Va vol 42 no 6 nov dec2014 by EAA Vintage Aircraft Association

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

VEGA •2014 VAA Hall of Fame Inductee: Tim Talen •Walking the Line 2014 •Comparing the Classics: The Piper Cruisers

Vintage Airplane

Straight & Level

STAFF

GEOFF ROBISON

EAA Publisher. . . . . . . . . . Jack J. Pelton, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chairman of the Board

VAA PRESIDENT, EAA 268346, VAA 12606

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Busha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .jbusha@eaa.org

EAA Oshkosh 2014: A year to remember!

VAA Executive Administrator. Max Platts 920-426-6110. . . . . . . . . . mplatts@eaa.org

I want to take a moment here and provide a review of the 2014 AirVenture event as a whole, and more specifically, what went on in the Vintage area of the convention. I want to first start by stating that the business relationship between the EAA and the VAA as a division of the EAA has long been a pretty positive relationship. Occasionally when working alongside the EAA we would find ourselves on a bit of a roller coaster ride in dealing with various issues that were sometimes contrary to our vision of a successful business model for the VAA. In the past when this would occur, we were always able to successfully work our way through these issues primarily as a direct result of the longtime relationship we have always enjoyed with the Pobereznys. We are all acutely aware that the VAA organization wouldn’t even exist today without the vision of Paul, and that business relationship mostly consisted of “clear and concise communications,” along with the routine, “Oh by the way, be sure to have some fun when you’re executing on the plan!” Under the leadership of Tom, things changed a little bit. (Remember, Tom has a business degree.) That business relationship proved to be very similar to Paul’s vision; the only real exception was the handshake at the end of the “clear and concise communications” that sealed the deal. I felt the need to share this relationship with the membership today because I want everyone to know and understand that the current relationship between the VAA and EAA leadership remains exceptional, and oftentimes it is nothing short of amazing! With Jack Pelton’s guidance and the EAA leadership team and EAA staff engagement with this division, the relationship continues to be a strong and viable one. Personally, it takes me back to the good old days when the theme of the relationship seemed to be a lot about having a good time while serving the membership as a whole. If that was our only mission goal today, I would certainly remark, “Mission accomplished”! Oshkosh 2014 was a very exciting convention for me. I truly enjoyed the many events that celebrated the life of Paul Howard Poberezny. Well done, EAA! Sadly, the event will forever be different without the presence and guidance of Paul. The Alaskan Valdez STOL aircraft display and performance far exceeded my personal expectations. These guys are simply just fun to watch, and they had the best stage they could ever have for their performance. You could just tell, they were having the time of their life. My bet is that we have not seen the last of these guys at Oshkosh. Of course, the Thunderbirds performance was a real gate-buster for the organization. Yes, on the front end of their appearance at Oshkosh there was a ton of preparation and planning involved,

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Art Director. . . . . . . . . . . . Livy Trabbold

Vice President of Business Development Dave Chaimson dchaimson@eaa.org Advertising Manager Sue Anderson sanderson@eaa.org Business Relationship Manager Larry Phillip lphillip@eaa.org VAA, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903 Website: www.vintageaircraft.org Email: Vintageaircraft@eaa.org

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION Current EAA members may join the Vintage Aircraft Association and receive VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine for an additional $42 per year. EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine and one year membership in the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association are available for $52 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included). (Add $7 for International Postage.)

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars. Add required Foreign Postage amount for each membership. Membership Service PO Box 3086 Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM—6:00 PM CST Join/Renew 800-564-6322 membership@eaa.org EAA AirVenture Oshkosh www.airventure.org 888-322-4636

www.vintageaircraft.org

Vol. 42, No. 6

2014

CONTENTS

NOVEMBER/DECEMB

The 2014 VAA Hall of Fame Inductee Timothy L. Talen Jim Busha

The Tin (Foil) Vega: I’ve Only Heard It Referred to as a “Tin Vega” John Magoffin’s super-rare Lockheed Budd Davisson

NC7422X 1949 Cessna 195B registered to Troy MacVey of Milan, Indiana. SPARKY BARNES SARGENT

Walking the Line EAA Oshkosh AirVenture 2014: Welcome home, Vintage members! Sparky Barnes Sargent

Comparing the Classics The Piper Cruisers Budd Davisson

ER 2014

COVERS FRONT COVER: Scott Germain captures John Magoffinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ultra rare Vega over Arizona.

BACK COVER: Dean Coryell captures Dorian Walkers replica Jenny touching down at Poplar Grove.

COLUMNS

Straight and Level EAA Oshkosh 2014: A year to remember! Geoff Robison

5 Vintage News 6 VAA AirVenture 2014 Awards 9

ANY COMMENTS?

Send your thoughts to the Vintage Editor at: jbusha@eaa.org

Ask the AME Third-class flight physical John Patterson, M.D., AME

For missing or replacement magazines, or any other membership related questions, please call EAA Member Services at 800-JOIN-EAA (564-6322).

10 How to? Select aircraft-grade spruce Robert G. Lock 12

Good Old Days

58 The Vintage Mechanic Inspecting aircraft systems Robert G. Lock 64 Vintage Trader

Friends of the Red Barn! Thank you for your generous support!

Diamond Plus Level Earl Nicholas Robert Duris Robert Charles S. Schmid Sisk Charitable Trust Charlie Harris Jerry Brown Diamond Level Richard Packer Arthur H. Kudner Jr. Fund Leonard Weiser Jonathan and Rod Apfelbaum Gold Level Ron Alexander Tom Hildreth

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Silver Level Marcy Research Gary Brossett Dwain Pittenger Mark Kolesar Al Hallett Joseph Leverone John Cronin Sarah Marcy Bronze Plus Level Daniel and Mary Knutson Terry Ross Tim and Liz Popp Robert Wagner

Bronze Level Robert Siegfried Edward Yess Logan Boles Lowell Baker Tom Lymburn Jeffrey Shafer Jay Cavendar Dave and Jeanne Allen Thomas Buckles Daniel Wood Steve Buss Loyal Supporter Level Nicholas Selig Walter Kahn Elvin Drake Delbert Worcester Donald Coleman

Vintage News Sennheiser Aviation Raffle Winner

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During EAA AirVenture 2014, Sennheiser Aviation hosted a raffle for a S1 digital ANR headset at the Vintage Hangar. Sennheiser is proud to announce the winner of this headset was Mr. Denny Talbott, EAA 284008, of Pekin, Illinois.

About Sennheiser

Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of aviation headsets, microphones, headphones, and wireless transmission systems. With their top-quality acoustics, high wearing comfort, and rugged designs, Sennheiser aviation headsets are suited to the needs of professional and private pilots and air traffic controllers. Innovations such as the NoiseGard active noise compensation system and ActiveGard protect against potentially harmful volume surges. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Sennheiser’s pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. www.Sennheiser-Aviation.com www.vintageaircraft.org

VINTAGEAIRPLANEASSOCIATIONAWARDS Antique (through August 1945) Customized Aircraft Runner-Up Richard Zeiler Thousand Oaks, California 1929 Travel Air D-4-D, N472N World War II Era (1942-1945) Outstanding Open-Cockpit Biplane David Herrmann Two Rivers, Wisconsin 1943 Meyers OTW 160, N34351 World War II Era (1942-1945) Runner-Up Donald Grundstrom Eldridge, Iowa 1942 Boeing E75, N802RB Bronze Age (1937-1941) Outstanding Closed-Cockpit Monoplane Robert Redman Troy, Michigan 1938 Spartan 7W, N17616 Bronze Age (1937-1941) Runner-Up Mathew Northway Eugene, Oregon 1941 Interstate S-1A, N37369 Silver Age (1928-1936) Outstanding Open-Cockpit Biplane Michael Rinker Union City, Tennessee 1932 Curtiss Wright Travel Air B-14-B, N12332 Silver Age (1928-1936) Runner-Up Jim Clark Chapman, Kansas 1929 Waco CSO, N618N World War II Military Trainer/Liaison Aircraft Champion - Bronze Lindy Ralph Ring Beach City, Ohio 1943 Boeing B75N1, N5165N 6

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Customized Aircraft Champion - Bronze Lindy Hans Steiner Exeter, California 1941 Stinson 10A, N32210 World War II Era (1942-1945) Champion - Bronze Lindy Daniel Wilkins Portland, Pennsylvania 1941 Waco UPF 7, N32141 Bronze Age (1937-1941) Champion - Bronze Lindy David Smith Milaca, Minnesota 1938 Beech E17B, N233EB Silver Age (1928-1936) Champion - Bronze Lindy Gary Coonans Bell Buckle, Tennessee 1929 Fairchild 71, N9727 Antique Reserve Grand Champion - Silver Lindy T. Weston Yelm, Washington 1944 Howard DGA-15P, N63597 Antique Grand Champion - Gold Lindy Marlin Horst Bird in Hand, Pennsylvania 1929 Fairchild 71, N9708 Classic (September 1945-1955) Outstanding Aeronca Chief - Small Plaque Warren & Terrie Wilkey Garfield, Arkansas 1946 Aeronca 11AC, N9373E Outstanding Bellanca - Small Plaque Jeffrey Warren Simpsonville, South Carolina 1946 Bellanca 14-13-2, N86728 Outstanding Cessna 170/180 - Small Plaque Craig Layson Ypsilanti, Michigan 1955 Cessna 180, N180TP

Outstanding Cessna 190/195 - Small Plaque John Barron Perry, Missouri 1948 Cessna 195, N195GW

Custom Class D (236-plus hp) - Small Plaque Mark Meredith Rockville, Maryland 1951 de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk, N7DW

Outstanding Piper J-3 - Small Plaque David Barnes Pella, Iowa 1946 Piper J-3C-65, N3463K

Best Custom Runner-Up - Large Plaque Ken Morris Poplar Grove, Illinois 1946 Beech D18S, N412K

Outstanding Piper Other - Small Plaque Vaughn Lovley New Prague, Minnesota 1948 Piper PA-15, N4426H

Class I (0-80 hp) - Bronze Lindy Frank Shea Colchester, Vermont 1946 Piper J-3C-65, N7401H

Outstanding Stinson - Small Plaque Per Anderas Green Bay, Wisconsin 1946 Stinson 108-1, N97114

Class II (81-150 hp) - Bronze Lindy Ron Huddleston & John Kinnemeyer Brookville, Indiana 1946 Globe GC-1B, N78199

Outstanding Taylorcraft - Small Plaque Keith Walker Charleston, Illinois 1946 Taylorcraft BC12-D, N96386

Class IV (236-plus hp) - Bronze Lindy Patrick Atkinson Conroe, Texas 1954 Cessna 195B, N2151C

Outstanding Limited Production - Small Plaque Paul Leveque Minden, Nevada 1954 Grumman HU-16B, N98TP Best Continuously Maintained - Small Plaque Richard Harris West Nyack, New York 1947 Cessna 140, N2350N Preservation - Small Plaque David Nuss Cortland, Ohio 1946 Taylorcraft BC12-D1, N44274 Custom Class A (0-80 hp) - Small Plaque Robert Stegman St. Peters, Missouri 1946 Luscombe 8A, N45896 Custom Class B (81-150 hp) - Small Plaque William Knisley New Carlisle, Ohio 1946 Piper J-3C-65, N88528 Custom Class C (151-235 hp) - Small Plaque Alan Dicker Scottsdale, Arizona 1946 Globe GC-1B, N3731K www.vintageaircraft.org

Best Custom - Bronze Lindy Bart Morrow Gooding, Idaho 1955 Beech F35, N5038B Reserve Grand Champion - Silver Lindy Paul Barnett Brookhaven, Mississippi 1946 Globe GC-1A, N80567 Grand Champion - Gold Lindy Dillon Barron Perry, Missouri 1954 Cessna 170B, N1899C Contemporary (1956-1970) Beech Multi-Engine - Outstanding in Type Tyler Hall Houston, Texas 1960 Beech D50C, N98SC Cessna 150 - Outstanding in Type Stephen Swensen Layton, Utah 1959 Cessna 150, N5505E Cessna 180/182/210 - Outstanding in Type Victor Sobrado Noman, Oklahoma 1958 Cessna 182A, N4948D Cessna 310 - Outstanding in Type Ken Davenport Newport, Arkansas 1956 Cessna 310, N3681D Piper PA-24 Comanche - Outstanding in Type Mark Zeiler St. Joseph, Missouri 1962 Piper PA-24-250, N7920P Piper PA-28 Cherokee - Outstanding in Type Tom Grove Midlothian, Texas 1964 Piper PA-28-235, N8771W â&#x20AC;&#x192; Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche - Outstanding in Type Charles Allen Puryear, Tennessee 1964 Piper PA-30, N7396Y Limited Production - Outstanding in Type Eric Chrzanowski Hampshire, Illinois 1966 Alon A2, N6503Q 8

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Best Continuously Maintained - Outstanding in Type David Lessnick Henderson, Nevada 1964 Piper PA-24-250, N8351P Preservation Award - Outstanding in Type Mark Malone Camarillo, California 1963 Beech D95A, N234M Helicopter - Best in Type (Large Plaque) Stephen M. Mazar Flushing, Michigan 1947 Bell Helicopter, N147SM Class I Single-Engine (0-160 hp) - Bronze Lindy Mark Erickson Brandon, South Dakota 1959 Piper PA-18A-150, N1017S Class III Single-Engine (231-plus hp) - Bronze Lindy Stuart Fraley Indianapolis, Indiana 1970 Beech V35B, N9068Q Custom Multi-Engine - Bronze Lindy Michael Haney Tehachapi, California 1959 Piper PA-23-160, N400MJ Outstanding Customized - Bronze Lindy Kevin Mayer Lima, Ohio 1958 Beech J35, N76J Reserve Grand Champion - Silver Lindy Patrick Arnold Gambrills, Maryland 1966 Piper PA-24-260, N9134P Grand Champion - Gold Lindy Raymond Cook Spring Grove, Illinois 1959 Piper PA-18, N4273S

Ask the AME JOHN PATTERSON, M.D., AME

Third-class flight physical Another EAA AirVenture has come and gone, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself and only regretted that the time was too short. Thank you to those who attended the daily aviation medical forum in the Vintage Hangar. I hope it was informative. With this article I am going to editorialize in order to answer the most asked question during the week: What do I think of the petition put forth by both AOPA and EAA that the requirements for the third-class medical be modified? I, like many others, eagerly awaited a breakthrough announcement regarding this issue and as usual was disappointed. The proposal to allow pilots—who fly noncommercial VFR flights in aircraft weighing up to 6,000 pounds with no more than six seats—be exempt from the third-class medical and instead use the driver’s license standard has been mired in bureaucratic mumbo jumbo and proposed rulemaking. In order to change a regulation agencies like the FAA, EPA, and OSHA, to name a few, do so through a process called proposed rulemaking. This is a process whereby non-elected individuals in government agencies make law without public vote. Of course, the public can comment on the proposed rulemaking, and those comments are published in the mountain of paperwork called the Federal Register. Also these government agencies have their authority for rulemaking from Congress and sometimes the president. Public comment can vary from 30 to 60 days, and if more complex, it can be extended to 180 days. The agency in response to comments can modify its rule, and then once finalized it is then sent to Congress and the General Accountability Office. Since 1996, when this process started with the Congressional Review Act, only one rule has been disapproved. So many of these rules go through unnoticed by the public. Once approved, the executive branch can get involved and issue an executive order to modify, and the judicial branch can get involved if individuals or groups bring suit, often at significant expense. To those who are Internet savvy, the Office of the Federal Register has a document called A Guide to the Rulemaking Process that makes excellent bedtime reading and actually works as well as those sleep aids discussed

in a previous article. And it is allowed by the FAA. As you can see rulemaking is a time-consuming and complex process. So how many people actually review these proposed rules? Does the general public even know about most of these proposals? Do our representatives and senators really have to pass the legislation before they know what is in it? I am planning to comment on the proposed rulemaking for “non-aeronautical use of airport hangars” issued by the FAA. As of September 6 only 1,752 comments had been received, and so the comment period was extended. I am planning to read all 11 pages before commenting, but who really has time to do this with all of the rules that come out of these regulatory agencies? Is that not part of the plan with delay tactics in general? People have a short attention span and go from one headline to another forgetting about the old issue. So what needs to be done? The initial petition by AOPA/EAA to the FAA occurred in March 2012. This triggered the proposed rulemaking process, which as one can imagine can be on a fast track or the typical slow track. I am convinced that the pressure from the bill entitled the General Aviation Pilot Protection Act introduced by Reps. Todd Rokita and Sam Graves has stimulated the FAA to a fast track. Hopefully, a September 2, 2014, letter from 11 senators to the secretary of transportation and the Office of Management and Budget for quick review and action within one month on the FAA proposed rule will have a similar effect. We need to keep the pressure on. It is necessary for pilots to be informed of the actual rule and be able to respond to a nonflying general public who is generally not very knowledgeable or sympathetic to aviation issues. We need to open up our airports and quit enclosing them behind barbed wire and making them too exclusive. Hopefully we can reverse some of our post 9/11 overreaching protectiveness and enjoy the freedom of aviation again. The adoption of less stringent requirements for the third-class medical is a good start. Next: How about getting rid of those temporary (permanent) flight restrictions and the moving TFRs that plague us every time the president has a fundraiser? www.vintageaircraft.org

How to? ROBERT G. LOCK

Select aircraft-grade spruce Harvest a spruce tree, saw it into the very best timber cuts, cure and kiln-dry, and then select the finest-edge grain/quarter-sawed wood, and you have aircraft-grade lumber. It’s just that simple. But let’s look into the details of what it takes to produce aircraft-grade spruce. Many mechanics may think that specifics for aircraft wood come from FAA AC43.13-1B, and that is partly true. However, every piece of data concerning aircraft wood structures comes from ANC Bulletin 19 dated 20 December 1943. Specifications for wood have not changed over the years, however bonding methods have. First it is important to understand what happens to wood when it is air- and kiln-dried. It shrinks as moisture is removed, and certain types of cuts will warp dramatically. Just go to your local lumber supplier and look for plain sawed lumber, and you will see how it cups as it dries. When trees are cut, much of their weight is water— free water will be removed by air-drying, and imbibed water will be removed by kiln-drying. Spruce gives the highest strength-to-weight ratio of all the woods and is considered the standard for aircraft construction. All cut logs will have radial cracks known as checks. Checks are cracks across the annual rings. Harvested logs are kept wet to protect against internal cracking. Aircraft wood with these defects is rejected and not used. In the sketch removed from ANC-19, the cut shown in the lower left portion of the log is quarter-sawed, while the cut on the top is plain-sawed. Notice how the shrinkage is even in the quarter-sawed wood while it is uneven in the plain-sawed wood. Quarter-sawed wood gives a very good edge grain of 90 to 45 degrees to the wide face. In the sketch above, the edge grain is 90 degrees. As you might imagine, quarter-sawed wood is the most expensive to produce, as the following sketch shows. Not shown in this sketch is the heartwood and sapwood. Heartwood is the center portion of the log and for spruce is a pinkish color. Sapwood is the part of the log that is alive and growing and is whitish-yellow in color. That is the portion of the log we want to use. Cuts made tangen10

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tial to the growth rings are called plain-sawed and are shown to the right of the log, and cuts made radially to the growth rings are called quarter-sawed and are shown to the left of the log.

Growth rings called annual rings equal one year of growth of the tree. That is why folks can tell about how old a tree is—by counting the annual rings. For aircraft-grade spruce, eight to 10 annual rings per inch is minimum; however, in really good wood you can count 20 or more rings per inch. Spruce has nice straight grain, but grain slope is limited to 1 inch in 15 inches length. This means, if you draw a box on the wood 1 inch by15 inches, the grain should enter and exit within the box. Grain slope must be considered both on

the wide face of the board and on the edges. In figure A there is no grain slope whatsoever, while the other sketches all have some type of grain slope. Grain slope is important because the greater the slope, the weaker the wood in bending moments. After the wood is cut, it is air-dried. This reduces the moisture content to about 25 to 35 percent, and the wood will not dry below that amount. Now it must be placed in an oven called a kiln and heated to remove more moisture. Moisture content of aircraft-grade wood is 8 to 12 percent, although most marine spruce will have a moisture content slightly higher—around 15 percent. Finally, wood structure is made up of long cells, almost like a straw in a milkshake. The sketch shown here is of softwood. Note that there are dense fibers representing summerwood when the tree grows slowly and springwood when the tree grows rapidly. The annual ring is represented by both spring and summerwood. Here, one

can see in detail what the end cut of spruce looks like and why it is so important to completely seal the end grain of a wing spar. The tube-like grain structure drinks in varnish like a sponge, so brush on several coats until the grain is bright and shiny. On the right is a pile of aircraft spar stock. I am selecting from my old favorite supplier, Spar Lumber Company in San Pedro, California. This photo was taken some 40 years ago when they would let me go into the yard and select my own rough-cut spruce. Rough-cut spruce is “as sawn” from the mill and comes in odd dimensions—for instance a board that will mill 3/4 inch by 6 inches by 20 feet will measure 7/8 inch to 1 inch thick by 6-1/2 inches wide and slightly over 20 feet long. When planed, it will give the exact dimensions required. The boards in this photograph were 1 inch by 6 inches by16 feet by 18 feet. I bought them when I was restoring Aeronca Champs, Chiefs, and Taylorcrafts. All spars to those ships were about the same dimensions. This was beautiful rough-cut spruce direct from the mill. Today it is difficult to find old-growth Sitka spruce with large dimensions—spar stock that will measure 2 inches or above in thickness by 8 inches or above in width and 20 feet in length. Back then it was common. www.vintageaircraft.org

Good Old Days

P A R C S K O O B

From pages of what was . . . Take a quick look through history by enjoying images pulled from publications past.

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www.vintageaircraft.org

s d A d e fi i lass

Western Flying, August 1927

Aero Digest, October 1936 14

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What would you have found . . .

www.vintageaircraft.org

The 2014 VAA Hall of Fame Inductee

Timothy L.

Talen by Jim Busha PHOTOS COURTESY TIM TALEN

The EAA Vintage Aircraft Association wishes to announce that Timothy L. Talen, EAA 8615, VAA 1616, of Springfield, Oregon, has been chosen as the 2014 VAA Hall of Fame recipient. At 68 years young, Tim Talen calls Jasper Ridge, Oregon, home, but he was born in Seattle and has lived in all four corners of the United States during his life. “The aviation DNA was already set upon me because of my dad, Herbert,” said Tim. “He was a farm kid from Minnesota when Lindbergh flew his ‘long cross-country over water.’ He became infected like most young men of that era with the airplane bug and set out to build his own airplane on the farm. His father was less than enthused, and the engine that had been promised for the project mysteriously never arrived 16

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so the local boys were forced to sit in their autogyro project and make airplane noises. Later my father, a little older, wiser, and with some spare change in his pocket, actually learned to fly in an Aeronca C-3 Bathtub on floats off of Lake Union in Seattle right before WWII broke out.” Tim’s first flying experience occurred when his father strapped him inside a J-3 Cub in Washington state where his dad was stationed with the Navy. “I was only 3-4 years old then,” said Tim. “I really got serious about flying while living in Tacoma, Washington. By the time I was almost 16 my dad would rent an Aeronca Champ for the lofty sum of 6 bucks an hour—oh how I miss those days—he would take me up and show me everything he

could think of in terms of what his instructors had taught him about flying. On my 16th birthday my father bought me an hour of dual with a legitimate flight instructor. After about only 35 minutes, the instructor said, ‘Well, it appears you know what there is to know about flying an airplane. You have a medical, you’re 16, so I’ll hop out and you take it around the patch a couple times and show me what you can do.’ As I taxied off my dad came running over shouting, ‘Wait, wait, what are you doing soloing him after 30 minutes of flying!’ “I did my three obligatory touchand-bump landings with my father holding his breath the entire time. My dad had taught me all about stalls, climbs, glides, turns, takeoffs, and landings so for me it was

We restored this J-2 for owner Steve Kretsinger (right), and during the restoration Steve discovered it had been at the Brown Deer airport near Milwaukee before WWII. What a wonderful experience to have Paul Poberezny (center), at the interview circle with Geoff Robison (left), tell the crowd, “As a young lad, I flew this J-2!!!!“

no big deal—and it was 1961 so times were good.” A few years later Herb bought a 108-2 Stinson, and Tim flew that as well building up his hours, but it wasn’t until 1969 that he officially obtained his private pilot certificate. But even before he soloed the Champ, Tim came home from the local library in 1960 not with a book by Shakespeare or Hemingway but a tattered copy of the 1955 Mechanix Illustrated magazine with Paul Poberezny and the Corben Baby Ace on the cover. “Paul touted how anyone could build this nifty airplane for less than $1,000,” said Tim. “Of course I was wide-eyed at 15 years old and told my dad we should build one. Most fathers would have smiled, patted their son on the head, and said, ‘It’s good to be a dreamer, son.’ But not my dad; he sent me back out in search of the other two issues because they had the rest of the plans in them!” Tim and his father began building the airplane solely by using the plans provided in the May, June, and July 1955 Mechanix Illustrated issues. “At one of the local fields in our area called Thun Field I remember seeing my very first homebuilt, and my dad and I both agreed that

Marian and I have flown our Cadet out to Oshkosh on three occassions. We always make it a camping trip, as the Cadet is able to carry all the gear and still conquer the Rockies all on 65 hp.

once we began working on the Baby Ace we needed to check out this organization called EAA. EAA Chapter 26 was a chapter in Seattle that was hosted by a fellow named Pete Bowers. We would drive up and visit him once a month and talk to like members about building and learning about other early homebuilts. I actually helped pound some nails in the original Fly Baby homebuilt that Pete designed and built. “Pete was very gregarious about stuff like that, and he allowed anyone that could pick up a hammer and drive a nail to work on his project.” Tim says that he literally grew up with that EAA chapter, and it really scratched his itch to work on and restore airplanes. Tim and his dad finished the Baby Ace in 1966, and he still has that airplane today. Unfortunately he didn’t get the chance to fly it much in those early days. “In the fall of 1968 I got my draft notice so I joined up and became an air traffic controller and served in Vietnam from 1969-1970 and thought mainly about homebuilding. “Out of the military and back in college in Chico, California, I took a side job and worked with a local FBO—Chico Aviation-Aero Union—and did fabric and wood work on old airplanes. After a year

For an antique airplane restorer, nothing can be more fun at Oshkosh than explaining your efforts to a very knowledgeable audience—well, okay, winning a trophy is pretty special, too.

working for Aero Union I decided to hang my own shingle and go into the recover/restoration business myself and never looked back. That’s where the Ragwood Refactory name came from.” During that time a local high school shop teacher gave Tim a www.vintageaircraft.org

I am sitting in my Stearman C3B for the wing fitting. This particular C3B was a mailplane for National Parks Airways—thus the logo on the front of the Montana hangar celebrating NPA and the mailplane era.

set of wings that he had no idea where or what kind of airplane they came off of. “After some simple research I found that these came off of an Interstate Cadet,” said Tim, “and that turned my history light bulb on high, and I wanted to learn more about them and what the Interstate was all about. I covered the wings and finished them off and then put them up for a sale. A priest from Portland, Oregon, actually came down and bought those wings and shipped them to Brazil. A mission he was working with was flying an Interstate Ca-

det in Brazil. With some cold cash in my hands I went looking for an airplane and really liked the Interstates, so I found one in need of a restoration and bought it for 925 bucks. I did the woodwork on the wings, did a fabric job using Stits for the first time, and wrote a story about flying it from California to Washington and back for a 1974 issue of EAA Sport Aviation.” It didn’t take long as people began to take notice of Tim’s handy work at local f ly-ins and began seeking him out. “They would come up to me and say, ‘Hey, I’ve got this Interstate Ca-

In the shop with another Cadet restoration. Our work with the Interstates has led to an online effort with “restoration tips” at our YouTube site “Ragwood Refactory,” and we have many parts and pieces advertised on my Ragwood Refactory website. 18

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Another long-term project is my 1929 Timm Collegiate. It was a Shell Oil ship and flew up and down the West Coast, eventually ending up in Oregon. It is being restored in my Montana shop.

det, and where did you get your decals, and why is yours painted blue and yellow,’ and so on. I was a historian and loved the accuracy and research of turning them back into originals. I actually tracked down who had the type certificate for the Interstate and tracked it to a fellow in Alaska and learned a whole lot more about them. It’s the nature of working on older airplanes. I decided that the place for me to be was to restore old airplanes. “In fact I just finished up my 14th Interstate Cadet restoration, which takes around 1,000 hours to get through one—as long as it’s a com-

Always a great adventure—retrieving another restoration project! This Interstate Cadet came from Wyoming. in my business we joke about “trolling” with an airplane on the trailer—it often leads to gas station conversations with interested folks who have another lead to follow up.

RAGWOOD REFACTORY The Ragwood Refactory is owned and operated by Tim Talen—he has been interested in airplanes ever since riding with his dad in a J-3 Cub when he was 3 years old. The Ragwood Refactory was founded in 1976 at a small airport shop in Chico, California. Moving to Oregon in 1978, Tim purchased a hangar at the old Springfield airport and moved it to Jasper Ridge where he has been busy collecting and restoring vintage aircraft ever since. The Ragwood Refactory has been providing a complete restoration service for more than 30 years. “We specialize in custom woodwork, fabric and paint, structural welding, and sheet metal work,” said Tim. “Over the years we have completed more than 25 complete ground-up restorations of various aircraft from Taylor J-2 Cubs to Fairchilds and Fleets. We have also acquired many antique aircraft projects and various inventories including engines, airframe parts, instruments, and accessories. We have the largest collection of Interstate Cadet parts, numerous hard-to-find items, jigs for many airframe parts, and complete restoration services for these aircraft.” The Ragwood Refactory is located 5 miles east of

Springfield, Oregon, on a ridge overlooking the Willamette River. “We are about 12 miles east of the I-5 freeway. Our private airstrip is called Jasper Ridge, and prior permission is required for any flight operations. The hangar was originally located on the now abandoned Springfield airport, was torn down and moved to Jasper Ridge, and reassembled in l984. It is an arch-trussed design using ring and bolt construction methods and provides 5,000 square feet of shop and hangar space. Our mailing address is 86094 Panorama Rd., Springfield, OR 97478. “Our auxiliary shop is located in Boulder, Montana, adjacent to the city-county airport. This 6,160-squarefoot facility is another arch-trussed building with full shop capabilities and lots of storage space. Located along the flight path of the old contract mail carrier National Parks Airways, the front logo is a nostalgic connection to early Montana aviation history and our 1928 Stearman C-3B Special, NC6487, which flew the mail for NPA and is currently under restoration. The Boulder facility is used primarily for storage, but a 1929 Timm Collegiate is currently being restored there.”

plete project, longer if it’s just bits and pieces. Over the years I have collected a large variety of antique airplanes— all weird and all original and a few rare. “My collection is very eclectic; it’s also kind of the meaning behind my restoration shop—the factory does it the first time, and then we refactory these treasures to better than new condition. “When people ask me why I do this I tell them that it’s all about the stories. “Most of these airplanes are older than me, and they have countless stories on where they have been and what they have done—every airplane has a story to tell—that’s why these old birds are so cool and come with loads of history.” Tim Talen’s dedication to his craft has provided numerous examples of rare and interesting aircraft resurrections that can be appreciated by future generations. Please join me in once again congratulating Tim Talen as the 2014 VAA Hall of Fame inductee. www.vintageaircraft.org

Nominat ions

C A L L F OR V I N TA G E A I R C R A F T A S S O C I AT ION

Nominate your favorite vintage aviator for the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame. A great honor could be bestowed upon that man or woman working next to you on your airplane, sitting next to you in the chapter meeting, or walking next to you at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Think about the people in your circle of aviation friends: the mechanic, historian, photographer, or pilot who has shared innumerable tips with you and with many others. They could be the next VAA Hall of Fame inductee—but only if they are nominated. The person you nominate can be a citizen of any country and may be living or deceased; his or her involvement in vintage aviation must have occurred between 1950 and

the present day. His or her contribution can be in the areas of flying, design, mechanical or aerodynamic developments, administration, writing, some other vital and relevant field, or any combination of fields that support aviation. The person you nominate must be or have been a member of the Vintage Aircraft Association or the Antique/Classic Division of EAA, and preference is given to those whose actions have contributed to the VAA in some way, perhaps as a volunteer, a restorer who shares his expertise with others, a writer, a photographer, or a pilot sharing stories, preserving aviation history, and encouraging new pilots and enthusiasts.

To nominate someone is easy. It just takes a little time and a little reminiscing on your part. •Think of a person; think of his or her contributions to vintage aviation. •Write those contributions in the various categories of the nomination form. •Write a simple letter highlighting these attributes and contributions. Make copies of newspaper or magazine articles that may substantiate your view. •If at all possible, have another individual (or more) complete a form or write a letter about this person, confirming why the person is a good candidate for induction. We would like to take this opportunity to mention that if you have nominated someone for the VAA Hall of Fame; nominations for the honor are kept on file for 3 years, after which the nomination must be resubmitted. Mail nominating materials to: VAA Hall of Fame, c/o Charles W. Harris, Transportation Leasing Corp. PO Box 470350 Tulsa, OK 74147 E-mail: cwh@hvsu.com Remember, your “contemporary” may be a candidate; nominate someone today! Find the nomination form at www.VintageAircraft.org, or call the VAA office for a copy (920-426-6110), or on your own sheet of paper, simply include the following information: •Date submitted. •Name of person nominated. •Address and phone number of nominee. •E-mail address of nominee. •Date of birth of nominee. If deceased, date of death. •Name and relationship of nominee’s closest living relative. •Address and phone of nominee’s closest living relative. •VAA and EAA number, if known. (Nominee must have been or is a VAA member.) •Time span (dates) of the nominee’s contributions to vintage aviation. (Must be between 1950 to present day.) •Area(s) of contributions to aviation. •Describe the event(s) or nature of activities the nominee has undertaken in aviation to be worthy of induction into the VAA Hall of Fame. •Describe achievements the nominee has made in other related fields in aviation. •Has the nominee already been honored for his or her involvement in aviation and/or the contribution you are stating in this petition? If yes, please explain the nature of the honor and/or award the nominee has received. •Any additional supporting information. •Submitter’s address and phone number, plus e-mail address. •Include any supporting material with your petition.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

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The

Tin Vega John Magoffin’s super-rare Lockheed by Budd Davisson Photos Scott Germain - Images of Light and Lift

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh usually runs in cycles. One year it’ll be a bunch of killer classics. The next may be lots of smaller, but unique, antique restorations. AirVenture 2014 seemed to be the year of major restorations, as we had a bumper crop of truly amazing, big airplanes restored and back in the air. There was 22

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Marlin Horst’s Fairchild 71, Richard Zeller’s unreal Travel Air Speedwing, the line of Lockheed 12s, John Magoffin’s Lockheed Vega, and others. John’s Vega could be handed the “most often restored” trophy, because a long string of talented hands have brought it back to life a number of times,

only to have it be damaged or neglected. And that doesn’t count the years it spent sitting in ditches and sinking into the dirt. It’s definitely a superrare, but hard-luck bird that seems to have an antique angel watching over it. The first time John heard about his project-to-be, he

Only ten of the approximately 132 Vegas built had aluminum fuselages. John Magoffin’s is the sole flying survivor of the breed.

was a newly minted bush pilot working in Alaska and a long way, both in distance and philosophy, from his upbringing on a remote ranch in southeast Arizona. “My dad was a navigator on B-24s in the South Pacific with the 5th Bomb Group. He flew 46 combat missions and earned

the air medal, with five oak leaf clusters. When he got home, he and my mom operated a cattle ranch in southeastern Arizona for 50 years. “Dad told war stories and flying stories every chance he got. In fact, as the years went by, I got to where I knew his stories better than he did.

“Our ranch was on a beacon airway, and some of my earliest memories are of the C-54s and C-119s droning overhead, making the loose window pane in my bedroom window vibrate in sympathy. I dreamed of flying and being able to go to all those wild and crazy places, like California. www.vintageaircraft.org

BOB TAYLOR

It took four years of almost fulltime work to get it finished. 24

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BOB TAYLOR

“I started f lying at the Air Force Academy in T-41s but finished my commercial pilot rating at Cochise College, in Douglas, Arizona. While learning to fly I bought my own J-3 Cub. They were dirt cheap in those days, so I could build time quickly at about five bucks an hour. That was the first of about 20 airplanes that I’ve owned. At the same time, I got my airframe mechanic’s license. I later got my powerplant mechanic’s license in Alaska.” John attributes his actually learning what flying is about from his second job in Alaska with the legendary bush pilot Bob Rice. “I talked my way into being a copilot for Bob on a C-46,” John says. “He had been f lying in Alaska since 1927 and was generally regarded as the best C-46 pilot that ever turned a prop. He was the undisputed master of short-field landings and coaxing overweight airplanes into the air. He was as savvy a pilot as I have ever met. When I started flying with him, he said that I would be his last protégé and he would teach me everything he knew about flying. Unfortunately, he was right, because he died shortly after I left the company.” To this day Alaska has a mysterious attraction for certain types

BOB TAYLOR

Rescued by Jack Lowe and Robert Taylor, they hired the Hoselton brothers to build a new wing.

BOB TAYLOR

The wing suffered horribly during another short term abandonment.

BOB TAYLOR

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE OWNER

The airplane was abandoned for a decade in Alaska.

The restored airplane flew again for the first time in July of ’69.

of pilots and certain types of airplanes that those pilots require to provide their specialized form of service. It has been that way since the 1920s, when the airplane became more or less reliable transportation. It was ready-made to provide point-to-point transportation in a place that either had no roads or they were circuitous at best and impassable more often than not.

That being said, making a living as a pilot in what can be one of the most hostile environments in North America is a challenge both physically and financially. For most operators, there was never enough money to buy new airplanes. However, the massive improvements in aircraft design and production during the 1930s worked to the bush pilots’ advantage. Technology moved ahead so quickly during that period that aircraft that was considered stateof-the-art only five years earlier were soon obsolete. Legions of obsolete aircraft capable of carrying a sizable load ended up in Alaska where they were worked until they died. What would become John Magoffin’s Vega was among them. John says, “Flying in Alaska, I

worked and flew with a lot of the old-timers who had started in the late 1920s and early ’30s. They had flown the Vegas, Pilgrims, Travel Airs, Stinsons, Fokker Universals, Boeing 247s, DC-3s, etc. I listened to their stories for hours on end and learned how the old-timers had done it back in the day, when times were hard but it still got cold in the winter. I was hooked on the life they had lived and the airplanes they had flown. It was while working at my first job in Galena, Alaska, that I first heard about the Vega. I flew to Ruby only to learn

Entire stab moves for trim.

Ham-Standard C/S prop improved performance

The external oil cool was an Alaska field mod.

The Vega pioneered many aluminum structural concepts. Restoration required making many new components including compound aluminum skins. www.vintageaircraft.org

that the Vega had been shipped ‘outside’ 10 years earlier. Later on I flew quite a few old airplanes including the Pilgrim, Lockheed 10, C-46, and DC-3. But, the Vega was always in the back of my mind.” In 1957 the Vega NC12288 had been involved in a relatively minor landing accident on the crude runway at the little settlement of Ruby, Alaska, about 40 miles up the Yukon River from Galena. The repairs could have been made fairly easily, but at that point in its life, it was just another old airplane for which parts weren’t available. It had lived out its useful life, so it was stripped of its engine and prop and left to rot. It sat for nearly a decade before an Iowa native operating a potato chip factory in Fairbanks located the owner and bought it. He advertised it for sale in Trade-APlane, and Bob Taylor, founder of the Antique Airplane Association, formed a partnership with Jack Lowe, who bought it on the condition that it would be delivered to El Centro, California. The owner somehow managed to wrangle a ride for it on a USAF C-124 to Long Beach. Even though the airplane was rescued from the wilds of Alaska and its inclement weather, that doesn’t mean it was safe. Bob Taylor says, “I had previously contracted an aircraft woodworking shop at E l Centro to rebuild the wing. After hearing the airplane had reached Long Beach, I took a flight within a week to LA for several reasons. “Jack Lowe and I had formed the Mint Aviation Co. to restore the Vega, as I had told him it would take a mint of money to restore. In fact, the wing was a problem until we found the Hoselton brothers. “To rebuild the wing, we needed the factory blueprints, which I 26

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Lockheed built the earlier wooden fuselage Vegas, but John says the 10 aluminum fuselage Vegas were built by Detroit Aircraft Corporation after they bought Lockheed. learned were at the FAA office next door to LAX, so I included this as another reason to go out to the LA area. We had trouble with my FAA contact there at first but did order and pay for the prints, which were mailed to us. “On this trip I found the wing just dumped on the ground at the El Centro airport with no trace of the wood shop owners to be found. I sent a truck out to pick up the airplane and move it to my shop at the Ottumwa Industrial Airport where restoration started.” A Vega wing is an example of woodworking gone wild. It is a 42-foot slab of intricate, yet massive woodworking that is delightfully suited for carr ying heavy loads through the air at fairly high speeds. However, just as an egg is well designed to survive the travails of being laid, in the real world outside of that mission, it is horribly fragile. And so it is with airplane parts. Wooden, monocoque parts in particular. They are always composed of lots and lots of tiny pieces covered with a surprisingly thin shell of plywood. The complete assemblage absolutely hates moisture. And sharp objects. And being bumped, bruised, or battered. And this wing had seen it all and was in tatters. A new wing was necessary if the airplane was ever going to fly again, and that was the biggest obstacle facing Bob Taylor and Jack Lowe. Brent Taylor, Bob’s son, tells us, “The airplane was purchased by Air Power Museum (APM) Co-founder

J.G. ‘Jack’ Lowe in 1964 and was the second Vega Jack owned. The first one burned up in a landing accident at Harlingen, Texas, a year or so before that. I don’t think Jack ever even got to see that airplane before the accident. He was confined to a wheelchair being born with CP. Though unable to even feed himself, he was an amazing man, being a self-made millionaire long before the days of the Americans With Disabilities Act. “Dad started the restoration on the Vega for Jack in 1965. A totally new wing was constructed, taking Lyle and Tom Hoselton (both deceased) four years of full-time effort to accomplish that daunting task. Unfortunately, Lyle was killed in a car accident early in 1968, and Jack died a few months later, leaving Dad the Vega. Dad and Tom finished up the restoration over the next year, and Dad test-flew the airplane in July of 1969. “During the 15 years Dad owned the airplane, he flew it only a few times. It was used in a made-for-TV movie about Amelia Earhart with Jim Appleby doing the flying (as specified by Dad). Later on, [1979] Steve McQueen became interested in buying it and spent a day with us out here but ultimately decided against going ahead with a purchase. Dad sold the Vega in 1983 to a gentleman in Oklahoma City.” During the airplane’s stay in Oklahoma City, it didn’t fare well and eventually was heavily damaged in a serious ground loop that relegated the airplane to near-

John Magoffin and Rick Barter at Arizona Air Frame finally got the airplane back in the air in 2013.

abandonment status again. This time it was John Magoffin, now an airline pilot living in Tucson, Arizona, who stepped up to the bar and decided to rescue it. John says, “The first time I saw the Vega, it was sitting in a puddle of gasoline in the back of a hangar, and the owner was trying to jumpstart it with a set of cables hooked up to his car. I thought he was going to burn the place down. Later, I found that one of the local mechanics had removed the starter. They were sure the owner would finish the job of wrecking the Vega and kill himself, if he ever got it started again.” The Vega’s previous flight had ended in a spectacular ground loop,” John says, “The fuselage was intact but badly damaged. The damage included bending and cracks to major structural components, stringers, and skins. This included the two main bulkheads, the hat sections, stringers, and skins between those bulkheads. There was also damage to the lower skins forward of the center main gear points and the tail wheel.” The big challenge to Bob Taylor and Jack Lowe, when they re-

built the airplane in the late ’60s had been the wing. It was entirely trashed so they built a new one only to have it damaged again. John says, “Although the damage to the wing looked bad, it was actually much easier to fix than the fuselage. The wing was in good condition except for the left side, which was broken about 8 feet in from the tip. It had hit the ground during the last ground loop accident, and both the front and rear spar had been broken.” As John looked at his new acquisition and began to think about the amount and complexity of the work to be done, he made a decision: He would hire someone to do the restoration, but he would spend as much of his free time as possible in their shop helping. In a project this big, it’s the wise man who realizes that the stubborn desire to say “I did it all myself” sometimes dooms a project. It’ll never get finished. So, after storing the Vega for several years it was finally trucked to Rick Barter at Arizona Air Frame in Marana, Arizona. John says, “I contracted with Rick to do the restoration and part of the agreement was that I would

The Spartan cockpit has been restored to be as original as practical considering that John plans on flying it regularly.

work in the shop alongside him. A lot of shops do not like owner involvement, but since I have an A&P license, Rick agreed to it. We split the work up as necessary, and we worked together on those parts of the project that required two men. For three-and-a-half years I spent nearly every day off and most of my vacation time from my airline job at the shop working on the Vega. John Oder provided bluewww.vintageaircraft.org

When John bought the Vega it had been subjected to a violent ground loop that broke the wing, including both spars, about eight feet in from the tip.

prints and drawings from his collection. John Desmond let us look at, and measure, his Vega from time to time. It’s one thing to look at blueprints but something entirely different to see the actual object they represent.” He says, “Other than the left wing being broken 8 feet in, the wing was in excellent shape. Fortunately, it had been stored inside since it was built in 1969, and the inside looks like a Stradivarius violin. It is absolutely beautiful! We did a 10-to-1 scarfed splice on the spars, and built new ribs, tip bow, etc. And, of course, scarfed the skin when installing it in that section. It was a lot of work, but nothing compared to what building a new wing would have been. I have huge respect for Lyle and Tom Hoselton who built the wing. It’s an astounding amount of work. The fuselage, on the other hand, really kept us busy.” Lockheed built the earlier wooden fuselage Vegas, but John says the 10 aluminum fuselage Vegas were built by Detroit Aircraft Corporation after they bought Lockheed. John says, “It is identical in size 28

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and shape to the plywood fuselages and includes some very advanced and interesting construction techniques that are seen in much later Lockheed aircraft. I believe that the metal fuselages were designed by Lockheed company designers. I don’t think Lockheed had any great plans for the metal Vega. It was a way to test construction techniques and gain experience in the certification process for the Lockheed 10 Electra that was on the drawing board by this time. They knew that plywood was a dead-end, and that two engines and metal construction were the way of the future.” During the ground loop, the side loads distorted and severely damaged the fuselage. This especially applied to the two main bulkheads, which incorporate the wing and landing gear attach points. Because the fuselage is essentially a big aluminum, compound-curved ice cream cone, if one area is distorted, those loads will be transmitted elsewhere in the cone. “Before we removed anything,” John says, “I built a jig around the

fuselage that picked up all the major structural points, like the wing attach fittings, landing gear, etc. We had to get the two main bulkheads out and repair them on the bench before we could even start on the rest of the fuselage. If those weren’t straight, nothing else would be straight. “Then we had to form new compound skin sections on the English wheel. These were from the firewall to the lower main gear attach points. The fuselage constructed includes extruded ‘T’ cross section stringers, and we had to manufacture new stringers that duplicated those.” The good news was that the landing gear itself was straight and in good shape, so with new seals in the oleos, new bolts, and hardware it was ready to go. But, then it came time to find tires for it. “The original tires were 9.25by-12, and this size is still in production, so we thought we had it made. However, after purchasing a pair, we found that those had a double steel cable bead that was incredibly stiff. I was afraid that we would break the original

wheels trying to mount them. The wheels are Lynite cast wheels, and replacements simply don’t exist. So, I decided to go with 11-by-12 single-cable bead tires that are more flexible. We got them on the wheels with moderate difficulty.” John decided to stay with the original brakes rather than upgrade them to something more modern. “They are Warner mechanical, shoe-type, cable-operated brakes that are virtually identical to Model A Ford brakes. They are very simple and surprisingly effective. The airplane had flown for years in Alaska with those brakes with no problems.” When it came time to put something forward of the firewall, John had a fairly serious decision to make. The airplane had come out of the factory with a Pratt & Whitney snap-cap R-1340 that put out 450 hp, rather than the 600 hp we’re used to seeing out of that engine. It used a performancelimiting ground-adjustable prop. In 1946, as with so many other airplanes of the period, the airplane was re-engined with the much more available R-985, also with 450 hp. At that point in time, thousands of BT-13 Vultee trainers were being scrapped, and their engines and FWFs found their way to Stearmans in their new role as dusters. A complete BT-13 cowling, engine, and constant-speed propeller were hung on the airplane, and it flew the rest of its life in that configuration. John says, “There is no engine more reliable than an R-985, and what made sense then, makes sense now. I had already decided to set the airplane up the way it had been when it started seriously working in Alaska. Besides, that engine and a constant-speed prop work together superbly and give great performance.” As far as interior furnishings go, John was lucky because the origi-

The Lockheed Vega in History The last half of the 1920s was the beginning of a decade of amazing development in aviation. The fundamentals behind designing airplanes had, through experience, become increasingly sophisticated, which became obvious in designs such as the 1927 Lockheed Vega. Born into a period largely populated by wire-braced biplanes, the Vega was the result of two soon-to-be-famous designers Lockheed had in its employ: John Northrop and Gerald Vultee. Their goal was to design an airplane that leapfrogged technology and spurted ahead of the rest of the pack. And they succeeded. The Vega didn’t just raise the performance bar, it totally re-established what could be achieved through careful design and engineering in almost all areas. At a time when flying wires and struts were still a design standard, the Vega’s amazingly clean, low-drag airframe gave not only higher load-carrying capabilities but outstanding range and speed. A fact not lost on a generation of race pilots and would-be record setters. Amelia Earhart hopped the Atlantic in a Vega. Wiley Post flew his around the world . . . twice! Jimmy Mattern kept headlines filled with numerous A-to-B records like New York-to-Berlin, 4,100 miles, in just over 29 hours. In total, the Vega is reported to have set 72 records. One hundred twenty-eight Vegas were built. Initially, they were powered by the Wright J-5 of 225 hp, but the majority followed a 450hp version of Pratt & Whitney’s R-1340 around. Of that total, John says only 10 had metal fuselages like his. John explains, “Controlling interest in the Lockheed company was acquired by the Detroit Aircraft Corporation (DAC) in 1929. By that time the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) was becoming interested in metal construction techniques, and DAC could see that this was the way of the future for both commercial and military aircraft. The USAAC took delivery of two metal Vegas, the Y1C-12 and the Y1C-17 for test and evaluation of the metal construction.” www.vintageaircraft.org

nal seats hadn’t been stripped out for cargo space. The pilot’s seat bottom, incidentally, folds up, giving him access to the cockpit, and the closed cockpit door forms the back of that seat. The instrument panel was mostly original and complete, John says: “The instruments were 1940s vintage, typical of when the airplane flew in Alaska. They were tested and repaired or replaced as necessary. There were some extra holes, gaps, patches, etc., but we filled them, when needed. The only ‘new’ instrument is the CDI (course deviation indicator), which is slaved to the GPS unit below the right instrument panel. It is easy to see and very useful. It lives where the ADF used to be. My approach was to use functional instruments that would have been found later in this Vega’s life. I wanted the capability to fly in the clouds safely, with basic instruments, if necessary. I wanted my radios to be functional and easy to access, easy to see, and easy to adjust. “The first flight came up on me really quickly because I was so swamped in last minute maintenance details. I had several people tell me that I should do some highspeed taxi tests, but I figured this was just a good way to set yourself up for a ground loop. My feeling is that once you make your mind up to go fly, you should do just that. Lay the whip to her and, as Bob Rice would have said, get as far away from the wreck as you can. “So, I started her up, did a check at the end of the runway, brought up half power to get her rolling, then went to 36 inches of manifold pressure. It tracked pretty straight, but I was a little surprised as the weight came off the gear and they extended at different rates. This induced a noticeable change in the wing bank angle and a wobble in 30

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Two different times it looked as if the sun was setting on NC12288 but both times passionate restorers, first Lowe/Taylor and then Magoffin/Barter, saved it.

directional control. Then, I was flying and it felt just fine. “The Vega is a delightful airplane in the air. The controls are smooth, well-balanced, and surprisingly light. The trim is very effective because it moves the horizontal stabilizer. I climbed to a safe cruise altitude in the pattern, then went to the practice area where I did two steep turns and a power-off stall. These show you just about everything you need to know about an airplane. Then, it was time to find out if I could land this thing. “I brought the power back to 15 inches abeam the end of the runway and trimmed full nose up, which is about 80 mph in the approach and 60 mph over the fence. I brought the prop up and let the airplane fly right down to the end of the runway. As I got close to the runway, I eased the power back to idle, and told myself, ‘Hold it off, hold it off, hold it off.’ It squeaked on in a taillow wheel landing, and I just held what I had in the stick. As the tail finally settled to the ground, a waggle of the rudder was needed to keep her tracking straight. Easy, weasy! “Now that I’ve made a few more landings I’ve found the first one was not necessarily typical. The rudder is fairly effective down to about 25 mph. Then, when it starts to wander, you need a full rudder and an

aggressive shot of power. Basically, it is unstable directionally. In addition it is top heavy and has a low wing loading. If you keep it dead center, it is okay. But, if you give it a chance, it will eat your lunch. The brake setup is awkward with two separate bars for the brake and rudder. To work the brake, you must pick your foot up and off the rudder bar and put it up on the brake bar. You can’t use both at the same time. That’s why you have to be ready to use FULL rudder and a healthy shot of power, if it starts to wander.” John reports the airplane cruises at about 150 mph at 25 gallons per hour, and the forward visibility is good, but the view to the side is blocked by the wings, so, some stretching and leaning is required. Although John’s Vega is finished in the colors of one of the two metal Vegas purchased by the military, it never saw military service. The original owner was Morrell Meat Company of Ottumwa, Iowa. For a period of time it was employed by a company doing construction of the Alaska Military Highway (AlCan Highway today) and was based in Whitehorse in 1942.” The airplane has seen its share of travails, but like a Phoenix struggling out of the ashes, this old Vega is once again strutting its stuff at fly-ins nationwide.

Walking the Line EAA Oshkosh AirVenture 2014: Welcome home, Vintage members! text and photos by Sparky Barnes Sargent Some folks go to forums during AirVenture, some stroll through the vendor areas, and some enjoy the air shows and campsite camaraderie. But this winsome wanderer spends most of her time prowling the flightline. Vintage airplanes flown to Wittman field this year were especially abundant in numbers and types, ranging from the economical, everyday fliers to the finest fresh restorations. It was a treat to see them all, and it was especially interesting to meet their caretakers, who spanned the spectrum from preteens to grandparents. It was also great to see a number of airplanes repositioned from the flightline to the compass rose in front of the VAA Red Barn, where they were highlighted during the Vintage in Review sessions. A small set of bleachers accommodated passersby who wanted to relax and listen to the pilots/ owners/restorers describing their airplanes. Other happenings at the VAA Red Barn included vari-

ous type club representatives offering information about vintage airplanes and vintage-related workshops, including metal shaping. Another educational event, the Vintage Aircraft Association’s “Prop it Right, Save a Life” demonstration of how to safely hand prop an airplane engine, was held daily in front of the Red Barn. Throughout the week, I wended my way through the fields from the VAA Red Barn area all the way south of the ultralight airstrip, and then peregrinated back north. There are usually a few gems in the South 40, and this year, I discovered a gleaming white Piper J-3 Cub with the “Barnhill Bros. Airshows” logo there. Then, on virtually the last row in that field, I saw an old-faithful 1958 Cessna 310B that boasted a most-appropriate slogan in bold, white lettering on its vertical fin and rudder: “Oshkosh or Bust.” On that note, let’s start “walking the line!”

David Herrmann of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, was happy to share a bit about his unique 1943 Meyers OTW 160 (N34351), which he acquired about four months prior to AirVenture. It received the World War II Era (1942-1945) Outstanding Open-Cockpit Biplane award. “I purchased it from a gentleman who had it out in Ramona, California. I bought it in the condition you see it in; I just cleaned it up a little bit,” says Herrmann, smiling and adding, “I absolutely love it! I was attracted to it because I had seen Dick Martin’s OTW quite a few times around here locally. I like the rarity of the OTW and its flying characteristics. This particular one has the 160-hp Kinner on it, which I really like. The ‘dishpan’ was mounted behind the propeller because the oil temperatures were low, and that helped the oil temperature increase quite a bit. It’s bolted on, and it holds up just fine in flight; it serves the purpose, and it looks good, too. This OTW will cruise 100 mph and lands at 45 mph. It has a 26-gallon capacity and burns 10 gph. The flight controls are push-pull and are very smooth. It’s a well-coordinated, hands-off airplane; the rigging was done beautifully. It’s just a great flying airplane, and I plan to be the caretaker of it for a while—probably quite a while!” (Watch for an upcoming feature on this airplane.) 34

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David Rice of Clarksville, Tennessee, has been coming to Oshkosh for about 20 years. In years past, he flew his Meyers 200 or S35 Bonanza to Oshkosh, but this year, he was enjoying camping with N5427H, his 1949 Piper PA-18 Super Cub. “I bought this Cub on October 25, 2013, from Mr. Richard Kaup who lives on a ranch in Stuart, Nebraska. His neighbor bought it new from the factory in 1949, and then Mr. Kaup owned it for 55 years,” shares Rice, adding, “It had been in his machine shed on his ranch airstrip for approximately 20 years. After I flew it home, I installed new sealed wing lift struts and heavy duty forks, and overhauled the exhaust system to get it ready for the 2014 flying season. This is serial number 17—number 4 is two rows behind me, and number 1 is on Row 60, so there’s a nice assemblage of old Cubs here. I’m in the throes of beginning to restore this one right now, so I’m seeking advice from other owners who are here, and from Clyde Smith Jr., Paul Babcock, Steve Pierce, and other Cub gurus. I still have my Bonanza, but I wanted to get a Cub and teach my grandchildren how to fly. They’re so young right now; who knows if they’ll be interested? I’m hoping it will work! My granddaughter is 4 years old, and when we were at Sentimental Journey, I gave her her first airplane ride in a Cub—and she went to sleep!” Rice has logged about 2,800 hours since he learned to fly in a PA-18, and he particularly enjoys teaching tail-

wheel transitions to pilots. Rice recalls with a chuckle, “Years ago, I was at the University of Michigan in Air Force ROTC, and we were flying Cubs while the Navy guys were flying Cessna 150s, and I thought we were getting the short end of the stick! It was 30 years before I realized how lucky we were to fly tailwheel airplanes, particularly a Cub! I’m just glad to be back in one, especially this one—I’m the third owner in 64 years, which is pretty remarkable. If anybody wants to meet a lot of nice people, they should go looking for an old Cub! I searched the online FAA Registry for old Cubs in the dry part of the country. I called one owner in South Dakota and asked if they would be interested in selling their Cub. The wife said, ‘Oh, no! We’ll never sell that airplane! My father-in-law told my husband if he would learn to fly, he would buy him an airplane. That airplane was delivered to the ranch on Christmas Day 1949; selling it would be like selling one of the grandchildren!’ The other memorable conversation I had was with a man in North Dakota. [When I asked the question], he responded, ‘Not in my lifetime! My dad bought that Cub for $2,500 when it had 50 hours on it. He willed it to me, and later I signed it over to my son, and he’s going to teach my granddaughter how to fly in it. We’ll never sell that Cub!’ I had several other wonderful conversations, as well—so if you want to meet nice people, go looking for an old Cub! After all those conversations, when I called Mr. Kaup in Nebraska, Mrs. Kaup answered the phone, and I asked her the question. She said, ‘Well, you’ll have to ask him.’ He came to the phone, and the first word he said was, ‘Yes!’ I was honored that he would entrust his plane to me, and I assured him that not only was it going to a good home, but that I would restore it to new condition.”

Here are five of the seven Lockheeds that were flown to Wittman field this summer. (Watch for an upcoming feature on these airplanes.) www.vintageaircraft.org

John Watkins of Somers, Connecticut, bought his 1949 Piper PA-16 Clipper in 2008, and in 2009, he flew N5216H to Oshkosh to celebrate its 60th birthday. “This year I flew it here for its 65th birthday, and I arrived Monday before the show started. We had a whole row of shortwing Pipers here,” he adds, smiling. “Every year, I come out—if I can’t fly, I drive. We just have a great time, and I’ve been volunteering for EAA since the late 1980s. I probably wouldn’t have come as often as I do, if I weren’t volunteering. I used to work Camp Scholler night security, but they hire people to do that now, so I’m helping out at the fly-in theater and making sure everything is kept up and clean.” Watkins, who also enjoys flying sailplanes, describes his Clipper this way: “It looks like an airplane should look! It was restored in the early 2000s, and I wouldn’t buy one of these unless it was pretty well restored. The restorer did a nice job on the covering and painting, but he wasn’t trying to make an Oshkosh-winning plane, so I did a lot of additional work and improvements. It does handle pretty well in crosswinds, but I’m always careful when I land! The Clipper has a 108-hp Lycoming O-235, and carries 30 gallons of fuel—12 in the fuselage tank and one 18-gallon wing tank. It burns maybe 5-1/2 gph, just flying around, and about 6-1/2 cruising cross-country. When I land at airports along the way, people are always curious about the Clipper, so that’s fun. It’s a four-place airplane, but I’ll only carry two relatively small passengers. It’s really a nice, enjoyable plane that I am proud to own, maintain, and fly.”

NC25628 is a 1940 Lockheed 12A, registered to John Okeefe of Winthrop, Washington.

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Vaughn Lovley of New Prague, Minnesota, received the Classic Outstanding Piper Other Small Plaque award for his recently restored 1948 Piper PA-15 Vagabond, NC4426H. Pictured with him is his father, Forrest Lovley. (Watch for an upcoming feature on this airplane.)

Vintage member Mike Pfau of Princeton, Minnesota, purchased his 1939 Fairchild (N18688) in 1977. “I took it apart as soon as I got it. It needed some work, and I got it flying again in 1981, and have been flying it ever since,” he says, smiling. “I’ve restored Cubs and Champs and Interstates, but this one was the most complicated because of the woodwork, which was a challenge. We had to replace some ribs, some of the leading edge, and do a little bit of woodwork in the tail—the horizontal stabilizer is all one big piece of wood. This airplane was used for antisubmarine patrol by the Civil Air Patrol in the Gulf during World War II. It flew out of Base 10 in Beaumont, Texas, and I have the logbooks that show that activity. It had a 145-hp Warner at that time; it was converted to a 200-hp Ranger in 1953. It carries 60 gallons of fuel and burns 10 or 11 gph; it cruises around 90 to 95 knots. It’s a great airplane to fly, because the controls are all push-pull tubes and ball bearings; the cable is only from the floor of the cabin up to the wing root. The control input is very smooth, and it’s a well-balanced airplane. I’ve put around 1,000 hours on it.” Pfau soloed in 1969 in an Aeronca 7AC Champ, which he still owns. “It was my dad’s airplane, and he learned to fly in it, then I did, and both of my kids learned to fly in it,” says Pfau, “and they both grew up in this Fairchild. I’ve probably come to Oshkosh 20 times since 1975. I come for the people and the airplanes, but the people are great—it’s fun just to sit here under the wing and talk to the people.” www.vintageaircraft.org

Chris Nesin restored this 1948 Piper PA-11 Cub Special, and then he and his wife, April, flew N4971H on a 48-state tour this past summer. They retraced the Flight of Passage, which the young Buck brothers originally flew in this airplane in 1966. The Nesinsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; flight not only commemorated the Bucksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; flight, but also raised awareness of the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer. (Watch for an upcoming feature article.)

This Lockheed 12A (NC14999) is registered to Patrick Donovan of Seattle, Washington.

NC34618 1941 Stinson 10A CAP

NC8051A is a clean-looking 1952 Cessna 170B.

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This 1951 de Havilland DHC-1 Super Chipmunk is powered by a 260-hp IO-540. It cruises at 125 knots and lands at 58 knots. N7DW’s display poster states that the Chipmunk was surplused as an RAF trainer in 1955; used as a trainer, glider tug, and spray plane in Australia; and flown by air show performer Chuck Stockdale from 1988 to 2000. It was rebuilt by Mark Meredith of Rockville, Maryland, from 2009-2014, along with help from friends including Larry Donaldson Jr. and Sr.; Brian Tuscher; A&Ps from Chesapeake Aviation at Lee Annapolis Airport, and friends of EAA Chapter 571. First flight since rebuild was May 21, 2014. It won the Classic Custom Class D (236-plus hp)—Small Plaque award.

Tied down in the heart of the vintage camping area was an eye-catching 1940 Piper J-3C-65, configured as a liaison plane and painted in Army Air Corps colors. N32746 is owned by Dan Gervae of Iron River, Michigan; he brought his 12-year-old daughter, Lexi, to AirVenture for her first time this year. The Cub has an interesting history and has been in Gervae’s family since 1970. “I soloed in this plane in 1985, and I did restore it,” shares Gervae, adding, “It was originally in the standard J-3 configuration, but it was acquired by Defense Plant Corporation in 1941 and then used at four or five military bases as a trainer. It was also flown as a submarine spotter on the Atlantic Coast out of North Carolina, and then it went to Civil Air Patrol until the early 1960s. Lexi is learning to fly now, and I’ve got a Taylorcraft on floats, and she likes to fly that. We live by a lake, so she can walk right out the front door and fly. I’ve been coming to Oshkosh many years; I’m just an airplane nut, and this is where it’s at! I make the trip every year—sometimes I fly into the seaplane base, and sometimes I come here. This is best for me, because the vintage area is the best part—it’s unbeatable!” Lexi, who was industriously cleaning the Cub with a cloth and bottled water while we talked, was exuding pure happiness at being surrounded by airplanes. “I’m excited to be here! We’ve been watching the air shows every afternoon, because they’re awesome! I’ve been going up flying since I was a year old,” she says, smiling, “and I like everything about airplanes. When I was little, I didn’t really get the concept of being in the sky and how small the houses looked. My dad rebuilt this airplane because it was my grandpa’s, and he had had it since my dad was little. My dad was a year old when he first flew in this airplane. When I’m older, I’ll probably want to fly in the Air Force.” www.vintageaircraft.org

Warren and Terrie Wilkey of Garfield, Kansas, received the Classic (September 1945-1955) Outstanding Aeronca Chief—Small Plaque for their restoration of NC9373E, a 1946 Aeronca 11AC Chief. The Chief sports original aluminum wheelpants and nose bowl, a McDowell Aero Safety Starter, original embossed fuel tank caps, a Sensenich propeller with Aeronca decals, restored control yoke caps, and original overhauled instruments. Powered by a 65-hp Continental A65-8, the Wilkeys enjoy a 90 mph cruise and a slow 40 mph landing speed. The Chief’s main tank holds 15 gallons, and the auxiliary tank holds 8 gallons. Recounting their experience of buying the Chief when they lived in the Houston area, Warren says: “Terrie saw an ad for an Aeronca Chief, and asked me what kind of airplane it was. I told her it was basically a side-by-side Champ, and she liked the idea of sitting beside each other—so we bought it. It had been sitting for 15 years in a horse barn, covered with dirt and pigeon droppings, and the wings were filled with dirt dauber nests. When we showed up with a trailer to dismantle and move the airplane, the previous owner looked around and asked me, ‘Where’s your help?’ I said, ‘It’s just us.’ He said, ‘She can’t do this!’ I assured him that Terrie is a pretty capable lady and could handle it. Then I saw her walk over and pick up his portable generator—she lifted it up and pressed it about twice, and said, ‘How about this? Think I can do it?’ So she’s had her hands in the project from the git-go!” Warren first started flying when he was 14, and then took it back up a few years later—at age 40. He earned his private certificate in a Cessna 172, and then acquired a Cessna 180 in which he received his tailwheel training and endorsement. Terrie sidled into 40

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the pilot’s seat thanks to the Chief restoration project. “I’d go out to the airport, and Warren would give me an assignment and I’d learn how to do that and get pretty good at it. I’d watch the planes take off at that little Texas airport while I was working, and one day the owner of the airport took me up on a discovery flight. He gave me the controls for 30 seconds,” she says, grinning, “and I thought, Hey! I think I can do this—this doesn’t seem so hard. So I took flying lessons in a 172 and got my license in 1995. I’ll never forget the day my instructor got out of the airplane and said, ‘Okay, you’re ready; take it around three times.’ It brought tears to my eyes—it was one of the most exciting days of my life!” Terrie easily conveys her enthusiasm for aviation as she reflects on the project: “I love doing the work with Warren; he’s a really good teacher and was patient enough to get me through it. I learned how to do sandblasting, install fabric, and so much more. It was a great adventure for me! I’ve talked to a lot of women out here, and I hear them tell stories of how they ‘wish they could,’ and I’m thinking, ‘Get in there and do it!’” The restoration took the couple 20 years, all told— but in the meantime, they restored three other airplanes, as well. Three years ago, they decided it was time to finish the Chief. “We took the Chief all the way down to the last nut, bolt, and screw—everything was redone, replaced, or refurbished. We did all the work ourselves up until the final assembly, the test flying, and the sign-off,” says Warren, elaborating, “We had Tom Westfall help with those things, and we took it up through silver but had a friend put on the color coat. We had a lot of help from our Aeronca friends—Bill Pancake, Ray Johnson, and Denzel Williams. We tried to keep it as original as possible, with a few concessions such as Slick double impulse magnetos to make the starting easier, and Belkin harnesses for safety.” The Chief’s first flight was in March this year, and in June, the Wilkeys attended the Aeronca Convention in Middletown, Ohio, where the Chief won the Grand Champion Classic award. And, just as the Chief project inspired Terrie to learn to fly, it may also inspire her to obtain her tailwheel endorsement.

It isn’t often that you see a 1947 Stinson 108-3 on floats. NC833C was tied up to the dock and being fueled at the EAA Seaplane Base one evening. Vintage member John Texter of Middleville, Michigan, has owned the airplane for a year. He’s been flying since 1975, and NC833C is the first airplane he’s owned. “I’ve been having a lot of fun with it! These floats are manufactured by Great Waters Aerospace in Hibbing, Minnesota—they’re called Tuffloats. I’ve had it on floats for two months, and the Stinson has an outstanding performance on floats,” shares Texter, adding, “We landed in really rough conditions here Monday night, and it handled amazingly well. This airplane has a 220-hp Franklin PZL engine, which was manufactured in Poland as a replacement upgrade for the original Franklins. The early Stinsons had a 150-hp Franklin, and later, a 165-hp Franklin. This airplane has an interesting history—it used to be owned by a mortician, and it has an FAA-approved berth for cadavers. The interior has wood veneer, and it’s a very versatile airplane. The nose art is a tribute to Lady Dee, a previous owner’s wife. I also had the opportunity to meet another previous owner, Bob Kendall, at the Theater in the Woods this year. We had a nice chat about NC833C; he put a lot of time and money into improving and making her the great aircraft that she is.”

There were about 17 Swifts at Oshkosh this year, and Paul and Sandy Mercandetti flew up from Knoxville, Tennessee, in N84799, their 1947 Globe GC-1B Swift. They’ve been attending the convention off and on for 15 years, but with the price of fuel these days, they don’t attend as often as they used to. “We have a lot of friends who come up here, and it’s always like old-home week to run into differ-

ent people whom we’ve seen in different phases of our lives,” shares Paul, “I run into Vietnam buddies and airline and Swift buddies here, and it’s great to see them all. I restored this Swift from scratch just the way I wanted it, after having grounded my old Swift due to corrosion. It took me 4-1/2 years to restore it, and we’ve been flying it 16 years now. I love the Swift’s stability and speed, and its aerobatic and cross-country capabilities. It’s one of the most versatile and sexiest looking airplanes out there!” Sandy is the vice chairman of the Swift Museum Foundation Formation Committee. She’s a longtime Swift pilot (and airline pilot), and shares her thoughts about the Swift: “I love the airplane because it’s a high-performance, vintage taildragger and a lot of fun! Swift does provide FAAST formation clinics across the country every year, or any time you want to contact us and get a group together in your area, we can make it happen. We’re still qualifying new members and recertifying pilots every year. We do have a ground school and sorties when we go to a fly-in—whether it’s the Nationals, Texas, or the West Coast fly-in. It’s refreshing to see a number of pilots who have previously taken the clinic just sit in on the class, so they can stay current with their skills.” www.vintageaircraft.org

Dave Smith of Milaca, Minnesota, just completed the restoration of this 1938 Beechcraft E17B Staggerwing, which was manufactured especially for Indian National Airways of New Delhi, India. NC233EB is powered by a 275-hp Jacobs, cruises at 150 mph, and lands at 52 mph. It won the Bronze Age (1937-1941) Champion—Bronze Lindy award this year. (Watch for an upcoming feature on this airplane.)

The company logo on the tail of NC32412, a 1940 Porterfield LP65, depicts a lion’s head and the slogan, “King of the Air, Porterfield-Turner Airplanes.” Owned by Dave Reichard of Dayton, Ohio, the aircraft is powered by a 65-hp Lycoming O-145-B2, and cruises at 85 mph. The restoration of this Porterfield was featured in the September 2008 issue of Vintage Airplane.

NC37429 is a 1942 Interstate S-1A-90F, owned by Mike Latta of Auburn, Washington.

NC14052 is a 1934 Waco UKC, registered to Kevin Hogan of Hamilton, Ohio.

This 1944 Stinson Vultee V-77, NC69398, is registered to Terry Blaser of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

N4745M is a 1947 Piper PA-11 Cub Special. This Tundra Cub is owned by Patricia and Walter Dorlac of Windsor, Colorado.

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Joseph Shepherd of Fayetteville, Georgia, is the pilot/owner/restorer of this handsome 1936 Lockheed 12A Electra Junior. The aircraft carries eight passengers and 200 gallons of fuel. Powered by two 450-hp Pratt & Whitney R-985s, it cruises at 213 mph, burns 50 gph, and has a range of 700 statute miles. Its empty weight is 5,765 pounds, with a gross weight of 9,200 pounds. NC2072 is the second oldest Lockheed 12 existing today of 130 originally produced. Currently, there are only eight airworthy Lockheed 12s remaining. Shepherd acquired NC2072 in 1988. “I was looking for a Lockheed, and a friend of mine told me about one being advertised in Trade-A-Plane,” recalls Shepherd, “so I called the owner, Tommy Traler, and then flew my Cessna 195 to see the Lockheed in Brenham, Texas. I actually ended up swapping the Cessna 195 for it. Even though the Lockheed hadn’t flown in nine years, I thought I could do an annual inspection and fly it. We worked on it for about a month and then ferried it home to Georgia, where we disassembled the aircraft, inspected everything, and then began an extensive ground-up restoration. We did it all in my hangar except for the engines, paint (on the bottom side), and interior. It took three of us close to 17 years and at least 20,000 man-hours to restore it. Its first

flight was April 13, 2007, and it’s flown 500 trouble-free hours since then. Covington did the engines, and they’re wonderful—they don’t leak, and they don’t use oil.” In 2008, NC2072 became a star of the silver screen. “I was contacted by Avalon Pictures in Canada; they wanted to use this Lockheed in the movie Amelia, starring Hillary Swank and Richard Gere. So we flew three round trips up to Canada, and probably flew 50 hours for the producers, but very little footage of this Lockheed appeared in the movie. There was another Lockheed that did most of the flying in South Africa. They paid me for my flying,” says Shepherd, “and it was fun and quite an experience! Last year, I was contacted by a movie company down in Atlanta, and they filmed the Lockheed for a small part in the movie 42— about the baseball player Jackie Robinson. Now, I mainly fly the Lockheed to about 10 air shows a year.” Shepherd’s father was a World War II fighter pilot who flew P-51s, P-40s, and P-47s. “After the war, he was in the Air National Guard in Louisville, where I’m from, and I learned to fly at Bowman Field,” shares Shepherd, adding, “My dad had a FBO operation up in Michigan, but I was just up there in the summers with him. I soloed in a Cessna 140 at 18, got all my ratings, and ended up flying charter freight in Beech 18s. Then I flew for a corporation until I went to Southern Airways in 1969. After a couple of mergers and many uniforms later, I retired in 2004 from Northwest Airlines, where I was flying DC-10s internationally.” Shepherd heartily supported the special effort to have seven of the eight airworthy Lockheeds at AirVenture this year. “It’s great being here—every day I walk up and see all these Lockheeds and feel this magic! Back in 1988, there was another Lockheed in that hangar in Texas where mine was. The two Perras brothers were there a couple of weeks before me, and they bought it [NC2633] and did a beautiful job restoring it. So years later, here we are—with the same two Lockheeds, sitting side by side again!”

NC18906 is a Lockheed 12A, owned by Les and Susan Whittlesey of Coto de Caza, California.

www.vintageaircraft.org

Mathew Northway flew his freshly restored 1941 Interstate S-1A Cadet (NC37369) from Eugene, Oregon, to Wisconsin for his first visit to AirVenture. He was accompanied by Mike Latta (of Seattle) in Latta’s own Interstate (NC37429). The flight of two 90-hp Interstates cruised around 110 to 115 mph as they followed, ironically enough, Interstate 90, and they sometimes enjoyed the added benefit of a 25 mph tailwind. Northway’s prized Interstate received the Bronze Age (1937-1941) Runner-up award. Smiling like a proud father, Northway shares, “The most important

thing to know about my Interstate, since it looks so pretty, is that the restoration was done by Tim Talen and his crew [Ragwood Refactory] up in Springfield, Oregon. It took them about four years to collect the parts and a year to finish it. It was finished three weeks ago, I soloed it two weeks ago, and I left for Oshkosh a week ago! There’s 24 hours on the clock, and I have 25 hours in type. I got one hour instruction before I flew it.” Northway became interested in flying about 15 years ago, and after earning his private, he acquired his tailwheel endorsement. “I started looking for an airplane I could afford, and 10 years ago, I bought a Commonwealth Skyranger and have been flying that. But getting up in age, I wanted something that was sport pilot eligible,” he says, “so I started looking at Cubs, and then I learned about the Interstate and discovered that the premium expert in Interstates—Tim Talen—lived nearby. So I went and talked to him, and decided to do a restoration. We found a February 1942 Aero Digest ad which actually featured NC37369, and that’s what the current paint scheme is based upon. He did a gorgeous job, and what’s really nice about Tim is that he’s mentoring two young men who did much of the restoration of my airplane—Kyle Bushman and Jakonah Matson-Bell—to do this kind of restoration work as their careers.” (Watch for an upcoming feature on this airplane.)

N1017S is a 1959 Piper PA-18A Super Cub, powered by a 150-hp Lycoming O-320, and owned by Mark Erickson of Valley Springs, South Dakota. The Super Cub is Dakota Cub Aircraft’s flying salute to the greatest generation and the F4U Corsair fighter, as well as an honorable tribute to Raymond Joseph Erickson (the owner’s 90-year-old father) who was a Marine in the Pacific theater and was with the occupational forces for 10 months after the war. The Cub is also a memorial tribute to Joseph Jacob Foss

(Corsair pilot in Squadron VMF-115, WWII ace, and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient) for his service in the Marine Corps. Freshly restored, N1017S was flown to AirVenture by Dave “Speedy” Richardson, pilot for Dakota Cub Aircraft. “It has a lot of Alaska mods on it,” says Richardson, explaining, “It has the Dakota Cub slotted wing, which helps performance on takeoffs and landings; large tires to clear rocks and rough terrain; a large baggage compartment under the seat; and Dakota Cub master cylinders, which increase the braking power. It has the Dakota Cub fuel tanks, which hold a total of 48 gallons. This airplane cruises around 95 mph, while burning right at 8 gph. It handles real nice, is light on the stick, and you can get in and out of 300 feet pretty easy.” Elaborating on the “Marine Cub” project, owner Erickson says, “We started this project in early April and worked hard to get it to Oshkosh. Most of the guys in the Dakota Cub shop participated with me in the rebuild, and I decided upon the color scheme and markings. We used Ceconite’s Star Gloss System with Ranthane paint.” Their collective hard work and attention to detail was duly noted by the judges, who awarded N1017S the Contemporary, Class 1 SingleEngine (0-160 hp) Bronze Lindy. (Watch for an upcoming feature on this airplane.)

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Philip and Warren Oxman with their mother, Judi Oxman. They had their 1965 Bonanza (N12711) and 1963 Twin Beech (N87711) at Oshkosh this year as a memorial tribute to their father and husband, Steve Oxman. (Watch for an upcoming feature article.)

Tim and Myrna Weston of Yelm, Washington, with NC63597, their just-restored 1944 Howard DGA15P. It received the Antique Reserve Grand Championâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Silver Lindy award. (Watch for an upcoming feature on this airplane.)

The Jim Moss Q.E.D. Model R6W is powered by a 1,425-hp Wright Cyclone. N14307 has a wingspan of 36 feet 7 inches, an empty weight of 5,500 pounds, and a gross weight of 7,800 pounds. It cruises at 190 knots and lands at 95 knots, and was flown by Rich Alldredge.

Jim Clark flew his freshly restored Mohawk Airways 1929 Waco CSO (NC618N) to AirVenture from Chapman, Kansas. It was the Silver Age (1928-1936) Runner-Up. (Watch for an upcoming feature on this airplane.) www.vintageaircraft.org

Don and Michele Steen of Lyndonville, Vermont, bought a Cessna 150K Commuter in November 2013. N5896G was manufactured in October 1969 as a new 1970 model (indicated by the letter “K”), and was immediately put into service at a flight school in St. Charles, Missouri. True to its moniker, the airplane “commuted” throughout its life to many different states, including Nevada, Florida, New Jersey, and Ohio. “We were flying a Mooney for about 23 years, and my partner retired and I decided that I wanted to scale down,” says Don, “so we decided that maybe a 150 would work. I found this in Ohio; the young man who owned it had started restoring it and had put the base white on and had done a little bit on the interior. After I bought it, I took the interior out and repaired all the cracks and did some engine work, and replaced the lit-

tle boots that go on the steering rods. Then we had the trim painted.” Don learned to fly in a Beechcraft Sport and Sundowner at Houston Hobby in Texas, and earned his private certificate in 1973. “I have about 2,500 hours now, and I’m commercial and IFR rated—not that I’ll use that in the 150, but I did get it certified,” adds Steen, smiling. “We left Vermont on Friday and got here Monday. We stayed in New York and in Claire, Michigan, at 48D. The Claire airport offered wonderful hospitality and good camping; they have a kitchen with food in the fridge, a lounge, and a courtesy car. We stayed two nights there because of weather.” Michele was happy to be at AirVenture—in fact, it was the couple’s first time. “I’m just a passenger in the 150, and I love camping,” she says, adding, “We went to Ramona Cox’s Air Camping Essentials forum here, and it was very good. We do a lot of camping, including motorcycle camping—so this was just the next camping adventure. I’m duly impressed and totally entertained by all of this at AirVenture. I have not had a bored moment since I’ve been here, and I’m not an aviation enthusiast, but even I can appreciate all that’s going on around here!” Don reflects, “Oshkosh has been more than I expected, in a very positive way. I had no trouble getting in to the field; the traffic controllers did an excellent job. The whole rationale behind how they handle the VFR traffic seems sensible. I think it’s great, and I was real glad the airplane does qualify as vintage—in fact, I just joined VAA today!”

Ross Seabrooke of Clarksville, Michigan, has been coming to Oshkosh on and off since 1971. This marked the sixth year that he came in NC97607, his 1946 Stinson 108. Powered by a 150-hp Franklin, the airplane has a 36-gallon capacity and burns about 10 gallons an hour cruising around 100 knots. “I keep coming back for the people I see and meet at Oshkosh, and I like the vintage camping area because it’s like being at your own private fly-in! I bought my Stinson in North Carolina seven years ago, and fly it from a 1,700-foot strip at my house. It’s inexpensive to operate, and it’s a fun, kind of a

go-to-breakfast airplane. I fly it around 60 hours a year,” shares Seabrooke, adding, “I soloed in 1971 in a Cessna 150, and always had dreams of flying as a career. I started with aerial photography, then flew as a bush pilot in Alaska off and on for 10 years. The times I left Alaska, I did a little crop spraying, and flew for a couple of commuter airlines in the States and Puerto Rico. I also had various charter jobs and managed a 135 operation in Virginia. Then I flew corporate for 15 years, and I just retired off the MD-11 after 15 years with the airlines. In addition to the Stinson, I have a partnership in a Twin Comanche. I’m here this year with Cindy Lou Sigrist; it’s her first time at Oshkosh.” Sigrist, a student pilot, gladly shares her perceptions about AirVenture and flying. “We got here Thursday before everything was set up. I’ve been walking miles, just watching the evolution of it all, and it’s quite overwhelming and fascinating. I soloed in a 172, and I think I’m going to pick up lessons again in a Cherokee. I do plan to come back to Oshkosh; it’s really incredible, and I love it! I see planes here that I’ve only seen in calendars and magazines before,” she says, laughing and adding, “When I saw that Gee Bee—gosh, my knees were all wobbly! I have not felt like this since I had a crush in eighth grade!”

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Marlin Horst of Bird in Hand, Pennsylvania, won the Antique Grand Champion—Gold Lindy for the restoration of his beautiful 1929 Fairchild 71, NC9708. (Watch for an upcoming feature on this airplane.)

Daniel Wilkins of Portland, Pennsylvania, with NC32141, his newly restored 1941 Waco UPF 7. It won the World War II Era (1942-1945) Champion—Bronze Lindy award. (Watch for an upcoming feature on this airplane.)

N6948, The Great Waldo Pepper, is the EAA’s recently restored, Hisso-powered 1917 Standard J-1.

NC2633 is a 1940 Lockheed 12A and is owned by brothers Yon and Uwanna Perras of Morrisville, Vermont.

Ron Alexander of Griffin, Georgia, is a frequent flier of the “Candler Field Express,” a 1940 Douglas DC3A (N28AA).

Here’s one of the rows of Cessna 195s—in the foreground is NC3457V, a 1948 model registered to Coyle Schwab of St. Charles, Illinois.

This 1939 Spartan 7W is registered to James Savage of Gibsonia, Pennsylvania.

N8417P is a sharp-looking 1964 Piper PA-24-250 Comanche. www.vintageaircraft.org

Chris Polsley of Galion, Ohio, has been flying N4541C, his 1953 Cessna 170B, for 30 years. He’s made more than a dozen trips to Oshkosh since the late 1980s, and keeps returning because he enjoys seeing the old airplanes—this year, his favorites were the Fairchild 71s. “When I was 14, I was reading a lot of the ‘flying to Alaska’ articles in the AOPA magazine. Then, when I was in the Air Force as a mechanic in the 1970s in Southeast Asia, I read Last of the Bush

Pilots by Harmon Helmericks. He flew a 170 in Alaska, and that inspired me. I was based in Columbus, Ohio, when I returned from overseas, and in 1984, I bought this 170. I was a regional airline pilot at the time, and we didn’t make much money, so I gradually worked my way up to some of the other airlines. My dream was to fly the 170 to Alaska, so we had the airplane painted in 1997, and the engine overhauled in 1998. Then, with 50 hours on it, my 14-year-old son and I flew to Alaska! We basically went around the Mount McKinley area,” says Polsley, describing his adventure and adding, “We had an acquaintance in Healy, and we spent about seven days with him. We did the normal route; we flew the Alaska Highway, went into Fairbanks, and down to the Healy and Anchorage area and back out the same direction. My son is grown now and flies for a living; he used to come to Oshkosh with me every time. My daughter was 21 when she came with me to Oshkosh the first time, and she loved it. She would have liked to have come this time, but she works as a nurse, and has a 1-year-old daughter. So I brought her husband, Spencer Shipman, with me instead. My goal when I retire is to rebuild or build airplanes.”

Vintage in Review informative sessions were held each day, and selected aircraft were positioned in front of the VAA Red Barn. Pilots/owners/restorers were interviewed about their airplanes, and a nearby set of portable bleachers allowed folks to relax and listen.

This 1947 Fairchild 24-R46 (N77661) was featured on the cover of Sport Aviation in November 1974, when it was the Antique Grand Champion winner. Its display poster states the airplane is: “Sixty-three years old, been kissed a bunch, and still going strong.”

This “American Airways” 1931 Stinson SM-6000-B (NC11153) is registered to Yellowstone Aviation Inc. of Jackson, Wyoming.

This 1945 ERCO Ercoupe 415-D (CF-ROC) is owned by Catherine L. Boyko of Dunnville, Ontario, Canada. Written on the prop tag: “She’s all mine!”

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This 1942 Red Baron Stearman (N802RB) is owned by Don Grundstrom of Eldridge, Iowa, and was flown by Dean Maupin. It cruises at 110 mph and lands at 70 mph.

Gary Coonans of Bell Buckle, Tennessee, owns NC9727, a 1927 Fairchild 71. It received the Silver Age (1928-1936) Champion—Bronze Lindy award. (Watch for an upcoming feature on this airplane.)

Lady Bird (NC1373B) is a 1948 Silvaire Luscombe 8F, registered to George and Carol Chaffey of Lafayette, California. It has a factory-installed, one-of-a-kind jump seat and is 1983 Past Grand Champion Classic.

N613LD, The Lark of Duluth, is a replica Benoist Type 14, and is powered by a 140-hp G.M. Marine engine. The aircraft is owned by Duluth Aviation Institute of Duluth, Minnesota.

Mike Rinker of Union City, Tennessee, owns NC12332, a handsome 1932 Curtiss Wright B-14-B Travel Air Speedwing. “They built two of them in 1932, and this is the only survivor right now. It only has 850 hours on it, and it has a 450hp Wright 975-11, which is supposed to be derated to 330 hp on this airplane. They built one B-14-R in 1931; Ronnie Rippon owns that one, and he’s given me a lot of help on trying to get this one back flying,” shares Rinker, adding, “It was a West Coast airplane for a long time, and the restoration was done in 2007 by Vern Dallman’s widow. The B-14-B was top of the line in 1932 and was designed to go fast; it had a top speed of 187 mph, which in 1932 with a biplane was smokin’! They used it as a demo plane for the factory for several years, and it quit flying in 1940. Ronnie owned it from the 1950s to the 1960s. Later on, Don Sharp of Oklahoma owned it and got it flying. Don sold it to Vern, who was an air show comedy act pilot until the late 1990s. I bought it about four months ago from the Aerospace Museum in McClellan, California. I bought it because I think it’s the coolest airplane I’ve ever seen!” NC12332 received the Silver Age (1928-1936) Outstanding Open-Cockpit Biplane award. (Watch for an upcoming feature on this airplane.) www.vintageaircraft.org

N7263M is a 1958 Cessna 175 owned by Shahan and Roi Golan of Farmington Hills, Michigan. It cruises at 120 mph and lands at 60 mph. NC14048 is a 1934 Waco S3HD, which cruises at 160-plus mph and lands at 75 mph. Owners John and Pupae Ricciotti of Barrington, New Hampshire, had an informative display board by their Waco, which included the following: “The striking Waco ‘Super Sport’ Model S3HD has been described as ‘a military-type aircraft, a commercial version of an export model that was handsomely disguised as a sportplane.’ Pratt & Whitney’s nine-cylinder Wasp Jr. provided the power that made this one of the most maneuverable airplanes of the pre-World War II era.”

N44274, a 1946 Taylorcraft BC12-D1, received the Classic Preservation—Small Plaque award. The Taylorcraft is registered to Paul Nuss of Martinsburg, Pennsylvania.

A hidden gem in the South 40! NC88528 is a 1946 Piper J-3C, powered by an 85-hp Continental. It’s owned by Bill Knisley of New Carlisle, Ohio, and features the “Barnhill Bros. Airshows” logo on its vertical stabilizer. It received the Classic Custom Class B (81150 hp)—Small Plaque award.

N2524T is a Navion H Rangemaster, manufactured in 1969 by Navion Aircraft Co. of Sequin, Texas.

A Republic Seabee and a Piper Cub at the EAA Seaplane Base. 50

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This 1960 Cessna 150 (N6469T) was converted to a tailwheel configuration and is owned by Lorraine and Ken Morris of Poplar Grove, Illinois. This airplane was utilized for the twice-daily demonstrations on handpropping safety.

N47D is a 1939 Beech Staggerwing D17R, powered by a 450-hp Pratt & Whitney R-985, and flown by Chris Jacobson. The cameo-like silhouette on the fuselage bears the inscription “Fran 1942.”

N2635N is a 1947 Cessna 140 registered to Michael Pastore Jr. of Naperville, Illinois.

N3542M is a 1947 Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser owned by Bill Sygden of Hallock, Minnesota.

N8858H, a 1947 North American Navion, has that nice vintage grill over the air intake in its nose cowl.

The unmistakable profile of the Musketeer! N3607Q is a 1967 Beech A23-24, registered to William and Ann Toole of Goochland, Virginia. This unique 1929 Travel Air D-4-D (NC472N) is powered by a 300-hp Lycoming and owned by Richard Zeiler of Thousand Oaks, California. It cruises at 130 mph and lands at 55 mph. Its display board reads, in part, “Among the long list of people and businesses whose work is reflected by this ‘Sky Siren’: Engine overhauled by Radial Engines of Guthrie, Oklahoma; propeller overhauled by Maxwell Aircraft Service; graphic and design scheme by James Bruni; covering and painting by Mark Lightsey, Nando and Hualdo Mendoza; interior by John Engelhardt; and “vision, funding, and momentum” by Daniel Curran and Richard Zeiler. (Watch for an upcoming feature on this airplane.) www.vintageaircraft.org

Comparing the

JIM KOEPNICK

Classics

The Piper Cruisers Budd Davisson It could easily be said that in its pre-Cherokee incarnation, Piper Aircraft designed only one airplane, the J-3 Cub (which actually predated that company). It then re-designed, re-assembled, re-engineered, and re-used the airplane’s major components in a bewildering number of combinations and permutations. Evolution was the name of the Piper game, using as much existing tooling, parts, and investment as possible when designing a new airplane. 52

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The J-3’s first evolutionary step was the J-4 Cub Coupe. Same airplane, different seating. The two occupants sat side by side, rather than in tandem. The second step up the passenger-carrying ladder was the J-5 Cruiser. This was Piper’s first move into multi-passenger (more than two) aircraft. Sort of. The J-5 was also the first indication Piper was looking past the training market at bigger goals. Let’s not kid ourselves: The J-5 is a

J-3. It’s a Cub with fat hips where the rear seat was widened out. The wings and tail are identical. However the evolutionary changes in the fuselage set a re-design effort in motion that was to give birth to an entire string of multi-passenger airplanes. An important change in the fuselage and general layout was moving the pilot up front and moving the front seat away from the pedals. Any who have flown a J-3 in the front remember that foldedlike-a-cheap-pocket-knife seating

LEEANN ABRAMS

From a low, quartering view the J-5 looks like a Cub that has gained weight around its hips, but, although it flies like a Cub, it’s a significantly different airplane.

position and the chest-high control stick. The Piper engineering crew made an effort to civilize the front seat by giving it more legroom. In addition, when widening the back seat and tapering the fuselage to the firewall, they couldn’t help but give the front seat lots of shoulder room. In fact, the front seat shoulder room may be the widest of any aircraft of its type, before or since. The original J-5A came out in January of 1940 being pulled along by a 75-hp Continental. A year later it was replaced by the J-5B, which used the 75-hp Lycoming O-145, an engine which has never had a reputation for lots of power. In 1942 Piper made a major jump forward when it announced the J-5C that was powered by the 100-hp O-235 Lycoming. Yes, this is the same O-235 Lycoming (with very minor changes) still being used in C-152s and, yes, that makes the basic engine 72 years old! The only difference is that in the J-5C the engine was carrying three people not two, as in the C-152. Sorry, just a little editorializing. The Charlie model included some major structural changes. Among other things the windshield was now one piece and the wood spars gave away to aluminum. Early J-5Cs will be found with wood

spars because they didn’t complete the changeover until using up all the wood then in inventory. The landing gear was redesigned to bring the bungees up inside the airplane, and the engine was completely cowled for the first time. The cowling and landing gear mods amounted to a huge drag reduction which, when coupled with the equally dramatic increase in power, made the airplane live up to its name. At 95-100 mph, as Cub-derivatives go, it truly was a Cruiser. Plus it offered amenities like a starter and nav lights. An 18-gallon wing tank was standard in all Cruisers, but another 7 or 18 gallons could be put in the other wing. With the J-5C Cub Cruiser, Piper had stepped into the serious cross-country market. Unfortunately, the war shut down Piper’s civilian aircraft production after cranking out only 35 J-5Cs. The new design didn’t go to waste, however. The Navy liked what it saw in the airplane, and with several of its own mods, including a top-opening rear fuselage for a litter, ordered the aircraft as the HE-1. Something over 100 were produced. After the war, the J-5C was recertified to 1,750 pounds gross weight (normal category) and the

1020 mild steel in the fuselage tubing replaced with chrome-moly. The new airplane was the PA-12 Super Cruiser. It was produced for two years, 1946-47, and over 3,700 were built. Approximately 1,400 J-5s were built. It appears the Piper marketing department had as much to do with the design of the PA-12 as engineering did. In most respects, its structure was identical to the J-5C, but marketing’s contribution was in taking a noticeable step away from the stark interior of the traditional Cub to much more luxurious appointments. The 1946 marketplace was fiercely competitive, and Piper needed to change its image to survive. Accordingly, many of the Cub’s old control layouts, some of which were the result of its trainer role, were changed. For instance the carb heat was now on the panel, as was the mixture for the O-235. The panel itself was arranged to make room for a radio ($65 installed!). The interior was tastefully appointed and an effort made to bring it up to automotive standards of style and comfort. It should be pointed out, however, that the back seat of any Cruiser isn’t really two people wide. It’s more like 1-3/4 people wide since they have to twist and www.vintageaircraft.org

let their shoulders slightly overlap. With only one person in the seat, the extra room is overkill, if there is such a thing as too much room. Mechanical Description As originally designed, the J-5 Cruiser is a Piper Cub in every respect and so needs little mechanical description. The steel tube fuselage was widened, and that was the only discernible difference. In fact, most major components—wings, tail surfaces, landing gear vees— are interchangeable. One minor control change is that the carb heat was moved from its awkward location by the pilot’s right foot to make it more convenient by his left hip. The aluminum cup holding the carb heat and fuel cutoff is unique to the J-5, even though the Cub has something similar. The original brakes were the traditional expander-tube type that are terribly expensive to rebuild today because of the cost of the expander tubes and the individual brake blocks. Many J-5s are seen with either the hydraulic drum brakes of the PA-12 or Cleveland/ McCauley disc brakes. The brake pedals on both models are of the heel variety, with those 54

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on the PA-12 moved slightly outboard to make them more readily available. This also puts them slightly in the way and easy to touch inadvertently on the first few flights. The J-5C and PA-12 landing gears moved the bungees up inside the airplane, so the bungee struts and the structure at the front end of the fuselage is noticeably different. Other than the usual fuselage rust concerns, the Cruiser series also has the Piper strut ADs to be complied with. The wing ribs are aluminum as are the later spars. Flight Characteristics Not wanting to rely on memory, we traveled to a tailwheel training school in Prescott, Arizona, which uses a J-5A in its instruction program and has a pristine PA-12 on line for rent. There we evaluated both airplanes with Allen Steffy, owner/ operator, acting as instructor pilot. Steffy’s J-5A is redone in the colors it carried in 1941 when delivered to Muncie Aviation, where it served in a CPT school. In speaking with old-time Muncie instructors, Allen learned they used the J-5s as night trainers with motorcycle batteries providing the lighting power.

Many J-5’s have had their old Cub-style expander tube 4-inch” brakes replaced by Clevelands. However, if converting, sizing the master cylinder is critical to keep from having too much braking power. More than one Cruiser has wound up on its back because of Clevelands. The expander tube brakes work just fine, but rebuilding them is expensive.

MARK GODFREY

Not exactly the instruments needed to make a Category II approach but more than is needed to fly the J-5. Note the non-sensitive altimeter (a single hand) and the airspeed indicator that doesn’t bother with the third digit once over 100 mPh. It is assumed you’ll never see over 100 in a J-5. Not true in many of the modified versions.

MARK GODFREY

The little tailwheel on the J-5 looks skinny, but it is more than adequate for the job.

Piper J-5C Cub (90hp)

Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser

Worse, slower, Compared Better, faster, Rating Worse, slower, Compared Better, faster, heavier, harder lighter, easier heavier, harder lighter, easier to to

Rating

•Visibility on the ground Citabria -1.0 •Visibility in the air Citabria -0.5 •Inherent directional stability on ground Citabria +1.0 •Rudder control authority on ground Citabria +1.0 •Brake control authority Citabria +1.0 •Tailwheel authority Citabria +1.0 •Tendency to float in ground effect Citabria -1.0 •Crosswind capability Citabria +1.0 •Gust resistance Citabria -1.0 •Overall relative pilot demand on takeoff Citabria +1.5 • Overall relative pilot demand on landing Citabria +1.5 •Takeoff performance C-152 +1.0 •Climb performance C-152 +0.5 • Effect of gross weight load on performance C-152 -0.5 •Aileron response C-152 -1.0 •Aileron pressure C-152 -1.0 •Roll rate C-152 -1.0 •Elevator response C-152 +.5 •Elevator pressure C-152 +.5 •Pitch rate C-152 +.5 •Cockpit Comfort Citabria +.5 Real-World Statistics •Cruise Speed—75-85 mph •Stall Speed—35-38 mph •Fuel Burn—4.5-5.0 gph

-.5 --+1.0 +1.0 +1.0 +1.0 -.5 +1.0 -.5 +1.5 +1.5 +1.0 +0.5 -0.5 -1.0 -1.0 -1.0 +.5 +.5 +.5 +.5

MARK GODFREY

The airplane was wrecked at least three times before being purchased by a doctor in Bisbee, Arizona, who re-engined it with a C-90. Each year, the doctor used the airplane to de-

Original J-5’s had a 75 hp Continental but the J-5C had a 100 hp 0-235. The C’s also had a full cowling, the bungees up inside the fuselage, a starter and aluminum, rather than wood, wing spars.

liver medical supplies to Panama, which, according to the logs, took 70 hours each way! In the late 1980s, the doctor was having the airplane re-built when he passed away. Steffy bought the airplane as a nearly completed project and incorporated it into his school, which at the time used Champs, C-140s and a Stinson. The airplane’s bad luck wasn’t left behind when it moved up to Prescott. After Allen took it to Oshkosh ’96, it wound up on its back when, it is surmised, a passenger surprised a renter pilot by inadvertently locking the brakes. Steffy completely rebuilt the airplane, correcting many of the non-original features it had picked up over the years. He did not, however, rebuild the expander tube brakes because of the expense involved, and retained the Clevelands. In climbing into the cockpit, I was first struck by its size, when compared to a Cub. Spacious would be the best adjective to apply. The rudders were still just a little closer

Citabria Citabria Citabria Citabria Citabria Citabria Citabria Citabria Citabria Citabria Citabria C-152 C-152 C-152 C-152 C-152 C-152 C-152 C-152 C-152 Citabria

•Cruise Speed—100-105 mph •Stall Speed—38-40 mph •Fuel Burn—5.0-5.5 gph

than I’d like, but we have to remember this generation is taller than that for which the airplane was designed. Even better than the room was the over-the-nose visibility. Straight ahead visibility was only slightly impaired. “Mags hot! Brakes!” One flip of the prop and we were on our way. The heel brakes were a fair amount inboard of the rudders, which was of no consequence because they were only needed for tight maneuvering during taxi. Also, even though we had a 20-25 knot wind battering us during taxi, the tendency to weathervane was easily controlled with rudder only. A J-5 is at least 100 pounds heavier than a J-3, and its ability to ride out the wind is one place the weight helps. The wind was varying between 30 to 60 degrees off our nose on takeoff, and I expected an “interesting” flight. I wasn’t disappointed, but I was surprised at how well the airplane handled it. The takeoff run had to be partially on one wheel to www.vintageaircraft.org

In profile it takes a sharp eye to tell a J-5 from a J-3.

keep it straight, but the controls were absolutely up to the task. Even though the airplane had 90 hp, we were at 5,000 feet MSL (density altitude around 6,500 feet), so the power was probably the equivalent of the original 75-hp Continental. This gave the wind plenty of time to work us over during the takeoff roll. At no time did it feel as if the wind was about to get the upper hand so long as I used a firm touch. At lower altitudes, with that engine, takeoffs happen instantaneously, with a 150-foot takeoff roll being typical. Once off the ground, it became clear that the J-5 may have the seats to carry three people, but with only 75 hp it definitely wouldn’t have the power. With the Lycoming O-145, it must be particularly anemic. At that altitude, with the C-90 and only two people, we were getting something around 350-400 fpm, and it was a relatively cool day. Allen’s airplane has a nice new Sensenich wood prop, which limits static power to around 1950 rpm and about 2100 rpm on takeoff. A metal prop would probably increase that at least 200 rpm and give a significant performance increase. But nothing looks as nice as wood. Also, the wood prop protects the engine against sloppy renter pilots. The controls on the J-5 are vintage Piper Cub, meaning a fair amount of system friction com56

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bined with reasonable pressures and responses. Compared to a C-152, the pressures would seem high while the roll rates and response would seem low. Compared to a Citabria, however, only the system friction would be a factor, as the airplane handles at least on a par with the Citabria. Its performance in climb would compare favorably with a 115-hp Citabria (7ECA) similarly loaded. The PA-12 we flew later was a gorgeous specimen restored over a 10-year period by Floyd Newton of Phoenix, Arizona, and at that time was owned and operated by the flight school as part of its rental fleet. It was upholstered like a King Air, and simply saying the airplane was well detailed is a gross understatement. The airplane is an easy 150-200 pounds heavier than the J-5, which is readily apparent in everything about it. Even its ride in turbulence was a little smoother. System friction, which was very much a control factor in the J-5, was almost nonexistent in the PA12. We examined the J-5’s control system looking for the difference, including examining the pulleys, and could find nothing hanging up anywhere. We concluded the difference was simply in the cable tension. The manual calls for “slight” tension in the cables, which leaves a lot open to interpretation. Inci-

dentally, the cables in all Cruisers are internal, rather than hanging out in the wind à la J-3/5. Another noticeable difference was that the PA-12 seat was located 3 inches farther away from the stick and the control pedals, which made for a much more comfortable seating position. We were climbing the J-5 at 45 knots and the PA-12 at 65 knots. Both gave about the same performance, even though the PA-12 had 108 hp. In cruise, Allen’s J-5 was nearly perfectly in rig and gave a solid 75-knot cruise while the PA-12 showed an honest 90-95 knots. This is where the cleaner cowl and internal bungees showed their advantages. Also, the PA-12’s upholstery combined with its exhaust system made the interior much quieter and more comfortable. No matter how the airplanes were stalled, the stalls were nonevents. With the stick against the stop and the nose gently bobbing, I tried driving the ball off center with rudder to see the effect of yaw. The ball had to be way out before the airplane showed any willingness to fall off one way or the other. With the tower reporting 20-25 knot winds with an 8-10 knot gust spread at a steep angle to the runway, I was hesitant to three-point the airplanes, but in the interest

of science was willing to try. I was openly surprised at how well they handled the wind. It was clearly a struggle to fight the tendency to balloon in the gusts, and the bank angle was constantly changing to keep from drifting, but the airplanes handled it beautifully. The PA-12 had a softer feeling gear, which was mostly noticeable during wheel landings. It was a little more forgiving and less likely to spring us back into the air. Both airplanes, however, handled far more wind than I would have thought possible. It, however, would not have been a great day for a student or low-time pilot to be out dicing around. Even though the airplanes would handle the wind, the pilot has to be very firm with them to keep them in line. Also, once on the ground, snails were racing past us, we were taxiing so gingerly to keep the wind from picking us up. In airplanes with such low wind loadings, the wind is a constant threat until the tie-down ropes are in place. Incidentally, the hydraulic drum brakes on the PA-12 were more comfortable to use than the Clevelands on the J-5 because the Clevelands could easily be used too heavily. They are actually too much brake. It was easy to see why so many J-5s, and especially PA-12s, have migrated north to Canada and Alaska where they are usually re-engined with 150 hp. With the airplanesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; low speed capabilities and the cabin room, all they need are more ponies to become ideal bush birds. The Cruiser series of Pipers has only recently caught on, with the J-5 still lagging far behind the J-3 Cub in price. PA-12s have definitely begun to jump into the limelight, but J-5s can still be found, which are super deals and are easy rebuild projects. Just keep your eyes open. The word hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t gotten out, and you never know what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find. www.vintageaircraft.org

The Vintage Mechanic ROBERT G. LOCK

Inspecting aircraft systems Previously we discussed some basic thoughts concerning the inspection of aircraft structures. Now it is time to tackle a few important aircraft systems. Well before computers and simulation, operating an airplane was an adventure. Many times a test pilot’s first flight in an experimental ship was truly the first time the plane had been in the air. When transport aircraft are designed, the test pilots have flown many hours in a simulator to practice before flying the actual airplane. Early test pilots knew the aircraft well before climbing in for the first flight. Noted test pilot Chuck Yeager always credited his success in the Bell XS-1 to knowing how each system worked, and how it related to the overall success of each flight. He often said, “If you don’t know how it works, then how can you fix it if it doesn’t work?” He is so right. I once maintained a Beech G-35 Bonanza owned by my good friend in Reedley, California, Aram “Korky” Kevorkian. Chuck used to come to town and fly the Bonanza, sometimes taking long cross-country flights. It was equipped with a Continental E-225-8 engine with an aluminum electric constant-speed propeller. The airplane, engine, and propeller had about 1,200 hours since new, and Chuck took the Bonanza to his hometown of Hamlin, West Virginia. On the trip the propeller had a problem in the constant-speed mode, and when Chuck returned to Reedley, I went over to visit and be briefed on the propeller problem. Chuck opened the maintenance manual, discussed the problem, went to the schematic electrical diagrams, and told me how to repair the propeller control. That is what test pilots did dur58

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ing the early days of experimental aircraft, such as the Bell X-1, that pushed the envelope of flight. The point here is that an inspector must know how the system works and how it relates to airworthiness. Inspections require critical thinking on the part of the individual conducting such inspection. There are many systems, even on small general aviation-type aircraft that play an important role in safe flight. Otherwise they probably would not be there. It is my intent here to write about a few systems and describe the mindset into conducting an inspection for airworthiness. A few we will discuss are cable control systems, push-pull controls, braking systems, and landing-gear systems. Cable Control Systems: Early aircraft used a woven wire rope created by the Roebling Company. This eventually evolved into what we now call cable, and it is widely used in small aircraft-control systems. Cable comes in diameters 1/16 inch, 3/32 inch, 1/8 inch, 5/32 inch and up; these diameters being common to the general aviation fleet. The minimum diameter cable for primary flight control is 1/8 inch, the smaller diameter cables being relegated to secondary controls, such as flaps and trim tabs. In my experience as a mechanic I have found cable damage at a pulley, fairlead, or where the cable is exposed to the elements. Running a rag along a cable will detect broken wires. However, the only way to inspect a cable at a pulley or fairlead is to loosen the assembly so it can be pulled away and twisted away from where it normally is routed. Perhaps the best reference for ca-

ble inspection is the AC43.13-1B, Section 7, Chapter 8. The sketch shown in Figure 1 is taken from this publication and shows how to check a cable at a pulley or fairlead. Cables for use in aircraft are manufactured from steel or stainless steel wire and are identified as 7x7 flexible (Seven wires in each strand and seven strands spiral woven) and 7x19 extra flexible (19 wires in each strand and seven strands spiral woven). If any broken strands are detected the cable must be replaced or spliced. I have never spliced a cable in my career! I would rather remove it and fabricate a replacement, or purchase one from a supplier.

Figure 1

Of course one must ascertain if the control surfaces are properly rigged, move in the correct direction, and have no excess wear. When inspecting the control system the mechanic should start at the source (the control stick or yoke) and work out to the control surface. Push-Pull Control Systems: Some control systems use push-pull tubes for operation as shown in Figure 3. There are several critical inspection items to be checked here. Bearing wear will be multiplied from the cockpit control to the surface if bearings are worn. Lock the cockpit control so it will not move, then go to the surface and move it up or down, left or right. If there is excess movement, then investigate. Figure 3 shows a typical installation of a bell crank and push-pull tube arrangement. Note the push-pull tube has a threaded rod end and a jam nut, and there is a small hole in the tube to check thread engagement of rod end and tube. Insert a small diameter safety wire into this hole—if it doesn’t go in, it’s okay. If it goes in, then there is not enough thread engagement and the system should be further investigated and possibly re-rigged.

Cable control systems are rigged to a specific tension, plus or minus a few pounds. Metal aircraft will expand with heat and contract with cold. An old FAA written question involved a metal airplane that was rigged to correct cable tension in a cold climate and taken to a hot environment. What happened to cable tension? It would increase because the entire airplane would expand causing tension to increase. Also, new cables will stretch when rigged to tension. Therefore it was not unusual for cable tension to loosen at the first 100-hour inspection. Figure 2 shows a typical cable tensiometer and its use.

Figure 3

Figure 2

Braking Systems: Proper operation of the aircraft’s braking system is imperative to safe operations. A typical unboosted brake system consists of a master cylinder, fluid lines and fittings, and the wheel brake assembly. Brakes may be operated as toe brakes, heel brakes, or manually with a handle on the instrument panel. Older aircraft may use automotive drum or expander tube-type brakes operated hydraulically or mechanical drum-type operated by cables. Disc brakes operated either mechanically or hydraulically were introduced in the early 1930s. Figure 4 www.vintageaircraft.org

shows a typical hydraulic brake system, components being essentially the same for drum, expander tube, or disc-type brakes. Once again, when inspecting this type system, start at one end and work to the other end. I start at the rudder pedal (or control pedal) and work my way down the system to the wheels. Carefully inspect everything that moves and those stationary parts that may chafe or wear. Where linkages are used, wear is always occurring so shake those parts to see how much clearance is involved. Excessive clearances will always be magnified at the brake control. Lines can chafe causing seepage so look carefully using a flashlight and mirror.

Figure 5

Figure 4 Brake clearances are set by the manufacturer. For most drum-type brakes the clearance is 0.010 inch between lining and drum. I can recall watching an automobile mechanic adjust drum brakes back in the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;50s before disc brakes came out. He would adjust the star nut until the brakes dragged and he could not spin the wheel, then he would loosen the nut three clicks until there was a very small amount of drag between the lining and drum. That turned out to be about 0.010 inch. Excessive brake clearance will lead to excessive pedal travel before brakes take effect. Expander tube brakes have no clearance adjustment as is true with more modern disc brakes. Figures 5 and 6 show typical simple expander tube-brake system. 60

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Figure 6 Aircraft Landing Gears: We will discuss only simple landing gears found on many older light general-aviation aircraft. These landing gears were fixed (not retractable) and used oil/spring, air/oil, or bungee cord to absorb shock loads. Check tire wear. That will give a clue as to the proper alignment of the landing gear. Some gears can be altered in both camber and toe-in/toe-out, but most are fixed once welded and assembled on the aircraft. If a landing gear was damaged during a ground loop and not properly repaired, tire wear will be excessive on one side or both sides. The most simple

gears were bungee shock struts, such as used on the Piper J-3 Cub. Figure 7 shows a typical Cub landing gear.

pecially if the aircraft operates from grass or other unimproved landing strips. The shock strut on typical Aeronca installations is an oil/spring arrangement. There is a “zerk” grease fitting on the front of the strut to periodically lubricate the strut. Figure 8 shows a typical Aeronca-type strut.

Figure 8

Figure 7 A bungee cord type gear is very simple. Replacing the shock cords, however, is a dangerous task without proper tools. Shock cords are considered airworthy until they begin to weaken and the landing gear begins to spread out and become soft. It is best to replace all cord at the same time rather than individually. A most important issue with landing gears is wear at the attach points. With the weight of the aircraft on the gear, excessive clearances cannot be detected. It is necessary to lift the aircraft, one side at a time, until the landing gear is off the ground. Then shake the gear to detect excessive play at the attach points. If the ship has a tubular engine mount, it can be fitted with nylon strapping around the upper mount attach point, then gently hoisted to move one side of the airplane up to check attach points. If this is not done at least at the annual inspection, one may be surprised, es-

Air/oil-type shock struts are inspected by checking for any fluid leakage around the seals and for proper inflation. If the strut is low on fluid and a person keeps adding air, the strut will be weak and “spongy.” Oleo-type shock struts are normally serviced by removing the air charge to collapse the strut, remove the filler plug, and fill with hydraulic fluid to the plug opening. Gently rock the airplane from side to side to remove any entrapped air, top off with fluid, install and safety plug. Then air to proper extension measured on the shiny exposed piston. Check condition of torque links (scissors) for excessive clearances and re-bush if necessary. Perhaps the biggest problem with simple landing gear systems is wear at the attaching points. Excessive clearances can be rectified by bushing back to standard size. The only way to find this wear is to jack or hoist the gear so it clears the floor then gently shake components. All attach points should be checked for cracking. Landing gear alignment is very critical to good ground handling and tire wear. Misaligned gears should be investigated and repaired if necessary. www.vintageaircraft.org

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but because of the careful execution of adapting to the large aerobatic box, the T-Birds performance proved to be very much worth this monstrous planning initiative. Well done, EAA! The Post War Boom venue in the Vintage area was by far a wonderful success! We hosted an exceptional cross section of many of the post war aircraft. Many thanks to those who responded to the call for post war aircraft parking at Oshkosh 2014. Wow! Did you see all those awesome Lockheed 12s? What an amazing display of these fine aircraft! Special thanks go out to Les Whittlesey for all his efforts in getting so many of these aircraft to Oshkosh. We also experienced a very strong number of aircraft arrivals in all of the Vintage categories. We experienced good growth this year in the number of Antiques that arrived, and the Type Club parking area was also bulging at the seams. It’s been a few years since we actually needed to park aircraft on the east side of the taxiway, south of the ditch. A nice problem to have! All areas of operations within the VAA area proved to be quite successful as well. The Tall Pines Cafe experienced a record-setting performance, and ice sales were also very strong. The newly remodeled Red Barn Store was also very successful this year! The leadership team in the Red Barn are already planning the implementation of several new ideas gleaned from our customers during this year’s event. The AeroMart volunteer leadership team executed on a number of excellent technical improvements this year. This provided some real streamlined processes that greatly benefited the AeroMart customers, and it also resulted in greater revenues. None of this of course would be possible without the dedication of our army of volunteers within the Vintage organization. You folks are nothing short of amazing! We were blessed with more than 535 volunteers who collectively volunteered more than 26,800 hours of volunteer time in support of the VAA during 2014. Special thanks and congratulations go out to Chris Haeffner of St. Peters, Missouri, and Mary Knutson of Lodi, Wisconsin, who were recognized as the recipients of the VAA - Art Morgan Memorial Volunteers of the Year Award for 2014. As always, thanks for being a member, and please do us all the favor of inviting a friend to join the VAA, and help keep us the strong association we have all enjoyed for so many years.

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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. Advertising Closing Dates: 10th of second month prior to desired issue date (i.e., January 10 is the closing date for the March issue). VAA reserves the right to reject any advertising in conflict with its policies. Rates cover one insertion per issue. Classified ads are not accepted via phone. Payment must accompany order. Word ads may be sent via fax (920-426-4828) 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.

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VAA

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

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

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

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DIRECTORS Ron Alexander 118 Huff Daland Circle Griffin, GA 30223-6827 ronalexander@mindspring.com

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

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

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WANTED

Donate aircraft wing rib for instructional purposes. Entry-level Aerodynamic classes being taught at local high schools. Building enthusiasm for aviation at the high school level. Any airworthy or non-airworthy rib will be appreciated. Contact: jrangerjohn@centurytel.net 719-346-7731 Donate your factory built plane to leave a significant legacy! A charity that provides mission/ medical services to remote areas of the world. www.samaritanaviation.com 970-249-4341

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ADVISOR Susan Dusenbury 1374 Brook Cove Road Walnut Cove, NC 27052 336-591-3931 sr6sue@aol.com

DIRECTORS EMERITUS David Bennett 375 Killdeer Ct Lincoln, CA 95648 916-952-9449 antiquer@inreach.com

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