Va vol 38 no 6 jun 2010 by EAA Vintage Aircraft Association

JUNE 2010

STRAIGHT & LEVEL GEOFF ROBISON PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

AirVenture—The countdown has begun! he staff at EAA has yet again managed to put together another truly exceptional event. Imagine the excitement of this venue with the band Chicago, the Lt. Dan Band with Gary Sinise, and all those DC-3s. Golly, where will we ever park all of them? Be sure to log onto www.AirVenture.org and check it all out. Starting Saturday morning, July 31, at 9:30, the inaugural Spirit of Aviation Auction will take place at EAA’s Jack Mark Hangar on 20th Street in Oshkosh, right on the north end of the convention grounds. It’s already shaping up to be a great event, with one of the first aircraft accepted into the auction a classic airplane, Joel Severinghaus’ Bronze Lindy-winning Taylorcraft. Get signed up to buy or sell at www.AirVenture.org/auction. Even we big kids are sure to get a charge out of the night air show with pyrotechnics on Saturday. All week long we will see the EAA Warbirds of America and the Disabled American Veterans salute to our veterans. Again, the membership will see a number of new facilities, programs, and attractions throughout the Vintage area at this year’s event. Attendance is again looking good, as pre-sale (discounted) tickets through EAA are running at an all-time high. The pre-convention VAA volunteer team hit another home run in April with the construction of our new Flightline Operations facility. These folks continue to astound me with their dedication and hard work. In one weekend they constructed a 24by-24 foot building with an 8-foot front porch on the east side. This structure is not your typical backyard shed either. It will prove to be a very

functional facility that will provide exceptional support to the hundreds of volunteers we host each year in the Vintage area. In one weekend this team managed to get the entire facility under roof with all the doors, windows, and garage doors installed. The only thing left to do is wire it for electricity and slap on the paint. We can never fully thank these awesome folks for a job well done! For all you campers planning to attend AirVenture this year, you will likely find our latest member services addition to be very helpful. If you use personal electronics like a cell phone or even a personal computer, you’ll be happy to know what we have planned. In the small building just to the west of the VAA Red Barn we will be providing a secure charging station to replenish your rechargeable batteries. This new service will be available to all attendees of AirVenture 2010; all we ask is that you make a donation to help fund this service. Just stop by the old VAA Volunteer Center building on the northwest side of the VAA Red Barn and drop off your cell phones, laptops, and any other electronic device that needs a recharge and we will do the rest. The spring meeting of the Vintage Aircraft Association board of directors was held on April 22. During this session the board was briefed on the progress of the Development Committee, and one of the initiatives discussed was a membership drive that would involve the VAA chapters. The idea is to engage our chapters with a challenge to engage their chapter members and enthusiasts and encourage them to join our association. This concept would then result in the

individual chapters receiving some type of rewards from the VAA. My question to those of you who provide leadership to VAA chapters is “what kind of rewards would you like to see us develop?” We have talked about such items as VAA logo merchandise, chapter banners, etc. Drop us a line if you think of something that your chapter would like to receive as a reward for assisting us with this latest membership drive. Simply e-mail us at vintageaircraft@eaa.org. One last item on my agenda this month is to encourage you to chase down a copy of the book titled Nine Lives. This book was written by a good friend whom I have had the pleasure to serve with on the EAA board of directors. Mal Gross has managed to expertly chronicle nearly 54 years and 6,850 hours of personal flight time. It is a book that describes his experiences of managing the inherent risks of flying, while telling many stories of potentially tragic events that he managed to survive. The forward for this book is written by EAA’s founding father, Paul H. Poberezny. “Nine Lives should be read by every pilot, particularly new, and student pilots . . . Perhaps Gross’ enthusiasm for flight will rub off on the reader, and he or she will want to join the Airman’s World.” This is a self-published book, and you can get your copy by visiting Gross’ website at www.NineLivesLuckyPilot.com. The EAA store also has copies available; you can order one at www.ShopEAA. org or by calling EAA Member Services at 800-564-6322. S e e y o u a t E A A A i r Ve n t u r e Oshkosh—July 26-August 1, 2010.

A I R P L A N E Vol. 38, No. 6

2010

JUNE

CONTENTS IFC Straight & Level AirVenture—The countdown has begun! by Geoff Robison

News

My Friend Albert Vollmecke Closing Memories of a Great Man: Part 6 by Robert G. Lock

A kaleidoscope of vintage colors and shapes by Sparky Barnes Sargent

The Douglas DC-3 75 years of service: Part 2 by Henry M. Holden

Sun ’n Fun Wrap-Up

The Vintage Mechanic Engine installations, Part I by Robert G. Lock

The Vintage Instructor Fearing (and Understanding) Crosswinds: Part 1 by Steve Krog, CFI

Mystery Plane by H.G. Frautschy

Classified Ads

COVERS FRONT COVER: In our continuing series of tributes to the DC-3 and the celebration of its 75th anniversar y, we present this photograph from the Radtke Collection of the EAA Archives of the immediate predecessor to the -3, the DC-2. You can really see some significant differences in the two airplanes when you compare this photo to the shot on the back cover of last month’s issue. Most notable is the shape of the fuselage and the ver tical fin. The DC-2 was the backbone upon which the final design of the DC-3 was built.

STAFF EAA Publisher Director of EAA Publications Executive Director/Editor Production/Special Project Photography

BACK COVER: In late May, Jack Kearby’s magnificent S.E.5a reproduction was flown to EAA headquar ters, where it will remain on display at EAA’s Pioneer Airpor t until it is moved to the convention site for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Jack was accompanied by a Cessna 175 chase plane flown by his two buddies, Johnny Hagan and Ken Clark. There will be plenty more coverage of this terrific World War-I fighter in Spor t Aviation and Vintage Airplane in the coming months. EAA/VAA photo by Alden Frautschy.

Copy Editor

Tom Poberezny Mary Jones H.G. Frautschy Kathleen Witman Jim Koepnick Bonnie Kratz Colleen Walsh

Publication Advertising: Manager/Domestic, Sue Anderson Tel: 920-426-6127 Email: sanderson@eaa.org Fax: 920-426-4828 Manager/European-Asian, Willi Tacke Phone: +49(0)1716980871 Email: willi@flying-pages.com Fax: +49(0)8841 / 496012

Coordinator/Classified, Lesley Poberezny Tel: 920-426-6563 Email: classads@eaa.org

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1

VAA NEWS tive years for VAA’s judging categories. Here they are:

Antique An aircraft constructed by the original manufacturer, or its licensee, on or before August 31, 1945, with the exception of certain pre-World War II aircraft models that had only a small postwar production. Examples: Beechcraft Staggerwing, Fairchild 24, and Monocoupe.

Classic

AirVenture 2010 With just more than a month to go before the summertime celebration of flight that is EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, we have a few items we’d like to share with you as you prepare to make your journey to Wittman Field. We’ll have more in the July issue of Vintage Airplane. And there’s even more to come in our online newsletter, Vintage Aircraft Online. Subscribe to it by clicking on the Subscribe button at the top of the web page at www.EAA.org/vintageaircraft.

Type Club Information Type club representatives who wish to have a presence at a table in the new Vintage Hangar during AirVenture 2010 should already be in contact with VAA Director Steve Krog, the type club hangar chairman, at sskrog@gmail.com. If you’ve not made your table reservation, please be certain to contact him as soon as possible. A number of type clubs have chosen to combine their annual AirVenture dinner with the VAA Picnic dinner held in the EAA Nature Center. Tickets go fast once the convention begins, so if your club would like to have its group get-together as part of the VAA Picnic on the Wednesday night of AirVenture, contact VAA Director Jeannie Hill at 815-943-7205. Tickets are to be purchased at the VAA Red Barn prior to the event.

VAA Awards Ceremony Like last year’s inaugural event, the VAA aircraft awards ceremony will take place in the Vintage Hangar, just south of the VAA Red Barn. The ceremony, which will take place after the daily air show, starting at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, promises to be a great evening for winners and attendees alike. After the ceremony, we’ll host a reception for all attendees and the winners in the Vintage Hangar with soft drinks and snacks. Plan on being there to cheer on your friends and enjoy some vintage camaraderie before we all head home the next day.

An aircraft constructed by the original manufacturer, or its licensee, on or after September 1, 1945, up to and including December 31, 1955.

Contemporar y An aircraft constructed by the original manufacturer, or its licensee, on or after January 1, 1956, up to and including December 31, 1970.

Required Equipment: EAA AirVenture NOTAM If you’re planning to fly in to Oshkosh next month, it’s imperative that you obtain a copy o f t h e FA A’s 2 0 1 0 A i r Venture Notice to Airm e n ( N O TA M ) , w h i c h contains arrival and departure procedures for the 58th annual fly-in convention. These procedures are in effect from Friday, July 23, through Monday, August 2—one day earlier than previous years. (The event is July 26-August 1.) While the overall procedures are similar to past years, you should always review each year’s NOTAM and be familiar with the procedures so you don’t have to fumble around in the cockpit as you head down the railroad tracks from Fisk! You can download a PDF version at www.AirVenture.org/flying/ 2010_NOTAM.pdf, or call EAA Membership Services at 800-564-6322 and a printed booklet will be mailed to you, free of charge. (You can also order a booklet at https://Secure.EAA.org/airventure/notam_ request.html.) Additional hints and tips for pilots arriving at and departing from EAA AirVenture 2010 are also available online at www.AirVenture.org/flying.

Sell Your Aircraft at Spirit of Aviation Auction VAA Judging Categories Each year we receive inquiries regarding the effec-

2 JUNE 2010

This year’s first Spirit of Aviation Auction, planned for Saturday, July 31, on the AirVenture grounds, of-

fers a chance to sell an aircraft at perhaps the most fitting place on earth—Oshkosh. The auction, conducted by Auction.com in conjunction with EAA, will feature all types of consigned aircraft, from privately owned recreational aircraft to rare vintage and warbird airplanes, to larger general aviation planes. The process of registering for consignment is easy. Visit www.AirVenture.org/auction, which will walk you

Superflite to Sponsor Aircraft-Covering Presentations in Vintage Area Superflite, manufacturer and developer of paint systems for fabric-covered aircraft, will sponsor aircraft-covering workshops at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2010. Aircraft-covering demonstrations presented by Superflite are part of the daily workshops offered by industry experts who help attendees learn and build their own skills through hands-on, step-bystep lessons. These demonstrations will be held in a special workshop tent located just north of the new Vintage Hangar near the Vintage Aircraft Association Red Barn Headquarters. “Superflite has been committed to the aviation community for over 60 years, and its commitment to EAA AirVenture will enhance the experience of everyone who participates in these fun, informative workshops,” said Jeff Kaufman, EAA’s director of business development. “We’re pleased to welcome Superflite to the Vintage aircraft area, and we invite anyone interested in the fabric-covering process to stop by their tent and learn more about aircraft covering and finishing,” added H.G. Frautschy, VAA’s executive director. Since 1949, Superflite has provided fabric-covering and -finishing materials for a large number of experimental and certificated aircraft—continuing to manufacture the traditional butyrate dope in addition to a state-of-the-art urethane system. Superflite’s System VI urethane topcoats have become extremely popular due to its easy application and high-gloss finish. More information is available at http://www. superflite.com.

through registration. Experts are standing by to assist you at any point of the process. The number of auction aircraft will be limited, so sign up today to reserve your position!

Don’t Forget Your EAA Passport This Summer The EAA Museum Passport Program, in partnership with the Association of Science-Technology Museums (ASTC), was launched Saturday, May 1, providing free admission to more than 300 participating museums around the world. To use this benefit, you need to display the ASTC logo on the back of your membership card. A special insert in May’s EAA Sport Aviation included stickers for your current card, and EAA’s membership services will begin sending cards with the logo already imprinted later this month. When you renew your membership, the new cards will have the logo conveniently printed on the back. Your EAA Passport will grant free admission to you and your immediate family into most participating museums on the list—as long as it is more than 90 miles from your home. (Additional restrictions apply in Wisconsin.) See the complete list at www.EAA.org/passport for the exact policy the museum of interest enforces.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

2010 VAA Friends of the Red Barn Campaign The VAA annual fundraising campaign fuels VAA action Don’t wait for a mailing from VAA HQ before you send in your contribution— to keep our administration costs as low as possible, we’re not sending out a mailing to each VAA member. Please send your donation today, while it’s fresh in your mind! Please help the VAA and our nearly 500 dedicated volunteers make this an unforgettable experience for our many EAA AirVenture guests. Your contribution now really does make a difference. There are seven levels of gifts and gift recognition. Thank you for whatever you can do. Here are some of the many activities the Friends of the Red Barn fund underwrites: • Red Barn Information Desk Supplies • Flightline Parking Scooters and Supplies • Breakfast for Past Grand Champions • Participant Plaques and Supplies • Volunteer Booth Administrative Supplies • Signs Throughout the Vintage Area • Toni’s Red Carpet Express Van and Radios • Red Barn and Other Building Maintenance • And More! Caps for VAA Volunteers Tall Pines Café Dining Tent • •

Please help the VAA make EAA AirVenture Oshkosh an unforgettable experience for our many guests. Become a Friend of the Red Barn. Contribution Levels Diamond Plus

Diamond $1,000

$1,250

EAA VIP Center

Platinum $750

Gold $500

Silver $250

Bronze $100

Loyal Supporter $99 & Under

2 people/Full Week 2 people/2 Days

2 people/1 Day

Full Week

★

2 Tickets

1 Ticket

2 People/Full Wk

1 Person/Full Wk

Donor Appreciation Certificate

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

★ ★ ★

★

Name Listed: Vintage Airplane Magazine, Website, and Sign at Red Barn

★

VIP Air Show Seating Close Auto Parking Two Tickets to VAA Picnic Tri-Motor Certificate Breakfast at Tall Pines Café Special FORB Cap Two Passes to VAA Volunteer Party Special Friends of the Red Barn Badge Access to VAA Volunteer Center

✃

2 Days

VAA Friends of the Red Barn

Name______________________________________________________________________EAA #___________ VAA #___________ (Please print your name the way you would like it to appear on your badge.) Address______________________________________________________________________________________________________ City/State/ZIP________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone___________________________________________________E-Mail______________________________________________ Please choose your level of participation: ____ Diamond Plus - $1,250.00 ____ Diamond Level Gift - $1,000.00 ____ Platinum Level Gift - $750.00

____ Gold Level Gift - $500.00 ____ Silver Level Gift - $250.00 ____ Bronze Level Gift - $100.00

____ Loyal Supporter Gift - ($99.00 or under) Your Support $_______

■ Payment enclosed (Make checks payable to Vintage Aircraft Assoc.) ■ Please charge my credit card (below)

Mail your contribution to:

VAA FORB PO Box 3086 Credit Card Number __________________________ Expiration Date _________ OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086 Signature_________________________________________

*Do you or your spouse work for a matching-gift company? If so, this gift may qualify for a matching donation. Please ask your human resources department for the appropriate form.

Name of Company __________________________________________________________

or donate online at: www.vintageaircraft.org/ programs/redbarn.html

The Vintage Aircraft Association is a nonprofit educational organization under IRS 501c3 rules. Under federal law, the deduction from federal income tax for charitable contributions is limited to the amount by which any money (and the value of any property other than money) contributed exceeds the value of the goods or services provided in exchange for the contribution. An appropriate receipt acknowledging your gift will be sent to you for IRS gift reporting reasons.

4 JUNE 2010

My Friend

Albert Vollmecke Closing memories of a great man Part 6 BY

he conclusion of this sixpart column will focus on a few more special stories that keep flooding my mind as I think back on the times Albert Vollmecke and I spent together, the letters we exchanged, and the phone call conversations we shared over the years. There are just so many memories I have of this great man, and I wonder how many people actually know about his life. Here are a few more stories for your entertainment and education. Our first photo is probably the first public announcement of the new 1928 model airplane manufactured by the Arkansas Aircraft Company. It appeared in The Arkansas Democrat newspaper on December 30, 1927, and January 1, 1928. The

ROBERT G. LOCK

I asked Mack what happened. He said, ‘Aw heck, I filled the tank full, told them to get the heck out of here and get to St. Louis before dark.’

prototype ship had been licensed “experimental” December 23, 1927, and may have been designated CX3, but there is no use of that designation shown in the paperwork for X-3790. Albert Vollmecke had no hand in the design of this ship because he had not been hired at this point in time. Application for license was made December 26, 1927, and it was described as a “Biplane for two passengers and pilot – At first will be equipped with OX-5 motor but will likely have air cooled motor installed later. Will be completed

Above: A rare glimpse inside the Arkansas Aircraft Company factory building showing a fuselage frame with an OX-5 engine mount welded in place. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

The prototype Arkansas Aircraft Company Command-Aire OX-5-powered biplane.

The first public announcement of the new Arkansas Aircraft Company ship. by December 15, 1927. A new job throughout. Experimental – later to be put into production.” The model 3C3 did not appear until September 24, 1928. There are some great stories about this particular ship, but there is not enough space here to go into detail. However, it is this poor flying ship that Albert Vollmecke inherited when he joined the corporation in September 1927, and the one he would completely redesign into the model 3C3. ATC 53 was issued to CommandAire Incorporated in the spring of 1928, and Model 3C3 ships began rolling off the assembly line. I asked Al how long it took to secure ATC 53, and he said two weeks (10 working days)! He and a small entourage traveled to Washington, D.C., and took a suite in the Roosevelt Hotel. It had a large dining room table that Al used for a drawing board. He submitted his drawings to the Aeronautics Branch of the Department of Commerce, and then he’d receive them back in a couple of days. He would make corrections or additions and resubmit them. This process was completed

6 JUNE 2010

The special fuselage fixture designed by Albert Vollmecke.

The new model BS-16 as designed by Albert Vollmecke.

Albertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rare 3-view sketch of the model BS-16. in 10 days, and they all left with a new approved type certificate (ATC) in their pocket; much different than obtaining a type certificate today with the FAA! Of course, things were much simpler then. Incidentally, it is those original ATC drawings that the Aeronautics Branch copied and affixed its official stamp to that are the focus of some his-

torians and restoration specialists because these first-copy drawings have been stored there for the past 80 years. The Aeronautics Branch kept the first copy for its files, and the originals went with the manufacturer for the factoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s files. I asked Al about the configuration of biplanes in the early days of ATC designs. It seemed that most all bi-

planes looked essentially the same. They were about the same size, had the same size engines, had the same instrumentation, etc. He said they all copied each other in those early days. And they helped each other to obtain an ATC. He said he had helped Clyde Cessna get an early ATC for one of his ships. Al had designed a special fuselage fabrication fixture capable of having all the tubing laid up in the welding position rather than use wood forms. Advertising indicated that the chief designer of the Arkansas Aircraft Company had patented the device. I asked Al if he had indeed patented his invention, and he said no. He did say that some officials from Curtiss-Wright came down to look at his invention and copied it to build its Travel Air ships in Wichita, Kansas. This device is a credit to the ingenuity brought over from Germany. In the illustration you can see how all longerons, cross and diagonal tubes, and stations are completely assembled and require just gas welding, thus saving time and labor. He said that all fuselages were welded in this fixture, and when they were removed from the jig, they had the engine mount for a particular type of engine welded on later. In the photograph shown in this article, an OX-5 engine mount has been welded to the fuselage, which required another special fixture to keep it aligned and in the proper location. You can see the large tanks of oxygen and acetylene gas for gas welding of the structure. There are many interesting points in this picture; in particular, the fuselage fixture shown above is located center right, while the horizontal and vertical stabilizer and aileron fixtures can be seen in the background. This rare glimpse inside the factory was provided by Al from his personal files. I asked Al which one of his designs during his many years of aircraft design at Command-Aire was his favorite, since he flew them all. He said his model BS-16, which was not a complete surprise to me. The BS-16 was a very handsome ship,

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

modified from his successful 5C3. It featured an outrigger landing gear, a pneumatic tail wheel, and an elevated rear seat for better visibility. There is no doubt in my mind that this would have been a big seller for the company if it had not gone bankrupt and ceased to exist. To my knowledge the three-view shown in this article is a neverbefore-published sketch of the Vollmecke BS-16 design. The handwriting is Al’s and is probably the

only drawing of this particular airplane anywhere. He said the wing and tail cellule were basically from the model 5C3; however, there is a slight change in the shape of the vertical stabilizer and rudder. The ship was powered by a new Lycoming R-680 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine producing 210 hp. In 1930 its price new at the factory was $5,675. Only one ship was produced with a manufacture date of January 1930. The serial number was W-140, and

The model BS-14.

The Walter radial engine designed by J. Walter Spohl, of Prague, Czechoslovakia. 8 JUNE 2010

its license number was X-337V. The ship was designed for a sport trainer capable of doing acrobatics. I asked Al what the “BS” represented, and he replied, “Biplane sport.” The ship was sold and went to Texas, where it was converted to crop-dusting and was destroyed in a fiery crash. Al also designed the model BS-14, serial number W-139, with a license number of X-286V. It was powered by a Warner radial engine developing 125 hp. It, too, featured some advanced design work. The wing and empennage cellule were the same as the model 5C3, but the rudder was shaped differently. Note the use of bayonet stacks on the Warner engine and Standard steel propeller. The landing gear was rigid with shock absorbers connecting axles to landing gear. Only one aircraft was constructed under Group 2 Approval 2-204. Al would, on occasion, travel back to his native Germany looking for new ideas. On one particular trip he was looking for a radial engine that pumped out about 120 hp. He had designed the model 4C3 in November 1928 and needed a new engine for it. He came back to Little Rock with a Walter nine-cylinder radial engine manufactured by J. Walter A. Spohl, Prague, Czechoslovakia. The model 4C3 was not a modified 3C3 but a new design that would eventually evolve into the model 5C3. The model 4C3 received license number X-70E on November 10, 1928, but according to Al the engine would not operate properly in the United States because the fuel octane was too low and detonation would occur. The 4C3 was abandoned in favor of the model 5C3. No ATC was ever issued for this ship. I’ve also included a photo of the only model 4C3 constructed. It was the forerunner to the model 5C3, as it was adapted over to the Wright Challenger radial engine and received ATC 184. I want to conclude this column about my friend Albert Vollmecke with a funny story told by former Command-Aire Vice President Charles Taylor. It deals with a flight

A Command-Aire model 4C3 with the Walter 120-hp radial engine.

Chief pilot Wright “Ike” Vermilya rides atop a model 3C to demonstrate the aircraft’s stability. Command-Aire seized the unique photograph for its advertising campaign. This scan is from the December 1928 issue of Air Transportation.

from Little Rock to St. Louis in 1930. It seems Al and his colleague P.Y. Tien (a mathematic genius from China) were flying the new BS-16 to the International Aircraft Exposition, where the corporation had floor space to display its aircraft currently under production. The story from Charles Taylor goes, “I remember the 1930 St. Louis Air Show. We had to take several planes up there to display and to demonstrate. Vollmecke and his Chinese assistant engineer P.Y. Tien—you see they were an international outfit—volunteered to fly one of the planes to St. Louis. I heard about the trip later from Mack

West, who operated the airport at Paragould. He said this CommandAire landed for gas, but he couldn’t find out how much gas they wanted. He said he didn’t understand German or Chinese, and he wasn’t sure they understood each other, but they had two slide rules smoking, apparently computing miles already flown from Little Rock, miles still to fly to St. Louis, the amount of gas already consumed, and the amount of gas required for the balance of the trip at various throttle settings and rpm. I asked Mack what happened. He said, ‘Aw heck, I filled the tank full, told them to get the heck out of here and get to St. Louis before dark.’” Al’s designs always focused on

safety and specifically stability in flight. The last photo we have to share with you is a scan of a famous ad campaign featuring factory chief pilot Wright “Ike” Vermilya with NC7249. This was the airplane that began to put Arkansas Aircraft Company and its Command-Aire ships “on the map.” Vermilya would exit the rear cockpit while the airplane was in flight and straddle the fuselage, perching on the headrest of the rear cockpit. This feat was shown nationwide on film by the Pathe News Agency, proving the safety and stability of the Vollmecke design. The stunt was also publicized in the Chicago Herald newspaper and by the international news services. This attention-getter was later perfected into a three-ship formation with all three pilots flying astraddle the fuselage. And with that story I will end my dissertation and introduction (or is it reintroduction?) of my friend Albert Vollmecke to the aviation community. He was priceless, and a great gift to aviation and humanity. I’ll see you again someday, Al.

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Sun ’n Fun Wrap-Up

A kaleidoscope of vintage PHOTOS AND STORY BY

S PARKY B ARNES S ARGENT

cool, bracing wind greeted aviators as they landed at Lakeland this spring. Mother Nature’s welcome to the 36th annual Sun ’n Fun Fly-In served as a reminder of winter’s strong but transient grasp, which yielded a few days later to the pervasive and pleasant Florida climate. The spring sun warmed our backs as we wandered the vintage aircraft camping area, while our hearts were warmed by

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salutations from friends old and new, combined with the promise of spring and summer flying. There were aviators and airplanes who arrived and stayed all week, and others who came just for a day or two. Yet regardless of the length of their visit, each of them contributed to the continual kaleidoscope of changing shapes and colors in the vintage aircraft camping area. The decade of the 1930s was brought to life by aircraft such as the

e colors and shapes

Sikorsky S-39C, Spirit of Igor, with its spotted-giraffe paint scheme; the glossy scarlet Pitcairn PA-18 Autogiro; the Consolidated YPT-6A Fleet biplane with its olive drab fuselage and golden wings; and the gorgeous lines of the polished-aluminum and fabric-covered Ryan SCW. There were plenty of airplanes to symbolize the 1940s, including four handsomely restored Howard DGA-15Ps; a variety of Swifts, Ercoupes, Pipers, Aeroncas, Navions,

Stearmans, Wacos, Stinsons, and Cessnas; a Culver Cadet; and two eyecatching and brightly painted Johnson Rockets. Airplanes from the 1950s and 1960s included an outstanding Luscombe 8F, the unique Anderson Greenwood AG-14, Piper Comanches, Beechcraft Bonanzas, and many more landplanes and seaplanes. This year, we bring to our readers a snapshot sampling of the aviators and airplanes in attendance. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

ick Jackson of Rochester, New Hampshire, brought NC50V, a 1931 Sikorsky S-39C, to Lakeland this year. There, this antique amphibian was an eye-catcher in the sky, on the ground, and in the water. The Spirit of Igor was named as a tribute to designer Igor Sikorsky and adventurers/explorers Martin and Osa Johnson. NC50V was awarded Reserve Grand Champion Antique.

ichard and Kathy Arnold of Eustis, Florida, were busy setting up their camping gear beside their 1946 Taylorcraft BC-12D. Their visit to Sun ’n Fun provided a relaxing escape from their daily business of wooden boat restoration. Richard, who will soon be joining the Vintage Aircraft Association (VAA), was attracted to NC95059, as he says, because “I’ve loved them my whole life! For me, it was the forerunner of the more popular Piper Cub, and I just think the Taylorcraft has it all, hands-down, over a Piper. The Taylorcraft has per formance, fuel economy, simplicity, safety, and good looks. This plane is all original, with its 65-hp Continental. I started flying in 1972 and soloed in a Cherokee 140, and spent several years flying biplanes and aerobatics in a Pitts Special. We haven’t had the Taylorcraft that long,” he shares with a smile. “In fact, I hadn’t flown in 18 years and just recently got my currency again. Kathy drove and brought all the gear for a trial run of camping all week.”

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member Ed Boyd of Springfield, Illinois, has owned N5835A, a 1956 Cessna 172, for nearly three decades. After buying the airplane in 1971, he soon put his airframe and powerplant mechanic skills to work and completed its restoration in 1981. He doesn’t recall any real challenges with the project and smiles as he explains, “I like it all—from replacing the firewall to doing the sheet metal work. Most of all, I enjoy the flying. I’ve probably logged 1,700 hours in it. This is my 16th year coming to Sun ’n Fun, and this airplane has come with me every time. The flight down here took me something less than 10 hours, and I spent the night along the way.”

EAA

member Stephen “Jake” Jacobson, accompanied by Peggy Fairchild, flew his 1950 Cessna 170A from Meacham Field in For t Wor th, Texas, to Florida just to celebrate the annual “spring break for pilots.” They took a somewhat leisurely pace with their three-day cross-countr y, following behind a weather front that was sweeping from the Plains to the East Coast. Jake bought N5752C in 1985 as a basket case, and this sparkling Cessna, with its immaculate interior, fills a special niche in his life. “The airplane had been a pipeline patrol airplane for 11 years after it went out of the factory, until 1961, when my father and his partners bought it. It was in good shape; it was high time, it wasn’t pretty, but it was a solid airplane. He bought out the other par tners as they lost interest in it, and he flew it for about 10 years. I was a teenager then, and he taught me how to fly in it,” Jake shares, smiling. “I soloed it and also took my checkride in it. My father sold it, and it went through more owners, and I’d actually followed the ownership of it. It ended up in Fort Lauderdale, where it sat out in the open for about four years—it had a leak in the upper par t of the windshield, which ran down into the door post, gearbox, and down into the belly of the airplane, so it rotted out the gearbox. Then the owner moved to Arizona, and I bought it from him out at Falcon Field. Before my ferry permit expired, I flew the plane to Harry Dellicker’s Del-Air in Porterville, California. They took it apart and stored it in their hangar. It was rebuilt one component at a time by Del-Air’s restoration wizards, John Garrett, Paul Lodas, and Chris Shaw, over a period of 22 years. I did the unskilled stuff like parts cleaning, parts shopping, and technical research—most of the other work was way beyond my capabilities. Chris Shaw did the instrument panel, wiring, and final assembly.” The most challenging aspect of the restoration was completing the interior. “There’s just no information or old pictures of the interiors for the ‘A’ models and the ragwings,” explains Jake. “Thankfully, Ron Par tridge, customer ser vice manager, Cessna Propeller Division, provided the engineering drawings for the interior with the blessing of Cessna CEO Jack Pelton, a longtime supporter of vintage aircraft restoration projects. The interior was done stitch by stitch at Ronnie Broadhead’s shop in Porter ville. The Narco VTR-1 Omnigator is identical to the one it used to have, and it still works—I use it.” N5752C was awarded Best Restored Classic (101-165 hp) this year. N5752C was featured in the July 2009 issue of this magazine

VAA

ack and Kate Tiffany and the Leading Edge Aircraft crew from Spring Valley, Ohio, brought their award-winning 1932 Pitcairn PA-18 Autogiro to Florida this spring, following its debut at EAA AirVenture last summer. As soon as the wind calmed down during the week, Andrew King flew the Autogiro over to Lakeland from Punta Gorda, where it had been on display at another air show. NC1267B’s restoration saga was featured in the November 2009 issue of this magazine. The Autogiro was awarded Grand Champion Antique at Sun ’n Fun.

rad Larson has owned NC18912, a 1938 Ryan SCW, for 55 years. He personally completed its restoration in 1962, when he was 47 years old. Brad painstakingly hand-polished the Ryan before he and his son, Glenn, brought it over to Sun ’n Fun from Sarasota. The airplane is powered by a 165hp Warner Super Scarab, and the Larsons (EAA/ VAA members) were presented with the Bronze Age Preser vation Award for their effor ts in maintaining and flying the airplane all these years. (Watch for an upcoming feature on this airplane.)

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

ow this was a rare sight: A pair of 1946 Johnson Rocket 185s taxied into the vintage area and parked one afternoon. NC90200 (s/n 7) is owned by Jim Ferretti, who divides his time between Boston, Massachusetts, and the Spruce Creek Fly-in (Daytona, Florida), where he keeps his newly restored brightorange Rocket. “My neighbor, Orval, who has the red Rocket, has been ver y helpful getting ever ything right on this airplane,” explains Jim, expressing his gratitude. “It probably would never have flown without him. I really love it; it’s the first classic airplane I’ve ever owned. It’s a phenomenal little airplane, and I plan to keep it forever!” NC90204 (s/n 11) has been owned by Or val Fairbairn, also of the Spruce Creek Fly-in, for more than four decades. “I bought mine in a basket in 1963, and I fi rst fl ew it in 1971. I did all the work on it myself—it has wood wings, with fabric covering over it, and all the control sur faces are wood and fabric. The steel tube fuselage has a plywood tur tledeck. There were only 17 built, and these two Rockets are the only ones flying; there’s a third one that was grand champion both here and at Oshkosh, but it isn’t flying right now.” Sharing a brief history of the airplane, Orval summarizes, “Rumor has it that Pop Johnson took a Culver Cadet home with him, took it apart, measured up some things, and made the wooden GC-1 Swift. That one is up in the Swift Museum [Athens, Tennessee] now. Then he lost control of the Swift project to Bud Knox and later came up with the Rocket 125, which was a taildragger with a 125-hp Lycoming—it’s a totally different airplane. Then he designed the [two-place] Rocket 185, with a 190-hp O-435 Lycoming. Jim’s owned s/n 7 for three years. Its previous owner was Willy Desruisseaux, who owned it for probably 40 years—he passed away, and the plane became available. NC90200 actually has all the paperwork going back to day one.”

members Mar y Wood and Mark White of Vero Beach are an enthusiastic and hardworking husband-and-wife restoration team. They’re devoted to por traying histor y as accurately as possible, as exemplified by N1P, their 1930 Consolidated YPT-6A Fleet. They bought the project in Ohio and hauled it home to Indian River Aerodrome. When they began restoring it, they were quite surprised to discover that they had a historic treasure on their hands. The biplane is one of 16 built by Consolidated for the Army Air Corps (an additional six were built for the Navy), and it was originally based at Brooks Field, Texas. Finished in its original colors and markings, the biplane was a novelty in the vintage area this spring. “We found what turned out to be a military serial number stamped in the airframe of the airplane,” Mary explains, “and then we started doing research. We were able to get the records from the Air Force; they were very helpful with all the information—and we found a historical photograph of the airplane in a book.” “There are only four of these aircraft left, and this is the only one flying. It originally had a 100-hp Kinner, but now it has a 160 horse—but it has the same look. It had a tailskid and 24-inch air wheels, when the Army Air Corps used it as a trainer,” shares Mark, smiling and adding, “it’s been a labor of love for seven years; we completed it last May.” Throughout the week, Mark and Mary always seemed to have an inquisitive crowd gathered around their biplane, and the couple was happy to answer questions. The judges took note of N1P and awarded it Outstanding Open Cockpit Biplane Antique. (Watch for an upcoming feature on this airplane.)

VAA

14 JUNE 2010

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ack and Glinda Hill were happy to fly N32071 to Sun ’n Fun again. Jack has owned the 1941 Waco UPF-7 since 1981; it was recently restored to award-winning status by Scott Shue of York, Pennsylvania. Jack is a retired airline pilot with 35,000 hours total, and about 11,000 of those hours are in lightplanes. The Hills are VAA members and keep their Waco in Washington, North Carolina. (Watch for an upcoming feature on this airplane.)

resley and Jo Melton of Nor th Little Rock, Arkansas, own this distinctively elegant 1943 Howard DGA-15P, which arrived at Lakeland just after receiving the finishing touches on its restoration. NC9125H was awarded Champion – Custom Antique. (Watch for an upcoming feature on this airplane.)

ongtime VAA and Ninety-Nines member Kate Macario was cheerfully talking with passersby as they admired N3026B, the 1952 Jacobs-powered Cessna 195B that she’s owned for 19 years. These days, she travels with one of her sons, Michael, and his wife, “Bunny.” The threesome are frequent visitors to Sun ’n Fun, and 85-year-old Kate is quite the energetic and enthusiastic suppor ter of all things aviation. “When I was in high school I always wanted to fly, and when I was a sophomore, I went down to the shore and went for a plane ride on the beach. My mother wanted me to be a schoolteacher, and I wanted to get a job and fly. So I went from my house on public transportation—a trolley car, a bus, anything to get to the airport and get a half-hour in the Cub. I got my license in 1946. I had applied to be a flight attendant but didn’t get hired. My husband and I ran Macario Airport for a while; I’ve flown Stearmans and Cessna 150s, and we restored airplanes like a Pitcairn Mailwing and others. We had seven children; the boys fly, and the girls are teachers. I have a wonderful family and am very proud of them. I’m not an active pilot right now; I’m not sharp enough to fly that airplane by myself now, so Michael flies it, and he maintains it, too.” Kate is active with her local Ninety-Nines Eastern Pennsylvania chapter and thinks EAA is “just wonder ful. You asked me, ‘What is the best thing about being involved in aviation?’ I don’t think there’s anything else! I don’t play bingo, I don’t sew … aviation has just been my life, and I enjoy it so much, and I always will.”

16 JUNE 2010

hese look-alikes were tied down one behind the other in the vintage area and turned several heads during the week. A quick glance reveals the primar y dif ference between the two: one has the small wheel under the nose, and the other has it beneath the tail. N7543E is a 1958 Champion Aeronca 7FC Tri-Traveler, and it belongs to James Bunner of Belleville, West Virginia. N7586E is a 1958 Champion 7EC, and it’s owned by Larr y Smith of Davenport, Florida—it was awarded Best Restored Contemporary.

oe Colonna of Lake City, Florida, was relaxing with a book beneath the wing of his 1957 Piper PA-18 Super Cub in the vintage field. He’s owned N7881D for 12 years and did his own hands-on, complete restoration two years ago, using the Poly-Fiber process with Aerothane as a topcoat. “When I was working, I dreamt that when I retired, I’d have a Super Cub and fly all around the country, and that’s what I do. I flew it for seven years before I restored it. It finally got to the point where I was ashamed of it,” he explains, chuckling and adding, “it took me eight months and seven days to restore it. I live in an airpark, and my hangar is attached to the house— I was out there at 7 in the morning and worked until 9 o’clock at night. It wasn’t my intention to make a show-

plane; I just wanted something I wouldn’t be ashamed of, and I wanted to fly it again. I’ve landed in 49 states with it and have flown into Barrow, Alaska, 330 miles north of the Arctic Circle. I logged 252 hours last year, and I’ve logged as much as 409 in a year. One year I thought I’d like to do 365 hours, so almost every day I flew back and forth to get ice cream at Crystal River and put two hours in the logbook—I logged 409 hours that year.” Joe has developed his own handy reference system for his long cross-countries, which usually consist of about 210-mile legs. “I put every leg of my cross-country on a 3-by-5 inch card, and I have all the per tinent information and distance on the front, and on the back I have all the phone numbers at the destination—hotels, etc. I select stops at places that either have a courtesy car or hotel or motel close by, in case I have to spend time there. And I just work my way across the country, hop to hop, landing wherever it looks like a good place to stop. I’m going to take this to Oshkosh this summer, and I’d like to go back out west. That’s really neat country to fly in, and Utah is probably the most picturesque state we have. We had [the late] Gordon Baxter talk at the Mooney convention, and he said when somebody asked him about the expense of flying airplanes, he told them ‘I’m buying memories.’ So that’s what I’m doing, and they’re priceless.”

and VAA member Lee Hussey of Martinsville, Virginia, was busy one morning wiping the dew from N8455P, his 1964 Piper PA-24 Comanche 400 (s/n 120). He bought it in December 2007 and says it’s “been a labor of love, but it’s something I always wanted. I had a 250 Comanche since 1988, and I’d been trying to make it go faster with speed mods and ‘tricks of the trade,’ but my mechanic kept telling me, ‘Lee, the only way you’re going to make a Comanche go faster is to get more horsepower!’ So finally my opportunity presented itself, and I found a nice 400 Comanche. I was 24 years old back in 1978, when I got my license, and it’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done, it really is. I’ve had more enjoyment with flying,” he says, adding with a friendly smile, “my trip to Lakeland was very nice;

I flew at 10,500 feet straight down, and it took me about 3 hours, 10 minutes. I get an honest 195 knots out of it, and again, I’m trying to learn a few tricks to get a little more speed. I like Sun ’n Fun because it has hospitality beyond my expectations. The biggest thing is that everyone is so kind and nice to us—I come down first, and my family comes a little later in the week. It’s truly a fun place to be, not to mention all the aircraft that I can walk to and learn about. And then there are the different rides—I took a helicopter ride last year and a P-51 Mustang ride—I’ve done some things I’ve always wanted to do, but you can’t do it where I’m from—you’ve got to come to a place like this. It’s been quite enjoyable, and it’s truly Sun ’n FUN.” Lee’s well-kept Comanche received the Sun ’n Fun Grand Champion Custom Contemporary award.

EAA

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

Chester Lawson of Daytona Beach, Florida, is listed as the owner of N86638, a 1946 Grumman G-44A.

N67867, a 1943 Continental-powered Grumman G-44, is registered to JMQ Inc. of Gulf Breeze, Florida.

N1947P, a perky 1955 Piper PA-22-150, is owned by Ron Spence of Germantown, Tennessee.

This 1946 Fairchild 24R-46, N81234, is registered to Hangar Rentals Inc. of Wilmington, Delaware. At least one other Fairchild, a 24W-46 model, adorned the flightline late in the week; it is owned by Eddie Hoffman of Tarpon Springs, Florida.

NC859V, an award-winning 1930 Waco RNF, was restored by John and Scott Shue. Joe Kaminskas of Biglerville, Pennsylvania, has owned the antique for more than a decade. It was awarded Best Silver Age Antique at Sun â&#x20AC;&#x2122;n Fun this year.

N815B, a ver y neatly restored 1950 Luscombe 8F, at- N888LW, a 1948 Navion A nicknamed Woody Bird, is tracted numerous appre ciative onlookers during the owned by Larr y Woodfin of Lake City, Florida. The airweek. It is owned by James Strong of Williamsville, New plane has been part of his family for nearly two decades. York, and was awarded Outstanding Classic Aircraft. continued on page 39 18 JUNE 2010

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The

Douglas DC-3

75 years of service: Part 2 by Henry M. Holden World War II In September 1939, war broke out in Europe. The Douglas Aircraft Company was suddenly swamped with orders for the C-47, which was still on the drawing board. As a stopgap measure, Douglas engineers modified the DC-2. They assembled a DC-2 fuselage to a DC-3 tail, added more powerful engines,

20 JUNE 2010

and called it the C-39. The Army ordered 35 of them, and it became the nucleus for the Armyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first air transport group. By December 7, 1941, the Army Air Corps had ordered 957 C-47s. The orders flooded the Santa Monica plant, and Douglas opened a plant in Long Beach, California. Before war production ended,

Douglas opened plants in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1942, massive wartime orders began to pour into the Douglas plants. By December 1942, Douglas received orders for 5,500 C-47s and its variants. Orders kept coming in, but the next massive order came in February 1944, when the Army asked Doug-

The British called it the “Dak” and the acronym based on DACoTA, which stood for Douglas Aircraft Company

AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

“Dakota,” a clever

Left: As a stopgap measure, until the C-47 was available, Douglas engineers modified the DC-2. They attached a DC-2 fuselage to a DC-3 tail, added more powerful engines, and called it the C-39.

Transport Aircraft. Above: This C-47 is launching a Waco CG-4 behind it in a practice flight leading up to D-Day. Notice both the C-47 and the glider are wearing “invasion stripes.”

NATIONAL ARCHIVES

las to manufacture an additional 2,000 C-47s. June saw another order for 1,100 C-47s. The last order, for 1,469 C-47s and its variants, came in July 1944, but not all of this order was completed. Douglas delivered 2,000 C-47s by April 1944, in time for the D-Day invasion. By that time, the Oklahoma City plant was turning out a record 1.8 C-47s an hour, besides the other aircraft it was producing. In May 1944, two plants, Oklahoma City and Long Beach, produced 573

completed C-47s. During that 31day period the production output was equivalent to 18.5 planes a day. In May 1945, the Long Beach plant alone produced more than 415 C47s, in addition to 120 Boeing B-17 bombers in the same month. Based on the same engineering design, from outward appearances, the C-47 was almost the twin sister of the DC-3; the astrodome and the “barn door” on the left side of the aft cabin were the most obvious differences. Beneath the looks, the C-47 production presented many design challenges for Douglas. “The C-47 wasn’t a very hard airplane to sell; it was just a question of putting the right type of door on it,” said Arthur Raymond, Douglas’ assistant chief engineer.

The Army wanted a large cargoloading door, and that was a challenge. Douglas engineers realized that to cut the door opening they would need to reinforce the airframe or the tail would fall off. With the new door opening, the Army could roll a Jeep or small artillery piece into the airplane, but the floor would not support the weight. Reinforcing the floor added even more weight to the airplane. Weight-and-balance engineers trimmed and changed the shape of the rudder and stabilizer slightly until they got the desired results. Although the C-47 was a universal transport, the constant military modifications resulted in an assortment of models and designations. It became difficult to track them. In all, there were 69 variants, all having

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

Paratroopers are waiting to board a C-47 for a practice jump. By December 7, 1941, the Army Air Corps had ordered 957 C-47s. One year into the war, Douglas had received orders for 5,500 C-47s and its variants.

AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

The U.S. Air Force used the C-47 as an ambulance ship as did its predecessor, the Army Air Forces. The C-47 ambulance reduced the time it took to get the wounded to surgery, and it saved many lives.

VIA COERT MUNK

22 JUNE 2010

AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

Air Force C-47s are seen here unloading tons of supplies to the beleaguered city of Berlin. In the first three months of the blockade, C-47s made more than 12,000 round trips between West Germany and Berlin.

AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

The DC-3/C-47 adapted to almost every role into which it was placed. One variant of the C-47 that was unsuccessful was the XC-47 on floats. The XC-47C was equipped with two Edo Model 78 floats. The XC47C was limited and could operate only on smooth water. One hundred sets of floats were ordered from Edo, and the C-47C saw limited service in New Guinea and Alaska.

This Soviet Union–built C-47 was designated Lisunov Li-2 after aeronautical engineer Boris Pavlovich Lisunov, who had spent two years at the Douglas plant. Originally designated the PS-84, it had flown with Aeroflot primarily as a passenger transport before World War II. It was redesignated the Li-2 when the war broke out, and NATO’s code name for it was “Cab.”

AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

The C-47 truly saw service in every theater of World War II. Here one is seen flying over part of Egypt. At the end of the war, many C-47s were released to their host countries via lend-lease agreements. One C-47 was converted back to passenger operations and was used to start Saudi Airlines. their roots in the DC-2 and DC-3. The C-47 had a major influence on the outcome of the war. During the first airdrop of the Sicilian Campaign, called Operation Ladbroke, on June 9, 1943, 147 aircraft, including 112 C-47s towing 137 Waco CG-4 and eight Horsa gliders, carried 1,600 British troops. It was the most successful aerial assault. The glider missions that followed were disasters. Operation Husky 1 involved 226 C-47s and 3,400 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division. Eight C-47s were lost to enemy action. Operation Husky 2 was nearly a complete disaster. After 144 C-47s dropped 2,000 troops to reinforce

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

This C-47 was flown into Berlin to commemorate the end of the Berlin Airlift. C-47s supplied the barricaded city for months, flying around the clock, in every type of weather. Later the Air Force standardized the airlift operations, using the Douglas C-54 Skymaster.

the 82nd Airborne, 23 C-47s were lost, and more than 60 were badly damaged. Operation Fustian, on July 13, involved 132 C-47s. Of those, 14 C-47s were lost and 50 badly damaged; 27 returned without completing their drops. After that, the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) used special “invasion stripes” for all Allied aircraft. On June 6, 1944, D-Day, the ground invasion of Europe by Allied forces began. Part of this contingent was the largest airborne armada ever assembled to that point. The first wave of transports included 821 C-47s. In the first 24 hours, there were at least 1,674 sor-

ties by C-47s, towing 513 gliders, from more than 20 bases in England. At the height of the invasion one C-47 took off every 11 seconds, with an average of 20 paratroopers aboard each aircraft. They flew in waves of four abreast and stretched more than 200 miles from the southern coast of England to the Cherbourg Peninsula. “The steady stream of transports kept coming and coming in an endless sky train,” CBS correspondent Charles Collingwood reported. “The awe of it stopped the fighting in some sectors as men looked skyward with unbelieving eyes.” By the end of the war, the C-47

HENRY M. HOLDEN COURTESY VIC FOUCHE, DAKOTA ASSOC. OF SOUTH AFRICA

This South African Air Force C-47 had most of its rudder and elevator blown away by a surface-to-air missile in 1987. The pilot brought the plane in for a safe landing, claiming the damage made little difference to the plane’s handling.

To honor Vietnam veteran Sgt. John L. Levitow, the lowest-ranking Air Force member ever to earn the Medal of Honor, the American Flight Museum, in Topeka, Kansas, purchased a C-47 airframe (USAAF, c/n 43-16369), registered N2805J, and converted it to a replica of Levitow’s AC-47 gunship. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

had carried 22 million tons of goods and flown 67 million passenger miles. The C-47s under the Air Transport Command logged on average 15 to 19 hours a day in the air. For every use found for the C-47, someone created a new nickname. Americans called it the Gooney Bird, Doug, Dumbo, Old Fatso, Charlie 47, Skytrain, Skytrooper, and Tabby. The British called it the “Dak” and the “Dakota,” a clever acronym based on DACoTA, which stood for Douglas Aircraft Company Transport Aircraft. The Royal Canadian Air Force called one squadron of Dakotas “The Flying Elephants.” The Russians

COURTESY PBA, AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

The all-time high-timer: Provincetown-Boston Airlines N136PB, c/n 1997, started out on October 27, 1937, as ship 341 with Eastern Air Lines as N18121. It went to the USAAF on June 8, 1942, as a C-49G, registered 4256631, and back to Eastern near the end of the war on July 22, 1944, with its old N number. In December 1978, PBA registered it as N136PB. The ship had 82,873 hours and had flown the equivalent of 12,438,735 miles. The last reported time was 91,400.02 in August 1993.

COURTESY AMERICAN AIRLINES

American Airlines flagship NC21798, c/n2202, is seen here on its way to the C.R. Smith Museum in Dallas, Texas, in 1992. Today it is on display inside the museum. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

This flight of four U.S. Marine Corps C-117D (Super DC-3), redesignated from R4D-8, illustrates the changes to the wings and empennage made for the Super DC-3. In 1949 the Super DC-3 was an effort by Douglas to catch up to an airline market that had outgrown the DC-3. The Super DC-3 was unsuccessful in landing any more substantial airline orders; the Navy bought the 102 copies that Douglas had remanufactured from DC-3 airframes.

AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

This is a Navy R4D-5, the Navy version of the C-47, BuNo. 17274, c/n 14332/25777. It was USAAF 43-48516 delivered August 28, 1944. It participated in Operation Deep Freeze, a series of missions to Antarctica. Eventually it was used as a “taxi” with its outer wings removed until it was lost on an ice floe in the Ross Sea in 1962.

AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

24 JUNE 2010

C/n 3283, DC-3-343A, NC28379 was delivered on March 21, 1941, as United Airlines Mainliner Washington/Klamath Falls. It was registered as N144D when it was sold to Ozark Air Lines in 1954.

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formed “fly-by-night” operations. But the war had spurred massive aviation advances, and the DC-3 would find itself slowly pushed aside as the larger, faster four-engine airliners such as the DC-4, DC-6, and DC-7 came on the scene.

Berlin Airlift

HENRY M. HOLDEN

Delta Air Lines NC28341 is the former N29PR. After more than three and a half years of refurbishing the old freight dog, Delta’s ship 41 received its airworthiness certificate from the FAA on October 26, 1999. It was photographed at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in 2000. called it the “PS-84” and the “Li-2.” The North Atlantic Treaty Organization gave the Russian Li-2 the code name “CAB.” The French Navy called it “The Beast.” It even enjoyed the fleeting nickname “Biscuit Bomber,” after dropping 5,000 cases of rations to Gen. Patton’s troops in France. Civilian pilots called it “The Three,” “Old Methuselah,” “The Placid Plodder,” “The Dowager Dutchess,” “The Flying Vagrant,” and “The Dizzy Three.” In Vietnam, it earned the sobriquets “Puff the Magic Dragon,” “Puff,” “Spooky,” and “The Dragon Ship.”

Most people remember Gooney Bird. Some say the name came from the South Pacific, where small atolls were the home of the wandering albatross, the giant seagull-like bird noted for its powers of flight and sometimes unflattering but safe landings. Some GIs said the C-47 looked like the bird, with a heavy body and long wings, and mimicked the bird in its struggle to get off the rain-soaked dirt fields. After the war, the DC-3 went back into civilian use with the major airlines. Hundreds more were sold as surplus to entrepreneurs who often

AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

This photo shows hundreds of C-47s and CG-4 gliders staging for an aerial invasion. Operation Fustian, on July 13, 1943, involved 132 C-47s. Of those, 14 C-47s were lost and 50 badly damaged; 27 returned without completing their drops. After that, the USAAF used special “invasion stripes” for all Allied aircraft. Note the absence of invasion stripes on these aircraft. 26 JUNE 2010

On June 24, 1948, the Russians blockaded the land routes into the Allied sector of Berlin. The USAF and the Royal Air Force used C-47s (and C-54s) as the leading edge of a 15-month airlift of food, medicine, and fuel that neared the total tonnage moved during World War II. At first, C-47s comprised 85 percent of the total aircraft flown. Many flew with 8,000-pound payloads, again greatly exceeding the Douglas specifications. Through an error in an invoice, one C-47 flew 13,500 pounds of pierced steel planking (PSP) instead of the intended payload of PAP, pierced aluminum planking, more than twice the weight recommended. Of course, the plane protested and was reluctant to fly, but it did anyway. When it landed, tail wheel first, the weight blew both main tires. The full extent of the C-47’s help may never be known, but it is known that in the first three months of the blockade, C-47s made more than 12,000 round trips between West Germany and Berlin. One C-47 flew continuously for 327 hours, 27 minutes. The C-47s supplied the barricaded city for months, hauling food, coal, and everything else needed to run a city, by flying around the clock, in every type of weather. Later the Air Force standardized the airlift operations using the Douglas C-54 Skymaster. On September 23, 1949, 321 days after the Russians blockaded the city, the last C-47 flew into Berlin. Stenciled on the side were the words, “Positively the last load from Lübeck.” Beneath this was written, “For they intended evil against thee; they imagined a mischievous device, which they were not able to perform. Psalm 21: Verse 11.” The C-47/Dakota had kept West Berlin alive, and the world out of another war.

THE SPIRIT OF AVIATION

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Vintage Mechanic

THE

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

Engine installations: Part I ’ve been asked some questions recently regarding engine installations on various antique aircraft, so I thought it would make a good topic for this issue. Engine installations can be classified as original factory or modified. Many older aircraft require modification of the airplane’s engine installation because the engine is unreliable or there is a scarcity of parts to keep it airworthy. Safety is the prime motivator for me when considering engine installations. Many Travel Air aircraft have been modified from their original Wright J-5 engines to a more reliable Continental W-670. Or perhaps one wants to install the original engine, but update the means of shock mounting. The photograph on this page shows a 1929 Command-Aire 5C3 with an original Curtiss Challenger engine installation. The only shock mount provided was a leather washer between the engine and mount. A lot of vibration passed into the airframe with this installation. When I installed a Wright R-760 in my Command-Aire, I fabricated an engine mount ring from scratch using engine shock mounts from the Boeing Stearman biplane. Gas welding all those mounts to a newly formed ring was a challenging job. I didn’t know at the time that if one took a mount ring from a Stearman PT-13D and removed and relocated the two lower shock mounts, it would fit the Wright. So, on aircraft that have incorporated

28 JUNE 2010

The only shock mount provided on the Command-Aire was a leather washer between the engine and mount. Quite a bit of vibration was transmitted to the airframe.

mount rings from Boeing Stearman aircraft, how does one adapt the shock mount bushings and washer? Take a look at Figure 1. The sketch on the page 30 comes from the Handbook of Service Instructions for PT-13/PT-17/PT-18 airplanes, published September 25, 1940. Figure 1 shows the rubber bushings and washers, along with the aluminum washers and spacer that can be purchased from Dusters & Sprayers Supply Inc. in Chickasha, Oklahoma. The next question is, “What is the torque of the nut on the bolt?” While it is difficult to locate a torque value in my reference data, it would appear that the drawing speaks volumes. One must compress the rubber until the two large area aluminum washers contact the center bushing. Then line up the cotter pin hole and safety the bolt. Figure 2 is

an assembly view of a Boeing PT13D engine shock mount. Next, if you mount a Wright R-760 engine in a modified Boeing PT-13 Lycoming mount ring, it will be necessary to cut down the lower aluminum washers because the engine case is in close proximity to the mount. I even had to grind a little off the lug on the right side of the engine, just behind the No. 5 cylinder. Here it would be advantageous to fit the mount to the engine before installing it on the airframe. Proper venting of both the engine and oil tank is an important issue to be considered. The oil tank must be vented to prevent pressure build-up. Oil tanks are constructed to withstand an internal pressure of 5 psi. Pressure build-up will cause oil to blow out of the weakest link in the oil system—or cause the tank to rupture. In some installations

Here are the mount rings from a Boeing Stearman aircraft.

the engine is vented to the tank, and then the tank is vented overboard. Thus the tank acts as a large air/oil separator. In some installations the oil tank is vented to the engine accessory case, and then the case is vented overboard. Crankcase pressures are caused by what is called blowby, which is combustion chamber pressure bypassing around piston rings during the compression stroke. The more worn the piston rings, the more crankcase pressure. Case pressure is vented overboard by the crankcase vent. After flight when the airplane is secure, if a large puddle of oil and water pools under the crankcase vent line, this indicates significant piston ring wear. Figure 3 is from a Boeing PT-17 Continental R-670 oil system showing the oil tank and crankcase vent lines. When interpreting this drawing, assume the firewall is on the right next to the oil tank and the engine accessory case is on the left where the fittings are shown. In most cases the engine manufacturer recommends engine installation details, and the airframe manufacturer actually designs the installation. For engine OEM (original equipment manufacturer) requirements, consult the overhaul manual. In most cases there will be details of how the engine and systems should be installed. A few of the old engines may not have this section, but I know that Wright, Continental, and Lycoming all have a dedicated section. M o s t s m a l l , s i n g l e - r o w, a i r cooled radial engines vent through the accessory case. However, the Wright R-760 also breathes through the forward crankshaft, nose section, power case, and accessory case! The Wright R-760 in my Command-Aire breathes from the oil tank to the carburetor air scoop. Some oil systems breathe directly from the accessory case of the engine into the slipstream below the engine cowling. This usually results in a mess on the belly of the ship. The installation of an accessory firewall can help keep engine heat

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

from impacting the area between the engine and firewall, which is normally where the oil tank is located. Typically the Wright R-760 engines had heat problems, mostly

high oil-operating temperatures.

Wood Propeller Installation All wood propellers will have high-strength steel hubs. The en-

gine crankshaft will have a master spline that should line up on the top dead center on the compression stroke of the No. 1 cylinder. Some propellers are indexed at 90 degrees

FIGURE 1 (Boeing PT-13/-17/-18 Handbook)

30 JUNE 2010

FIGURE 2 (Boeing PT-13D Parts Manual)

to the crank throw. That means the master spline will be pointed toward the No. 1 cylinder centerline. The wood prop should be installed

at 90 degrees to the master spline, or in other words, the prop centerline would be in the horizontal position. However, if OEM instruc-

tions are available, always follow them. With the through bolts and front plate installed, thread the nuts over a washer and snug the nuts. Tighten the attaching bolts in small increments using a calibrated torque wrench using a sequence that tightens bolts or nuts 180 degrees across from each other. Never torque in a circle. If one views a clock, the torquing process should be started at the 12 o’clock position, then the 6 position, then the 3 position, then the 9 position, etc. A check of the Sensenich propeller website at www.Sensenich. com shows a torque chart (Figure 4) for installation of wood propellers. Use the OEM instructions such as those provided on the Sensenich website—we’ve touched on just a portion of the instructions here, pointing out a few items we think are worth highlighting. It is a good idea to check the track of the prop blade frequently while tightening the bolts. Check

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31

FIGURE 3 (Boeing Handbook of Service Instructions) the track of the blade tips by rotating the tips past some fixed object on the floor. (See the illustration on the page 33.) The tips must track within 1/8 inch of each other when the installation is complete. When torquing is complete, safety the bolts using 0.040-inch stainless steel wire. Wire the attaching bolts in pairs; do not use continuous wire. In the case where wood props have hub attachments using

large AN8 bolts with AN310 castle nuts, torque gently until reaching the value shown in the chart. Safety the castle nuts using cotter pins and bend as shown in Figure 5.

Torquing a Metal Propeller Torque metal propellers by referring to the illustration and the OEM instructions, if available. Torque should be 625 to 750 foot-pounds. For example, if the prop bar is 4 feet

long, a weight of 160 to 190 pounds should be applied by means of the bar. While the weight is on the bar, the bar should be struck near the nut with a hammer weighing not more than 2-1/2 pounds. After the nut has been properly tightened, it should be locked by inserting a clevis pin through the holes provided in the end of the crankshaft and in the retaining nut. The head of the clevis pin should point toward the inside, or center, of the crankshaft, as when it is installed in this manner, centrifugal force tends to hold the pin in place. The clevis pin is locked with a cotter pin. It should be noted that the pin should be slightly loose, and on each preflight inspection the pilot can move the pin. A tight clevis pin indicates the propeller torque has loosened.

Recommended Spark Plugs

FIGURE 4 32 JUNE 2010

Consult the appropriate aircraft engine specification sheet for approved spark plugs. I can offer that spark plugs approved for most lowcompression air-cooled single-row

FIGURE 5 (Aircraft Engine Maintenance, by Brimm & Bogess, 1939) radial engines are all similar. The two major spark plug manufacturers are Champion and Unison (Autolite). Most single-row radial engines use short-reach 18-mm spark plugs. Differences include the harness-to-plug attachment nut—some could be 5/8 inch-24 thread, and others could be 3/4 inch-20 thread. Most plugs are shielded and require a shielded harness assemb l y. T h e r e i s o n l y o n e plug available that is not shielded. There are masFIGURE 6 sive electrode and fine(Aircraft Engine Maintenance, by Brimm & wire plugs. The fine-wire Bogess, 1939) plugs were previously identified as platinum plugs, but now they are iridium. designators. Example: URHM-40E. Spark plug manufacturers iden- Both Unison and Champion manutify types of plugs approved for vari- als can be downloaded from their ous engines. Most ignition harnesses respective websites. As a sidelight, I have been runhave the 3/4 inch-20 threads and are short reach. You can access the ning Autolite SH-20A massive threeChampion website at www.Champion prong electrode spark plugs in my Aerospace.com, and the Unison web- engines for years, with very good service life. When I was in Army avisite at www.AutoliteAnnie.com. Here are a few common engines ation we used these spark plugs in and approved spark plugs from Champion: • Continental W-670 – RHM40E, M40E (unshielded), and RHM-38S •Wright R-760—Same as above. •Warner—Same as above. •Ranger—Same as above. • Jacobs R-755 (L-4)— Same as above except no M40E (unshielded). Lycoming R-680—Same as above. •Spark plugs from Unison (Autolite) have similar designators except for a U in front of the Champion

Tracking a propeller tip during installation. (Aircraft Engine Maintenance, by Brimm & Bogess, 1939) all Continental O-470 and Pratt & Whitney R-985 engines. The plugs were replaced on the even periodic inspections, thus they had 200 or fewer hours of operation. Instead of throwing them away, I threw them into my toolbox, and they somehow wound up in Reedley! The final point on spark plugs is to use the plugs recommended by the engine OEM.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33

Vintage Instructor THE

BY Steve Krog, CFI

Fearing (and Understanding) Crosswinds: Part 1 Mention the term “crosswind landing” to any group of hangar flying pilots and each will have a tale to tell. In candid one-on-one conversations, many pilots will tell you crosswind landings are the single most uncomfortable (feared) maneuver they have to perform in generalaviation (GA) pleasure flying. Ask them why and they will tell you they lack crosswind landing confidence, received minimal crosswind training, and rarely (if ever) practice crosswind landings. Unfortunately, the lack of crosswind training, lack of ongoing practice, and thus a lack of confidence deny many of us the opportunity to enjoy the pleasures of flight on beautiful, albeit breezy, visual flight rules (VFR) days. Be honest with yourself; how many times have you gone to the airport on a blue-sky day intending to fly to a pancake breakfast and then, after a thorough preflight, decided against the flight because the wind “seems to be picking up and I’ll have to make a crosswind landing at the breakfast destination”? Why is that? And what can we, as GA pilots, do to alleviate the fear of the crosswind? For discussion purposes, let’s define a crosswind as a wind that is 10 degrees or greater off the runway centerline on which the landing is intended and the wind velocity is measureable, usually 10 mph or greater. We need to determine the approximate crosswind component, which is the component of the wind vector that is trying to push the airplane sideways (see the Figure 1). In Figure A the 30-knot wind approximately 20

degrees from the left gives us a crosswind component of only 10 knots. In Figure B the 90-degree, 12-knot wind gives us a crosswind component of 12 knots. There are two methods for calculating the crosswind component: The first is the crosswind component chart. The crosswind component chart is simple and easy to use and takes but a minute or two to become familiar with.

FIGURE 2

FIGURE 1 34 JUNE 2010

This is an example of the standard Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Crosswind Chart. Using the example of a 30knot wind that is 30 degrees off the runway centerline, we can determine that we have a 15-knot crosswind component. First select the wind velocity on the vertical scale at left; then follow the 30-knot arc around to the point where it intersects the 30-degree diagonal line. At the point of intersection follow the vertical line down to the horizontal scale indicating the crosswind component, which is 15 knots.

For those of you who like to play on the computer, do a Google search for Crosswind Component Chart and you’ll find pages of charts. (If you’re a smart phone user, yeah, there’s an app for that.—HGF) If a crosswind component chart is not handy, there are some general rules of thumb that you might want to keep in mind: • If the crosswind is 20 degrees off the runway centerline, the crosswind component is 25 percent of the wind velocity. • If the wind is 40 degrees off the runway centerline, the crosswind component is 50 percent of the wind velocity. • If the wind is 60 degrees or more off the runway centerline, the crosswind component is 75 percent of the wind velocity. • If the wind is 90 degrees off the runway centerline, the crosswind component is 100 percent of the wind velocity. Now that we’ve determined how to calculate the crosswind component—either by computer, graph, or the crosswind general rules of thumb—we need to determine what the crosswind capabilities are of the aircraft being flown. Many airplanes that fall into the “vintage” category do not have a pilot operator’s handbook, nor do they have any published information about crosswind components. When many of these airplanes were designed, airports consisted of a quarter-section of turf, and everyone always landed into the wind. However, when runways replaced the turf fields, dealing with crosswinds became an issue. Due to a lack of published information from the various airplane manufacturers, the FAA developed standards for addressing crosswinds. Before an airplane is type certificated by the FAA, it must be demonstrated in flight to be satisfactorily controllable with no exceptional degree of pilot skill or alertness in 90-degree crosswinds up to a velocity equal to 0.2 VSO. This means a wind speed of twotenths of the airplane’s stalling speed with power off and landing gear/flaps down. Regulations require that the demonstrated crosswind velocity be included on a placard in airplanes certificated after May 3, 1962. Using an example of a 1929 Travel Air 4000 powered by a Continental 220-hp radial engine and a stall speed of approximately 55 mph, the crosswind component is 11 mph. For a Piper J-3 Cub with a 65-hp Continental and a stall speed of 38 mph, the crosswind component is about 8 mph. Having flown both of these airplanes, I know they will handle significantly more than this formula indicates. Remember, these are FAA standards, which are general in nature in order for the aircraft to be certificated. Surface winds at the airport of destination are oftentimes gusting. For example: surface winds 240 degrees at 10 mph and gusting to 20 mph. How does one understand and plan for dealing with gusts? Again, there is a general rule of thumb for handling gusty wind conditions; it recommends adding onehalf of the gust amount to the aircraft approach speed.

Using the J-3 Cub as an example, which recommends a 60-mph approach speed, based on the stated winds above, there is a 10-mph gust amount. Add 5 mph to the normal approach speed and fly the final approach at 65 mph. The added airspeed is insurance for sudden wind changes close to the ground by providing more responsive control authority while compensating for the wind variations. However, there is also a downside to the added airspeed, as it will result in a longer landing distance. Now that we’ve come to an understanding of crosswinds, how to interpret them, and what your airplane is generally capable of doing, the final part of the crosswind equation is you, the pilot: • What is your current skill and comfort level? • Do you get a pit in your stomach every time you have to deal with a crosswind? • How often have you denied yourself the opportunity to enjoy a great pleasure flight because “the wind seems a bit too strong”? • How often do you practice crosswind landings? In the next issue we’ll take a look at different methods for making crosswind landings, along with offering some tips to raise your comfort level and expand your personal flight envelope. There is an old saying that definitely applies to pilots: “Confidence comes from practice; caution comes from knowing your limits.”

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 35

by H.G. FRAUTSCHY

MYSTERY PLANE This month’s Mystery Plane comes to us from Louis King of Houston, Texas. A word of caution—it’s not what you may think when you first look at it!

Send your answer to EAA, Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Your answer needs to be in no later than July 15 for inclusion in

the September 2010 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 the subject line.

MARCH’S MYSTERY ANSWER ur March 2010 Mystery Plane came to us from Jack Austin of Florence, South Carolina. Our first answer came from one of our first 100 members, Lynn Towns of Holt, Michigan: The March Mystery Plane is a Sullivan K-3 Crested Harpy. The Sullivan K-3 was a very clean and modernlooking design for 1929. The Sullivan K-3 was a three-place plane that was built in 1929 by the Sullivan Aircraft Manufacturing

36 JUNE 2010

Company. William P. Sullivan was president of the Sullivan Aircraft Manufacturing Company, which was located at 630 East Gilbert Street in Wichita, Kansas. The plane in the photo is identification number X370M, serial number 1. As shown in the photo, the plane is powered by a 100-hp Kinner K-5 engine, but registration records indicate that when this plane was initially registered, it was powered by an Anzani engine. The two other production planes were apparently powered with 100-hp Kinner K-5 engines as in the picture.

The plane had a 36-foot wingspan and a 24-footlength. The only performance figures I could find were that the airplane had a payload of 766 pounds, and the speeds were 126 mph top speed, 105 mph cruising speed, and 44 mph stall speed. Reports indicate that Jake Mollendick, who had been the president of the Swallow Airplane Manufacturing Company (which had previously gone out of business), might have had some involvement with this company. Identification numbers for the Sullivan K-3 (as gleaned from www.Aerofiles.com) include: X370M, serial number 1 484N, serial number 2 127V, serial number 3 James M. (“Jim”) Stothers adds that William P. Sullivan (3/20/1890–10/24/1971) was associated with American Fokker, Clarence Chamberlain, and Burnelli before the Crested Harpy, and later he was with Hughes Aircraft, from which he retired after 16 years of service. He survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and served in the U.S. Navy, during which he fl ew shore patrol out of Pensacola in both fixed-wings and blimps. Other correct answers were received from Walt House, Wichita, Kansas; Wayne Muxlow, Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Wes Smith of Springfield, Illinois.

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 37

VINTAGE TRADER S o m e t h i n g t o b u y, s e l l , o r t r a d e ?

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 inches) by 1, 2, or 3 inches high at $20 per inch. Black and white only, and no frequency discounts. Adver tising Closing Dates: 10th of second month prior to desired issue date (i.e., January 10 is the closing date for the March issue). VAA reser ves the right to reject any adver tising 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.org) 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 correspondence to EAA Publications Classified Ad Manager, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

MISCELLANEOUS Flying wires available. 1994 pricing. Visit www.flyingwires. com or call 800-517-9278. AIRPLANE T-SHIRTS 150 different airplanes available. WE PROBABLY HAVE YOUR AIRPLANE! www.airplanetshirts. com or call 1-800-645-7739. We also do Custom T-shirts and Caps for Clubs. www.aerolist.org, Aviations’ Leading Marketplace. Are you tired of hauling to EAA every year? Storage units available for rent as low as $50/month less than 1 mile from EAA grounds. Call Todd @ (920)850-0502.

SERVICES Always Flying Aircraft Restoration, LLC: Annual Inspections, Airframe recovering, fabric repairs and complete restorations. Wayne A. Forshey A&P & I.A. 740-472-1481 Ohio and bordering states. Biplane Builder Ltd. Restoration, fabric, paint, fabrications, paperwork with 53 completed projects, Wacos, Moth’s, Champs, Pitts etc. Test flights and delivery. Indiana 812-343-8879 mike@ biplanebuilder.com, www.biplanebuilder.com.

38 JUNE 2010

EAA Calendar of Aviation Events Is Now Online EAA’s online Calendar of Events is the “go-to” spot on the Web to list and find aviation events in your area. The user-friendly, searchable format makes it the perfect webbased tool for planning your local trips to a fly-in. In EAA’s online Calendar of Events, you can search for events at any given 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://www.eaa.org/calendar/

Upcom ing M ajor F l y - I ns Golden West Regional Fly-In and Air Show Yuba County Airport (MYV) Marysville, California June 11-13, 2010 www.GoldenWestFlyIn.org Arlington Fly-In Arlington Municipal Airport (AWO) Arlington, Washington July 7-11, 2010 www.ArlingtonFlyIn.org EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Wittman Regional Airport (OSH) Oshkosh, Wisconsin July 26-August 1, 2010 www.AirVenture.org Colorado Sport International Air Show and Rocky Mountain Regional Fly-In Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC) Denver, Colorado August 28-29 2010 www.COSportAviation.org Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-In Grimes Field Airport (I74), Urbana, Ohio September 11-12, 2010 www.MERFI.info Copperstate Fly-In Casa Grande Municipal Airport (CGZ) Casa Grande, Arizona October 21-23, 2010 www.COPPERSTATE.org Southeast Regional Fly-In Middleton Field Airport (GZH) Evergreen, Alabama October 22-24, 2010 www.SERFI.org Fo r d e t a i l s o n h u n d re d s o f u p co m i n g av i at i o n happenings, including EAA chapter fly-ins, Young Eagles rallies, and other local aviation events, visit the EAA Calendar of Events located at www.eaa.org/calendar.

Sun ’n Fun Wrap-Up continued from page 18

N2032V, a 1947 Cessna 120, is registered to Allen Vehrs of Fayetteville, Georgia.

This color ful 1960 de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, N416WY, is registered to Beaver Air Express LLC of Tampa, Florida.

N6041, a 1942 Boeing A75, is registered to Donald Marteney of Sarasota, Florida.

Vaughn Grasso of Oak Hill, Florida, is listed as the owner of NC41630, a 1941 Culver LFA Cadet. Its diminutive size was accentuated by its flightline neighbor, a towering Howard DGA-15P.

Lars de Jounge of Vero Beach is a frequent visitor to Sun ’n Fun. He set up camp by his 1941 de Havilland Tiger Moth.

Fly in to our 23rd Annual

Sh a

Among the Swifts present at Sun ’n Fun this spring was this colorful 1946 Globe GC-1B (N80762), registered to Austin Breining of Vero Beach, Florida. Note the originalstyle hatch and roll-down windows.

no Community a w

2010

FLY OUT ring “Classic

u Feat

Wings & Wheels”

This 1946 Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser (NC92587) is owned by David Merriwether of Miramar Beach, Florida. It was awarded Best Custom Classic (101-160 hp) this year.

D ST SATUYR3 1 JU L

Shawano Airport (EZS) CTAF: 122.8 • AWOS: 118.650 N5468 N. Airport Rd., Shawano, WI

8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

James Andem of Navarre, Florida, is listed as the owner of N9597K, a 1947 Universal Stinson 108-2. Fondly nicknamed Joy Ride, this Flying Station Wagon has a Sensenich wooden prop.

*Airplanes arrive / depart between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Pi Recleoits ve F BreaRkEE & Gifftast ! Runways: 11/29-3900 ft. paved 17/35-2225 ft. paved All runways left traffic

800/235-8528 • tourism@shawano.com VINTAGE AIRPLANE 39

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION OFFICERS President Geoff Robison 1521 E. MacGregor Dr. New Haven, IN 46774 260-493-4724 chief7025@aol.com

Vice-President George Daubner N57W34837 Pondview Ln Oconomowoc, WI 53066 262-560-1949 gdaubner@eaa.org

Secretary Steve Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Lea, MN 56007 507-373-1674 stnes2009@live.com

DIRECTORS

Steve Bender 85 Brush Hill Road Sherborn, MA 01770 508-653-7557 sst10@comcast.net

Jeannie Hill P.O. Box 328 Harvard, IL 60033-0328 815-943-7205

David Bennett 375 Killdeer Ct Lincoln, CA 95648 916-645-8370 antiquer@inreach.com

Espie “Butch” Joyce 704 N. Regional Rd. Greensboro, NC 27409 336-668-3650 windsock@aol.com

Jerry Brown 4605 Hickory Wood Row Greenwood, IN 46143 317-422-9366 lbrown4906@aol.com

Dan Knutson 106 Tena Marie Circle Lodi, WI 53555 608-592-7224 lodicub@charter.net

Dave Clark 635 Vestal Lane Plainfield, IN 46168 317-839-4500 davecpd@att.net

Steve Krog 1002 Heather Ln. Hartford, WI 53027 262-966-7627 sskrog@aol.com

John S. Copeland 1A Deacon Street Northborough, MA 01532 508-393-4775 copeland1@juno.com

Robert D. “Bob” Lumley 1265 South 124th St. Brookfield, WI 53005 262-782-2633 lumper@execpc.com

Phil Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawton, MI 49065 269-624-6490 rcoulson516@cs.com

S.H. “Wes” Schmid 2359 Lefeber Avenue Wauwatosa, WI 53213 414-771-1545 shschmid@gmail.com

Dale A. Gustafson 7724 Shady Hills Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46278 317-293-4430 dalefaye@msn.com

Membership Services Directory Enjoy the many benefits of EAA and EAA’s Vintage Aircraft Association Phone (920) 426-4800

Robert C. Brauer 9345 S. Hoyne Chicago, IL 60643 773-779-2105 photopilot@aol.com

E.E. “Buck” Hilbert 8102 Leech Rd. Union, IL 60180 815-923-4591 buck7ac@gmail.com

Gene Chase 2159 Carlton Rd. Oshkosh, WI 54904 920-231-5002 GRCHA@charter.net

Gene Morris 5936 Steve Court Roanoke, TX 76262 817-491-9110 genemorris@charter.net

Ronald C. Fritz 15401 Sparta Ave. Kent City, MI 49330 616-678-5012 rFritz@pathwaynet.com

John Turgyan PO Box 219 New Egypt, NJ 08533 609-758-2910 jrturgyan4@aol.com

Fax (920) 426-4873

Web Sites: www.vintageaircraft.org, www.airventure.org, www.eaa.org/memberbenefits E-Mail: vintageaircraft@eaa.org

EAA and Division Membership Services (8:00 AM–6:00 PM Monday–Friday CST) membership@eaa.org 800-564-6322 FAX 920-426-4873 www.eaa.org/memberbenefits •New/renew memberships •Address changes •Merchandise sales •Gift memberships EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 888-322-4636 www.airventure.org Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft Hotline 877-359-1232 www.sportpilot.org Programs and Activities Auto Fuel STCs 920-426-4843 EAA Air Academy 920-426-6880 www.airacademy.org EAA Scholarships 920-426-6823 Flight Instructor information 920-426-6801 www.eaa.org/nafi Library Services/Research 920-426-4848 Benefits AUA Vintage Insurance Plan 800-727-3823 www.auaonline.com EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan 866-647-4322 www.eaa.org/memberbenefits EAA VISA Card 800-853-5576 ext. 8884 EAA Hertz Rent-A-Car Program 800-654-2200 www.eaa.org/hertz Editorial 920-426-4825 www.vintageaircraft.org VAA Office FAX 920-426-6579

airventure@eaa.org sportpilot@eaa.org dwalker@eaa.or airacademy@eaa.org scholarships@eaa.org tdeimer@eaa.org slurvey@eaa.org

membership@eaa.org membership@eaa.org vintage@eaa.org tbooks@eaa.org

EAA Members Information Line 888-EAA-INFO (322-4636) Use this toll-free number for: information about AirVenture Oshkosh; aeromedical and technical aviation questions; chapters; and Young Eagles. Please have your membership number ready when calling. Office hours are 8:15 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Monday - Friday, CST)

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION EAA

WARBIRDS

Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is $40 for one year, including 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION. Family membership is an additional $10 annually. All major credit cards accepted for membership. (Add $16 for International Postage.)

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

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS

DIRECTORS EMERITUS

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

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.

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION Current EAA members may join the Vintage Aircraft Association and receive VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine for an additional $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 included). (Add $7 for International Postage.)

IAC Current EAA members may join the International Aerobatic Club, Inc. Division and receive SPORT AEROBATICS magazine for an additional $45 per year. EAA Membership, SPORT AEROBATICS magazine and one year membership in the IAC Division is available for $55 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included). (Add $15 for Foreign Postage.)

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

Copyright ©2010 by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association, All rights reserved. VINTAGE AIRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EAA Aviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd., PO Box 3086, 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 EAA members and $46 for non-EAA members. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Vintage Airplane, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. PM 40063731 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Pitney 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 invite 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: Editor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 920-426-4800. EAA® and EAA SPORT AVIATION®, the EAA Logo® and Aeronautica™ are registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks and service marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

40 JUNE 2010

Proud Partners with EAA Why would anyone buy anything else?

Enjoy the privilege of partnership

“Ford has always been part of our family. When I was in the market for a new car, I wanted mini-van interior space & seating, great handling and sporty styling. The best choice was the Ford Flex. The Flex complements my all-Ford ﬂeet with a F-250 Super Duty and Crown Victoria already in the garage. No matter whether I’m ﬂying or driving, comfort and style are critical. With the second and third row seats down, the Flex provides me with plenty of space to transport my large radio controlled models and other large items. The second row seating has more room than any other vehicle in its class, hands down.

EAA Members who are considering the purchase or lease of a new Ford Motor Company vehicle should be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to save with the Ford Partner Recognition Program.

And, because of the Partnership program offered by Ford and the EAA, I was able to make the deal even sweeter by upgrading the package to include the Vista Roof. My sales representative from Pioneer Ford in Goodyear, Arizona, Don Stich, went out of his way to make the deal quick and easy. If you are in the market for a new vehicle, take advantage of this great program. Thanks EAA and Ford!”

Get your personal identiﬁcation number (PIN) and learn about the great value of Partner Recognition/X-Plan at www.fordpartner.com Certain restrictions apply. Available at participating dealers. Please refer to www.eaa.org.

Darwin B. EAA #689466 Chandler, AZ

VEHICLE PURCHASE PLAN