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THE RESTORER'S CORNER Last month we talked about the material needs of your convention chairmen to insure that Oshkosh '76 would run smoothly and efficiently, and that you would have a most enjoyable time. Material needs are only half of the story, and this month we are going to talk about another need of your convention chairmen which also must be met so that you can enjoy your convention to the fullest. This need is manpower (and womanpower, too) . Your parking committee as well as your convention headquarters committee are divided into four three-hour shifts per day. Your parking committee has ten posts which must be manned during the day, and your cnvention headquarters barn has four positions . This works out to a total of 360 three-hour shifts for the parking committee and 144 three-hour shifts for the headquarters committee during the nine convention days . If 180 of you gentlemen members will volunteer to serve two three-hour shifts on the parking committee, and 72 of your wives, daughters, sweet足 hearts or girlfriends will volunteer to serve two three-hour shifts on the headquarters committee sometime during the nine convention days, your convention chairmen will be eternally grateful to you. You will also have the satisfaction of knowing that you made the convention more enjoyable for your fellow members just as they will make it more enjoyable for you when they are working. And if just serving your fellow members is not enough incentive, two three-hour shifts will entitle you to a buddy ride in the type of antique or classic aircraft of your choice . How's that for an opportunity?
by J. R. NIELANDER, JR. Last year the Florida Sport Aviation Antique and Classic Association picked one day during which they manned all the positions. This worked out very well, and your chairmen hope that they will volunteer for a re足 peat performance. How about some of you other chapters volunteering for one day? There will be sign-up sheets in the Antique/Classic Headquar ters barn, so please come down and sign up for the time slots of your choice as soon as you arrive. In this way your chairmen will be able to help you pick times which will not interfere with other activities which interest you. Your officers and chairmen look forward to meeting you at Oshkosh and working with you. Please don't let them down .
An Antique Classic Division Board of Di足 rectors meeting will be held at EAA Headquarters in Hales Corners, Wisconsin at 9:30 A.M. on Saturday, April 24, 1976. All divisional members are invited to at足 tend .
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OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
EDITORIAL STAFF
ANTIQUE / CLASSIC
DIVISION of
THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
APRIL 1976
Publisher
Paul H. Poberezny
Editor AI Kelch
ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC DIVISION OFFICERS PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT
J . R. NIELANDER , JR .
MORTON LESTER
P.O. BOX 2464
P.O. BO X 3747
FT. LAUDERDALE , FLA . 33303 MARTINSVILLE , VA 2411 2
SECRETARY
RICHARD WAGNER
BOX 181
LYONS , WIS. 53148
TREASURER
GAR W. WILLIAMS , JR .
9 S 135 AERO DR ., RT. 1
NAPERVILLE , ILL. 60540
DIRECTORS
EVA NDER BRITT
P.O. Box 458
Lumberton . N .C. 28358
AL KELCH
70t 8 W . Bonniwell Rd .
Mequon. WI 53092
CLAUDE L. GRAY . JR .
9635 Sylvip Ave .
Northridge. CA 91324
E.E. " BUCK " HILBERT
8102 LEECH RD
UNION . IL 60180
JIM HORNE
3850 Coronation Rd .
Eagan . MN 55122
GEORGE STUBBS
RR 18. Box 127
Indianapolis. IN 46234
Assistant Editor Lois Kelch Ce ntri bu t ing Ed ito rs
H. N. " Du sty" Rh od es
Evand er Britt
Jim Bart on
Claud e Gray
Ed Escall o n
Rod Spanier
Dale Gu stafso n
Henry Wh ee ler
Mo rto n Lester
Kell y Vi ets
Bo b Ell io t
Jac k Lannin g
Bill Thu m ma
KELLY VIETS
RR 1. Box 151
Stilwell. KS 66085
VOLUME 4
NUMBER 4
The Restorer' s Corner ... by J. R. Nielander, Jr. .... ... .. ...... . .... ... The Restoration of an Aeronca "K" ... by Tom Trainor . ..... . . . . . . . . . . . The Stinson Three Seater ... by John Underwood .. .. . .. . . . ...... . . .. . '76 Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Gathering of the Eagles Cub Flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Yintage Album . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. The Crosley Biplane . .. by John Carter . .. .. . . . .... . .... . . . .... . .... .. Judgi ng ... by Claude Gray . . . .. . . . . .. .. . . ... . .. .. .. ... . . . ..... ... . . . Douglas Builds New Airplane ... by Paul Little . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Whistling In The Rigging . .. by Paul H. Poberezny . ....... .... ... . . . .. Letters .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. .. ... ... .. ... ... .. .. .. .... .. . ..... .. . . .. ... . Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..
1 3 5 7 8 9 12 13 16 16 17 18
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EDITOR 'S NOTE:
S.o.S. Send Old Stories
JACK WINTHROP
3536 Whitehall Dr.
Dallas. TX 75229
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T HE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is owned exclusively by Antique Classic Aircraft . Inc . and i!:. published monthly at Ha les Corners, Wisconsin 53130. Second c lass Pos tage paid at Hales Corners Po st Office. Hales Cor足 ners, Wisconsin 53130 and Random Lake Po st Office, Random Lake . Wisconsin 53075 . Membership ra t es for An ti que Classic aircraft, Inc. at $10.00 per 12 month period of which $7.00 is for the publication to THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE . Membership is open t o all who are interested in aviation.
Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to Antique Classic Aircraft , Inc., Box 229,
Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130
ON THE COVER Aeron ca K on skis. (See story page 3).
PICTURE BOX (Back Cover) Andy Anderson and h is American Eagle.
Copyr ight c 1976 Antique Classic Aircra ft , Inc. All Righ t s Reserved .
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These are all photos of the last Aeronca K to leave the Aeronca factory . With skis the numerous lakes in Michigan all become auxiliary landing spots .
The Restoration of an AERONCA "K" By Tom Trainor
EAA 1379 - AIC 443
Photo s by Robert F. Pauley (EAA 1277)
NC 22338 on Federal SC-1 skis. Cabin heater muff and carb heat hot box leave little exhaust pipe exposed. Spacers hold skis inboard on the axle. Heads up taxi procedure and forward planning are a must when equipped with skis .
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The events tha t had a direct bearing on this resto ration took place over a seventeen year period from 1952 to 1969. Now seven more years later it is quite a challenge to capture these memories on paper. Where do you start? What do you leave out? You , who are restoring right now, know how hard it is to log the . events as they are happening, but remember you too may wish you had, just as I do now. In 1936 the Country was coming out of the depres sion. Piper, Taylor and others were poised in the wings ready to offer many of the features that pilots who flew light aircraft had been going without. For the first time in several years the Aeronca C-3 with its home made looks and minimum pilot comfort was in danger of losing its place as the most popular light aircraft in the U.S. With this in mind, the Aeronca management took the basic C-3 design and up graded it into what they felt would be considered the best in its class. When the K model was unveiled in 1937 it was ahead of all previous light plane conceptions. Featured were side by side seating for two, dual control wheel which made for an uncluttered floor, a fully enclosed and upholstered cabin, and a single strut oleo landing gear. The power plant was the single ignition 36 horse power two cylinder horizontally opposed E-113 series engine of their own design, which had already proven itself. The two throw crankshaft allowed both pistons to travel up together and down together there-by making the smoothest two cylinder engine possible. In addition to these basic design and comfort fea tures, options such as a tail wheel, Goodyear brakes, left door, navigation lights and battery, auxiliary gas tank, wheel skirts, floats, skis and a heater were avail able. What more could you ask for? Yes, you guessed it - more power. The Aeronca management was fully aware of this, therefore the basic airframe was de signed so that with minimum modification it could be adapted to the larger engines that were on the horizon. This foresight resulted in the evolution of the K into the Chief series which would continue for many years. I had just turned 14 when the decision was made at Aeronca to build one more K model powered with their own Aeronca E-113 series engine. At this time they had been in production for over a year on the new "Chief" series, but it looked like Mr. W. C. Clements of Battle Creek, Michigan would never quit asking until they built one more model K for him. So it was on May 14, 1939 that my Aeronca K serial 357 became the last Aeronca engine powered ship to leave the Middletown, Ohio factory for a new owner. During the first 7 years of its existence this K had 7 owners who compiled a total of 328 hours between
them. The ship was in storage for over a year when Herm Houseman of Wayland, Michigan bought it from Jim Potter of Owosso, Michigan with the intent of part ing it out. Herm had bought all the remaining inventory of Aeronca engine parts and was fast becoming known as the source for your Aeronca C-3 and K airframe and engine parts. Up until 1952 Herm's Aeronca parts ad appeared in each issue of Trade-A-Plane. This was the first place I went after I experienced engine failure in my razor back Aeronca C-3, NC 13386. As some of you may remember back in early 1950 Bob Taylor and the Antique Airplane movement had not yet awakened the spirit of "Keep The Antiques Flying" . Those of us who were flying a C-3 or K had, at best, a $450.00 airplane, because that was what we could afford . After much rationalizing I decided that one more engine major would keep me in the air in the style I was accustomed to. This decision to major the Aeronca engine not only led me to Mr. Houseman, but was to lead me indirectly to old Aeronca K 357. Herm and I really struck it off and before the day was over I became the new owner of his complete Aeronca airframe and engine parts inventory (subject to my wife's approval). Actually I didn't want those 6 Aeronca airplanes, but Herm was badly in need of space, so it was the complete inventory or nothing . The airplanes were trucked to Olivet, Mich igan and stored in the bam of a boyhood friend, and the engine parts were trucked to my home in Royal Oak, Michigan. The parts were stored all over the house, in the closets, under the beds, and in the attic . Needless to say I had everything I needed to major my Aeronca engine and then some. Not too long afterward I sold the C-3 to the late Keith Hopkinson in Goderich, Ontario, Canada. . In the next few years the antique airplane enthusiasm began to catch on , and all of a sudden an airplane with only two cylinders that was noisy and slow be came a lot of fun again. Those who had flown these airplanes began to recall that this had been real fun flying. The popularity created by the Antique move ment meant that the lack of brakes and absence of a tail wheel would no longer bring as many snide re marks. Here I was with a barn full of Aeronca K's. Why not go get one? A recover job would have me back in the air again in no time; or so I thought. As I started to assemble the landing gear, cowling, and etc ., it became apparent that things just would not fit. This was when I first discovered that mass production in some aircraft plants during the early thirties meant that even though many ships were being built at once, each seemed to
be built up by a group that followed the airplane through several stages on construction, as a result, one man would hold the part in place and another would drill a hole, weld a tab, etc. Back to the barn again , only this time the day was spent matching as many pieces to each plane as possible. Finally K 357, NC22338 was selected as th e plane with the most matching pieces. In the meantime the decision was made to really do a complete restoration job. The K, just as all other Aeroncas up until this time, had a three longeron fuse lage with wood formers and stringers . Everything was removed from the basic skeleton which was flushed with hot boiled linseed oil and then sandblasted. Immediately afterward a phosphate etch was applied followed by two prime coats of oxide of lead and two coats of zink chromate. The wooden formers were all made new along with the stringers and the other wooden parts. This was starting to become a lot of fun. As a matter of fact, instead of league bowling on Wednesday nights, Wednesday nights were set aside strictly for airplane restoration. This went on for about five years before it finally looked like everything was ready for covering . At this point a call came from Ed Schubert which was to set me back about two years. Ed was calling to tell me that he had finally discovered why his K was taking longer and longer take-off runs. He had found that, hardly visible except under close scrutiny, all the wing ribs had lost their airfoil shape and had become a series of flat surfaces between each truss section in the rib. This ' seemed to have resulted from a combination of prolonged rib stitch pressure and the inability of the paper gussets to withstand compres sive force after so many years . The next weekend meant another trip to the barn. Sure enough all the wings were exactly as Ed had predicted. Working one night a week like I was meant that the complete disassembly of the wings and the building of all new ribs set me back the afore mentioned 2 years . Finally everything was covered with Stits Poly fiber and repainted to the exact color scheme as it had left the factory with over 30 years previously. On July 20, 1969, almost 8 years after starting this effort, Aeronca K 357 took to the air again for what some would call a gaint step backward. This first flight around the pattern at 600 feet took place only a few minutes before the news was received that Neil Armstrong had stepped onto the moon for a gaint step forward for Mankind. We have been flying the K the year around now since that July day in 1969. Thanks to Les Steen of East Lansing, Michigan I am able to fly all winter on skis (Co ntinu ed o n Page 11)
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The Stinson .Three Seater
By John Underwood EAA 1984
The prewar Stinson three-seaters are remembered, somewhat unfairly , for their uninspiring climb per formance. No doubt about it; the rate of climb was any thing but spectacular. But the little Stinsons had re deeming qualities if you weren't in a big hurry to reach 10,000 fee t. They offered exceptional comfort, good visibility and, more important, were as nearly fool-proof as th e state of the art could make it. The basic design was well conceived, the problem being the absense of a suitable power plant. Avco, the parent organization, also owned Ly coming. Their engineers were in the process of design ing a geared 80 hp opposed-four for the projected Stinson. That was in 1938. Development troubles brought interminable delays and the engine never did get into production. This was unfortunate, for the pro totype engine showed great promise in the test plane. The classic Reliant had reached its zenith and Stin son badly needed a' new product to stimulate lagging sales. Bill Mara, the company's long-time sa les manager, came up with the idea for a moderately priced three seater which would sell for something under $3,000. The concept evolved at the University of Detroit under project engineer Lewis E. Reisner of Kreider-Reisner fame. Engineers Maurice Mills and Prof. Peter Alt man shared equally in bringing it to fruition. The prototype, initially powered by a 50 hp Ly coming, got off the ground for the first time on the 3rd of Februarv 1939 with Al Schramm at the controls. Schramm ~as well satisfied with the results of his first 30-minute hop despite the paucity of horsepower. It
AI Williams and his " 105" Gulfhawk-Jr. , NC1049 . This airplane was apparently short-lived. Perhaps some reader knows its fate. Underwood Collection . 5
NC27714 (s in 7761), the first 10A Voyager built, during a visit to the West Coast in 1941 . It is shown here at the Vultee plant in Downey with a gaggle of BT-13 's in the background. 27714 was last reported in the Sacramento area in 1970. Photo: Underwood Collection.
was spin- proof and next to impossible to stall. Certifica tion was completed in the remarkably sho rt time of four months and production got underway in May with the 75 hp Continental. The manufacturer's designation was HW-75; but to th e fl ying public it became known as the Stinson 105. Evidently the numb er was derived from its quite res pectable cruising speed. The 105 m ade its debut at the 1939 New York Worlds Fair a nd some 275 were delivered before th e year was out . Howard Hughes was reported to have bought o ne for commuting; likewise Indianapolis race winner Wil bur S h aw and th e inimitable Roscoe Turner. Al William's "Gulfhawk-Jr." was a Stinson 105. It was about as econom ical an airpla ne as anyone could hope for. Hal Henning hopp ed across seve nt een sta tes in one, averaging 201/2 mpg over th e 7,590-mile route. The Auto mobile Club calculated that it would have required some 9,230 miles of driving to cover the same territory by car and the average Ford got about 16 mpg. The HW-75 was superseded by the Model 10 early in 1940. It was reported at the time that the French were buying six hundred for Army communications duty. It wou ld have taken Stinson the better part of a year to build that many, so the French began buying up privately-owned 105's and 10's. These were flown to Canada in a huge formation of forty or fifty at a time and prepared for shipm ent out of Halifax. How ever, only a few Stinso ns reached French territory be fore the fateful month of May. Hitler's pa nzers swept throug h Holland and Belgium in a matter of days and the French were overwhelmed in less than six weeks.
How many of the little Stinsons got into th e fray is unknown, but at least one participated in the his toric evacuation of Dunkirk. Bad weather kept everything else o n the gro und . Some two-hundred and sixty Model 10's were built and Stinson introduced th e Model lOA Voyager in 1941. Basically it was the same airplane as the HW-75 with minor refinements and a healthy boost in horse power made possible by the advent of the 90 hp Frank lin . Altogeth er about five hundred lOA' s were built, the last in 1942. Voyagers provided valuable service during World War II , mainly with the Civil Air Patrol. Approximately 65% of the C.A.P. coastal patrol and air rescue opera tions were carried out by Stinsons of the 105/Voyager type. Some were even armed with light bomb loads for anti-s ubm ari n e patrols. Everyone's attention was focused on the battlefronts, h owever, and th ese opera tions received littl e notice in the press. Toward the end of the war Stinson's engineers took a s tock lOA a nd s tretched it to acco mmodate four passengers. It was fitted with a 125 hp Lycoming, then the 150 Franklin a nd became known as the Model 108 Voyager. Well over 5,000 were built, but that' s ano ther story .
The Stinson HW-75 , better known as the "105", was an attrac tive proposition in 1939. At $2,995 it was a good value for the money. NC21180 (sin 7016) was the 16th airplane off the Wayne , Mich . production line .
(By Emil Strasser)
Another Model 10, NC27798 (sin 7730) delivered to General Tire Company at Akron, Ohio , in 1940.
Stinson delivered six Model 10's to the Army as the YO-54 . It Note: The Stinsons, by John Underwood, is available was too short on power and became hopelessly bogged down from the EAA Air Museum Foundations bookstore. in the mud during Wright Field tests. Stinson's engineers Price $5.95. wasted no time in developing the eminently successful L-5, a direct descendant of the YO-54 and the most widely flown liaison plane of World War II. 6
2ND ANNUAL SUN 'N FUN LAKELAND, FLORIDA You missed all th e fun if yo u didn' t ma ke it to this a nnual fl y-in , tha t is d es ig n ed es pec ially for "sno w diggers". The re is some thing for eve ryone in this grea t affair, a nd excepting th ose dedica ted wo rke rs who sla ve ove r a h o t airport to serve us, it is a ve ry relaxed affair. Almost a ny thing yo u wo uld wa nt to do, is a t your disp osal. An interes ting innovation this yea r w as the fl y-out drive- o ut a pproach . They furnis hed a bookle t for those who w ere on the m ailing list in adva nce, a nd fo r those tha t asked for o ne at th e fl y -in , th at gav e a series of self-co nducted tours of the a rea, las ting o ne o r two d ays . To go such places as Di s n ey World , We eki Wach e S prin gs, Cy press G a rd e n s, Bu s ch G a rdens, local to urs a ro und Lakela nd to m an y interesting points a nd jus t fun places to go. Th ere w as te nni s, golf, fish 7
ing, sailing and of course all of the othe r sports ava il able loca lly, a n d a t p laces easil y accessi bl e by air or car. All th ese a re avail ab le, provid ed of course you ca n tea r yo urself a way fro m th e en grossi n g activiti es a t th e ai rpo rt . O f co urse it was possible to split th e tribe, with th e o nes interested in fl ying ac tivi ties s tay ing, a nd the others going w he re they p leased . Quite a few fa m ilies did jus t th at. The w ide va riety of ac ti vities a t th e field inclu ded a delightful visit w ith a gro up of people ca lled "Th e Ga th ering of the Eagles", a ll pe rson s h avi ng soloed prio r to 1935. This group incl u des all as pects of his to ric avia tion , a nd tim e wo uld be sh ort if you sp ent the week o nl y try ing to visit wi th each o f these wo nderful peopl e. There we re 41, accordin g to my record , in a tten da nce. To quote their definitio n , the Ga therin g of the Eagles w a s don e o n a theme o f common ali ty, of spirit, a nd com radeship, shared acros s the generati o ns, fr om pioneer airme n to the yo ungest of aviato rs a t the Fly-In . For ma ny it was an o pportunity to see and hear w hat ~uld oth erwise only be read in a book. The tota l group in cluding g reats, near grea ts a nd jus t plain aviators we re av ailable throughout th e fly-in participating in m a ny eve nts and vis iting in gene ral with the people around the m. It was a trul y success ful operatio n . Th e highlig ht of this operatio n w as a dail y fl y-by of fi ve Cubs, flown by five tea ms of two eagles each . The five Cubs, as they fl ew over, represe nted 567 yea rs of fl y ing experie nce and 210,000 tota l ho urs of fl ying time . Imagin e if you will the 5 Cubs flying over with lite rally a contrail of history. Immediatel y after the fl y-by, th e 5 Cubs la nded , ce re moniously taxie d into positio n and parked in a neat row . The crowd gathe red as soon as the props stopped , and the g roup of fliers made themselves available for pictures, or jus t plain talk . A mo re hospitable and inter es ting group would be ha rd to find. For those who wanted to get educated or enter tain ed , th ere were constant forums a nd activities on ma ny inte res ting s ubjects, both educa tional a nd e nte r ta ining . One forum by Cole Pale n on fl ying th e old rotary e n gi nes wa s mos t interes tin g. Hi s prese nta tio n of the fact that the pilo t in s uch case b eca m e pa rt o f th e engine, p erforming the functi o n of the carbure to r con trolling the mixture literally by adjus ting the flow of gas, wa s spine tingling and informative. Ju st imag in e yourself fl ying such a machine a nd having time a nd presence enoug h to be its carburetor. The ca mpground was la rge a nd well u sed all wee k. The us ual s ights a nd sounds o f boys and girls fl yin g toss glid e rs a nd gen eral camp activity, bes t d e fin ed
Awards GRAND CHAMPIONS IN CLASS (1) Antique - Spartan Executive NC1761 S, Jim Patterson, Louisville, KY (2) Classic - 1949 Piper Clipper N5335H, Phil Cashmere, Addison , IL (3) Homebuilt - Kingfisher N-2EK, E. K. Morice, Delray, FL (4) Military Configuration (Wayne Thomas Award) - Combat Aircraft Vought Corsair CG-CWX, Dennis Bradley, Toronto, Onl., Canada (5) Amphibian (Jack Brown Award) - Kingfisher N2EK, E. K. Morice, Delray, FL ANTIQUES Golden Age ( to 1935) (1) Best Restored - C-34 Airmaster NCl6403, Roy Wicker, Atlanta, GA Insts. & placards by Bob Baldwin (2) Best Custom - Travelair 2000 NC4952, John Dekle, Thomasville, GA (3) Best Original - Curtiss Fledgling Nl72Y, Hank Palmer, SI. Peters burg, FL Sliver Age (4) Best Restored - Howard DGA, NC95462, John Turgyan , Trenton, NJ (5) Best Custom - Stagger Beech Nl038M, Vernon Ford, Ft. Pierce, FL (6) Best Original - Ryan STA, N17349, Walter Hill, Miami, FL CLASSIC (1) Best Custom Restoration - 1946 Globe Swift N78055, Clay Sisson , Ft. Myers, FL (2) Best Custom Restoration - Aeronca Champ 83633, Melvin Hill , Danville,IL (3) Best Original Restoration - Mooney Mite 346M, John Wright, Kirby McKinney, Greenville, SC (4) Class I - 65 hp - 1946 T-Craft N44493, Warren Long , Thomasville, GA, restored by Jeff Hayward, first aeroplane (5) Class II - 66 - 165 hp - 1954 Cessna 170B, N2535C, M. R. Baas, Irving, TX (6) Class III - 166 & up hp - 1949 Cessna 195 N4374V, Art Brown, Marietta, GA HOMEBUILTS (1) Best Metal - T-18, N22DS, Bill Suttler, Nashville, TN (2) Best Bi-Plane - Pitts N51 RA, Dick Adama, Tampa, FL (3) Best Original Design - BJ-520, N520BJ, Dr. Bergon Brokow, Leesburg, FL (4) Best Non-NC Engine - Sonerai N2MX, John Monett, Elgin, IL (5) Best Fabric - Aerosport N6AS, Dorothy Aiksnoras, Oxford, CT (6) Runner-up Grand Champ - BD-4 , N325BD, Lloyd Brekke, Newton, KS WARBIRD AWARDS (1) Best Primary Trainer- PT19 (M62A) N58109, Frank Mock, Tampa, FL (2) Best Advanced Trainer - SNJ-5, N4QU. Jeff Michael, Lexington, NC (3) Best Original Trainer - Temco Buckaroo, N6877~, Charlie Nelson, Athens , Tenn . (4) Best Custom - P-51 , N988C, R. J. Shaver, Atlantic City, NJ (5) Best Restored - P-51 , CF-FUZ, Gary McCann, Stratford, Ont., Can .
(1) (2), (3) (4)
DIRECTORS AWARDS Best Static Display - Ira Jones, CA-65 Spirit of EM - Airparts, Frank & Ethyl Ferre Best Forum - Ken Rand Spirit of EM (out of state) - Russ Dutton of Australia
by t he camaraderie associa ted with fly-ins in general. The "F lea Market" could h ave been named differently , for its proportions and activiti es were far from flea size. Everything from a comp lete Gnome ro tary engine on a s tand and runable, to an in strument panel screw was available . Much money and many parts cha nged hands with great fun. The Piper Plant, just across the airport , w ho manu facturers the Piper Navajo, most graciously conducted planr tours . Free buses left from the main gate, and returned you to the fly-in. They also lent their facilities to the group for a fashion show one evening. The same buses above mentioned, were used for a continual shuttl e service to all motels and back to the airport. It was a scenic and enjoyable ride with a lot of friends , and the usual bus chitter chatter. Each eveni ng th ere was a corn roast on the field. The huge sized grills were laden with roasting corn over glowing ch arcoa ls that by then felt good, since the evenings were cool. The "gemutlichkeit" ran knee deep with swaping of stories, meeting new people and chance meeting of old friends, all to cap off a pleasant day. The main banquet was held at a beautiful civic center in Lakeland, a tremendo us complex of buildings and meeting rooms, designed primarily for convention work, made an enjoyable setting for such a huge crowd. The edi tor' s estimate would have been around 500 peo ple sitting and h aving dinner at one time, with what else but an airp lane sitting along side of the main podium. The food was good, and everyone was served promptly and efficien tly, and the time had come for the awards program. Th e awards program was pre sented, and the winners are listed h erewith. The guest speaker of the evening was Paul Pobe rezny, who gave an informative and inspirational talk on what can be done to help in these times of dominat ing government regulations. There was a surprise presentation to Audrey Poberezny of a birthday cake and singing of "Happy Birthday" by all, immediately after Paul's speech . It was an enjoyable program and everybody retired from the meeting hall to small groups all over town to visit and continue far into the night. By Sunday, the bright faces (some bright red and sunburn) turned to long faces, as departing time, thoughts of home and snow entered our minds . On cue, we arrived in a raging blizzard, with a two hour driving fight to make it home and in the driveway , the one re warding thought being that we will be back there again next year, and of course, there is the thought that Spring is coming. Al Kelch, Editor
Gathering of the Eagles Cub Flight
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3. L. Merl Jenkins R. Bill Green
5. L. Roger Don Rae R. L. J. Smith _ _ .L
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Matty & Elsie Laird. (Super Solution).
A proud owner of a beautiful Air Coupe, owner unknown .
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Cole and Rita Palen . The Old Rhine beck people.
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Tiger Moth , owner Lanny Gardner, Ft. Benning, GA.
Walter Hills Cuatemalan STM Silver Age winner.
George W. Haldeman , Clem Whittenbeck anc Len Povey, a jolly threesome .
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Hal Thompsons Aerocar. He has the rest of it and is going to fly it.
Wisconsinites Mr. & Mrs . Kellog , Loren Gilbert and Gene Morris clown a bit.
Edna Gardner Whyte said she taught in these Spartans. A Majestic Corsair.
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Sun ' N Fun F Editor 's Note : Due to the tremendous proportic aircraft, you will have to forgive us for our lac This is an all for fun event. Registration not r
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lintage Machines ,,;,;.? ~::
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Travelair 2000, owner John Dekle.
.......
Mike Murphy, left Jessie Woods and Roger Don Rae, at the buffet dinner.
Cessna 170 N4531C owner unknown .
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Loren Gilbert contemplating the Flea Market.
Ed Escal/on tending Super Solution display.
Stinson NC34676, owner Tom Scott , Miami, FL.
NC7091 Waco Bob White, Orlando.
Pilot briefing just like Oshkosh .
The traffic of onlookers was constant.
, I n Pictorial
)f this event and the great number of unregistered
f and sometimes inaccurate information .
ired!
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OSHKOSH CONVENTION COMMITTEES AND CHAIRMEN
ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION 1976
AERONCA K .•. (Continued from Page 4)
which belong to him. As it has turned out, the K has
won many trophies and plaques. A couple of which 1
am especially proud are, the Best Cabin Monoplane
award at Oshkosh in 1973 and the Outstanding Antique
Aeronca at Oshkosh in 1975.
When the restoration started my good friend Tony Young began documenting the whole process on 8mm color film . This was really a great idea and J would sure suggest that if you don't have a friend like Tony, try to take a lot of snapshots . Needless to say a project like this can be even more enjoyable when you have the support and help from a wife and five children, as I had. A ride in the K is the only tangable thanks that Bud Drum our local chapter 194 Designee ever got, even though the work was done under his supervision. The same goes for Roger Perreault who sat on the other side of those wings during the many rib stitch hours. Martin Oosta of our local FFA GADO area, was always helpful and had to make extra inspection trips due to the fact that two spar splices had to be made during the restoration. Aeronca restorers all eventually get to know John Houser who h as been with Aeronca many years, and is still at the Aeronca factory . John is always there with the information required if you are trying to make an authentic Aeronca restoration. Finally it gets to where you realize that the job was really com pl~ted because there were friends like Bob Ebbert who allowed me to use his machinery and special tools, Ken Sanders who helped night after night and the numerous others who were there when they were needed.
Antique/Classic Convention Management Antique/Classic Convention Chairman J. R. Nielander, Jr.
Box 2464
Fort Lauderdale , FL 33303
Antique/Classic Convention Co-Chairman E. E. " Buck " Hilbert 8102 Leech Road
Union , IL 60180
Antique/Classic Forums Antique/Classic Forums Chairman
J. R. Nielander, Jr.
Box 2464
Fort Lauderdale , FL 33303
Antique/Classic Forums Co-Chairman
Antique/Classic Parking & Flight Line Safety Antique/Classic Parking Chairman M. C. " Kelly " Viets
RR 1, Box 151
Stilwell, KS 66085
Antique/Classic Parking Co-Chairman
Allen D. Henninger
939 McKellar Drive
Tullahoma , TN 37388
Antique Parking Chairman
Jack C. Winthrop
3536 Whitehall Drive
Dallas , TX 75229
Antique Parking Co-Chairman
Classic Parking Chairman
£,1
EXPERIMENTAL • • • • • • • • • AIRCRAFT ASSN.
11
George E. Stubbs
Box 113
Brownsburg, IN 46112
Arthur R. Morgan 513 North 91st Street Milwaukee , WI 53226
Classic Awards Chairman & Chief Judge
Morton W. Lester
Box 3747
Martinsville, VA 2411 2
Classic Awards Co-Chairman & Co-Chief Judge James C. Gorman
Box 1217
Mansfield , OH 44902
Antique/Classic Headquarters Staff Antique/Classic Headquarters Staff Chairman
Edna Viets
RR1 , Box151
Stilwell , KS 66085
Antique/Classic Headquarters Staff Co-Chairman
Kate Morgan
513 North 91st Street
Milwaukee, WI 53226
Antique/Classic Merchandise Sales Chairman Pauline Winthrop
3536 Whitehall Drive
Dallas , TX 75229
Antique/Classic Merchandise Sales Co-Chairman Alicia Smith
706 N.W. 87th Avenue , Apt. 303
Miami . FL 33172
Antique/Classic Equipment & Supply Chairman Richard H. Wagner
Box 181
Lyons , WI 53148
Roy Redman
7120 Irving Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55423
Antique/Classic Equipment & Supply Co-Chairman AI H. Kelch
7018 West Bonniwell Road
Mequon , WI 53092
Antique/Classic Fly-By Schedule Coordination Antique /Classic Fly-By Schedule Chairman Gar W. Williams 9 S 135 Aero Drive Naperville , IL 60540
Antique/Classic Pavilion Programs Antique/Classic Pavilion Programs Chairman Gar W Williams 9 S 135 Aero Drive Naperville, IL 60540
Antique/Classic Fly-By Schedule Co-Chairman Eduardo C. Escallon
335 Milford Drive
Merritt Island , FL 32952
---- ---- ---Antique/Classic Pavilion Programs Co-Chairman James B. Horne 3850 Coronation Road Eagan , MN 551 22
Classic Parking Co-Chairman
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William J . Ehlen
Route 8, Box 506
Tampa , FL 33618
Antique/Classic Judging & Awards
Antique Awards Chairman & Chief Judge
Claude L . Gray , Jr
9635 Sylvia Aven ue
Northridge , CA 91324
NX147N when owned by Ernie Moser.
The Crosley inverted 4 cyl. air cooled 90 HP engine. Russ West test pilot in rear cockpit and Hoekstra in front, note Gosport helmet.
THE CROSLEY BIPLANE
A couple years ago I wrote an article on the aviation activities of Crosley Radio of Cincinnati. The piece was lacking in the historical area. This I would like to correct through the, probably, only known ship, NX 147N. Like all Crosley's 147N bore the name " MOON BEAM". She was completed on December 8, 1929 and served as test bed for the ideas of Powell Crosley Jr. Opera tions included being flown with a Warner Sacrab of 110 hp and Crosley's Four inline of 90 hp. The highlight was the use of spoilers for lateral control in recovery from six turn spins. A first in use. A unique feature in the airframe was the square tube longerons. Trussing is standard round tube. Ailerons are from bent aluminum sheet/rolls. This sys tem was sold to WACO where it was used on several cabin models. After leaving Crosley around 1932 there is a break in the logs of ownership. The next entry is 1939. At this time she was sold by John Richardson of Nicolas ville, Kentucky to James D. Goodrich of Frankfort, Kentucky. Mr. Goodrich operated 147N until December 7, 1941. At this time the engine was removed and the a irframe stored in the proverbial barn. There she rested until some time after the war when rescued and made flyable, bearly. From all indications th e Moon beam was s till owned by James Goodrich. The rescuers remain a mystery . In 1958 she had an altercation with a Bensen causing substantial damage .
A 110 HP Warner engine. Herb Junkin shop superintend'mt in cock pit and Hoekstra standing. By John Carter (EAA 41061/A C 180) 1403 2nd Ave. E.
Bradenton, FL 33505
Following this mishap the ship was sold to an Antiquer, David M. Trapp at Lexington, Kentucky, who rebuilt her to her former glory, if not better. The major substitution was a Manesco C4 "Pirate" of 125 hp, re placing the Crosley Inline for power. The highlight under David Trapp's ownership came in 1967 at a fly-in. The aircraft's designer had a chance to fly in her again . When Harold D . Hoekstra came down his remark was "Open Cockpit again - Wheee". Upon the approval ot antique markings in 1970 the Moonbeam was repainted silver and blue. Registra tion was placed on the wings of silver. These markings are blue while those on the vertical surfaces are white. Here is a puzzle. No Crosley was certified for production yet NC prefix entries are in the log. Can anyone explain? Late 1970 found the little biplane in the ownership of Ernie Moser of St. Augustine, Florida. David D. Allyn of Sarasota purchased the s hip in April 1972 for part of his proposed Flying Air Museum. Following no cooperation from the local airport officials, Dave packed up bag and aircraft in June 1973. Approval was easily obtained from the Municipal Airport of Santa Fe County New Mexico for the con s truction of the new museum , which is underway . If all goes as planned, I may rejoin the museum as historian. Anyone with information on the Crosley aircraft is encouraged to contact me . Needed is historical data
and spare photos so that the file can be closed. Working for the museum, I started compiling data originally on NX 147N. Not only did I find data on our ship but a scattering of details on the others.
DATA SHEET Five Corsley Aircraft were built. All bore the name MOONBEAM. Serial No. 1: Three place ·parasol monoplane seating in open cockpits. First flown April 1929 . Warner Sacrab 110 hp . License X 642E. Serial No.2: Four place cabin monoplane. Wings tail unit, 1. g., engine mount as No. 1. First flown August 9, 1929. Engine Wright J-6-5 165 hp. Registration X 10M. Serial No. 3-4: Identical biplanes. Two place open cockpit. Warner Sacrab 110 hp or Crosley four inline 90 hp. Registration No.3 X 146N, No.4 X 147N. Number 4 now fitted with a Manesco C-4 of 125 hp. Serial No.5: Single place high wing. Outer panels fold . Aeronca K size. Control stick hung from roof. Flown 35 days from layout. ABC Scorpion 38 hp engine. First flown May 28, 1930. License X 9679. Serial No.3 first flown in the fall of 1929. No.4 was f10wh on December 8, 1929. No further data.
12
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Judging
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Outline of Judging Information By Claude Gray
Ant. Awards Chairman & Chief Judge
This article has bee n written for the benefit of those of you who have restored or are now in the process of restoring an antique or classic aircraft for display a nd judging at the 1976 O shkosh Fl y-In Con ve ntio n , It is intended to provide you with some insight into what will be looked for by the judges. The informatio n is taken largely from o ur manual of Rules a nd Sta ndards, Restoration Jud ging, worked up early in 1975 by the Antique-Cla ss ic Division directors. These rul es and standards have already been tested unde r fire - a t th e 1975 Oshkosh Fly-In - and were d eemed quite suc cessful. They re move much of the personal tas te and bias that all too ofte n seem to creep into the d ecision s of judges, subs titutin g instead a sys te ma tic mea ns of fairl y judging all a ircraft equ ally . Through o ut our guide book, " auth enticity" is the , key w ord . Th e s ta nda rd s are structured in s uch a w ay to enco urage th e individual to comple te a " fac tory fresh" restora tio n . . . " facto ry fresh " referring to the wa y th e a ircra ft ca me fr om th e factory, a nd not necessarily utilizing me th od s a nd ideas used in mode rn d ay manu facturin g . It is realized tha t some of th e facto ry fr esh ways of doing things, circa 1920s and 19305, might need a little improvihg today from th e s tandpoint of sa fe ty and current s ta nda rds or airworthiness, so s uch ch a n ges are give n pro pe r con side ration a nd ca rry little o r no minu s p oint valu e in th e judging g uide . We do wi sh to s tress tha t wh a t was o riginal, eve n if 13
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crude by tod ay's sta nda rd s, is to th e res tore r's ad va ntage, p o int- w ise, if re pr odu ce d fa ith full y in hi s restoratio n . It should be noted o n the judging fo rm rep roduced he re th at a Prese nta ti on Book a nd Proof of Authe nticity is good fo r 5 po ints of the possi ble 100. Thi s book ca n contain old ph otos, pri n ts, drawings or eve n a display of old parts tha t have been re placed ... all to a uthe n tica te o n e's restora ti o n . This is pa rticularl y importa nt in ins tances in w hich a n aircraft originally left the fac tory w ith a no n- sta ndard or " cus tom" paint job. Also, we des ir e th a t the res torer b e present during th e judgin g of his aircra ft to a nswer any questio n s th a t mig ht arise. We cann ot s pare the time for a comple te sto ry o n each aircraft, as much as we would enjoy it, but h aving th e owner prese nt for ques tio n s is fair to all concerned . It is well to re m e mber also that a restora tion co mple ted by an individu al is given consideration over a pl a ne tha t is known to h a ve been jobbed out to the re pair s ta tio n s, with th e owne r's principal labor res tricted to w riti ng the ch ecks . Follo wing a re som e excerpts fr om o ur judge's guide tha t we feel ca n b e of h elp to the restorer : " Throug h o u t th e rea din g of the S ta n da rds, yo u will find re ference to o n e conce pt tha t reflects th e o pin io n ex pressed by practica ll y all th e peo pl e co ntacted during the d ev elo pme nt of the guidelines . .. the und er lying co nce pt of authe nticity. If it is th e d esire o f the owne r to d evia te from th e attainme nt of thi s goa l for conside ra tio ns of sa fe ty , p ersonal whim or othe r rea sons, the 'cos t' o f not cQpforming is kn own in ad va nce . A po rtio n of the g uide h'hes pe rtain s to th e docume nta tio n of a uth e nticity as it rela tes to the restored aircraft. The own er/resto re r is e ncouraged to prove the authe n ticity via p ictures, le tte rs, factory sp ecifica tions o r othe r mea ns w hich w ill allevia te the need for 'ju dges opinio n' in determining a uthe nticity." "Judges are to be guid ed by the foll owing ge ne ral policy . The prize- winnin g airpla ne is eith er in o r h as been res to red to fac to ry fr esh condition. In th e case of restored airpla nes, the quality and a uth enticity o f the comple ted resto ra ti o n is th e main issu e. Any alte ra tio n for wha teve r purpose sh o uld be di scouraged , w ith the exce pti o n o f sa fe ty items . These a re covered in s ta nda rd d edu ctio ns o n the ju dging sh eet. Duplica tio ns of pa rts s ho uld be as close to th e original as possible. Pe nalti es
AY
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sh o uld be give n for lack o f res traint in 'over res tora tio n : Jud ging fo r cl ea nliness sh o uld take into cons ide ra tio n th e ex te nt to w h ich the pla ne is u sed , a nd auth e ntic restorati o n sh o uld not b e p enalized w h e n it bears o nly the oil a nd grease normall y accumul a ted in op era tio n . This will n ot exc use poo r ho use keeping, as it onl y takes a few minutes after a rri ving a t a m eet to clean th e oil sp atte r fro m mos t of the pl a ne. Planes th a t have bee n fl ow n to the mee t s houl d by all mea ns receive preference ove r s ta ti c di sp lays t ru cke d to th e s ite . A irpl a n es comple tely resto red by a n individu al sh o uld , of course, receive prefe re nce th e sa m e as a uth e nticity, Replicas sh o uld no t be qu alified fo r judging as an a ntique res tora tion . Our goa l sh ould b e to restore a nd fl y planes exactl y as they we re in the p as t, preservin g a pa rt of his tory for pos te rity. Ju dges mu s t keep thi s in mind ." CATEGORIES
A. Antique - '
A n antiqu e aircra ft is de fin ed as a n airpl a ne manu factured a t leas t thirty (30) yea rs prio r to th e contes t da te. B. Classic Classic aircraft is d efin ed as a n airpla ne ma nu factured prior to 1950 a nd resto red to sh o w con d i tio n . e ReplicaA replica is de fin ed as a ny re p rodu ction of a n airframe th a t was not built by th e orig inal ma nu facture r. After reading over th ese g uidelin es, yo u s ho uld have a good id ea of w ha t is be ing loo ked fo r in yo u r a ircra ft. Keep in min-d th a t old Ca lifornia sloga n fo r ho t rods, " If it wo n ' t run - chro m e it" .. . re m e mbe rin g th a t it gets yo u no point s, using this judgin g sys te m . If o ri g ina lly c h ro m ed or pl a te d , fin e, but if a dd e d for m ode m -day s how - no. Th e goa l of the EAA A ntique Cl assic Divis io n is to res to re a nd save old airpl a nes in th e g race a n d glory th a t was built into the m - th e know- ho w (o r lac k of it) o f that time. Le t' s not ruin the bea uty of a ra re old antiqu e with mode rn d ay sh o rt cuts a nd ga dgets . As w as o fte n qu o ted in the 1920s and 1930s, " For every h o ur o f fl ying th ere were about 8 hours of wo rk keeping it running." W e ca n' t be in s uch a hur ry tod ay th at the rule s ho ul d n' t still a ppl y.
Form V
OFFICIAL SCORING FORM AIRCRAFT JUDGING yEAR _____ REGISTRATION _ _ _ _ _ _ __
AIRCRAFT _____ OWNER _ _ _ _ __
ADDRESS
-----------Appearance Only Poor Fair Good General Appearance
(25) P F G VG EX
---
Engine
Excellent
(15) P F G VG EX
+ 11 to 15
+ 16 to 20 + 21 to 25
+ 0 to 3 + 4 to 6
+
7 to 9 + 10 to 12 + 13 to 15
- - -(10)- P- -+ 0 to 2
Landing Gear
F G VG EX Cockpit
+ 3 to 4 + 5 to 6
+ 7 to 8 + 9 to 10
(15) P
+ 0 to 3
F
+ 4 to 6
G VG EX
+ 7 to 9
F G VG EX
+ 4 to 6 + 7 to 9
+ 10 to 12 + 13 to 15
- - - -(15)P ---+Ot03
Fuselage
-Wings & Tail
Presentation Book Proof of Authenticity
+ 4 to 6 + 7 to 9 + 10 to 12 + 13to15 !-
-5 -2 -3 -2
Non-authentic Non-authentic Non-authentic Non-authentic Other
-12 -I -2 -5
Non-authentic Non-authentic Non-authentic Non-authentic Non-authentic Other
Engine Mags Wiring Chroming Brakes Wheels Tires Tail Skid Steering
- - - -- - -
Non-authentic Non-authentic Non-authentic Non-authentic Other
0 to 5 TOTAL MINUS Judges Names
-----
Score
Date
ITe - d.
-2
-2
-I -I
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Non-aUthentic ""iring - L-4NOING GE.ot HYdraUlic brakes ,: (10 .Polnts) mechanica/s Noo-aUthentic Nn"-aUth", ,. tira sT?laClflg IZe Or tires
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Of . . . . . . " . . .. .
-10
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Of . . . . . . . . . .. .
-I
-2
instrument
-I -2 -2
-2 -5 -2
--------
ITE., 3 .
fabric and d
.~n . .··,::C~ . . . • ....N
-2
Non-authentic Windshield Non-authentic Cowling Non-authentic Fairings Other Non-authentic Wires Non-authentic Pitot Non-authentic Nav . Lights Other
~'i::'or SCheme
~
-2
'2 -4 -5
.
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N'}:!-aUthent/c
......
Instrument Upholstery Chroming Controls
Pr·"/01l8 Or·"d Ch
MOdern finish _
..... t.
Non-authentic finish Non-authentic Stripings Non-authentic Markings Other
--------
- - -----------
GRANT TOTAL Total Appearance :
Less Total Minus :
GRAND TOTAL :
+ 10 to 12 + 13 to 15
- -(15)- P- -+ 0 to 3 F G VG EX
Score
+ 0 to 5
+ 6 to 10
----------Non-au thentic color scheme
..,.... ""'" ....... ........ ............
:~~~%:~;;$~~'::r""".'"" ....,............
StrlPi~rgt~and°rlglnal ......h··· .. d
""',~...~~ .........
Authenticity Minus Points - Deduct as Specified
Score Very Good
&
:':Iterations in
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Of . . . . . . . .'o,.
b- ng ""here fairln
III Ca In Slruts to fUBelage gs ""ere Orig/nally fUBela - ""NGS & T""L l ' 0,.. ""heel III Non-aUthefl/ic b, (5 POI"tS)
Non-aUthentic
~~-aUlhefl/iC
. -I
.,-2
, Of"", ""'..., 'mod" Ok. _ ,
....... Fairing 'P.., '" W,. - .........,t> O,.Of, ON""" 'h'_ mise; Ifldshleld
ITE., 7.
2 -2
Original Panel
"_., ..'2
....... _
t~be
-2
PitOt 9hts Or naY/gation lights SENT"'TiON PROOF (5 PoI"ts)
-2
-3 -2 -I -I
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Letter to Ed Williams Ed, A s a p o int o f clarifi cati o n in your article in the las t issue of Vintage Airplane concerning the 50th Anniversary of Comm ercial Air Tra nsporta tion which I enjo yed very mu ch, it was a yo ung la d y who rea ll y gave rebirth to the Swallo w not Buck Hilbert. This lad y kn ew o f th e wh er eabo uts of the Swallow for over 30 years . She me ntioned it to me about 12 years ago and afte r investigating and finding sam e to be still located w here it was whe n she was a to ddle r a nd in very go od conditio n d es pite th e yea r s in s tora ge; I told m y g o o d fri end s Bob Schroed er and Buck Hilbert tha t when I got the plane, a nd I was d etermined to d o so, I wa nted them to be equ al p artne rs with me .. . after m any years of talking, barga ining, more talking, etc. I'm sure the two though t I'd never get Bill Irwin to release he r to me, but I p er sisted a nd with so me good p roding on th e part of Ern es t Fumaso li w h o kn e w Irwin for more tha n 55 years, he finally rele nted abo ut a yea r ago so th at he could see his "baby" fl y again . About two yea rs ago he turned down, h e told me, a n offer to put the S wall ow in th e EAA Museum because all these yea rs he w anted h er up in the sky. Rea lizing tha t too m a n y bosses ca n up set th e kitch en, it was d ecid ed th a t Buck head up the project, an d I must admit as does Bob, that he is doing an ad mirabl e job of ca llin g the sh ots . By th e way, th e yo ung la dy is my lovel y brid e of 22 yea rs Ginny, Ernes t Fuma soli is my charming fath er -in-law - th e S wallo w yo u see was stored across the alley from the old h omestead since 1933; m o re or less a fa mil y a ffair. In closing I would like to close with a tribute to Bill Irwin w ho died in the la tte r part of 1975 witho ut seeing th e S wallow fl y again like he and r talk ed th ose ma ny years. H e starte d this project bac k in th e twentyies, I'm gla d G inn y was born to that neighborhood so th a t we ca n now be a pa rt o f th e 50th Anniversa ry Celebration . Da ri o L. To ffen etti 15 EAA Ch apter 7
DOUGLAS Builds New Airplane Pa ul Lit tle (EAA 56229) 17103 So . Grylan d Ave . Cerritos, CA 90701
Tu cked away in a not too obscure corner of a n e ig ht -s tory han ga r, lar ge eno ugh to house two or three DC-10's or sev eral DC-9's, s its a sm a ll skeleton of a fuselage on its landing gea r, its Liberty engi ne uncowl ed, tail fea th ers som etimes o n, som e times off, a nd ge nerally lookin g as if it w er e in th e develo pm e n t stages . Li ke a wren to a n Eagle, compared to its bro th er th e DC-10 is the Do ugla s M-2, bein g given a ne w start in li fe by so me W es t e rn Airlin es a n d Do ug las e mployees . Thi s a irpla ne, now fift y years old, ha s bee n stored by Western Airli nes since 1941 and is now being restored to cel ebra te th e Bi ce nte nni al yea r a n d Wes tern's 50th An n iv ersary as a n airline. Western Air Express, as it was called in th e beginning, s ta rted o pe ration s wi th five airplan es, two M-2's and three M-4's. This particu lar ai rpla ne was actuall y an M-4, o ne of fifty pu rch ased by the U.s . Postal Servi ce, but sold to Wes tern before it ca me o ff th e asse mbl y line . On the e ntry step is s till th e WA E mad e u p of rive ts, a go odw ill ges ture by Do uglas e mployees to Wes tern em ployees . First flig h t was a n April 20, 1926 by Mo rri s G raham and it was the n put into regul ar service fro m Los An geles to Las Vegas to Sa lt Lake City, prima ril y as an a ir ma il a nd pa rcel servi ce, alth o ug h passe ngers w ere carri ed a t tim es in th e mai l hoppe r which is in the front o f the cockpit. On e a musin g s to ry com es fro m Wes tern reti red Captain Ted Homan , of a n e n try in ship's logs, which read, " Mad e un schedu led la nding in fi eld to pers uad e p asse nger to s tay in a irpl a ne." Wh at
actuall y happ ened was that the passe nge r, be ing som ewh a t in eb r ia te d , kept climbing out on the win g, p robably to get a breath of fresh air and no a mou n t of coaxin g by th e pil ot co uld cha nge his mi nd . So th e pilot made his un sched ul ed la nding, hit th e passe nge r on the hea d with the fire extin guish er a nd took off again . I as ked Ca p tain H o ma n, wh o by th e w ay is in ch arge o f th e restoratio n projec t a nd also will be th e tour pilo t, if he ever flew this airpla ne fo r Wes tern . He laughed and said , " No, I'm not that o ld , but I o nce flew as a p asse nge r in it whe n I was a boy." The n h e to ld me how th e M-4 go t it's lo nger win gs th a n the 39'8" of the M-2. Seems the Pos tal Service had a little troubl e gettin g o ff from C heyenne o n a ho t d ay , so th ey as ked Doug las fo r longer wings and Douglas compli ed by addi ng 4'. This was call ed th e Rocky Mo un ta in Win g , which a ll M-4's h ad . Wes tern has aske d th e FAA to let them red es ig na te this M-4 as an M-2 for thi s projec t a nd al so to use its ori gi nal registra tion o f Cl 50. Additio nal fu e l tan ks are a lso be ing a dde d to ens ure an a mpl e suppl y o f low octa ne fu el required for the 5:1 compress ion ra tio e ngine. The orig ina l fu e l ca p acity w as tw o 60- ga ll o n ta n ks, on e in each lower win g. Present
co nfig ura tion w ill have 58 .5 ga llon ta nk in each lo we r w ing, a 30-ga llo n tan k in each upper wing a nd two 25-ga ll on tan ks in the mail compa rtm en t. Tires we re origi nally B.F. Goodrich 20inch Bald s. On e d ay th e Good year rep walked in and sa w this, a nd yep! Yo u guessed it. He had th e tires and wheels sh ipped to Akro n a nd 10 a nd behold, th ey ca me back sp orti ng the G oodyear na m e co mple te with h ydra ulic brakes w h ich th ey neve r h ad before . Also a ta ilwh ee l h as been add ed w hich wi ll enable it to be fl own o n paved run ways. The trim wh eel has been moved from the rig h t sid e of the cockpit to th e left at the req uest of Ca pta in H oma n. Other th an tha t th e a ircr af t is be in g r e buil t to original s pecs. Th e win gs were in s uch bad shape th a t new o nes a re bein g buil t as was th e tu rtl e deck. Th e 1599 CID, V12 Liberty engin e was rebu il t by re tir ed W es te rn m ech a n ic, B. G. Smylie. It has a metal ground adjustable p rop a nd puts o ut 425 hp, cru ise s peed is 110 mph and stall is 45 mph w ith th e lo nger wing. I ca n imagine th a t the firs t flight o f th e res tored M-2 will be jus t as excitin g as th e first fl ig ht of one of Douglas' la tes t crea ti ons. Th is sho uld ta ke place som e time this spring a nd pl a ns are to tour the U.S. and Ca nada with it. Perhaps it will make o ne of the EAA Fly- In s.
Whistling In The Rigging Paul H. Poberezny
EAA President
We have received a great many fine comments re garding Vintage Airplane. We are very appreciative of your fine support and I am proud of the fine work that Editor Al Kelch and his lovely wife are doing for the cause of aviation. We, as antiquers, restorers, lovers of classic aircraft, sometimes become so involved with perfection and the details of restoring, searching out old airplanes and taking them to events for display, that we sometimes lose sight of what can happen to all of us if we do not concern ourselves a little bit with the overall welfare of general aviation. True, our ac tivities whether it be homebuilts, warbirds or rotary wing - are s port aviation, fun, recreation and great personal plea s ure. To many, the problems of TCAs, controlled air space, Towers, increased effor ts by government in the area of taxes and even Washington, seem far away and unimportant. This is until such time as you have to put more expensive eq uipment into your airplane to be able to legally use it. While we do our "thing" we, as an organization, must be alert to insure that our freedom is not tampered with by bureaucratic thinking. In fact, just in a small way, while writing this column, our foreman at Osh kosh called to advise that the local plumbing inspector was out at our EAA Convention site and was very un happy with our drinking facilities, our shower facilities and our holding tanks. These certainly have served us very adequately . Two of the facilities are brand new, as is the water sys tem. The showers pose no problem as they were pumped daily; the drinking water has always passed state testing. However, as he has stated, he has his codes. Realistically, can we put in thousand s of dollars into fancy faucets and other systems for one
week per year? I am sure I can go into other areas of his community such as the fairgrounds , for instance, and point out to him standards that are far !ower than EAA's high standards. 50, whether it be in matters pertaining to the actual airplane or to the ground activities neces sary to support us, we as an organization will continually have to be on the alert for over-zealous individuals. We, as EAA members, need the support of all of general aviation to insure that our privileges and rights are sus tained. We must all realize that once a rule is written it is most difficult to get it off the books. A responsive membership is one of the most valuable tools in the organization. It certainly is a pity that the many thou sands of people who, in one way or another, earn their living in aviation a nd are not part of or support a national aviation organization. Perhaps this is why aviation in our country is really not progressing as much as it s hould . We certainly have the capability, the pro duction know-how, the s kills, etc. to make aviation a significant factor in our eco nomy and in our recrea tional endeavors. It seems that many of us in aviation get into a small corner of it and expect others to hold up the majority. I am proud of the work that EAA has accomplished over these past tw enty-three years, in being the real spokesman, not onl y for the homebuilders, antiquers, rotary wing en thusiasts, warbirds or classic aircraft owners, but for all that general aviation stands for. I am very proud that we have such a variety of individuals and s uch a variety of talen t that actively participates. I am pleased with the great amount of expertise that we have, that we can call on and have called on in the past,
who can speak authoritatively on any phase of aviation, be it private or commercial. Herein lies our strength. I wo uld like to see the rolls of membership in EAA grow, as well as in our Divisions , . You can make it possible. Each year, at Oshkosh, I see an ever increasing number of people come to visit us. Most of them are not members. Wouldn't it be nice if each of these people came as a member? They are attracted to us, for what we are doing and what we have done. Yet, when I stop many of these people who arrive via factory built air craft, and question them on being a member of EAA, they usually reply "No. I just came to the airshow" . I feel sorry that they do not know more abou t us and about what we are doing for them . I feel badly when I learn they do not belong to a national organiza tion of their own choice. Yet, they expect "th em" to insure ch eaper operation of their aircraft; less rules, less taxes. It reminds me of the individual who wants all the benefits of citizenship without paying the taxes . It also reminds me of some who come to our annual Fly-In and Convention a t Oshkosh with their homebuilt, anti que or classic; parking in our areas; putting demands upon us for more service, trophies, forums, etc. They then write letters which are not quite complimentary, telling us what we should have done for them and that next year they expect to see an improvement. I cannot fully understand how a person can come to someone's convention, though they would be welcome, and become demanding and offer nothing to enhance the image of aviation. I was pleased with the decision of the Antiquel Classic Officers and Directors to limit awards and recognition to EAA members. It is high time those few freeloaders look elsewhere for' their recognition and a helping hand . I may seem to be a bit firm on this, but after twenty-three years of trying to encourage indi viduals to be a part of an organization which supports and promotes their interests, and to see a few continually expect you men and women to work for them, while they offer nothing, it becomes intolerable. Maybe it is because there are so many in our country who find the government handout is the easy way to go rather than working for something that is worthwhile, that has caused the reversal in my thinking . As I have often said, Oshkosh is not the place for you if you don't have tolerance, patience, love and understanding for your fellow man . If you don't have this, maybe one should choose a vacation spot else where . Your Officers and Directors will need your full sup port at this year's meet. Let's make it a safe, educational and enjoyable family vacation. 16
January 12, 1976 Dear Paul : We made our second trip to Oshkosh this past summer and enjoyed ourselves immensely. We were able to meet and talk with a large number of EAAers who have a shared interest with us in Antique/ Classic aircraft. The members and the Vintage Airplane are both excellent resources. We have saved each copy of the magazine published. We realize we are a special interest group within the EAA structure. We appreciate the opportunity to develop this interest by using the excellent means within the EAA. We feel a stronger sense of belonging by your allowing us to have our separate recognition. This has encouraged communication and mutual support. We hope to see the Antique /Classic Division continue to be an active , contributing part of the EAA. Sincerely yours, Duane G. White, EAA 45416 Antique/Classic 501 Patricia Pate White, EAA 62324 Antique/Classic 500 January 19, 1976 Dear Sirs : Am enclosing $10.00 so that you will permit me to join your club. At present I am restoring a 1932 Great Lakes 2T-1A. I am one of the orginators and member of Chapter No. 79, Spokane, WA. Thank you , Russ Swanson, EAA 1658 Rt . 3, Box 150 Sheney , WA 99004
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January 23, 1976 Dear Sirs : As an owner of Fairchild F 24 W 1942 (OH-FCK) and Taylorcraft 50 plus 1942 (O H-AUH). I would like to join EAA classic division sending hereby a check of $10. My postal adress is: Mr. Reni Hildeen
10210lNKOO
FINLAND
I wait for your soon issues with great interest. With best regards, Mr. Reni Hildeen Suomi FINLAND December 9, 1975 Dear Sirs: I notice that it is never easy to purchase an antique plane and unless overhauled they can be troublesome . Many years ago I pu rchased a couple of Avro Avian Biplanes from Harold Kenny my instructor, They needed lots of work and I accumulated all the drawings for the Avian. The machines are built similar to the Currie Wot being all spruce and plywood , although there are drawings for a tube steel fuselage . The wings can be folded and the aircraft towed home. Its 8 feet wide x 8 feet high by 21 feet and 28 feet span or 32 feet span. It takes 85 hp to 120 hp engines. English Cirrus 1183 and Cirrus Hornet 11 of 105 hp and Gipsy Major and carried 2 people although for air shows 3 were carried. I have damaged my back and if the association wish, I can donate the micro films and some full size drawings to the EAA Foundation Museum. Members could build new antiques of historical value , Bert Hurbiler and Kingsford Smith used them for long distance flights. Hoping this is of value to members.
You rs sincerely ,
Alan Lewis, EAA 1634
Jan uary 20, 1976 Dear Sirs: Please include me as a member in the Antique/Classic Division. My father and I have a Waco YKC-S with 245 hp . Jacobs and ci s prop. We have enjoyed about 60 hours in her since getting the plane , she is a pleasure to fly . We hope to restore her soon and bring her up to new condition. Thank you , Alan Brakefield , EAA 59766 Rt. 3, Box 301-A Okla. City, OK 73127 P.S. We also have a 1943 P.T. 19 with
175 Ranger, restored 2 years ago .
January 28, 1976 Dear Sir : First of all I must say that I I enjoyed quite a few winter evenings pursuing my reference books trying to identify the Sept.-Oct. and Nov.-Dec. "mystery planes. " Beginning with the " Swallow-like " craft of Sept.-Oct.: The similarities between certain Swallow and Lincoln-Page models could be added to Pete Bowers ' observations on "Basic Biplane Confusions " (YESTERDAY'S WINGS - AOPA) . LincolnPage at one time did own rights to Swallow. See corrective note in U.S. Civil Aircraft (Juptner), Vol. 3 page 239. I think I am entitled to three guesses on this one . 1. Modified Swallow " 90 " (All pictures of Swallows I've seen have cable aileron connectors instead of bar type shown.) 2. An early model Lincoln-Page LP-3. 3. A Lincoln-Page Swallow, if there ever was such a bird . The Nov.-Dec , plane was much easier thanks to Juptner-U.S. Civil Aircraft Vol. 1, pages 49-50. This is the Douglas Transport C-1, developed from the Douglas World Cruiser for use by the Army Air Service as a utility transport , It was also used as a refueling plane for early endurance flights. Span of both wings - 60 ft. Length - 36 ft. Engine was Liberty 12. I do hope that other readers will verify or correct these observations. New member, F. H, Manderfield
406 Emerald St.
Houghton, MI 49931
September 26 , 1975 Dear Mr. Lewis : Thank you for the pictures and your recent letter with the kind offer to donate the micro films and some full size drawin'gs of the Avro Avian biplane . The EAA Air Museum would be pleased to accept these so that copies might be available to EAA members. We are sorry to hear about your back injury and hope that the problem is of a temporary nature. We shall look forward to hearing from you and receiving the above donation . Thank you for your kind consideration . Sincerely,
Gene R. Chase
Executive Assistant
January 22, 1976 Dear Mr. Lewis : Thank you for your kind donation to the EAA Air Museum Foundation of the microfilm construction drawings of the Avro Avian Trans
594 , and some drawings of the Avro Avian type 616 with the metal fuselage . We understand this set is complete with the exception of about 30 modification sheets and the construction book. We note that the following are also responsible for the preservation of these plans : Stan Brennan, Keith Trillo , Albert Murray, N.A.P.S., A. V. Roe and Hawker Siddeley. We will attempt to set up a system whereby interested members can obtain · prints from the microfilm at a nominal cost, and possibly this will enable some newly constructed Avians to fly. We greatly appreciate your interest and desire to furth e r the goals and princ iples of EAA and the Muse um . Thanks again for your contribution , Best regards , Gene R. Chase Executive Assistant
111 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE One for one for one, If each mem
ber would take it upon himself to get one new member a year each year, the compounded effect would result in a very successful organi
za tion, Take pride in your activity - make it grow.
CLASSIFIED ADS FOR SALE: P & W R 985 Wasp Jr. Ser. No. 39 built in 1930. From Sikorsky S-39 NC54V , OSMOH in 1945 $2500 or offer, Jim Ash , R1 Box 116, Ixo nia, WI 53036.
WANTED WANTED ENGINE: Small 9 (vI. Sa lmson or 3 cyl. Szekel y. Complete ci'r parts.
Don Carlson
340 East M inn ehaha Pkwy.
Minneapolis, M N 55419
WANTED: 1 pai r E.D .O. No. 1965 Floats. T . Wood , Box 2080, Bracebridge, Onta ri o, Ca nada POB 1CO
Calendar of Events April 28 - May 2 - lAC 4ger Gold Cup Aerobatic Regional Champs. ACA & lAC Sanctioned Contest, Apple Valley, Ca. Airport . May 1-2 - Corona, California - Southern California Regional EAA Fly- In sponsored by EAA Chapters 1, 7, 11, 92, 96, 448 and 494. For infor mation contact Terry Davis, 13905 Envoy Ave., Corona, Ca . 91720. Phone 714-735-8639. May 15-16 - EAA 14th Annual Fly- In , Ramona , Ca. Airport. Contact: R. Borden , 2279 East Pasto St., Ramona, Ca. 92065. 714-789-0459. No Aerobatic contest this year. May 15-16 - Conroe, Texas - Fly In a t Montgomery, Texas Airport (40 miles north of Houston) , sponsored by EAA Antique and Classic Chapter 2, EAA Chapter 12 and EAA Chapter 345. For information contact Doug Scott, 626 Lakeview Drive, Sugarland, TX 77478. Ph. (713) 494-3791 or Ed Pruss, 6327 Tall Willow Drive, Houston, TX 77088 Ph . (713) 466-4490. May 22-23 - Cambridge, Maryland - 9th Annual Potomac Antique Aero Squadron Antique Fly-In, Horn Point Aerodrome. May 28, 29, 30 - Watsonville, California 12th Annual Antiquer Fly-In Air Show. May 28, 29, 30 - National Waco Fly-In, Hamilton, Ohio. June 4-6 - Merced, California - Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In . For information contact
Jim Morr, a Director, Box 2312, Merced, CA 95340 or call 209-723-0929. July 3-4 - Gainesville, Georgia - 9th Annual Cracker Fly-In . Sponsored by North Georgia Chapter of AAA, Antiques, Classics, Homebuilts and Warbirds welcome. Contact Bill Davis, 2202 Willivee Place, Decatur, GA 30033. July 10-11 - Annual EAA Chapter 62 Fly- In, Hollister, CA, Contact D. Borg, 6948 Burning Tree, San Jose, CA 95i 19. July 10-11 - 17th Annual AAA Fly-In, DuPage Cou nty Airport, West Chicago, Illinois. Phone 312-763-7114. July 31 - August 8 - O shkosh, Wisconsin 24th Annual EAA International Fly-In
C onvention. Start making your plan s NOW !
August 30 - September 3 - Fond du Lac,
Wisconsin - 11th Annual EAAIIAC
International Aerobatic Championships. Spon
sored by International Aerobatic Club .
September 17-19 - Georgetown, South Carolina - Second Annual Spirit of 76 Fly-In at Georgetown County Airport, South Carolina . Sponsored by Chapter 543 Antiquel Classics , Warbirds and Homebuilts . For infor malion contact Hero Bailey, P.O. Box 619, Georgetown, SC 29440. (803) 546-2525 days; (803) 546-3357 nights and weekends .
NEW! NEW! NEW! NEW! Beautiful lie lac/Lapel Pin and charms with the official Antique/Classic Emblem. Blue with silver or gold. Charm - Silver Charm - Gold TIe Tae/Lapel PIn (Gold Only)
$3.25 $3.50 $4.00
NOTICE OF ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS Notice is hereby given that an annual business meeting of the members of the EAA Antique /Classic Division will be held on Wednesday, August 4, 1976 at 10:30 A.M. (Cen tral Daylight Time) at the 24th Annual Convention of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. , Wittman Field, Oshkosh , Wisconsin_ Notice is hereby further given that the annual election of officers and directors of the EAA Antique /Classic Divi sion will be conducted by mailed ballot to be distributed to the members in June_ Said ballots must be returned pro perly marked to the Ballot Committee, EAA Antique / Classic Division, Box 229, Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130 no later than August 1, 1976. The nominating committee has submitted the following candidates : PRESIDENT SECRETARY DIRECTORS
Above prices include postage.
Send orders to : Antique/Classic Division P. O. Box 229 Hales Corners, WI 53130
Back Issues Of The Vintage Airplane Li m ited numbers of back issues of T H E VINTAGE A IRPLANE afl' ava il able a t $ 1. 00 each . Copies s till o n hclnd a t EAA He"dquclrters arl': 1973 - MA RC H , AP RIL . M AY. JUNE, JULY. AU GUST. SEPTE M BER. OCTO BER, NOVE MB ER, DECEMBER 1974 - JANUA RY. FE BR UARY. MARC H . APR IL, MAY, JUNE, JU LY, AUGUST, SE PT EMB ER, OCTO BER. NOVEM BER, DECEMBER 1975 - JANUARY. FEB RU A RY, MARCH, A PRI L, MAY. JUNE. JUL Y-AUGUST, SEPTEMBER-OCTO BE R, NOVEM B ER-DECE MB E I~ 1976 - JANU ARY , FEBRUARY, MA RCH ,
t£
J. R. Nielander, Jr. Richard H. Wagner AI Kelch Evander M. Bri tt M. C. " Kelly" Viets Jack C. Winthrop
(Signed) Morton W. Lester, Chainnan
Nominating Committee
Richard H. Wagner, Secretary EAA Antique/Classic Division
16