Va vol 43 no 2 mar apr2015 by EAA Vintage Aircraft Association

MARCH/APRIL 2015

Q.E.D.

•Stearman Golden Jubilee •Mohawk 1929 WACO •Affordable Antique Airplanes

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Vintage Airplane

Straight & Level

STAFF

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

GEOFF ROBISON

VAA PRESIDENT, EAA 268346, VAA 12606

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Busha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jbusha@eaa.org VAA Executive Administrator. . . Erin Brueggen 920-426-6110. . . . . . . . . . . . ebrueggen@eaa.org

A year of upgrades to the VAA convention site

Art Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Livy Trabbold ADVERTISING: Vice President of Business Development Dave Chaimson. . . . . . . . . . . dchaimson@eaa.org

Oh, how I long for some warm mild breezes blowing through the hangar door. I know you hear me say this every year at this time, but hopefully we’re getting closer to some milder temperatures here in the Midwest soon. Tomorrow would be a good time to start this! It won’t be long now before our dedicated work weekend volunteers begin their monthly pilgrimage to Oshkosh to perform a myriad of maintenance and convention site improvements we have planned for this year. We currently are planning a complete revamp of the southwest corner of Vern Avenue and Wittman Road. The old Membership and Volunteer booths will be replaced with newly constructed facilities with a covered deck on each structure. We experienced some pretty serious direct line winds this past November that resulted in some serious damage of the VAA marquee sign on that corner. As a result, we decided to reconstruct the entire entryway to the Red Barn and the Vintage Hangar. I think you will like what the volunteer maintenance crew has planned for this area. We are also planning on some extensive upgrades to the Tall Pines Café facilities this spring that are certain to enhance your dining experience there. Come check us out! Our work parties are scheduled for April 24-26, May 29-31, and June 26-28. E-mail the chairman of Vintage Maintenance, Michael Blombach, at Michael846@aol.com if you decide to come out and assist! Holy cow, I hope you all had the chance to look over the January/February issue of the Vintage Airplane magazine. I am convinced that this was so far the best issue of our publication yet to hit the memberships’ mailbox. The reaction from our members continues to be very positive and quite complimentary. Our editor, Jim Busha, and his “A-Team” from the VAA and EAA publications department deserve extensive accolades for all of their efforts in putting that issue together. They continue to set the bar higher for each issue of the magazine they produce. Many thanks to our publications crew! You folks rock! Again, as always your thoughts and comments regarding the magazine as well as the business of the VAA is very much welcome and appreciated! Please always feel free to drop us a line at vintageaircraft@eaa.org and let us know what you have on your mind. Remember, if you desire to communicate directly with our editor, simply address your e-mail to Jim Busha at the above address, or directly to jbusha@eaa.org. We would really like to continue to hear your thoughts, positive or

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

VISIT www.vintageaircraft.org for the latest in information and news and for the electronic newsletter:

Vintage AirMail

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION Current EAA members may join the Vintage Aircraft Association and receive VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine for an additional $45/year. EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine and one year membership in the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association are available for $55 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.eaa.org/airventure 888-322-4636

continued on page 63

www.vintageaircraft.org

Vol. 43, No. 2

2015

CONTENTS

MARCH/APRIL 2015

Stearman Golden Jubilee 50 years of Stearman ownership Harry G. Balance Jr.

The Illusive Affordable Antique Airplane So you want to buy an airplane . . . Budd Davisson

BONNIE KRATZ

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

ANY COMMENTS?

Send your thoughts to the Vintage Editor at: jbusha@eaa.org 2

MARCH/APRIL 2015

The Moss Q.E.D. II Re-creating an icon requires an icon to accomplish the mission Budd Davisson

Orphan Waco The “Mohawk Airways” 1929 Waco Sparky Barnes Sargent

A Little Time with Little Ford Right seat in the EAA’s Ford Tri-Motor Marla Boone

Around the Pylons Bill Falck and Rivets Don Berliner

COVERS FRONT COVER: The Jim Moss QED graces the Washington sky’s. Photo credit Lyle Jansma.

BACK COVER: Jim Clark and his 1929 Waco grace the back cover. Photo by Tyson Rininger

COLUMNS 1

Straight and Level A year of upgrades to the VAA convention site Geoff Robison

Good Old Days

6 VAA News

14 Art of Flying The boy and the old plane Sarah Wilson

58 The Vintage Mechanic Evolution of aircraft instruments, Part 1 Robert G. Lock

Ask the AME Eye Surgery John Patterson, M.D., AME

10 How to? Make bonded test sample Robert G. Lock

VAA New Members

64 Vintage Trader www.vintageaircraft.org

Join Friends

of the Red

Barn!

Your support is crucial to the success of VAA’s AirVenture activities and programs VAA members like you are passionate about your affiliation with vintage aviation, and it shows. You’re the most loyal of all EAA members, renewing your VAA membership each and every year at a rate higher than any other group within the EAA family. We appreciate your dedication! Each year we give you another opportunity to strengthen your bond with the VAA by inviting you to become a Friend of the Red Barn. This special opportunity helps VAA put together all the components that make the Vintage area of EAA AirVenture a unique and exciting part of the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration. This special fund was established to cover a significant portion of the VAA’s expenses related to serving VAA members during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, so that no dues money is used to support the convention activities. This is a great opportunity for Vintage members to join together as key financial supporters of the Vintage division. It’s a rewarding experience for 4

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each of us as individuals to be a part of supporting the finest gathering of Antique, Classic, and Contemporary airplanes in the world. At whatever level is comfortable for you, won’t you please join those of us who recognize the tremendously valuable key role the Vintage Aircraft Association has played in preserving the irreplaceable grassroots and general aviation airplanes of the last 100 years? Your participation in EAA’s Vintage Aircraft Association Friends of the Red Barn will help ensure the very finest in EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Vintage programs. To participate in this year’s campaign, fill out the donation form by visiting our website at www. VintageAircraft.org/programs/redbarn.html to make an online contribution. And to each and every one of you who has already contributed, or is about to, a heartfelt “thank you” from the officers, directors, staff, and volunteers of the Vintage Aircraft Association!

CONTRIBUTION LEVELS ↓ DIAMOND PLUS $1,500 & higher DIAMOND $1,000 - $1,499 PLATINUM $750 - $999 GOLD $500 - $749 SILVER $250 - $499 BRONZE PLUS $150 - $249 BRONZE $100 - $149 LOYAL SUPPORTER $99 and under

A “6-pack” Special Access to Donor Appreciation FORB Air-Conditioned of Cold Bottled Badge Volunteer Certificate Water! Center

Two Passes Breakfast at Tall Pines to VAA Volunteer Café Party

2 people, full week 2 people, full week 2 people, full week 1 person, full week

Tri-Motor OR Two Tickets Close Helicopter to VAA Picnic Auto Parking Ride Certificate 2 tickets

2 tickets

1 ticket

Special EAA PHP Air Show Center Seating Access

Full week 2 people, 2 people, full week full week Full week 2 people, 1 day 2 days

1 ticket

All donors at all levels will have their name listed in Vintage Airplane magazine, on VintageAircraft.org, and at the VAA Red Barn during AirVenture.

VAA Friends of the Red Barn

Name________________________________________________ ____________ EAA #___________ VAA #___________ Address____________________________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip_______________________________________________________________________________________ Phone___________________________________________________E-Mail_____________________________________ Please choose your level of participation: ____ Diamond Plus $1,500.00 or above ____ Diamond Level Gift - $1,000.00 - $1,499.00 ____ Platinum Level Gift - $750.00 - $999.00 ____ Gold Level Gift - $500.00 - $749.00

____ Silver Level Gift - $250.00 - $499.00 ____ Bronze Plus Gift - $150.00 - $249.00 ____ Bronze Level Gift - $100.00 - $149.00 ____ Loyal Supporter Gift - ($99.00 and under)

n Payment Enclosed (Make checks payable to Vintage Aircraft Assoc.) n Please charge my credit card for the amount of: ____________ Credit Card Number _____________________________ Expiration Date _________ Signature_________________________________________ Badges for Bronze Level and Above:

n Yes, prepare a name badge to read:

Mail your contribution to:

VAA FORB PO Box 3086 OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086

or contribute online at

www.vintageaircraft.org/programs/redbarn.html

n No badge wanted for this year.

_________________________________________________________________ (Please print just as you wish your badge to read.) First Last Certificates:

n Yes, I want a Certificate

n No, I do not want a Certificate for this year.

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

www.vintageaircraft.org

VAA News What’s happening for Vintage enthusiasts ANNOUNCING NEW VINTAGE AWARDS FOR AIRVENTURE 2015 Customized Airplane Awards: The Contemporary category judging group of VAA has chosen to recognize aircraft which have been updated to be used as personal transportation aircraft while retaining the spirit of the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association. These aircraft can be modified with newer engines, propellers, avionics and other modern features to improve speed, reliability and safety, and are to have been manufactured January 1, 1956, through December 31, 1970. The awards are a Gold, Silver and Bronze Lindy. All other judging criteria will remain the same as other categories.

gether in an area near the various activities of the Vintage Aircraft Association. Participation in the Daily Airshow—The club may be asked by EAA/AirVenture to offer several aircraft to fly during the airshow and/or showcase. It is noted that several aircraft could possibly fly a closed circuit to show the beauty and grace that Stinsons offer to their care takers. It will be great to have someone at the announcers stand to comment on this as the flybys take place. Participation in the Daily Talk at the Red Barn— We may have a freshly restored/show aircraft to be displayed in from of the Vintage Red Barn. Their owners will be asked to participate in a talk about the heritage of the Stinson type and flying qualities. I’m sure questions will be asked about restoration and maintenance. Stinson Maintenance Forum As usual we hope to have a Stinson-specific maintenance forum to discuss any new developments as well as the normal ongoing maintenance issues with our vintage aircraft.

GREETINGS STINSON LOVERS We have detailed several activities that the Stinson Club will be involved in for the 2015 “AirVenture” event taking place on July 20-26. This will mark the 75th anniversary of the Stinson and the 40th anniversary of the International Stinson Club. Mass Fly-In—The Club will host, as it did in 2010, the mass fly-in from Watertown Airport. Stinsons participating in the mass fly-in will be privileged to have parking spaces up in the type club area. This gives us an opportunity to display our aircraft to6

MARCH/APRIL 2015

Stinson Dinner Wednesday evening we will again board busses for the trip to Wendt’s for a great fried perch dinner and the opportunity to socialize with our fellow “Stinsoneers.” We have been doing this for a few years now and it’s always a good time. Hopefully we’ll have a few more people from farther west join the normal crowd to add to the mass! The Stinson Club, along with the Ercoupe Club, will be the center of the attention at VAA during AirVenture, so be at EAA Oshkosh 2015 to support our group. 75th ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL ERCOUPE CONVENTION In honor of Fred and Dorothy Weick Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin (KSBM) July 15-18, 2015

• • •

2015 is the 75th anniversary of the Ercoupe. You are cordially invited to attend the 2015 National Ercoupe Convention, which will be held July 15-18 at the Sheboygan County Memorial Airport, Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin (KSBM). This will be a very special once-in-a-lifetime convention! All Ercoupes, Aircoupes, Alons, and Mooney M10s are invited. Many activities are planned, including (in no special order): A flight (or bus ride) to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. We will tour the museum and eat lunch there before we return to Sheboygan. Young Eagles flights at the Sheboygan airport. A tour of the Kohler Design Center. A tour of the Acuity Insurance Company’s tallest flagpole in North America. A rubber chicken drop and spot-landing contest. An open house featuring our planes at the airport for the nonflying public. A Maintenance Forum in the Aviation Heritage Center. A walking tour of the historic town of Sheboygan Falls. A Flying Movie Night, featuring High Road to China and an excerpt from Road to Rio. A viewing of a Wisconsin Public Television DVD called Wisconsin from the Air on another evening following dinner. A catered picnic lunch at Deland Park on the Sheboygan waterfront. The Saturday evening banquet in the Sheboygan Aviation Heritage Center with a Best Ercoupe Award, Best Forney Award, Best Alon Award, Best Mooney M10 Award, Most Unique Ercoupe Award, People’s Choice Award, Longest Distance Flown by ’Coupe Award, Longest Distance Flown Commercially Award, Longest Distance Driven Award, Oldest PilotIn-Command Award, and Youngest Pilot-In-Command Award. Our guest speaker at the banquet will be Jessica Cox, who, even though she was born with no arms, flies an Ercoupe, plus she is able to do everything else you and I can do. She is a truly amazing person. You can get more information about her at www.RightFooted.com. Univair will supply a free T-shirt with the 75th anniversary design shown at right to each of those who register, indicate their shirt size, and attend the convention. All pilots who fly in to the convention will receive a special convention plaque. Additionally, the first 100 pilots-in-command who attend will receive a free 75th anniversary hat and coffee mug.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Various items bearing the 2015 convention logo (not the 75th anniversary logo) will be sold at the convention, such as T-shirts, patches, and decals. Camping will be available on the Sheboygan airfield. Hard-surface parking for motor homes will also be provided, but without hookups. We would like to have at least 75 Ercoupes, Aircoupes, Alons, and Mooney M10s attend our convention, in honor of the 75th anniversary. (One hundred would be better.) Sunday morning, July 19, all who wish to fly to EAA’s AirVenture Oshkosh (only a short distance away) will gather for a detailed briefing in the Aviation Heritage Center. We will fly in trail, with 5001,000-foot spacing between planes. EAA will provide us a special parking area so we can really show off our airplanes, and will do other special things for us. 2015 will be the year of the Ercoupe at Oshkosh! Many of us will camp with our ’Coupes at AirVenture. If you would like to do that, but don’t want to carry your camping things in your airplane, you can send them to yourself via UPS and pick them up at the UPS facility there. Members and nonmembers of the Ercoupe Owners Club are invited to attend. If you can’t fly to the convention, please drive! COORDINATED BY: Syd Cohen 705 Kent Street Wausau, WI 54403 Phone: 715-842-7814 Cell: 715-573-7063 Email: sydlois@charter.net Arden Krueger H8734 County Road Q Wausau, WI 54403 Phone: 715-842-9055 Cell: 715-574-0319 Email: abk@fabco.com

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.

MARCH/APRIL 2015

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

Eye surgery T.E. asks, “I am going to have Lasik surgery to correct my nearsightedness. Will there be a problem with my next medical? What if I want to consider an ‘implantable contact’ or intraocular lens implant?” The short answer is that Lasik is approved by the FAA, and most eye procedures approved by the FDA to correct defective vision are allowed. The pilot must meet vision standards, and vision must be stable without side effects. Side effects may include glare or halo, which impairs night vision. First a little history about the procedure. Radial keratotomy (RK) was developed in 1974 in which radial incisions were made from the pupil to the lateral aspect of the cornea with a diamond knife in order to reshape the cornea and therefore correct visual acuity. Healing is slow and unpredictable, and risk of infection can occur even years after the surgery. The biggest problem is with glare and scatter of light called flares especially at night. Instability of the cornea can occur especially at high altitudes. In 1995 the FDA approved a procedure called photorefractive keratectomy or PRK. A laser is used to reshape the curvature of the cornea by vaporizing corneal tissue to a prescribed depth. Again side effects can be pain post-op, prolonged healing, and increased risk of infection. Glare or halo phenomenon can occur at night but much less than with RK. To further address these side effects, Lasik (laser in situ keratomileusis) was developed. During this procedure a flap of corneal tissue is developed using a microkeratome and folded back on itself by leaving a small hinge of tissue uncut. The excimer laser is then used to reshape the underlying layer of cornea. Upon completion the flap is then replaced over the treated cornea and acts as a bandage. This avoids the majority of pain post-procedure and the sandpaper feeling with PRK. Complications are rare, but vision can be affected if the corneal flap becomes dislodged or the flap developed has a hole or defect in it. Therefore rubbing the eyes in the immediate post-op period is a

definite no-no. Contact sports should be avoided for up to two weeks, and some ophthalmologists recommend wearing safety eyewear during sports. There has been reported corneal flap displacement from trauma 38 months after the procedure. Lasik is constantly being modified and improved, hence the development of “bladeless Lasik,” which creates the flap with a laser and is touted to be more precise, with the corneal flap adhering better post-op. There are patients who are not candidates for Lasik. Most patients over the age of 50 who have correction of their nearsightedness will then have to wear reading glasses for resulting farsightedness. Also for patients with a high degree of nearsightedness, correction with Lasik would make the cornea too thin. Some patients already have a cornea that is too thin, and those persons with chronic dry eye may not be candidates. In some of these cases intraocular lens implants (phakic IOL) may be considered as an alternative to Lasik and PRK. These lenses are implanted between the cornea and the iris (colored portion of the eye) without removing the natural lens. These then function like a contact lens, but are inside the eye. FAA approval is similar to cataract surgery in which the cloudy lens is removed and an intraocular lens is implanted. So the AME may issue the medical certificate for all classes if visual acuity is stable and within standard, and there is an absence of significant side effects. A report from the eye specialist or FAA Form 8500-7 (Report of Eye Evaluation) should be submitted with the next medical. Just to review, vision standards are 20/20 in each eye separately with or without correction for distant vision in Classes I and II. For Class III it is 20/40 or better for distant vision with or without correction. For near vision it is 20/40 in each eye separately with or without correction in all classes. First and second class medicals also require an intermediate vision standard of 20/40 or better with or without correction, with no requirement needed for third-class airmen. www.vintageaircraft.org

How to? ROBERT G. LOCK

Make bonded test sample

Whenever one bonds any substrate in an aircraft application it is a very good idea to make a test sample to be sure of an airworthy joint. There are times when I mix a small batch of adhesive and bond two pieces of spruce, plywood, or aluminum together just to test my expertise before actually completing the job. The first discussion will be wood structures— both soft and hard wood.

To make a test sample of spruce, cut two or more sections that measure about 2-by-6 inches and are 3/4inch thick. Prepare the bonding surfaces, mix the adhesive, and assemble the two pieces. For synthetic resin adhesive (Resorcinol) AC 43.13-1B recommends a pressing force of 150 psi; in other words use a good bit of pressure. The purpose of pressure is to force the adhesive into the wood grain, thus assuring an airworthy

bond. Above is a sketch of how a good bond line would 10

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appear if you could dissect it. The Army Air Forces called this the “dowel pin action.” Since the adhesive penetrates into the wood grain, sanding of spar splices is avoided because sand particles will enter grain structure causing a possible poor joint. A spar splice should always be planed smooth and to an exact fit. Allow the bond to cure under correct temperature and time, then remove clamps and put into a vise, place a parallel or C-clamp on to the opposite end from the vise and twist, push and pull until it breaks. Then inspect the bond line for evidence of wood fibers in the adhesive. The wood should break before the bond does. Bonding with epoxy adhesive is different than bonding with synthetic resin glue. Synthetic resins gain strength from a thin bond line, while epoxy adhesive doesn’t like real thin bond lines. And the clamping pressure is different—clamping pressure of 150 psi will drive all the adhesive out of the joint, and a weak part will be the result. I don’t use epoxy adhesive to bond spar splices because of this clamping problem. On rib repairs I use spring clamps because they provide a positive pressure on the joint until it cures. If you use epoxy adhesive in a spar splice and clamp it with parallel or C-clamps, the pressure will drive some of the adhesive out of the joint, and when you come back later the clamps will be loose. I will continue to make spar splices using synthetic resin glue, but the number of spar splices in my future are very few if none at all. Bonding of hardwood is quite different. When I speak of hardwood I am referring to plywood—either mahogany or birch, which are common types

Super Reliability for Your SuperCub used in aircraft structure. First, when possible, plywood should be bonded on the “B” side (the side that is the roughest) to promote good adhesion. When using birch plywood it is a good idea to provide some sand scratches in the areas to be bonded—just rough up the surface with some 180 or 240 grit sandpaper without removing surface material. You can

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316-283-8000 • BandC.info/VA make the same type of test sample as shown above by gluing plywood to a spruce block of the same dimensions. After it cures, try to peel the plywood from the spruce block. Once again the bond line should not fail. Or you can bond two pieces of aircraft plywood strips measuring 2-by-4 inches, overlapping at least 2 inches. Allow to cure, then try to break the sample. Upon breaking each of the wood samples, closely inspect the bond line. If there are wood fibers in the bond line, it’s good. If the sample failed down the bond line, then it’s not good. You can create various types of test samples. For instance, if you are gluing gussets to spruce cap strips, begin by making a couple test samples. Apply glue just as you would when building a rib, using nails to apply pressure. Allow the sample to cure, and then pull it apart to check the bond line. This will most always assure one that a good airworthy bond has been produced. When making repairs or fabricating a new structure, mix enough adhesive to do the job plus some extra to make test samples. Clamp and cure with the structure, then break to destruction to check for airworthiness.

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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.

MARCH/APRIL 2015

s d A d e fi i s s a l

What would you have found . . . Western Flying, January 1941

SARAH WILSON

The Art of Flying

SARAH WILSON

The boy and the old plane

The boy and the old plane both wished to fly, but the plane no longer believed in wishes. It had been so long since it had flown—abandoned, broken, and alone—that the plane had forgotten how to believe. It’s hard to believe when you’re just parts in a shed. Separated so long from the sky, it’s easy to forget you can fly. The boy had spent his whole life watching airplanes 14

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fly past him. Wishing on each one, that someday he would go with them. Wading waist-high in the wheat, watching a Cub fly away, the most unusual thing happened. He heard the sound of a radial engine. How could that be? That’s not the sound a Cub makes. Just then the wind whipped a path across the wheat and waved at him. “Over here, follow me,” the wind beckoned. He turned the corner of his curiosity, following the rumble-clicking, lope, lope, loping of the radial engine. Over the field, through the orchard, and past the old barn the sound led. It ended at the door of a shed. The boy turned the knob and peeked in. Stacked floor to ceiling, boxes and bags and parts and pieces sat motionless in the dark. Once inside, his imagination opened as wide as his eyes when he saw a plane looking back at him. The boy nudged his tongue to speak up and say what he was feeling inside, “Who do you belong too?” “Planes don’t belong to anyone,” the plane replied. “Planes have caretakers. “We live longer than people. People are the only ones who think they can own things.” The boy shuffled through his mind, searching for the best thought he could find. “If you would teach me how to fly, I would be the very best caretaker of you.” “All children know how to fly,” the plane replied. “It’s only after they grow up that they forget that they do. I used to fly with a little boy like you, then a caretaker bought me. We went to work spraying his crops. One day he decided he didn’t need me anymore. He left me in the field, alone, on the side of the barn. I

SARAH WILSON

waited for 55 years for a caretaker to return—believing each day I would fly. And each night when I did not, I broke apart. Piece by piece. Now I’m just parts in a shed. Separated so long from the sky I have forgotten how to believe I can fly.” The boy opened his heart as wide as it would go, and inside he found what he was longing for. “If you would trust me and be my plane, I would help you believe.” “Why should I trust you?” the plane replied. “A

caretaker is free to fly anything, but I cannot fly without you.” The boy stood on his toes, and a promise lifted up from his soul. “I promise I will fly with you.” “Why should I believe you?” the plane replied. The boy extended his hand into the darkness of the shed, and a wooden wing reached out to him. “Because I am your Wish Twin,” the boy answered. “Everyone has a Wish Twin. Someone, somewhere, has the same wish as you. If you give your wish to them, both your wishes will come true. Wishes need help from believing to come true. Until you believe you can fly again, I will believe enough for two. How can I help you?” “Restore me,” the plane replied. The boy turned the answer over and over in his head, searching for the right end to his next question: “How do you restore something?” “Patience,” the plane replied. “Planes live forever, so time is different for us. Planes only count the minutes they fly. Every minute you fly adds a minute to your life, so planes never die. Planes are built and wait to be restored, again and again.” The boy stubbed his brain on the thought of

SARAH WILSON

www.vintageaircraft.org

SARAH WILSON

forever and saw his patience coming to an end. “How long will I have to be patient? When will you be done?” “I will be done on the Eighth Day of the week,” the plane replied. The boy put his hands on his hips, and foolish pride came out of his lips: “There are only seven days in a week. There is no Eighth Day. You’re pulling my leg.” “I am not,” the plane replied. “It is the day people forgot. The Eighth Day is the day time stops.” The boy tilted his head, and disbelief rolled out the other side. “When will the Eighth Day begin?” “You never know when it’s about to begin, and you never know when it’s about to end,” the plane replied. “The Eighth Day can last longer than your lifetime, but feels like it flew by when it ends. Hidden in between the moment of realization and the time of a lifetime, the Eighth Day begins with the first movement of the red hands.” There on the left of the shed, hiding in the corner 16

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of an old panel, was a very small clock with a set of very red hands. The boy thought it must be a special clock because small things hold the biggest secrets after all. If he were going to hide magic in something, he would hide magic in something small. The boy unlocked his imagination, and a question of hope floated off the top of his head: “Tell me about the clock.” “An Eight-Day clock looks like any other clock used to keep time, but it has an extra set of red hands,” the plane replied. “You wind up an ordinary clock, and it counts time down to the end. After seven days an ordinary clock runs out of time. Then it waits to be wound back up, to start counting back down again. If planes measured their lives like people, watching the clock winding down every day, we wouldn’t want to live that way. The amount of time it takes to restore a plane can be very long. Once restoration starts there is no telling if it will be done. Restorations need extra patience to get planes and their caretakers through to the end. That’s where the Eighth Day comes in. The Eighth Day is where all the extra patience in the world is kept. Patience left over from all the minutes adults have forgotten to take. Adults are so busy measuring their lives by workweeks and weekends. Counting the time between their beginnings and ends. Adults have forgotten all the minutes they forgot to take time for. Minutes spent wondering . . . What do clouds feel like on your skin? Does the wind know you’re coming and tell the wheat to wave at you? If you spent your whole life in the sky, would you eventually turn blue? Minutes spent wondering about the most wondrous things. Things that planes and children always take time to do. The Eighth Day starts when you believe there is all the time in the world waiting for you. It is the day planes remember and people forgot. The Eighth Day is the day time stops and restorations begin.” To be continued . . .

Stearman

Golden Jubilee 50 years of Stearman ownership by Harry G. Balance Jr.

August

17, 2014, marked the anniversary of me having owned my Stearman, N1714M, for 50 years. Not a lot of people have owned a flying airplane for that length of time, and probably the top of the pyramid of those who have, have not been Stearman owners and pilots. It all started a long time ago. The ink on my private pilot certificate was barely dry in the spring of 1961. A law student from the university I attended approached me and asked that I fly him and 18

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PHOTOS COURTESY AUTHOR

two other aspiring lawyers to the Kentucky Derby in Louisville. My instant reaction was to say, “Sure, no problem.” The more I thought about it, the more problems it presented. However, when challenged, I have always showed a fierce amount of determination. My father, who received his pilot certificate in 1928, steadfastly maintained that the most dangerous time in a new pilot’s life was when he had f lown about 100 hours. I was there. Further, I knew, in my heart of hearts, that the man who had taught me to fly, one Wes Hillman, was not about to rent me

his Cessna 172 to fly three guys from Roanoke, Virginia, over the Blue Ridge and Allegheny chains of mountains to Louisville, Kentucky, regardless of what promised event—i.e., the Kentucky Derby— lay ahead. Wes was, among other things, a very conservative pilot. He inculcated in me a healthy respect for not flying single-engine airplanes at night nor in instrument conditions. He was also a vintage airplane enthusiast, who taught me to fly in a J-3 Cub and owned a Fleet Model 2 and a Waco RNF. If I can attribute any person who awakened the love and pas-

Author with Stella, which he purchased on a first lieutenant’s salary.

ANTONIO GEMMA MORE

sion for vintage aircraft in me, it would be Wes. I was not going to risk being turned down by Wes, so I drove east across the mountains to Lynchburg, where I managed to convince a flight school operator that I was an experienced pilot and would like to rent his airplane, a Piper Tri-Pacer, for the flight to Louisville. I don’t think I fooled him on the “experienced pilot” issue, but he must have needed the money, as he agreed to my proposal. I had barely even seen a Tri-Pacer, yet after a fairly brief checkout, I was pronounced a qualified pilot of one, and could continue my great plans for the long cross-country to Louisville and the grand adventure. Never once did I hide behind a glimmer of uncertainty that I would be able to sat-

isfactorily make the trip; after all, I was a private pilot, empowered by the FAA to conduct such flights. For some reason, inexplicable to me now, I decided to position the airplane to Roanoke to begin the trip. Perhaps it was a “range” issue. I can’t recall. I had to “hide” the airplane at another hangar across the field from Wes’ to avoid him finding out about it and proclaiming that it was a less than wonderful idea. The day of the trip arrived, and we all piled in a car belonging to one of the law students and went to Roanoke. We got off to a very late start, which made arrival in Louisville the same afternoon somewhat optimistic. However, hope springs eternal in the heart of man, or something to that effect. Four big guys and baggage all piled into the cramped cabin of a Tri-Pacer. With

all of the feigned nonchalance that I could muster, hoping to emulate a seasoned airline captain, although I was not sure—at that point in my life—what that was supposed to be, we departed for someplace west: hopefully, but not realistically, Louisville, Kentucky. It was a relatively hot day, and the little airplane simply did not perform very well with four big guys in it. The mountains of West Virginia loomed ominous, and as we crossed them, I felt that some giant hand was going to reach out and grab the airplane, pulling it down into a forest of trees, never to be seen again. None of that happened of course, and the three law students were chatting about how pretty the mountains looked and the fact that they were going to the Kentucky Derby in a private airplane, while www.vintageaircraft.org

I had never seen a Stearman “up close and personal” and was totally mesmerized. I quite simply thought that it was the most beautiful airplane I had ever seen. I was inwardly stressed out about how far we could go into the rapidly setting sun before I ran out of ideas. Suddenly I seized upon a friendly looking green and white airport beacon and what appeared to be a reasonably long runway. Without knowing quite what it was, I settled into an approach to Wise, Virginia. I made some sort of excuse about why I did not like to fly at night over the mountains, and the passengers thought it was relatively credible. I thought that then, and I do today. Wise was a not very large town, almost to West Virginia. When I landed there were two teenaged couples at the airport, most probably there to pursue amorous ad20

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ventures, which were summarily interrupted by the arrival of the Tri-Pacer. Nonetheless, these teenagers were extremely interested in the airplane, and they were characterized by southern hospitality. One young man, whose father happened to be the president of a local bank, took all of us in for the night and provided us with supper, a nice bedroom in his house, and a sumptuous breakfast the next morning. Our new friends and their parents deposited us at the airport the next morning in order to continue our trip to Louisville and the Derby. It was one relatively long leg to Bowman Field in Louisville, but we arrived in the late morning. As soon as I had arranged for the air-

plane to be tied down for the next two days, I saw a Stearman on the ramp, being prepared for flight. I had never seen a Stearman “up close and personal” and was totally mesmerized. I quite simply thought that it was the most beautiful airplane I had ever seen. Still do, for that matter. Right there, on the spot, I knew that my life would be incomplete and unfulfilled unless I owned a Stearman. The Kentucky Derby was quite the experience, especially for a young college senior. The family of one of my “patrons” was sufficiently well connected that they had a covered box right next to a similar one occupied by the governor of Kentucky. It was a weekend filled with

excitement in many areas. We all returned to school in the Tri-Pacer the following day, and the trip was pretty much a nonevent, as such trips are supposed to be. My life was, however, changed irrevocably. I had to own a Stearman. Fast-forward to college graduation and my subsequent career as an Army officer. I became extremely focused on two things; I wanted to become a pilot for Delta Air Lines, and I wanted to own a Stearman. I felt pretty confident that I could accomplish both goals, and worked very hard to make that happen. Obviously, I could not become an airline pilot until I had completed my time in the Army, but the Stearman goal was perhaps able to be accomplished more quickly. I was a second lieutenant, making the lofty sum of $222.38 per month. I was realistic enough to know that I would not be able to purchase an airplane on that salary. However, some 18 months into active service, I was promoted to first lieutenant and received a $150 per month pay raise. I felt pretty certain that I could swing an airplane payment on that much money, and began to shop for a Stearman in earnest. I was literally obsessed with owning a Stearman. Consequently, I studied Trade-A-Plane with great gravity for those airplanes within my budget , which was pretty skimpy. The other proviso was that they had to be more or less east of the Mississippi. I found several potential candidates and went to look at them. Finally, I found Stella (my wife names cars and airplanes) in Greenville, South Carolina. She was on loan to the Civil Air Patrol, but seemingly on the books of the War Asset Administration Board. She was flying, but showed signs of neglect. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think that she was a very good search airplane for the CAP, and not a lot of people had

New paint scheme circa 1965.

feet sufficiently adroit to handle her on the ground; consequently, she was not flown very much. I went around the pattern a couple of times with a man named W.G. Raines, and I was convinced that I had to have this airplane. For the lofty sum of $3,250, their asking price, I subsequently became the proud owner of a Stearman. Apropos of not very much, I was and am the only civilian owner of N1714M. Over the years she has been quite the blessing for me. There were times when I felt as though I needed to sell the airplane to raise money for college tuition for my kids, and a plethora of other things, but reason and common sense prevailed, and I still have her. All of the kids were educated, and I never had to sell the airplane. There is nothing like a little Stearman therapy if all of the problems of the world appear to be pressing in on me. She is

a joy to fly, and deceptively easy to fly, save for the moments after the landing from touchdown until one gets her back under control again. Sometimes, in the winter when it is too cold to fly, a friend of mine who does most of my mechanical work, Harold Spivey, and I are content to sit in the hangar and just look at her. After lo these many years, her beauty of line has not diminished. I have met some wonderful friends through Stearman ownership, and in my retirement from airline and corporate flying, the Stearman still provides me with adequate challenge and satisfaction to keep my flying interest satisfied. I have been extremely fortunate to have owned this magnificent airplane for 50 years. My lasting concern is finding an appropriate caretaker to succeed me in this endeavor who is as passionate about the airplane as I am. I am not interviewing people yet. www.vintageaircraft.org

The Illusive Affordable Antique Airplane So you want to buy an airplane . . . by Budd Davisson The question at hand is, “How can you get into antique aircraft at an affordable level?” Unfortunately, as with most questions, this one leads to other questions. In this case, two: “How do you define ‘antique’?” and “What’s the definition of ‘affordable’?” Let’s get the word game out of the way first and then get into specifics of aircraft types, money, and common sense.

The Definitions Versus Reality: Antique and Affordable

There are actually two definitions of “antique”: the official, EAA version, and an unintentional, personal definition. According to the EAA, the definition of “Antique” is an aircraft built on or before August 31, 1945. “Classic” is an airplane produced between September 1945 and 1955. The definition of “affordable,” regardless of what the dictionary says, is relative to the person asking the question; what is affordable to one person is laughably unaffordable to another. The size of a dollar is invariably measured by how many you have to begin with. There is good news, however, hidden in the official definition of “Antique”: any airplane built before 1945 is designated an Antique, and that covers literally dozens and dozens of different types of airplanes from large to tiny, from wildly ex-

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pensive to absolutely affordable. Regardless of how you define the word there’s an antique that will fit your checkbook, Travel Air to T-Craft.

The Personal Perception of “Antique”

There’s something else that should be considered in this discussion, and that’s the personal perception of “antique,” as opposed to the official definition. To many, an antique-anything, airplane and otherwise, is something that was built before they were born. If they weren’t around, it’s ancient history, and to them, that makes it an antique, of sorts. That’s a pervasive thought pattern that applies to airplanes, cars, boats, and everything in between. A positive aspect to that way of thinking is that there are literally thousands of airplanes that, while not being exactly “antique,” still scratch the antique itch. Better yet, some of the airplanes in that category are actually practical airplanes…if there is such a thing (sorry, just being honest). Case in point: To a lot of generations, a 1950 Ford Tudor is an interesting old car, but not a true antique. To others, it is so far out of their frame of reference that they mentally group it in with Model T’s. Same thing with airplanes. Depending on your generation and point of reference, a 1950 Globe/Temco Swift would be seen as a personally

defined “antique” and is lumped in with Staggerwings, Spartans, and Travel Airs. Or, if you’re sporting a little gray hair, it may be just an interesting (and wildly practical) old airplane. To later generations, regardless of official definitions, the Classic airplanes are Antiques. It may be heresy to say so, but antique is in the eye of the beholder. Bottom line: It doesn’t have to have two moss-covered wings for it to scratch the itch to own an antique.

How Complicated Do You Want to Get?

Lumping Classic and “real” Antiques together and looking at the wide variation of sizes and types, it has to be recognized that in some airplanes “big” doesn’t necessarily mean complicated (Stearman) and “small” doesn’t necessarily mean simple (Swift). However, when we’re talking about bigger antiques, like a Stinson Reliant, for example, although it’s a bone-simple engine, wings, and fuselage airplane, it still has its complexities in its flap system, for instance, and, of course, its big, round engine. And, its sheer size means everything, from the size of the hangar, to how you move it around, to buying tires is going to be bigger. It’s not that it’s so complicated; it’s just that there is so much of it. Still, nothing but BIG is going to give the limousine feel of a Stinson Reliant, Waco cabin, Stagger-

wing, etc. So, if that’s what a pilot is looking for, that’s the only place he’s going to get it. Although prices of the “big” antiques have come down a little in recent years, you’re still looking at much more expensive, more complicated-to-own airplanes than the smaller ones. Size does matter. At the other end of the complicity scale is the not-so-lowly J-3 Cub and all its low-powered brethren. Here everything about the airplane is much smaller, much simpler and, obviously, much less expensive. Still, if you’re talking about the group of Classics (some of which were produced prior to WWII, so they are technically Antiques) that exploded in 1946-1949, there is a massive difference in the price range within their own ranks. The Cub reigns supreme, the C-120/140 just behind it, and the Luscombes (the best bang for the Classics buck) down around the bottom with the Aeronca Chief. The range can run from $15k to $40k-plus for all of these not-quite antiques so there’s something for everyone’s pocketbook and taste.

How Practical Do You Want to Be?

Here again, the concept of “practical” has to be defined because it’ll mean something different to everyone. However, many would agree that an airplane is practical when it is something you can take crosscountry and 1) not spend all day doing it and 2) not constantly worry about the airplane on the way. Plus, these airplanes are, in many cases, okay if tied down outside while on the trip. However, equally as many folks who are infected with the antique bug would claim that their definition of “practical” is being able to pull the airplane out to spend a half-hour at sunset sampling what Mother Nature has to offer. Then it is pushed back inside having burned almost no gas and

having gone absolutely nowhere. Some of the “sorta Antiques” like the Cessna 120/140 are all metal and as practical as the newest C-152 available. This, of course, is why they are more expensive than most of the other aircraft from the same postwar period. Plus they’re cruising at 110-115 mph on 5 gallons of fuel an hour. Further, everything about the postwar Classics almost always includes a powerplant that is as reliable as anything being built today. These are airplanes that can be flown with a minimum of tinkering. They usually take no more care than any modern airplane. That can’t be said about the bigger, older airplanes.

The size of a dollar is invariably measured by how many you have to begin with. Project or Flying?

Antique airplanes, to include the Classics, include many that make perfect garage projects. A C-3 Aeronca, Taylorcraft, Cub, C-120, or Luscombe, among others, definitely fall into that category. Airplanes like Staggerwings, Reliants, Travel Airs, Wacos, and many others won’t even fit in most garages, much less allow themselves to be comfortably restored in that area. Plus, most of the bigger airplanes require many times the amount of work to get back in the air than the smaller aircraft. That’s why, every time you see something like a Staggerwing that was actually restored by the owner, rather than a hired gun, we should all shake his hand and congratulate him for accomplishing the seemingly impossible. Buying a project airplane from the 1930s, almost regardless of

whether it’s big or small, requires the would-be restorer to carefully evaluate himself in many areas before pulling the trigger. These include but are not limited to: • He needs an insane ability to stick to a project. • A sizable shop that’s wellequipped makes success more likely, but is not totally necessary. Garages have built a lot of airplanes, big and little. • A lifestyle that gives him lots and lots of free time is a huge help. •It is absolutely necessary that he have a family that is behind the project, or at least he isn’t stealing time from them, or he may lose both in the divorce. •He needs the talent or, more important, the willingness to learn, to work with a lot of different materials: steel, wood, aluminum, fabric. • If it is to be hired out, deep pockets are required along with such an overwhelming desire to own an airplane that it blinds the owner to financial common sense. Both are serious necessities because virtually every project done by a professional will cost far more than estimated. Often it will cost more than the airplane is worth. • The builder/owner must have a huge amount of patience to help him ignore the length of time the project takes.

Addressing Affordability: Pick Your Price Bracket

As we’ve said, there is an “antique” airplane out there that fits almost any price bracket, $15,000 to the moon. We’re basing the prices below on those airplanes that are in at least average flying condition, needing no major work, but you’ll still find examples on either side of the price range. Where they fall in the price range is invariably driven by their condition. We’ve also arbitrarily defined “affordable” as below $100,000. www.vintageaircraft.org

Z BONNIE KRAT

MIKE STEI NEK

BONNIE KRATZ

$15,000 - $30,000 Lots and lots of airplanes fall in the under $30k range, including most of the Classics, but there will be some totally restored ones well more than that price bracket. Some of the aircraft included are: •Aeronca Champs, Chiefs, and L-3s •65-hp J-3 Cubs •Cessna 120/140s •Piper Tri-Pacer, Pacer, Clipper, most short-wings •Ercoupes •Taylorcraft •Luscombe, 8A, 8E •All of the lesser-known postwar Classics (Commonwealth, Porterfield, Interstate, etc.) •Funk •Culvers •10A Stinson •Mooney Mite

MIKE STEINEKE

BONNIE KRATZ

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PHIL HIGH

$30,000 - $50,000 Higher-end, restored versions of those listed above: •Piper Cubs and many of the long-wing models •Globe/Temco Swift •Triple Tail Bellanca, Cruisair/Cruisemaster, etc. •Stinson 108 series

JIM KOEPNICK

BONNIE KRATZ

PHIL

www.vintageaircraft.org

HIGH

JIM KOEPNI CK

E PN JIM KO

ICK

$50,000 - $100,000

MIKE STEINEKE

•Stearman •Fairchild 24 •Cessna 195 •Bücker Jungmann •de Havilland Tiger Moth •Ryan PT-22 •Fairchild PT series •Wacos (some, not all) •Seabee BONNIE KRATZ

JIM KOEPNICK

E PN JIM KO

MIKE STEINEKE

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ICK

Guidelines for Buying Antique/Vintage Airplanes

Here are a few quick and dirty guidelines that might be worth following when getting into the antique/vintage airplane game.

Define your mission

Know ahead of time what it is you expect of the airplane. Will you expect it to do some regular crosscountry work, just go to fly-ins, or what? And will the family be involved?

Analyze your mechanical capabilities

How much of the tinkering on the airplane can you do yourself, and how much will have to be paid for? The older, actual Antiques, as opposed to Classics, will need more TLC, and depending on the type, a normal mechanic may not be able to help you. Also, a true Antique will need more care than a Classic.

Analyze your patience quotient

As much as we love old airplanes, they are “old” so you have to expect problems from time to time. Will that bother you?

Analyze your financial capabilities

When it comes to finances, any airplane can on occasion surprise you. The older ones even more so, so make sure you are financially capable of handling those surprises without damaging the family’s situation.

Buy one notch below what you can afford

There’s a universal tendency in airplanes, boats and cars, and other toys to buy more than we can afford. We almost always regret it later. We’ll enjoy the old airplane more if we know it’s well within our ability to financially cope with it.

Buy the best one money can buy

Don’t look for super deals. Look for super airplanes and reasonable deals. A less-than-top-drawer airplane, even if it is low priced, will always be more expensive in the long run.

Univair Has Kept Classic Aircraft Flying Since 1946

Univair has a huge selection of parts and supplies for many classic and vintage aircraft, including Aeronca, Bellanca, Champion, Citabria, Decathlon, Scout, Cessna 120-140, Ercoupe, Luscombe, Piper J-3 through PA-22 and PA-25, Stinson, and Taylorcraft. We also carry hundreds of fine distributor items including Concorde batteries, AirMaze filters, Randolph and Poly-Fiber finishes, Ceconite covering supplies, Whelen lights, Scott tailwheels, Specialty Tires, plus wheels and brakes from Cleveland, Goodrich, and Goodyear. Call us today!

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ALL MERCHANDISE IS SOLD F.O.B., AURORA, CO • PRICE AND AVAILABILITY SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE • 12-29-14

Tailwheel Scholarship Offered to EAA Vintage Members Sarah Wilson is offering a tailwheel training scholarship of up to $2,000 in 2015, awarded on the basis of creativity. “Don’t tell me why you deserve the scholarship, show me why,” emphasizes Sarah. “Draw a picture, paint a painting, make a video, build a sculpture, present a performance piece, write a song, create a photo diary, or write a story. Any form of creative expression is accepted. The scholarship will be awarded to the most creative, out-of-the box, totally original, crazywacky-wild-fun submission.” Award will be paid directly to the certified tailwheel flight instructor/flight school of your choice. (Pending verification and credentials.) Application period January 1 through May 1, 2015. Awarded after May 15, 2015. Eligibility: U.S. certificated pilots under the age of 29. Submissions by e-mail only to sarah@sarahwilsonpilot.com. “Write a brief e-mail telling me about yourself, your piece of creative expression, and why you want to fly tailwheel airplanes,” adds Sarah. “Photographs of artwork in JPG or PDF less than 6 MB please. Dropbox, YouTube, Vimeo, and links are all great, too.”

Creativity is one of the most precious commodities in the world. It will sustain you far beyond money, and it deserves to be rewarded.—Sarah www.vintageaircraft.org

If a project, assume your cost estimates are 50-100 percent off

There is no way to accurately estimate the cost of finishing a project. Sometimes, you can’t even come close. Go into it knowing that so you’re not surprised, and you’ll have less heartburn in the long run.

The fewer that were built, the more difficult the maintenance

O wning a seldom- seen airplane is lots of fun and satisfies the soul, but the unseen aspect of it is how hard it is to find the right parts when they’re needed. These are all certified airplanes, regardless of their age, so you can’t legally fudge a part, even if it is an upgrade and makes total sense. There’s something to be said for staying closer to mainstream aircraft.

Aircraft built after 1940 (or so) approach being “normal”

Just be fore WWII, the airframe and engine designers took some giant leaps forward, and the practices and designs of the 1920s were left behind. The results were, among other things, engines like the A-65 that, although antique in age, are more or less modern day in terms of reliability and function. Also, airframe design closed in on being “modern.”

The more unusual the engine, the more headaches

Some eng ines are naturally harder to support, if nothing else because of parts. An R-985 is easier to support than a Lycoming R-680, which is easier to support than a Warner, and everything is easier to support (and less worrisome) than a Velie.

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The older the design, the less “normal” the flight characteristics

Modern aircraft control design has made us all lazy. As we go back in time, even to the early ’50s we find airplanes like Champs and their ilk have much more adverse yaw. Got back into the ’30s and aircraft are generally more sluggish. Into the ’20s and they can be downright leisurely and less capable in crosswinds, etc. All that means is we have to know when and how to use our feet while transforming ourselves from being mere pilots to being real aviators.

Get training that matches the airplane

All older airplanes are significantly different than modern airplanes, and transition training that’s aimed at that particular airplane is important. Especially for the older, bigger ones.

Factor in a hangar cost: antiques hate the outdoors

Part of the cost planning has to include a hangar. Antique/Classic airplanes really don’t like the outdoors, and many of their airframes simply can’t cope with outdoor storage. That’s why so many of them need so much restoration. Ma Nature has already had her way with them.

“Restored”: There are many definitions, so be suspicious

Don’t assume that a restored air plane was rebuilt from the ground up. This is especially true if it’s an older “restoration” because many used to consider a simple recovering job to be a restoration. Do a detailed inspection of the entire airframe, inside and out.

Type clubs have invaluable info: Use it

Most common aircraft in these categories have type clubs

that can easily tell a buyer what kinds of problem areas need to be inspected.

Pre-buy inspection done by an A&P who knows the airplane

Antique and Classics airplanes are different enough that a “normal” mechanic won’t be able to do an adequate inspection. Find one who is recommended by a type club or is otherwise super familiar with the type.

Pristine logbooks are a plus

Excellent logbooks say a lot about the owner’s attitude toward maintenance.

Low time means nothing if the airplane has been sitting

Nothing kills an airplane like sitting for long periods of time. Especially the engine. If it hasn’t flown regularly in the recent past (six months is the maximum), there is no easily done inspection that can give an accurate assessment of the engine’s true condition.

In Summary

Almost no matter where you fit in the economic food chain, you can not only get into vintage aircraft, but some of them, specifically the Classics and the later, smaller Antiques , are hands down the least expensive way to get into aviation. Also, one of the nice things about purchasing a good Champ, Cub, T-Craft, whatever is that there is always a ready market for them. So, when you decide to sell them, you can easily get out of them what you paid. There is almost never depreciation involved as long as you get a good one. So, figure out what you want to spend and what your mission is. Then start shopping. You’ll never regret it.

It’s Not Rocket Science “I knew I wanted to be a rocket scientist from the moment I watched John Glenn pilot the “Friendship 7” spacecraft on the first manned orbital mission of the United States, back in 1962. 14 years later I did realize my dream of becoming a rocket scientist and in 1978, a member of EAA. I’ve owned many Ford vehicles throughout the years, but none that provides as much fun as my 2014 Mustang. I took delivery last month at Grapevine Ford, in Grapevine, Texas. The people there were fantastic and the process was great. They installed the stripe with my “moniker” on the car. I love my new Mustang and apparently so does everyone else. I’ve received hundreds of comments and thumbs up from total strangers. It’s incredible! I’ve learned that it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to take advantage of the EAA – Ford Partner Recognition Program!” Craig W. EAA #165239

The Moss

Q.E.D. II

Re-creating an icon requires an icon to accomplish the mission by Budd Davisson 30

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JAMES POLIVKA

hen talking about Jim Moss’ re-creation of the 1934 Gee Bee Q.E.D. racer, it’s difficult to know where to begin. This is because the story has so many layers and subplots. First there is the Gee Bee Q.E.D., which wasn’t technically a Gee Bee. Then there is the late Jim Moss, the builder and an iconic figure in his own right. The concept of the re-creation needs some explanation, including a chapter or two on the team that gathered around Moss to make it possible and their commitment to the p ro j e c t a f t e r M o s s was taken ill. And then there is the fantastic result of that commitment, the Q.E.D. II itself. This is not a simple tale. Nor is it a simple airplane.

ies and risk-takers who practiced their trade at treetop level while screaming around pylons or flashing cross-country and across the globe setting higher and higher speed and distance records. It was the much-heralded golden age of air racing, and the Granville brothers (hence, Gee Bee) were right in the middle of it with their distinctive designs. The brothers’ aircraft were, for the most part, the embodiment of the engineering dictum that says that performance is the direct result of attaching the smallest airplane possible to the biggest engine available.

Don DeLackner to form a separate company that, among other things, was going to design and build a high-speed, eight-place aircraft, the C-8 Eightster. However, seemingly as a warm-up act, they designed a two-place, cross-country speedster designated R-6H. The R-6 was specifically designed for the MacRobertson trophy race, an intercontinental race event. I believe the team realized that only building race planes was not a sustainable business and they needed to show they could provide aircraft to the newly emerging military long range and commercial crosscountry markets. What better way than to demonstrate intercontinental capability. The $10,000 purse may have also had something to do with its being built. When it ended up in Rumania Q.E.D.: A Crossduring the MacRobCountry Runner ertson race they actuThe 1930s was a fanally demonstrated it tastic period for aviato the Rumanian Govt tion, which absolutely in hopes of securing should not have been military orders. When the case. The country Granny was killed in was in the grips of a Jim Moss and Ron Robertson at the early stages of the fuselage. 1934, the C-8 was formind-numbing depression, plus a The Granvilles and their Gee Bees gotten, but the R-6H, now known history-making drought had deci- were a going concern for only five as the Q.E.D., took flight. mated most of the central part of years: 1929-1934. Yet during that It’s interesting to note that the nation. The Depression flat- time they designed and flew 13 most Gee Bee designs went from tened the finances and souls of different designs. Their designs drawing board to flying in six to people in every walk of life. That ranged from the fire-breathing eight months. having been said, it is counterin- R-1/R-2, whose rotund, fiercesome Being a two-place airplane, ostuitive that so many legendary shapes are those that usually come tensibly the Q.E.D. could be aimed aviation marques would spring to to mind when the word Gee Bee is at the rapidly expanding sport pilife during the period including uttered, to more “normal” designs lot market. Even though thouCessna, Beechcraft, Piper, Travel including their single- and two- sands of fortunes had disappeared Air, Waco, and so many others. place Sportster series. However, in the Depression, there was still There has never been a decade that one model they didn’t design and an active, financially stable market saw so much aerial progress that build is the Q.E.D. This confuses at the top of the pilot food chain, wasn’t sponsored by a war. the issue. many of whom delighted in indiA good par t of that progIn 1933, Zantford “Granny ” vidualistic machines. What better ress stood on the shoulders of a Granville got together with en- way to demonstrate an airplane’s tiny group of aviation visionar- gineers Howell “Pete” Miller and cross-country capability than enwww.vintageaircraft.org

AEROCAPTURE IMAGES—LYLE JANSMA

The original Q.E.D. as El Conquistador del Cielo (The Conqueror of the Skies). HOWARD LEVY

GORDON WILLIAMS

tering it in long-distance races? Ultimately, the design was named Q.E.D., Quod Erat Demonstrandum (literally, “that which was to be demonstrated”), the abbreviation that closes out every geometric/ mathematic postulate/theorem and indicates that the question that has been asked, has been answered. It was the Granville, Miller, DeLackner (GMD) team’s way of saying that they had just come up with the final solution for cross-country flying. The GMD solution to high-speed crosscountry running was simple: build a cleaner airplane than most of the competition that featured a glass canopy for two, a 650-hp Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet engine, and lots and lots of gas (would you believe 480 gallons!). Of course, everyone who had even the slightest interest in racing knew the airplane embodied all the ingredients to make it a potential contender in whatever cross-country, trans-global race it entered. Whether it would be a winner no one knew, and they would never find out. Although the airplane was entered in numerous races, it was dogged by mechanical bad luck and never finished even one. Like all racers of the day, it was rushed into service as soon as it was airworthy with little or no long-term testing, and the inevitable gremlins forced it out of every race in

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Left, Top: Gee Bee Super Sportster Hornet, 1935 Middle: Gee Bee R-2 w/R-985 Super Sportster Bottom: Gee Bee Super Sportster w/R-1340, 1932

Senior Sportster

which it was entered. Engine problems here, cowling problems there: relatively small items always cut its race and record attempts short. As originally presented to the public, the airplane was painted green, the colors of its prime sponsor. It changed hands several times and ended its career painted an all-over cream color with limited striping. It never received the soidentifiable Gee Bee red-scallopson-white scheme. In 1939 the airplane was sold to Francisco Sarabia, a competition pilot who was well-known in his native Mexico. He renamed the airplane El Conquistador del Cielo (The Conqueror of the Skies) and almost immediately set a Mexico City to New York long-distance record of 10 hours, 48 minutes, which broke Amelia Earhart’s record for the same distance by nearly four hours. This put his name on the U.S. map, and his star was on the rise. Unfortunately, he was stopped by another bad luck gremlin. Taking off out of Bolling Field near Washington, D.C., the engine quit; he went into the Potomac, was knocked out by the impact, and drowned before rescuers could get to him. The Gee Bee curse had struck again! This time a rag carelessly left in the cowling was sucked into the carburetor. The airplane and its pilots had been continually dogged by the winds of fate, which was pretty much true

of almost the entire design repertoire of Granny Granville. In fact, he was killed delivering a Sportster E to a customer. The El Conquistador del Cielo aka Q.E.D. wasn’t badly damaged so it was recovered from the river, eventually restored, and today rests in a museum dedicated to Sarabia in Ciudad Lerdo, Mexico, about 500 miles north of Mexico City. The final chapter in the Gee Bee story had been closed. Or had it?

Gee Bees 2.0 and Jim Moss Although the exact number is unknown, there may have been more Gee Bees built in the last 30 years than existed in the first place (an estimated 24). Builders like the late Bill Turner, Steve Wolf, Delmar Benjamin, and many others have re-created virtually every model of Gee Bee including the Model Z, the Sportster series, and even the beer barrel R-1. And now, courtesy of the late Jim Moss and the energetic crew he drew to the project, the Q.E.D. is back amongst us. A few words about Jim Moss, although a few words won’t actually do the man justice. A product of USN/USMC flight training, he campaigned Skyraiders before finishing his tour in the military. Then he went to college and into the charter flying business. It didn’t take long, however, before various incidents, e.g., a Bonanza carry-

ing a load of passengers and even more ice, convinced him that flying for the airlines would not only guarantee more remuneration but would probably give him a longer life span. He retired from the airlines in the ’90s having flown most of the latest wide bodies, with the 747 being his last mount. For nearly two decades in the 1960s Jim was a feature at West Coast air shows performing in his Ryan STA and later a Great Lakes. However, when the airline gave him the choice of continuing to fly for the airlines or doing air shows, he hung up his air show spurs. That, however, didn’t put a dent in his never-ending love affair with sport aviation. It could be said with some accuracy that as soon as Jim was out of the airlines, he went into sport aviation nearly full time. He chose a route that would allow him to indulge his passion for historical aviation and combined it with his highly developed artistic skills: he began restoring, then re-creating historic aircraft, most with a liberal amount of “Moss factor”: a subtle way of applying his own ideas of how he would have built the aircraft had he been part of the original design team in the ’30s. Among Jim’s major projects was his first, a thoroughly individualistic clipped-wing Taylorcraft. Then came a string of biplanes that included the MG-2, a 1938 homebuilt biplane that not only won Antique Custom Built gold at Oshkosh but also walked away with the heart of just about everyone who laid eyes on it. Jim put his own touch on the restoration, which resulted in the cutest biplane most had ever seen. “Cute” is an adjective never applied to his accurate re-creation of the Laird Super Solution racer of 1931. “Brutal” maybe, but not “cute.” His re-invention of the www.vintageaircraft.org

A plywood dummy was made to determine where the systems went.

The plans Moss found didn’t include anything other than the basic structure.

Great Lakes Biplane included a fire-breathing Vedeneyev M-14 radial engine and acres of carefully formed aluminum and fiberglass fairings that visually transformed the usually frumpy biplane into a 1930s era speedster. Then came Q.E.D. The Gee Bee that wasn’t a Gee Bee. This would be the airplane that would become his life’s passion and that of many others who were drawn to the project.

The Moss Q.E.D. Vision Although Jim had convinced (but not really) his partner and wife, Judy, that the Q.E.D. wouldn’t take much more time or be much more complex than the Great Lakes, both of them knew better. He was embarking on a nearly quixotic effort at recapturing an 36

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airplane that was bigger than life both figuratively and literally. But first he needed information. Jim spent two years researching every aspect of the airplane, which included discovering a set of basic plans for the airplane at the University of Texas. It is often overlooked that many racing airplanes of the period were certified by the CAA, which included CAA engineers making suggestions for changes. So, often plans were submitted to the government, and some still exist. Although the “chalked out on the hangar floor” engineering approach applied to some racers, the Gee Bees were the product of engineers and designers working together to satisfy government-established standards. The plans, however, only cov-

ered the basic structure and didn’t address any of the systems or cosmetics. This left a huge amount to Jim’s ample imagination. But, he was up to the task. From the beginning, Jim’s imagination and desire to create something that reflected the period, but not necessarily the historical detail, was part of the building/design equation. As Judy put it, “He liked history, but he wasn’t a history fanatic. It was the beauty of the era that attracted him.” The purely mechanical aspects that he didn’t know about the airplane along with things that couldn’t be practically duplicated drove much of his design work. The engine was one of the biggest factors. The 650-hp Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet of the original simply wasn’t possible, or practical, to use. Very few were produced and only a small handful of airplanes used them. The net result is that only a very small handful are still running, and even fewer are available. Also, it was a fairly large diameter, single-row engine. Fortunately, however, the readily available Wright R-1820 is almost exactly the same diameter although heavier. However, the versions most available are 1,200 and 1,425 hp, and Jim wound up with the latter. That dictated a threeblade rather than a two-blade prop, as on the original. However, all that meant was that the pilots of Q.E.D. II would have to limit the throttle movement. Too much horsepower is seldom a problem. The extra weight, however, was a problem. Jim solved that by cutting the fuel load in half leaving “only” 240 gallons! Flight tests revealed a CG problem, and the fuel capacity was further reduced to 180 gallons, which gives three hours of cruise with one hour of reserve. Based on some of his research

For safety reasons, they have limited the aircraft to 200 knots even though it is obviously much faster. AEROCAPTURE IMAGES—LYLE JANSMA

Flying an Iconic Monster Initial test flights were done by Carter Teeter, a wildly experienced warbird pilot. The first flight was done at Olympia Regional Airport, which had longer, wider runways than the 2,600-foot grass one where Moss lived and had his hangar. First flight was September 26, 2013, and the only major concern was a noticeable rocking of the wings on rollout. It turned out that was caused by the massive ailerons being disturbed by bumps. When hitting a bump, an aileron would drop, and it picked up a wing causing an uncomfortable rocking motion. Rich Alldredge climbed (literally) into the cockpit for his first flight in the spring of 2014 and has this to say about it: “Taxiing the airplane in the wind is almost as much work as flying it because, even though the tail wheel is steerable and it taxis like a big Stearman, the big tail and side area make it want to weathervane in even the slightest crosswind. “On takeoff you have to remember how much power you have so the rudder trim is dialed hard against the right peg and your right foot is connected solidly to your left hand. The power comes in slowly, and the tail is lifted as soon as practical to get the rudder up into the wind. All the while your foot is working its way to the floor at the same rate the throttle is moved. However, the instant your right foot hits the floor, and it will hit the floor, your

right hand has to stop moving. Add even a little more power and you can’t control the nose. “Takeoff happens at about 85 knots, and it has to be pulled off the ground with a healthy pull. Then your foot starts for the floor again to control a significant amount of P-factor. The good news during the takeoff is that, once the tail is up, visibility is not too bad. “At altitude the controls are all quite solid and comfortable, but the airplane has neutral stability on all axes. So, you’re ALWAYS flying it. This isn’t particularly hard, but on long trips, like going to Oshkosh, it’s tiring. “We’re limiting the airplane to 200 knots because to our knowledge no one has ever done any flutter testing in it. The original was faster than that and had cruise speeds as high as 300 mph. With this engine, we’re certainly much faster yet. However, the airplane isn’t about speed. It’s about history, and we don’t want to get ourselves in trouble. “The stall is at about 75 knots with a solid twitch to the left, but it recovers easily. So, it’s nothing surprising. “I fly downwind at 110 knots, reducing it to 100 on base looking for 90-95 over the fence, keeping power in it all the while. With a wing loading of 30 pounds per square foot, I make a power-on wheel landing, and it’s normally not hard to control on the runway, but I avoid crosswinds as much as possible. “It’s an enjoyable airplane to fly, but you can’t relax for a minute. However, that’s part of the fun.”

Giving the Q.E.D.a New Home With Jim gone and the airplane finished, Judy doesn’t want it to be hidden away in their hangar. Rather, she would like to find a new home for the Big, Beautiful Beast, a place where its lineage and the incredible craftsmanship and vision of Jim and the crew who helped build it will be remembered and appreciated forever. Interested parties can contact Rich at his e-mail of Rich1eh@aol.com. www.vintageaircraft.org

Jim Moss wasn’t recreating the QED but, rather building a QED that was in the spirit of the times but incorporated some of his own ideas and items like the 3-blade prop, which the horsepower made a necessity. AEROCAPTURE IMAGES—LYLE JANSMA

about the airplane’s flying characteristics Jim also opted to widen the landing gear tread by 2 feet, which was accomplished by adding a foot to each side of the tubing center section. This allowed him to use the original wood/plywood-skinned wing panels, although he beefed

them up slightly, as per the CAA’s suggestions for the original airplane in 1934 (they restricted it to a VNE of 375 mph!). The wider wing root section also gave him more room to put the single oil cooler which is mounted in the forward, lower fuselage with the air intake coming

from the leading edge. The vertical fin and rudder were proportionally increased because of the great increase in horsepower. However, the lines were kept exactly the same as original, so the changes wouldn’t be likely to be noticed. And they aren’t.

The paint scheme is obviously Gee Bee but the QED never wore it. Jim, however, couldn’t see it painted any other way.

AEROCAPTURE IMAGES—LYLE JANSMA

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Time to Cut Metal: Call in the Crew His research finished, Jim pulled the trigger on Q.E.D. II in 2002. He was joined in his airplane craziness by an increasingly larger number of friends and neighbors who had been part of the crews that helped him on his earlier projects. The crew was so large and well-defined, and considered by Jim and Judy to be so critical to the project, that Jim had a plaque engraved and mounted on the finished fuselage listing 20 of those who were hands-on involved with the Q.E.D. II. The Gee Bee crew was a totally non-homogenous group. They came from next door, they came from across the state, and they ranged from their teens to their 90s. The only truly common thread that united them all was a passion for the project and a dedication to Jim’s vision. Rich Alldredge, EAA 699652/ VAA 722854, of Enumclaw, Washington, is an electrical engineer who now flies the airplane to exhibitions, and is typical of the Gee Bee crew. He says, “It was the airplane, to start with, that drew an individual in. It’s such a bold, beautiful machine! But, after you’d been

AEROCAPTURE IMAGES—LYLE JANSMA

The original airplane was super bare-bones and carried little equipment. This, considering its longrange capabilities, might have been shortsighted because flying with no heat or oxygen fatigues pilots. So, Jim installed a combustion heater and an oxygen system. Jim also modified the fuselage by replacing the forward fuselage fabric with easily removable metal panels to make maintenance easier. So, now sheet metal runs from the modified Grumman S-2 cowling all the way back to the rear of the cockpit with polished stainless steel panels around the exhaust stacks.

around Jim for a while, you began to realize that, wow…this is special! With his dedication, determination, and discipline, it was very easy to join in, especially considering that sometimes he insisted on it. Once you were onboard, Jim made sure that you knew something needed to be done or you would be holding things up. He made no bones about it.” Rich’s role in the airplane was easy to identify because, although supposedly a simple airplane (but big), it had its complexities. This included a multitude of servos running everything from cowl flaps to elevator trim. Judy, a talented artist, says, “Right from the beginning, Jim had a firm image of this airplane in his mind, and it would be white with the Gee Bee red scallops. The first thing he had me do was a Q.E.D. II decal for the tail. He knew it wasn’t historically correct but, for him, that design symbolized the complete vision of the entire airplane that he carried in his mind throughout the project.” Jim and his crew first had to tackle the many questions that the partial plans had left unanswered. Lots of the systems were not included, and the logical solution was to build a plywood mock-up that was full size, sit in it, and start imagining what went where. Then they started at one end and worked

to the other designing the systems necessary to fill in the blanks left in the drawings, as they went. Then it was on to steel tubing, wood, metal, fabric, and paint. When the bare airplane was up on its gear, the sheer immensity of the Q.E.D. became obvious. Even though Jim and the crew had studied the dimensions repeatedly, none of them had ever seen the actual airplane, so, it wasn’t until it was standing up that they realized how big the airplane actually was. The average woman could easily stand under the leading edge of the wing, and the average man couldn’t begin to reach up and touch the canopy rail. Just getting in without a ladder was going to be a problem. Judy says, “Jim spent hours sketching and designing entry steps. Finally, he adapted a retractable step from an A-7 Corsair II jet, along with more steps in the side of the fuselage. Getting into the front office of the Q.E.D. is more like ascending a climbing wall than entering a cockpit.”

The Best Laid Plans . . . After a decade of ferocious building activity, the airplane was more than 90 percent complete with a lot of finishing details to be attended to. Jim was pleased with the progress but was decidedly displeased with a diagnosis his doctor gave him. He was running a race with cancer, which took the energy out of his efforts, and with him no longer solidly at the helm, the project floundered. It had almost come to a halt with little light shining over the horizon. However, the strength of the Gee Bee crew showed through. Rich Alldredge remembers, “We were all just kind of standing around, not knowing what to do next, when Ron Robertson, our painter, realized that it couldn’t be left like this. So, he told Jim, ‘We’re going to finish this project, and www.vintageaircraft.org

A Note From Judy: Thanks to the Vintage Airplane Association

The 1425 hp Wright R-1820, which is about the same size as the original P&W R-1690 Hornet, has twice the power.

The wing span is several feet longer than original because the center section was widened to give a wider landing gear.

the only way you can keep that from happening is to change the locks on the hangar door.’ Ron gave a letter to Jim at Christmas that read, ‘We, the undersigned, are dedicated to seeing that this project gets completed.’ It was signed by at least a half-dozen of us.” Judy says, “It was the best gift he ever received. That letter came at just the right time. It picked up his spirits. He was engaged again and was back to eight, 10 hours a day in the hangar.” Jim got to see the airplane doing taxi tests. Judy says, “He was pretty ill, but we gave a party for the volunteers, and he had the opportunity to say thanks to the team. He got to see the fully completed Q.E.D. and Rich taxi it. He saw the tail wheel up. He was so excited that night. He was just ecstatic. Two weeks later, he died.” Jim died two weeks before Q.E.D. II made its first flight, but he has been able to experience the airplane in flight in his own way. There is a small leather bag attached to the compass in the rear cockpit. It contains the ashes of Jim Shafer Moss, aviator, builder, and a man who knew how to turn his dreams into reality.

Quod Erat Demonstrandum

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My late husband, Jim, left me with no instructions regarding future plans for the Q.E.D. However none were needed, as I realized what Jim would do if he were still alive. Jim and I had attended EAA AirVenture Oshkosh numerous times, and had taken three of Jim’s completed airplane projects (the MG-2, the Super Solution, and the Moss Great Lakes) to Oshkosh for judging. I knew that was what I needed to do with the Q.E.D., for Jim and for the Q.E.D. team who had helped with the completion of the airplane. Oshkosh 2014 was our goal. I immediately contacted Jim’s longtime and dedicated friend Charlie Harris for guidance. Over the years, Charlie had been such a huge source of inspiration, support, and encouragement to Jim, and that was just what I now needed. As I suspected, Charlie with his experience and gentle advice became my guiding star, and our goal to attend Oshkosh 2014 became a reality. Once at Oshkosh, Vintage Aircraft Association friends—Phil and Ruthie Coulson, Jerry and Linda Brown, and Ray and Judy Johnson— plus several others provided us a warm welcome, guidance, and support. The entire Q.E.D. team and I would like to extend our appreciation to these wonderful people and to the EAA for making Oshkosh 2014 such an amazing and memorable event.

The Dedicated Craftsmen Who Built the Jim Moss Q.E.D. Randy Albritton Kari Albritton Rich Alldredge Jim Bergman Bob Berkey Fritz Bright Ken Brynestad Jere Chellin Tom Fraser Frank Hoogkamer

Tom Jensen Dan Merritt Jim Moss Judy Moss Bill Moss Jeff Pratt Jameson Pratt Ron Robertson Lyle Sindlinger Floyd Stillwell

Orphan

Waco

The “Mohawk Airways” 1929 Waco by Sparky Barnes Sargent TYSON RININGER

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The “Mohawk Airways” 1929 Waco

Jim Clark knew there was an old, dusty red Waco cloistered in a hangar across the taxiway from his own hangar at Junction City Airport (3JC) in Kansas. But he never gave it much thought, until his phone rang one day in 2009. It was the owner, who had purchased the biplane in 1975. “Bobby said to me, ‘You have to buy my Waco.’ I told him I didn’t want it, since I was already working on other vintage aircraft restorations,” recalls Clark, adding with a chuckle, “but after some gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair, I found myself with another Waco.” He knew little about the biplane’s condition, except that, “At an airport open house day, Bobby pulled the airplane out to demonstrate the inertia

starter. They spun the inertia starter up, engaged the starter, and promptly bent a rod and cracked a jug because it was hydraulically locked. Bobby had the local mechanic put a new cylinder on it, and never started the airplane again.” Clark turned to Marvin Hornbostel at Raven Aero Service and asked him to perform a preliminary inspection. They cleaned off the dust, inspected the airframe, tested the fabric, and prepped the engine for starting. “The first engine start after 20 years was a smokin’ success,” says Clark. “After that, Marvin did an extensive inspection. He called me a couple of weeks later and said, ‘You’ve got an airplane you can fly!’ We had no idea that it would be a flyable airplane.”

www.vintageaircraft.org

Bit o’ History

An Advance Aircraft Company ad in the May 4, 1929, issue of Aviation touted the 1929 Waco ‘165’ Straight Wing model as having “sound design” that produced “brilliant performance, astonishing smoothness, excellent maneuverability, and exceptional climb.” Similar in appearance to the Waco 10, the new model BS-165 (BSO) was powered by a 165-hp Wright J6-5. Thirty-six were manufactured under ATC No. 168 by the company in Troy, Ohio. The biplane’s welded steel fuselage had wood fairing strips, and its tail surfaces were fabricated from welded steel tubing. The wings were constructed of spruce spars and ribs, and the upper and lower ailerons were connected via a pushpull strut. The horizontal stabilizer was adjustable in flight. Oleo gear struts cushioned landings, and Bendix mechanical brakes facilitated ground maneuvering. NC618N (S/N 3110) was converted from the 165-hp BSO model to an ASO model in January 1938 under ATC No. 41, with the installation of a Wright J-5 nine-cylinder engine. “After World War II,” says 44

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Clark, “a Navy surplus 225-hp Wright R-760-8 from an N3N was installed, and the model designation was changed to a CSO.”

Early Owners

Vic Rickard, w h o wa s re p o r tedly a World War I ace, became the first registered owner of NC618N on October 23, 1929. He sold the Waco just a month later to United Baking Company, and it sold it to Mohawk Airways of Albany, New York, in December 1930. The Waco was sold to Leslie Appleby of Syracuse, New York, in May 1931, and it changed hands numerous times through the years. “Everyone asks if Mohawk Air-

ways was the forerunner to Mohawk Airlines, and no, it was not,” says Clark, “but we do have information on this airplane that it was a ride-giver at Niagara Falls, and I would assume they were honeymooners. We came up with the logo by researching different styles, and just did our best effort to try to represent that time period.”

Rudder Bar and Brakes

C l a r k f l e w N C 6 1 8 N fo r 1 8 months prior to restoring it. He’s glad he did so, because he discovered that he didn’t want to restore the Waco with its original rudder bar and mechanical brakes. “The rudder ‘tiller’ bar was a straight bar which pivoted around a center point, similar to a steer-

TYSON RININGER

ing mechanism for an old go-kart or snow sled, and the cable-operated heel brake pedals extended aft from the rudder bar. You had to push on the brakes at the same time you were trying to steer with the rudder bar. On grass strips where you had resistance (and a tailskid) it was very functional, but it wasn’t at all with the old Maule tail wheel that was on the airplane when I got it,” explains Clark, adding with a laugh, “I was ‘snakedancing’ down the runway one day, and a friend was watching and asked if I realized my tail wheel was leaning from one side to the other. I had no idea it was doing that; it couldn’t handle the weight.” To address those issues, Raven Aero Service performed quite a bit

of engineering work. It removed the rudder bar and installed individual rudder pedals in both cockpits with interconnect cables, and installed pulleys and fair-leads in the fuselage to relocate the control cables from the center of the cockpit to the left and right sides of the fuselage. New floorboards complete with heel wells (for height clearance) were installed as well. Installing the Cleveland wheel and brake system posed the most difficult challenge, because the discs wouldn’t fit, and they couldn’t be modified since they were PMA parts. “Jon Hornbostel, a mechanical engineer with Raven Aero Service, prepared eight pages of CAD drawings for the brake system,” Clark recalls, elaborating, “we

bolted the discs to a 1/4-inch circular aluminum plate, which then bolted to the wheel. We could machine the inside of that plate to fit the areas where we needed relief for the wheel. Mods were made to the landing gear legs and axles as well.” Additionally, a new Scott 3200 tail wheel was installed that could e a sil y h andle the 270-p o und weight of the tail. “Now it’s just a delight to land and fly and taxi— problem solved! That was an easy one,” comments Jim, adding, “we have a very good FSDO in Wichita, and they know Marvin at Raven Aero well because they call him with their questions. He was National Aviation Maintenance Technician of the Year in 2012, and at 77 years old, is still hands-on on these projects. When he presents a Form 337, it’s all in order.”

Powerplant and Electrical System

NC618N still has the Navy surplus R-760-8 that was on the airplane when Clark bought it, and fortunately, he was able to locate a new front exhaust for it. “I called Steve Curry of Radial Engines Limited in Oklahoma,” says Clark, “and he had a new stainless steel front www.vintageaircraft.org

exhaust on a demo engine on h i s s h o w ro o m floor, which he sold to me. The original 165-hp engine had the front exhaust as well, so the Waco still retains its original appearance.” Clark removed the Eclipse handcranked inertia starter, since it always required a couple of folks to help him start the engine. “I decided I had to have an electric start, and that’s worked out pretty good,” he says. “We installed a complete electrical system with a Jasco alternator.” He also installed a Becker comm radio and transponder. Initially, he had some difficulties with radio interference, but those have been resolved by making some adjustments.

Instrument Panel

A new instrument panel was care-

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fully designed and fabricated, and most of the original instruments were retained, as well as the mag switch and period-authentic eightday clock. New engine gauges and a new vertical card compass were added, and in keeping with today’s

technology, a docking station was positioned in the center of the panel for a Garmin GPS 496 with XM weather. “We cover that docking station with an old ‘coffee grinder’ radio face when the airplane is on static display,” says Clark, “so that if you’re

Did You Know?

Weaver Aircraft Company was established in 1919 and produced Waco aircraft. The company was re-named Advance Aircraft Company in 1923, and changed its name to Waco Aircraft Company in 1929.

sitting here looking at it, you’ll see a 70-year old radio.”

Airframe

Since it was a flyable airplane when the restoration began, nearly all the original airframe and metal components were usable. The spars were still in good shape, and just a few ribs needed repair, a s we l l a s t h e w i n g - wa l k area , which had s uffere d glue fatigue. The Waco was covered with Ceconite 102, and the Superflite System VI urethane system was used. “I like working with Superflite because it is forgiving. You don’t paint it silver; you have a one-step white primer and then put the color on. With that white base, these Matador Red and Sandalwood colors really are crisp and beautiful,” shares Clark, adding with a chuckle, “I do recognize my own limitations, and I have a longtime friend and employee, Tim Dreher, who painted the airplane with a high volume, low pressure system in my body shop. Tim painted my Pacer that trophied here in 2006, and he also painted my Cabin Waco.”

Flying the Wright-Powered CSO

Clark is a commercial pilot with single engine and instrument ratings, and a private multi-engine land rating. He thoroughly enjoys flying antique/vintage air planes— despite the lack of creature comforts at times. He a n d h i s 1 6 - ye a r- o l d grandson, Brody Clark, made the f light to AirVenture in seven hours, averaging a 90 mph cruise. They encountered a good deal of wind and turbulence, and both admitted to being rather tired upon arrival. T he 1929 “Mohawk Airways” Waco gives its pilots a real workout on a bumpy day due to the heavy stick pressures. “Think of a baseball bat in cement that’s almost dry, and then try to stir it—that’s how the stick pressure feels!” laughs Clark, adding, “so all during the flight, you’re working it and working it, and sometimes you just need to relax for a bit. Brody holds a course better than I do!” Clark f light plans for 80 knots, and anticipated a 15 to 18 gph fuel burn—but on that count, he was pleasantly

1929 Waco BSO Three-place Open Land Biplane Manufactured Under ATC No. 168 Length 23 feet Height 9 feet Wingspan upper 30 feet 7 inches Wingspan lower 29 feet 3 inches Wing chord 62 feet 5 inches Stagger 10-1/2 inches Airfoil Aeromarine 2-A Gear tread 78 inches Weight empty 1,529 pounds Useful load 56 pounds Gross weight 2,600 pounds Powerplant 165-hp Wright J6-5 Fuel capacity 63 gallons Oil capacity 8 gallons Maximum speed 120 mph Cruise 100 mph Landing speed 44 mph Rate of climb 750 feet first minute Ceiling 14,000 feet Fuel burn 12 gph Price at factory $6,370 Specifications for the Waco CSO (ATC No. 240) are similar to those listed above, with the main exception being the CSO’s 225-hp Wright J6-7 engine, with a slightly higher airspeed and climb rate. (Derived from “Waco Aircraft Production, 1923-1942”) www.vintageaircraft.org

TYSON RININGER

surprised. “We flew two hours to our first stop, at a medium upper cruise about 2000 rpm, and we had a 13 gph fuel burn. That’s what it did all the way up here, which is good for a 225-hp engine,” reflects Clark, adding, “I did lean it the oldfashioned way, where you lean it until it shakes a little bit and push the mixture back in. I don’t want to downplay the value of an engine monitor, but people obsess with one cylinder running hotter than another. When these engines were built, they didn’t have any way to monitor that. Just go fly the airplane! The nature of the radials gets you one with them, because of all the ‘hands-on’ things you have to do before you go fly. I think that’s the best ‘engine monitor’ you can have, when you have a big ol’ carburetor throwing fuel and air together.”

Grandson Copilot

It was Brody Clark’s 11th year at Oshkosh, and by now, he’s more than hooked on aviation. In fact, he’s well on his way toward earning his private certificate. Reflect-

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cause we get to hear good stories and learn a lot of stuff.” Not only was the flight memorable for Clark and Brody, but their journey was made extra special when they received the Silver Age (1928-1936) Runner-Up award for NC618N.

Sky Rides

TYSON RININGER

ing on the flight in NC618N, he smiles and says, “It was a long and bumpy trip up here, but it’s worth it because I get the feel for what it’s like. I used an iPad for GPS, and I did fly it some. I’m the only grandson out of nine who likes to work on airplanes. I like the vintage old stuff! It’s history, and the airplanes are beautiful. I live right next door to my grandfather, and we go flying together a lot. It’s a tradition coming to AirVenture, and I like the people in the Vintage area be-

Best of all, though, is Clark’s fun-loving attitude, friendly smile, and his joy of sharing the biplane with others, whether it’s talking on the flightline or giving sky rides. Happily, those are qualities that Brody is acquiring, as well. “I love giving rides in it, because it is a time machine. Our E AA Chapter 1364 was doing fundraiser flights on a cold October morning in 2009, in conjunction with a local historical society-sponsored Smithsonian exhibit entitled ‘Journey Stories.’ I announced on the radio that anyone older than the Waco would receive a free ride,” smiles Clark, elaborating, “Young Eagles are great, but I’ll tell you what—Mrs. Hazel Dean, a petite 89-year-old gal born five years be-

fore this airplane was built, showed up early for her flight and was up that wing walk and in the front with a flight helmet on, right away! It was a wonderful experience, and it absolutely made my day to check ‘open-cockpit biplane ride’ off Hazel’s bucket list.” Clark is a natural when it comes to continuing Mohawk Airways’ legacy of being a goodwill ambassador for aviation (see sidebar), and his handsomely restored Waco is a fitting tribute to the early aviation pioneers who owned it.

Aviation Pioneers

The legacy and continuing aviation activities of the early owners of NC618N was neatly summarized in the article “Sky Lines” in the March 20, 1940, issue of the Schenectady Gazette: “Once the manager of the local port when aviation was spreading its infant wings throughout the country, Vic [Rickard] probably did more for private flying in this city than any other individual flier. He’s now flying for the Bell telephone outfit, piloting one of their two experimental ships. Then there’s George (Slim) Emerson. Slim, too, was one of the hardy pioneers of Schenectady’s aviation center. He is continuing a long career in flying and now serves as chief instructor for the Link blind flying outfit up in Binghamton. . . . William F.—alias Johnny—Luke . . . is airport manager at Schenectady, [and] is known far and wide throughout American aviation and really deserving of all his publicity. Only thing we have against Johnny is that every time he takes us for a hop in one of his Luscombes he makes zerozero conditions in the cabin with a big, black and odoriferous cigar so that no matter what the weather is outside, the visibility is always limited within.”

Mohawk Airways Though nearly forgotten today, Mohawk Airways played a significant role in New York aviation history. Period newspapers reveal a wealth of information about the company and those associated with it. The March 25, 1929, issue of the Schenectady Gazette states: “Three well known Schenectady business men and two local aviators are directors of the new commercial aviation corporation recently incorporated under the name of the Mohawk Airways Company. The new concern will engage in student instruction, passenger hopping, aerial photography, aerial express and as a matter of fact all forms of commercial flying. “The new company will include in its equipment one of the new 14-passenger Ford tri-motor metal planes, which was purchased at a cost of $91,000, and two open cockpit planes. The big Ford plane will be delivered the middle of April. “George W. ‘Slim’ Emerson and William F. Luke are the two Schenectady aviators associated with the new enterprise and the local business men who are directors of the corporation include J. A. Haraden and John Kovacs, both automobile dealers, and H. A. Allen, president of the Capitol Trust Company. E. M. Kinney of the General Electric Company and Wilmer T. Luke are also directors of the corporation. “In preparation for delivery of the huge air liner, which will be the most elaborate operating from any fields in this part of the state, Pilot Emerson has been at the Ford-Stout Metal Airplane Company’s plant at Detroit, where he successfully completed the tests for all operators of Ford tri-motored planes. Emerson, a former airmail pilot, who has been associated here with the Inter-City Airways Company as a pilot and flying school instructor, had little trouble qualifying at Detroit …” Various other accounts relate that in early 1929, Mohawk Airways constructed a large hangar on city-owned land at the Albany municipal airport. In June, it pioneered aerial advertising by signing a contract to paint two words to promote a theatrical production [Show Boat] on the fuselage of NC9642, its Tri-Motor known as Miss Albany. In September, it was appointed distributor for Mono Aircraft Company (Monoprep and Monocoach aircraft). Mohawk Airways filled a special niche by being a goodwill ambassador for aviation. It took local government officials for flights in Miss Albany, and arranged aerial entertainment programs for the public, which included glider flights, parachute jumping, and stunt flying. It also participated in air pageants; awarded rides to boys who won model airplane contests; offered aerial services to transport an ill man to a hospital, aided in conducting a search of the river for a body, hunted for bootleggers; and dropped a sky-diving Santa Claus from a Monocoupe. The company was apparently a flying success. An article in the October 4, 1935, issue of the Schenectady Gazette briefly states: “Fields, Inc. of Schenectady, has submitted an offer to take over Mohawk Airways, Inc., which for five years has conducted a general aviation business from one of the city-owned hangars at the Albany airport. The latter firm notified the air board Wednesday that it planned to sell out not later than December 31 when its present lease expires.” www.vintageaircraft.org

A Little Time With Little Ford

Right seat in the EAA’s Ford Tri-Motor by Marla Boone Sometimes Big Ford was behind Little Ford. Sometimes Little Ford was in trail. But always, in the mist-filled Wisconsin morning, there were two Ford Tri-Motors living out their destinies and allowing others to live out their dreams. In Isaac Newton, Edmond Halley had his man of mathematics. In Stephen Hawking, we lesser mortals have our man of science. With all due respect to the law of inverse squares and A Brief History of Time, I would like to proclaim that I have Larry . . . my man of offers. Initially was the offer of friendship. At the time of our first meeting with one another, Larry owned a Waco and we owned a Waco. It’s a relatively small community and our paths crossed. Other common interests were discovered. My husband, Steve, and I would run into Larry and his wife at AirVenture and a few other flying events throughout the year. They are tremendously likeable people and as crazy about airplanes as we are. Kismet. Then, three years ago, Larry offered NC4777. Triple seven, an airplane with a storied past, used to be an OX-powered Waco 10. NC4777 was, in fact, the very airplane used by the Tank brothers for the type approval for the lighter-weight, air-cooled OX-5 engine. Flown by John Wood in service with Northern Airways and 50

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raced by Ray Hegy of Hartford, Wisconsin, the old girl had fallen on hard times. Disassembled over 50 years ago and shunted from owner to owner, the Waco ended up in Larry’s possession. He, with no time to do the required restoration, sold it to a mutual friend who promptly sold this deserving craft to Steve and me. NC4777 is now in the process of becoming airworthy. Four wings and a center section are built, boxes of parts lie carefully cataloged in the basement, and the fuselage is being readied for a more reliable Continental W-670. She will fly again. Over the course of the restoration, Larry has continued with offers—advice, a sympathetic ear, and unfailing encouragement. But then at AirVenture 2014, he made the most astonishing offer of all. Our friend is one of an immensely gifted crew of pilots who fly the Ford Tri-Motors. There is Big Ford, weighing in at 12,499 pounds, and Little Ford, a petite 10,130-pounder. “Maybe you could come and ride right seat in the TriMotor,” he e-mailed me early in the week. Thereafter, that “maybe” occupied nearly my every waking hour. Ensuing messages flew between his phone and my iPad. Tentative dates and times were selected/discarded/rescheduled and—oh, the joy—finalized. Steve was feeling just a trifle grumpy about all this. His basic good-sport personality prevailed,

however. He went along to photograph little ol’ me with Little ol’ Ford. In a story this marvelous, even the weather gods bowed to the happy ending. On the appointed day, and at the appointed hour, the air was still and chilly and thick with lift. We presented ourselves at the Tri-Motor booth to be met by Larry, who cemented his high standing with Steve by saying, “You can have a turn after Marla.” We reviewed the rules, signed a waiver, and absorbed a safety briefing. We were told the waiver stated that no matter what happened, we would not summon the legal eagles. Now that the Tri-Motor was sitting so very tantalizingly close, I would have signed a paper selling my mother to the gypsies for a crack at it. Larry tried to describe how best to access my seat. “Don’t forget to duck when you step up into the cockpit,” he said. “It’s really low. You gotta duck.” Then it was time to walk up the ramp and back in time. Scaling the sloping aisle of the fuselage and—remembering to duck—maneuvering myself into the right front seat were prelude to the choreography of three engine starts and warm-ups. The TriMotor team meshed seamlessly with the veterans in the tower. A total of 12 words got us taxied and into the air. My job, as described by the chief pilot, was to keep up a constant scan for traffic and to not engage in a lot of distracting talk.

He didn’t say anything about gasping aloud in delight when we made an improbably short intersection takeoff on 36L and dropped over into an ambitious right turn so as not to encroach on Runway 9/27. My friends, this was a moment for eloquence, and there I sat speechless. Snug in the upturned snout of Little Ford, I felt the thrumming of the engines enter through my feet and settle somewhere in my chest. My face was warmed by the burgeoning sun that was washing the waves of Lake Winnebago with a golden tint. Larry, whose talent for flying is matched only by his enthusiasm for flying, was, literally and figuratively, in his element. “How cool is this?” he demanded. “Here we are in one Tri-Motor following another Tri-Motor. This isn’t something that happens every day.” But ahead of us on this day, on this incredibly special day, every corrugation on the wings of Big Ford reflected a glint of our same rising sun, and she flew within her own self-made aura. And, of course, all this took

place at AirVenture. Arrivals and departures and f lybys were so many buzzing bees sharing the sky. Flying happily along, pointing traffic out to each other, we immersed ourselves in the moment. Larry insisted that real Tri-Motor pilots flew while striking a jaunty pose with their elbows stuck out the window. Easily sliding open on its 85-year-old track, the window was opened and out went my elbow. In the remote chance I have an opportunity to take a checkride in a Tri-Motor, it’s comforting to know that, if nothing else, I have the pose honed to practical test standards. Our designated route took us over the placid, peaceful seaplane base. Warbirds swooped below us, jets scooted behind us (but not for long), and, ever ywhere the eye could see, airplanes, airplanes, airplanes. All too soon came a graceful right turn to line up with Runway 36R. For 50 weeks of the year, Runway 36R is known as Taxiway Alpha. During those two frantic weeks in July, though, it becomes

a runway. A narrow runway. A very narrow runway on which a very wide-geared Tri-Motor lands twice every 15 minutes. Flawlessly. Just days before, there had been a buffeting wind directly out of the east, unremitting and unrelenting. When I mentioned this small hazard to happy taildragger landings (stiff crosswind on a skinny asphalt runway in a tailwheel airplane . . . do not attempt this at home), Larry was humble enough to say it was a little tricky but no real problem. In all, I had the privilege of making four circuits. Four circuits in a great stout airplane with countless miles of sky behind her. Four circuits with one of the most accomplished pilots I’ve ever flown with. Four circuits with a man who knew what it meant to me and who never takes it for granted himself. Four circuits making a forever memory. Four circuits with a guy who has much to offer and does. One thing for certain, when NC4777 tastes the sky once more, we owe Larry a ride.

Little Ford, NC8407, has been flying since EAA Oshkosh 1985. In 2014 Big Ford, NC9645, was added to the fleet. Big Ford is owned by the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, Ohio, and is operated by EAA. The two Tri-Motors are used as ambassadors to take EAA’s mission out to the rest of the country. They visited nearly 70 cities in 2014. The airplanes are staffed by 18 volunteer pilots and 50 ground volunteers. EAA employs five mechanics who keep these venerable airplanes flying and an administrative staff who helps make the Ford Tri-Motor Tour program a great success. Approximately 15,000 passengers rode the Tri-Motors this year. All the volunteer pilots are active EAA members. Most are currently employed or retired professional pilots with an average flying time in excess of 15,000 hours. At most venues, all seats except the captain’s are sold to a passenger. In the hubbub of Oshkosh, however, the Ford Tri-Motor Tour program has different guidelines. These require that a certificated aviator occupy the right front seat to act as a safety pilot.) www.vintageaircraft.org

Around the Pylons

Bill Falck and Rivets

ROBERT STRAUB

It took Bill Falck 13 years after beginning to build a racing plane to get to his first starting line, but only five more to be the first to cross the finish line. Born near Helsinki, Finland, in 1913, he came to America with his parents at age 10 and settled in the New York City area. Within three years, Bill was taking a correspondence school course in airplane design. But if that suggests he had permanently set his lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s direction at such a young age, he then headed off in a quite different direction. Due in no small part to his origins in a seafaring nation, he spent part of his 16th year as a fireman and watertender on the yacht Corsair, owned by multimillionaire J.P. Morgan. At the same time, he began learning aircraft construction, by paying $1 a day to work on the Westbrook Sportster. In 1931, after the West52

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by Don Berliner brook company failed, he was back on the sea, this time on the Dodge family yacht Delphine. While this turned out to be the end of his career as a seaman, he later admitted that the sea, not the air, was his first love. In the early 1930s he became the co-owner of a de Havilland DH.60 Gipsy Moth, and the siren call of the air took control. It was in 1934 that he began designing and building his first original racer, while making a living as a serviceman for the local power company, Consolidated Edison, and for two years during the Great Depression, by shooting pool, a game that demands careful planning and foresight. His goal was the 375 cubic inch class in the Cleveland National Air Races. With the airframe nearing completion in 1938, he bought the Art Chester Jeep, intending to use the Menasco C4S engine, prop, and cowl

of the retired racer on his own, which would have resembled the Jeep. Unfortunately, the 375 cubic inch class was canceled before Bill could finish his racer. He put it into storage, pledging to take a much quicker, simpler route, when and if he saw another opportunity to get into racing. Before that could happen, however, World War II reared its ugly head. In 1941 he got a job as an instructor at Parks Air College, moved up to the status of copilot on Eastern Airlinesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; DC-3s in 1942, and entered the U.S. Navy in 1943 to fly transports and fighters in the South Pacific. Returning to civilian life in 1946, he soon heard rumblings of a new class of small racing planes, which became the 190 cubic inch, or Goodyear Trophy Race class, in early 1947. With only a few months in which to create a completely new kind of airplane for a completely new kind of

racing class, he set to work on the airframe of the Jeep. The complex Chester wing had to go, and was replaced by a simple constant-chord affair. The fuselage didn’t fit his needs, and so it, too, had to be tossed aside. Using little more than the tail feathers of the Jeep, he rapidly put together an airplane that would do what he intended . . . get him into the sport. Any thoughts of beating veteran race pilots and designers would have been grossly unrealistic. If the new machine worked, then it would be time to develop a completely new design. The Falck Jeep was #89 N12930, a green and silver, strut-braced midwing that almost failed to survive its first flight from Falck’s small airfield in Warwick, New York. Shortly after takeoff, he closed the canopy and in the process knocked the mag switches to “off.” The sudden silence produced panic among his friends back at the airport, but a quick scan of the instrument panel pinpointed the problem and was immediately put right. After a few test flights, he was off to Cleveland for the very first “midget” race, to be held as a part of the 1947 National Air Races. It would also be a major experiment for American air racing, with a booklet of rules in a sport long known for wide open competition. At Cleveland, Bill was among his idols, including Steve Wittman and Art Chester, as well as his peers, men who had a lot more enthusiasm than experience. Few knew exactly what it would take to win in this very new class, and their attempts varied from highly professional to starkly amateurish. Falck, who was about to see an airplane race for the very first time, qualified 8th out of 12 at 135.8 mph. In two elimination and two semifinal heats, his speeds ranged from 138 mph to 143 mph. In the 10-lap consolation race around the 2.2-mile

The original shape of Rivets, at Cleveland, 1948.

course—the shortest so far used at Cleveland—rookie Falck won at 141.6 mph and took home $1,150. He had paid for his racer. Far more important, Bill Falck had reached a major goal in life: He was an official designer, builder, and pilot of a racing airplane. It was clear that the modified Jeep did not have winning potential, and so it was sold, which should have given him funds to pay for materials to build its replacement, except that the buyer never got around to paying. Regardless, it was full speed ahead on what would be called #92 Rivets (named for an old comic strip dog) N60089. Bill’s previous ventures into airplane design studies had been general in nature, while this one would be about as specific and singlepurpose as one could imagine. His new airplane had to weigh at least 500 pounds empty, have at least 66 square feet of wing, and use any engine having no more than 190 cubic inches’ piston displacement. That, to be realistic, meant the well-proven Continental C-85, of 188 cubic inches and developing 85 hp at CAAapproved rpm, a number on the tachometer that is of limited interest to air racing people. In 1947 there was no vast body of experience in building airplanes at home, such as there is today. Flying a “homebuilt” had been illegal in the

United States since the late 1930s, but for reasons never stated, racers were in their own category and permitted to fly with very few restrictions. Among the hundreds of men who requested the specifications for the new class from Art Chester, then president of the Professional Race Pilots Association (PRPA), had to be quite a few who simply wanted to build sport planes, as well as others who liked the idea that if you were claiming to build a racer, you could buy a factorybalanced C-85 from Continental Motors for as little as $500. The flood gates had been opened. His eye on the future and winning races, Falck planted himself in the great New York City Public Library and began to work his way through stacks of NACA Technical Bulletins in search of ideas large and small that would make Rivets a winner. Roy Berry, a midget racer and airline pilot, years later had a schedule that gave him time in New York, which he spent at the same library and reading the same materials. He said he could see Rivets being designed, right before his eyes. From this came the updraft cooling, main landing gear outside the propeller arc, and unusually large ailerons that produced the desired rolling power without sticking far out into the airflow. Toward the end of August in 1948, a large crowd of Goodyear racers began to gather on the south side of www.vintageaircraft.org

Three photos with Bill Falck and Rivets on a racing flight line.

ROBERT STRAUB PHOTOS

Cleveland Airport. Among those attracting particular attention was Rivets, not because of its sleek lines, but because of the huge canopy that had been required for visibility by a prone pilot. As that had been ruled 54

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out by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) for safety reasons not long before race time, Falck had to make some quick, temporary modifications in order to be allowed to race. The changes left Rivets nose-

heavy, forcing Falck to fly around the 2-mile rectangular course in a nosehigh attitude. In pylon turns, this displayed the sharp sweep-back of the wings’ leading edge, which was to prove of great value in the future. All in all, Rivets was the joke of the ’48 air races (at least among the spectators), even when Falck placed second in the consolation race at the same speed as 1947. He won the Goodyear Consolation Race in 1949 at a muchimproved 168 mph, thanks to a new low-drag canopy. In January 1950, at Miami, he qualified for the Championship Race for the first time, placing 7th at 173 mph. People started to pay attention to the quiet, decidedly unglamorous airport operator from rural New York. At Detroit in the 1950 Continental Trophy Race, he finished 5th at 182 mph, and the next year he again crossed the finish line in 5th place, though at 187 mph. The basic idea worked, and he continued to bring each part of Rivets up to championship status. Each winter, when the airfield at Warwick, New York, was snowed in, Bill “Willie” Falck would concentrate on one

of many areas needing careful attention: the cowl, inside and out; the wingtips; the wheelpants; the tail; the canopy. Most new parts were scratchbuilt, others were reworked Aeronca Champ components. That airplane held a special place in his heart, and right to the end, Rivets’ spinner was from a Champ, and the final low-drag canopy was built from pieces of Champ windshield. The winter of 1951-1952 proved to be critical. He spent the long, cold nights designing and then hammering out a superb set of long, close-fitting aluminum wheelpants that gave him an estimated 12 mph boost. The first race of the year was at Chattanooga, Tennessee. In the 12-lap Championship Race around the 1.98-mile course, he got off well behind Steve Wittman in his #1 Bonzo, due to a large difference in their takeoff weights. Falck climbed up to his usual 150 feet to stay clear of turbulence and traffic and still be able to see the pylons thanks to the sharp sweep-back of his leading edge. He began whittling away at Steve’s lead. By the 5th lap Falck was right on the old master’s tail. Nothing Steve could do would slow Falck’s drive, and he soon eased past into the lead. For years, once Wittman had the lead, no one had been able to pass him, but here was a guy who had been racing barely five years and had accomplished what far more experienced pilots had failed to do with any consistency. Willie went on to win and to bask in the winner’s glory. Later in the year, he became one of the first to break the 200-mph barrier on his way to 2nd place in the Continental Trophy Race at Detroit. He was on the verge of a National Championship when Continental ended its sponsorship, and the era of national sponsors had passed. There was not a single American pylon race in 1953, and only a single

little one at obscure Dansville, New York, in 1954. Falck was the king of the midget racers, but he reigned over a land having few subjects. The crowds were tiny, and the publicity hidden on a back page. Yet it was a time when pilots raced for the pure sport of it at places like Westchester, New York; Reading, Pennsylvania; and Niagara Falls. The challenge of beating the best had not dimmed, though a little more prize money would have been welcomed. Falck stayed at or very near the top for the next decade. In 1955 he built a new T-tail, which increased both speed and stability, and gave Rivets its final look. The next year at Niagara Falls, he set his first record, clocking 208.8 mph in time trials and then winning at 199.96 mph. Back home, in December 1956, tragedy struck. A hangar fire destroyed several airplanes and turned Rivets into a twisted, smoking wreck.

Friends of Willie, well aware of his slow, methodical way of building, had serious doubts about ever seeing the red-and-yellow #92 on a race course again. But in just a few months, and under considerable time pressure, the reconstruction had been completed, and he was able to win one of the two races of 1957 almost as if nothing dire had happened. Rivets was the cream of the 190 cubic inch class, and Bill Falck was unquestionably the man to beat. This could easily have led to some dull racing, for everyone but Falck. When one person dominates, competition suffers, and increased competition was one of the cornerstones of the class. Understanding this better than most, Bill developed a rare skill for making races look a lot more exciting than they otherwise might have. By holding back and timing his all-out drive to the finish line, he won many a race by a slim margin

www.vintageaircraft.org

In St. Pete, FL, May 1966 Falck was up early to try 3-km run. DON BERLINER PHOTOS

The winner, Rivets towed by mechanic Don Connely.

Falck checks his engine.

that belied his actual superiority. His prime opponent was top race pilot and friend Bob Downey, pilot of #14 Little Gem, whose lower takeoff weight enabled Bob to get off quicker and into a solid lead, while the much heavier Falck struggled on behind. Time and again it looked like Downey might finally win one. That is until the 56

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dash down the homestretch on the last lap. Falck would push Rivets’ nose down slightly, gaining speed as he lost the altitude he had acquired at the start. Downey would push his throttle to the stop, but inevitably the distinctive shadow of Rivets would creep steadily over the desert floor, past Downey and on to the finish line. Poor Bob began calling Falck “The Hawk,” after the way he swooped down to devour his prey. There seemed to be nothing Downey could do to prevent another Falck victory. And, indeed, there was nothing he could do, for in what were vi-

sually close races, Falck never failed to time his sprint to give the crowd a thrill. A close look at their relative speeds in qualifying revealed that Falck often had as much as 10 or 12 mph in reserve and simply wanted the paying customers to get their money’s worth. At Tampa, Florida, in 1965, the Championship Race was closer than usual, with the timers’ $800 Longines stopwatches showing identical times for the two rivals. But the unanimous ruling of the finish line judges gave the victory to Willie by about 3 feet! Gradually, new airplanes entered the sport with more advanced aerodynamics and more sophisticated engine tuning that enabled them

Reno, NV, September 1965. DON BERLINER

to run at well over 4000 rpm, while Willie continued to insist he had never turned higher than 3850 rpm in a race. Bill and Rivets got older and showed signs of not having gotten the proper pre-race attention. At Cleveland in September, 1977, the FAA foolishly insisted that the midgets use a formation air-start even though few of them had any experience and none of them had radios. As they were approaching the race course, off to the left of the huge crowd, Rivets rolled over and dove straight into Lake Erie. Post-race examinations turned up nothing obviously wrong with the airplane or its pilot that might have led to the crash. This left a vacuum that was filled with rumor and poorly supported theories. The cause of the accident will probably never be known, though it is hard to imagine Falck having made a mistake in his handling of the airplane. While Rivetsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; total flight time was not much over 120 hours in almost 30 years, Bill knew the airplane as well as anyone has ever known an airplane. He was especially aware of its shortcomings. Just how good were the pilot and his airplane? In 1973 at Reno, they set a qualifying record at 235.26 mph. Forty years later, in 2013, that speed would still have placed them ahead of all but four of

the newest composite speedsters. In 30 years of racing midgets, Bill Falck won dozens of races, set many speed records, and gained a reputation as the very best at what to him was very important. In 1994 he was formally inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame. His first, still-unfinished Falck Special is in the EAA AirVenture Museum.

As an indicator of what kind of person he was outside his shop and outside his little airplane, one day at Reno in the mid-1970s, the author ran into him heading for the grandstands carrying a tray of soft drinks. Bill explained that he was taking them to the air race announcers, as he thought they might be getting thirsty.

www.vintageaircraft.org

The Vintage Mechanic ROBERT G. LOCK

Evolution of aircraft instruments Part 1 Did you ever wonder how aircraft instrumentation evolved? Well I did, and here are the results of my research. In the beginning, some aircraft instruments were adapted from current use in industry, such as maritime and manufacturing. The compass, tachometer, and pressure and temperature gauges were in use long before the airplane came along. However, in my journey exploring this subject, it became very apparent that a few instruments were unique to the airplane, such as the airspeed indicator, altimeter, turn and bank, and rate of climb. No doubt that some instrumentation was an adaptation of timepieces that were in wide use. And some instruments adapted to aircraft were imported from England and France, but I’d like to deal only with those that were either manufactured or imported and sold in the United States. So let’s look back and try to trace the roots of early instrumentation. Figure 1 is an early advertisement. Certainly the earliest makers of instruments adapted to the airplane were precision watchmakers, who were in the beginning the English, French, and Swiss. In the United States one of the first was the Jaeger Watch Company, located in New York City. In the advertisement, shown at right, note that it had offices in London, England, Paris, France, and Geneva, Switzerland. The Jaeger company went on to manufacture other aircraft instruments, particularly chronometric tachometers. Elgin National Watch Company also began manufacturing aircraft instrumentation under the name Avigo. The name of the company came from the factory location—Elgin, Illinois. Its products were a compass, turn and bank indicator, clocks, and a tachometer. 58

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Figure 1

Figure 2 shows a simple ball and bank indicator. Note the company statement: “Absolute accurate check upon your ‘feel’ of the ship.” An interesting statement given the year—1929. “Blind” flying was

still a military procedure as very few civilian pilots could fly on instruments. Perhaps we should begin this discussion starting with the compass. Early compasses were adapted to aircraft use by Pathfinder, Airpath, Sperry, and Kollsman. Figures 3, 4, and 5 show some early compass units. The compass had been developed primarily for ship navigation on open waters, but it was readily adaptable for aircraft use. The compass was eventually mounted in aircraft that were constructed of steel and aluminum, which

Figure 3

Figure 2

caused the instrument to “deviate.” Add to this any electrical cable, and the deviation got worse. It became necessary to compensate the compass by turning adjustable magnets to reset the cardinal headings. This process became known to mechanics as “swinging the compass.” Possibly the most widely used compass in the early days was what we now call the “bubble face” compass, due to its rounded face. Figure 4 Figure 5 is the Pioneer compass of the late 1920s. Where there was room, the compass was mounted behind the instrument board, or if there wasn’t room, it was mounted atop the panel directly in front of the pilot. Note the amount of space needed to mount this instrument behind the panel. Tachometers will be next in our discussion of early instruments. Tachometers had been around and used for Figure 5 any type of motor where the operator needed to control speed of shaft output. One of the first was the Reliance tachometer, manufactured by Nelson Blower and Furnace Company, Boston, Massachusetts. These early tachometers were very heavy for their size and featured a 3-3/4-inch diameter face and a steel case. Figure 6 is an early Reliance tachometer. There were several manufacturers of mechanical tachometers, as they were easily adapted from commercial use. Certainly the largest manufacturers of aircraft instruments were Pioneer and Consolidated, along with smaller companies such as Joseph W. Jones, which manufactured tachometers for the Bureau of Steam Engineering from its facility in New www.vintageaircraft.org

York. The Jones tachometer featured a 4-inch diameter face with four drilled “ears” for mounting.

ment. Shown below is a sketch of how the mechanism is constructed.

Figure 6

It is interesting to note that these early mechanical tachometers were not standardized as to their face diameter, thus making instrument panel layouts difficult because all instruments were of a different size. By 1930 the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), along with the Army and Navy, began to standardize the diameter of the face of the instrument. Typical diameters were 2-3/4, 3-1/8, and 3-3/4 inches. The Travel Air 2000 of 1928 was equipped with these types of instruments. It is interesting here to note that the Jones 4-inch diameter tachometer appears exactly the same as the Consolidated 4-inch diameter tachometer. Consolidated Instrument Company also marketed a “cluster” panel of instruments as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7

These were self-contained units that could be mounted directly into an instrument board. Many manufacturers adapted these easily mounted clusters in their designs. Arkansas Aircraft Corporation (later Command-Aire), Curtiss Robin, and many other ships of this era used these instruments. The Jones/Consolidated centrifugal tachometer (Figure 8) resembled the watchmakers’ skill in constructing the instru60

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Figure 8

Note that the tachometer cable drive turns gear “G,” which turns the shaft causing flyweight “A” to move outward, which in turn makes needle “K” indicate engine rpm. While it is unknown exactly when Consolidated Instrument Company of America was first established, it is known that in 1929 the company acquired the Julien P. Friez & Sons Company that made meteorological instruments in Baltimore, Maryland. Julien Friez immigrated from Belfort, France, in 1870 and brought with him a background as an apprentice in the scientific instrument trade that was practiced extensively in that area near Switzerland. His company had set up a factory in Baltimore and provided instruments to the U.S. Weather Bureau. The elder Friez died in 1916, and the business continued under the direction of his son, Lucien. During the acquisition, Lucien Friez stayed with the Baltimore plant and, in 1941, made application to erect a new plant. The new plant was constructed for Bendix-Friez in 1942 by the Defense Plant Corporation, as the company entered wartime production of all types of instruments. The October 1929 issue of Aero Digest contains an advertisement showing manufacturing divisions: Julien P. Friez & Sons, Molded Insulation Co., Mount Vernon, New York, and Aircraft Control Corp., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This a very interesting side note in the history of aviation and related products. Figure 9 is a 1928 advertisement for Consolidated Instrument Company. Note that the compass illustration in the lower-right corner is upside down.

Figure 9

Pioneer Instrument Company, on the other hand, marketed separate instruments with its logo “PI” etched on the dial face. The factory was located in Brooklyn, New York. Pioneer produced aircraft instruments of various types for many years. Pioneer Instruments was eventually absorbed by the Bendix Aviation Corporation and became the Eclipse-Pioneer Division. However in its early days it manufactured many individual instruments for current production aircraft in the 1920s. The Pioneer tachometer shown in Figure 10 is a 3⅛-inch diameter piece and dates back into the 1920s. Dials were most often iridium, which glowed in the dark. Driving the tachometer required a flexible shaft inside a wound housing. These flexible tachometer drive shafts were an outgrowth from the dental industry, which used them to drive their tools for drilling teeth. These flexible steel wire drive shafts evenFigure 10 tually evolved into aircraft tachometer drives. Tachometer drive shafts were manufactured in left- and right-hand drives and to various lengths. Once made, they could not be shortened. Wound inner drive shafts were lubricated with graphite grease. Tach cables drove into the instrument case at various clock locations, such as 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock, etc. Figure 11 is an advertisement for tachometer drive assemblies. Note that the company also manufactured dental equipment. Several manufacturers have entered the aviation business by providing such instruments as pressure

and temperature indicators. One such early manufacturer was MotoMeter Gauge and Equipment Company, Long Island City, New York. Temperature indicators were needed for oil and coolant sensing, while pressure indicators were needed for oil and fuel pressure sensing. In rare Figure 11 cases, a temperature indicator was placed in the carburetor to sense fuel/air charge temperature, so the aviator might detect icing of the carburetor. Note in the advertisement in Figure 12 the statement that the instruments are now in Army-Navy (AN) size, which is the beginning of AN standardization of aircraft Figure 12 instruments. Most all of these early instrument products were developed by skilled watchmakers, scientific instrument inventors, and other craftsmen with related skills that were gained well before the airplane came of age. Through apprenticeship and training, particularly in England, France, and Switzerland, these skills immigrated to the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s. And as these immigrants settled, they stayed around the New York and Boston area to eventually found small shops, then larger factories, to produce all types of instrumentation. Undoubtedly these small factories were absorbed by larger, more successful companies and were adapted into inventing instrumentation for airplanes. www.vintageaircraft.org

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Milton, WI Efrem Cockett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Guernsey, United Kingdom Robert Colby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bigfork, MT Robert Cook. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rensselaer, NY Gary Coonan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bell Buckle, TN Axel Cordemans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wanchai, Hong Kong Kent Corney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gordon, Australia Mathieu Cote . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acton Vale, QC Chris Craver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hanover, VA Michael Crouch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Woodstock, IL Doug Crumrine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Granbury, TX Fred Culick. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Altadena, CA Alex Cywan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sherman Oaks, CA Damian Delgaizo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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Barry Hancock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lindon, UT Tony Handley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arcola, MS Michael Haney. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tehachapi, CA Diane Harnisch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Atlantic Beach, FL David Harris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lakeland, FL William Harris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Topeka, KS Ryan Harris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . West Nyack, NY Bryan Harrison. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carbondale, IL Bill Hart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sharpsburg, GA Matt Henderson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kyneton, Australia William Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nashville, TN Jeffrey Hinkle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arvada, CO Steven Hoffman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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Pompano Beach, FL Mark Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vickery, OH Lorin Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Colo, IA Robert Mims. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Columbus, GA William Miracco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Batavia, OH Michael Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Represa, CA Bart Morrow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gooding, ID Michael Mouat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hemet, CA Brad Muir. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hamilton, ON Terrence Murphy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Belmont, NH Steven Myron. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Puyallup, WA Christopher Nesin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chattanooga, TN Kie Nobra. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Houston, TX Holliday Obrecht. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mooresville, NC Timothy Orton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Walker, MN Christopher Owens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marshfield, WI Jeffrey Parker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Virginia Beach, VA George Parks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Milan, MI Norman Parmley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trent Woods, NC John Peapples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Little Rock, AR Yon Perras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Morrisville, VT

Joe Persinger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Denver, NC Michal Pilch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Drogomysl, Poland Paul Pilipshen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bay Shore, NY Janet Plumb. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Verona, WI Gary Powers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Roanoke, VA Rick Purrington. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clinton, UT Mike Ramos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dodgeville, WI Timothy Raupp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oshkosh, WI Scott Reetz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clintonville, WI David Reichard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dayton, OH Chris Riedener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beaverton, OR Michael Rinker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Union City, TN Chris Rounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tullahoma, TN Dave Roy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prescott, AZ John Rummery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Whangarei, New Zealand Bob Schefter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fergus Falls, MN Mark Schemm. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sterling Heights, MI Carl Scheuneman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plano, TX Louis Schmidt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orange, CA Connie Schmidt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Orange, CA Michael Schnell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Bremen, OH Robert Schrammel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Waukesha, WI Ronald Scott. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Buda, IL Pierre William. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Senneville Pincourt, QC Dennis Shanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elburn, IL Shawn Shippee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Northfield, MA Randall Sikora . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boca Raton, FL Gordon Skerratt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Toronto, ON Paul Smith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plainfield, IL F. Snyder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wichita, KS Kenneth Snyder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spring, TX Victor Sobrado. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Noman, OK Peter Soderquist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mesquite, NV Steven Sowinski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elk Grove Village, IL Harold Spivey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dunwoody, GA Dick Stafford. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mora, MN Donald Steen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saint Johnsbury, VT Donald Stewart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vulcan, MI Gary Stewart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stilwell, KS Hugh Stoops. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Belleville, IL Scott Stueckradt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Huxley, IA John Taye. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Boise, ID Scott Taylor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aurora, CO Stephen Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Medina, WA Kris Taylor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Medina, WA Isabel Taylor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Medina, WA Finley Taylor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Medina, WA Scott Thiel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Edgewood, WA Craig Thighe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parker, CO Julius Thorolfsson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kopavogur, Iceland Jerry Tobias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Omaha, NE William Toole. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Goochland, VA Tom Treharne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . South Wales, NY Barry Triplett. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ct Durham, United Kingdom Shane Twohy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Osceola, WI Gustav Ulrich . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Whispering Pines, NC Marlene Vale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mercer Island, WA Shane Vande Voort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pella, IA Eugene VanDePutte. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lopez Island, WA John Vander Horn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Middle Grove, NY Scott VanDevanter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Centerville, OH Adam Verdin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . San Luis Obispo, CA Keith Vinyard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fenton, MO David Vizzolini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lebanon, TN Thomas Wade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ellisville, MS Ronald Wagner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Excelsior, MN Christopher Walsh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harrison, ID Jocelyn Warrick. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Woodinville, WA Benjamin Watsky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Montclair, NJ Bobby Watson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Villa Rica, GA James White. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bedford, TX Chris Wilco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Canajoharie, NY Mark Williams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saint Joseph, MI Phillip Wilson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Viola, DE Heinrich Wintermann . . . . . . . . . . . . Ladenburg, Germany Clifton Woodford. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fox Point, WI John Woodrow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Springfield, OH Jeff Woods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carson City, NV Christopher Yakubek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oakland, CA Kouji Yamazaki. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ohme-Shi, Tokyo Kyle Yates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stanwood, WA Boyt Young. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hamill, SD Ramin Zamanian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Katy, TX William Zemotel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Port Richey, FL Josh Zuerner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terre Haute, IN

Straight & Level

AERO CLASSIC “COLLECTOR SERIES”

continued from page 1

otherwise, regarding the new VAA magazine and our many other valued member benefits. So, what is going on in the vintage airplane movement? The answer is, “A lot!” The debate over third-class medical reform continues to heat up. The self-imposed evaluation period for the DOT to respond to the EAA/AOPA petition has long ago expired, and this really makes me wonder what in the world is going on here. All pilots are already required to conduct a selfassessment of health to meet the requirement of FAR 61.53, which states that pilots must not fly with a known medical deficiency or using medicines that might affect their ability to fly. A plan is already in place to educate our recreational pilots on how to conduct a thorough self-assessment. Safety is not an issue, and in fact a thorough self-assessment training program requirement will in fact enhance the safe operation of an aircraft. Some believe that the time has come for our legislators to step in and change the federal guidelines regulating the thirdclass medical rules. One thing for sure is that we need to continue the dialogue with our legislators, and keep them informed of where we stand on this critical initiative. It’s that time of year to again consider a donation to the VAA’s Friends of the Red Barn. This fundraising program is specifically relevant to what we as an organization can put on the table for AirVenture. Our current planning for these funds is to continue to execute on a number of capital improvements to the Vintage display area. These funds also go a long way toward funding this organization with our routine day to day expenses. Please be a friend to the Red Barn this year, where not a single soul is a stranger! As always, 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. Let’s all pull in the same direction for the overall good of aviation. Remember, we are better together. Join us and have it all. Come share the passion! See you at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh—July 20-26, 2015.

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What Our Members Are Restoring Are you nearing completion of a restoration? Or is it done and you’re busy flying and showing it off? If so, we’d like to hear from you. Send us a 4-by-6-inch print from a commercial source or a 4-by-6-inch, 300-dpi digital photo. A JPG from your 2.5-megapixel (or higher) digital camera is fine. You can burn photos to a CD, or if you’re on a highspeed Internet connection, you can e-mail them along with a text-only or Word document describing your airplane. (If your e-mail program asks if you’d like to make the photos smaller, say no.) For more information, you can also e-mail jbusha@eaa.org. www.vintageaircraft.org

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

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

DIRECTORS

Vintage Trader

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

Classified Word Ads: $5.50 per 10 words, 180 words maximum, with boldface lead-in on first line. Classified Display Ads: One column wide (2.167 inches) by 1, 2, or 3 inches high at $20 per inch. Black and white only, and no frequency discounts. 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.

AIRCRAFT

Piper J3/L4 for sale, 2012 Oshkosh Award Winner, 65 Cont, 163 SMOH, restored 2004, silver, $60K 740-943-2773, gperkins@midohio.net Beechcraft D-18S Expeditor, 1953 completely restored, Royal Canadian Air Force Navigational Trainer, Two Interiors, Passenger & Navigation Training, 478 hrs since restoration, Oshkosh Award Winner. 403-291-9027, sales@hopkinsonassociates.com

WANTED

Donate your Airplane to Samaritan Aviation, a charity that provides missions and medical services to remote areas of the world. www.samaritanaviation.com 970-249-4341

VINTAGE AIRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published bi-monthly at EAA Aviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd., PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086, e-mail: vintageaircraft@eaa.org. Membership to Vintage Aircraft Association, which includes 6 issues of Vintage Airplane magazine, is $42 per year for EAA members and $52 for non-EAA members. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54902 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Vintage Airplane, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. CPC #40612608. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES—Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail. ADVERTISING — Vintage Aircraft Association does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through the advertising. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken. EDITORIAL POLICY: Members are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. No remuneration is made. Material should be sent to: Editor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 920-426-4800. EAA® and EAA SPORT AVIATION®, the EAA Logo® and Aeronautica™ are registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks and service marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

MARCH/APRIL 2015

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

Joe Norris 264 Old OR Rd. Oshkosh, WI 54902 pilotjoe@ntd.net 920-688-2977

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

Tim Popp 60568 Springhaven Ct. Lawton, MI 49065 269-624-5036 tlpopp@frontier.com

Robert D. “Bob” Lumley 1265 South 124th St. Brookfield, WI 53005 262-782-2633 rlumley1@wi.rr.com

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

Charles W. Harris PO Box 470350 Tulsa, OK 74147 918-622-8400 cwh@hvsu.com

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

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

Gene Chase 8555 S. Lewis Ave., #32 Tulsa, OK 74137 918-298-3692

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

Phil Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawton, MI 49065 269-624-6490 rcoulson516@cs.com Ronald C. Fritz 15401 Sparta Ave. Kent City, MI 49330 616-678-5012 itzfray@gmail.com

S.H. “Wes” Schmid 2359 Lefeber Avenue Wauwatosa, WI 53213 414-771-1545 shschmid@gmail.com John Turgyan PO Box 219 New Egypt, NJ 08533 609-752-1944 jrturgyan4@aol.com

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