowed to be built and flown in Germany. This was a natural di rection for Messerschmitt to follow and resulted in two powered glid ers, the S.lS, using a 14-hp English Douglas motorcycle engine, and the S.16, which had a more powerful 21-hp Douglas engine. After getting experience with these in a German

"~tor's Note: The Light Plane Heritage series in EAA's

lightplane contest, which showed that the motorcycle engines were not very dependable, Messerschmitt next decided to design and build a two-seater along the same general lines but using an engine intended for aircraft use. This was the M.1?, and it was a high-wing cantilever monoplane of all wood construc tion powered with a 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine. The wing featured a single spar located at about the 30 percent chord point and a plywood covered nose section for torsional strength and rigidity. The remainder of the wing was fabric-covered. The fuselage had a plywood skin, with the tandem cockpits well faired

Experimenter magazine often touched on aircraft and concepts related to vintage aircraft and their history. Since many of our members have not had the opportunity to read this se ries, we plan on publishing those LPH articles that would be of interest to VAA members. Enjoy!-HGF 22 DECEMBER 2008

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The M.17 (restored) hangs in Deutsches Museum, Munich, Germany.

in, an arrangement that apparently did not allow much forward visibil ity. Access to the front cockpit was through a door on the right-hand side, while the rear cockpit had a hinged cover over the passenger's head. The tail surfaces were of all wood construction, the elevator be ing attached to the horizontal trail ing edge of the fuselage. The landing gear was simple: two large wheels with high-pressure tires on an axle that was mounted in the lower part of the fuselage un der the forward cockpit. An alter nate powerplant was the English ABC Scorpion of 24 hp. The M.17 had a successful year in 1925 when it was flown by World War I ace Theo Croneiss and per formed very well in the two most important German sport flying contests, the Oberfrankenflug and the Rundflug. It showed an ability

to reach an altitude of more than 4,400 feet and a speed range of from 40 to 87 mph. From those Specifications of two races a total prize the M.17 money of 10,000 Deutsch marks was won. In 1925 a ft.

flight across the Alps from Waight Empty ........................................................::..................396 Iba.

Bamberg, Germany, to Ueeful Load ..........................!.................~ ......::.....:.....................4181ba.

Gross Waighl ...............................: .... :..........................: .............8141bs.

Rome was made by Wer Maximum Speed ............................ :........ :.....: .............................87 mph

ner von Langsdorf while landing Speed ............................................................................40 mph

Ceiling ...................................................................................16.000 ft.

carrying a passenger. This apparently demonstrated the practical value of the M.17 to to a German airline. Eventually 25 the extent that a flying school pur of the model M.18 were built, and chased four of the little ships. The they gave Messerschmitt his start as favorable publicity generated by an important aircraft manufacturer. these flights enabled Messerschmitt, with Croneiss as his partner, to es References: tablish the Messerschmitt Flugzeug Messerschmitt, Aircraft Designer, by Armand van Ishoven. bau in Bamberg for the design and Taschenbuch der Luftflotten construction of aircraft. Their first design, the M.18, was a four- seater Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1927 and was sold as a transport airplane

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE

BY ROBERT GLOCK

Precover Inspections

he objective of this

month's column is

to give some tips

on preparing the aircraft structure for covering. With modern covering mate rials it is possible for the fabric to last 30 years or more. There fore, it is necessary to prepare the structure to last that long. Keep this in mind during res toration. First, the aircraft should have been assembled and rigged at least once prior to covering. Figure 1 shows my Command-Aire assembled for a preliminary weight-and balance check. Numerous pre cover checks were made be fore covering.

Figure 1

Figure 2 24

DECEMBER 2008

Some of my restorations require partial assembly at least twice, fol lowed by a complete assembly. When I restored my Command-Aire there was a question as to exactly where the center of gravity should be located. So I covered everything except the fuselage, assembled the aircraft, put it on the scales (see Fig ure 2) and weighed it to so I could compute the empty-weight center of gravity (CG) location. The cal culations showed I should locate the battery in the aft section of the airplane. The finished product had the CG located so the trim handle is in the center of its travel during cruise flight. So pre-assembly is well

Figure 3

worth the effort! Before covering, assemble all the paperwork that will be need ed for filling out Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Form 337, weight-and-balance data, and the logbooks. This is also a good time to check the moment arm mea surements of required, optional, and special equipment that may have been installed in the aircraft. This data will be used when com puting the weight-and-balance re port. Draft the entries for the log books and Form 337 major repair/ alteration data. Having completed the above, it's now time to do the actual in spection. So here we go! Here's my checklist:

FUSELAGE - All controls subject to movement work properly and can be moved the full range of operation. - Electrical system wiring harness

clamped/tied-no chafing. Pow er on system function check. - Instrument system lines clamped -no chafing. Airspeed indica tor works properly (blow gently into pitot line). Instrument range markings are installed. Placarding (if any) is properly displayed. - Brakes properly installed; lines clamped . No chafing of lines. - Fuel system tank secure; fuel lines clamped-no chafing. Se lector valve operates correctly; placarding installed. - Seat belts installed correctly; belts/buckles conform to TSO C22. No interference or chaf ing on structure. - Seat installations for security. Seat belts (and shoulder harness) in proper location to secure around lower torso of person. - Tail wheel locking/steering mechanism works properly. No chafing or binding anywhere. Full range of travel. Tail wheel

moves with rudder movement (steerable only). -All wood parts secured for per manent installation. A difficult task during restora tion is to think ahead so problems with assembly do not rear their ugly heads later. One such prob lem on my Command-Aire was the previously mentioned bat tery location. Because the ship was never designed to have a bat tery installed, there was no fac tory gUidance. Where to mount it while avoiding interference with control system components was a concern. So think ahead and ask yourself, "If I put it here, will any thing interfere with it?"

WINGS Brace wires tensioned properly, no chafing, and secured in center. Jam nuts tight; clevis pins safetied. Note: Prior to installation, wings should have already been trammeled. VINTAGE AIRPLANE

- All bolts and nuts tight and

Figure 4

safetied. - Control cable/push-pull tubes installed. No chafing on struc ture. Check for the location of rib lacing cord around internal control components. Check problem lacing areas. - All nail/rivet heads covered with tape. Sharp areas that could chafe fabric are covered with cloth tape, the same ma terial used to tape athlete's an kles, etc. - Inter rib bracing installed cor rectly (if used); all ribs straight. -Navigation light assembly and wiring properly installed, wires secured to structure, and no chafe points. - All glue joints secure; structure well sealed with varnish, par ticularly spar ends. - Wing or center-section fuel tank for proper installation, lines clamped, and no chafing. If pos sible conduct a leakage test of all lines and fittings from up per wing tanks to fuel strainer. Wings can present a unique problem in that they must not only

With the structure carefully and completely assembled prior to covering, any problems with fit or control Inter ference can be addressed. 26

DECEMBER 2008

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This stunning photograph by Gilles Auliard was taken during the 2006 American Barnstormers Tour. It shows t he finished product in flight over Wisconsin. That's me in the rear seat, and my brother Steve in the front cockpit. What a great flying airplane!

bolt together, but the trailing edg es must match, along with root ribs and leading edges. In Figure 4 you can see that I constructed one wing completely, with no leading edge skin installed. Then I assembled the second wing and bolted it to the complet ed wing. The wing was trammeled and all ribs and gussets glued in place. When it reached the same pOint of completion as the first wing, I separated the two struc tures; the bolts would almost slide out, requiring a light tap of a plas tic mallet. This is an important step in constructing wings or any other structure that must ultimately bolt together. When the leading edge plywood was glued in place, care was taken to make sure the wing spars were level and parallel. 28 DECEMBER 2008

Failing to do this step might result in a warped wing, which would cause the ship to exhibit poor fly ing qualities .

EMPENNAGE - If not already completed, check the fit of all components to the fuselage . - Check the trim system for prop er operation, correct move ment, and range of travel. - All hardware tight and safetied. - Navigation light and wiring properly secured. CONTROLS -All cables and push-pull rods that are installed are properly safetied; cables tensioned cor rectly. Note: Tension all cables with the surface clamped in neutral position.

- Bellcranks and push-pull tubes move in proper direction. - For cables, Single-wrap safe ty is approved, but double wrap is preferred . Always use .041-inch-diameter safety wire. Either brass or stainless steel is approved.

GENERAL INSPECTION TIPS 1. Lightly sand all wood surfac es where fabric touches; sand just enough to remove any roughness. 2. Using a wooden straight edge, check all areas where the fabric may touch the structure. When tightened, the fabric sags between th e ribs and stringers. Formers/ bracing not properly trimmed could protrude above the ribs or stringers, causing lumps in the fabric after shrinking. If not already completed,

sketch the opening location in the fabric covering for rudder, aileron, and elevator cables; trim cables; and tail wheel steering cables, etc. Mark where the ai leron push-pull tubes penetrate the fuselage fabric in line with the aileron torque tube control. And don't forget the pitot/static lines that penetrate the fuselage covering from the lower wing. Be sure to mark the locations.

FINAL INSPECTION The structure's inspection should be made by the super After a careful precover inspection, the covering can be installed. Here I am at long last applying the first coat of Poly-Brush on the right upper vising airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanic who holds an Command-Aire wing panel. inspection authorization. Ap proval for cover should be given and recorded on FAA Form 337. The inspecting mechanic may make an entry, "Inspecting left and right upper and lower wings this date. Okay to cover," or the entire aircraft may be approved for cover. This is only a suggested guide for precover inspection of a typi cal aircraft. Inspection points may vary based on the specific type of aircraft, equipment installed, etc. But the bottom line is to prepare the structure for long-term ser vice and make sure that noth May 1989. Final assembly in the maintenance hangar at Sun 'n Fun Fly ing in the airplane rubs together In at Lakeland, Florida. The engine installation still was not complete, during the vibrations caused by but the plane was getting close to test-flight t ime when this photo was flight. Correcting this later can be snapped. a real pain. CONCLUSION I say again, the aircraft struc ture must be prepared for at least 30 years of service; that is what I always think of before the fab ric is applied. Since radial engines tend to run with some vibration, it's always a good idea to make sure nothing rubs together, be cause over time it will wear. Ei ther clamp it or pad and tie it together so the parts cannot rub together. The pre cover inspection should be thorough, and every detail should be inspected. Good luck to all you restorers, and happy £lying! ...... VINTAGE AIRPLANE

BY DOUG STEWART

Sometimes you've got to push ...

"Switch off?/I I called out. "Switch off!" was his reply. "Brakes on?" "Brakes on!/I II Okay, give it a couple of shots of prime, and I'll pull it through four blades./I I was standing at the front end of a 1943 Aeronca L-3 that a client of mine had recently purchased . His insurance mandated that he get 10 hours of training in the airplane prior to soloing it, and the Federal Aviation Administration mandated that he receive a tailwheel endorse ment prior to acting as the pilot in command of the airplane. This was to be our first flight. As I pulled through the prop of the 75-hp Continental engine, I made a mental note of the fact that the propeller seemed to give less re sistance than I had expected. I ra tionalized that the engine was cold and of low horsepower, and that I wasn't pulling through a big Pratt & Whitney radial. Nonetheless ... "Okay, switch on?/I I asked. "Switch on!/I he confirmed. "Brakes set?/I "Brakes set!/I (Notice that I, the person provid ing the motive power to the pro peller, was calling the commands, and not the other way around, as I have sometimes seen.) With that, I pulled the propeller, and the engine quickly fired to life, murmuring in a smooth idle. I walked around to the side of the cockpit and groaned a bit as I man aged to pull my aging bones up into 30

DECEMBER 2008

the back seat of this World War II observation plane. Once I secured my seat belt, and put on the headset that was connected to a portable in tercom (at least I wouldn't have to be shouting at the top of my lungs, and I have long ago given up the con cept of smacking my client upside the head with a rolled-up sectional), I told my client we could start to taxi to the end of the runway. The airport we were operating out of is a small, privately owned/ public use airport, with a 2,300-foot runway. The runway is composed mostly of grass, but the underlying surface is shale and gravel. Although fairly wide at the north and south ends, it narrows to about 45 feet in the north third of the runway as it dips down into a hollow that is about 25 feet lower than the rest of the runway. The winds that day indicated we would need to take off to the south, so we taxied to the north end of the field. As we came up out of the hol low it took quite a bit of power to keep the airplane moving up the gradient to the north threshold . I was starting to wonder a little about the power of that engine hanging up in the front of the airplane. Was it really making all the horsepower advertised on the dataplate? The engine run-up seemed nor mal, with rpm drops of 75-100 rpm on each separate magneto, and there was no evidence of any carb ice when we applied carb heat. My client then went through the short and simple before-takeoff checks,

moving in a nice flow from the right side of the cockpit to the left. Every thing was set. Prior to walking out to the air plane my client and I had discussed the lesson plan for the day. In the previous lesson we had spent a fair amount of time taxiing the airplane, including several high-speed taxis to gain the sight picture and feel of when to pick the tail up, and then as we cut the power, how to com pensate for the loss of flight control effectiveness as we decelerated, still keeping everything headed straight down the runway. In this lesson we would be taking to the air, and thus all the important flight speeds had been briefed. Rotation would be at 45 mph in dicated airspeed (lAS). With some trees blocking our path another thousand feet beyond the end of the runway, we would then look for 60 mph lAS as our best climb speed. We briefed what we would do in the case of an engine failure, dependent upon when and where it might fail. We briefed the best glide speed and final approach speed. It was great for someone like myself, who suf fers from CRM (can't remember much), that those speeds were all the same .. .60 lAS. So now, after checking for any other traffic, we taxied out to the center of the runway, and he ap plied full takeoff power. It would be an outright lie to say that I was pushed into the back of the seat, but aided by the descent into the hollow, our acceleration was accept

able. The flight controls came alive, and my client fed in forward stick and picked up the tail. Our airspeed indicator came alive; we had static power indicated on the tachometer and oil pressure. Now all we needed was rotation speed. But we were now at the bottom of the hollow, and climbing up the other side diminished our accel eration. However, by the time we reached the top of the hollow we had also reached rotation speed. With a gentle pull on the stick, my client lifted us off and we acceler ated in ground effect up to 50 mph lAS. Yet now with the trees loom ing out there beyond the end of the runway, my client started to ap ply some more back-pressure to the stick. Doing so lifted us up out of ground effect, but then our climb stopped. The airspeed indicator was still indicating 50 mph. With an ever-increasing sense of urgency, my client added some more back-pressure to the stick. (Mind you, this wasn't a hard pull on the stick, just an almost unconscious ad dition of back-pressure.) To his con sternation, rather than climbing we remained at an indicated speed of SO and started a slight descent. My client was not the only one starting to experience a pucker fac tor, although I am sure mine was nowhere near as intense as his, as I understood what was happening and had the solution to our prob lem. Luckily we had the portable intercom and headsets, as I hate to shout, and as we had neglected to bring along a sectional, I hate to smack someone upside the head with my bare hand. I didn't even have to shout into my microphone, but in a normal tone of voice I sug gested that instead of pulling on the stick, my client should instead re lax pressure on the stick and accel erate us up to 60 mph. Once there, I was confident we would soon be climbing happily on our way over the trees. And indeed, as we tran sitioned from the back side of the power curve to the front side, that anemic little Aeronca L-3 started

climbing in a manner that would definitely clear the trees. The "back side of the power curve almost sounds like some Star Wars fantasy, yet every pilot has at some time flown on the back side of the power curve. In fact, there is no way anyone could obtain even the most basic of pilot certificates without demonstrating to an exam iner the ability to fly in slow flight while maintaining altitude. As one learns the techniques, the realizaII

With an ever increasing sense of urgency, my client added some more back-pressure to the stick. tion should dawn that if our power is reduced to a minimum to sustain altitude at high angles of attack, any increase in angle of attack will ei ther yield a stall (if you are truly at minimum controllable airspeed) or if not a stall, then a descent . This is the back side of the power curve, a realm of flight also known as the "region of reverse command." It's a place where the houses do indeed get bigger, rather than get smaller, when back-pressure is applied to the stick or yoke. For many pilots, visiting this area of flight occurs only during the training for their initial pilot certificate, and they rarely, if ever, go there again. But the condition can and does exist in many differ ent flight profiles. The space I am al lotted in this monthly column does not allow for a dissertation on all of the physics involved with flight on the back side of the power curve; however, if you are truly interested, a Google search will yield numer ous articles, written by folks much more knowledgeable than I, on the subject. An example would be Barry Schiff's short article entitled Power and Pitch, published in his Proficient

Pilot series in AOPA Pilot magazine, March 1998. Suffice it to say that it is an excess of power that really makes an airplane climb. If the engine of your airplane is of low power to begin with, and then if it is not making the rated horsepower that is advertised on its data plate, you might very well find yourself in a situ ation where weight, density altitude, runway alignment, surface, and/or slope might all, or in part, conspire to prevent a safe takeoff. Or, you might find yourself in a situation as we were in. Unless we pushed the nose down a little and accelerated to best climb speed, we were bound to mush along right into the trees that stood in our path. For those pilots who fly small vin tage airplanes with engines of lim ited horsepower, remember that it is quite possible that the engine might not be making all of the horsepower it was rated for. In the situation I just described, I would not be surprised if, for a variety of reasons, the maxi mum horsepower the engine was capable of sustaining was more than 70 percent of the 75 hp for which it was rated, or in other words, about 52 hp. The causes can include some very old and worn-out spark plugs and low compression, which were found on an inspection I mandated subsequent to the flight. So don't forge . .. sometimes you've got to push, if you want to climb. Yes, it is counterintuitive, and that's what can get a pilot in trouble. There might also be times when you are going to need to push, but doing so will get you caught be tween a rock and a hard spot, a place I found myself several weeks later. It can be a sinking feeling. (Yes, the pun is intended.) I'll tell you more in the next article. In the meantime, may you be blessed with blue skies and tail winds! Doug Stewart is the 2004 National CFI of the Year, a Master Instructor, and a designated pilot examiner. He operates DSFI Inc. (www.DSflight. com), based at the Columbia County Airport (lBl). ...... VINTAGE AIRPLANE

BY H.G. FRAUTSCHY

THIS MONTH'S MYSTERY PLANE COMES TO US FROM

THE FILES OF TED BUSINGER'S COLLECTION.

Send your answer to EAA, Vintage Airplane, P.O . Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Your answer needs to be in no later than January 15 for inclusion in the March 2009 issue of Vintage Airplane. You can also send your response via e-mail.

Send your answer to MysteryPlane@eaa.org. Be sure to include your name plus your city and state in the body of your note and put "(Month) Mystery Plane" in th e sub ject line.

SEPTEMBER's MYSTERY ANSWER We received a number of notes concerning our September Mystery Plane. It was from an EAA Archives photo . The September Mystery Plane looks like a Kreider Reisner C6 . It appears to be a later version because it has the oleo gear and the stabilizer wires are attached at the rear. The earlier Warner-powered C6 had the rubber shock strut like the KR-34 and the stabilizer wires were attached at the front and rear. I don't know how many of the Warner-powered C6s were built. I thought only one was built, as shown in Juptner's, before 32

DECEMBER 2008

they went to the Kinner K5. This was the prototype for the Fairchild KR 21A .

Mike Butler Oshkosh, Wisconsin It is the 1928-1929 Kreider-Reisner Model C-6 (Fairchild KR-21). The real mystery is which KR-211 KR-21A it is. Looking at the engine it appears to be the 110-hp Warner Scarab-powered prototype of the Model C-6 (KR-21). However, a few things don't quite add up. The paint scheme does not match that of X576E. (As it was originally, the registration number was 254X, incidentally.) The tires are the larger 24x4-inch type fitted to production aircraft, and the brace wires from the horizontal stabilizer to the vertical stabilizer consist of two wires that meet at an apex on the rear spar of the horizontal stabilizer. A photo of X5 76E in volume 3 of Joseph Juptner's U.S. Civil Aircraft: ATC 201 to 300 (the KR-21/KR-21A is described on pp 47-49) shows that there were two separate wires on the prototype.

In the Virginia photo, the engine also is quite compact (like a Scarab) and appears to have the crankcase fairing, and propeller, of the prototype. As you know, production machines (Model C-6-Bs, aka KR 21As) were powered by 100-hp Kinner K5s, which had much taller cylinders and a fairing on the front side of each cylinder. The Fairchild KR-21A (Kreider Reisner of Hagerstown, Maryland, built them for Fairchild), fitted with Kinner K5 engines, had a length of 22 feet 1 inch, a height of 8 feet 6 inches, an upper span of 27 feet, and a lower span of 24 feet 6 inches. The wing chord was 57 inches at the root and 41 inches at the tip, and the total wing area was 193 square feet. The USA 45 airfoil was used, and empty weight was 1,068 pounds. With a useful load of 535 pounds and 23 gallons of fuel and three gallons of oil, the gross weight was 1,604 pounds. The VMAX was 110 mph, with aVe of 95 mph and a landing velocity of 45 mph. Initial climb rate was 776 fpm, and the ceiling was 12,400 feet. The original price was $4,685, which

had fallen to $4,125 by late 1930. About 45 KR-21As are said to have been built, and the type certificate number 8-26-29 was assigned (later, ATC No. 215). The Fairchild KR-21As were superseded by the KR-21B (ATC No. 363). Wesley Smith Springfield, Illinois The September 2008 Mystery Plane seems to be one of the Kreider Reisner Challenger C-6 or C-6A prototypes for the production Kreider-Reisner (later Fairchild) KR-21A (ATC No. 215) with a five cylinder Kinner K-5 100-hp radial and KR-21B (ATC No. 363) with a five-cylinder Kinner B-5 125-hp radial. The C-6 and C-6A prototypes had seven-cylinder Warner Scarab 110-hp radial engines as shown in your photo. Jack Erickson State College, Pennsylvania Other correct answers were received by Bruce Renner of Fall City, Washington, and Wayne Muxlow of Minneapolis, Minnesota. ......

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EAA's online Calendar of Events has become the "go-to" spot on the web to list and find aviation eyents In your area. The user-friendly, searchable format makes Hthe perfect web·based tool for planning your local trips to afly-In. It's always been difficult to list every Item sent to us In the limited amount of pages In Vintage Airplane, and now, wHh so many events nationwide that make up our online calendar, It would simply be Impossible to equHably sort out and then prtnt them all. Starting wHh the January Issue, the calendar will no longer be printed In the pages of Vintage Airplane. In EAA's online Calendar of Events, you can search for eyents at any glYen time within a certain radius of any airport by entering the Identifier or a ZIP code, and you can further define your search to look for Just the types of events you'd like to attend. We Invite you to access the EAA online Calendar of Events at http://,,,,,,.8aa.oll/ calelHlal December 7 - SANTA PAULA, CA2 (SZP). First Sunday Open House. Aviation Museum Of Santa Paula Fly in; display your aircraft, come to gift booth for sign off. Museum and private hangars open to amaze you with collections inside. You never know what you might see at SZPl Restaurant on field. 10am--3pm Contact Judy, Phone: 805-525-1109, Email: amszp@Verizon.net December 17 - Oshkosh, WI. Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet, featuring Former Astronaut Frank Borman. EAA Airventure Museum. Aviation and space legend Frank Borman (EAA#300174) will be the keynote speaker at this year's EAA Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet. EAA's annual commemoration of Orville and Wilbur Wright's first successful powered flight will also mark the 40th anniversary of NASA's Apollo 8 space mission held in December 1968, in which Borman served as commander. EAA's Wright Brothers Memorial Banquet begins with a reception at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. , followed by Borman's keynote address. Cost to attend is $35 for EAA members and $40 for non-members. You can make your reservation online ( https//secure. eaa.orgjmuseum/dec17banquet.asp) or by calling 920-426-6880. Phone: 920 426-6880, Email: museum@eaa.or

Something to buy, sell, or trade? Classified Word Ads: $5.50 per 10 words, 180 words maximum , with boldface lead·in on first line. Classified Display Ads : One column wide (2.167 inche s) by 1 , 2 , or 3 inches high at $20 per inch . Black and white only, and no frequency discounts. Advertising Closing Dates: 10th of second month prior to desired issue date (i.e., January 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 fax (920-426·6845) or e·mail (classads@ eaa.or{fJ using credit card payment (all cards accepted). Include name on card, complete address, type of card , card number, and expiration date. Make checks payable to EAA. Address advertising correspondencae to EM Publications Classified Ad Manager, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

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Mens'Sweater This stylish Men's sweater w ill keep you looking great with it's zipper and stripe. State size when ordering. Vl1719 Oak (assorted sizes} Vl1718 Black (dark h (assorted sizes) Vl1734 Chestnut (assorted sizes)

is fitted denim shirt embroidered with a silver VAA logo looks smart with the front slimming V12756 SM V12757 MD V12758 LG

Flight Stay warm in this black or sage flight jacket. Beautifully lined in orange. Sporting the VAA logo and it has plenty of pockets.. Black Sage Vl1894 MD Vl1782 LG Vl1895 LG V11783 XL Vl1896 XL Vl17842X Vl1896 2X

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continued from page 5 (TC) to allow U.S.-registered general-aviation (GA) air craft in compliance with U.S. emergency locator trans mitter (ELT) regulations (121.5 MHz) to fly north of the border without new 406 MHz units after new Canadian regulations go into effect on February I, 2009. On that date Canada will adopt the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standard requiring digital 406 MHz (ELTs) in all aircraft during international flights. However, here in the United States, the FAA is not plan ning to make any changes to FAR 91.207 (the regulation requiring ELTs in most airplanes) for domestic flights, so many U.S. GA aircraft will remain compliant to U.S. regu lations and forgo the upgrade from the existing 121.5 ELTs to the more costly 406 MHz ELTs. EAA's recommendation would apply to all small U.S. registered aircraft-12,500 pounds gross weight or less with a maximum five seats--claiming an equivalent level of safety under the U.S. ELT regulatory requirements. "Requiring these U.S aircraft to install 406 MHz ELTs could have an adverse economic impact on general avia tion industry and tourism between the U.S. and Canada," said Randy Hansen, EAA government relations director. If the recommendation is not accepted by TC, EAA of fered an alternative that would allow U.S. pilots to comply by using a less expensive 406 MHz personal locator beacon ~I~~~JI>~./;i?;'~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-- (PLB) instead of an installed 406 ELT. EAA also asks that pilots who fly common/direct flight routes over Canada between the Northeastern U.S. area and Michigan with no "COLLECTOR SERIES" intention of landing at a Canadian airport be allowed to continue doing so. Denis Browne, chairman of EAA's Canadian Council, New USA Production concurs with EAA's recommendation and also submitted Show off your pride and joy with a comments recommending that Canadian-registered GA fresh set of Vintage Rubber. These aircraft also be allowed to fly with a 406 MHz PLB in lieu newly minted tires are FAA-TSO'd an installed 406 MHz ELT. and speed rated to 120 MPH. Some

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Aviation Imponderables Every so often we get a question here at EAA headquar ters that leaves us scratching our heads and thinking, "Gee, I have no idea, but I'd like to know, too." Member David Wil son in Lancaster, California, was recently asked such a ques tion by a young man who is just getting involved in aviation. David, like us, was stumped for an answer, so we're putting it out there for the membership to weigh in on. Here goes: "Why is a B-nut called a B-nut in aviation?" No, it's not because it's blue, and one of the staffers here re calls reading something about the history of aviation plumb ing and the specific use of that style of nut and flared tube, but we're stuck for a documented answer. How about you? If you can fill us in with some documented proof of why a B nut is called a B-nut, we here at EAA and David in California would appreciate it. Send your answer to us at EAA via regu lar mail at the address shown on our contents page, or you can e-mail a note to us at vintageaircra{t@eaa.org.

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE

VINTAGE

AIRCRAFT

ASSOCIATION OFFICERS President Geoff Robison 1521 E. MacGregor Dr.

New Haven, IN 46774 260-493-4724 ci1ie(7025@aoi.com

Vice-President

George Daubner

2448 Lough Lane Hartford, W I 53027 262-673-5885 gdaubner@eaa .org

Secretary

Treasurer Charles W. Harris

2009 Highland Ave. Albert Lea, MN 56007 507 -373-1674 strJes@deskl1ledia.com

72 15 East 46th 5t. Tulsa, OK 74147 918-622-8400

Steve Nesse

cwh@hv5u.com

DIRECTORS Steve Bender 85 Brush Hill Road Sherborn, MA 01770 508-653-7557 sst 1O@comcast.net

David Bennett 375 Killdeer Ct Uncoln, CA 95648 916-645-8370 Qntiquer@illreacl1.com

John Berendt 7645 Echo Point Rd. Cannon Falls, MN 55009 507-263-2414

fchld@bevcomm.net

Jerry Brown 460S Hickory Wood Row

Greenwood, IN 46143 317-422-9366 Ibrown4906@aoi.com

Dale A. Gustafson 7724 Shady Hills Dr.

Indianapolis, IN 46278

317-293-4430

daie(aye@msn.com

Jeannie Hill P.O. Box 328 Harvard, IL 60033-0328 815·943-7205 dinglJao@owc.net

Espie "Butch" Joyce 704 N. Regio nal Rd. Greensboro, NC 27409 336-668-3650 windsock@aol.com

Dan Knutson

106 Tena Marie Circle

Lodi, WI 53555

608-592-7224

lodicub@cIIarter.net

Dave Clark

Steve Krog

63S Vestal Lane Plainfield, IN 46168 317 -839-4500

1002 Heather Ln.

Hartford, WI 53027

262-966-7627

sskrog@aol.com

davecpd@att.llet John S. Copeland

1A Deacon Street Northborough, MA 01532 508-393-4775 copeland l@jullo.com

Robert D. "Bob" Lumley 1265 South 124th St. Brookfield, W I 53005 262-782-2633 Jumper@execpc.com

Phil Coulson

S.H. "Wes" Schmid

28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawton, MI 49065 269-624-6490 rcou!so1,516@>cs.com

Wauwatosa, WI 53213 414-771-154S shschmid@gmail.com

2359 Lefeber Avenue

DIRECTORS

EMERITUS

Robert C. Brauer 9345 S. Hoyne Chicago, IL 60643 805-782-9713 pllOlopiiot@aol.com

Gene Chase

E.E. "Buck" Hilbert 8102 Leech Rd. Union, IL 60180 81S-923-4591 buck7ac@gmail.com

Gene Morris

2159 Carlton Rd. Oshkosh, WI 54904 920-231-5002 GRCHA@ci1arler.llet

5936 Steve Court

Roanoke, TX 76262

817-491-9110

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Ronald C. Fritz

John Turgyan PO Box 219 New Egypt, NJ 08533 609-758·2910

15401 Sparta Ave. Kent City, MI 49330 616·678-5012

' ' ' ' "' ";. ;-''"''

Membershi:R Services Directory

ENJOY THE MANY BENEFITS OF EAA AND

EAA's VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

EAA Aviation Center, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh WI 54903-3086

Phone (920) 426-4800

Fax (920) 426-4873

Web Sites: www.vintageaircraft.arg, www.airventure.arg, www.eaa.arg/memberbenefits

E-Mail: vintageaircra(t@eaa.arg EAA and Division Membership Services 800-843-3612 ... ..... ... .. FAX 920-426-6761 (8:00 AM-7:00 PM Monday-Friday CSn -New/renew memberships: EAA, Divisions (Vintage Aircraft Association, lAC, Warbirds), National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) -Address changes -Merchandise sales -Gift memberships Programs and Activities Auto Fuel STCs ................ 920-426-4843 Build/restore infonnation ........ 920-426-4821 Chapters: locating/organizing .... 920-426-4876 Education... ... .......... ..... 888-322-3229 - EAA Air Academy

- EAA Scholarships

Flight Instructor information ..... 920-426-6801 Library Services/Research .. ...... 920-426-4848 Medical Questions.............. 920-426-6112 Technical Counselors .... ....... 920-426-6864 Young Eagles ............. ..... 877-806-8902 Benefits AVA Vintage Insurance Plan ..... 800-727-3823 EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan . . .. . 866-647-4322 Term Life and Accidental ...... .. 800-241-6103 Death Insurance (Harvey Watt & Company) .................... .... .. .1-800-JOIN-EAA EAA Platinum VISA Card .. 800-853-5576 ext. 8884 EAA Aircraft Financing Plan .. .. 866-808-6040 EAA Enterprise Rent-A-Car Program .......................... 877-GA1-ERAC

Editorial .... .................. 920-426-4825

VAA Office .. .............. FAX 920-426-6579

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is $40 for one year, includ ing 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION. Family membership is an additional $10 annually. Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $23 annually. All major credit cards accepted for membership. (Add $16 far Fareign Pastage.)

EAA SPORT PILOT Current EAA members may add EAA SPORT PILOT magazine for an additional $20 per year. EAA Membership and EAA SPORT PILOT magaZine is available for $40 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not in cluded). (Add $16 for Foreign Postage.)

VINTAGE AIRCRAFf ASSOCIATION Current EAA members may join the Vintage Aircraft Association and receive VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine for an ad ditional $36 per year. EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine and one year membership in the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association is available for $46 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not in cluded). (Add $7 for Foreign Postage.)

lAC

Current EAA members may join the International Aerobatic Club, Inc. Divi sion and receive SPORT AEROBATICS magazine for an additional $45 per year. EAA Membership, SPORT AEROBAT ICS magazine and one year membership in the lAC Division is available for $55 per year (S PORT AVIATION magaZine not included) . (Add $18 for Foreign Postage.)

WARBIRDS Current EAA members may join the EAA Warbirds of America Division and receive WARBIRDS magazine for an additional $45 per year. EAA Membership, WARBIRDS maga zine and one year membership in the Warbirds Division is available for $55 per year (SPORT AVIATION magaZine not in cluded). (Add $7 for Foreign Postage.)

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

Membership dues to EAA and its divisions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions Copyright ©2008 by the EM Vintage Aircraft Association, All rights reserved. VINTAGE AIRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) 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., PO Box 3088, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086, e-mail: vintageaircraft@eaa.org. Membership to Vintage Aircraft Association, which includes 12 issues of Vintage Airplane magazine, is $36 per year for EM members and S40 for non-EM members. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at add~ional mailing offICes. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Vintage Airplane, PO Box 3088, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3088. PM 40063731 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to P~ney Bowes IMS, Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES - Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail. ADVERTISING - Vintage Aircraft Association does not guarantee or endorse

any product offered through the advertising. We invrte constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken. EDITORiAl POLICY: Members are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. No remuneration is made. Material should be sent to: Ed~or, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3088. Phone 920-426-4800. EM® and EM SPORT AVIATION®, the EM Logo® and Aeronaulica™ are registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks and 5efVice marks w~hout the pennission of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

DECEMBER 2008

the Ford and Partner Program and Savel ENJOY THE PRIVILEGE OF PARTNERSHIP DearEAA, I just love the Ford Partners Program. This is at least the fifth vehicle my

husband and I have purchased through the program. It's so fast and easy

Besides there being no negotiation over the price, you can search various

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THE 2008 Focus

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35-mpg 2.0L Duratec engine 140 hp and 136 lb.-ft. oftorque US EPA certified SmartWay lII Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle SYNC exclusive voice-activated communications & entertainment system (standard in SES models)

EXCLUSIVE PRICING, EXCEPTIONALLY SIMPLE! Ford Motor Company, in association with W, is proud to offer members the opportunity to save on the purchase or lease of vehicles from Ford Motor Company's family of brands.

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