Va vol 44 no 6 nov dec 2016 by EAA Vintage Aircraft Association

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

Cruising the

Vintage Line

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 VAA Executive Administrator. . Hannah Hupfer 920-426-6110. . . . . . . . . . . hhupfer@eaa.org

2016 — Certainly, a year to remember!

Art Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . Olivia Phillip Trabbold

IT TOOK YEARS OF PASSION AND INNOVATION TO BUILD THIS CAR. IT TOOK 24 HOURS AT LE MANS TO PROVE IT. Whether on the road or on the track, every single element of the Ford GT was designed to deliver the extraordinary speed, exceptional handling and pure performance found only in purpose-built racing cars. Its carbon-fiber body and its 600-plus horsepower 3.5L EcoBoost® V6 engine are the ultimate expressions of technological innovation. Fifty years after its original victory, the innovative balance of power and efficiency in Ford’s EcoBoost engine delivered an incredible class win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. And the same EcoBoost technology that propels our supercar can be found in over 5 million engines that power many of our vehicles worldwide. That’s just one of the ways we help drivers go further every day.

The Privilege of Partnership EAA members are eligible for special pricing on eligible Ford Motor Company vehicles through Ford’s Partner Recognition Program. To learn more about this exclusive opportunity for EAA members to save on a new Ford or Lincoln vehicle, please visit www.eaa.org/ford. (Ford GT not eligible for Partner Recognition Program pricing)

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas to all of our members! I believe 2016 was certainly an exceptional year for the membership of the VAA. But for me personally, I felt it was just a great year for some of the best accomplishments we as an organization have executed on in recent times. I am always amazed every year to see how generous the VAA membership is to this organization. We actually received significant financial support from a very broad base of our membership. Whether it’s you supporting the Friends of the Red Barn fund, or donating dollars designated toward supporting the new construction at the Vintage Tall Pines Cafe, or incoming funds directed toward the funding of the numerous individual programs we offer each year during AirVenture, they all add up to being very significant in our endeavors to constantly improve the offerings we provide the membership at Oshkosh each year. AirVenture Oshkosh 2016 was an absolute success story when you take a true measurement of the number and quality of the features and attractions on the field this year. The lead air show attractions this year were the Martin Mars and the Snowbirds, in my book. It was a pleasure to watch an aerobatic jet team operate with such precision. The Snowbirds performance isn’t all about the volume of noise or the amount of smoke that can be interjected into a show. The precision I witnessed with this act was nothing but exceptional and impressive. This is from a guy who is not much into the flippy-flop aviation shows, but I was very impressed with the Snowbirds. The Martin Mars water bomber was equally as impressive as the Snowbirds to me. The actual physical size of this aircraft is breathtakingly impressive. Then, to actually witness it perform its mission in real life was just amazing. In the Vintage area, 2016 was also a busy year with all of the various aircraft anniversary celebrations for many of the Vintage aircraft types. My all-time favorite will forever be the eight Spartans we had on display this year in the Antique parking area at AirVenture. It was a great year! EAA’s government relations team works hard for us to preserve the freedom of flight and reduce the regulatory barriers affecting affordability and accessibility to participation in aviation. Their efforts continuously result in real and positive progress for aviators all over this nation. It seems to me that every time we make a little progress in the field of advocacy for our membership, our House and Senate throw yet another controversial bill into the mix for consideration on the floor. The latest controversial piece of proposed legislation that the EAA is actively working on Capitol Hill is the fight to shut down some of the most significant long-term threats to the general aviation community ever proposed. The ATC privatization proposal contained in the Aviation Innovation, Reform,

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 57

www.vintageaircraft.org

Vol. 44, No. 6

CONTENTS

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016 6

VAA Volunteer Awards

Rick Princell and Bob Perkins

Remembering Buck

Elroy E. “Buck” Hilbert

Phil Coulson

2016 VAA HOF recipient Sparky Barnes Sargent

Cruising the Line MOOS

E E PE T

RSEN

Sparky’s 2016 AirVenture notebook Sparky Barnes Sargent

Radiant Reliant

The Stinson SR-9F legacy Moose Peterson

COLUMNS

ANY COMMENTS?

COVERS FRONT COVER: The Vinatge area at Airventure welcomes all; big or small. Photo by JJ Gaines. BACK COVER: Photo by Connor Madison 2

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

Send your thoughts to the Vintage Editor at: jbusha@ eaa.org For missing or replacement magazines, or any other membership-related questions, please call EAA Member Services at 800-JOIN-EAA (564-6322).

Straight & Level 2016 — Certainly, a year to remember! Geoff Robison

VA Red Barn Thank You

Ask the AME Congenital heart disease John Patterson, M.D., AME

10 How to? Remove a broken stud Robert G. Lock 12

Good Old Days

58 The Vintage Mechanic The Duramold process of wood fabrication Robert G. Lock 63 VAA New Members www.vintageaircraft.org

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. 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!

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

A Special Thanks We thank our Friends of the Red Barn supporters for their generous investment in the future of VAA. Diamond Plus Level Patrick Carroll Charlie Harris Mark Holmquist Stephen Jacobson Arthur Loring Ken & Lorraine Morris Donna Perkins Wes Schmid Diamond Level Ron & Jonathan Apfelbaum Jerry & Linda Brown Art Kudner Donald Lange Richard & Sue Packer Ben Scott Ronald Tarrson Leonard Weiser Gold Level Jim Gorman Mark & MariAnne Kolesar Joseph Leverone Bill & Saundra Pancake Silver Level Gary Brossett Dave Clark Dave Fisher Tom Hildreth AJ Hugo International Cessna 195 Club Bob Jacoby John Kephart Larry Nelson Dwain Pittenger James Roberts Terry J. Ross Michael Shepard

Bronze Plus Dennis Beecher Geoffrey Clark Sydney Cohen Donald Coleman Roger Florkiewicz Herb Reiskin Shiloh Aviation LLC David Smith David Stoddard Carson Thompson Robert Tyler Tom Vukonich Bob & Pat Wagner Jan Wolfe Michael Wotherspoon Bronze Level Dave & Jeanne Allen Lloyd Austin Lowell Baker Hobart Bates Michael Bednarek Phil & Pat Blake R.B. Bottom JR Robert Busch Steve Buss George Chaffey Gerald Cox Dan Dodds Robert Epting Terry Griffin Mike Hance Michael Harrington Ian Harvie Allen Johnson Marc Krier John-Michael Lee Barry Leslie Ed Lewandowski Thomas Lymburn

Lynn Merrill Steve Moyer Sandy & Barry Perlman Tim & Liz Popp Robert Porter Ron Price Jerry Riesz John Rothrock JR Michael Schnell Jeffrey Shafer Bob Siegfried, II Joseph Smokovitz Dean Stoker Tim Talen Alan Thiel Carl & Pat Tortorige David Tschopp Ed Yess Loyal Supporter Cam Blazer Charles Butch Bruce Denney Dru Dunwoody Geff Galbari Lee Holmes Col Peter Karalus Richard Kempf Jim Lockwood John Mahany John O’Callagan Charles Pearcy Frank Schelling Kevin Stahl Robert Staight James Tibbets Harland Verrill Fred Weaver Kelch Aviation Museum Duane Wething Michael Williams

www.vintageaircraft.org

VAA Volunteer Awards

Geoff Robison congratulates Rick Princell on his award.

Geoff Robison presents Bob Perkins with his award.

Rick Princell

Bob Perkins

Rick Princell is a longtime, active VAA volunteer and most of his contribution is behind the scenes. Rick has owned a Kolb Ultrastar, and he partially completed an Osprey GP-4 before selling it when his work life became busy. There will be more! Rick is owner of GRP Contracting, Inc. of Plainfield, Indiana, where he is a custom cabinet and furniture maker. Though he’s quiet and humble, it’s been said that he can make anything out of wood. He is married to Teri Princell, financial manager of GRP Contracting, Inc. His 20-year-old son, Tanner, is a private pilot and a sophomore at Purdue University in the Flight Management program. Tanner also is one of our VAA Youth Ambassadors and participated in the youth forum in the hangar this year. Rick has custom-made all the display cabinets and counters in the VAA Red Barn hospitality area, display furniture for the Red Barn store, and the shelving that covers two walls of the VAA bookstore. He is “behind the scenes” because he makes all the items at his Plainfield shop, then brings them to Oshkosh in his large workshop trailer for installation. We thank Rick for his continued efforts in making our VAA area at AirVenture a spectacular place for members and visiting guests!

In 2006, Bob and Barb Perkins told their neighbor, a Vintage volunteer named Margie, they were going to Oshkosh. Margie told them to be sure and volunteer with Vintage while there. They took her up on it — even though they only stayed for a couple of days — and have been coming back ever since. Bob enjoys working at the intersection where he can watch everything right on the runway and see every type of flying vehicle. He still finds it amazing to be so close to so many different planes and see aircraft that some would never see. He says his best memory of Oshkosh was when the Concorde came in and he was so close to it that he could actually feel the vibration, adding he’s never been to any other place where one can have that experience. Bob and Barb agree that the biggest challenge with volunteering is just getting to the air show with their 1939 Waco AGC-8. If it isn’t weather, it’s mechanical — and sometimes both! Bob says he enjoys the volunteers, camping and hanging out, going to dinner after a long day and sharing stories. When asked what he would tell people who haven’t volunteered before, he said, “I don’t see why you wouldn’t volunteer. Just try it for a day and see the other side of things. Volunteers work very hard but they get to see things you wouldn’t see anywhere else on the field. Volunteers have a lot of fun, and you will meet people that you would not ordinarily meet and get to know people from all over the world.”

EAA 790294, VAA 24119 Behind-the-Scenes Volunteer of the Year

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

EAA 238103, VAA720611 Vintage Flightline Volunteer of the Year

www.vintageaircraft.org

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

Congenital heart disease T.S. writes, “I had surgery on my heart as a baby, and I want to pursue a career in aviation. What are my chances?” Well, to answer this question I needed more information. It turns out T.S. had a condition at birth called coarctation of the aorta. He had surgery as an infant and has been closely followed by his pediatric cardiologist. He has no activity limitations and is on no medication. He is active in sports, has no problems with high blood pressure, and has no exercise intolerance. In short, he leads the normal life of a teenager. Should be no problem, right? Well, yes and no, so read on.

Even in this asymptomatic patient with successful surgery at an early age, the aviation medical examiner will not be able to issue the medical. Coarctation of the aorta is a condition where the main artery, or oxygen-carrying blood vessel from the heart to the rest of the body, is narrowed or strictured. The heart has to work harder under higher-pressure conditions to pump the same amount of blood, and so if not caught early enough, it can lead to heart enlargement and eventually to heart failure. This occurs when the heart is unable to pump the blood out of the heart, and it backs up into the lungs and the rest of the body. Long-term effects, even if heart failure does not occur, usually results in high blood pressure. This is thought to be due to the kidneys seeing less blood and pressure than they expect, so they autoregulate and release 8

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

hormones to increase blood pressure. Even in this asymptomatic patient with successful surgery at an early age, the aviation medical examiner will not be able to issue the medical. The FAA lumps coarctation of the aorta in with other congenital diseases of the heart such as ventricular and atrial septal defects (holes in the wall between the two atria or two ventricles). This is because of the similarities in surgery for correction as an infant and the work-up for issues postsurgical. Necessary for evaluation is an echocardiogram, which is an ultrasound of the heart. This will indicate blood flow in and out of the heart and consequently the effectiveness of the “pump.” For some patients, a stress test may be necessary to ensure adequate exercise tolerance. The echocardiogram also evaluates heart valve function, and this is important in coarctation of the aorta since it may be associated with a bicuspid valve. Typically the aortic valve (between the left main ventricle and the aorta) has three sections or cusps. The bicuspid valve has only two leaflets or cusps. This is significant in that the valve may be restricted (stenosis) or leaky. The purpose of the valve is to close when the ventricle of the heart is filling with oxygenated blood and open when it is contracting. In some cases it may be necessary to replace the valve if it is blocking the flow of blood or leaking enough to allow the mixing of oxygenated with nonoxygenated blood. Valvular heart disease is a topic for another issue, as a number of pilots with valve replacement are required to be on blood thinners, another issue with the FAA. In summary, T.S. will be required to go through a special issuance process, with the FAA reviewing his records regarding his surgery and subsequent cardiology follow-up. At the minimum, a recent echocardiogram will be necessary on submission, but he has an excellent chance of pursuing his dream of an aviation career.

Red and Marilyn with their first-ever-sold, and oldest remaining, Cessna 180, a homebuilt Wittman Tailwind and their Fusion Energi Plug-In Hybrid We purchased our new Fusion Energi Plug-In Hybrid from Harper Ford, in Eureka, CA, using the Ford Partner Recognition Program. It’s the third new Ford that we have bought using this program and we’ve saved thousands of dollars in the process. It’s truly a painless experience with no hassles or negotiating at the dealership. We really enjoy driving our Fusion. We like the styling, the quiet cabin, the good power and acceleration, great handling and the excellent fuel economy it provides. Locally, it runs strictly as an electric vehicle, charged from our solar panels. But we can drive it anywhere, no matter the distance, with the combination of the battery power and gasoline engine. Prior to our Fusion, we purchased an F-150 and a Mustang GT, at Harper Ford, using Ford’s Partner Recognition Program. Without a doubt, this is a fantastic program benefit for EAA members. Thank you Ford and EAA!

Red H.,

EAA 257929 Lifetime

The Privilege of Partnership EAA members are eligible for special pricing on Ford Motor Company vehicles through Ford’s Partner Recognition Program. To learn more about this exclusive opportunity for EAA members to save on a new Ford vehicle, please visit www.eaa.org/ford.

Tell Us Your Story Ford Motor Company is proud of our long-standing partnership with EAA and wants to hear from you! Feedback from those who have participated in Ford’s Partner Recognition Program is appreciated and owners are occasionally featured in EAA publications. Send us your story and photos to Kevin at kkeling@ford.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

How to?

Aircraft Finishing Products STC’d for Certified Aircraft

ROBERT G. LOCK

Safe for You, Safe for the World, Safe for Your Airplane

As luck would have it, the stud came out leaving the threaded portion of the cylinder pretty well intact. On occasion a mechanic gets lucky and things turn out as planned.

Remove a broken stud A broken stud can ruin the day, but perhaps a couple pointers might aid in solving the problem before it happens — or if it does happen, what is involved in removing the broken end. First, the common location for stud breakage centers on the exhaust system. Brass nuts are the proper means to fasten the exhaust system components to a cylinder, so before you pull extra hard on that breaker bar, try this. When maintaining Pratt & Whitney R-985 engines on Stearman crop dusters, I devised a way to remove stubborn brass nuts that had seized on a stud by taking a small gas torch and carefully heating the nut on opposite sides until it melted. That way I got the nut off without breaking the stud, and after removing the exhaust section I carefully used a thread chaser to clean rusted and deformed threads on the stud. However, if a stud does break, what is the best way to get it out? First, a drilling fixture must be made to accurately center drill bits on the stud, placing the bit in the exact center of the stud. Studs are made of heat-treated nickel steel and are very hard and difficult to drill, so if you try to remove by trying to hit the center, you will probably wind up damaging the aluminum cylinder head. I cut a steel plate that would fit over the exhaust port and drilled it to fit over the studs of another cylinder. Then I cut a 1/4-inch bushing and brazed it to the plate so a 1/4-inch drill bit would fit, and the plate was installed on the affected cylinder and the center of the broken stud was drilled out. The plate was removed and an “easy out” was driven into the hole, then an attempt was made to extract the stud. If needed, the bushing can be drilled to a larger inside diameter to use a larger diameter drill 10

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

For Certified Aircraft, Stewart Systems is FAA approved for use with any certified fabric. Superflite, Ceconite or Polyfiber us Non azardo -Fla Non-H mm able liant EPA Comp Stewart Aircraft Finishing Systems 5500 Sullivan St., Cashmere, WA 98815 1-888-356-7659 • (1-888-EKO-POLY) www.stewartsystems.aero

Figure 3

In Figure 4, note that the hole had been previously modified with a threaded insert called a Heli-Coil. Figure 1

Figure 4 Figure 2

bit (Figure 2). I used a 1/4-inch drive socket that would fit over the easy out and began to extract the broken stud; with a little coaxing it came out (Figure 3).

Installation of a Heli-Coil requires a special tap for a coarse threaded stud, so the threaded portion was cleaned and a new insert driven. Then a new stud was driven, and the job of stud removal and replacement was finished. In this photo is my special fixture for correctly removing the broken stud. www.vintageaircraft.org

Good Old Days

P A R C S K O O B

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

Western Flying, 1946

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

www.vintageaircraft.org

Remembering

Buck

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE HIBERT FAMILY

Elroy E. ‘Buck’ Hilbert Buck Memories ber was 21 Lifetime, his Vintage pecially the esprit de corps. The EAA and the Vintage Air- number was 5 Lifetime, his WarIn the beginning, a small nucraft Association have long been bird number was 2,928, and his cleus of 30 to 40 EAA member enextremely favored (with apolo- IAC number was 8,262. thusiasts, led by Paul Poberezny, gies to Sir Winston and met at the E AA headEAA Director Emeritus the young RAF lads of quarters at Hales Corthe spring and summer ners on November 6, VAA Director Emeritus of 1940) by “The Few” — 1971, and again on FebEAA Foundation Trustee the few who came, who ruary 26, 1972, with the joined, who liked what November 16, 1924 – August 3, 2016 intent to form an EAA they found and stayed … “Antique/Classic Divifor a lifetime. Buck Hilbert stayed Buck found in EAA not only what sion.” From those two early meetfrom the beginning of EAA until he he liked; he also found an organiza- ings and that early group came the left us very early on the morning tion that was a perfect fit. He liked tremendously successful organiof August 3, 2016, at his Union, Il- the leadership, he liked the people, zation that we know today as Vinlinois, home with his family at his he loved what EAA and Vintage tage Aircraft Association. Buck was bedside. He was 91. Blessed are the did, and what EAA stood for — the elected president at the February very few of Buck’s level. honor, the integrity, the culture, the 26, 1972, meeting, where he was Buck Hilbert was a perfect ex- programs, the achievements, the supported by an exceptionally able ample of “The Few.” His EAA num- membership, the airplanes, and es- group of early EAA Antique/Clas14

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sic board members and an equally exceptional group of enthusiastic EAA member supporters. The Antique/Classic Division of EAA was on its way to greatness. Buck found many homes in his aviation life, but what he found in EAA, Vintage, and the other EAA divisions was truly his aviation Home Sweet Home. Buck was a strong, active contributing member of many aviation organizations, including FAI, NAA, Silver Wings, OX5 Aviation Pioneers, Civil Air Patrol, and others. He was privileged and honored by his active 32-year air-carrier career with United Airlines, during which he flew DC-3s, Convairs, Vickers Viscounts, DC-6s, DC-7s, 707s, 727s, and near the end of his tenure, DC-8s. United selected Buck to fly the Varney Air Lines J-4-powered 1926 Swallow Mail Plane Public Relations Commemorative Tour in 1976. (Varney was a predecessor air carrier to United.) Buck served his country in the Army Air Corps during World War II, progressing from aviation mechanics school to flight training to domestic B-17 flight operations. He was recalled to the Air Force in 1950 and flew reconnaissance missions over North Korea in unarmed AT-6s. And halfway around the world, he bumped into Paul Poberezny, who was also involved in the police action in Korea. With this background, it was only natural that Buck would be inducted into the Illinois Aviation Hall of Fame; notably, Buck was the first inductee into the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame in 1993. All of his aviation associations were important to Buck, but his deep, more-than-half-a-lifetime involvement in and never-ending loyalty to EAA and Vintage spoke for themselves, proving that they were

Buck in 1951 at an artillery camp in Japan.

Buck in the 1970s with an Aeronca C-3 and 747.

Paul Poberezny and Buck Hilbert in 1975 at Sun ’n Fun.

the most important organizations in his avocational aviation life. His devotion and unwavering support were continually on display, from EAA’s earliest days with Paul and EAA at Hales Corners and Rockford, followed by his acceptance

of the presidency of the Antique/ Classic Division in February 1972, and then during his more than half a century of service on the EAA and VAA boards of directors and EAA Foundation Board. His service included a three-year span as Anwww.vintageaircraft.org

would have wanted the memorial. Charles W. Harris Vintage Aircraft Association Director Emeritus I first had the opportunity to interact with Capt. Hilbert while serving as his flight engineer at United in the early ’80s. As with most who have made his acquaintance, it was a pleasure and benefit to me. Buck was a savvy, seat-ofthe-pants aviator. I appreciate all he has done for us. Ed Yost Buck showing off a few of his EAA badges in 1992.

tique/Classic Division president, lengthy spans as VAA treasurer, and his regular column, Pass It to Buck, which ran in Vintage Airplane magazine for 18 years. All these contributions typified Buck’s ongoing support and service to EAA and the Vintage division. Buck was a people person, just like Paul. They were two peas in a pod, and their harmonious relationship and endeavors on behalf of EAA and Vintage made those organizations better every day. During EAA’s and Vintage’s early years — from the 1960s and especially through the 1970s and 1980s — the organizations experienced tremendous growth. Paul and Buck worked together closely through all of those challenging years. W hen we R emember Buck, a gentle, warm, comfortable feeling begins to set in. One begins to remember an ancient, open-cockpit J-4 Wright-powered 1926 Swallow biplane, which Buck completely rebuilt, circling low around Wittman field during long-ago EAA conventions, keeping an eye on things. We also begin to remember Buck’s dear, departed wife, Dorothy, who in her own way was as valuable to the convention organization as Buck was to 16

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the operating divisions. Remembering Buck … such a pleasure, such a nice feeling. All of us who knew Buck are better for having known him. In his quiet way he inspired and improved all the lives of everyone with whom he came in contact. For those of us he left behind, it is hard to let him go, even at 91 years. Remembering Buck is a pure pleasure and an inspiration to us all. Where Do We Get Such Men? Postscript: A fly-in memorial service in Buck’s honor and memor y was held at the Wings and Wheels Museum at Poplar Grove Airport near Chicago on Saturday, October 1. Chicago was Buck’s hometown and his home base for 91 years. It was only natural that the memorial was held in the Chicago area. It was not only Buck’s hometown, it was also where he was a teenaged line boy in the late 1930s and early 1940s (at Elmhurst Airport), and where he soloed, at the age of 16, in an early Aeronca Chief at Wooddale Airport in 1941. Chicago was where Jack Rose would send Buck out to solo Jack’s tiny, 40-hp Rose Parrakeet single-seat biplane while Buck was still 16. Chicago was where Buck

I first met Buck about 50 years ago when I joined the old Chicago chapter of the Antique Airplane Association. I have always known him to be cheer ful, generous, knowledgeable, and an all-around fun guy. One of my best, of many, memories is from July 1969, when I was helping Buck prepare for the big air show at DuPage Airport. We were fencing off a grassy area by driving stakes into the ground and stringing a line, with little pennants, between the stakes. A friend of Buck’s came over and asked him if he would like to ride on a Ford Tri-Motor, which was going to fly some reporters and photographers back to Meigs Field at Chicago’s lakefront. Of course, Buck accepted on the condition that they also include me, which they did. It was a beautiful day, and we had a great ride to Meigs and back. This is just one example of how fortunate I was to be one of Buck’s many friends. Jack (John W.) Taylor EAA 82813 VAA 718 I am Ethel McConnell, wife of Edward McConnell, who passed away July 3 this year. I was sorry to hear of Buck’s passing just one month later. My memory of Buck

is in connection with the rebuilding of the Swallow mail plane, which was done in Ed’s shop. One day upon returning from a trip, Ed discovered the old rusted fuselage, wings, tail surfaces, etc. in front of his shop, Mac-Aero in Seneca, Illinois. It didn’t take long before Ed found out that Buck was responsible for the “gift,” which turned out to be the Swallow. Buck had heard about Ed’s experience in rebuilding planes and took a chance that Ed would be willing to do the job. So with Buck, Ed (who became the chief engineer), Mike Branand, and Rick Moen, the Swallow restoration was completed in time for the re-enactment of the first delivery of commercial mail in the United States on April 6, 1976. What a proud day that was for Ed and for Buck, who was the Swallow pilot! Ethel McConnell A tribute to Buck would be incomplete without mentioning his outstanding leadership with the National Aeronautic Association. Buck served as chairman of the Contest and Records Board from 1991 through 1998. I was honored to serve with him on that board from 1995 on and am now its vice chairman. He asked me to join the board in 1995 at the awards presentation for my setting a new world record (speed) for commercial aircraft from Chicago to Paris. He was a great chairman and friend. Dick Ionata I am writing in regard to my very good friend “Buck” Hilbert. He was all aviation, all the time. We met early on in my career with United Airlines, sometime around 1965. We flew together on many trips in the DC-6/7 and Boeing 727. He was one of my favorite captains to fly with during that time. He was

not only an airline pilot but also an accomplished general aviation pilot/mechanic who was always deeply involved in all things aviation. He loved to fly, and it showed! I would like to mention a couple of events I experienced with him that I will never forget: I was a DC-6/7 first officer on reserve and was called out for a trip to fly a DC-7 cargo liner from ORD to DEN with a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 loaded in the back. When I arrived at the crew desk, Buck was already there, wearing a leather helmet and goggles and laughing a lot, as usual. Turned out that I was flying this trip with him. The airplane was painted all white with no name on it, only an N number. So Buck told me to file a VFR direct plan, and away we went. We took off and climbed to 1,000 feet, and when we were out of sight of O’Hare, he turned off all the radios, and we never went more than 1,000 feet above ground level from then on. It was a gorgeous day, clear blue, no bumps, and we cruised that way all the way to DEN. Of course, we did not travel in a straight line. He didn’t think direct meant a straight line. We saw a lot of folks standing outside looking up — including men on tractors, waving — and we dipped a wing over the Robb Memorial at Lexington, Nebraska. I worked on the Robb ranch during college, and the memorial was a VFR checkpoint in early aviation. We landed uneventfully at DEN and never heard a thing from anyone on that flight. This is the first time I’m telling this story in print, as the statute of limitations has surely passed. Back in the ’70s, when UAL was still a family, the company had a family day during which it opened up one of the hangars, ser ved lunch, and invited folks to fly their little airplanes into ORD. These

were done for some time, even into the early days of DIA. On one of these occasions, Buck got hold of someone who worked in the tower and arranged for several nonradio airplanes to receive clearance to fly in for the family day. We had an N3N-3 (built by the Navy, for the Navy) that was able to join this group. It was a blast, and on departure we made a fairly tight circle around the tower, and I have a great picture of the ORD tower framed between the wings. Another unforgettable event put together by Buck. There are many, many other stories that have touched other people just as these two have touched me. Ol’ Buck lived on the Funny Farm, which could be located by the mailboxes at the entrance to his driveway. One was just a mailbox, while the other was on a 10foot or so pole plainly marked “air mail.” He had a runway and hangar on this property and still flew until recently. I talked to him just a couple of months ago, and he related that he stopped flying because of his eyesight and was not real happy about it. He was a guy who thought outside the box to the point that I don’t think he knew there was a box. Many folks will miss him very much, as will I. I truly loved flying with him, and for that matter doing anything with him. He was one of a kind — a great kind! Howard P. Morgan Jr., Captain, UAL (retired) One of life’s great truths is that when you lose someone dear to you, you really come to appreciate what they meant to you, even if you’d made sure they knew it when they were alive. That’s certainly true for my pal Buck. All of us have lost one of vintage aviation’s biggest boosters in Buck Hilbert, who www.vintageaircraft.org

Buck in 2015 amidst many airplane-building materials and tools.

passed away on August 3, 2016, at the age of 91. He started his airline career flying DC-3s with United Air Lines, and when he retired, he was well into his third decade as a jet pilot. As much as he enjoyed flying the big iron, coming home to the Funny Farm, his farm strip south of Union, Illinois, was always his goal. That’s where his beloved Dorothy was waiting for him, along with his half-dozen children. When he was home, flocks of aviators would descend on the hangar and the house as well. Some of us would drop in in the conventional way, by landing on the strip; others would make clouds of dust traversing the long gravel driveway from Union Road. No matter how you got there, the reason you came was always clear. Buck loved to talk airplanes. How to fly ’em, how to fix ’em, and what to look for when you wanted to buy one. He knew what you wanted to know, so you just had to pull up a chair and let him educate you! Aeroncas were a big part of his life — he owned and flew Chiefs, Champs, and even a 15AC Sedan. There were amazing restorations like the Swallow biplane he rebuilt so he could commemorate the pioneering airmail f lights of the 18

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early United Air Lines (that airplane now hangs in the Museum of Flight in Seattle). There was the Fleet on floats, done just because he thought it would be fun to fly. (He was right!) The list of airplanes he owned and flew is a pilot’s “want list,” spanning from the golden age of aviation into the 1970s. In 1972, Buck was part of a small group of enthusiasts who asked Paul Poberezny if they could organize parking for antique airplanes during the annual fly-in that was just beginning its run in Oshkosh, and if they could have a designated area. Paul told them to go ahead; they were on their own to set it up. That’s a simplistic explanation of the beginnings of the Antique/Classic Division of EAA, now your VAA, and Buck was right in there from the beginning, helping to organize the show as well as pounding the nails and wielding a paintbrush. His Aeronca C-3 was one of the seed airplanes brought to the fly-in to show the way for the thousands of antique, classic, and later contemporary airplanes that have since parked in the area south of the control tower. While Buck was good at being a big-picture guy (he served in each of the officer positions of the division, starting with president), it was

his personal willingness to help fellow pilots and budding restorers that made him an aviation household name from coast to coast and beyond. As just one of the many who benefited from his wealth of knowledge and willingness to share, I know just how active he was in sharing all that he knew. The decades-long run of his Vintage Airplane column, Pass It to Buck highlighted just some of the correspondence he shared with members looking for guidance and expertise. As a flight instructor and an A&P with an inspection authorization, he could answer almost any question for you. You name it — if it had wings he knew about it, or he knew who to call. He was very active in working with Paul and Tom Poberezny, and later the government programs staff, as various issues related to the maintenance and flying of vintage airplanes came up, requiring regular interaction with the FAA. His love of aviation was infectious, and it ran through his family’s veins as well. Among his six children are three pilots, and thousands of EAA volunteer hours were put in by Buck, his late wife, Dorothy, and his kids. During my many years as editor of Vintage Airplane, hardly a day went by without my talking to Buck about his column, his knowledge of who else knew more about a particular problem, or just to kibitz about aviation and stuff. While he certainly could be opinionated, and sometimes downright irascible, I always knew he was a straight shooter. And I flat-out loved the man; he was my “Midwest dad” — someone I knew I could go to if I needed some advice or just some conversation. His generosity toward me and my family was deeply appreciated; all of my family enjoyed their first Champ rides and

later Sedan flights due to Buck’s willingness to share. I know so many others who likewise had a friend in Buck Hilbert, and while I join with all of you in mourning his passing and expressing our condolences to his six children — Robert, Christine, Alice, Elroy, Lee and Leslie — I’m equally sure you’ll join me in smiling and remembering his aviation life well lived. As he always signed off his column: Over to you, Buck. H.G. Frautschy He called me “son,” and I called him “Dad.” And he took me under his wing early in my EAA career. Not just as my first photo pilot, but as someone who took the time to guide me through all the trials and tribulations it sometimes takes to get an air-to-air photo mission off the ground. He was the one who opened the left window on a Cessna 180 so I could take my first air-to-air photo for EAA. He was the one who yelled “shoot … shoot” when a subject plane would actually move in close enough to our side for me to take a picture. He educated me on how to give hand signals to the other pilots. And he put his heart into every mission because he wanted it to be successful for EAA and for me. He was the one who would commit some small transgression before the convention that would result in Paul taking the battery out of the T-6 photo plane so we couldn’t use it. And he was the one who made amends to Paul so we could get the battery back in and go flying. But most of all, through the years, he was there for me. Dropping by my office to say hi and see how things were going any time he was visiting Oshkosh. Listening to whatever troubles I might have in the corporate world and doing his

best to fix them. “He,” of course, is Buck Hilbert. No way did I call him Elroy. It was always just Buck. One of those people you hold in your heart despite the miles and months that separate you. The guy with the smile that made you wonder what he was up to. The guy who gave so much to aviation and EAA. And to a young photographer who needed a “dad” to mold him into a better person. Hopefully, you did, Buck. But now, as you watch down from above, please nudge me when I need a little attitude correction now and then. Please keep guiding me. Thank you for being there for so many of us, Dad. And caring so much. Jim Koepnick One of my lasting memories of Buck Hilbert is from one of my early years of attending Oshkosh. As an early member of the Antique/Classic Division of EAA (249), I read his column in Vintage Airplane every month. I always appreciated the sense of humor he showed in his writing, and his love for old airplanes and their owners was obvious in everything he said, did, and wrote. In this particular year at Oshkosh, probably 1972 or 1973, Buck and Evander Britt were announcing the winners in the Antique/ Classic categor y in an evening meeting. At the time there were only two permanent buildings on the grounds, plus the Steakhouse and the Homebuilder’s Café. I believe those are the buildings that now serve as the Federal Pavilion and the Sky Shoppe. This meeting would have been in what is now the Federal Pavilion. Buck and Evander were having their usual grand time, with lots of fun, laughter, and good humor. But early in the presentation someone in

the audience yelled for them to “quit telling their dirty jokes, and get on with the awards.” You could feel the wet blanket that had been thrown over the room, and most of us directed our displeasure at the person who had voiced that opinion. But Buck, always the gentleman and professional, took the occasion to tell all of us what a fine, caring, Christian individual Evander was, and that neither of them would ever intentionally do anything to offend anybody. They then continued on with the presentation, with never another humorous or amusing aside, and I suppose the protester was happy with the changed tone of the evening. But for the rest of us, it was an unfortunate turn of events and mood in the evening. From that point forward I always appreciated Buck even more and felt bad for those two fine gentlemen having to sacrifice their personalities to accommodate someone who had obviously had a bad day. RIP, Buck, and thank you for all you did for EAA, VAA, and the Antique/Classic movement. Ken Dwight Houston, Texas EAA Lifetime 61196 Century Club 92 I consider myself very fortunate in that it was Buck who signed me up at the very beginning of Antique/Classic at a fly-in in South Carolina John Turgyan Vintage 3 While attending a Hatz Fly-In at Poplar Grove, Buck posed this question to our group: “What’s the difference between jumping on a trampoline and jumping on an accordion?” Answer: “Nobody cheers when you jump on a trampoline.” Galen Johnson www.vintageaircraft.org

Nominat ions

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

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

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

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

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Phil Coulson 2016 VAA HOF recipient by Sparky Barnes Sargent

Photos Courtesy of the Coulson Family

Private pilot Phil Coulson (EAA 71350, VAA 572) of Lawton, Michigan, is the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association’s 2016 Hall of Fame recipient. Vintage members may know him in his 30-year role (now emeritus) as board member of the VAA division of the Experimental Aircraft Association. A reserved and gentle-natured man with a ready smile, Phil was also chair of the Vintage Parade of Flight at EAA Oshkosh from 1981 through 1989. Since 1990, he has served as a volunteer antique aircraft judge. And, if you know Phil, you likely know his effervescent and resilient wife, Ruthie, who volunteered for 38 years in the VAA Red Barn during the convention. But there’s far more to their story. Early Inspirations For those who aren’t familiar with Phil’s personal aviation his-

tory, here are a few of the highlights. First of all, Phil didn’t grow up in an aviation family, but he was intrigued and inspired by the sights and sounds of aircraft early on. “When I was about 2 or 3 years old, I remember my mother called my brother, Gene, and I outside to see the Graf Zeppelin flying over our farm,” Phil recalls. “As the years passed, I thought maybe I had been too young to remember that, so it must have been a dream. But eight years ago, our local weekly paper reprinted news from the past about the Graf Zeppelin flying over Paw Paw, so I know it was not a dream after all, and I guess that’s where the flying bug started.” When Phil was a young boy, his ears would perk up on those rare occasions when he heard an airplane flying over his family’s farm in southwestern Michigan. He and Gene would run outside, look sky-

ward, and exclaim, “Oh boy, it’s a double-winger!” “I’d ask my dad what kind of airplane it was,” Phil recalls, “and if it had two wings, it was always a Waco.” That small seed slowly germinated through the years. By the mid-1940s, Phil was hooked on f lying, and enjoyed watching the B-24 Liberators drone overhead as they departed Henry Ford’s Willow Run plant. (Phil could never have imagined that one day, far into his future, he would be culminating the flight of a lifetime at Willow Run.) At around age 15, he built a model of a Taylorcraft with a 4-foot wingspan, but he didn’t have enough money to buy an engine for it, so he hung it from the ceiling in his bedroom. Phil worked on his uncle’s farm during the summer of 1946, mowing hay, milking cows, and doing other chores. When it was time for www.vintageaircraft.org

Phil and Ruthie dressed in flying attire and standing by their 1930 Waco INF, celebrating Phil’s and NC644Y’s 50th birthday.

him to go back to high school, he was rewarded for his work. “My uncle took me over to Gobles Airport and bought me an airplane ride with Horace Sackett in the PT-23,” Phil says. “Horace told me to just relax when he banked the airplane in a turn, and I loved it! He asked me where I lived and he flew me over to Glendale, and I saw our family farm from the air on my first ride. It was just great!” After that, Phil would hitch rides on the back of his brother’s 1947 Harley and head to the airport. While Gene took flying lessons (using the GI Bill), Phil enjoyed flying with pilots who were building time in Champs and Cubs for their commercial certificates, and soon acquired a “seat of the pants” feel for flying. Though Gene never earned his private certificate, Phil was determined that he would. In 1948, he went to a local air show where Art Davis was flying a Waco ATO Taperwing, and bingo! Phil now knew what a Waco really looked like and how it could perform at the hands of a skilled pilot. In 1950 Phil joined the U.S. Air Force, hoping to fly, but he didn’t meet the military’s education re22

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quirements for pilot training at that time. Instead, he spent about four years as a senior weapons and munitions specialist in Korea and then in Merced, California. After discharge, Phil headed back to his home state on his 1954 Harley. He soon began working full time for the Van Buren County surveyor, with whom he had worked during the summers in high school. Surveying and engineering evolved into a long-lasting career for him.

A Flying Marriage

Wedding bells rang for Phil in 1961, when he married his sweetheart, Ruthie. Having already been bitten with the flying bug, he let her know that he just had to get into flying. Fortunately, he took her to local air shows when they dating, so Ruthie had an inkling of what flying entailed and was supportive. Phil bought a share in a flying club’s 1946 Taylorcraft BC12D. Then he and a buddy bought a Piper J-5 Cub Cruiser (N27995), which he soloed in September 1962. The same year, he went to the EAA convention in Rockford, Illinois, which further whetted his appetite for vintage aviation.

While Phil worked to achieve his dreams throughout his life, most often with Ruthie by his side, he inadver tently created a niche within the world of vintage aviation. He volunteered to help park airplanes at Rockford, and continued as a volunteer at Oshkosh. In the meantime, that seed, the notion of a Waco biplane that was so innocently planted by his father, had taken root and began seeking sunshine when Del Hickcox gave Phil a ride in his Fleet 16B Finch. “Right then I was hooked on opencockpit biplane flying,” Phil recalls, “but I wanted a Waco.” The following year, Phil sold his interest in the Taylorcraft and Cub Cruiser and bought a 150-hp Piper Tri-Pacer (N74490). It was a nice airplane, but he still envisioned owning and flying a Waco. One day in 1965, he happened by a friend’s shop at Marks Field and saw a tired old Waco (NC644Y). Its 125-hp, five-cylinder Kinner engine was in a state of disassembly, but Phil’s heart quickened nonetheless, because he knew it was a rare Model INF.

1930 Waco INF Restoration

He kept track of that Waco until it came up for sale in September 1969. “I sold our nice Tri-Pacer and bought that old bag-of-bones Waco INF,” Phil says, chuckling, “and Ruthie was a little upset about that.” It was a flying basket case, but Phil gave Ruthie her first flight and continued flying it until December. Phil worked on the Waco in his garage virtually every weekend, removing fabric and disassembling the airframe for inspection. He soon realized that the rusty tubing needed welding repair, and the woodwork needed repair as well. And, bringing things nearly full circle, it was Horace Sackett (EAA 859) who became Phil’s mentor during the Waco’s five-and-a-half-year restoration.

Engine Out!

Horace Sackett and Phil Coulson with Phil’s freshly-restored 1930 Waco INF.

“I took the project over to Horace’s shop, and he was my guiding light,” Phil says. “He was held in high esteem as a pilot-mechanicinspector, and I’ve always said that his brains and my brawn restored the Waco INF. Horace was a great welder, and could still work though he was crippled from arthritis. He told me what to do, and I repaired the trailing edges of wings, brought the curve back into some of the wing ribs that had been crushed by fabric shrinking, and built a new turtledeck. I also did the covering and rib stitching. I learned how to paint with a spray gun; I had never had one in my hand until Horace showed me how. I used the entire Stits process, which was pretty new at that time. When you restore your own airplane, you really develop an in-depth knowledge of it — how and why it works, how to treat it and care for it — and you have more faith in it.” Phil’s first flight after the restoration turned out to be a welldocumented event. “My brother and Ruthie wanted to be there, but I said, ‘No, I’m just going over to Horace’s, and when it’s ready we’re going to fly it.’ Well I don’t know how word got out, but there

must have been 20 airplanes at Horace’s landing strip, lined up on both sides of the runway, and even the local newspaper reporter was there with a camera crew,” Phil reminisces, laughing. “These old biplanes can be a handful on the ground occasionally, and I had this narrow corridor along the runway. It didn’t fly hands-off the first flight, so we had to do a little bit of re-rigging, but it did fly real nice.”

Aviation Adventures

In the spring of 1975, Phil and Ruthie started going to fly-ins in the eye-catching blue and orange Waco, and Ruthie acclimated quite well to the open cockpit. “Ruthie flew with me in the Piper J-5 and the Tri-Pacer, and she wasn’t too excited,” Phil says. “But she took to the Waco like a duck takes to water! You know, it’s really all about people, and she liked the people we were meeting at fly-ins.” And wherever they went, the cameras came out and the Waco was photographed time and again. Good-natured Ruthie, who had a longtime career in banking, developed her own slogan: “If I had a dollar for every picture that was taken, our gas tank would be full!”

Phil once heard an old OX-5 pilot say, “If you haven’t had an engine-out, you will.” And Phil did — not once, not twice, but thrice in one flight. “Back in 1966, I took off with Ruthie in our J-3 Cub on skis, and as I turned away from the field the engine quit, so I had to change hands quick to get a hand on the primer and pump it,” Phil says. “I got the engine going again, and then I’m climbing up, starting to make another turn, and it quits again. I got it going and turned downwind, and it quit again! So I just dead-sticked it in and landed on the runway. After we landed, Ruthie said, ‘I don’t think I want to fly anymore!’” That little episode may have been a good practice session for what came years later. “On May 30, 1976, I was flying the Waco INF back from the Waco fly-in in Hamilton, Ohio, and the Kinner swallowed both valve heads in the No. 2 cylinder. I’d just overflown Miller Field a couple miles back, and had looked at my chart and figured I’d be home in an hour. As soon as I put the chart back in my jacket, the engine backfired, got real rough, and quit. Well, old biplanes come down pretty fast, so I made a 180-degree turn and looked down. There was a guy mowing hay in a hayfield, and the wind was kind of crosswind to him, so I just slid in behind him and put her down,” Phil describes. “I thought, ‘Boy, he’s going to be surprised when he comes back!’ So I got out and looked at my airplane, and I didn’t know what was wrong with it because there was no outward sign of anything. This guy turned around at the end of the field, came back and went right by me, and went up to the other end and turned around to come back. I walked out and waved my arms www.vintageaircraft.org

and stopped him and said, ‘Hey, I got a little problem here —’ and he said, ‘Don’t talk to me; they just hired me to mow the hay,’ and away he went! “Shortly thereafter, here comes a guy and his wife on bicycles. They turned out to be pilots who flew out of Miller Field and had seen me land in this hayfield. She went and got her car, and he stayed there with me and the airplane. When we got to a phone, I called Vernon Miller at Miller Field, and they took me over there. We got some tools and went back to the airplane and pulled the spark plug out. The cylinder was full of oil and aluminum, and I knew it wasn’t going to fly. We got a tractor and loaded the airplane on a transporter trailer, and took it right down a county road to Miller Field. I took all the cylinders off and took them up to Horace Sackett. He honed them and put new valves in and everything. I’d f ly our Cessna 190 down to Miller’s and work on the engine — it took a month of three-day weekends. Then I made a test Above: some of the aircraft that flight on July 2 and flew home on Ruthie and Phil have owned from the Fourth of July.” top; Piper J5 in which Phil soloed in In 1981, there was nearly a re1962, 1953 Cessna 190 that they flew for 7 years, Beech Bonanza flown for peat performance. “That same engine blew up again in the same 20 years, and the WACO UPF-7 that they also flew for 20 years. place, and Ruthie was with me,” Phil says. “It was an early Kinner B-5 with a front exhaust; I learned they’re good for about 60 hours, and then you should tear it down and major it. We limped back to 24

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Miller Field, and I had one cylinder running when I landed, and I said, ‘That’s it! No more with that engine.’ So I ended up putting a Kinner R-56 on the INF. Vernon said, ‘If I was you, I’d find a different way to fly down to Hamilton!’ I laughed and said, ‘Oh no, I know how I’m treated here!’ Vernon and his family became good friends, and we’d stop every year to see them.” Phil and Ruthie flew their aforementioned Cessna 190 (NC9338A) for seven years. “We enjoyed the best of two worlds — an opencockpit Waco and cabin-comfort Cessna,” Phil says. “Then two people from Muskegon, Michigan, wanted the 190 more than I did, so we updated to a Beechcraft G35 Bonanza (N4517D), which we ended up flying for 20 years.” In 1986, Mother Nature wreaked havoc upon the Coulsons’ two hangars at their private strip, damaging both the Waco and Bonanza. Phil decided to stay ahead of the power curve and avoid what would surely be a despondent case of flying withdrawals, so he went to North Carolina and purchased NC173E, the late Espie “Butch” Joyce’s 1940 Waco UPF-7. (The 1930 Waco INF was repaired and lent to the Kalamazoo Air Zoo museum in the spring of 1990. The museum later bought it for permanent display.) “We did most of our cross-country flying in the UPF-7, and that was the Cadillac of the open Wacos,” Phil says. “It was smooth, easy to fly, and easy to land.”

New Directions

In 1985, Phil’s niche in aviation became even more focused when he took on an advisory role in the Antique/Classic Division. Two years later, he was elected to serve on that division’s board of directors. Along the way, he gave rides to quite a few people. “Just seeing the smile they have as first-timers was well worth

Above, Phil at Lakeland Air Force Base in 1950 with an F-82. Left, Phil in the cockpit of his Beech Bonanza.

it, and I gave my flight instructor’s daughter her first ride, and she’s now an airline captain — I think that first flight had something to do with it,” Phil says. When the UPF-7 needed a bit more than TLC, Phil decided to have someone else restore it. All told, he and Ruthie enjoyed flying it for 20 years (despite the lack of baggage space, which necessitated shipping their baggage to fly-ins). Throughout that time, they formed lasting friendships with fellow Waco owners and pilots. “In 1993, we established the American Waco Club as a family-organized group that operated by Robert’s Rules of Order,” Phil recalls. “We had 23 people at the first meeting, and at one time we grew to a little over 500 members and members in six foreign countries.” Phil was elected to serve as president of the club for a two-year term. Those two years ultimately stretched into a two-decade tenure, during which time he (and Ruthie) also assumed the responsibility of newsletter editor and publisher. Since 1993, the American Waco Club has continually held its an-

nual fly-in at Dauster Flying Field, Creve Coeur, Missouri. Phil and Ruthie became well-acquainted with other airplanes at Dauster, and when the opportunity arose to buy a rare and airworthy 1932 Waco UBA (NC13041) from John Cournoyer in 2008, they did so. “We sold the UPF-7 and bought the A model, which was the Corvette,” Phil says, chuckling. “It was a little hot rod, and a nice little airplane!” The UBA provided them more range than the UPF-7, comparatively copious room for baggage, and the coziness of side-by-side seating. They flew it for six years, and it now resides in the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum in Hood River, Oregon, where it continues to be flown.

Flight of a Lifetime

As you might imagine, Phil and Ruthie have many cherished memories. “Ruthie and I both volunteered to help Rob Lock when he started his Waldo Wright’s Flying Service biplane ride business,” Phil recalls. “We flew the Bonanza to meet him in various towns around Michigan. We dressed in period

attire, and Ruthie would sell tickets and I would tell tall tales to the waiting passengers and help load them. We did this for three years in Michigan and two years at Sun ’n Fun. It was a great experience and was so much fun to meet the passengers and work with Rob ‘Waldo’ Lock. Then in 2003, Waldo welcomed us to go along with him during the National Air Tour, which was organized by Greg Herrick. I was one of the five judges for the National Aviation Heritage Invitational in Dayton, Ohio, and was scheduled to be at the Reno Air Races that September. Fortunately, after talking to Greg Herrick, Rob Lock, and Doug Martin (the National Aviation Heritage Invitational head judge), we figured out that we could do both events.” After Reno, Phil and Ruthie joined back up with the National Air Tour in Alabama. Phil flew the rest of the tour with Rob in the New Standard — but Ruthie opted to try out some other wings. “So, as Ruthie tells it, she ‘winged her way through the entire tour’ with rides in several of these unique antique aircraft, including the FAA www.vintageaircraft.org

DC-3, Ford Tri-Motor, Travel Air 6000, and Twin Otter. It was the greatest experience of our lifetime, and it was just something new every day — it was absolutely fantastic!” Phil says, smiling. “Then to top it all off, on our 42nd wedding anniversar y, we got to fly together in Greg Herrick’s Stinson trimotor. I was in the right seat and Ruthie was being ‘flight attendant,’ serving pizza to pilot John Mohr, me, and passenger Frank Rezich on the tour’s return flight from Dayton, Ohio, to Willow Run Airport, Dearborn/ Ypsilanti, Michigan. I got to fly the Stinson for the entire trip at 1,500 feet MSL, with John doing the takeoff and landing. We’re so grateful to Waldo and to Greg Herrick for the flight of a lifetime!”

A mosaic was commissioned by pilot Carlo and his wife Patrizia Martino from Italy as a gift to Phil and Ruthie for their 20 years of leadership in the American Waco Club. Martino’s friend, pilot Alfonso Bove, created the masterpiece. This 300-pound mosaic was shipped from Italy and is on loan at the Waco Historical Society Museum.

People and Planes

Phil has particularly enjoyed the nostalgia of flying antique biplanes, which were at the leading edge of aviation decades ago. He reflects, “Your airplane is just your vessel in space, and each flight is different. I like that part of it. And I’ve learned that most people connected with aviation are the best type of people in the world; we’ve made longstanding friendships that we’ll cherish for years to come.” Phil smiles big when he mentions being an antique aircraft judge at Oshkosh, and at the National Aviation Heritage Invitational from 2003 to 2013. Those experiences are “all about the people and the beautiful airplanes,” he shares, adding with a laugh, “I always said, ‘I’m on an ego trip, because I get to look at the best airplanes in the world. I get to climb into them, look inside them, and talk to the owners about how they fly.” To those who aspire to fly, Phil admonishes, “Do it now! You’ve got to organize your priorities. If you

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

Phil and Ruthie were the recipients of the Bob Poor Memorial Award in 1998, shown here at the AWC fly-in they attended with their UPF-7 Waco.

want to fly, go do it.” And to those of us who already fly: “Plane safety is a big thing with me — be sure you have enough fuel on board, and look outside the cockpit. Just remember, you fly the airplane. Don’t let it fly you.” Reflecting upon his induction into the VAA Hall of Fame, Phil says, “I’m just humbled by the whole affair. Ruthie and I are still shocked and surprised that they selected me

for this honor. I hope, through the years, that I may have influenced some people to preserve and maintain the old airplanes, and fly them safely. I hung up my helmet and goggles as an active pilot in 2012, after 55 years and 3,700 hours. It’s been a real good flight!” Congratulations once more, Phil, on being the 2016 Vintage Aircraft Association’s 2016 Hall of Fame inductee.

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Cruising the Line Sparky’s 2016 AirVenture notebook Article and photos by Sparky Barnes Sargent

regarious enthusiasm abounded among AirVenture attendees this year, though the everchanging Wisconsin skies were alternately sunny, cloudy, and rainy. A virtual kaleidoscope of brightly polished aluminum and colorful, boldly painted airplanes provided a wonderful array of eye candy this summer. The fields were filled to overflowing, and vintage airplanes were mingled among other aircraft, from the Vintage area down to the cornfield w-a-a-ay south of the Ultralights area. The number of vintage airplanes in attendance was up by 7 percent; the official count was 1,032. So it was a good thing I had the privilege of using

a golf cart to cruise the expansive flightline this year, because my knees wouldn’t have cooperated to carry me hither and yon all week (and I cringe when I say that, because I’ve so thoroughly enjoyed walking the line in previous years). For me, the best part of AirVenture is listening to people’s stories. Sometimes pilots share sentimental memories revolving around a specific airplane that has facilitated change in their lives. Other times, their personal accounts of sometimes arduous, yet always rewarding hands-on restoration are amazing and inspiring. So it’s one thing to cruise by and marvel at the different types of airplanes — whether authentic or customized antique, classic, or contemporary —

but even better than capturing that swift glance is the rich experience of stopping and talking with a variety of pilots, ranging from the very young to those who are much older. Of special note this year was a tribute to World War I aviation, as well as milestone anniversaries for many airplanes: The Swift, Navion, and Cessna 120/140 celebrated their 70th; Interstate Cadets had their 75th; the Spartan 7Ws had their 80th; and Boeing celebrated its centennial. There were perhaps more Interstates at AirVenture than have ever been together since they rolled out of the factory at El Segundo, and there were eight exquisite Spartan Executives nestled together, wingtip to wingtip. So c’mon, let’s go cruise the flightline!

NC19498 One of the eye-catching antiques in the vintage field was a 1939 Cessna C-165 Airmaster, owned by Glenn Larson of Sarasota, Florida. Powered by a 165-hp Warner Super Scarab, NC19498 stands tall on its Wipline 2350 amphibious floats. It has a 34-foot 2-inch wingspan and cruises at 120 mph. Glenn’s father, Brad, restored the airplane 28 years ago in Santa Paula, California. “In 2002, we installed the floats, and this is the only Airmaster on floats to my knowledge,” says Glenn. “Only about five have ever been on floats, although they all came from the factory with float fittings. My dad used to be in the Air Transport Command during World War II, flying troops from Minneapolis to Alaska when they were building the Alaska Highway. One day he was in Fairbanks with a movie camera, and he filmed Noel Wien with his Airmaster on straight Edo floats beaching up onto the shore of a river. After seeing that movie as a little boy, I dreamed of owning a red Airmaster on floats just like Wien’s plane. “Wien’s Airmaster had a Curtiss Reed metal prop turning 1600 rpm on takeoff. I talked to Noel’s son, Merrill Wien, and he said it performed well. Our Aeromatic prop turns 2350 rpm at full takeoff power. That makes a big difference, especially getting off the water. Our Airmaster is pretty much stock, but we do have a seaplane emergency door on the left side. The ‘Siesta Key Rum’ logo on the nose is just my way of having fun advertising for a friend’s business — we may even use the Airmaster in a commercial for them!” 28

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

N492C There was a sparkling gem tucked away on the last row of airplanes, with its tail just feet from a cornfield. N492C is a 1959 Meyers 200 owned and restored by Dave Smith of Milaca, Minnesota. Dave beamed with pride as he described the work he’d just completed on the airplane. “The airframe was in rough shape when I bought it out of Austin, Texas,” says Dave. “The ailerons and elevators were beat up, and what looked like corrosion on the cabin turned out to be some body filler. Overall, it lightened up by 60 pounds when we got done. We replaced the nosebowl, upper cowl, and a few miscellaneous skins on the aircraft that had hangar rash. We were able to get a new doorframe from the factory and then put new skin on it. We installed a new panel, new leather and velour interior, and new glass.” Dave modified the traditional Meyers paint scheme a bit, partly to help people recognize it as a Meyers and not mistake it for a Navion. “Meyers always put the N-number on the side of the fuselage and a large check type design on the tail, but I just let the trim lines flow on from the fuselage to the tail and put the N-number on the tail with the Meyers name. The Meyers 200 logo on the nose was originally chrome-plated aluminum, but over time it gets dull and pitted. So we had chrome lettering made up, and I put it underneath the clear coat so it’ll hold that shine and never fade out.” N492C is powered by a 260-hp IO-470, and Dave says it’ll cruise around 200 mph while burning about 12 gph. Its fuel capacity is 80 gallons. “It is a very comfortable cruising airplane!” he says. “The downside is the takeoff roll. It’s a ground lover. But the framework is built like a tank, and it’s an easy flier, and real stable. I would compare it to a Comanche. I bought it in February 2015, and in the meantime I restored a Cessna 170 and a 180 as well. The Meyers took its maiden flight Sunday — just two days before Oshkosh.” Dave was happily surprised during the awards ceremony this year. His Meyers won Reserve Grand Champion Customized Silver Lindy, and his 1938 Beech E17B Staggerwing (N233EB) was awarded the Antique Reserve Grand Champion Silver Lindy. N27900 Vintage member Clifton Korn of Hayward, Wisconsin, enjoyed spending time with his 1940 Piper J-3C-65 Cub, despite intermittent rain showers. It was his 16th trip to Oshkosh. Cliff says that he had always wanted a J-3 of his own based on some fond childhood memories. “When I was 5 years old we had a resort southeast of Hayward at a place called Winter, and there was a field next door where a gentleman had a Cub that he kept in an old barn,” says Cliff. “When we would hear him flying, my cousins and I would run barefoot over there and watch him land and take off, and talk to him. Finally one day he invited me to take a ride, and I was hooked. I started flying when I was in the military in 1965, but I was not a military pilot; I joined one of these flying clubs and learned to fly in a Cessna 150.” Cliff finally got a Cub of his own, 55 years after his first flight in one. “My son and I bought a 1941 J-3 Cub in 1990, after it had been stolen and crashed at Lake Hood in Anchorage,” says Cliff. “It’s back home in Wasilla, Alaska, where I live part time. We flew that Cub from Alaska to Oshkosh and back, and shortly after that I bought this one in Hayward, and it’s never been completely torn down, but in 1980 it was re-covered and the engine was rebuilt. It still has its original engine and wheels. Other than the metal prop, it’s pretty much stock from the factory, and I have the logbooks all the way back to 1940.” Those logbooks reveal some interesting history about NC27900, especially from 1942 to 1944. “The plane was based somewhere in Illinois, and the U.S. Navy took it to Great Lakes Naval Air Station to give primary training to naval cadets,” says Cliff. “They changed the N-number on it and designated it as the serial number, 4434. I was here years ago, and an old stooped gentleman came up with a cane and looked inside the aircraft. Then he looked up at me and said, ‘I learned to fly in this airplane.’ I said, ‘Yes sir, a lot of people learned to fly in J-3s.’ He said, ‘Well, I learned to fly as a naval cadet.’ I said, ‘Oh, you had L-4s?’ He said, ‘They called them L-4s, but some of them were yellow — and I learned to fly in this airplane.’ Two weeks later, he sent me a copy of his logbook with his solo entry, and the serial number 4434 was in the logbook! Unfortunately, a week after that he died, but it was a very touching experience to meet him.” www.vintageaircraft.org

NC37429 Even as a young child, Mike Latta of Auburn, Washington, knew that flying was all he wanted to do. And that’s exactly what he’s done — he flew as a crop duster in Cubs, Pawnees, Ag Wagons, and what they used to call “Snows” (known as a Thrush today). That experience landed him a job as a bush pilot for Wien Air Alaska. “Then I flew for their mainline operation, and by the time they went out of business, I was a captain on a 727,” says Mike. “Then I went from the left seat to the unemployment line in January 1985 and flew for three other airlines before I ended up retiring from American after flying the 767.” He found himself going a bit stir crazy in retirement, so he latched onto an airplane project. “I’d seen this 1942 Interstate Cadet for years in my neighbor’s rafters, and he had purchased it from a gentleman who had it in his rafters for 20 years,” says Mike. “It had last flown in 1965, and I bought it in December 2010. It was just a pile of tubing, and I had no idea what I was getting into! Thank heavens for Tim Talen, who is very sharp in restoration. He coached me through it over the phone. The Cadet came out of the factory with a 90-hp Franklin, [and the one I had] was held together entirely by rust and corrosion. But with the help of Steve Knopf of P.Ponk Aviation, I landed three field approvals out of the Seattle FSDO. I have an O-200 Continental on it now, and it also has 6-gallon Taylorcraft wing tanks in it, in addition to the main 15-gallon tank. The O-200 burns between 5-1/2 to 6 gph, and 27 gallons gives me about a fourhour range.” It took Mike two years, 11 months, and two weeks to complete NC37429, and he’s been enjoying it ever since. “It’s a dream to fly,” Mike proclaims with a smile. “It’s just worlds better than any Cub, and I’ve got a lot of time in Cubs. This airplane is far more responsive, and it has a different airfoil, which makes it faster. With a 100-hp engine it will do 100 to 105 mph; it’s built stronger, and it’s mildly aerobatic as well. You don’t see Cubs doing the Jelly Belly routine. Incidentally, the Jelly Belly Cadet [NC37428] is only one number different from mine. The Cadet came out in 1940 as competition to the Cub, but the Cadets were more expensive to build.” Interstate manufactured a little more than 300 of the S-1A Cadets, and 92 are still on the FAA Registry. “There may be 50 still flying, and we had 20 altogether here at Oshkosh,” shares Mike, “and an Arctic Tern is here. A gentleman by the name of Bill Diehl got the tooling and the type certificate and created the Arctic Tern from the Interstate Cadet. There is a military L-6 version here as well (of which there are only five on the registry).” Mike taught three of his four children to fly, and now it’s time for the next generation to learn. His 10-year-old grandson, Dane Jensen, was excited about being his grandfather’s copilot on the flight home from Oshkosh. Dane smiles happily when he says, “I like flying in this airplane; it’s comfortable and fun, and it’s cool to be in an antique plane because you can see more than flying in a commercial plane!”

NC38130

A handsomely restored 1941 Piper J-5A Cub Cruiser was a standout on the flightline, and not just because of its deep-

orange color. It’s fairly rare to see Cub Cruisers out and about these days. NC38130 was also paying tribute, via lettering on its fuselage, to the Civilian Pilot Training School at Clarksdale School of Aeronautics at Fletcher Field in Coahoma County, Mississippi. Currently owned by Dave Herrmann of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, this Cub Cruiser was awarded Best Original Long Wing Piper at Sentimental Journey 2014. (Herrmann started AirplaneHub.com, a website for buyers and sellers of aviation-related items.) “I bought it from a gentleman named Ralph Young in West Virginia,” says Dave. “He had it restored in 2014 to what it is today, and his dad was in the Civilian Pilot Training Program. It has a C-85-12 with a starter, and the Aircraft Specialties Services STC with an O-200 crank, connecting rods, and pistons. I’ve had a few J-3s and decided to try the J-5, and I do like it. It’s similar to a J-3, but it has a little heavier feel. It weighs almost 930 empty, with a gross weight of 1,400 pounds. It’s actually a little lighter on the ailerons than a J-3, and it flies rock-solid stable. “It’s a very good cruising airplane at a little more than 80 mph, and it has two 14-gallon wing tanks and a small header tank. It also has Cleveland wheels and brakes, and the tires are a little unique with little dimples on the surface. It has a full radio in it, and an alternator and battery. Two 1940s-sized people can sit together in the back seat, and you can solo from the front or back. I have flown it from the back, and it’s like a recliner back there!” 30

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N75PM N75PM is a 1947 North American Navion owned by Vintage member Pete Heins of Arcanum, Ohio. Pete and his best friend, Mike “Buzzard” Hartman (of The Hartman & Heins Show on WarbirdRadio.com) were taking shelter in the Navion’s comfy cabin during an early-morning rain shower. After the shower passed by, they kindly climbed out and shared a few stories with me. Pete came from an aviation family; his father was a pilot before World War II and then a squadron commander flying C-47s during the war. “He bought a Ryan PT-22 when we were growing up, then he traded that for a Waco UPF-7,” recalls Pete, “and I was one of those kids who worked as a line boy from the time I was 14 until I was 23. I also spent some time in the Air National Guard.” He became associated with Navions in 1957, when there was a wrecked Navion in the hangar next to his dad’s hangar. “I used to sit in it, and I said, ‘One day I’m going to have one of these!’ I bought my first Navion in 1979,” says Pete, “and I bought this airplane in 1980. I flew it until 1985, and then I rebuilt it in 1985 and ’86. I put two brand-new military surplus wings and a new military surplus tail on it. Three times I was awarded the Best Navion at Oshkosh, and one time the Best 150 hp-and-Above Classic Lindy [1993] here at Oshkosh.” Pete did all the work on the Navion himself. “I did all the mechanical and electrical work, hydraulics, and I painted it myself,” shares Pete. “I’ve been a pilot for 51 years, and the Navion is absolutely the finest all-around single-engine airplane there is. It’s a strong and stable airplane, and everybody who ever owns one will feel like it’s the best airplane on the market. It’ll get off in 250 feet with one person in it. It’s not the fastest airplane, but it’ll get along at about 160 to 165 mph. This is an original paint scheme; it’s the last one they put on the airplane. But it was a dark green fuselage with a cream-colored stripe, and green is not a good color to paint an airplane. It’s almost like camouflage because nobody can see you, so I painted it white with a dark-green stripe.” Pete’s Navion holds 40 gallons in the main tank and 20 gallons in the auxiliary tank, which provides about four hours’ flight time. N75PM is a North American Navion, and “they were all zinc chromated on the inside; that was the big difference between the North American and the Ryan-built airplanes. It’s hard to believe that this is the 70th anniversary of the Navion,” he says, laughing, “because I’m a 1949 model myself, so the airplane and I are almost the same age!” He installed the 285-hp IO-520-BB Continental engine conversion in N75PM (with an 86-1/2-inch-long McCauley prop) last fall. “We’ve flown it 150 hours the last six months, and it’s great,” says Pete. “That combination gives an excellent climb and cruise. I can hang it on the prop with a good 15- to 20-degree angle of attack on climb-out, and it’ll climb at 4,000 to 5,000 fpm with a couple of people in it. The Navion is a real lady and has a very docile stall, because it has stall strips on the wings that stall the center section before the tips. The high-lift tips have an under camber on them, so that keeps the wingtips and ailerons flying. I’ve got over 3,000 hours in this airplane.” Pete also owns a 1930 Waco, and that’s how he and Waco Classic factory pilot Mike “Buzzard” Hartman met. “I’m lucky that Pete lets me fly the Navion,” says Mike, grinning. “It’s our traveling airplane, and on Sundays we usually fly to different airports to see who’s got the best-tasting pie! Wacos have a little bit of attitude; the Navion is so much fun to fly with this engine and propeller combination — every time we take off, we’re looking at each other, giggling!”

NC14985 An exquisitely restored 1936 Ryan ST, owned by Ted Teach of Dayton, Ohio, was in front of the VAA Red Barn. NC14985 won the Antique Grand Champion Gold Lindy.

NC158Y NC158Y, a beautiful 1930 Davis D-1K, owned and restored by John Machamer of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, won the Silver Age (1928-1936) Champion Bronze Lindy. www.vintageaircraft.org

N16598 Jim and Eileen Wilson of Cross, South Carolina, were happy campers with their 1936 Waco YKS-6 at AirVenture this year. Although Jim didn’t grow up in an aviation family, he says he was “born and raised directly across from a small airport. I lived under the traffic pattern, and Cubs and Champs were flying right over my house. When I was about 11, I found out I could easily get to the airport on a bicycle, and I spent every spare minute there until I went to college. Flying was the first thing I ever had a conscious thought about! I learned to fly in a J-3 at Trinca Airport in northern New Jersey, and got my private at 18.” In addition to the YKS-6, the Wilsons have a 1943 Piper L-4H and a 1930 Fairchild KR-21. Jim is currently restoring a Travel Air 4000, and he’s also the esteemed editor and publisher of Antique Airways, the newsletter of the Carolinas-Virginia Antique Airplane Foundation. Jim and Eileen have owned their Waco since 2000, and Eileen smiles broadly when she says it was her idea to buy the biplane. She thought it would be quite nice to carry a decent amount of baggage and travel in a comfortable cabin biplane, so when Jim showed her a picture of the YKS-6 in Trade-A-Plane, she said, “Go get it!” And travel they have. In 2005, they flew the Waco from South Carolina to Alaska and back. Jim and Eileen accompanied their pilot friends Kathy and Rick Hegenberger, who flew their own L-19s. “We flew to Anchorage in 40 hours, taking six and a half days to get there. We had absolutely beautiful weather,” says Jim. “It’s hard to put into words the beauty of flying across British Columbia, the Yukon Territory, and into Alaska. Probably the most memorable experience was when we stopped in Edmonton; the next morning it was hard to see the cars in the parking lot because of ground fog. “One of the local pilots said, ‘Oh, no problem! You can get out of Edmonton on Special VFR. Then just get down below the fog — it doesn’t get real low, and there aren’t any towers — and just fly due north until you come to this river. Then turn left and you can get right down on the river if you want, fly several miles and you’ll come out on this lake, go left and you’ll be looking out at the runway at Slave Lake Airport.’ So here we go, watching all these little tendrils of fog coming down, raining, and we did just what he said. And we [followed similar advice] from flight service — they really try to get you where you want to go, and they know the territory. That was a lesson in trust!” The Waco has a 275-hp Jacobs engine and holds 70 gallons of fuel. It’s a standard cabin model with a throw-over yoke and an austere baggage compartment (compared to custom cabin models). Jim says he flight-plans 100 knots burning 15 gph, but it usually burns around 14 gph, which allows a good three and a half hours of range. Laughing, Jim remarks, “It flies as fast as I can think!” Their other travels include flights to the National Waco Club Fly-In at Mount Vernon, Ohio, the Triple Tree Fly-In in South Carolina, and the spring and fall VAA Chapter 3 Fly-Ins. And for the past five years, they’ve enjoyed being Andrew King’s invited guests on barnstorming stints through Ohio and Indiana. Jim recently verified some interesting history about N16598 — hence the Civil Air Patrol markings on the fuselage. “The Civil Air Patrol flew this airplane out of Grand Isle, Louisiana, in 1942 and into 1943,” says Jim. “There’s mention of that in the logs, and the Civil Air Patrol confirmed that the Waco was on their list. They flew off an old road, guarding the coast, and we’re proud to have an airplane that did that! So a couple of days before we came up here, we put the basic CAP symbol on it and the ‘dummy’ bomb to capture the spirit of it all.”

NC6364M and NC6365M, Award-winning Stinson Sister Ships These two sister ships are Franklin-powered 1948 Stinson 108-3 Flying Station Wagons, and both are owned by Richard Preiser of Delray Beach, Florida. Richard has been NC6364M’s caretaker for many years, and it won the small Classic (September 1945-1955) Preservation Plaque. Richard just completed the pristine restoration of NC6365M, and it won the Classic (September 1945-1955) Grand Champion Gold Lindy award.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

N3455C Dave Finamore of Longmont, Colorado, took advantage of an opportunity to re-evaluate what he enjoyed most about flying. That ultimately resulted in his purchase of N3455C, a 1954 Cessna 170B, in 2007. “I’d owned a Cessna 182 and a 210, and after my partner and I sold the 210, I wanted another airplane,” explains Dave. “So I started trying to remember, ‘Why did I learn to fly in the first place?’ It was because I always liked old airplanes, and I enjoyed the visual appeal of flying and looking at the earth from above. That’s what I really love doing! So I thought, of course I want a tailwheel airplane. I have an instructor friend who owns a Citabria, so I went up for a few hours with him, and he signed me off. I didn’t want to buy an airplane and then find out I wasn’t capable of flying it!” Dave decided on a 170 because he has two kids who like to fly with him. “Then my mechanic called and said, ‘Dave, you can stop shopping for an airplane, because the airplane you want is in my shop and it’s for sale,’” recalls Dave. “The guy who owned it decided I was the guy who was going to buy his airplane, so we worked out a deal. It was more than I wanted to spend, but for me, spending a little more up front is better than buying a project. It has a 180-hp Lycoming O-360 engine, which is great for me in Colorado. It’s been fantastic; it has never failed to make me look good as a tailwheel pilot! A previous owner really took beautiful care of it and did a lot of maintenance, got the gear rigged properly so that it tracks straight on the ground, and it just performs really well.” Dave’s first Oshkosh experience was in 1987, and he’s brought both his son and daughter there through the years. His son, Will, who pretty much learned to fly in the 170, earned his private certificate a couple of years ago. Now 21, Will is working on his instrument rating and was with his father at AirVenture this year. “It’s been really fun owning and flying the 170,” reflects Dave. “I’ve learned so much about flying. So many times I’ll fly and be landing and maneuvering on the ground, and I’ll think, ‘Oh, that’s why my instructor told me to do this or that! Those things may be a good idea in a nosewheel airplane, but not necessarily as critical as in a tailwheel airplane; the nosewheel allowed me to be lazy. And when I had the turbo 210 I didn’t make that many landings. I went places in it because that’s what it’s good for. “I had about 1,600 hours of flight time when I got the 170, but I felt like I hadn’t really learned the lesson of airspeed control on final and landing when flying the 182 and 210. The 170 really rewards you when you have your airspeed just right! I usually try to three-point it, but if I’m a little fast, I’ll end up rolling it up on the mains. I cruise it at 20 inches at about 2350 rpm (around 100 knots), and it burns about 9 gph at that power setting. It has 40 gallons of fuel, and if I’m below 10 gallons, I’m looking for a place to land because the unusable fuel is listed as 3 gallons. In the 170, we do a lot of fun flying around the local area. This airplane has shorter legs than the 210, and I explore different airports I’ve never been to before. And that’s really fun!” N13HS Vintage member Brian Gregg of Guthrie, Oklahoma, flew his recently restored Taylorcraft to AirVenture this year, accompanied by his 13-year-old daughter, Bailey. N13HS has been in his family for a long time; it was his grandfather’s airplane, and Brian has cherished memories of flying in the Taylorcraft with his grandfather on the weekends. “Granddad had a private strip just north of Guthrie, and he passed away in 1996. Then my uncle had the airplane, and I went to college and got a degree as a pro pilot.” Brian is putting his aviation degree to good use, and there’s no doubt that his grandfather would be proud that he introduced his grandson to low-and-slow flying. Brian started his professional career by flying aerial oil and gas pipeline inspection, and is currently director of flight operations for Guardian Aerial Patrol. When Brian’s uncle wanted to sell the Taylorcraft, Brian bought it and started flying it. “I had probably 80 hours on it and then it got damaged in a windstorm in Guthrie in 2006,” says Brian, “so we removed the left wing’s fabric and replaced the cracked spar. Then I met Alan Brakefield down in Goldsby, and he put new fabric on both wings and the fuselage as well. Then we replaced the windows, the baggage compartment, and the seat sling. Greg Semler out of Guthrie overhauled the Continental O-200. It took quite a while to get it all done, but I was never in a hurry. Alan painted it just like it was when my granddad had it. Alan’s passion for aviation got me fired up, and I was excited to see the project progressing!” Reflecting on the family Taylorcraft, Brian says, “There are a couple of things about the project that stand out to me. One is the throttle knob — we couldn’t get another one that was the same, so we retrofitted that knob to the cable, which was awesome. Another thing is the smell of the airplane. I remember it when I was a kid flying in it, and it’s still the same after all of that work! I have no idea why that is, but it’s different from any other plane I’ve ever been in.” Brian’s flight to Oshkosh brought back some sentimental memories for him, and it’s likely that he and his daughter will be forming memories of their own as they continue sharing flights in one special Taylorcraft. www.vintageaircraft.org

“… there was a guy on the airport who had a Swift, and I remember falling in love with that gorgeous little polished airplane.”

— Steve Wilson, Swift owner

N3876K and N77753: Steve Wilson of Granbury, Texas, knows his two Temco Swifts from the inside out. That’s because he painstakingly restored each one. Steve’s Swift saga really started when he was a little boy in Elkins, West Virginia. Back in 1948, when his mother and stepfather wanted some time to themselves, they simply dropped Steve off at the airport on a Saturday or Sunday. “That may sound strange today, but in those days it didn’t seem too unusual,” says Steve. “I knew all the pilots and all the airplanes, and there was a guy on the airport who had a Swift, and I remember falling in love with that gorgeous little polished airplane. I thought that was the most beautiful airplane I had ever seen. It took me another 20 years to own one.” Steve traded a Luscombe for a basket-case 1948 GC-1B Swift 1948 Temco GC-1B Swift, owned by Steve and (N77753) in 1968. “It had been hard-landed in West Virginia, and Barb Wilson of Granbury, Texas, and powered the guy had taken the wings off,” shares Steve. “I picked that up, by a Continental O-300. and it took me 18 months to get it flying. I built it up with a 125hp engine. In those days there weren’t that many conversions, and I didn’t know much about Swifts at all. I flew it for about 20 years, and then rebuilt it again in 1996 and put a 145-hp Continental in it, along with modern avionics, and it’s been pretty much flying that way since.” N3876K is a 1948 Temco GC-1B as well. Coincidentally, it was also wrecked in West Virginia. “This one was also hard-landed, and it passed through a number of hands after that,” says Steve. “When I was in Illinois in 1997, it belonged to a Southwest Airlines captain who lived near me. He wanted to sell it, and about that same time we were getting ready to move to Texas, so I bought it and hauled the parts down there. Barb and I started on part of it in about 2003. We eventually finished it in 2008 and Steve and Barb Wilson with their son, Ben. put a 210-hp Continental O-300 in it, while retaining the original cowling. It’s IFR-equipped with a lot of modern stuff in there, but I tried to keep it light, so it’s not painted. It’s a good crosscountry airplane.” Indeed, Steve has logged about 600 hours on it since then. He and Barb have not only made numerous trips to AirVenture, but also flown coast to coast several times and have flown to Alaska and back as well. This year marks Steve’s 50th convention, 48 of which he has attended consecutively. Their son Ben flew N77753 to AirVenture, so both Swifts were there to help celebrate the 70th anniversary of the aircraft. “The Swift started production in 1946 after the war, and most all were built that first year,” says Steve. “Temco took over when Globe went bankrupt, and they built the airplane up until about 1951. About 1,500 Swifts were built, and they were either 85 hp or 125 hp. Today, you see all kinds of engines in them. My 210-hp The other 1948 Temco GC-1B Swift owned by Swift cruises at 140 knots, and my 145-hp Swift cruises around 115 Steve and Barb Wilson is powered by a C-145 to 120 knots. engine. “I like the original look,” continues Steve, referring to the Cheshire cat cowling. “It’s a little slower than the ones with a custom cowl, but I like it so I’m willing to sacrifice a few miles an hour.” 34

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N34337 There was a single-place Luscombe model on the flightline that turned quite a few heads this summer. Bill Bradford of Independence, Missouri, built a replica of the 1945 Luscombe Model 10. Being retired with time on his hands, Bill worked on N34337 about 40 hours a week for 26 months. “I based it on photos of the prototype, since there are no plans or drawings,” says Bill. “It’s pretty close to original, but one of the things I couldn’t see in the pictures was the fuel system, so I built up two 6-gallon tanks in each wing, and I’ve got a 5-gallon tank that I’m sitting on — everything feeds to a center-section tank. The canopy is a little bit more rounded than the original egg-shaped one because I tried to keep it simple to make, and it has a set of Jim Younkin wheelpants.” Though the original prototype had a Continental A-658, Bill happened to have a C-85-12 on hand and decided to install it since it would drive an engine-driven fuel pump. He’s been learning more about the replica’s flying characteristics each time he flies it. “In the air it flies somewhat like a Luscombe with a shorter vertical fin and rudder,” says Bill. “I don’t know if the canopy’s blocking the tail, because you kind of get the RV/Bonanza effect in rough air, but if it’s fairly smooth, it flies pretty good. The aileron controls have pretty

typical Luscombe pressure, and the elevator is just a hair lighter. The rudder pressure is about the same. I learned early on in the test flight that in a crosswind you’d better threepoint this thing on the ground until you get down to about 45 to 50 mph! It has a 105- to 110-mph cruise.” The prototype Model 10 flew in early December 1945, but it was destroyed in a windstorm the following spring and never went into production. Bill’s replica has a color scheme that matches the all-metal, clipped-wing 1947 Luscombe 8A (N2133K) that he and his father, Brad, built (and that was awarded Best Custom Classic at AirVenture 2005).

N23JW N23JW is a rare 1953 four-place Taylorcraft 15A Tourist. Owned by Tim and Ryan Newell (father and son) of Massillon, Ohio, the airplane won the small Classic (September 19451955) Outstanding Taylorcraft Plaque.

N6557Q Jan and Paula Lee of Sandpoint, Idaho, were delighted to win the Contemporary (1956-1970) Grand Champion Customized Gold Lindy for N6557Q, their 1965 Alon A2 Aircoupe.

N22D Here’s an eye-catching, clipped-wing 1942 Boeing PT-17 Stearman, customized by the late Johnny Dorr, who had an ag pilot training school in Merigold, Mississippi. Dorr flew air shows in this biplane. N22D is currently registered to Hobby Hill Farms Inc. of Lewes, Delaware.

N81E Finished in CAA colors, N81E was remanufactured by Rare Aircraft in Faribault, Minnesota. This five-place 1936 Stinson SR-8B Reliant cruises at 140 mph and lands at 70 mph. It burns 14 gph from its 70-gallon fuel capacity. N81E won the Bronze Age (1937-1941) Runner-Up award. www.vintageaircraft.org

N9373A N9373A is an award-winning 1949 Cessna 195 owned by Russell Alis of Fairbanks, Alaska. It received the Classic (September 1945-1955) Class IV (236-hp and up) Bronze Lindy.

N8568H 2016 marks the 70th anniversary of the Navion. The 1947 Ryan Navion in the foreground (N8568H) is registered to Douglas and Kathy Taylor of New Middletown, Ohio.

NC13PH This dazzling 1938 Spartan 7W Executive, the Spirit of Triple Tree, belongs to longtime owner Pat Hartness of Triple Tree Aerodrome in Greenville, South Carolina. NC13PH received the Bronze Age (1937-1941) Champion Bronze Lindy.

NC26868 Vertigo is a snazzy 1941 clipped-wing Piper J-3C-65 owned by Alvin and Loretta Musser of Memphis, Missouri. N26868 received the Bronze Age (1937-1941) Outstanding Closed Cockpit Monoplane award.

NC237E NC237E was one of two Airmasters on the field this year. This 1940 Cessna C-165 is registered to Vernon Heyrman of De Pere, Wisconsin.

NC1244G This elegant 1932 Waco UBF (N1244G) is owned by John Cournoyer of Chesterfield, Missouri, and was the Silver Age (1928-1936) Runner-Up.

N398CM N398CM is a 1947 Republic RC-3 Seabee registered to G.W. Bardin of Granville, New York.

NC50227 NC50227 is a 1942 Stinson Vultee V-77 registered to David Hanus of Mound, Minnesota.

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N1654N John Maxfield of Northville, Michigan, keeps his 1948 Funk (N1654N) looking good.

N6102K N6102K is a 1947 Republic RC-3 Seabee, registered to SES BEE LLC of Appleton, Wisconsin.

N9812X N9812X is a 1961 Cessna 185, registered to James Smith of Fitchburg, Wisconsin.

NC13993 Heads-up view of Mrs. Mennen, the 1937 Spartan 7W (NC13993) owned by EAA Aviation Foundation Inc.

These gorgeous polished Spartan Executives comprise an elegant reflection of the Golden Age of Aviation.

www.vintageaircraft.org

NC2189E Snoopy adorns the nose of NC2189E, a 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champ owned by Duane, Jessica, and Kyle Jones of New Carlisle, Ohio. It was the 2013 Outstanding Aeronca Champ.

NC20200 One of eight Spartan Executives at AirVenture, NC20200 is a 1937 Spartan 7W registered to Steven Marini of Danville, California.

NC11767 Trevor Niemyjski of Franksville, Wisconsin, owns NC11767, a 1935 Lambert-powered Monocoupe 90A.

N3086N N3086N is a 1947 Cessna 140 registered to Charles Dischner of Plattsburg, Missouri.

N8074K Now here’s a fairly unusual record: NC8074K has been registered in Iowa every consecutive year since it was new in 1947. Rick Gritters of Pella, Iowa, has been well-acquainted with this Stinson 108-2 since he was a teenager, and knows its history. “The Schield-Bantam Co. up at Waverly, Iowa, owned it first, and six months later it was sold to Bob Kuyper in Pella, and he had it until about 1969,” says Rick. “Then Ron Kramer, who was the best man at my dad’s wedding, bought it and, after flying it a few years, restored it. Ron did a lot of the restoration himself, including overhauling the Franklin engine. Mac’s Aircraft at Boone, Iowa, did the beautiful cover job. Ron received the Reserve Grand Champion award at Oshkosh in 1976. “Shortly after its restoration in 1975, when I was a junior in high school, I got a ride in the back seat up to Oshkosh. Subsequently I joined EAA and have been a member since 1976. I got my A&P shortly after that. Ron sold the airplane to Mac’s sonin-law, who had it for a short time, and then Royce Pierson bought it and kept it at his grass strip. I started maintaining it for him in about 1979, and then in 1998 I bought the airplane.” Rick, who has his IA, started Classic Aviation Inc. at the Pella Municipal Airport. He and his wife, Brenda, ran that FBO for about 11 years until they sold it in 1999. He also worked as an A&P at a couple of other little airports and has been a maintenance instructor, mechanic examiner, and flight instructor. His airplane is the “small tail” version of the Stinson Flying Station Wagon and is powered by a smooth-running 165-hp Franklin. When Rick bought it, its total time was 1,365 hours. The 1970s Ceconite fabric and dope finish are still in good shape, but Rick has repainted the cowling and wheelpants, and replaced the lower stabilizer skins due to some corrosion. He enjoys flying the Stinson. “It’s a very stable airplane and very coordinated on the controls,” he says. “Cruise is around 105 mph, burning 10 gph, and it has two 20-gallon wing tanks. Its useful load is 925 pounds, and it’s a good grass field airplane. I usually wheel-land it. It has a wide wheel base and air-oil shock struts, which make you look good!”

N2538D Sparkling despite gray skies was this 1952 Cessna 170B (N2538D), registered to Olan Hanley of Bellevue, Washington.

N3607Q William and Ann Toole of Goochland, Virginia, own N3607Q, a 1967 Beech A23-24 Musketeer.

NC81369 Bill Liimatainen of Monroe, Wisconsin, owns this Warner-powered 1946 Fairchild 24W-46. NC81369 has a wingspan of 36 feet, 4 inches, an empty weight of 1,732 pounds, and a gross weight of 2,562 pounds. It cruises at 115 mph and lands at 53 mph.

Howards There was a good showing of Howard DGA-15Ps on the flightline this year.

N9429E Jonathan Arney of Pittsford, New York, is the registered owner of N9429E, a 1946 Aeronca 11AC Chief.

N45569 This 1946 Luscombe 8A (N45569) is registered to John Hupe of Wamego, Kansas.

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www.vintageaircraft.org

NC83569 This 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champ (NC83569) was restored via the Candler Field Museum Youth Aviation Program at Peachstate Aerodrome in Williamson, Georgia. In the background is Ron Alexander’s Candler Field Express, a 1940 DC-3A.

NC8841K As twilight settles on the field, friends gather near this 1947 Stinson 108-1 to watch the night air show. NC8841K is owned by Harve and Carolyn Applegate of Queen City, Missouri, and received the Classic (September 1945-1955) Class II (81-150 hp) Bronze Lindy.

C-GFIB C-GFIB, owned by Sasa Balagovic of Collingwood, Ontario, Canada, is a 1951 Ryan Navion B.

N2922S

N80836 Jerry Kirby of Westmoreland, Tennessee, is the happy owner of N80836, a 1946 Globe GC-1B.

NC17616 This 1938 Spartan 7W Executive (NC17616) is registered to Redman Company LLC of Nye, Montana.

Ward Aviation of Marysville, Ohio, is the registered owner of this 1967 Cessna 150G.

NC96325 N96325 shines like a beacon on the flightline. This 1946 Taylorcraft BC-12-D is registered to David Doherty of O’Fallon, Missouri.

N7845E Many pilots first soloed in Cessna 150 models. This “straight tail” 1959 Cessna 150 is registered to Terry Wallace of Bedford, Texas.

NC688E Big Sky Stearman of Oregon City, Oregon, restored this 1929 Bellanca CH-300 Pacemaker. NC688E (formerly NC26E) is owned by Warren Wright of Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, Canada. It won the Silver Age (1928-1936) Outstanding Closed Cockpit Monoplane award.

C-FATE

NC879H Pole Pass Airways LLC of Seattle, Washington, is the registered owner of this rare 1929 Hamilton Metalplane H47. NC879H attracted numerous admirers.

N3165Z This 1959 Piper PA-22-150 Tri-Pacer (N3165Z) is registered to Arnold Seligman of Louisville, Kentucky.

Big Red is a 1944 Consolidated Vultee Stinson V-77 Gull-

wing. C-FATE is owned by Soren Christiansen and Ross Adams of Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. 40

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N6811 Note the vortex generators on this 1957 Piper PA-22-150 Pacer (registered to Elizabeth Schnaubelt of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin).

CF-PEB Arjan and Cheryl Dekeyzer of Melbourne, Ontario, Canada, own CF-PEB, a 1941 Taylorcraft BL-12.

www.vintageaircraft.org

N470CM This customized 1959 Downer Bellanca 14-19-3 was parked south of the Ultralights area. Owned by Scott Johnson of Cedar City, Utah, N470CM received the Contemporary (1956-1970) Outstanding Bellanca-Outstanding in Type award.

N412W Greg Heckman flew this 1932 Curtiss-Wright Travel Air 12W to AirVenture. (Its cockpits are covered for protection from rain showers.) N412W is owned by the Kelch Aviation Museum of Brodhead, Wisconsin.

C-FIQD Nestled against the cornfield was a 1966 Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee (C-FIQD) owned by Doug Leeper of Barrie, Ontario, Canada.

N2991T This 1966 Aero Commander 200D (N2991T) is registered to Stephen Freeman of Bartlett, Tennessee, and Phillip Hart.

N27E This 1944 Beech D17S was one of several Staggerwings on the flightline. N27E is registered to Michael Grossberg of Atlantic Beach, Florida.

N37436 A 1942 Interstate S-1A Cadet, NC37436, is owned by Richard O’Reilly of Simi Valley, California. It has a 100-hp Continental O-200.

N534KT Note the straight tail on this 1962 Beech D50E Twin Bonanza (registered to Wesley Norton of Ashton, Oregon).

N4358V N4358V is a 1948 Jacobs-powered Cessna 195 registered to Layson Aviation LLC of Spring Lake, Michigan.

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N52573 N52573 (in the foreground) is a 1942 Boeing A75N1 (PT-17) Stearman registered to Draggin Ads LLC of Bentonville, Arkansas. In the background is a 1941 Boeing A75N1 (N44JP) owned by John Parish of St. Louis, Missouri. N44JP was the World War II Military Trainer/Liaison Aircraft Runner-Up.

WWI Encampment A special treat this year was the encampment of authentic and replica World War I aircraft, complete with living history volunteers in period attire. Engine run-ups allowed visitors to hear the unique “voices” of antique engines such as Gnome and Le Rhone rotary engines.

N28329 N28329, a 1941 Interstate S-1A Cadet, was first purchased for use in the Civilian Pilot Training Program and flew official Navy missions after Pearl Harbor. It was restored by owner Kevin Brown of Watsonville, California.

NC985V NC985V is registered to Keith Kocourek of Wausau, Wisconsin. This 1943 Stinson Vultee V-77 is powered by a 450-hp Pratt & Whitney R-985 and can cruise at 165 mph. It won the Customized Aircraft Champion Bronze Lindy.

SPAD VII Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome’s Spad VII was built by the late Carl Swanson.

N10349 Virtually glowing on Lake Winnebago is N10349, a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver registered to Marshall Aviation Services Inc. of Elkhart, Indiana.

NC23977 Wayne and Dana Podeweltz of Merrill, Wisconsin, own this 1939 Aeronca 65-C Chief.

NC37334 2014 VAA Hall of Fame inductee Timothy Talen of Springfield, Oregon, owns this Interstate S-1A. www.vintageaircraft.org

NC17601 NC17601 is a 1937 Spartan 7W Executive registered to John O’Keefe and Nostalgia Aircraft of Winthrop, Washington.

N48443 Brian Christian of Peyton, Colorado, owns this 1943 Interstate S-1B1 (NC48443, military L-6 Grasshopper).

N800UD This 1959 PZL Mielec PZL-102-B is powered by a Continental C-90. N800UD is owned by Vincent Spence of Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

N145SA This twin-engine 1955 Czechoslovak A/C Works-Omnipol Super Aero 45 is registered to William Shepherd of River Ridge, Louisiana.

C-FLYL By official count there were 101 seaplanes in attendance this year, but there was one of staggering size that held everyone’s gaze — the 1945 Martin JRM-3 Mars (C-FLYL), owned by Coulson Aircrane Ltd. of Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada. It was awesome to behold — whether it was at rest on Lake Winnebago or flying by and dropping a load of water!

NC4518H Protected from the rain showers, this 1948 Piper PA-15 Vagabond was registered to Ed Brown of Vandalia, Illinois; it is now with its new owner, Jim Finger, in Carthage, North Carolina.

N6948 EAA’s 1917 Standard J-1 is finished in The Great Waldo Pepper paint scheme and powered by a Hispano-Suiza.

WWW.BANDC.AERO

NC37330 NC37330 is a 1941 Interstate S-1A registered to Aaron Mattix of Independence, Kansas.

N5683C N5683C is a 1952 Cessna 140A registered to John Hooker of Freeport, Illinois.

NC17007 This 1935 American Eaglecraft Eaglet B-31 is powered by a 45-hp Szekely SR3. NC17007 is owned by the Airpower Museum Inc. of Blakesburg, Iowa, and was restored by EAA Chapter 211 in Grand Haven, Michigan.

N222A Taxiing in to the seaplane base is this distinctive 1954 Piaggio P.136-L1 (N222A) registered to Ocean Air Inc. of River Falls, Wisconsin.

N94100 This replica 1918 Fokker D-VIII Triplane is powered by a Gnome rotary and was built by Brian Coughlin of Cazenovia, New York.

NC17007 Close-up of the American Eagle logo on the Eaglet’s tail.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

Taking Flight Soon

Alternator for Lycoming-powered vintage Pipers

316-283-8000 • BandC.aero www.vintageaircraft.org

Live your dreams. NC68189

Alex Vickroy of Ashland, Wisconsin, enjoys flying his Howard DGA-15P (NC68189) on floats.

N6183

This fine 1916 Sopwith Pup replica is owned by the Golden Age Air Museum of Bethel, Pennsylvania.

Join EAA today and make your dream of owning an aircraft a reality. EAA members get access to member-exclusive discounts on financing rates and loan fees for the purchase of aircraft or kits. Making your dream a reality starts here. Visit EAA.org/finance today.

N454LR

Close-up of the Le Rhone rotary.

World War I N454LR

This replica 1918 Fokker DR.I is powered by a Le Rhone rotary and was built by Paul Dougherty of Bethel, Pennsylvania. It won the Replica Aircraft Champion Bronze Lindy.

NC5738C

Heads-up view of NC5738C, a 1950 Cessna 170A registered to Jerry Long of Benton, Kansas. 46

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Sparky Barnes Sargent

Sparky holds a commercial glider certificate with private pilot single-engine land and sea ratings. She personally restored her own 1948 Piper PA17 Vagabond, which she flies frequently. Sparky has had more than 280 aviation articles and numerous photographs published in national and international publications, and has written and published three aviation books to date. She was the first female recipient of the Bax Seat Trophy, awarded in recognition of her work, which â&#x20AC;&#x153;communicates the excitement and romance of grassroots aviation.â&#x20AC;? To learn more, visit http://dgaenterprises.com/books/.

Finance Solutions Administered by National Aircraft Finance Company

Radiant Reliant The Stinson SR-9F legacy

y 1925 when Eddie S tinson proposed his first aircraft, he had already lived a full aviator’s life in an active family of aviators. His older sister Katherine was only the fourth woman in the United States to receive her Fédération Aéronautique Internationale pilot certificate at age 21. In April 1913, Katherine with her

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Article and photos by Moose Peterson mother incorporated the Stinson Aviation Company, announcing their intention to “manufacture, sell, rent and otherwise engage in the aircraft trade.” Katherine was wowing the audiences at this time with her exhibition flying in a Wright B Flyer, and by the summer of 1914, had done so well that her younger sister Marjorie wanted to get into the act. This whole time Eddie was learning the mechanics

of keeping a plane in the air. Eddie wanted to fly, so he finally went to Dayton, Ohio, to learn how to fly at the Wright School of Flying. And from there, he never looked back. World War I had a dramatic effect on U.S. aviation with $13 million being poured into the overlooked program. Many American pilots had joined the Lafayette Escadrille, so the Army found a shortage of qualified instructors.

Late in 1916, the commander of the 1 Aero Squadron decided to hire a civilian to fill the void and instruct new pilots — Eddie Stinson. Many graduates later remembered their instructor and some of the stunts he would fly during instruction. Up to this time, no course was taught for recovery of the “corkscrew twist” or spins, which ended mostly in tragedy. There is a story that Eddie was flying and got into a

spin. With no known recovery, it’s believed he pushed the stick forward to expedite the inevitable, but by mistake or not, Eddie discovered how to get out of a spin. The Army was duly impressed and had him instruct the 1 Aero Squadron in this technique. Shortly thereafter, the United States entered WWI and Eddie became a buck private, instructing officers. His exploits in a plane doing loop-the-loop and

other stunts were legendary, doing 157 at Love Field. So were his exploits with a bottle, and after a long review, the Army made the change from buck private to chief civilian instructor. Eddie Stinson moved to Detroit, Michigan, in 1922. In June, Eddie Rickenbacker, then automaker (and America’s leading WWI ace), hired Stinson to fly him around the country to survey commercial www.vintageaircraft.org

aviation possibilities. Flying in a Junkers, they had problem after problem plaguing their tour. Finally, Rickenbacker took the train, saying to Stinson, “I’m through with commercial aviation for the time being.” The future head of Eastern Air Lines added, “There’s not a plane in the U.S. fitted to make such a long trip.” This started Stinson thinking about just such a plane. Then in September, he was a test pilot in the employ of Bill Stout, designer of the Ford TriMotor, which would later open up the skies to commercial passenger service. Stout had built a large, corrugated monoplane, the ST-1. The ST-1 was a twin-engine torpedo bomber. Stout thought Stinson was the only pilot of the day who could get it off the ground for the test flight. Stinson was successful flying it for the Navy demonstration and many times thereafter, making a number of improvement suggestions. Soon afterward, he acquired his own Junkers and started a somewhat successful charter passenger service. Early in 1925, the Detroit Board of Commerce Aviation gathered to discuss promoting air transportation in the United States. A plan was devised based on the Glidden Tours, which helped to popularize automobile travel. Edsel Ford became interested in the idea, donating $50,000 in cash and giving birth to the Ford Reliability Tour. Board 50

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member Bill Mara was in charge of organizing the event and enlisted Stinson to survey the air route of the tour. Days after the successful tour ended, Stinson walked into the offices of the Detroit Board of Commerce with a large roll of brown paper under his arm. When Stinson unrolled the paper, he laid out in front of Mara and others on the board his design for a four-passenger cabin biplane. In 1925 an enclosed airplane was a rare bird. Stinson added to this novelty a cabin heater, wheel brakes, and an electric starter. These by themselves were not new innovations in aviation. But collectively, having all three of these in-

novations in one aircraft, that was new. Stinson admitted he was no engineer, but he knew folks who were. So when asked why such an unorthodox airplane would be commercially successful, he had a simple answer. Firsthand experience convinced him that the advancement of commercial aviation depended on the principal features of his design. With a capitalization of $25,000, Stinson Airplane Syndicate was formed. Stinson promised he’d have the first prototype within three months, a claim doubted by all. The Stinson Detroiter, the SB-1, rolled out two months and 10 days later and was first flown on Jan-

uary 25, 1926. Stinson had done it! He pressed the starter button, the Curtiss propeller turned, and the SB-1 began to taxi, doing all of this without the usual ground support. In a flurry of snow kicked up by his takeoff, he was up in the air with ease. It was a cold winter day, but all were impressed with the starter and brakes as they stood in the chill. Stinson with passengers Dick Fitzgerald and Bill Mara in the warm, heated cabin in the upholstered seats flew overhead. The Stinson Detroiter performed beautifully just as Stinson said it would. On its first public flight, 500 turned out to see the Stinson Detroiter fly. Packard Field was covered in snow as Eddie Stinson flew in short sleeves. And the tires had chains, so he could stop in 100 feet as he stepped on the brakes. The SB-1 was a success. In May 1926 the Stinson Aircraft Corporation was born. Stinson’s SB-1 did ver y well commercially and led to many new innovations and designs. Stinson wasn’t one to sit on his laurels! For the next seven years, both the company and the pilot grew in fame and experience. Adding parking brakes and interior design, monoplanes and additional usable loads, amphibians, tri-motors, and retractable landing gear, Stinson didn’t sit still in design or in the air. In January 1932, the Model R received its certification and Stinson was off to sell it. The Model R was a revamp of the very popular Stinson SM-2 Junior. The Junior fuselage was shortened 3 feet in making the Model R along with aesthetics, courtesy of talented stylist Lloyd Skinner. The Model R had to sell, so Eddie Stinson flew it up to Chicago, Illinois, on a sales flight. He’d been flying all day and was talking to the head of a large steel company exec on the

flightline when the gas truck came up to the Model R. He waved him on, as the tanks could wait till later. The steel company man wanted a ride. Eager for a sale, off they flew, heading out of Lake Michigan. They’d been flying only a few minutes when the engine quit. The steel man recognized the place and convinced Stinson to put down on the golf course rather than the beach. They struck a flagpole, and while all walked away, Stinson had broken ribs. He was taken to the hospital where sadly he died the next day. On a rainy day, Eddie Stinson was laid to rest. Surrounded by the leading aviators of the day, Jimmy Doolittle flew overhead in a single flight as 2,000 mourners came to his home to pay tribute. It was said that Americans everywhere mourned Eddie Stinson’s passing. It was a hard year for Stinson Aircraft with fewer than 50 aircraft being built. Through salary cuts, though, the company made it through the year without losing any of its labor force. But something was going to have to be done to stay open. T hen in e arl y 1933, i t embarked on the line of aircraft it is best known for: the Reliant. Robert L. Hall joined Stinson Aircraft as a designer and was tasked with designing a light utility aircraft to complete a Honduran air force (HAF) request. A tandem twoseater meeting the HAF requirements was in a prototype, and it was flying a few weeks later. In the spring of 1933, business began to pick up with the introduction of the Model SR, the first Reliant. The SR differed from the Model R mainly in having an all-new cantilever landing gear, improved styling, and tandem two-seater. In 1933 Stinson rolled out the SR-1, SR-2, SR-3, and SR4; 100 were built under the design direction of Jack Irvine. In 1934

the SR-5 Reliant came out, the first plane in its class to have “speed arresters” or flaps. In 1935 the SR-6 came out, and it was the last of the straight-wing Reliants. Just prior to this release, the Model L prototype was made and flown. It was considered too “hot” a plane for the average private pilot, and it was scrapped. Then Bob Ayer’s classic gull wing seen on the Model A and on the scrapped Model L was adapted for the Reliant in the summer of 1935. On January 8, 1936, with the marked performance increase without adverse flight characteristics, the first production of the Gull Wing SR-7 Reliant began. In 1937 the SR-9 came out and was considered the masterpiece of classic styling. What made the SR-9 so distinguished was its molded windshield. (All previous Reliants had flat-panel windshields.) Bob Ayer was hunting in Northern Canada; his hosts were associated with the Ontario Provincial Air Service and flew 80-mph de Havilland biplanes. Ayer did some quick thinking and told the Canadians a beefed-up Reliant would serve them better. They were skeptical. Ayer added the 450-hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior, and the SR-9F was created. In 1937 more than 200 SR9s were sold; 27 were 9Fs with the price range of $9,500 to $18,000.

The Vast History of Stinson SR-9F N18445

Stinson SR-9F N18445, S/N 5720, has led a full life, serving many pilots in many different roles. Originally purchased by George B. Barham of Midland, Texas, he got N18446 (the original number) from the Stinson factory in Wayne, Michigan, on October 18, 1937. The Defense Supplies Corporation in Washington, D.C., acquired it on May 8, 1942, for the price of www.vintageaircraft.org

$15,000. It was transferred over to the U.S. War Department, Washington, D.C., on October 8, 1942, for $15,206.56. There it was used as part of the War Training Service program. Its registration changed to WTS145. The U.S. Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), Washington, D.C., acquired it July 13, 1945. The CAA used it for giving CAA inspectors instrument training. Registration changed to N129E. There the Stinson was rebuilt. It was then returned to the civilian registration when Agair Incorporated, located in Eagle Field, Dos Palos and Fresno, California, acquired it October 28, 1946, for the reported price of $2,500. Then over the next 10 years, it had a number of owners: Rex Williams, Tolleson, Arizona, September 19, 1951; Miller Body Works Inc., Las Vegas, Nevada, May 14, 1952; PMP Aviation Co. Inc., Turner, Oregon, April 4, 1954; Roy Bradley, Fort Worth, Texas, August 26, 1954; William E. Quick of Expressos Aereos Quick, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, September 10, 1954; Joe Marrs, Marrs Aircraft, Hollywood, Florida, July 13, 1955; O.K. Williams, Floresville, Texas, December 5, 1956; U.S. Worm and Minnow 52

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Hatchery, Cordele, Georgia, October 9, 1957; and Mercy Flights Inc., Medford, Oregon, May 18, 1960, when it was modified with the gurney door and registered N139MF. Then Jack Mulkey, Klamath Falls, Oregon, purchased it January 29, 1964; Stuart Petersen and Roy Gerhard, Boise, Idaho, January 16, 1979; and Abel Hera, Miami, Florida, September 8, 1984. Its current proud owners, Woodson K. Woods III and Scott Woods, in February 2008 changed it to N18445, as N18446 was unavailable.

The Start of the Stinson SR9F N18445 Project

It’s not until you’re up close to a Reliant or have the opportunity to sit in its luxurious cabin can you gain a sense of why this is such a popular aircraft! The Woods family has a long history with aviation from Spitfires to Wacos, but when it came time for a new project, the definitive project, it was a Stinson Reliant that was at the pinnacle. I asked, “So your dad had a thing for Stinsons for a long time?” Scott Woods didn’t hesitate for a heartbeat in answering the question. “He owned an SR-9F project back in the ’80s, which he sold when

he got out of the restoration business,” Scott said. I went on to ask, “But why the SR-9F of all the possible Reliants?” “The gentleman that we paid tribute to in the restoration of this airplane, Jack Nees, was my father’s aviation mentor,” Scott said. “When my father got into collecting antiques, he asked Jack, who happened to be a walking encyclopedia of aviation. He asked Jack, ‘What do I need to have? What are the best airplanes?’ He said, ‘Waco UBF-2 and a Stinson SR-9F.’ It was the pinnacle of the Stinson line because of the design aesthetics of the SR-9 with the curved windshield but also the power and performance of the 985 Pratt & Whitney, which made the F model the most desirable. Many 9Fs were either wrecked in the bush or somehow went off the registry and were lost with time. There only remain, still to this day, five on the U.S. registry. And there’s one in Canada that was the multiuse version with the Pratt & Whitney. “The Waco project was done, so it was time to go after that SR-9F.” I asked, “How did you find a SR-9F project?” He said, “I looked on the registry, and I found there were five on the registry and I started

making calls. Yeah. Cold calls. I got in touch with Abel Hera who was the previous owner. When I called him, I just said, ‘Hey, would you consider selling?’ And he said, ‘You know, not right now, but keep calling me.’ I think about a year later I called him, and he said, ‘Yeah, come on down and have a look.’ So I went down in 2007, I think it was April 2007, and checked out the airplane for the first time. “I went down to Florida to look at the project and came into the hangar, your classic pack rat hangar full of stuff. Parts and bits and then stuffed in the back of this hangar was this sad, old 9F fuselage up on its gear with the gurney door on the side; the wings were in another hangar. And I just started inspecting everything, and to me, it looked like a viable project, albeit a lot of work. But being so rare and the excitement of finding the prize, you kind of overlook a lot of the hurdles. We clearly wanted the 9F, but unfortunately, he wouldn’t sell it separate of an SR-10 that he was also selling. We didn’t want the 10 but had to have the 9F, so we put a deal together for both the airplanes as he wanted us to cart both of them out as a package deal. And that’s what we did. “The 10 was donated to the Cincinnati Aviation Heritage Society and Museum that they set up at the terminus of the old All American Aviation (AAA) airmail route. This Reliant SR-10 was used by AAA as an in-flight mail pickup and drop-off ship. So we found a home for that. “In the summer of 2012, the SR9F arrived at Rare Aircraft, Faribault, Minnesota, and the two-year restoration project began.”

few of the SR-9s have interchangeable wings, all but the 9F. If the wings of the project weren’t viable, they wouldn’t have had a project. Since they are heat-treated steel truss construction, they had come through the decades intact. The ribs, which were extruded aluminum, had to be replaced, and there was only one guy that had the correct rib material for the gull wings. I asked, “What makes the ribs so difficult?” Scott explained, “All Reliants have square tube ribs. There’s a machine that will take a circular tube and turn it into a square tube. To tool up and to do that is very expensive, so there just aren’t many that exist. And to have to go and have it made would have been extremely expensive. I think we pretty much got the last batch of this one gentleman’s stuff and had all the ribs made. There are four fuel tanks, two in each wing, and they were in pretty

rough shape. They were stripped down, cut open and inspected, and portions refabricated, so the tanks are original but restored. One modification on the wing is where originally there was fabric covering the fuel tanks; now it’s metal to facilitate their inspection. “The wingtip bows had to be refabricated. They’re steel. And all the gas caps, all of the control surfaces were serviceable; they just needed to be cleaned up. And Abel, the gentleman we bought the Reliant from, had done some work on restoring. Like the rudder had been cleaned up and primed, and it was kinda ready to go. He had been slowly pecking away at certain little groups of the parts. We were able to get the original wing lights, which are rare; it’s hard to come by a lot of this stuff,” Scott said with a smile, taking pride in bringing this beautiful aircraft back to life.

Restoring to Flight Stinson SR-9F N18445

The airframe of N18445 is all original, and the wings are as well. A www.vintageaircraft.org

While the fuselage is all original, it had to be brought back from modifications made to carry stretchers. What Rare Aircraft had to contend with: “They had cut out some tube metal to make room for the gurney to work,” Scott explained. “So they had to weld in another piece of the fuselage, and a few other little things had to be done on the fuselage for the stringers, the wooden stringers that form the fabric. So all that was done. They sandblasted, media-blasted the whole frame, inspected it, and then powder-coated the whole fuselage. All the airframe parts were there, as far as the finished parts; we had to refabricate 40 percent of the stuff. The bump cowling, the wheelpants were original, but had to be reworked. A lot of the sheet metal, the whole boot cowl around and behind the bump cowl, that all had to be refabricated from the original pattern, which we had. So we had to reverseengineer the oil-cooler housing and the structure that mounts to the engine mount with the help of our friend Rick Rezabek, using his SR9F parts as patterns.” Now for the engine itself. “The 54

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engine came with the project and may have been the original engine on that airplane,” Scott said. “I’m not sure from the factory, but it came with the airplane; it was from that era. There are some original reworked parts that are in that engine, essentially a brand-new overhaul. Prop came out of an H&S Prop Shop. It was a numbers-matchingblades A-quality, so it’d never been cut down or messed with. Basically, a new, old stock, overhauled and cleaned up. But it’s recertified, but very high-quality prop.” Scott didn’t bring a lot of modern aviation into the restoration. “We have a Garmin Aera 560 GPS, and then we have the Trig radios and Trig transponders, which are the smaller,” he said. “We wanted to keep as much acreage on the panel original, so we didn’t wanna have any big radios in there. So we went with a smaller style. But the panel, other than that, is very original. All of the instruments were restored to have the original look to them. No, it’s not an IFR airplane. There’s nothing modern, no modern instrumentation other than the GPS.”

But what everyone notices first thing is the distinctive and gorgeous paint the SR-9F wears. “So, we knew from the beginning that we wanted to do the classic Stinson lightning bolt, which we’d seen so many pictures of. But we’d also seen a lot of restorations that had been done over the years where people had really got it wrong, I mean, just awful. Many have lightning bolts at weird angles, and it just points down or too far up. And we’re very visual people, and we really wanted to get it right. And luckily we were working with Rare Aircraft ’cause Roy Redman is also very visual. Roy took an original picture of that scheme, and he scaled the lightning bolt exactly, the one that’s on the wheelpants and the one that’s on the fuselage, and we wanted to make sure it was perfect. So that and also the way that the paint drops back to the point of the lightning bolt, the little diamond, all of that had to be right, and he nailed it! “As for the interior colors, we had always planned on doing something in the tan and brown family. Rare Aircraft had just completed a

V-77 restoration, the military version of the Stinson Reliant, and they had finished that interior in a similar tan, just a little lighter. As soon as we saw that and the black, red, and gold on the exterior, we could see that it was going to look great! We picked a little bit darker, kind of more of a milk chocolate color. They had all the swatches there, and it really turned out nice. To add to the originality, the entire interior was fabricated using photos from an original SR-9 interior that Rezabek had in his files.” Scott, who lives outside of San Francisco, California, was quite a distance from Rare Aircraft in Minnesota where the restoration went on for two years. During that time, the Woods visited their baby. “I think it’s about right, about six times in the two years, yeah,” he said. “A couple times with dad and a few more times by myself.” I asked, “And how many phone calls?” “Boy, probably more than they would have liked,” Scott said with a gigantic smile! He went on to relate about working with Rare Aircraft. “They were great; they gave us full pictorial updates every two

weeks on what was going on with the airplane. And yeah, they had a full-service, full-time shop producing Waco UPF-7s and Stearmans, and so there was a couple months where things slowed down a little bit. But that’s kinda the nature of the shop environment. But I’d call them every couple of weeks just to check on it and kinda had to leave them alone to do the work, but was definitely always chomping at the bit to see progress.” “And when it was first rolled out, what was that experience like?” I asked. Scott said, “I remember getting a video because I wasn’t there. But the first engine run, which I think was in October of 2014, and just chills, of course, seeing it come to life. And really it had no hesitation, started up without a hitch and ran great; everything went really well, and then within a couple of days, they had done the weight and balance and had the cowling put on and painted. And then before we knew it, there was a test flight. I got a video of a flyby of our Stinson in the air on its first flight. It was November 12, I think, 2014. After taking care of some final fin-

ishing, it was time for the N18445 to be ferried to its new home.” With the biggest smile yet, Scott said, “Jimmy Rollison, who is a friend of ours and kind of the one guy — he’s flown everything, he’s got the experience, and we wanted it flown out of there in the middle of winter. And he’s the kind of guy who just shows up and gets the job done. He picked it up in February 2015 and flew it back here. I met him in Chino, after, I think it was on his third day, I met him in Chino, and we did the last leg to Petaluma together.” “And what was that flight like?” I asked. Scott seemed a little choked up when he said, “Getting into that airplane with him, I sat right seat, and taking off from Chino was the most surreal thing just because I’d been carting around this pile of parts for so many years. And to actually fly away in that airplane for the first time, I was kind of … what’s the word? In shock, I guess.”

Flying Stinson SR-9F

Scott’s first left-seat flight was not too long afterward. He said, “It was, probably about two weeks www.vintageaircraft.org

after the airplane was delivered here, we went up. I did four hours with Jimmy Rollison as my flight instructor, and so in that two weeks, I had done a bunch of taxi tests just to get used to the controls and the rudder pedal system, which is different than anything I’ve ever f lown. It’s a different system but works extremely well. They’re heel brakes, full footpad, heel brakes. I went out and did some fast taxis down the runway, got used to the feel of it. And then he came over, and we did our flights. We did four hours of flying together over two days before I soloed the airplane, and I was surprised, pleasantly surprised at how great the characteristics of the air plane were and how straightforward she is to land — that wide 9-foot gear spread. It’s just such an honest-behaving airplane. And just tracks straight and true, and [I] couldn’t have been happier with what I was flying.” Scott has not kept this beautiful aircraft in the hangar. He is out sharing it with the public. “Our first fly-in was Columbia up in the foothills of California on June 20,” he said. “We met our friend Rick Rezabek, who has the other flying 9F here in the States, and so we got those two birds together for the first time, which was so great. The next event we took it to was the Monterey McCall’s car week event, which kicks off car week for Monterey. This includes the Concours d’Elegance. We were invited to bring the Stinson down and put it on display there with all the other cars, warbirds, and other great airplanes. It was very interesting to see classic car aficionados’ reaction to the airplane. People loved it! It was like a magnet! It really has a lot of cues from old Packards. The interior, when you look in there, it just feels like an old car from that 56

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era. So there was a lot of attention, a lot of interest. And there were even a couple people, fellow pilots there, that were thinking about having one done for themselves, if they could find one.” “So, what’s it like to fly the SR9F?” I asked. Scott replied, “Well, the biggest thing … I mean, as far as handling on the runway, if you start straight, the thing tracks straight and true. You have your normal P-factor and torque to deal with but not pronounced. That big rudder provides excellent directional. You don’t have to put a ton of right rudder in. The most crucial thing on takeoff is watching your manifold pressure, and you don’t want to go over 36 inches. If it happens here and there, it’s fine, but there’s propensity for the engine to have damage because of overboost, so that’s the most critical thing on takeoff. As far as climb-out, I mean, it’s just like any other airplane. You just watch your speed as it climbs like a bat; you could pull up to 70 mph, and you’re climbing out well over 1,500 feet per minute. It’s remarkable; it’s a climber; it’s a performer. Then you level off, get it up on the step, and it’s just like cruising in a big Packard in the sky. It’s just super comfortable; it has very responsive roll rate. Yeah, it’s just a sweet bird.” Keep in mind the Stinson has really cool yokes. “We had the original control wheels with the project. But they needed restoration, and that was something we had to farm out. We actually found a guy who restores Ferrari and other classic car steering wheels, and he really did an amazing job.” “Is landing a Stinson Reliant as easy as they say?” I asked. “As far as landing the airplane, you want to set up a nice manageable approach as with all airplanes,” he

said. “I like to hold 80 to 85 mph in the pattern from abeam midfield onto base to final [and] then cross the numbers around 75 to 80 mph. Pull the power and just do a nice, even flare, and it just settles right down on that big gear. Just a touch of forward pressure on the yoke and you roll up onto the mains, and it just tracks amazingly straight; you don’t have to do a lot of work to keep it straight, unless of course there’s gusty wind, but it’s just a sweetheart.” In September 2015, Scott Woods flew the Stinson SR-9F to the Reno National Championship Air Races, and it was entered in the National Aviation Heritage Invitational where it won the Paul E. Garber Trophy for Best Classic. But when you ask Scott about the whole project, he’ll say, “The greatest part was doing the project with my dad; it was a real coming together for us. Unfortunately, he was unable to share in the last part of the project due to health reasons, but it just really brought us together. It was a very special thing to share, and so that’s what it really has been all about. That and, of course, Jack Nees’ words.” Scott’s dad was able to get to Reno to see the Stinson SR-9F for the first time and the presentation of the trophy. Scott finished by saying, “But we’ve always been airplane fanatics, antique airplane people, and we’ve put a lot of time and resources into them over the years. And others that do so also understand the strong calling to preserve the last of aviation’s wildlife. When we get our sights set on a special one, we’ll put everything into it. Especially rare ones like the SR-9F!” Note: I want to thank Scott Woods for flying the SR-9F and Steve Bowman, the photo platform pilot.

Straight & Level

continued from page 1

and Reauthorization (AIRR) Act of 2016, H.R. 4441, would be disastrous for all of general aviation. I quote the EAA’s formal position on these issues here for your consideration: “This proposal would separate the nation’s air traffic control system from the FAA to be managed and operated by a not-for-profit corporation. The corporation would be run by a board of directors comprised of system stakeholders economically dominated by airlines and other commercial and labor interests, leaving general aviation to be marginalized over time. This means that GA access to airspace, the availability of ATC services, funding for rural airports, charting, weather services, and flight service will all be at the discretion of a private industry board heavily weighted in terms of influence to the airlines and associated interests. This is not just about whether or not there are user fees for GA, which currently there are not. It is about the future preservation and health of the entire GA system of access and infrastructure we enjoy today. Though there are many positive provisions within the AIRR Act, this disastrous ATC privatization proposal outweighs them all. Members are encouraged to contact their senators and representatives and tell them that any ATC privatization proposal should be removed from the AIRR Act before it is considered further.” Now, let’s all do our part and reach out to our legislators and let them know that we oppose H.R. 4441 as written.

www.vintageaircraft.org

The Vintage Mechanic ROBERT G. LOCK

The Duramold process of wood fabrication Part 1 Wood construction took a large step forward when Henry L. Haskell experimented with various types of adhesives to eventually produce waterproof glue that he could use to manufacture canoes. Haskell set up a small factory in Ludington, Michigan, and began to perfect a process whereby thin veneers of wood were placed around a mold to form the desired shape. Since his canoe was to operate in water, a better adhesive was badly needed.

A canoe is a good example of wood construction that needs to be waterproof.

His experiments led him to concoct a mixture of black albumin (dried blood) and water. This he mixed together into a thick viscous material that looked like molasses. He settled into a ratio of 45 percent of albumin (by weight) and 55 percent water (by weight), and to this mixture he added 9 percent silicate of soda that acted as a catalyst to eventually harden the 58 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

adhesive. This mixture was used to bond samples of birch veneer under heat and pressure for testing. He ultimately succeeded in making samples that would withstand the effects of boiling water for three hours without separating. In fact, his patent states that he boiled a sample for six days, and it did not fail. Thus came the invention of waterproof glue for many uses. For this he applied for and received patent number US1516587A. Haskell’s method of bonding birch veneer into layers involved a mold with either vacuum or pressure for compressing the wood and glue and heat for curing (up to 280 degrees Fahrenheit). The Haskelite Manufacturing Corp. existed from 1917 to 1951; however, founder Henry L. Haskell sold the company in 1937. Haskell was an assignor for the corporation that held his many patents on wood fabrication and his exclusive waterproof glue invention. The early corporation manufactured canoes, serving trays, and almost any item that required shaping plywood veneer into complex shapes. In 1920, H.L. Haskell received patent number 1344634 for an “aeroplane body.” The application was filed on April 9, 1918, and the patent was granted on June 29, 1920. I believe this to be the very beginning of what we now call the “Duramold” process of wood fabrication, although Haskell called his process “Duromold, Plymetl, and Phemaloid.” The drawings on page 59 are taken from Henry Haskell’s patent number 1344634 as a method of constructing a wood fuselage for a small airplane. The date was June 29, 1920. Although Haskell did not intend to build airplanes, he could foresee the time when this process, an expansion from his waterproof glue and canoe-

Drawing from Henry Haskell’s patent for an aeroplane body.

fabricating business, might include flying machines. The success of Haskell’s process was his invention of waterproof adhesive for bonding layers of wood veneer into complex shapes. His process, marked by the Haskelite Manufacturing Corp., was used to make Hasko serving trays, boats, trains, aircraft components, and automobile door panels. During World War II, Haskelite helped the war effort by manufacturing wood veneer materials for tanks and combat ships, primarily PT boats. The year was 1907, and a Belgian-born American chemist named Leo Baekeland was conducting experiments that would lead to the discovery that a liquid could harden, and the first plastic was born. Baekeland called his invention Bakelite — it was the trade name for a class of thermosetting plastics made from phenolformaldehyde resins. These resins remained soft until molded under heat and pressure, and they formed a hard, durable, waterproof, fire-resistant material. Bakelite proved a viable solution as a wood adhesive and would have a tremendous impact on airplane structures. Unlike casein or albumin glues, Baekeland’s invention formed a water-resistant, durable bond immune to mold and fungi. In 1912, Baekeland patented a method for using phenolic resin as a plywood adhesive, but his method of applying the resin proved too expensive for commercial use. However, in 1919, a Westinghouse employee, John R. McClain, patented a method for applying the resin in the form of a dry film. McClain’s process involved impregnating paper or fabric with a carefully controlled amount of phenolic resin. These sheets were then inserted

between individual layers of veneer, and the assembled layers were compressed by a heated press, which transformed the resin into a hardened state. Boat builders in particular welcomed this process. In fact, in 1933 the steamship Washington became the largest ship built of wood, using 435,000 square feet of resin-plywood bulkheads. The manufacturing process relied on a phenolic resin developed by General Plastics in cooperation with the Haskelite Manufacturing Corp., which was a leader in the manufacturing of plywood.

The Duramold F-46.

Col. Virginius E. Clark, designer of the famous Clark Y airfoil, designed an airplane that was manufactured using what he called the Duramold process. Clark was Fairchild Aircraft’s vice president of engineering. The airplane, designated the Duramold F-46, was constructed by a subsidiary of Fairchild Aircraft called Duramold Aircraft Corp., which was established in 1937 to move the project along and acquire www.vintageaircraft.org

the Lockheed Vega developed a method of molding a three-layer, double-curved fuselage half against a female concrete form with hydraulic pressure. Loughead was certainly the pioneer in commercially obtaining uniform pressure at right angles to the molding die by hydraulic means. Even in those days he used an inflatable bag.” We’ll have more on Loughead later.

birch or mahogany veneer strips are impregnated with adhesive, most likely phenol-formaldehyde. A release component is applied to the mold and the impregnated veneer strips are laid up on the mold. At this point, one can use a current tool in advanced composite construction — the warp clock. This is the way this works: The zero-ply orientation

Along with the autoclave, necessary monitoring controls for pressure, temperature, and venting are also installed.

Another picture from the Aero Digest Duramold story: “Spreading glue on rear fuselage members before applying plastic plywood skin in the construction of a Fairchild twin-engined advanced trainer.” The Duramold plywood skin was cured on a mold inside the autoclave — it is smooth, has no seams, and fits the structure perfectly.

Photos from articles discussing the molding processes.

manufacturing rights to the Haskell process. Thus the Duramold process is credited to Clark instead of Haskelite, but many of Henry Haskell’s inventions and patents were used. The original Duramold F-46 was powered by a Ranger (Fairchild) V-770 engine producing 450 hp, but it was later modified to include a Pratt & Whitney R-985 of 450 hp. Only one aircraft was constructed. In the February 1943 issue of Aero Digest, Sherman Fairchild authored a story titled “Details of Duramold Fabrication.” In the story, Fairchild stated, “About six years ago, long before the war, Fairchild Engines & Airplane Corp. started investigations of possible substitutes for aluminum and specified a material which: (1) could be molded and fastened with adhesive, thereby eliminating the then high cost of joining aluminum by riveting, and (2) would have about the same strength/weight ratio as aluminum and yet have a low enough density to provide sufficient local stiffness to insure structures which would have a perfect contour and a smooth surface.” This is an interesting statement because today the aviation industry has achieved this with advanced composite construction. Fairchild cites two examples of pioneers of a similar early process, but not Duramold. Fairchild writes, “In this statement we have not lost sight of pioneers such as Gillmor, who in about 1923 developed the Curtiss Oriole, a two layer shell made by pulling strips of veneers over a form with casein adhesive between them, or Loughead, who in 1928 in Right, a view of a large pressure tank being installed at the Haskelite factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to support the Duramold F-46 project and the Fairchild AT-21 fabrication. We now call these pressure tanks autoclaves. By the appearance of this old photo, a wall has been knocked out to install the large autoclave within the factory building. 60

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From the Aero Digest Duramold story: “Mold for fuselage skin, rear section of Fairchild twin-engined advanced trainer [AT-21], entering autoclave for steam pressure treatment.” Contrast this small autoclave with the massive units that produce today’s advanced composite aircraft components.

Near the end of the story, Fairchild states, “The problems of providing heat up to 280 degrees F and pressure of 80-100 psi to a surface of 125 square feet, a total pressure of over 875 tons, and the construction of commercially feasible dies to withstand this pressure were not easy ones. Great credit is due the Haskelite Manufacturing Corp. which collaborated in solving these problems.” To summarize the Fairchild patented Duramold process, molds are made for the desired shape of the plywood veneer panel; these molds must be able to withstand temperatures above 280 degrees Fahrenheit and positive pressure of 80-100 psi. Very thin

is longitudinal — on a fuselage, this direction would be fore and aft parallel to the longitudinal axis of the ship. The 90-degree ply is transverse or at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the ship. The plus-45- and minus-45-degree direction is at a 45-degree angle to the longitudinal axis of the ship. Birch or mahogany veneer was cut so thin that one could see light through it, so it was very pliable. If severe compound curves were required, as in a radome,

Removed from the autoclave, the aft fuselage skins for the Fairchild/Duramold F-46. Note smooth lines with no seams, rounded passenger door, baggage door, and aft window. www.vintageaircraft.org

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION

The Fairchild AT-21.

the material could be boiled in water to further soften and make the wood more pliable. Phenolic adhesive could be applied wet, usually by rollers for even distribution, or dry in the form of a film. After application, the adhesive may dry but not cure; the adhesive only cures at temperatures around 280 degrees Fahrenheit and a positive pressure of 80-100 psi. A Duramold part may be made up of 40 to 60 layers of veneer — so thin they can easily form to the mold. Once the layup is completed, the part is covered with a rubber bag and pressure is applied as the part is inserted into the autoclave for final processing. Here, the pressure and temperature are increased; the adhesive softens back into a creamy state, penetrating the wood fibers before it hardens. The autoclave is shut off and the part begins to cool, and then it is removed and allowed to completely cool. When removed from the mold, the part has been fabricated and can be installed on the aircraft frame. Clark worked with the Haskelite Manufacturing Corp. and its head, George Meyercord. It was a natural combination of corporations, as Clark had the engineering experience and Haskelite had experi62

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An ad in an aviation publication for the Haskelite Manufacturing Corporation.

ence with aircraft plywood and its role in developing resin-bonded plywood. Fairchild and Haskelite jointly developed a bag-molding technique for producing airplane parts of phenolic plywood, termed “Duramold” by Clark. Thus, the Duramold fabrication process is a precursor to current advanced composite fabrication techniques — it just used birch or mahogany veneer instead of a unidirectional or woven bidirectional weave fibrous material. A total of 175 Fairchild AT-21 Gunner aircraft were constructed by Fairchild Aircraft and Engine Corp. (106), Bellanca Aircraft Corp. (39), and McDonnell Aircraft Corp. (30). These ships were constructed using Duramold skins. The next major use of the Duramold process would be by none other than Howard Hughes for construction of his D-2 and HK-1/H-4 Hercules Flying Boat. Stay tuned for an in-depth report on that subject. I’ll share a few surprises and little-known facts concerning the flying boat.

(Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685). 1. Title of Publication: Vintage Airplane. 2. Publication No.: 062-750. 3. Filing Date: 10/1/16. 4. Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly. 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 6. 6. Annual Subscription Price: $42.00 in U.S. 7. Known Office of Publication: EAA, 3000 Poberezny Road, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Contact Person: Randy Halberg, Telephone: 920-426-6572. 8. Headquarters or General Business Office of the Publisher: Same address as above. 9. Publisher: Jack Pelton, EAA P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Editor: Jim Busha, c/o EAA, 3000 Poberezny Road, P.O.Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 549033086. Managing Editor: None. 10. Owner: Experimental Aircraft Association, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. 11. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other security holders owning or holding 1 percent or more of total amounts of bonds, mortgages, or other securities: None. 12. Tax Status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months. 13. Publication Title: Vintage Airplane. 14. Issue date for circulation data below: Sep/Oct 2016. 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months/ No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date): a. Total No. of Copies Printed (6851/6367) b. Paid Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail): 1. Mailed OutsideCounty Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) (5623/5514). 2. Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser’s proof copies, and exchange copies) (0/0). 3. Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS (313/305). 4. Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS (e.g., FirstClass Mail) (40/41). c. Total Paid Distribution (Sum of 15b (1), (2), (3), and (4)) (5976/5860). d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail): 1. Free or Nominal Rate OutsideCounty Copies Included on PS Form 3541 (0/0). 2. Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541 (0/0). 3. Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail) (0/0). 4. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means) (0/0). e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3), and (4) (0/0). f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e) (5976/5860). g. Copies Not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4 (page 3)) (875/507). h. Total (Sum of 15f and g) (6851/6367). i. Percent Paid (15c divided by 15f times 100) (100%/100%). 16. Publication of Statement of Ownership: Publication required. Will be printed in the November/December 2016 issue of this publication. 17. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). James Busha, Publisher, 10/1/16. PS Form 3526, July 2014.

New Members Timothy Allaben . . . . . . . . . . . . . Greg Anders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephen Bakkum. . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Becker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jackson Betts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bud Bornemann. . . . . . . . . . . . . Noreen Bowdon . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Boyko. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . George Brietigam . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Denny Brummett. . . . . . . . . . . . . Amanda Brzezinski . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Burton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Douglas Cormody. . . . . . . . . . . . . Jose M Carvalhosa Dias. . . . . . . . . Louis Champeau . . . . . . . . . . . . . Les Clanton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher Cole . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wanda Collins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carole Cooke. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Angelika Criscione. . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Crowder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amy Crozier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Henry Dittmer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Donaldson . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Dunn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adam Eisel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William English. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Blake English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher Esch. . . . . . . . . . . . . Walt Fanti. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daniel Feldman. . . . . . . . . . . . . James Finger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fritz Foy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alex Gallman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Danny Gallo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Gibb. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Gilmore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brian Gregg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bruce Grumstrup. . . . . . . . . . . . . Elton Hannerman . . . . . . . . . . . . John Hardin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Patrick Heavirland. . . . . . . . . . . . Stephen Hennessy. . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Henry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Howe Hildebrand . . . . . . . . . . . . Robert Hilty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Philip Hipe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Hoyt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ed Huffman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . William Ireland. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lyle Jansma . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . George Kirby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Joseph Kirik . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeffrey Klaas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Lahrman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Leiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Donald Lester. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Little . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Macdonald. . . . . . . . . . . Todd Mackey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Mackinnon. . . . . . . . . . . . Brenden Maxwell . . . . . . . . . . . . Richard Mcclellan . . . . . . . . . . . . Brian Mcnutt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Carlyle Melin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher Mills. . . . . . . . . . . . . Alvin Musser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . David Parker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elizabeth Pontiff. . . . . . . . . . . . . Ken Potter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rick Princell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nancy Raty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Randall Riesbeck. . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Rose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jerald Runyon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Sabel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Raymond Spore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Casey Teets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Thompson . . . . . . . . . . . James Tonelli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Tracy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas Trenkle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Darren Vinelli. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gerald Vogt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kurt Welday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Wells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Robbie Wills. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Wollen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephen Wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeffrey Yakubisin. . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephen Zoerlein. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Little Rock, AR Bellingham, WA Alexandria, MN Sutherland, NE Lessburg, VA North Ridgeville, OH Vancouver, WA Franklin, OH Fresno, CA Fulton, CA Somerset, KY Hatley, WI Howell, MI Beaufort, SC Loures, Portugal Houghton Lake, MI Yazoo City, MS Warren, MI Madisonville, TX Aguila, AZ Central Islip, NY Rocky Mount, NC Black Creek, WI Berthoud, CO North Vancouver, Canada Palmyra, WI Georgia, VT Mason City, IA Rancho Cucamonga, CA Chula Vista, CA Greer, SC Libertyville, IL Carthage, NC Santa Monica, CA Altus, OK Nashotah, WI Ambler, PA Russell, OH Guthrie, OK Marshalltown, IA Anacortes, WA Malvern, PA Forest Lake, MN Vancouver, WA Oshkosh, WI Navarre, FL Wheatland, WY Vero Beach, FL New London, NH Elmore, OH Greensboro, MD Bellingham, WA Orlando, FL Canton, MI Lakeway, TX Powell, OH Grand Forks, ND Owesnboro, KY Plantation, FL Laveen, AZ Brandon, FL Novato, CA Temora, Australia Roscoe, IL Weatherford, TX Olathe, KS Richmond, TX Memphis, MO Bloomington, IL Sterling, VA Lanark, Canada Plainfield, IN Bremerton, WA Waynesville, OH New Port Richey, FL Houston, TX Chardon, OH David, CA Arlington Heights, IL Natchez, MS Locust Grove, GA Bishop, CA Burlington, IL San Antonio, TX Erie, PA Sumter, SC Beavercreek, OH Conway, AR Poway, CA Whitewater, CO Beach City, OH Saint Charles, IL

www.vintageaircraft.org

VAA

Directory OFFICERS

What Our Members Are Restoring

The EAA Vintage Aircraft Association wishes to thank our volunteers for the many efforts they put toward enhancing our organization and making it an association of which to be proud.

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-6inch 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 textonly 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 e-mail jbusha@eaa.org.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

VINTAGE AIRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published bi-monthly at EAA Aviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd., PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

ADVISORS

54903-3086, e-mail: vintageaircraft@eaa.org. Membership to Vintage Aircraft Association, which includes 6 issues of Vintage Airplane magazine, is $45 per year for EAA members and $55 for nonEAA members. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54902 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Vintage Airplane, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 549033086. CPC #40612608. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES—Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail. ADVERTISING — Vintage Aircraft Association does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through the advertising. We in-

John Hofmann 548 W James St Columbus, WI 53925 john@cubclub.org

Ray L. Johnson 347 South 500 East Marion, IN 46953 rayjohnson@indy.rr.com

Earl Nicholas 219 Woodland Rd Libertyville, IL 60048 eman46@gmail.com

vite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken. EDITORIAL POLICY: Members are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. No remuneration is made. Material should be sent to: Editor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 920-426-4800. EAA® and EAA SPORT AVIATION®, the EAA Logo® and Aeronautica™ are registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks and service marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016

DIRECTORS EMERITUS David Bennett antiquer@inreach.com

Charles W. Harris cwh@hvsu.com

Robert C. Brauer photopilot@aol.com

E.E. “Buck” Hilbert buck7ac@gmail.com

Gene Chase

Gene Morris genemorris@charter.net

Phil Coulson rcoulson516@cs.com Ronald C. Fritz itzfray@gmail.com

S.H. “Wes” Schmid shschmid@gmail.com John Turgyan jrturgyan4@aol.com