Va vol 44 no 4 jul aug 2016 by EAA Vintage Aircraft Association

JULY/AUGUST 2016

Monocoupe

Clip-Wing Beauty

Vintage Airplane

Straight & Level

STAFF

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

GEOFF ROBISON

VAA PRESIDENT, EAA Lifetime 268346, VAA Lifetime 12606

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

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016…You Gotta Be There! EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016 event planning is surging with a great deal of excitement for all of us in the Vintage area. We are currently planning to host at least six replica World War I aircraft this year. These fullscale replica aircraft will include a Sopwith Pup, a D.VIII Spad, and at least one Fokker D.VII aircraft. With the strong support of the EAA staff we will also be hosting a WWI aviation encampment on the grounds in direct proximity to these aircraft. This encampment will be manned by about a dozen WWI re-enactors in full regalia, and a number of these aircraft will also fly during the air show. As previously announced we are also planning to have an original 1909 Curtiss Pusher in the front yard of the VAA Red Barn. This aircraft was actually found in an old barn, and it was restored to pristine condition. 2016 promises to be yet another year with some very fine restorations surrounding the Red Barn. As many of you are already aware, the VAA Friends of the Red Barn fundraising program continues to be actively marketed to our friends and members of the Vintage Aircraft Association. It is vitally important for everyone to understand that our Vintage membership dues are never sufficient to underwrite the various programming initiatives as well as a valuable and meaningful Oshkosh experience for our guests and members in the VAA area during AirVenture. It takes a huge amount of resources to adequately support our hundreds of Vintage volunteers, who by the way performed nearly 25,000 hours of volunteer service to the VAA in 2015 in an effort to provide our guests with the best experience possible. AirVenture Oshkosh is by far the largest gathering of aviation enthusiasts anywhere in the world, and our mission at Oshkosh is to provide the very best of everything aviation for everyone who engages themselves into our culture each year. AirVenture Oshkosh truly is everything aviation in one unique environment situated smack dab in the middle of the Midwest. Please consider a contribution to the Friends of the Red Barn fund. You will be forever glad you did! These donations also go a long way toward funding the day-to-day expenses of the VAA. Join us by mailing your contribution to VAA FORB, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 549033086. Please be a friend to the Red Barn this year, where not a single soul is a stranger! So, what is going on in the vintage aircraft movement today? Well, first a bit of bad news! We recently lost Bob Lock, who provided us with so much invaluable technical material for Vintage Airplane magazine. His untimely and unexpected departure from this earth is certain to

VAA Executive Administrator. . Hannah Hupfer 920-426-6110. . . . . . . . . . . hhupfer@eaa.org Art Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . Livy Trabbold Graphic Designer. . . . . . . . Amanda Million ADVERTISING: Vice President of Business Development Dave Chaimson. . . . . . . . . . dchaimson@eaa.org Advertising Manager Sue Anderson. . . . . . . . . . . sanderson@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. 44, No. 4

CONTENTS

JULY/AUGUST 2016 08

2016 VAA HOF Inductee Phil Coulson Charles W. Harris

Deutsche Beech 18

A new home for an old favorite Budd Davisson

Monocoupe

Legend of Flight Moose Peterson

Sun ’n Fun 2016 Photo essay

The McClain 195

COLUMNS 1

Straight & Level EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016...You Gotta Be There! Geoff Robison

VA News

12 How to? Replace streamline wire terminal ends Robert G. Lock 14 Ask the AME Migraine headaches John Patterson, M.D., AME 16 Good Old Days 58 The Vintage Mechanic Turn-and-bank and climb indicators Robert G. Lock 63 VAA New Members 64 Vintage Trader

A way of life, not just an airplane Budd Davisson

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

JULY/AUGUST 2016

ANY COMMENTS?

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

FRONT COVER: Moose Peterson captured Warren Pietsch at the controls of the clip winged Monocoupe. BACK COVER: Erin Brueggen photographs Jill Manka’s Aeronca Champ in the late afternoon Florida sun. www.vintageaircraft.org

VA News EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2016 Vintage area forums and activities Vintage Forums Schedule Located in the Vintage Hangar forums area, all Vintage forums are sponsored by B&C Specialty Products. Forums are held Monday through Friday at 8:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., and 10:00 a.m. Some times and dates are subject to change at the presenter’s request. See the EAA events calendar for details. Monday, July 25 8:00 a.m. Stromberg Carburetor Troubleshooting Forum Bob Kachergius presenting. Bob is the go-to guy when you have problems with Stromberg carburetors, or any carburetor for that matter. Bob will describe why some carbs will leak and how to fix them. Be prepared to learn a lot. 9:00 a.m. Cessna 120/140 Membership Forum Gene Adkins and others presenting. Come for an interesting exchange of information and experiences involving the Cessna 120 and 140 aircraft types. Maintenance and other issues will be discussed. 10:00 a.m. Clyde Smith’s Five-Minute Aircraft Safety Walk-Around Clyde Smith, “The Cub Doctor,” presenting. In this hourlong program, Clyde will demonstrate how to make sure your aircraft is safe to fly every time you prepare to aviate. He loves answering questions, so bring them to this forum. Tuesday, July 26 8:00 a.m. Interstate Cadet League, The Pearl Harbor Cadet Story Steve Dawson and others presenting. 4

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9:00 a.m., Aeronca Forum Bill Pancake, A&P, IA, commercial pilot, and CFII, presenting. Everything you ever wanted to know about Aeronca airplanes. He will answer all of your Aeronca questions. 10:00 a.m. How We Judge Your Vintage Airplanes Jerry Brown, VAA chief judge, and others presenting. This forum will explain, in detail, how the Vintage judges will judge your airplane at Oshkosh. Everyone will receive a sample judging sheet, and all of the items will be explained in full. Bring your questions; we will answer them all. At the end of the presentation, we will take the audience to a vintage airplane in the front of the hangar and demonstrate how each item is judged in detail. Wednesday, July 27 8:00 a.m., The Fairchild Club Forum Mike Kelly and others from the Fairchild Club presenting. The Fairchild Club offers all you could want to know about Fairchild airplanes. Bring your questions and experiences involving your airplanes or their restorations. 9:00 a.m., VAA Youth Forum Calling all youth who are interested in aviation. This forum is being put on by our youth and for our youth. They are inviting all young people (and older folks as well) to come and hear how they can become involved with aviation in general, the Vintage Aircraft Association, and the VAA Youth Ambassadors. This program is for the young and the young at heart. All are welcome. Our youth panel will share some of their experiences about how they became involved with aviation, and how others can become involved in aviation activities as well.

Presented by these VAA Youth Ambassadors: • Chairman, Dillon Barron, age 20, private pilot, commercial, multiengine, and soon to be CFI. He was the Gold Lindy winner of a Cessna 170 in 2014. Dillon will begin his first year as a VAA judge of Classic airplanes this year. • Charlie Waterhouse, age 21, private pilot, a junior at Purdue University School of Aeronautical Engineering, and a longtime VAA volunteer during AirVenture. • Luke Lachendro, age 18, private pilot, longtime VAA volunteer, and chairman of the VAA Welcome Wagon program, which delivers cold bottles of water, VAA events programs, and other goodies to arriving pilots and passengers in the Vintage aircraft parking area. • Andrew Griffith, age 19, private pilot, FAA powerplant mechanic (and working on his airframe ticket). 10:00 a.m., VAA Town Hall Meeting At this meeting, VAA leaders will discuss recent activities of the association, current plans, and our goals for the future. We will also answer any questions you may have on the activities of the association, the publications, membership services, and the like. We hope to let the membership know as much about the association as possible. Please bring your comments and suggestions to this meeting. We need to hear your praises and gripes as well. Thursday, July 28 8:00 a.m., The Navion Club Forum Chris Gardner and others presenting. The forum will involve a thorough discussion of the Navion and celebrate the 70th anniversary of this beloved airplane. Bring your questions and stories about your airplanes to this forum.

9:00 a.m., Cessna 195 Club Forum John Baron and Bill Melton presenting. Come to the Cessna 195 Forum and learn everything you ever wanted to know about this famous bird. Maintenance, restoration, care, and feeding of this big bird, and other issues, will be discussed. 10:00 a.m., Ask an AME John Patterson, M.D., AME, and author of the excellent Ask the AME articles in Vintage Airplane magazine, presenting. Come and ask an AME any questions you have about your next flight medical exam, what medications are okay, blood pressure readings, which medical exemptions are available, etc. Ask your questions without the stress of asking during your flight medical exam. Friday, July 29 8:00 a.m., NTSB Accident Investigation An NTSB investigator presenting, with special focus on vintage aircraft accidents. Learn how the NTSB investigators go about putting together the pieces of an aircraft accident, to find the cause and promote flying safety in the future. 9:00 a.m. The Value of a Pre-Purchase Inspection Bill Pancake, A&P, IA, commercial pilot, and CFII, presenting. So, you want to buy a vintage airplane? First, get a pre-purchase mechanical inspection of the airplane you are interested in buying. Make sure you find an A&P who knows vintage airplanes, and hopefully the type you want to buy. Bill has been doing pre-purchase inspections on vintage airplanes for many years. He will tell you what to look for in an A&P and the condition of the airplane in question. Bill will share some guidelines he has developed over the years, which should save you money and heartache. Bring your comments of happy endings or horror stories you have heard. 10:00 a.m How to Make Excellent Video Productions From Your Aircraft Brady Lane, a former EAA staff member and exceptional photographer and storyteller, presenting. Brady will demonstrate how to set up and develop interesting videos from your personal airplanes. This should be a lot of fun for any pilot who owns a video camera.

www.vintageaircraft.org

Vintage Area Activities Paul’s Vintage Workshop Located in the northeast corner of the Vintage Hangar. Come and learn welding techniques for restoration or building light aircraft. We are also featuring PolyFiber fabric covering and safety wire applications that you can practice under the supervision of A&P volunteers. Also wheel bearing lubrication, calculating torque values, practicing torqueing methods for aviation applications, and much more. A&Ps Jim Hamilton and Don Bartlett will demonstrate all of these each day during the morning hours. VAA Volunteer Booth If you wish to be a volunteer in the Vintage area for a day or more, visit our new volunteer booth at the north end of the Red Barn sidewalk. We love our volunteers. Name-tagged volunteers have access to the air-conditioned volunteer refreshment center for cold drinks and snacks at the southwest corner of the Vintage Hangar. VAA Membership Booth You may renew your VAA membership here, or join the ever-increasing membership of the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association. If nothing else, stop by and say hi. We would love to visit with you. Located at the north end of the Red Barn sidewalk. Notice: The Type Club exhibit area tables will be in operation Monday through Friday only from 11:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., as it was in 2015. This gives the Type Club volunteers a chance to visit the convention and allows the Vintage forums and Type Club forums to operate.

Radial Engine Ltd. Demonstrations Located at the north end of the Vintage Hangar. Radial Engine Ltd. representatives will demonstrate the inner workings of radial engines with specific aspects each day from 11:00 a.m. into the early afternoon. They will welcome members of the audience to help and learn the secrets of radial engines. Come and learn from the experts. Vintage Metal Shaping Demonstrations Come and see demonstrations of the equipment and techniques used in shaping metals into amazing and unique shapes needed for aircraft construction. Demonstrations continue Monday through Friday at the southwest outside corner of the Vintage Hangar. See times posted in front of the Vintage Hangar. Watch a while, then, give it a whirl yourself. Rose Memorial Plaza Formerly the Vintage Interview Circle, the Rose Memorial Plaza is located in front of the Vintage Hangar. Ray Johnson interviews the owners and restorers of the many beautiful and unique vintage airplanes Monday through Friday at 11:00 a.m. Come and relax in the new bleachers. VAA Red Barn Sales Area Visit the newly renovated Red Barn sales area and enjoy the new and exciting inventory in the Red Barn sales area. Yes, we’ll still have some of your old favorite items, but you’ll be impressed with the new inventory this year. Get 10 percent off all of your purchases if you show your VAA membership card to the cashiers.

Vintage Bookstore

ERIN BRUEGGEN

JULY/AUGUST 2016

Located just south of the Vintage Hangar behind the Rose Memorial Plaza. All proceeds from the sale of books will be used to enhance the Vintage experience during AirVenture and to provide a conduit for out of print aviation history books and technical manuals for our members and guests. The Vintage Bookstore has accumulated a large and varied inventory of used and/or out-of-print aviation books. Susan Dusenbury invites you to buy a book, browse, or just take a break. Come and read awhile on our new, large, covered front porch. The Vintage Bookstore will accept donated books during AirVenture as well. Donated books can be tax deductible since VAA is a 501(c)(3) corporation.

VAA Red Barn Hospitality Area Sandy and Baron Perlman host the hospitality area. They have been volunteering for many years in the Red Barn and have all of the answers to the many questions you may need answered. They have information, emergency phone numbers, schedules of all of the VAA events, and how to contact most of the VAA staff and volunteers on the field. They can also arrange some transportation on and off the field. You can also pick up your participation plaque if you flew an aircraft into the Vintage area. Come in, relax on the covered porch, and enjoy some lemonade and/or popcorn. You may also purchase tickets to the VAA Picnic, now located in the brand new Tall Pines Café building. Hand-Propping Demonstrations Prop it right and save a life. Greg and Cindy Heckman will demonstrate the safe and legal way to hand-prop an aircraft engine. Many vintage aircraft must be started by hand propping since they may not have an electrical system for starting. In the past several years, we have taught well more than a thousand people how to hand-prop an aircraft engine safely here at Oshkosh. This program was started by the late Dale Gustafson, a longtime Vintage aircraft judge who saw the need since the emergence of the sport pilot certificate and the newly purchased older airplanes. We miss Gus since he has gone west in 2014.

Gone West

Bob Lock passed away while this issue was being put together. The Vintage Airplane’s loss of Bob Lock is close to incalculable. Bob knew his material in infinite depth; he had taught it in the classroom and practiced it the shop. He could and would communicate it to those who chose to learn the information

Tall Pines Café Building Project Its time has come! We are pleased to announce that the VAA Tall Pines Café building has finally been constructed where there had been only a large tent in the past—thanks to some generous contributions from members and a successful fundraising campaign. It is now ready to begin smelling like pancakes, sausage, coffee, and lots of other tasty breakfast items. Plus, there are plenty of charging stations for your convenience while you enjoy your meal. VAA is grateful to Jack J. Pelton for his enthusiastic encouragement in the construction of the new building. A building dedication for the Tall Pines Café will be held on Wednesday, July 27, 2016, at 6:00 p.m. in the new Tall Pines Café building. Officiating will be VAA President Geoff Robison and EAA CEO Jack Pelton. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. The VAA Annual Picnic will be held this year in the Tall Pines Café building, beginning at 6:30, following the dedication ceremony. VAA Membership Meeting Notice The annual meeting of the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association will be held on Wednesday, July 27, at 5:00 p.m. in the Tall Pines Café building on the EAA grounds just east of the ultralight landing field, at the southern end of the aircraft parking area. VAA members are encouraged to attend.

and the art. He could write, and did so for Vintage in a knowledgeable and correct way. As a lasting tribute to Bob, we will continue to publish his educational articles so his talents can be passed on to future generations. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Lock family. www.vintageaircraft.org

2016 VAA HOF Inductee Phil Coulson by Charles W. Harris, VAA Director Emeritus, VAA Hall of Fame Selection Committee Chairman

The Vintage Aircraft Association board of directors is honored to announce its Hall of Fame inductee for 2016 is one of the VAA’s most involved and dedicated members of the sport aviation movement, Mr. Phil Coulson of Lawton, Michigan. Phil Coulson is a gentleman who, after first becoming acquainted with sport flying, quickly became immersed in the thrill and thorough enjoyment of sport aviation, and particularly with its highly congenial and involved people. An entirely new world had opened for Phil and his equally involved wife, Ruthie. Phil’s first airplane ride was fairly early in life as a 16-year-old in a World War II surplus Fairchild PT-23 in 1949. It was enjoyable, but it was not necessarily an impact experience. Phil enlisted in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and spent four years in the service and with military airplanes. Phil’s Air Force experience whetted his appetite for aviation and, on return to his native Michigan, learned to fly in a prewar Piper J-5 Cruiser; he was now in his late 20s. His learning to fly was not only a most enjoyable revelation, but also a passion that has continued the rest of his life. Phil had discovered a major avocational interest in small airplanes in general and in the sport aviation movement in particular, and he began attending the early EAA conventions at Rockford in 1962, which was the year he learned to fly. Phil soon began to volunteer with EAA at Rockford and then Oshkosh, where he became an adviser in the Antique/Classic Division in 1985, which was followed by his being elected to the Antique/Classic board of directors in 1987. During this time Phil had also become closely acquainted with the traditional series of Waco aircraft and soon acquired a Waco UPF-7 open-cockpit biplane. The acquisition of the Waco and close acquaintances with scores of other Waco owners eventually led Phil and his friends to organize the American Waco Club (AWC) in 1993. Phil was named the founding president, a leadership position he continued until his decision to retire in 2013. During Phil’s 20-year AWC presidential period, he also edited and 8

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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

published the Waco World News, the official publication of the AWC. Phil and wife Ruthie have owned, in addition to the UPF-7, a G35 Bonanza, a Cessna 195, a Waco RNF, a Waco 10, and a rare Waco UBA. Phil’s many responsibilities as a nearly 30-year active Vintage Aircraft Association director have included chairing the annual Vintage Parade of Flight each year during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and serving as a long-term senior judge in the Antique category during the convention. Phil’s judging expertise became so widely known and respected that for the past 10 years he has additionally served as judge for the prestigious National Aviation Heritage International events at Dayton, Ohio, and Reno, Nevada, each year. Phil’s business career has been that of a professional surveyor for land and engineering projects in and near his native Lawton. Phil and Ruthie retired from their respective business careers in 2013. Phil elected to take emeritus status with the VAA board in the fall of 2015 after nearly 30 years of active, involved, and dedicated service to EAA and the VAA. The Coulsons have literally dedicated their avocational lives to the field of sport aviation, most specifically to EAA, VAA, and the American Waco Club. It is a special pleasure to announce Phil Coulson’s selection for induction into the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame in November 2016 at Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

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.

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Friends of the

RED BARN

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 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. Or fill out the form on the right and mail to FAA FORB, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. 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!

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 Two Air Show Weekly Seating Wristbands

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

1 ticket

STEVE MOYE R

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

2016

Name: _______________________________________________________________ EAA #:_______________ VAA #:______________

Address:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

City: _________________________________________________________________ State:________________ ZIP:________________

Choose your level of participation: o Diamond Plus ($1,500 or more) o Diamond ($1,000-$1,499) o Platinum ($750-$999) o Gold ($500-$749) o Silver ($250-$499) o Bronze Plus ($150-$249) o Bronze ($100-$149) o Loyal Supporter ($99 or less) Badge Information

Phone:_______________________________________________________________ E-mail:_____________________________________

o Payment enclosed (Make checks payable to Vintage Aircraft Association)

(for Bronze Level and above)

o Yes, prepare my name badge to read: _________________________________ (Please print name)

o Please charge my credit card for the amount of: $ Credit Card Number: Expiration Date: Signature:

o No, I do not need a badge this year. Certificates o Yes, I would like a certificate. o No, I do not need a certificate for this year.

Vintage Aircraft Association | 3000 Poberezny Rd., Oshkosh, WI 54902 | 920.426.6110 | EAAVintage.org 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.

JULY/AUGUST 2016

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How to? ROBERT G. LOCK

Replace streamline wire terminal ends Streamline wire terminal ends are made of highgrade steel and heat-treated for strength. After this process the ends are plated with cadmium for surface protection against corrosion we call rust. Cadmium is a sacrificial plating process, and corrosive elements will eventually eat away the plating, exposing terminal ends to the corrosive atmosphere. When this happens the ends must be removed, cleaned, and inspected and the plating reapplied. Photo 1 shows the effects of corrosion on terminal ends. But when you remove these ends the rigging can be affected, causing the owner to have the airplane re-rigged. But now you can Photo 1 use my process of replacing terminal ends without having to re-rig the airplane. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how. First, check the wire tension of each wire before you loosen anything. This will assure the airplane will go back into rig when wires are replaced. I have a Pacific Scientific wire tensiometer that dates back to the Stearman days during World War II. It is very handy. Photo 2 shows the tensiometer in use. Record the tension of each flying wire and each landing wire; however, landing wire Photo 2 tension is determined 12

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by flying wire tension as they pull against each other. The Stearman Maintenance Manual gives recommended wire tensions; most other old aircraft have no such data. Loosen the flying wires, but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t touch the landing wires because they set wing dihedral. Count the number of full turns when the flying wires are loosened, making the turns all the same for both sides of the airplane and then mark the wires using masking tape and a pencil to reflect each wireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s location. Remove the flying wires from the airplane and unscrew both terminal ends and jam nuts. Now, support the lower wings at the strut point, raising both wingtips to loosen the tension on the landing wires. Loosen the jam nut but not the terminal ends and then remove each wire individually. Using a long 2-by-4, lay each landing wire on the 2-by-4 and drill holes through Photo 3 the terminal end, inserting a bolt to make sure alignment is correct. Photo 3 shows the wires on the 2-by-4. Carefully mark each wire and location (front landing left, aft landing left, etc.). Then remove all terminal ends and jam nuts and install the newly plated parts. I have the parts plated with Class I type plating that is silver in color, just like the original plating as in Photo 4. Begin by installing the landing wire terminal ends and jam nuts, putting the same number of turns in each end (I usually start with 20 complete turns) and then adjust later. Photo 4 shows the new ends just

Photo 4

coming back from the plating shop. Once the exact length of each wire has been set, the landing wires are reinstalled in the proper location. Once again, do not alter the length of the landing wires. Do the same thing to each of the flying wires, screwing on each terminal end by about 20 turns and install these wires. Remove the lower wingtip supports so the wings hang on the landing wires. I install cotter pins in clevis pins and align with the wires, and then I tension all flying wires to the tension reading before removing. Photo 5 shows the reinstallation of flying wires but before the final tension is set. When tensioning the flying wires, work on both sides of the aircraft; I do not put all tension in one side because it puts a strain Photo 5 on the structure and on some biplanes it can pull the wings off-center. Center section roll wires generally have two parallel diagonal wires that place the center section centerline directly above the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. If there are two wires, measure and record tension, then remove one wire from each side to replace the terminal ends and then tension until the reading is the same. Tension on parallel streamline wires should be within 100 pounds of each other. When tension is set, remove the remaining wires to replace the terminal ends. The center section should remain in its existing position. I have used this method successfully on my Command-Aire and on Stearman aircraft. It has worked well. Just remember that whatever length and tension you have before removing a wire, you should have the same length and tension after you reinstall it. Otherwise, rigging will be compromised.

Take Time... to visit the VAA Red Barn during 2016 AirVenture. The place to immerse yourself in the planes and people of the Vintage Assoc. www.vintageaircraft.org

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

Migraine headaches C.A. asks, “I have been diagnosed with migraine headaches. How will this affect my medical?” Many airmen with migraine headaches can be approved by their AME without special issuance or deference to the FAA in Oklahoma City. First we will review the various types of headaches, and then I will summarize the requirements for approval. There are several classifications of headaches just as there are several subclasses of migraine headaches. For example, sinus headaches are brought on by sinus congestion and sometimes infection. Glaucoma, increased intraocular pressure, can also cause a severe and debilitating headache. Chronic tension headaches typically affect both sides of the head and are usually less severe than migraine headaches. They are usually not pulsating, nor do they cause visual disturbance or neurologic weakness or numbness. This is the type most people have. Migraine headaches, however, are characterized by recurrent headaches that are moderate to severe. Typically they affect one-half of the head and may last from two to 72 hours. Associated symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light, sound, or sometimes certain odors. One-third may have an aura or visual disturbance that heralds the onset of the headache. Changing hormones are thought to be in some way involved. Before puberty more boys than girls are affected, but post puberty three times more women have migraines than men. Migraines in women are uncommon in the second and third trimester of pregnancy, and many women suffer migraines in association with menstruation. Many researchers believe that nerves and blood vessels in the brain are responsible for migraine symptoms. The exact mechanism is unknown, but vasodilation of blood vessels in the brain are thought to cause the headache. Consequently, vasoconstrictors such as ergotamine (older treatments) and triptans (newer treatments) are the mainstays in acute treatment. 14

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Caffeine is also used for the same reason. Beta blockers (nadolol or propranolol) and calcium channel blockers (verapamil) can be used for prevention due to their stabilizing effects on vasodilation and constriction. Early treatment usually consists of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen and Tylenol, and medications for the nausea. Vasoconstrictors are reserved for when conservative management fails. Auras are usually visual disturbances but may include effects of sensation and muscle weakness similar to TIA or stroke. Obviously an airman affected with these neurologic abnormalities, namely “complicated” or ocular (visual) disturbances, is not going to be acceptable for pilot-in-command responsibilities. So any atypical facial pain or paralysis, ocular or complicated migraine, or post-traumatic headache must be evaluated and reviewed by the FAA and cannot be issued by the AME. Some can be approved through special issuance. Classic migraine, chronic tension headache, and some cluster headaches can be approved by the AME in the following circumstances. The migraine can occur no more than once a month. Symptoms must be mild, and the airman can have no inpatient admissions related to the headache. There can be no more than two outpatient clinic visits for the migraine within the last year. There can be no muscle weakness or numbness, no dizziness or vertigo or syncope (passing out), or mental status change with the headaches. With regard to treatment, no injectable medications or narcotics are allowed. Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers are acceptable for prophylactic prevention. If triptans (Imitrex, Zomig, Relpax, just to name a few of the more common) are used to abort a migraine, there is a 24-hour no-fly rule. Reglan and Phenergan are sometimes given for nausea associated with the headache, and then there is a 36-hour and 96-hour no-fly rule after taking these meds. C.A., I hope this helps.

Good Old Days

P A R C S K O O B

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

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www.vintageaircraft.org

By Budd Davisson

There is a distinct

tendenc y to vie w E AA as a purely American endeavor. We completely forget that, as with most diseases, the aviation bug knows no boundaries. It can infect anyone, anywhere, but the aero virus is more likely to prosper in an area that has a positive governmental view of private aviation. Europe, in general, is more-or-less positive toward little airplanes, and Germany, along with many other euro entities, is proud to build upon its aviation history by welcoming the EAA attitude. This is made obvious by the number of Deutschland visitors at Oshkosh each year. At AirVenture 2015, however, you had to be quick to catch sight of Thomas Schuettoff in the bright red Twin Beech that he was in the process of buying for a friend and delivering to him in Germany. Both the airplane and Thomas have interesting backstories that fit in well with the tapestry that is sport aviation.

Deutsche Beech 18 A new home for an old favorite

JASON TONEY

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When the D-18S procured by Thomas Schuettoff was delivered to its new owner in Germany the Deutscheland population of Twin Beeches was doubled. www.vintageaircraft.org

JASON TONEY

In 1946, when NC48Y was built, civilian Twin Beeches were viewed in much the same light as Learjets and Gulfstreams are today: speedy travel for those with no time to waste.

The D-18 has performed in many roles, but the airplane Thomas Schuettoff ferried to Germany had never been military and had never been anything but a corporate transport.

At the Beginning There Were the Parents Too often, besides forgetting that the love of aviation is felt worldwide, we forget that European aviators may have parents with that interest, and that’s where they got hooked, just like the rest of us. Thomas says, “My father started his aviation career in 1951 at the age of 15 as a glider pilot. 1951 was the first year after the second world war that flying was allowed again for Germans—but only glider flying. Powered flight was allowed later, in 1957. My father met my mother on a little airfield near Schweinfurt. At this time my mother was a flight student and my father an instructor. He later founded a local aeroclub near Bamberg in the northern part of Bavaria. “So I grew up in airplanes. First, plastic models, then flying models, then glider pilot, and in the same year I finished the glider license, I started and finished the PPL-A. In

As he learned more about aviation, he decided it was time to get into his own flying business. He says, “After working for several flying schools, I founded my own f lying school at Berlin Tempelhof Airfield. That was cool, because the only known f lying school there before was the Wright brothers in the year of 1909. So in 2003, nearly 100 years later, I had the second flying school in the center of the city. “In my flying school at Tempelhof Airfield I had a total of 23 planes— mostly in sub-charter. Basic instructions on planes like the PA-11/18 and PT-17/Stearman were more standard than using a 152 or Cirrus for my customers. Up to the first solo, my customers had to learn on a tailwheel—then they could convert to nosewheel, if they wanted.” The flight school at Tempelhof was good, “I had there a super time,” but that lasted for only a couple years because they jerked

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spring the following year, I got my tailwheel endorsement and started on PA-18 and Dornier Do 27—towing gliders and dropping parachuters. I build up couple thousand takeoff and landings in a short time. That gave me an accurate foundation for my future instructor time.” Thomas says, “I don’t know why I’ve always been attracted to vintage aircraft. I started in aviation when I was born. At the age of 30, a good friend of mine found an aviation book in my library that I got at my communion at the age of 8. On the first page I wrote a list of my favorite airplanes. The list contains Monocoupe, Fairchild, Stinson, and so on. So I think my aviation virus was basically implanted by my parents. “I got my first airplane in 1995. I met a Swiss aerobatic pilot at Creve Coeur/St. Louis, Missouri, who told me that his family is looking for a buyer for an original 1948 Luscombe 8F. His father had passed

away, and nobody in Switzerland was interested in buying. Only one week later the Luscombe becomes my first owned airplane. I registered it in Germany, which was a shame because it came straight from production to Swiss registration. But the rules didn’t allow me to hold it on HB registration. My basic interests are still vintage planes, especially from the Roaring ’20s up to the early ’50s.” It Was to Be Aviation or Nothing “Out of school, I went to a bank and learned traditional bank business. I wanted to go into aviation business, but my parents advised me not to do this cause of they can see no future for me. At this time I was already in aviation by flying in our local flying club. Finally, I agreed and decided also not to go to college at this time. “I spent, in total, around 12 years in bank business and finally decided to go in aviation 100 percent.”

the rug out from under him by closing down the airport in 2008. He remembers, “After the field was closed, I changed my life to the dark side and went to the CAA (similar to the FAA). My experience in aviation was, and is still, good for both sides involved in aviation. Today I am responsible for flying schools, AOC holders, and inspector for airfields. Examiner for gliders and planes rounds it up.” Vintage Aviation as a Way of Life Thomas’ continual interest in vintage airplanes, including becoming the go-to guy for learning to fly them, opened some unexpected doors. He says, “Because of my historical aviation interests and big aviation network, people began asking me to find interesting collector planes. And that is what I now do outside of my main job. I do it for fun and not to make money. As a non-commercial broker, I connect people to sellers and check the

planes. Later on I instruct the new owners on the plane. Over the years a couple dozen containers from all over the world filled up with planes arrived in Germany. Some planes for ex ample: Ryan STA —now at Shuttleworth—Fairchild 24, Stinson 108, C-140/170/172/195, Wacos, Yak-9, T-6, and more.” Enter the Twin Beech “A friend of mine is flying an E model Twin Beech in Bavaria. I have flown some hours on his ship years ago. Another friend who already owns two Stearmans visited one time while my Bavarian friend was there with the Twin Beech. This was the first time he has seen the 18—he fell in love and asked me to find one for him. “That night I turned on my PC and found an interesting D18 in Trade-A-Plane. When I am looking for planes, I am always looking for historic planes first and then for the technical condition. So, I found an www.vintageaircraft.org

interesting ship in the Seattle area. The plane belonged to a private man who used it a little bit for his small company. The fuel prices made his decision to sell necessary to change his daily airplane to C-185 and to sell the Beech 18. The first time I called him, the plane actually was sold, but only one day later he called me again and told me the financing of the plane hasn’t gone through. So we booked our flights, and after a short stop at Las Vegas (a no-win situation) we saw the Beech 18 the first time. She was kind of a little hangar queen at that time, but in overall interesting condition. We decide to buy it basically because of the red color, its in-and-out condition, and its history. Plus the plane never was used as a freighter nor as a jump plane. Better yet, it had been stored inside hangars its entire life. “ The engines were both over their time but strong running. Interesting part was the plane’s history. First, she has been a company plane for the Clemson brothers, later she becomes the Boeing Company plane, and finally went in the late ’80s to the University of Washington. After extensive restoration in the ’90s, she becomes placed between some jets in another company before she was sold to the owner we buy it from. “In Germany we have only two Beech 18s, and so when you go on air shows, it looks pretty cool. By the way—we bought the plane in fall 2014, and a ferry pilot flew it to Rockford, Illinois, where we asked Heritage Aero for assistance. We installed an autopilot, a new audio panel, and had the engines overhauled in Tulsa, Oklahoma.”

Buying It Was Easy; Getting It Home Wasn’t Buying an airplane in the States with the intention of flying it to Europe isn’t an endeavor approached casually. It takes some preparation, both mentally and mechanically, a process that doesn’t always go as planned. Thomas says, “In spring—right in time to visit Sun ’n Fun— we have f lown down to Florida to break in the engines. That was a very interesting flight. We stopped over Creve Coeur, where we visited Al Stix, a longtime friend, and got a great tour through his collection. Down to the south, we stopped at the Beech museum at Tullahoma. It was so great there! Charles Paris opened it for us because at this time it is normally still closed—wintertime. “We have had only one night at Sun ’n Fun and flew back the next

day. The engines didn’t use any oil at this time. On the way back, our brakes decided to leave us, so the next ‘little’ investment needed to be made. The plan to fly after an oil change direct heading east to Germany was canceled at this point.” The best laid plans of mice, men, and ferry pilots are always being messed with by fate, and the situation is always made better by having someone onboard the project that has been there before. “A few weeks later,” Thomas says, “we have found a ferry pilot who is willing to fly with us to Germany. Unfortunately, the weather situation and a big oil leak crossed our plans again. The oil leak was caused by a broken oil cooler. So we changed it, and then I flew the plane in July up to Oshkosh and later to Toronto, where I handed it out to a professional ferry pilot, Klaus Plasa. He has f lown

The bright red scheme the airplane now carries is one of the reasons the new buyer decided to buy it. 22

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www.vintageaircraft.org

JASON TONEY

A cockpit looking the way the aero-gods said they should look: orderly steam gauges with very little electroglass in sight.

once in a stand ard S tear man from U.S. to Germany. He made it to Europe in only three days, and finally, after he picked up the owner and a friend of his in Biggin Hill, England, the ship landed in Braunschweig (Brunswik) airport in Germany, August 2015. “Right now I am in the process of instructing the new owner and his friend, and we are pretty close to signing them off for the first solos. The plane will have its own hangar soon, and we celebrated its 70th birthday on May 8 this year with a little ceremony.” But, How Does It Fly? With Thomas’ long history of flying tailwheel airplanes of all sizes and types, he’s well qualified to comment on how the Beech 18 flies. “I have flown so many different types of tailwheel planes, but the 18 is one of my favorites. As the instructor, it is a goal to get other people checked out on it, but tailwheel experience is really necessary. Plus, you must be a stick and rudder man and 24

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know how to handle all three axis the right way. “I was checked out by Ken Morris (couple thousand hours only on Beech 18, B-17 pilot from the EAA) and Miro Rieser who is flying the Beech in Germany and is also a professional airline pilot and Lambertpowered Monocoupe owner. “First, the Twin Beech is a character. I hope to find the right words: She is flying like a majesty of the air. She behaves so smooth and stable— even after being told at one of my first lessons, ‘She is a snake and will bite you everywhere and every time you don’t expect it.’ Yes—I already have found out some tricky things— but they are mainly caused not by the plane but by the pilot. “Flight in wind is nice—especially when it comes direct to the nose. But in this plane, crosswind is a handful of work. You need to know what to do and not to wait for something to find answers. Being ahead of your plane, not behind, during takeoff and landings is important. We are only talking about

standard operations with nothing unusual. Abnormals during takeoff can be critical. It is said, ‘If Pratt quits, Whitney will bring you to the crash site.’ That’s what several Beech people told me, and I believe them. “Filled up with 280 gallons of fuel, four passengers, and crew you are at gross weight. With this load she is a complete different plane. Liftoff happens more because of earth’s curvature than because of aerodynamics. “Normal takeoff with enough runway length, I gently push the power full forward until 35 inch of manifold pressure and 2300 rpm is reached, and shortly after rolling, I push the tail up. Holding direction is easy with the two rudders at the end of the plane. The first time I soloed her, my impressions were like flying a Piper Cub. You really can feel how she wants to get in the air—you can feel every square inch of the wing that wants to be airborne. “Landing is the most important part on the whole flight. The first landings I have done with her were not my so-called ‘Dr. Tailwheel

need to know what to do in case of the unexpected. It is a high, complex tailwheel airplane, and engine handling is very important. I love to fly her, and yes, I feel as if I am just jumping in, but my checklist is always less than an arm’s length away.” Thomas reports that in economy cruise (21 gph/engine) he’s indicating 160 mph, but if he’s willing to burn the gas (27 gph/engine), 29 inches and 2000 rpm gives him nearly 230 mph IAS. But, speed isn’t what the Twin Beech is all about. It’s about viewing the world from a classic perch and sharing that view with friends. Now What? Thomas reports, “The Beech will be used mainly for fun and not for commercial ventures. Mostly traveling to air shows and some traveling throughout Europe.” He sums up his feeling for the airplane by saying, “The plane fits perfect in my life—especially when the owner allows me to fly it solo. Sitting in her, with both engines making their music at maybe 1,000 feet above the ground, I just enjoy flying her—that’s fun. I invest nearly 100 percent of my holidays in the plane, but I think that’s a very good investment.”

JASON TONEY PHOTOS

landings’; I usually three-point airplanes. I felt comfortable, but not as good as in all the other planes I have flown before. Lousy working brakes with high pressure added their part to the story. As an old three-pointer, I asked about this in the Beech but always received the answer not to do that. So we proceeded with wheel landings. That’s an easy landing technique that works fine with 2,500-plus-long runways. But over time I found that it is very easy to flare her at 85 mph and after soft touchdown use the brakes. So I am able to full stop her within 1,500 feet with good wind situations. “I fly her on final at around 100 mph. Steep and stable approach with a good power setting. Nose down and along a clothesline until the flare point, correcting the speed only with more or less power. If you do this and have the right feeling for the energy of your plane, the landing will be very easy. Most problems are caused by wrong energy balance, wrong speeds, and a flat approach. She also doesn’t like to get on ground in a crooked position. If you do so, you need to do many things to bring her back straight. My students still surprise me every day with new versions of landings. “You can use the engines to solve or assist on crosswind landings. Also after touchdown you need sometimes more or less on engine to hold her straight on the runway. “After the tail comes down, the landing flaps cover the airstream of the props and the rudders lose their function. That’s the point where you start to love your brakes. “Good working brakes are nice to have. Especially when you instruct newcomers you need to have them. Later on I think you need them only on strong crosswind and for taxiing. “I would not call it difficult to fly. It really depends on your flight experience. It is not a plane you just jump into. It is a lot of fun, but you really

…in lieu of a flight attendant.

Every bit of space is utilized.

A final touch of elegance: leather-covered yokes.

Thomas Schuettoff doesn’t look disappointed in his recent purchase. www.vintageaircraft.org

Monocoupe Legend of Flight by

M oose P eterson

MOOSE PETERSON

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www.vintageaircraft.org

One of the legends of the Monocoupe was born at this time. As the story goes, a Monocoupe got away from its pilot in Great Falls, Montana, and took off all by itself. The pilotless Monocoupe lazily circled the airport before running out of gas. It then descended in a gentle glide, turned, and landed intact a short distance from where it took off. Ripley’s Believe it or Not! popularized the story.

The Monocoupe Racing Legacy

MOOSE PETERSON

s the genius and tenacity of the Wright brothers have fogged with time, so has the speed and agility of the Monocoupe! Just 15 years after Orville’s first powered flight, Clayton Folkerts, a 19-year-old farmer’s kid in Bristow, Iowa, built his first plane in a basement. It never left the ground, so he built his second and then his third. The third had a couple of unusual features, such as semielliptical wings that warped for lateral control and steered the aircraft with a rudder bar like a bobsled. Clayton had cut away the water jacket of a Ford Model T engine and mounted it inverted in his airplane. He was able to “fly” over fences and hedgerows, but that’s about all. This was in 1918, only two years after he first saw a plane fly, which inspired him to take to the skies himself and eventually produce a legend of flight! In 1929 the stock market crashed, and even though it took the wind out of the country’s sails, aviation fever gripped the country. Across the country new airplane companies sprung up—including Waco, Beechcraft, and Cessna—and by 1930 the

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Central States Aero Co. had been in operation for four years. In 1926, Don Luscombe and Folkerts combined their talents to manufacture the first Monocoupe. Luscombe was an extremely talented salesman who loved to fly, but the open-air experience of biplanes wasn’t his cup of tea. He wanted an enclosed cockpit so he could wear the clothes of a gentleman and exit looking his best. It was the day of the “sportsman pilot,” which even during the Depression helped the U.S. aviation industry grow and flourish! Central States Aero became Mono Aircraft Inc. in 1928. It was during these years that Folkerts, still with no formal engineering training, vastly refined his design. Accommodating two tiny people (by 1920s standards) in its enclosed cockpit, the Monocoupe was a tiny aircraft, especially when compared to the biplanes of the era. Its single-piece wooden wing and massive spar ran the entire length of the wing and went right through the top of the cabin. Its high aspect ratio gave the Monocoupe plenty of lift, while the tiny cabin and its fuselage kept drag to a minimum. This created what

was the fastest plane of the day. E.K. “Rusty” Campbell, the first pilot to test-fly the aircraft, said, “You don’t fly it, you just wish it!” Trying to explain where the speed came from, Luscombe put it this way: “It’s like stepping on a bar of soap; the push comes from behind.” The results from the 1929 National Air Races seemed to have been a turning point in Folkert’s design. Phoebe Omlie, flying a new Warner Special Monocoupe, took first in the Santa Monica-Cleveland derby. She also won the women’s closed-course race. Other Monocoupes flown by other pilots in other derbies also won, with Vern Roberts taking home a large share of the winnings. Drawing on what he had learned from these wins, Folkert came up with the Monocoupe Model 90 over the winter of 1929. It was called the Model 90 because the new 90-hp Warner engine powered it. These aircraft were considered racing specials. Shortly thereafter, Mono Aircraft got the Warner 110-hp and adapted it to the Monocoupe Model 90. Approval of the prototype Model 110 Monocoupe came in June 1930, and as they say, the rest is history.

Around this time aircraft engines became larger, more reliable, and lighter. This allowed the windshield to get smaller, making room for the additional power. When the little 90-hp Lambert radial was attached to the front of the Monocoupe and the wind-cheating cowling covered it, the Monocoupe delivered what was considered at the time a blazing performance. It delivered 110-

mph cruise speed and 130-mph top speed and climbed at a rate of 900 feet per minute. Compared to the bulky biplanes, this was lightning fast. This is when the world started to learn about the Monocoupe as it took to the air races. In 1928, 10 percent of all licensed aircraft were Monocoupes! Racing in 1928 started out with Phoebe Omlie and Jack Atkinson participating in the 6,300-mile Ford Reliability Tour. The first closed-course race for the Monocoupe was the 1928 National Air Races at Los Angeles. Vern Roberts and C.A. LaJotte put on a good show, averaging 95 mph and 110 mph. In 1929 Phoebe Omlie finished first in the Santa MonicaCleveland derby of the National Air Races in her Warner-powered Monocoupe. She also won the women’s closed-course race in the same Monocoupe. Other pilots

in other Monocoupes and Monocoaches won other derbies at the same Cleveland National Air Races, setting the stage for the Monocoupe era in air racing. The history of the Monocoupe as a racing aircraft began with Luscombe, who used performance as a major selling point. The company’s little 55-hp, cross-axle Model 70s began racing in 1928. The Model 70 evolved into the Model 113, with several Monocoupes’ 60-hp Velie engines being replaced with 110-hp engines. Those racers led to the certified 110 Warner-powered Monospor t 1 and 100 K inner Monosport 2 of 1929. Their success led to the 110/125 Warner-powered Model 110, which was certified on June 16, 1930. Although only about 50 Model 110s would be built, they cut an amazingly wide swath at the National Air Races in 1930 and 1931, not only winning

www.vintageaircraft.org

MOOSE PETERSON PHOTOS

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their 450 cubic inch class, but also the 510, 650, 800, and 1,200 cubic inch classes against aircraft with much larger engines! During this time, Johnny Livingston was making his Monocoupe. He was f lying the legend, the Model 110 Monocoupe (Johnny Livingston was the inspiration for Richard Bach’s Jonathan Livingston Seagull). It was said Livingston was the most spectacular of the Model 110 race pilots, with 1931 being the year of his greatest success. He entered 65 races in 1931, including the National Air Races at Cleveland, winning 41 of them in his Monocoupe. Additionally, he came in second 19 times, third four times, and fifth once. Johnny’s greatest performance was at the National Air Races at Cleveland, where he took first in the following races in his modified Monocoupe 110 NC501W: • Men’s 510 cubic inch Free For All (including pure, uncertified racers)—140.77 mph • Men’s 510 cubic inch Certified (ATC) Aircraft—148.791 mph • Men’s 650 cubic inch Free For All—139.507 mph • M e n ’ s 6 5 0 c u b i c i n c h ATC—132.555 mph • M e n ’ s 8 0 0 c u b i c i n c h ATC—145.221 mph • M e n ’s 1 , 2 0 0 c u b i c i n c h ATC—144.327 mph • Additionally, he came in second in the following races: • Men’s 800 cubic inch Free For All—149.466 mph • M e n ’s 1 , 0 0 0 c u b i c i n c h ATC—135.240 mph Livingston even entered his Monocoupe 110 in the 1,000 cubic inch Free For All that included the Gee Bee Z, the Wedell-Williams No. 44, etc. and finished fifth! That year Jimmy Doolittle would win the Bendix Trophy and Lowell Bayles the Thompson in the Gee Bee Z,

gaining most of the national headlines, but no one even came close to Livingston’s record of winning six out of the nine races he started. Livingston’s total winnings at the 1931 National Air R aces were $6,180 (nearly $250,000 in today’s dollars). Additionally, Phoebe Omlie won the transcontinental handicap derby and two closedcourse Free For Alls for total winnings of $4,250. Four other pilots, including Vern Roberts, also won speed events in Monocoupes. In early 1932, Livingston sent his Monocoupe 110 back to the factory for further modification. Livingston had the wings on his Monocoupe 110 shortened, creating what quickly came to be known as the Special or “Clipwing” Monocoupe. It also had smaller wheels and, by the first race, a new 145hp Warner engine. In his Clipwing Monocoupe, Livingston won the Cincinnati Trophy Race by only two seconds and won third in pylon racing. His Clipwing Monocoupe could top 200 mph on the course, but during the previous year, his competitors had also increased their speed. Thirty-seven Monocoupes competed that year, more than in any other race before. In 1931 the Mono Aircraft Inc. became The Monocoupe Corp. In 1934 The Monocoupe Corp. became the Lambert Aircraft Corp. and the sleek Monocoupe morphed into the D model. At this point pilots from around the country were flying the Monocoupe for business and pleasure. Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh were just two of the more notable owners. But the days of the Monocoupe dominating the racing circuit were slowly fading. The D model didn’t sell well, but the Model 90A continued. Lambert Aircraft had a top salesman, Clare W. Bunch, who in 1934 was laid off because of chronic

internal discord in the company. Then the head of Lambert Aircraft left, and Thomas Towle, who developed the Ford Tri-Motor and had been Bunch’s colleague, was put in charge. Towle’s first act as boss was to rehire Bunch. Then Towle left, leaving Bunch in charge of Lambert Aircraft and the future of the Monocoupe. In 1936, Lambert Aircraft became The Monocoupe Corp. and produced Model 90As 25 at a time. Monocoupe had its ups and downs during World War II and struggled along. Production of the Monocoupe ended in 1950.

Monocoupe 110 Special N101H

On May 28, 1938, serial No. 6W60, the third Monocoupe Special, or “Clipwing,” rolled off the production line at Robertson, Missouri. NC511 was licensed on a Group 2 approval, an amendment to the approved type certificate for the Model 110 Monocoupe. It was powered by a 145-hp Warner radial with Hamilton Standard adjustable-pitch prop and had an empty weight of 1,072 pounds and a gross weight of 1,630 pounds. It was a standard Special with the addition of the optional turn and bank, rate of climb, a manifold pressure gauge, a thermocouple, and an eight-day clock. It was originally fitted with 6.50-by-10 Eberhardt wheels and brakes. Over the next couple of years, NC511 remained at the factory as a demo and was used for personal transportation. The legacy of Monocoupes, however, put NC511 in the races. Edna Gardner Whyte won the Culver Trophy twice at the Miami Air Maneuvers. Clare Bunch, the president of Monocoupe, won the Dominican Trophy Race and in 1939 set a lightplane speed record from New York to San Diego. In June 1940, a Lear AMR-1 receiver and AMT-1 transmitter, in addition to appropriate antennas, a sensitive

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altimeter, venturi, plus a 2-pound weight for the tailwheel were installed. On December 21, 1940, NC511 was sold to Clare Bunch for “$1 and other considerations.” J.R. Horton of Coral Gables, Florida, bought NC511 on May 2, 1945, and three years later exported it to Cuba. NC511’s U.S. registration was canceled on April 2, 1948. What happened with the Monocoupe over the next six years is a little bit of a mystery. It’s thought that Jose Acebo flew the Monocoupe at air shows and perhaps used it to escape from Cuba to the United States. Another story has F. Sequeiro buying NC511, but whatever the case, NC511 came back to the United States and was registered in June 1955 as N101H to Joe Marrs. But before this happened, Marrs had sold N101H to Rusty Heard in March. Heard was an Eastern Air Lines captain. In 1956 the Monocoupe was rebuilt by Clayton Gambler, who re-covered its airframe in grade A fabric and mounted a different 145-hp Warner. A Curtiss Reed propeller was also installed. Heard owned N101H for the next 11 years and put only 110 hours on it. During this time, he would show up at fly-ins and

air shows and would sometimes put on what was thought to be a fairly simple yet high-risk flight sequence. On April 3, 1966, coming home from an air show, Heard decided to fly an impromptu aerobatic show over a friend’s farm near Arcadia, Florida. It’s not clear what went wrong, but Heard came in at a very steep angle, hitting the ground. Heard was killed, and the Monocoupe N101H was reduced to a burnt-out hulk. On September 22, 1967, Syd Stealey, who already owned a Monocoupe D-145, purchased the “paperwork” for N101H along with the plane’s remains. On August 22, 1969, Dick Austin purchased N101H and the D-145. Austin also purchased two other Monocoupes, 15E and 2347, as well as Monocoupe parts from others, and put them in the hands of C.V. Stuart (who had restored the famed Little Butch for John McCulloch). The 15E was completed, flown, and donated to the EAA Aviation Center. Austin was tragically killed in a Starduster Too accident. On April 1, 1978, Red Nichols, who already owned the only flatengine Clipwing, bought N101H. Nichols never got the project www.vintageaircraft.org

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Culloch flew it first (with a small landing issue typical of the Monocoupe). Then Bud Dake, who was the most current in a Monocoupe around at the time, flew it. In all, N101H made five flights that day with few squawks to report. On April 2, 1992, a standard airworthiness certificate was issued with a notation that the airplane had a total time of 738.85 hours since it was new in 1938. It made its public debut that same month at Sun ’n Fun, being named Antique Reserve Grand Champion, and was named Grand Champion two weeks later at EAA Antique/Classic Chapter 3’s fly-in. N101H Butch Too was a hit!

N101H’s Current Steward

Longtime Monocoupe admirer Warren Pietsch acquired N101H in May 2002. This was his second Monocoupe (his first in the hangar was a Monocoupe 110 NC114V “Longwing,” as he referred to it). One of just 10 made by the factory, N101H held a special allure for Pietsch, who has been a fan on Monocoupes since his teens. When Pietsch learned from Bud Dake and Forrest Lovely that John McCulloch was selling N101H, he jumped at the opportunity. They all got together, and soon Pietsch was flying it back to Minot, North Dakota. Along the way the wing got damaged.

MOOSE PETERSON

weighs, makes it move around. When you pick the tail up it wants to turn left, and you still don’t have enough rudder to keep it going straight. So you’ve got to just let the tail come up on its own and just let it fly off.” Until you’ve seen a Monocoupe up close and personal, you don’t realize how small its cabin is. Because it was built in an era when people were physically smaller, getting in and working the controls might seem a challenge. “You know, I don’t mind it,” says Blessum. “I’ve got quite a bit of time in a Luscombe, and they’re similar airplanes. I’m pretty comfortable in there. But you put two adults in there and it’s not very roomy. And with one door over on the right side, you know you’re in a tight spot. You prop it and get it started and then climb in the left seat, and then your passenger has to get in after you. That takes a little bit of practice. Heel brakes are another factor that you definitely want to be comfortable with, but again it’s not something you really plan on using out on the runway; it’s more [of a factor] if you need them for taxiing. It doesn’t need a lot of runway length, but on landing it does float more than I would ever expect it to, which is a sign of the performance that it

makes. I think it’s a pretty efficient airplane in the air, and it’s a lot of fun to fly in that regard, where it doesn’t take a lot of power to go 100 miles an hour. And it doesn’t burn much gas.”

Note: I want to thank Warren Pietsch and Brian Sturm for their countless hours on the ground and in the air to bring this history to life!

But is it Fun to Fly?

“We’ve been to a couple of antique fly-ins with it and given a couple of rides, and you get going around the pattern with some other biplanes from that era and it’s easy to see the performance difference in a monowing airplane compared to the big old biplanes with all the layers and so much more drag there—this was a pretty efficient airplane,” Blessum says with a big smile. “It’s really fun to fly, yup. I mean, this was the race hog!” The first time I toured the Dakota Territory Air Museum, I noticed the black-and-yellow plane tucked in the corner. Its lines and paint scheme instantly caught my attention, and I started to ask questions. I was totally fascinated by the heritage the Monocoupe represents and the imagination and ingenuity a “farm kid” possessed. Mostly, the history of the Monocoupe—renowned for its speed, race legacy, and tenacity—is a true American story of our freedoms and desire to follow our dreams!

MOOSE PETERSON

OOSE PETERSON

going, and in 1986, McCulloch purchased the aircraft. McCulloch had to gather other parts as Nichols had only a wing that was completed by Harman Dickerson. He found its 165-Warner and Aeromatic prop and some of its other small parts. He finally got all the parts to his Naples, Florida, hangar just as his Monocoupe D-145 Big Butch project had begun. In 1989, after flying his D-145 for several years, he jumped on the N101H Clipwing. McCulloch put the project in the very capable hands of Grand Champion restorer Jim Kimball of Tangerine, Florida. To speed up the process, the fuselage was put in the hands of Jim Younkin of Fayetteville, Arkansas. McCulloch wanted the famed 185 Warner in his Clipwing, and after lots of searching, finally found one and entrusted Mike Conner of Leesburg, Florida, to bring it back to life. With McCulloch’s collecting this and that part from various places around the country, Conner was able to basically assemble a brand-new Warner 185 for his Monocoupe. When McCulloch sold Big Butch, he retained an 85-inch F-220 Aeromatic prop, which he installed on N101H. The Monocoupe 110 Special N101H flew again on February 21, 1992, on Kimball’s grass strip. Mc-

This prompted a thorough examination of the wing, and it was determined it needed to be rebuilt. Ed Sampson of Red Woods, Minnesota, made the wing for N101H, and Gary Johnson of Pietsch Aircraft Restoration did the fabric. The paint scheme of Pietsch’s ’32 Monocoupe 110 “Longwing” is very true to the original. He wanted a matched pair with the Clipwing, so it was painted in the original scheme, but with reversed colors. Ralph Fettig of Minot, North Dakota, did the painting and added the finishing details. The Monocoupe has a lot of modern concessions in its equipment. Besides the paint color and scheme, it has a 185 Warner engine, Aeromatic prop, Cleveland 6.50-by-10 wheels, and Cleveland brakes. In 2011, N101H was in the air again. Only someone who has taken this unique, historic aircraft into the air can describe the Monocoupe flying experience. Pietsch’s associate and flying buddy Jay Blessum has lots of hours flying both of Pietsch’s Monocoupes. When first asked to discuss the experience, a big smile comes across his face. “It’s been a lot of fun to fly something that’s pretty [close to] the way it came from the factory and to think about the performance that you got out of it,” he says. The Monocoupe has inspired a lot of stories over the decades among the many pilots who have endeavored to get it off the ground. Blessum was asked what is that like in the Monocoupe. “It’s one of the most difficult airplanes I’ve flown,” he says. “There are probably a lot of other airplanes around that are just as much of a handful, but you want to plan ahead and don’t do anything too quick. Like you don’t want to pick the tail up too quick because the gyroscopic action of all the rotating mass, which I believe is just a weight ratio of how much this stuff is rotating compared to what the rest of the airplane

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JIM BUSHA

CHRIS MILLER

ERIN BRUEGGEN

JIM BUSHA

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CHRIS MILLER

JIM KOEPNICK

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ERIN BRUEGGEN

JIM BUSHA

ERIN BRUEGGEN

CHRIS MILLER

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ERIN BRUEGGEN

CHRIS MILLER

JIM BUSHA

ERIN BRUEGGEN

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ERIN BRUEGGEN

CHRIS MILLER

ERIN BRUEGGEN

CHRIS MILLER

JIM BUSHA

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ERIN BRUEGGEN

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CHRIS MILLER

JIM BUSHA

CHRIS MILLER

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ERIN BRUEGGEN

CHRIS MILLER

JIM KOEPNICK

ERIN BRUEGGEN

ERIN BRUEGGEN CHRIS MILLER

ERIN BRUEGGEN

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JIM BUSHA

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The McClain 195 by Budd Davisson

It’s a tossup as to whether Jim McClain of Roanoke, Texas, owns his Cessna 195 or if his 195 owns him. This is a good thing! He has integrated his airplane, and the 195 in general, into his life to such an extent that it has become part his identity. The Cessna 195: A Different Breed of Cat There is a certain amount of magic attached to some airplanes that seems to draw people to them in almost illogical ways. There is nothing remotely illogical, however, about the attraction of the 52

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Cessna 195. What’s not to like about an all-metal, round-engined airplane that carries five people with ease and clearly has one foot in history but is as functional as almost any modern airplane? Better than that, it practically oozes class. It’s interesting to note that the Beech Bonanza and the 195 hit the marketplace within a few months of each other in 1947. The Bonanza was as modernistic, easy to fly, and sophisticated as a personal airplane could possibly be. The Cessna 195 Business Liner, on the other hand, was an anachronism from the beginning, with its round engine and tail-down stance. The Bonanza should have blown the 195 into the weeds from the get-go and

limited its sales. But it didn’t. Despite the difficult market conditions of the time, nearly 1,200 195s were built between 1947 and 1954, which surely says something about its design. With its mini-airliner cabin it felt like a big airplane to anyone climbing through the large cabin door and weaving between the seats to the flight deck. Further, the three-place rear seat (huge for two, slightly tight for three) made passengers feel not only comfortable but also well-accommodated (rear passengers can barely touch the front seats with their feet). Also, even though its useful load was officially 1,300 pounds, it was a well-accepted axiom that if the pilot could get it through the door, the

SPENCER THORNTON

A WAY OF LIFE, NOT JUST AN AIRPLANE. Jim McClain was first introduced to his 195 when he was jumping out of it in college. He has owned it for 40 years.

airplane would carry it. Jim McClain, who was raised on a cattle ranch in Missouri, discovered the 195 in a less-than-conventional way. However, from the beginning it was almost assumed that he’d wind up in aviation, one way or the other. He explains, “My biological father passed when I was 10. My mother, who was a pilot, remarried to our local physician, who was also a pilot. My mother actually gave me a lot of my early instruction. Between the three of us we flew all over the Midwest together, often to cattle shows and sales associated with our farming business,

or back and forth from the University of Iowa to the farm near Hannibal, Missouri, on weekends. My dad was an aviation enthusiast, and we frequented the air shows at Ottumwa, Iowa, where there were many vintage aircraft flown and displayed. I found the history of these to be interesting, like the beautiful Lockheed Vega we saw one year, or the gorgeous Gullwing Stinson. I loved them all.” Out Into the Real World His college degree was in chemistr y and botany, and as soon as he graduated he went into naval aviation.

He says, “I was in West Pac assigned to VQ-1, three years in Da Nang flying first on the Super Connie (EC-121) or ‘Willie Victor’ as it was known in naval jargon. My entire crew was lost when shot down. I had been sent to SERE school and was replaced on that mission. I was re-assigned to the EA-3B (Whale), and I flew on it until I left the Navy in 1970.” O u t o f t h e N a v y, J i m w a s looking for a new business and in the process discovered his aerial-love-to-be. “I had been sky diving for a number of years, which included jumping from a 195. So, in 1970, www.vintageaircraft.org

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Jim replaced the original 245-hp Jacobs with a 275-hp version to better handle jumpers and his family.

Cessna’s 195 “Business Liner” was a personal-sized aerial limousine that first flew right after WWII. JASON TONEY

ready-made to develop corrosion. Not ever y joint was bad, but the only way to tell for sure was to drill out the rivets, open up the joint, clean it out and put it back together. We did one panel at a time, so the cabin wouldn’t get out of line, but eventually, we wound up removing and re-riveting most of them. It was a long process. In fact, the entire restoration took eight years!” While the fuselage was stripped down, the entire airplane was rewired and new circuit breakers and their panel installed. At the same time, all h o s e s w e re c h a n g e d a n d t h e sometimes-troublesome Goodyear brakes were upgraded to modern Clevelands. The “ valley” under the floorboards was opened up and cleaned of the grunge such places seem to attract, and the floorboards themselves cleaned and refinished with epoxy primer. About the Jacobs Engines In addition to 195s, the 195 family includes the 190, which is essentially the same airframe with a different engine and slightly changed cowling. R ather than

using a variation of the R-755 Jacobs, the 190 used a 240-hp variation of the 220-hp W670 Continental, which hung on so many World War II Stearmans. From the outside it’s hard to tell them apart, even though the cowling is slightly shorter. The dead giveaway, however, is that the cowl bumps on a 190 are inserted from the inside and riveted, rather than being riveted on the outside of the cowling. Just another bit of 195 trivia to be bantered around. The 195s were powered by a variety of R-755 Jacobs engines, Jim McClain flew his airplane for all of them called “Shaky Jake,” al- years before totally rebuilding it. though they don’t actually shake. Jim knows the engine well, “ W hen I first bought the airplane, the engine was a 245-hp and needed a top overhaul. With a local A&P looking over my shoulder, I pulled the cylinders and sent them to Page Aircraft in Oklahoma City for overhaul. When they came back, two of my friends came over, and we re-assembled the engine over a long weekend. “Eventually, I decided I needed more horsepower,” he says, “so I moved up to the 275-hp Jacobs, The ribbed control surfaces often which I think is the best engine for show signs of a hard life, but not the airframe. A 300-hp version of on N9835A. SPENCER THORNTON

found a lot of corrosion. Most of it was caused by the hygiene habits of mice. They had done some real damage. It took a solid year just cleaning out the mess. I had to replace a bunch of ribs but fortunately was able to get all but two from Cessna at the unbelievable 1950 price of $7.50 a piece, which was nothing short of a miracle. But I had to have two new ones fabricated by a shop in Dallas. “The leading-edge root metal on both sides absolutely needed replacing, but we had to fabricate them from scratch. Fortunately, I had the help of a grizzled old-timer who showed me how to make the hundreds of rivet holes all line up.” The fuselage presented its own corrosion problems, but these were man-made, not the result of rodents. “ L i k e o t h e r a i rc ra f t a t t h e time,” Jim says, “195s had insulation laid up against the skin under the upholstery. This trapped moisture. Also, there was other ‘stuff ’ sprayed in there that did the same thing. Everywhere you looked inside the cabin, which is a lot of area, you’d find joints where the skin was riveted to a bulkhead or frame that was

COURTESY JIM McCLAIN

A Classic in Need of TLC Jim’s 195 had never been left sitting somewhere to deteriorate. However, it had been ridden hard for most of its life. Jim guesses as many as several thousand jumpers have gone out of the door during its lifetime, and as with every other

classic airplane, there came a time that the bird had to be grounded and gone completely through with a fine-tooth comb. Jim says, “When I got it, and for the first few years that I flew it, it was painted in an incredibly ugly green and yellow paint scheme. It was inevitable that someone would dub it The Pickle. But, it appeared to be in decent shape. “When my daughter Becky was only 2 weeks old, she flew with us to Lawton, Oklahoma, for the 195 annual fly-in. Needless to say, Becky was one of the star attractions at the event! Unfortunately, the airplane gained some attention too. Apparently the nickname The Pickle had gotten around, and some still-unknown artist scrawled a new name across the cowling: The Vlasic Classic. I knew I was going to have to put the airplane down for restoration, but the pickle thing may have been what pushed me over the edge.” When Jim got into the airplane he found what many vintage/ antique restorers don’t want to find: corrosion. “When we got the wings off and started poking around in them, we

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I started a sky diving school teaching a course, which was approved for college credit by the University of Iowa. This is where I started flying the 195 as a jump plane. I purchased that very airplane in 1975 and still own it today, 40 years later.” For the next several decades, Jim flew for the airlines, which kept going bankr upt, putting him solidly into the well-known furloughed-looking-for-a-job situation. Between bankruptcies he began building a solid résumé flying corporate aircraft for various operators until becoming an A-320 captain for Ryan International Airlines in Wichita, where he stayed until retirement. He says, “While all of this was going on, regardless of what I was doing for a living, I was continually flying the 195 and pretty soon found myself in demand as a 195 checkout pilot. The airplane isn’t something you just climb into and start flying, almost regardless of the amount of tailwheel time someone may have. It has just enough quirks that a good checkout is needed. So the 195 community kept me busy ferrying airplanes and doing checkouts. Some of my 195 clients also have corporate jets that I fly for them, so some days I’d be climbing out of the 195 and into some sort of bizjet and vice versa. Since the 195 was initially marketed as an executive transport, it’s almost as if I’m stepping from one era of corporate aviation into another.”

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SPENCER THORNTON

Note the space between the seats, which gives an idea of the size of the cockpit. By moving his or her head to the left of the panel, a pilot can nearly see straight ahead because of the way the nose tapers.

the R-755 was also available.” Flying the Airplane: Getting Checked Out “When I first wanted to fly the airplane I found that finding an experienced 195 instructor was just as difficult as it is now. I met a fellow named Al Olsen who was just back from his stint in the Army as a Bird Dog pilot. Neither one of us had flown a 195, but Al took the bull by the horns and did a fine job of checking me out. “Ten hours was required by the insurance company, and that’s what I got. When he soloed me at 10 hours, I was noticeably apprehensive, perhaps scared stiff, that I’d wreck this tricky ‘beast,’ as the owner called it. But all went well. I was extremely cautious for the next many hours, only flying it when the winds were perfect (sorta like white-tailed deer hunting)!” The Myth of Crosswind Gear The idea behind crosswind gear, which some 195s sported, was that the main gear wheels could pivot about 15 degrees in both directions. So, if there was a crosswind, the pilot could land the airplane with the nose pointed into the wind and the wheels would pivot on the gear legs, letting the airplane move 56

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down the runway straight with the nose into the wind. It was one of those “it seemed like a good idea at the time” concepts and was fairly common, but didn’t work as hoped. Jim says, “I used to have crosswind wheels on mine, and pilots would often brag that they were sure they could take off and fly it just fine with no training. “If they were irritating enough to me, I’d occasionally challenge them: 50 bucks says that they couldn’t even taxi it to the runway without ending up off the pavement and in the grass. I never lost that bet!” She Has a Certain Type of Personality The root of any problems associated with the 195 on landing is the fact that it is a fairly heavy, long taildragger, with semi-soft gear legs. So, if it gets a little crooked, it has a lot of inertia that wants to take the tail somewhere where it shouldn’t be. The key, of course, is to keep the tail and nose both on the line of travel. However, the breed has been known to fool more than a few pilots. It can be agreeable on a calm day, but develops a definite attitude as the wind comes up and is crossed. According to Jim, “She certainly

has a personality. I speak sweetly to her daily, knowing full well that she can be as fickle as the wind in a moment’s notice. In the air, she’s an absolute pussycat. Approaching terra firma, you’d better be on guard for her many tricks. Bronc riding is probably more predictable than the 195 in an unfavorable wind.” Because he has checked so many out in the 195, Jim has developed a very focused, 195-oriented syllabus that slices and dices the takeoff and landing procedures/techniques into many fine, very distinct concepts and required motions. Just the introductory paragraph talking about takeoffs gives an idea of his feelings about getting a correct checkout. This, he notes, is aimed at the neophyte tailwheel pilot. Avoiding Trouble on Takeoff! Jim writes, “Let’s discuss some of the elements involved. These are from our early student pilot books and hopefully have been explained by instructors during your formative years as a fledgling pilot. Jim continues, “ While easily studied and discussed calmly and safely in a classroom, all understanding or recall seems to vanish when the throttle is jammed forward on a big radial engine. The student is thrown back in his or her seat by the acceleration, arms are fully extended, hair standing on end. Worse, bug eyes are wide open but unable to see over the nose, so the yoke is abruptly shoved forward to lower the nose to see. The abrupt change of attitude induces pronounced gyroscopic precession, so the airplane instantly responds by leaping towards the left ditch. The student usually responds by cranking in full opposite aileron away from the rapidly approaching trees. The wrong move! Panic-stricken, heav y braking usually follows

the above scenario followed by a cloud of dust—or worse.” His landing instructions cover many pages and delve into the smallest minutia, all of which are critical for the student to understand and be able to control. One of the things worth pointing out is that the 195 is not nearly as blind as it appears. If the pilot moves his head to the left, the rapid taper of the nose almost allows him to see the centerline. Almost. However, at the very least, a lot of the left side of the runway is visible. So, it’s up to the pilot to increase his visual acuity through practice so he can see every tiny movement of the airplane. If he corrects the small movements, the big ones will never happen. Incidentally, Jim is vocal about the right way to fly the airplane, which makes it sound impossible to land. However, the very fact that nearly half of the total production of 195s are still registered 62 years after the fact says that, with the proper training, they can be managed by mere mortals. Helping Hands Jim says, “So many have helped me with learning to fly and maintain the airplane over the past 40 years. The students I check out are a big contributor, as I learn from our combined efforts to better ‘tame the beast.’ Bob Landrum helped me with the maintenance end of things, when I first began the restoration process. Bob provided the expertise and many supplies that I needed to begin work on the airplane. He’s an excellent A&P and taught me the fine art of sheetmetal work. “John Barron lived close to me in Missouri before I relocated to Dallas, and has always been a wealth of information, and routinely answers my myriad of questions regarding maintenance and operation of the Jacobs engine, as do the others in the 195 pilot group. Steve and Caleb Curry in Oklahoma, Bill Milton in New York, John Collette in Kansas, and Pete Jones in Mississippi are all very valuable assets for myself and anyone associated with the Cessna 195.” Why a 195? Jim has a practical, as well as a personal reason, for having a 195. He says, “It’s a great airplane for teaching sky diving. With no wing strut for the jumpers to hang onto or tangle with, they get clean exits. More important, however, is the nostalgia angle: It’s cool for a student to be able to say they made their first jump from an old, radial-engine taildragger. It has a ‘barnstorming’ feel to it that most jumpers value. And I love being able to give them that experience.” Enough said?

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 high-speed 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

The Vintage Mechanic ROBERT G. LOCK

Evolution of Aircraft Instruments Turn-and-bank and climb indicators Elmer Sperry is considered the “father of the gyroscope,” having earned more than 350 patents and founded eight companies. He developed aircraft safety devices, including the gyroscopic turn indicator, later known as the turn-and-bank indicator, and an optical drift indicator that won him the 1916 Collier Trophy. He invented a gyroscopically stabilized bombsight, and combined his aerial gyrocompass, artificial horizon, and radio beacons to achieve the first blind flight in 1929 by Jimmy Doolittle in a Consolidated NY-2 airplane. The turn indicator he patented June 10, 1919, is shown in Figure 1. Although the later versions of this instrument did not look the same, they were powered by a gyroscope spinning at high speed inside the case of the instrument. Figure 2 shows the next generation of turn-and-bank indicators manufactured by Pioneer Instrument Company. A spinning gyro with its spin axis horizontal is fixed to the vertical needle. The instrument case is attached to the aircraft, and as the aircraft banks left or right, the bank is displayed. The black ball is encased in light oil and shows a coordinated turn. In a coordinated turn, the ball will stay between the two vertical lines. If the ball is outside the lines, the ship is either skidding or slipping. With the turn-and-bank instrument, it was possible to fly without seeing outside the aircraft by using the airspeed indicator, the altimeter, and the compass. Once invented, the new turn-and-bank instrument had to be tested, so what a better place than with the airmail pilots of the 1920s. Roger Mola writing in “Wings Over Kansas” reported, “Some pilots never stopped being a ‘test pilot,’ whether they needed to or not.” Tex Marshall had been the number one test pilot for the ThomasMorse Aircraft Corporation of Ithaca, New York, before 58

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Figure 1

joining the airmail service in September 1920. He flew the mail some 330,000 miles (531,084 kilometers) over seven years, usually at heights much closer to the ground than necessary, barely clearing the silos and steeples along the way. Tex liked to fly by feel but used his test pilot skills to be the first to test the new aircraft turn-and-bank indicator. In Figure 3 is Elmer and Lawrence Sperry’s invention of the turn-and-bank indicator. Although modernized in this sketch, its basic concept was a spinning gyroscope

Figure 4

Figure 2

with the axis of spin on the horizontal plane. The basic operation of this indicator remains the same to this day; however, the gyro is electrically powered instead of being vacuum or pressure powered.

Figure 3

Early blind flight could be accomplished by using the “needle ball and airspeed” method of controlling the airplane. The pilot could scan the turn-and-bank indicator, airspeed indicator, and altimeter. Coordinated turns could be made at low bank angles, and the “2-minute” turn was developed. In this maneuver, the pilot could establish a small angle of bank, and by scanning the instrument board, he could make a 360-degree turn in 2 minutes. Some turn-and-bank indicators had a small triangle placed either side of center on the dial face. The pilot could establish a 2-minute turn by banking the ship until the needle aligned with the triangle; the ref60

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Figure 5

erence appeared as a needle with a pointed end. Sperry, Pioneer, and Kollsman manufactured and marketed these types of instruments. To power the indicator and make the gyro spin, vacuum (suction) or air pressure was needed. However, there were no engine-driven vacuum pumps to provide either the vacuum or air pressure; therefore another source was needed. It was a simple venturi tube, suitable of producing the necessary 2 inches of mercury suction. A 2-inch venturi tube was mounted outside in the cockpit, and as air flowed through the narrow section of the venturi tube, suction was produced. In Figure 4, a sketch of a venturi tube is presented. The point of maximum pressure is at Station 1; the point of minimum pressure is at Station 2. Because of the loss of pressure, the velocity has to increase, and at Station 3, the pressure is again rising as the flow decreases and exits the tube. Thus the theory of a simple venturi can be seen. If a threaded fitting is placed at Station 2, the low pressure will extract air from the cockpit, through a filter on the turn-and-bank indicator, and around the gyro, thus causing it to spin through the line and into the high-velocity stream inside the venturi tube. It is a very simple system. The venturi tube could be purchased from aircraft parts suppliers for an add-on unit to a particular aircraft. Figure 5 is an aircraft venturi that is manufactured in three sizes. A 2-inch venturi provided a positive vacuum of 2 inches Hg (mercury) for operating a turnand-bank indicator. A 4-inch venturi provided 4 inches

Figure 6

Hg suction for operating either a directional gyro or artificial horizon indicator. These units were made per specification AN 5807-1. A regulator was required to keep vacuum to 4 inches Hg. An 8-inch venturi was similar in appearance to the 4-inch but had redesigned internal air passages and a slightly larger recontoured horn. It too had to use a regulator but could drive directional gyro, artificial horizon, and turn-and-bank indicators. These units used 4 inches Hg for directional gyro, 5 inches Hg for artificial horizon, and 2 inches Hg for turn-and-bank indicators. Besides the regulated suction, the venturi had to produce enough airflow to drive gyros for positive indication. When a turn-andbank indicator was used in conjunction with the directional and horizon indicators, a suction throttling valve was placed at the turn-and-bank instrument to regulate suction to 2 inches Hg and no more. Figure 6 is a reproduction from the Boeing N2S-1 through N2S-3 aircraft maintenance manual dated January 6, 1941. It was compiled by Stearman Aircraft, a division of Boeing Airplane Company, Wichita, Kansas. It shows a simple 2-inch venturi-powered turn-and-bank indicator installation. Note that the venturi tube was mounted on the left-front cabane strut and was directly in the propeller slipstream to improve efficiency. No regulator was provided and obviously the velocity of airflow through the venturi tube would affect the amount of www.vintageaircraft.org

New Members Figure 9

Figure 7

Figure 8

suction generated by the unit. However, airflow differential had a negligible effect on the instrument, and unless modified as an instrument trainer, the indicator was used for visual reference only. If desired, a rate of climb indicator could be installed on an aircraft’s instrument panel. This indicator was part of the static system and was located downstream from the airspeed indicator and altimeter. The airspeed indicator was a pitot-static instrument, the altimeter was a purely static system instrument, and the rate of climb indicator was downstream of the altimeter. Figure 7 is a rare early Pioneer Instrument Company climb indicator. This indicator was a welcome addition to the instrument board because it aided the pilot in trimming and ship for level flight. It could also make needle ball and airspeed flying easier because deviation from level flight indication was almost instantaneous. The rate of climb indicator was an ingenious device that operated by static pressure. The case was airtight, and static (ambient) pressure was sensed inside the case. There was one diaphragm that was open to the inside static pressure via a capillary line with an orifice. Therefore a change in altitude, either up or down, would 62

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be sensed immediately inside the case but would slowly bleed into the metallic diaphragm. If the aircraft ascended, the ambient pressure inside the case decreased, but that decrease was slowly bled inside the diaphragm. The result was the needle would show a climb until the pressure inside the case equalized with the pressure inside the diaphragm. At that point, the needle would resume a zero indication. Figure 8 is a sketch of a rate of climb or vertical speed indicator. Note that it has two metallic diaphragms (A and E) and that Diaphragm A causes the needle to move. The rate of climb indicator must have been invented in the late 1920s during the time of Jimmy Doolittle’s famous first blind flight, September 24, 1929. Figure 9 is the instrument panel of Doolittle’s Consolidated NY-2 ship. This photo is interesting because it shows the standardization of many instruments at 3-1/8 inches in diameter. The Daniel and Harry Guggenheim Fund was instrumental in advancing the technology of early instruments by creating and funding the Full Flight Laboratory. Sperry Gyroscope Company, Pioneer Instrument Company, Taylor Instrument Company, Kollsman Instrument Company, Bell and Radio Frequency Laboratories, and the Radio Corporation of America worked in secret for 10 months prior to the flight to perfect this instrument board. It stands as a remarkable achievement during the dawn of civil and military aviation in the United States.

References

Basic Science for Aerospace Vehicles, 1972, by James L. McKinley and Ralph D. Bent. Fundamentals of Aircraft Flight and Engine Instruments, 1969, by Jack Anderson. An Introduction to General Aeronautics, 1970, by C. N. Van Deventer. Instruction for the Maintenance of the N2S-1 Through N2S-3 Airplanes, January 6, 1941, by Stearman Aircraft Division of Boeing Airplane Company. Van Dusen Aircraft Supply Catalog, 1986-1987. www.OldBeacon.com/beacon/blind_flight-1.htm. www.Taircraft.com/parts/instruments/tb.html.

Robert “Mike” Girdley . . . . . . . . Mooresville, IN Thomas Bartholomew . . . . . . . . Standwood, WA Noel Scott. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laddonia, MO Bryan Monroe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pleasanton, CA Harry Fenton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rockton, IL Brian Collins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Middlebury, VT Scott Mcilhagga. . . . . . . . . . . . . Lancaster, NY Terrence McKenna. . . . . . . . . . . Barrington, IL Michael Ahern. . . . . . . . . . . . . . El Reno, OK James Lockwood. . . . . . . . . . . . Plainfield, IL Patrick Volpicelli. . . . . . . . . . . . Schenectady, NY William Adasiewicz . . . . . . . . . . Pike, CA Charles Taylor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Evansville, IN Robert Cansler . . . . . . . . . . . . . Indianapolis, IN Lisa Cansler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Indianapolis, IN Will Cansler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Indianapolis, IN Carl Wilson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brookline, NH Charles Fisher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . San Antonio, TX James Johnson. . . . . . . . . . . . . Vestavia Hills, AL Ian Adams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Laramie, WY Paul Santana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Boston, NH Greg Pearson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Waukegan, IL Javier Martinez de Velasco . . . . . N Miami Beach, FL Gordon Harold Dowton . . . . . . . Ajax, ON Canada Kevin Walker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Minnetonka, MN Scott Johnson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cedar City, UT Winfried Wobbe . . . . . . . . . . . . Montgomery, TX Bruce Fischer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sun Prairie, WI James Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Auburndale, FL Raoul Ughetta. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Salem, VA Chuck Doose. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clarendon Hills, IL Kirk Obear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sheboygan, WI Richard Johnston . . . . . . . . . . . Pleasant Grove, UT Martin Taylor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Colorado Springs, CO Eric Dobson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dublin, OH Paul Thorpe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . East Moline, IL William Dearle . . . . . . . . . . . . . Augusta, WA Alan Johnson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pikeville, KY Jeffrey Morfitt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Renton, WA Stanley James. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fayetteville, FA Patrick Donovan . . . . . . . . . . . . Troy, MO New Lifetime Member William “Ben” Scott. . . . . . . . . . Reno, NV

Straight & Level

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leave a large gap of technical information for our readership’s reference. As we personally mourn the loss of Bob, we will certainly be looking for someone who might be able to fill this gap so we can continue to provide interesting technical articles on how to provide the proper care and feeding of our timeless old flying machines. Bob’s shoes will be extremely difficult to fill, and we will certainly miss his longterm commitment to the vintage movement. The big question becomes, “Is there another Bob Lock out there?” Some have already commented that the answer is “maybe…or maybe not.” On the good news side, for about a year now we have been seriously scouting around for an appropriate provider for the Vintage Instructor column we previously published. We are seriously considering having a new offering of this type of column in the magazine soon. The individual we are currently talking with is an accomplished instructor who has experienced a lot of “unusual attitudes,” shall we say? I’m very hopeful this all works out soon, and we can get back to enjoying this type of material in our publication. Many thanks to all of the Vintage volunteers who have attended our weekend work parties in April and May. The new Vintage Bookstore upgrade is nearing completion, and the new front porch turned out really well. I have been waiting for nine long years to say this: “The Tall Pines Café Dining Pavilion has been completed.” Our talented volunteer electricians are now busy putting the finishing touches on the new facility. I hope our members enjoy visiting it. 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. VAA is about participation: Be a member! Be a volunteer! Be there! 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.

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