VA-Vol-6-No-4-April-1978

Calendar of Events

The Restorer's Corner

By]. R. Nielander, Jr.

Division Pres ident

Here it is; the announcement that you have been waiting for! Our EAA Antique/ Classic Division 's new membership contest is off the ground and is in full flight. The rules are very simple. PR INT your name and Division membership number on the back of each Division membership application which you now have in your possession, and then give the applications to your friends after you have told them why they should join the Antique/Classic Division. Or make a short speech on the subject at your next EAA chap­ ter meeting and sign up your chapter members. Or talk to the gang that hangs out at your local airport and get ,nem to sign up. That's all you have to do .

The rest will be accomplished for you by Headquarters.

For any contest there have to be prizes, and your Headquarters staff have some great ones just waiting to be mailed out. When the first five new memberships with your name and Division membership number print­ ed on the back arrive at Headquarters, you will be sent one pair of original military style goggles com­ plete with a leather pouch . When the second five (a total of ten) new members are received with your name and number on the back, you will be shipped a beautiful new brown genuine leather flying helmet.

Additional goggles and helmets will be sent to you each time an additional five and ten new members respectively bearing your name and number are re­ ceived, so there is no limit to how many goggles

and helmets you can win. On December 31,1978, Head­ quarters wi ll total the number of new memberships sponsored by each member during this entire year, and the member who has sponsored the most new mem­ bers will receive a free five year membership in the EAA Antique/Classic Division. Sounds great, doesn't :t? Earn one, two, three, four or more sets of beauti­ ful new goggles and helmets just by telling your aviation-minded friends and acquaintences about the EAA Antique/Classic Division and getting them to join, and then put yourself in the running for the big prize of a five year free membership, too .

You should have about 24 membership applications on hand in back issues of this magazine, but if you need additional ones , just write to Headquarters . The staff will be happy to send you all that you can use.

This contest is open to all members of the EAA Antique/Classic Division, even to those new members whose membership application may have counted toward another member's prize . Only your officers, directors, advisors and Headquarters staff are inelligi­ ble to win prizes.

Elsewhere in this issue you will find our annual listing of type clubs and/or newsletter editors. Your Division Officers encou rage you to support the type clubs of your choice , particularly if you own that type airplane. The majority of those listed publish newsletters which, in many cases , are the only sources of information concerning parts and maintenance pro­ cedures on that particular type aircraft. Most of the officers and editors are extremely dedicated, and many times they do not even ask for enough remuner­ ation to cover the printing and mailing costs of their newsletters. The cost of joining a type club runs all the way from just making your desires known to the club to sending a contribution for postage and printing to just a few dollars a year. Nowhere else can such a wealth of information be obtained for such a small investment.

APRIL 16 - GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS - Annual Fly-In sponsored by EAA Chapter 34. Contact George C. Sims, 8171292-4233 or 292-3798.

MAY 5-7 - ROANOKE RAPIDS, NORTH CAROLINA - Spring Fly-In sponsored by AntiquelClassic Chapter 3.

MAY 5-7 - CHINO, CALIFORNIA - 4th Annual Southern Califor­ nia Regional Fly-In. Sponsored by EAA Chapters 1, 7, 11, 92, 96, 448 and 494. Contact Gene Vickery, 1115 S. Sierra Vista Avenue, Alhambra, California 91801 . 2131289~8944.

MAY 19; 20, 21 - HORN POINT, MARYLAND - Potomac Antique Aero Squadron Fly-In . Aerodrome built by Francis du Pont 2 miles west of Cambridge on Maryland's Eastern Shore. For in­ formation contact Bernie Funk, Office 301-952-4770.

MAY 26, Z7, 28 - WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA - 14th Annual West Coast Antique Aircraft Fly-In and Air Show at Watsonville Air­ port. Co-sponsored by the Northern California Chapter, Antique Airplane Association and the Watsonville Chamber of Commerce.

For information, contact : Earl W . Swaney, Publicity Director, 525 Saratoga Ave., No.3, Santa Clara, California 95050. 415/645-3709' (days) ; 4081296-5632 (evenings).

MAY 26-29 - HARVARD, ILLINOIS - Monocoupe Fly-In. Dacy Air­ port. Held in connection with Ryan Fly-In. Contact Willard Bene­ dict, 129'Cedar Street, Wayland, Michigan 49348.

MAY 28 - TOUGHKENAMON, PENNSYLVANIA - A gatheri ng of Moths, Garden Flying Field . Unicom 122.8, 80 octane. 215/268­ 8988.

JUNE 2-4 - ATCHISON, KANSAS - The Annual Fly-In of the Greater Kansas City . Chapter, Antique Airplane Association will be held at Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport . Contact Dick Shane, 8315 Floyd, Overland Park, Kansas 66212. 913/648-3139 "or Kermit Hoff­ meier, 103 N.W. 64th Terrace, Gladstone, Missouri 64118. 8161 436-3459: JUNE 3-4 - GENERAL MOTORS WILDCAT TEST PILOT and Ground Crew reunion . Contact Dick Foote, P.O. Box 57 , Willimantic, Connecticut 06226 - 203/423-2584 or Dan Hanrahan , 470 Elmore Avenue , Elizabeth, New Jersey On08 - 2011254-4481 . Names and addresses appreciated.

JUNE 9'11 - SPRINGFiElD, OHIO - 2nd Annual Spring EAA Mid­ Eastern Regional Fly-In (MERFI). Air Show, awards, on airport camping, static displays, etc. Please check NOTAMS. Contact Myrna Lewis, 241 Bassett Drive, Springfield , Ohio 44506. 5131 323-2424.

JUNE 17-18 - FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA - Antique Aircraft Fly­ In , Shannon Airport. Air Show attraction s: Bob Hoover, Bob Rus­ sell and Duane Cole .

JULY 1-2 - GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA - 11th Annual Cracker Fly-In at Lee-Gilmer Airport. Awards will be presented in all categories .

Our banquet will be at the Gainesville Holiday Inn Saturday night, July 2. Len Povey has accepted an invitation to be guest speaker.

Accommodations - Gainesville Holiday Inn and other local motels.

I",formation : Jim Ealy, 3535 Ch ilders Road, Roswell, Georgia 30075, 404/993-4568.

JULY 1-9' - BLAKESBURG, IOWA - Wright Brothers 75th Anniver­ sary Fly-In at the Antique Airfield. Includes World War II PT and liaison Plane Fly-In July 1-3, Fairchild Club Fly-In and Unique Air­ plane Fly-In July 6-9: JULY 14-16 - MINDEN, NEBRASKA - Second Annual National Stin­ son Club Fly-In. Pioneer Field near Harold Warp's Pioneer Vil­ lage. BBQ Friday night for early arrival s. Saturday night banquet and awards. Scheduled events. Fly-In Chairman Bob Near, 2702 Butterfoot Lane, Hastings, Nebraska 68901 . 402/463-9309 .

JULY 29-AUGUST 5 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - 26th Annual EAA Fly-In. Start making your plans now - it isn't too early.

The VINTAGEAI!1PLANE

Editorial Staff

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION INC. of THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION P.O. Box 229, Hales Corners , WI 53130

Publisher Paul H. Poberezny (Photo by Chris Sorensen)

John Bowden's Cu rtiss Robin .

Editor David Gustafson

Associate Editors: H. Glenn Buffington , Robert G. Elliott, AI Kelch , Edward D. Williams Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Associate Editorships are assigned to those writers who submit five or more articles .which are published in THE VINTAGE AIR­ PLANE during the current year. Associates receive a bound volume of THE VINTAGE AIR­ PLANE and a free one-year membership in the Division for their efforts. POliCY-Opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor.

ANTIQUE/CLASSIC

DIVISION

OFFICERS

PRESIDENT

J. R. NIELANDER , JR. P.O. BOX 2464

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL 33303

VICE-PRESIDENT

JACK WINTHROP

RT. 1, BOX 111

ALLEN , TX 75002

SECRETARY

W. BRAD THOMAS, JR.

301 DODSON MILL ROAD

PILOT MOUNTAIN , NC 27041

TREASURER

E. E. " BUCK" HILBERT

8102 LEECH RD.

UNION , IL 60180

Directors William I . Ehlen

Route 8 Box 506

Tampa , Florida 33618

AI Kelch

7018 W . Bonniwell Road

Mequon, Wisconsin 53092

Claude l. Gray, Ir .

%35 Sylvia Avenue

Northridge , California 91324

Morton W. lester Box 3747

Martinsville, Virgi ni a 24112

CopyrightO 1978 EAA Antique/Classic Division . Inc. , All Rights Reserved.

APRIL 1978

CONTENTS The Restorer's Corner by J. R. Nie lander, Jr. . ... ... .. ... .. .. ............ .. ......

Calendar of Events .... .. ... . .... ................. ... . ..... . ... ... • .... ... ... ..

A Vintage Pilot by David Gustafson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . ..

Fo rds Are Where You Find Them by Byron (Fred) Fredericksen .. ... . . ... ... . ... ..

Antique and Classic Aircraft Type Clubs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . ..

Bill Chomo Reports: Philosophy of Re storation .. . .... . . . .... . . .. . . . . .. ... .... . ..

We Were There In Numbers Even If

" They Ain 't Making Them Like That Anymore " by Wm. J. " Bill " Ehlen . .. . ... . . .

Vintage Album ...... .... . .. .. . . .. ... ...... .. ... .......... .. ... .. . ..... . ...... .

Dean Tilton ' s Grand Champion Travel Air 2000 by Jack Cox ....... ....... . . . .... . .

Whi stlin g In The ~i ggi ng by Paul H. Poberezny .. ............................. . . .

National Stearman Fly-In by Thomas E. Lowe ....... . .... .... .. •. . . ........ .. • .. .

Clear To Land compiled by Kell y Viets . .. ... .. . ........ . .. .... . ... ..... . ........

Restoration Tips: Equal or Better by Dorr 8. Carpenter ..... . .. . ......... ... ......

Periodicals of Interest to the Antique/Classic World by Leo Opdyc ke ... ... ... .... , Letters .. . .... .. .... . ... . .... .. .... ... ........ ...... ... ... ... ............ . ... .

M. C. " Kelly" Viet s

RR 1 Box 151

St ilwell , Kan sas 66085

l yons, Wisconsin 53148

Advisors Rona ld Fritz

1989 Wil son, NW

Grand Rapids , Michiga n 49504

Stan Gomoll

1042 90th Lane , NE

Minneapolis, Minneso ta 55434

Roger I. Sherron

446-C Las Cas itas

Sa nta Rosa , Ca liforni a 95401

Robert E. Kessel

445 Oakridge Drive

Rochester, New York 14617

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17

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EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION MEMBERSHIP

Milwa uk ee, Wi scon sin 53226

Richard Wagner P.O. Box 181

NUMBER 4

(Co ver Photo by Chris Sorensen; 1937 Model A-7S-300 Stearman)

An hur R. Morgan 513 North 91st Street

Dale A. Gustafson

7724 Shady Hill Drive

Indianapolis, Indiana 46274

VOLUME 6

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NON-EAA MEMBER - $20.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/ Class ic Divi sion, 12 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE ; one year mem­ bership in the Experimental Aircraft Association and separate membership ca rd s.

SPORT AVIATION magazine not included.

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EAA MEMBER - $14.00. Includes o ne year membership in the EAA. Antique/C lass ic Division , 12 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE AND MEMBERSHIP CARD. (Applicant must be current EAA member and must give EAA membership number.)

Robert A. Whit e

1207 Falcon Drive

Orlando, Florida 32803

THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is owned exclusively by EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc., and is published monthly at Hales Corners , Wisconsin 53130. Second class Po stage paid at Hales Corners Post Office .

Hales Corners. Wi sconsin 53130. and additional mailing offices . Membership rates for EAA An tiquel Classic Division. Inc .. are $14.00 per 12 month period o f which $10.00 is for the publication of T HE VINTAGE AIRPLANE . Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation .

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VI~I"r 1-\ G ...~

Plt'o"r

By David Gustafson, Editor

(Photographs Provided by Sabbie Ludovici)

Sabbie Ludovici started logging hours over fifty years ago. Now that's not necessarily remarkable in itself, but the picture changes a little when you dis­ cover that he's still spending 363 days a year on a field, still logging 30 to 35 hours a week as an instructor ­ and half of those are spent with the only FAA Approved aerobatics curriculum in the country! At the age of 67, Sabbie has the kind of mental acuity and sensitivity to flight that makes kids envious.

As a teacher, he hangs on to what he was taught over fifty years ago: fly by feel. Or as he puts it: "You've got to learn to fly by the seat of your pants; you 've got to feel it in your fanny." And he's quick to point out that no amount of federal regulating will ever have an effect on someone's, ah . . . , fanny. "You can't regulate safety." What he's talking about is a total physical, intellectual commitment to sensing what the airplane is doing. Naturally, anyone who learned to fly, as Sabbie did, in a Standard )-1 which couldn't be trimmed and which had a grand total of four un­ reliable instruments (altimeter, tachometer, oil pres­ sure and temperature), would know exactly what he's talking about.

I began to find out what he was talking about four years ago when he agreed to check me out in the Cessna 120 I'd just bought. It was my first taildragger.

We were in the pattern practicing touch-and-go ' s.

I'd worked through three stages: mexican jumping bean, kangaroo, Kamikaze. The score was Sabbie: 32,000 hours; me: 105. We were on base leg. The plane was rocking.

Sabbie barked at me, "relax, dammit!" I tried to.

"You've got white knuckles," he added accusingly, "and I can see the muscles bu lging in your arms and wrists." I wiped the sweat off my palms and turned

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to final. "Think of the airplane as your lover. You're not going to grab or squeeze or jerk a woman, are you? Maybe you do. You shouldn't. Fondle that con­ trol stick and it'll be nice to you. Make love to your airplane." His voice was softer and some color began to show in my hands about that time. As he extended his metaphor about the airplane as a woman I must have developed a bit of color in my face too, for he started chuckling and slapped his thigh . I wondered

Sabbie's Waco 10, built in 1928 and powered with an OX-5 that reportedly came off Lindbergh 's lenny.

what kind of an image he used when giVing flying lessons to a woman . Then I chuckled . "See. It's fun when you relax."

We touched down, rolled; then I throttled for­ ward and lifted the tail. "Get that tail up sooner, and get it up higher . . . now keep it straight," Sabbie

(Photo by David Gustatson)

Sa bbie Ludovici at 67, with his typica l grin. Fifty yea rs of fly in g and still go ing strong.

Around 1940, Sabbie (seco nd from right) ran a .mechanics' school. His students are seen here recoverin g a Travel Aire. d

~;

You had to do more th an fl y to keep go in g in the thirties.

Sabb ie welds the gea r back o nto a j-3 that he'd ferried out of a field.

coaxed. Then he snapped again, " don't jerk it off the runway .. . ease it off."

We leveled off at 800 feet and Sabbie focused on something below like he'd never seen it before even though . he'd been over that part of the field thou足 sands of times . "See those ruts down there? I used to haul logs over that road when I was a kid. Made some of my flying school money doing that."

We turned final again, and though I was more re-

laxed, I was still over-controlling. " You're driving now, instead of flying . Leave the ailerons alone . You ' re working too hard. " He turned to me. "There's no turbulence up here today , you know, but you sure are working hard to create your own with those controls."

There wa s another kind of turbulence in his voice.

His hands waved then fell on the right wheel. I let go and braced myself for another of Sabbie's flying ex足 amples. The plane lurched , tipped , hopped, dove and

sacheted. The aluminum skin crackled . Sabbie was completely relaxed. "See," he shouted in mock seri足 ousness, see how you can make your own storm." I saw vividly. "You don't have to keep readjusting for every puff of wind." It was like riding with an Italian John Wayne on a bucking bronco which had polished off a bale of loco weed . He suddenly let go of the stick, folded his arms, and pulled his feet back from the rud足 der pedals. He'd done it with hundreds of students.

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The plane bobbed a few more times, leveled off, and glided smoothly to the runway . " There's no rea­ son to be frightened of an occasional bump on final ," , he said softly and seriously. "And there's no reason to be afraid of this machine falling apart either ."

Suddenly, it struck home that fear had been the enemy, not the wind and not the plane. Sabbie had seen my fear a lot earlier and finally decided to scare it out of me. We shut down in front of his hangar and he climbed out gingerly. With a broad smile that made his ears stand out a little he said "you ' ll make it". I did. A few more hours with Sabbie and I felt like Clark Gable with Vivian Leigh. I literally went with the wind .

Then a couple years ago Sabbie kissed one of his female students, hopped out of the plane with an expression of success, and stood back while she took off for her first solo flight. It was his wife, Louise.

She was 63 at the time. " I always wanted to teach her," he said calmly over coffee, "but when we were younger there never seemed to be any time. She was busy raising the kids. Of course, she always wanted to learn, so I guess now's as good a time as any." His pride was obvious .

Sabbie's son, Joe, was ready to solo an airplane at the age of 10. "We had to stick seven cushions under him to bring his eyes above the plane's instru­ ment panel. He'd been flying with me for over nine years. I started holding him in my lap when he was nine months old. When he was eighteen months I could talk him through a landing by anticipating his moves and telling him when to pull back on the stick.

Then a winter went by and Joe stayed on the ground. The next time I took him up and told him to 'pull back' he nearly stood the airplane on its tail. I forgot to take into account that he had become much stronger and quicker with his reflexes."

Louise, Joe and I were only three people out of about 3,000 that Sabbie has introduced to the art of safe, sensitive flying. Unfortunately, what he knows about relaxation and feeling in flight, is dying out.

"People teach you to tune dials and memorize rules, but they don't get down to fundamentals. I've straight­ ened out a lot of pilots who were taught the wrong way and who wound up being afraid of flying. Some of them were high time pilots and some of them were even CFI's. What does a scared CFI teach?" Sabbie doesn 't hold back when he gets into the subject of flight instruction: "Seventy-five percent of the flight instruction in this country stinks today. They don't teach you how the airplane can take care of itself.

Too many operators are anxious for a dollar and let a student solo before he's ready. They promise they can get you to solo in six hours and they do it and

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that's stupid. You can't deal with a set period of hours , you have to deal with individual personalities." He believes that 70 percent of the instructor's effort should go into teaching relaxation and feeling, 20 percent goes toward breaking the " driving habit" or over­ controlling, and 10 percent goes into teaching skills.

There's fifty years of experience behind that idea. It's the kind of experience the FAA would profit from if there were some way they could gear up to listen.

Sabbie's one of those rare people who found a way of life that he could embrace with undiminished interest for a half century. " In fifty years of flying and instructing I've never been frightened by it or bored by it," he says convincingly . While he easily looks like he's 67, he has the kind of energy that mocks the white hair that's left on his head. He tells stories with the flourish of a Zorba and commands attention like a Pied Piper. He'll drop just about any­ thing he's doing on the ground to turn his hands into airplanes and talk about flying. And when you hear him say "that reminds me . . ." or "there was this pilot ... " it often becomes hard to get a word in edge­ wise . " I love talking to people," he once confided , then grinned and added slowly, "maybe too much. " All those years have given him a lot to talk about.

Unlike a lot of boys in the 1920's who watched a bush pilot put down in a local pea patch, then bought a two-dollar ride and left for flying school, Sabbie didn't even get a close-up look at an airplane until he was on his way to flying school.

"It was 1926 when I made up my mind to go. I was 16. I'd seen planes way overhead, but never got a chance to look at one or fly in one," he recounts. "No, I got hooked when I ran across a full-page ad in Popular Mechanics for the Sweeney Aviation School out in Kansas City, Missouri. It was the idea of speed more than anything that excited me." He made up his mind and told his mother: "There was a great storm. A year later, though, I was on my way. I got a lot of help from Lindbergh. When he made his great flight in '27 there were a lot of sons who finally won their arguments."

Sabbie left his native Rhode Island with the ad in his pocket.

His first ride overwhelmed him with disappoint­ ment. "There was no sense of speed. None. It was al­ most like that old Standard J-1 just hung there in space.

It was slow. I was ready to give up. But on the second lesson my instructor let me take the controls and my desire for speed was left in the clouds." Those lessons cost him $35 a crack and he used to get up at 3:00 a.m., walk thirteen blocks, and then fly until the winds came up.

Sabbie used the Waco 10 until 1938 when it was crushed by a hangar roof that fell in during a hurrica ne,

Sabbie and Walt Scheibe pose in front of Walt's AW Cessna,

"There weren ' t any aviation weather reports in those days, there weren't any air sectionals, the planes didn't have radios - there was no one to talk to, and it was rare to find one that even had a compass ."

On cross-country trips he'd literally stick a wet thumb in the air, glance at the position of the sun, and climb into the cockpit with his copy of the Rand McNally Road Atlas. With those kind of conditions you either developed a feeling for flight or took up farming (some­

rricanes sure raise havoc with airplan es. This one, in 5 4, tossed Sabb ie's PT-23 into th e trees . Som ehow it w as c ked o ut without any dam age.

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In 1946, Sa bbie took delivery on a new Taylorcraft 120, which he still o wns.

Be

times suddenly). When he was on the ground, Sabbie busied himself with a wrench, a needle and thread, or a paintbrush, and he developed the knowledge equivalent to an A&P. A couple years later, Sabbie hitched back to Rhode Island . He befriended Joel Meynard and the two went off in search of an airplane (with a little financial help from Sabbie's mother). They scoured the New York area for a plane, but found nothing for sale. While at Roosevelt field, however, he did make the acquaint­ ance of a young aviatrix: Amelia Earhart. They came home empty-handed and found that there was a Waco 10 on Block Island that had been wrecked ten hours after it had left the factory. Doug Harris had rebuilt it. When Harris had found he couldn't rebuild the engine and couldn't purchase a new one from the factory, he changed the mount and installed an OX-5.

That engine reportedly came off of Lindbergh's old Jenny (it was a small world then, too). Sabbie and Joel bought the Waco 10, then flew it up to Woonsocket where they opened the L&M Flying Service and School.

"And almost immediately after that, we were shut down by the Federal Government." Someone had crashed and in the space of a couple days the FAR's

became pregnant with new rules about licensing.

Sabbie and Joel of course complied; "there was no choice." Soon after, they were running their service again, doing charters, joy rides and the occasional lesson. It was 1930 and things were slow. " Anyone's first airplane becomes their lifetime favorite," says Sabbie. "I don't care what kind of machine it is, it's always the best. " The Waco 10 in Sabbie's life lived to be rebuilt a couple times until the hurricane of 1938 retired it permanently. In the eight years he flew it, however, he logged enough ex­ periences to fill a book. Like the time he went up late in the morning to relax a little; he'd only had about an hour's sleep the night before. He fell asleep in the Waco for 15 minutes and flew 20 miles in the process without losing any altitude or altering his heading. That's a trimmed airplane!

At another time, he was up on a sight-seeing trip with a friend. They circled this and buzzed that, and in the process a thunderstorm moved in between them and the airport. They had two choices: go to Boston or go through the storm. Sabbie decided, mainly because he didn't know much about thunder­ storms back in 1932, to fly through it and satisfy his curiosity. " I was very lucky, and I guess the good Lord didn't want me yet. " He admits he really didn't get scared while he was in the storm because he was too busy. Almost immediately after entering the melee, the control stick was ripped out of his hand. " It was all over the cockpit," Sabbie recounts , "but for all the violence, it averaged out to level flight, after a fashion, and a straight heading to boot." Some fashion! '''There was an incredible amount of rain and tur­ bulence, but none of the vertical drafts you hear about." At least that's what he remembers. His alti­ meter wasn't the sensitive type. "When I got out, I was ready to quit flying, but that feeling didn't even last to the airport."

In 1937 Sabbie was ferrying home a brand new 40 horsepower Taylorcraft. The weather service had reported some mild storms and he was eager to get home . He decided to fly around the cells (no more of that straight-through stuff) and took off with a full tank. He went around a total of 14 thunderstorms, some of which were so big and savage that they pro­ duced huge newspaper headlines the next day. In the process of storm dodging, Sabbie found himself over wilderness areas without roads, fields or runways.

Finally as night began to fall he found a grass strip, put down and checked out a suspicion that had been building up: he had less than one cup of gas left in the nine-gallon tank. That was the closest he ever came to running out of gas.

On another occasion, in the late 30's, a friend of Sabbie's put a J-3 in a field to sit out a thunderstorm.

He was a tad nervous at the time and wound up with "unapproved" retractable gear. The next day, Sabbie hauled out some welding equipment and tacked the gear together. He couldn't weld in the fuselage for fear of burning up the fabric, so he fished a 2"x4" in along a broken longeron and secured it with baling wire. There were still some gaping holes in the fabric, however, and they needed attention before the yellow bird could be ferried back to the airport. The owner had brought dope and thread, but forgot to bring some fabric. They begged some pillow cases from a friend, covered the holes in the true spirit of CAM 18 and took off for better facilities.

In August of 1942, Sabbie left Rhode Island to par­ ticipate as a civilian flight instructor in a Navy train ­ ing program. He was with that program until late in 1944 when he switched over to the Air Force for a chance to fly the hump from India to China . He was in with 8,000 others, all of whom found themselves out on the street when the Burma Road was finished .

So, Sabbie went home and set himself up again as an FBO. During his civilian career , he's worked at six air­ ports. One of those was turned into a racetrack , two were converted to apartment complexes, one became a shopping center and another is now a college campus.

Sabbie had built one of those fields himself. His wife told me: " he used a wheelbarrow to cart stones off the field and built a hangar with his own hands."

Sabbie added: "I became the airport manager, me­ chanic, instructor, charter pilot, bookkeeper, sales­ man . .. you name it." Louise reminded him: "you used to come home from that job as an auto mechanic, grab a bag full of sandwiches, a whiskey bottle filled with coffee and down the works on the way to the field."

Today Sabbie is still busy giving instructions to students and experienced pilots. When he was 65, he won FAA approval for a thirty-hour aerobatic curric­ ulum. Of course anyone who's taking it will quickly tell you: "it's the teacher that makes the difference ."

So he spends 4 to 5 hours a day sommersaulting around the sky and loving every minute of it. "It cleans my system out, moves the blood and the sediment around," he says. "When you learn aerobatics the right way, you learn safety, relaxation, and precision.

You become a better pilot."

Sabbie's students refer to him as salty and crusty, but they always do it in tones of fondness. I have yet to meet a student who didn 't respect him along with his fifty-year-old approach to safe flight.

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By Byron (Fred) Fredericksen (fAA 99807 ) 3240 W. Breezewood Lane N eenah, Wisco nsin 549 56

Perhaps twenty years too late would be a more appropriate heading for my little tale here. I offer this story for those interested in Ford Tri-Motor history.

I have read with much interest some of the fine works Ford historians have done through the years and more will be done as time goes on. I think THE FORD STORY

by William T. Larkins was done extremely well. Work su~h as that takes a lot of research and it is good that some one does it. There are also Ford history publi­ cations I have not seen and the Ford I write of here may be old news to some folks .

While at a friend 's home in Alaska a few years ago, our conversation got going on "rumors" of old air­ planes in the Alaska bush . (This kind of rumor always excities me and I have followed many since I believe this needs to be done.) My host went on to say he thought he knew where there was a Ford . In fact , he had seen it near a remote airstrip many years ago. He also added that in all probability there may not be much left of it, if in fact it was still there. How it got there he did not know. He also said he knew of a party that represented a group from " South Of The

8

Border" which had also been seeking this Ford. How­ ever he thought they had probably lost interest in it by this point in time.

My thoughts went back to stories I had read about aerial refueling with Fords over Alaska. I remembered one about Garland Lincoln flying a Ford to refuel a Lockheed 12-A in flight which Jimmie Mattern was flying during an air search.

Of course, since Ford Tri-Motors have showed up at all points of the globe through the years the one my buddy was speaking of could have arrived at its final resting place for any number of reasons. Since I had to leave Alaska in a few days I asked my friend if he would be interested in making a trip to the "Ford Site" for a look-see, if I'd finance it. He agreed to do so if he found the time that winter and if the weather was suitable. I had things to do , and left for home.

Now perhaps some readers know all about the Ford I refer to that Lincoln was flying. Maybe some one owns it today. Upon returning home I found some stories on the subject and they indicate Lincoln crash-landed his Ford and totaled it on the Alaska tundra during bad weather in 1937. I do not wish to quote any publications here and I did not do any new research on Ford history. However, I did find the registration and serial numbers on the Ford involved in our rumor. It was NC-8403 , model 4-AT-E , serial 4-AT-65 and the name PTARMIGAN II was probably painted on it. I also found a photograph showing Mr. Ray Peterson and a Ford Tri-Motor bearing the words

PTARMIGAN lion its fuselage. The photo was dated 1932. Mr. Peterson has been involved with airplanes and airlines in Alaska for years. Ptarmigan is the name of the official state bird in Alaska.

Within a few months of returning to Wisconsin , I decided we should have a look at our rumor. As agreed, my Alaskan buddy made the trip for me. It was not a real long trip, but it was in December. It involved going from Fairbanks to Bethel, then to Flat which I understand is a mining camp and has been for years .

The Ford site was an hour's ride from the camp air­ strip via rented snow machine.

The Ford was still there! The name PTARMIGAN II was on the fuselage. All that was visible was the fuse­ lage. And it had been stripped. Twelve foot high brush had grown up around it. My Buddy took some photos, then waited out some bad weather at Flat, and finally , via a ski equipped Cub and Fairchild F-27 to McGrath and Anchorage, arrived home four days later.

He sent me the photos and a letter explaining that the cockpit gear, cabin interior and every other little part had been removed. The tail feathers had been damaged, probably by a dozer blade. He figured a Ford restorer had gotten to it. The engines were gone as was the cowling. The wings are said to be buried in stones under the fuselage but he did not see them due to the deep snow .

He ended his letter with the words, " we are just twenty years too late. " For the record: The Alaskan Ford was a model 4 ATE, Serial Number 4-AT-65, Registration Number NC 8403 . It was built in 1929 with three Wright Whirl­ wind engines rated at 300 horsepower. Mamer Flying Service in Spokane, Washington was the first owner.

They sold it to Tom Marshall Kester and Ed Groeneyke in 1934, and that same year it was damaged beyond repair while being landed at an airstrip at Flat , Alaska.

(Ph o to by ]. O. Berr y)

Twe lve feet of brush has grow n up around th e Ford. sa

Antique and Classic Aircraft Type Clubs Publication of the following Type Club information does not constitute endorsement of either the listed organizations or their officers, nor does it guarantee the integrity of their operations. None of the listed Type Clubs is affiliated with either the Experimental Aircraft Association or its Antique/Classic Division.

While every effort has been made to publish correct and up-to-date information solely as a service to the members of the EAA Antique/Classic Division, the ac足 curacy can not be guaranteed. Please send any addi足 tions or corrections to the Editor.

The Heath Club Bob Burgee, Chairman 7612 Erie SI. Sylvania, OH 43560 Howard Club Richard K. Martin, Chairman Route 3, Aerodrome Road Green Bay, WI 54301

The Rearwin Club George T. Williams 115 Pauque.tte SI. Portage, WI 53901

International Cessna 195 Club Dwight M. Ewing, President Box 737 Merced, CA 95340

Robin Club Walter L. Tufts, Chairman 4138 Santa Rosa Drive Moor Park, CA 93021

International Citabria Club , Ltd. Box 29 White Lake, NY 12786

Rose Parakeet Club J. W . Pose P.O. Box 32 Ingleside, IL 60041

Cessna 120-140 Association Box 92 Tom Teegarden, President Richardson, TX 75080

International Swift Association Charles Nelson Box 644 Athens, TN 37303

Aeronca Club

Edward H. Schubert, Chairman

28 East State SI.

Janesville, WI 53545

Culver Club Lawrence Low, Chairman 60 Skywood Way Woodside, CA 94062

The Interstate Club Bruce F. Mitchell 5421 NE 43 St. Kansas City, MO 64117

The Aeronca Owners Club C. W . Lasher

14100 Lake Candlwood Ct.

Miami Lakes, FL 33014

The Dart Club Lloyd Washburn 3958 Washburn Drive PI. Clinton, OH 43452

The Luscomb Association Robert Shelton 339 W . Pierce SI. Macomb, IL 61455

Aeronca Sedan Club

Richard Welsh

2311 E. Lake Sammamish PI.

Issaquah , WA 98027

The Dehaviland Moth Club John Bright, Chairman 221 East Ransom SI. Kalamazoo, MI 49007

The Meyers Club Ev. Payette 1604 South Custer Rd. Monroe, MI 48161

The Airmaster Club

Gar Williams, Chairman

9 South 125 Aero Drive

Naperville, IL 60540

Eastern Cessna 190/195 Association Cliff C. Crabs 25575 Butternut Ridge Rd. N. Olmstead, OH 44070

Monocoupe Club

Mr. and Mrs. Bud Dake, Chairmen

8318 Fairbanks

!lerkeley, MS 63134

The American Bonanza Society B. J. McClanahan, M.D. P.O. Box 13

Hornel, NY 14843

The Ercoupe Club M . C. "Kelly" Viets RR 1 Box 159 Stilwell, KS 66085

The Mooney Mite Owners Assoc.

Box 3999

Charlottesvi lie, VA 22903

Ercoupe Owners Club Skip Carden , President Box 15058 Durham, NC 27704

American Navion Society A . R. Cardono, Chairman of the Board Box 1175, Airport Station Banning, CA 92220

The Fairchild Club Ken Love, President 1102 Main SI. Crete, IL 60417

The Bird Airplane Club

Mrs. Richard C. Hill, Secretary

Box 89

Harvard, I L 60033

Fokker Verein Dr. Stanley S. Murel 812 East Park Row Arlington, TX 76010

Canadian-American Amphibian Assoc.

Don Kyte, President Box 527 Diablo, CA 94528

The Funk Aircraft Owners Assoc.

G . Dale Beach, Chairman 1621 Dreher SI. Sacramento, CA 95814

Porterfield Club Charles E. Lebreckt; Chairman 3121 E. Lake Shore Drive Wonder Lake, IL 60097

International Cessna 170 Association, Inc. 29010 Highway 160 East Durango, CO 81301

The Aeronca Chief Information

George S. York

181 Sloboda Ave.

Mansfield, OH 44901

The American Bonanza Society

Reading Municipal Airport

Box 3749

'. Reading, PA 19605

OX5 Aviation Pioneers 419 Plaza Building Pittsburgh, PA 15219

The Moth Club

Dudley Kelly

RI. 4

Versailles, KY 40383

National Ryan Club

Mitch Mayborn

3164 Whitehall

Dallas, TX 75229

National Ryan Club PT-22 Division

Bill J. Hodges, Chairman

308 West Moore Ave.

Searcy, AR 72143

National Waco Club

Ray H. Brandly

2650 W. Alex Bellbrook Rd.

Dayton, OH 45459

Seabee Newsletter George W . Mojonnier, Editor 10615 69th Place, S.E. Snohomish, WA 98290 Spartan Club Don Fairbanks Cardinal Air Training Hangar 224 Lunken Airport Cincinnati, OH 42226

Vagabond News Cecil Ogles, Editor 448 CAve. Coronado, CA 92118

Vintage Sailplane Association Jeff Steele 6053 - 25th Rd. N. Arlington, VA 22207 West Coast Cessna 120/140 Club, Inc. Doug Williams, President Box 891 Menlo Park, CA 94025 Wheelchair Pilots Howard L. Treadwell 11018 - 102nd Ave. Largo, FL 33540 World War I Aeroplanes Leonard E. Opdycke 15 Crescent Rd. Poughkeepsie, KY 12601 Wright J-5 Club George Lanning 833 Stoneburner Lane Kent, WA 98031

The Staggerwing Club James C. Gorman, President Box 1217 Mansfield, OH 44903 Stampe Club Allen Schneider RI. 1 Brodhead, WI 53520 Stearman' s Restorers Association, Inc. M. Lowe, President 823 Kingston Lane Crystal Lake, IL 60014 Stinson Club J. J. Paul 1518 Ronson Rd. Houston, TX 77050 Taylorcraft Owners Club Merton A. Meade, Jr ., Chairman 5906 Summer Lane Oxan Hill, MD 20021 Travel Air Club H . M . "Herb" Harkcom Buzzard's Roost RI. 1 Mola, OK 74036 U . S. Stampe Club Stephen J. Linsenmeyer 127 Hollywood Drive Monroe, MI 48161

9

(Photo by Dick Stouffer)

Bill Choma !left) lays on some tape over rib stit ch ing on the elevator of the Dehavil­ land Rap ide being res tored in th e shops.

Phillipe Van Pelt lencls a hand.

BILL CHOMO REPORTS: PHILOSOPHV OF RESTORATION An Intervi ew with Bill Choma,

Director of M aintenance & Restoration

VINTAGE AIRPLANE: What is your philosophy on re­ storing airplanes?

Bill Chomo: Well, at EAA , we ' re charged with a very great responsibility in that we ' re preserving our avia­ tion history for posterity . We're fortunate in that we're dealing with something that is relatively new: avia­ tion's only 75 years old. So we 've got a better jump than the museum people who are restoring Egyptian items that are thousands of years old. Our philosophy differs between the two types of restoring: (1) work­ ing for flying condition and (2) restoring for museum display. Flying takes preference here, so all planes have to be made airworthy , and authenticity , as far as materials and so on, are secondary. To some extent, that's true in Museum quality restoration. You have to take modern liberties. We want an airplane that can sit on that floor for two hundred years possibly, and not have to be rebuilt another time. I know there are other museum people who differ with me because they think that an aircraft should be restored to EXACT original type materials , glues and everything else . The reason I differ is that if you are looking for a two or three hundred year life on a very perishable com­ modity like an airplane, you have to use the best pos­ sib le techniques that we have today - the best pos­ sib le glues (including epoxy). The dope is a good ex­ ample, all of the original planes way back had varnish on them, which became britt le in a very sho rt time. A 10

little later, they had nitrate dope which deteriorates.

The old nitrate film actually dissolves and turns back into a natural state right in the can . That's why there are very few old movies left. Well , nitrate dope is about the same. It's made with nitric acid and cellu­ lose. Cellulose is dissolved by nitric acid until all acid is consumed, so it's neutral . But the stuff will turn acid again, as this process never stops with acid, and even­ tually it will eat the fabric off the airplane . This is one of the reason s that butyrate dope was developed. So why would you put nitrate dope on it just for the sake of being authentic and have the fabric fall off in ten years?

Tires are another example of a problem. On origi­ nal tires, the rubber just has to deteriorate over a cer­ tain number of years . The ozone in the air destroys the rubber. Then you have to find sources of supply to get original configuration tires. That's a must, even on the flyable airplanes.

Hardware's also difficult, because we have mod­ ernized our bolts. Unless you go to a local hardware store and buy tractor nuts and bolts , you really don ' t have the same style of bolt and nut that they had back then. A lot of the original materials are just not in use anymore.

Naturally, some things like the integrity of the air­ plane, its general shape and some details like the rib stitchin g ca n be kept true to form. With rib stitching for example , the same spac in g that was used when it was originally built, shou ld definitely be retained. You don't want to change any of that. It's somethin g that a future scholar , a hundred years from now, is go in g to

want to know - how far the rib stitches were apart or how many tack s were used to hold the fabric down on the leading edge.

On the other hand , what do you do for accuracy with some of the rare aircraft , where there were abso­ lutely no blueprints . Usually you can copy some of th e parts from original s. That's an art in itself. But, when the part is actually missing, what did it look like ?

The search can wind through old photos, magazines, or books and you pull out a ten-power magnifying glass, trying to decipher from the picture what the part looked like and what its scale was. It takes a fantasti c library.

VA: Of the airplanes you 've restored for EAA, how many have been given the "Mu seum " treatment?

BC: The only two that I can think of that weren 't re­ stored to flying condition were the Pheasant and the Pfalz . Those two were restored to museum status .

That's only because they would have required major rebuilding and since EAA had no idea of ever flying them , there was no reason to do the extra work . Con­ seq uently, the Pheasant was not even recovered. It was rejuvenated and repainted , with the original fab­ ric on it. Someday we're goi ng to have to completely restore that airp lane . The flying wires , or flying cab les, in some instances, were just cleaned up but not re­ placed. They wou ld not be ai rworthy. The engines were not go ne through. They were cleaned on the out­ sid e, but not disassembled and overhauled .

VA: Have they been pickled?

(PhOLO by D avid Gustafson)

Bill Chomo, Director of EAA 's maintenance and restora ­ tion fa cility, works on the two-pla ce Aero Sport.

Be: Those two have been, yes. Not all of the aircraft engines in the Museum are pickled. Problem is, it real­ ly doesn ' t do a long term safe job of preserving the en­ gine . That's because we have museum visitors who turn propellers. Once you turn the propeller, even half a turn on a pickled engine, the pickl ing is destroyed, because the rings wipe it off the wall.

We have another preservation problem : on a lot of the engines you don 't dare pull the carburetors off be­ cause they' re visible and you don 't dare pull the ex­ haust stacks off because they' re also visible. But you still want to pull those items off and cover the holes, because no matter where the prop stops, there are al­ ways some open intake valves and some open exhaust valves which allows outside air to get in so there is no way to seal off the crankcase. You might seal off the breather, but you can ' t seal off the intake and exhaust valves that are open.

We've been thinking, if we remove the carburetors and exhaust stacks, and slip polyethylene film over the studs on the exhaust stacks and carburetors, then reinstall and then trim them off with a razor blade, we'd have a perfect way to seal off the crankcase .

The alternative would be to try to stop the people from turning the props . The Smithsonian uses some small metal clips actually screwed to the nosebowl to discourage prop turning. Of course, I' m afraid that if anybody forcibly turned the prop they'd damage the nosebowl - so that isn ' t the answer. Maybe further back from the ropes . . .

The EAA has such a tremendous backlog of aircraft

--~ .

(Photo by David G ustafson )

The Mu seum 's Pheasant, one of very few aircraft in EAA's Museum th at has not been restored to airworthy condition .

right now that are in need of restoration. About two­ thirds of those, I'll never see restored because I'll have retired by then. I've got about 25 years to go. The Smithsonian has a crew about 5 times our size , they have about 35 mechanics working for them and they restore, on the average, one airplane a year. I feel real proud of my people in that, up until two months ago, we only had 5 mechanics here, including myself. Now we're up to seven. We've been averaging about two aircraft a year and some were built from scratch, like the "Spirit of St. Louis" in 4'12 months - and the two­ place Acro which will soon be ready to fly.

It is a time consuming thing for a restoration of an aircraft the size of a Waco or a Stearman. For a com­ plete restoration of one like that, you're looking at about 2,000 man hours. That's roughly, one man, one year. They can run as high as 6 or 7,000 hours on some­ thing like a P-39 or the Stuka.

Sheet metal aircraft really require a lot more hours.

Maybe we should talk about sheet metal awhile .

The EAA Museum 's Pfalz, restored for display only.

VA : Sure . . . , but let's start with pickled engines. next month.

11

We Were There In Numbers Even If "They Ain't Making Them Like That Anymore"

Those of us whose only detected vice is having made a clandestine mistress of our deep love for the older airplanes have certainly bumped our heads and butts against the laws of man and nature many, many times. In fact, I doubt if you could flit from hither to yon more than once or twice before becoming con­ vinced that somebody or something was trying to crowd you between a rock and a hard place. If the friendly folks don't throw you a curve, there is al­ ways Murphy to contend with.

If Murphy isn't enough, there is always the rest of that horde of rules makers that came after Fara­ day and Einstein. There are guys like Sodd whose Second Law says: "Sooner or later, the worst pos­ sible set of circumstances is bound to occur." And that philosopher Simon, who enunciated the law, "Everything put together falls apart sooner or later."

And there is no way we can forget Gumperson who first postulated the theory of the "Perversity of in­ animate objects," after which he concluded that "You cannot determine beforehand which side of the bread to butter." He then went on to state with profound wisdom, "The probability of anything happening is in inverse ratio to its desirability."

So, we who dreamed up this mid-winter bash, known as the Sun 'n Fun Southeast Regional Fly-In, knew what kind of odds were against us. The first year, there was an impassable front that lay across southern Georgia, and a sudden rain storm made us wonder what was going on when it hit. And the second year we should have started wondering when an unaccustomed frost put a chill on our campers.

Last year, we finally knew for sure that Murphy and all his cohorts were after us when, for the first time in history, snow fell in Lakeland.

More sane folks, I'm certain, would have given up, but who in their right mind could ever call pilots sane? However, long before the airplane loused up our life myoid Grand-daddy, that sage from around 12

Story and Photos By Wm. }. "Bill" Ehlen EAA 26796, Ale 441 Rt. 8, Box 506 Tampa, Florida 33678

Rabbit Hash, Kaintuck, learned the "Non-Reciprocal Laws of Expectations." As published, they said (1) "negative expectations yield negative results," and (2) "positive expectations yield negative results."

Long years of poker playing made quite a mathema­ tician out of old Gran-pappy, and he figured that if you punched the 1/X button on any pocket calculator often enough, the reciprocal of that second truism came up and read: "negative results yield positive expectations." He then postulated that famous corol­ lary to Murphy's laws that has become our bible, "Don't believe in miracles - RELY UPON THEM." We did. Consequently, the 1978 Sun 'n Fun dawned bright, sunny, and passably warm. It stayed that way all week. Like all the other self-ordained psychics, I can loudly say, "I told you so."

Some unofficial advance figures are quite inter­ esting. This year, 9740 EAA members registered at the Sun 'n Fun; there were 1089 pilots registered; 736 people filled 285 camping units; and this year we had twenty of the most delightful, real down-to-earth FAA controllers manning our temporary tower. They logged 9140 movements on the active transient runway (not counting fly-bys, nor exhibitions).

If you'll look at the aerial photo showing the Sun 'n Fun sector of the airport, you'll note that almost one third of the planes on the field at that time were Antiques and Classics. Our Antique & Classic Divi­ sion of the EAA was well represented. The Sun 'n Fun is a regional event sponsored by EAA chapters in the eight southeastern states,the local chapters, includ­ ing our large antique group known as the Florida Sport Aviation Antique & Classic Airplane Association.

For the second year in a row our division officers held an all-day Board of Directors meeting during the fly-in, and manned a good-fellowship booth in one of the exhibition tents.

This year's Grand Champion Antique award win­ ner, a Travel Air 2000, NC6117, was restored to ab­

solute mint condition by Dean S. Tilton of Lakeland, Florida. For the last two years, right here on our Sun 'n Fun Field, I watched as Dean transformed a pitiful basket case that he purchased from joe Araldi in janu­ ary 1975. This Travel Air was originally built by that famous triumvirate, Cessna, Beech, and Stearman.

Dean's rather extensive log book entries show that in 1938-39 it was owned by jesse L. Schroeder of Erie, ND, and in 1946 it was bought by Peter Bryn who ap­ parently owned it until joe Araldi found it in Dazey, North Dakota. This 2000 still has the original 90 HP, OX-5 engine. Its log book shows that it was "accepted for the U.S. Army, May 8,1918."

Of side interest, Dean decided it would be best to use 20 inch Bendix wheels, fitted with 30-5.00, 4-ply tires, as used in 1929: These' tires were made for Dean by the Universal Tire Co., of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

For awhile it looked like a complete overhaul on the old OX-5 would be a serious problem, but by a stroke of antiquer's luck, a stranger named Clarence Benjamin, from way down east in Maine, supplied an original OX-5 Overhaul Manual. From there on, Dean says it was only busted knuckles.

Another winner I was privileged to get closer acquainted with when I had a chance to bus its own­ ers to the car rental agency, was the "Super 260" Navion which won the Best Custom Restored Clas­ sic over 165 HP. Mr. and Mrs. Hale Andrew flew their beautiful prize winner down from Berkley Springs, West Virginia where they left 31 inches of snow.

So, while almost everything north of the deep south was seriously snowed-in, a goodly number did succeed in escaping the frozen Nawth.

We're deeply indebted to fellows like Dave Ver­ gason who was FAA Chief of our temporary tower and his gang of controllers. At a bash before the week began, I was invited to bend elbows with them.

Believe it or not: secretly, they have the same mis­ tress that we do.

ANTIQUE MERITORIOUS AWARD WINNER Stampe SV-4, N666DH, ow ned by Don Henry, St. Augustine, FL.

ANTIQUE & CLASSIC WINNERS Antique Awards Grand Champion Antique - Travel A i r 2000 , NC611 7 - Dean Tilton , Lakeland , FL. Golden Age Champion - CTO Waco, NC7527 ­ Ern ie Moser, St. Augustine , FL. Silver Age Champion - Fleet 9, NC66V - Dick Durst, Orlando , FL. Platinum Age Champion - Lockheed 12A, NC­ 25628 - Bob Allen , Fayetteville, NC. WW II Era Champion - Cessna T50, NC69072 ­ jim Kramer, Palm Beach, FL. Classic Awards Grand Champion Classic - Stinson 108-3, N963 ­ "Red " Smith, Lakeland, FL. Best Restored, Up to 100 HP - Mooney Mite, N346M - john Wright and B. McKinney, Greenville,

Sc. Best Restored 101·165 HP - Aeronca Sedan, C­ FAKT - Ernie Sykes and jim Powls, Brampton, Ont., Canada .

Best Restored Over 165 HP - Ryan Navion, N5437­ Hale Andrew, Berkley Springs, WV .

Classic Best Of Type - Ercoupe, N2279H - john Wright, Springfield, IL. Classic Best Of Type - Swift, NC3834K - j. M . jones, Clarkston , GA.

13

Vintagl Best Restored Classic Over 165 HP - Ryan Navion, N5437K, owned by Hale Andrew of Berkeley Springs, WV.

Men and Th e

LAKE Ph(

Best Classic Restored - Up To 100 HP - Mooney Mite, N346M,-owned by John Wright and B. McKinney of Green足 ville, Sc.

A part of the gaggle of Ercoupes that arrived at the Sun 'n Fun.

14

Album

Aeronca - Most Authentic Restoration - N82934, owned

by Archie Young of Reddington Beach, FL.

age Machines

D '78 I Ehlen

Sun ' n Fun's SW corner of Lakeland Airport.

Left to right: Hugh Moreland and Col. Bob Blackburn, who used their arctic gear to fly clown frolll the Northwes t Territorie s of Florid a in Hugh' s recently re stored Ste arm a n, are greeteci by H a rold Wa tson , the thircl member of their " Counterfeit Air Force " .

The Antique & Classic parking area as viewed through the wings of a Stearman.

Dean Tilton's Grand Champion

Travel Air 2000

By Jack Cox, Editor of Sport Aviation (Reprinted from Sport Aviation)

When we think of the late 20s, inevitably it is of Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis. On a more mundane level, however, that was the time of the 3-place, open cockpit, OX-5 powered biplane. It was the heyday of the American Eagle, the Alexander Eaglerock, Swallow, KR-31, Command-Aire, Waco 10 and the Travel Air 2000.

The Waco 10 and the Travel Air 2000 were the Ford and Chevy of the lot and as long as two antiquers are left breathing, the relative merits of each will be argued with gusto . . . a stein or so, usually.

They were built in the greatest number and survive today in the greatest number to stoke the fires of the antique airplane hobby. The most colorful comparison of the two I ever heard came from the late M. B. "Dusty" Huggins of Timmonsville, South Carolina. In the 30s and late 40s Dusty operated one of the na­ tion's larger crop dusting outfits, following the grow­ ing season each year from Louisiana to Canada. At one time he managed a fleet of nearly 30 Waco dusters - mostly Model 10s with any sort of radial engine he could hang on them. Dusty loved the Wacos and, in fact, retained a couple of them until the day he died, just for old times' sake . . . but readily (and I think with no little pride) admitted they were a handful on the ground. So much so, that he kept several Travel Airs on hand to check out new pilots before turning them loose in the Wacos." Even then, 9 out of 10 would groundloop on their first landing in a Waco," Dusty would guffaw. His experience was that the Waco stood up better under the incredible day-to-day pounding they took in the dusting business, but that the Travel Airs were more pleasant, docile airplanes to fly.

Today one is fortunate indeed to lay hands on an example of any of the Roaring 20s OX-5 jobs. One so blessed is Dean Tilton of Lakeland, Florida. Three years ago he bought a basket case Travel Air 2000 from Joe Araldi and finished its complete restoration just in time to win the Grand Champion Antique trophy at Sun'N Fun 78.

Dean's beautiful Travel Air, NC6117, Ser. No. 615, began life in Walter Beech's Wichita aeroplane works in 1928 . . . and for a great while appeared to have

16

ended it as a part of Peter Bryn's personal cache of Travel Airs stashed away on his Dazey, North Dakota farm. A few years ago, however, Mr. Bryn began to sell off some of his treasures and Joe Araldi was shortly at his door, empty trailer at the ready.

For a variety of reasons, one of which was having more antique airplanes than time, Joe never got around to restoring the Travel Air and eventually sold it to Dean - minus an engine . Dean began work three years ago and flew the airplane for the first time on January 9 - 13 days before the start of Sun 'N Fun 78. But that's getting ahead of the story.

Dean found the airframe to be in reasonably good condition, requiring basically just a good clean­ up, new fuselage formers and stringers, a little repair work on the wings and cover job. The engine was a little more of a challenge. For a time, Dean dickered with Peter Bryn for a majored OX, but after finding it was going to take a lot more time than he cared to wait, looked elsewhere. As often is the case, an OX-5 was eventually found right in his own backyard. Merle Jenkins sold him a dismantled Hot Water Eight that until lately had been used in the orange groves to stir up the air to prevent crop damage frost.

Dean overhauled the engine, refinished the still airworthy Fahlin propeller, covered the airframe with Grade A cotton and finished it with butyrate dope. The final color coats were International Orange for the fuselage and vertical tail and Insignia White for the wings and horizontal tail. A leaf-spring tail wheel rig was grafted onto the aft end of the fuselage to replace the original skid and N3N wheels with hydraulic brakes were fitted - the principal concessions to the realities of today's paved runway environment.

A number of antiquers had provided valuable advice and assistance along the way. An OX-5 overhaul manual was obtained from a friend in Maine, and Ernie and Lucy Webb of Charlotte, North Carolina, who own one of the first and still finest TA 2000 restorations, provided inval­ uable tips - like lining the headrest baggage compart­ ment to avoid having the fabric damaged from within, etc. And, of course, local airplane nuts were always dropping by to lend a hand here or there, kibitzing of just drinking his coffee.

The final hang-up was a useable magneto. An ad in good 01' Trade-A-Plane ultimately provided the needed item and paved the way for an award winning first showing at Sun 'N Fun. The first trip around the patch was strictly unintentional. Dean had not flown a tail dragger in many, many years, so was doing a lot of taxiing to get the hang of it again - getting a little faster for a little longer each time until the inevitable

happened: the lightly loaded Travel Air responded to a gust and launched into the breeze. Fortunately, Dusty Huggins' assessment of the type was correct, for Dean was able to get it around the pattern and back down on pavement again , safely even if not too artistically.

By Sun 'N Fun time he had built up several hours flying time and was beginning to appreciate what a really great old flying machine he had. Winning the Grand Champion Antique trophy was a very sweet frosting on the cake.

Dean Tilton is a native of Sidney, Maine. He left there during World War II, joining the Air Force as an aviation cadet. He progressed through the Stearman and the AT-6 and was at a base in Waycross, Georgia preparing to transition into P-51 s when the war ended.

He and his classmates were probably the only persons in the world who greeted the news of victory with dis­ may ... they never got to fly the Mustang.

After his discharge, Dean married and settled in Nebraska where he became a general contractor. After 12 years of battling Great Plains winters, he moved to Florida where he could " ... operate his business on a year-round basis." He has continued to fly over the years and owns a Cessna Centurion, which his wife also flies.

The Centurion is one of the most popular light­ planes of our day ... just as the Travel Air 2000 was in the late 20s. Owning one of each is what I call enjoy­ ing the best of two worlds.

(Photo by lac k Cox)

GRAND CHAMPION ANTIQUE

AT LAKELAND 78

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32

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*

/Ii ,

"Whistling In The Rigging" By Paul H. Poberezny

EAA President

It has been some time since I wrote a "Whistling In The Rigging" column, which appeared in our early is­ sues of the " Experimenter", the forerunner of our SPORT AVIATION magazine. This column is being written on my return flight from Washington, D.C. The day and a half meeting at FAA headquarters was, as it has always been, most enjoyable and helpful. There were a number of general aviation problems discussed - problems that concern all of us : Whether our air­ planes are factory built, antiques, classics or home­ builts, some ownership problems are the same . Many of the fine FAA people, who are involved in the com­ plexity of bureaucracy , are not aware of the grass roots problems of aircraft ownership. Lately, there has been increased legislation by local communities and states adding to the complex rules, regulations and laws of our federal government. When these rulings are totalled up, they discourage aircraft ownership.

Many of them not understood by current pilots and owners of aircraft . There is a great difference between flying someone else's airplane, either through rental or borrowing and owning your own aircraft. There is considerable expense involved in the private owner­ ship of an object that spends about 99% of its life tied to the ground or setting in a hangar. I have always had great admiration for tho se who have met the chal­ lenge of aircraft ownership.

While in Washington we discussed many of our problems and philosophies . When I mentioned to one very understanding, pro aviation (a ll phases of it) FAA

official that I considered the approximately 170-175, 000 general aviation type aircraft, in flying condition, to be a drop in the bucket, his first reaction was as­ tonishment . He felt that many licensed airplanes was quite significant . Perhaps to some people it might be if 20,000 of those were in the air on any single week­ end. Yet, in one medium-sized community there are pro­ bably more automobiles than the national total of air vehicles. In our conversation with the FAA man , the more we compared numbers of aircraft with boats , snowmobiles, motorcycles and other recreational ve­ hicles, the more he agreed we have a long way to go in aviation. There are too few aircraft owners sharing the tax load placed upon us by the local, state and federal government. There is a great advantage for us all in increasing our numbers - numbers of airplanes to provide for a healthy general aviation future. That way, we would also increase the security of those earning a livelihood in aviation, such as the mechanic, the fixed base operator, the factory worker, engine manufacturer and all others directly concerned with the making of and use of the end product - the air­ plane. It also behooves government and the FAA itself to establish and encourage the construction and op­ eration of a greater general aviation fleet for recrea­ tion and transportation. That would make it easier for government to justify the numbers of employees it has, and it would insure justification for maintaining smaller airports that will otherwise disappear in the future.

I have always been encouraged in my visits to FAA in Washington. They need our support, good thinking and cooperation. However, it is we who must come up with the ideas and solutions and follow through . Don't expect your government to do it for you.

Recently, the National Transportation Safety Board came forth with a directive that all aircraft manufac­ tured after 1978 should have shoulder harnesses for the pilot and the adjoining front seat. A further recom­ mendation was made to FAA that all aircraft, antique, classic, etc. be required to have shoulder harnesses in the front seats. EAA, for the past twenty-five years, has led the way in encouraging amateur aircraft build­ ers to install the shoulder harness and our member­ ship application has carried that pledge. However, the installation of the shoulder harness in a type certificat­ ed aircraft, though appearing to be a simple matter to those at the National Transportation Safety Board, does create a problem . As we know, modification or installing non-approved equipment in these aircraft requires FAA approval or a supplemental type certifi­ cate. This can be extremely time consuming as well as costly. If it were a matter of the owner being asked

to do this on a voluntary basis, without approval of FAA, much more could be gained. However, this we are sure would not be the case. Our recommendation to NTSB is to not require a shoulder harness on the many different aircraft produced before 1978, unless someone develops a very practical solution.

It is often noted that our organization is looked up­ on as a fine group that's dedicated only to the encour­ agement of people to design and build airplanes.

However, aviation people, aviation organizations and government are learning that EAA is and has been much more than that. It is an organization that grew as it learned of the needs of all phases of aviation, and, in particular, of the average individual's desire to fly.

With your continued support and your efforts to strengthen your Division and EAA itself by encourag­ ing all of aviation to be a part of us, we shall make great strides .

As I have often said, there is strength in numbers , but there must also be strength in leadership. I am very proud of our Antique/Classic Division and the great help and leadership it has provided throughout the years, along with the special efforts that are ex­ pended at your annual Oshkosh convention.

Let's all enjoy our close ties with aviation folks ­ enjoy our aircraft and realize our responsibilities. To­ gether we will make aviation better for those who will follow us.

17

nA TIOnAL '~STEA. RmAn• flY-In

•

By Thomas E. Lowe 823 Kingston Lane Crystal Lake, IL 60014

The 6th National Stearman Fly-In was held at Galesburg, lllillois on September 9-11, 1977 with 51 Stearmans from all over the country in attendance, equaling the previous high number achieved the year before. The fly-in seems to get an earlier start with each succeeding year and in 1977 the first arrival was also the Stearman flying the greatest distance. Bob Eicher and Byron Trent arrived early in the week from Florida in their outstanding Stearman N2S-3, N66416, which had been the Grand Champion at the 1976 Stear­ man Fly-In. Sam "Ace Eli" Mendenhall , his wife, Lean­ na, Dave Finn, and several others also arrived early in the week and were very helpful in completing the myriad of final details in preparation for the fly-in.

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By Thursday afternoon several Stearmans had ar­ rived and that evening Jim Leahy led a flight over town to get the fly-in off to an official start. Later that night a fly-in kick-off cocktail party was greatly en­ joyed at the Holiday Inn. On Friday Galesburg con­ tinued to be blessed with excellent weather and by evening 29 Stearmans were parked in the grass. Thurs­ day also saw the " official" opening of the Stearman Fly-In Headquarters Building, which strangely enough looked exactly like an old outdoor privy . It was! Earlier in the week Jim Leahy had asked Sam Mendenhall and Dave Finn to buy some lumber and build a replica " outhouse". Being purists, they instead scoured the rural areas surrounding Galesburg until they found the real thing behind a farmer' s house. Sam and Dave astounded the farmer by asking to buy it, and pur­ chased the original "two holer" for $20. They removed it, suffering several stings from the wasps that called it home, and brought it to the airport where it was

placed in a prominent spot on the flight line. It was duly decorated with several vintage WW II recruiting posters, an old Sears catalog, a U.S. star insignia, and officially marked as a "1942 two holer" . A small flag pole was mounted on the top sporting a size 44D bra which served as a windsock. While the "fly-in head­ quarters" was a focal point of conversation, jokes, and ribald comments, it also served as an information cen­ ter about the fly-in, for as each Stearman arrived, its type, military serial number, and N number were re­ corded on the side for all to see. Later Jim Leahy was heard to remark, " Well, now I'll have to clean out a spot in my hangar so that thing that' s been outside for the last 50 years can be in out of the weather!"

Just before dark on Friday evening a mass flight of Stearmans was made over town and then all the par­ ticipants retreated to the Galesburg American Legion Hall where they were served a delicious free chicken or fish dinner. Saturday morning dawned bright and

(Photo by Kenneth D. Wilson)

autiful black and gold fully IFR equipp ed custom ' 0 hp Stea rm an is owned by Gino M assignani.

beautiful and almost all the Stearmans rose to greet the rising sun in the traditional dawn patrol. Several circuits were flown over town, then the mass gaggle proceeded the few miles west to Monmouth, Illinois to enjoy a fine breakfast at the airport served by the Monmouth Flying Club. This year was no exception , and once again we had our usual incident at Mon­ mouth. The " New Orleans twins", John Hooper and John McCormick, with Hooper at the controls, landed the ir N2S in the grass alongside the paved runway that everyone else was using. That was OK, except Hooper failed to see the VASI light system that lay directly in his path after touchdown and he demolished it into shattered pieces of glass, tin, wire, and pipe with a direct hit with the propeller and landing gear of their Stearman. After close inspection there was found to be little damage to the Stearman, except for the prop , which was replaced by one of Jim Leahy' s extra ones , but with plenty of damage to Hooper' s pr ide .

Later that evening at the awards ceremony, Hooper and McCormick were presented several bits and pieces of the VASI as a remembrance of one landing they'd like to forget and also so that they could always carry their own VASI with them in the future.

After the return flight back to Galesburg the re­ mainder of the day was filled with constant flying , buddy hops, formation flying , conversations, and nos­ talgia with many former WW II pilots that flew Stear­ mans that attend the fly-in each year. The afternoon saw the many Stearmans competing in the flying con­ tests and another mass flight was flown over town just before sunset. One incident of interest to the pilots was the first solo in a Stearman by 17 year old Private Pilot Bob Baird, who flew his father's 300 Lycoming powered Stearman at Galesburg. He was given the tro­ phy for being the youngest Stearman pilot at the fly­ in and later that evening received his welcome into the group by being thrown, clothes and all, into the swimming pool at the Holiday Inn .

The awards dinner and presentations were held in the Galesburg Aviation hangar and a good time was

(Photo by Kenneth D . Wilson)

Paul Boye r (left) of Lakewood, Colorado and Bill Wil­ kins , " Th e Sil ent Eag le", a de af-mute Stearman pilot from Circleville, Ohio check th e message board at the rea r o f th e Stea rm an Fl y-In H ea dqu arters Buildin g, a " 794 2 Two-Holer" ,

enjoyed by all. Numerous awards were presented by the Stearman Fly-In, Dusters & Sprayers Supply, Inc., and the Stearman Restorers Association. The second annual Lloyd Stearman Memorial Award was present­ ed to SRA President and Stearman Fly-In Co-Chairman, Tom Lowe. The SRA had established this to be their highest honor after the passing o f Lloyd Stearman to honor some individual whose efforts had been out­ standing in preserving the history and in promoting Stearman airplane s today. Nominations were made by SRA members and the final selection made bY 'a com ­ mittee headed by SRA Vice-President, Larry Palmer­ Ball. The first recipient was Jim Leahy , Fly-In Co­ Chairman and founder. Chet Reyckert of Skiatook, Oklahoma was given the Hero Award for his accom­ plishment of actually making it to the fly-in this year.

In 1976 he had started for Galesburg in his newly re­ built PT-17 that had been completed only the day be­ fore , and made it only about 30 miles when a fuel starvation problem required an emergency forced landing 'in a field and the termination of his flight to Galesburg . Many of the trophies were adorned with beautiful silver wire sculptured models of the Stear­ man handmade by Dave Finn. They were greatly ap­ preciated by all. The final award of the evening was the Dusters & Sprayers Supply Grand Champion Tro­ phy which was presented to Bill Bohannan for his out­ standing PT-17 restoration.

Sunday's dawn again was welcomed with a dawn patrol of eleven Stearmans, with the remainder choos­ ing to sleep in a little late. The weather again was ex­ cellent at Galesburg, but was deteriorating in other areas of the country. Six Stearmans had left Houston, Texas enroute to Galesburg and made it only into Ar­ kansas before the weather caused them to return home. Many of the Stearman pilots began departing for home knowing that the weather was destined to get worse. Several pilots including Chet Reyckert, Jimmy Maris, John and Frank Price, Dick Bardon, Dick Harders, and Don Buck decided to leave for home on Monday, but instead spent several more days weath­

19

Galesburg woman, Mrs. Mary Bishop, also received a flight in a Stearman, along with several other prizes, as the winner of radio station WAlK's Stearman Pilot of the Year Contest. She won by correctly guessing the exact number of Stearmans that would attend the fly­ in.

Each year the National Stearman Fly-In has con­ tinued to grow and improve with pilots and airplanes coming from near and far to enjoy several days to­ gether renewing the warm bond of friendship gener­ ated by the love for a great old biplane. The 7th Na­ tional Stearman Fly-In will be held in Galesburg on September 8-10,1978 and everyone interested in Stear­ mans is cordially invited.

(photo by Dick Stouffer)

Some of the Stearman pilots and SRA members with part of the lineup of Stearmans at Galesburg.

(Photo by Kenneth D. Wilson)

Bill Bohannan in his newly restored Stearman PT-17, N38940, the recipient of the Dusters & Sprayers Sup­ ply Grand Champion Trophy.

ered in at Galesburg as the ceiling and visibility dropped radically Monday morning and rain poured down for several days. They finally got to leave for home on Wednesday, but still fought marginal VFR conditions to their various destinations.

A fine Sunday morning fly-in breakfast was held in the Galesburg Aviation hangar sponsored by the Galesburg Pilots Association. The remainder of the morning was spent in last rounds of fun flying, buddy hops, and conversing with old and new friends. Sun­ day afternoon an excellent air show was presented for the public featuring aerobatics by Frank Price and Du­ ane Cole. Stearman aerobatics were flown by Jim Leahy, who as usual thrilled the crowd and astonished the pilots with his skill and the maneuvers he can get out of a stock Stearman, and also by Dick Baird, a fly-in regular from Buffalo, New York, in his Lycom­ ing 300 Stearman.

Just prior to the start of the air show the entire Hugh Carr family was given flights in six Stearmans.

Marilyn Stearman Carr is the daughter of Lloyd Stear­ man and she and her entire family thoroughly enjoyed their first flight ever in a Stearman biplane. A local

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CLEAR TO LAnD...

(Photo Provided by Jim Barton)

Leonard Buckler and Ken Ringle inspect the results of someone's first so lo landing . .. after zero dual.

Note the CAP emb l em on the side, it was the only way you cou ld fly during the second World War.

Compiled by Kelly Viets, Editor

Ercoupe News letter

RR 1, Box 151

Stilwell, Kansas 66085

During World War II the only private aircraft al­ lowed to fly were those in the Civil Air Patrol. A gen­ tleman in the C.A.P. had arranged to fly from the Mo­ line, Illinois area to Galesburg, Illinois for some busi­ ness we had there. As it was a nice day, he brought his wife along. When they prepared to return home, he dutifully placed his wife in the cockpit, locked the brakes, set the throttle and proceeded to prop the en­ gine. When the engine caught it was running a little fast so he called to his wife to slow it down. Now she had never been in a plane till that morning and had only had the one flight from Moline to Galesburg. She did , however, know how to drive a car. So she did as you do in a car to turn things off, she pushed the knob in, and in the same instant she hit the parking brake causing it to release .

The plane immediately moved forward at an ever increasing speed right toward a Gull Wing Stinson.

Her husband had jumped clear and was shouting at her which seemed only to add to her confusion. She had this steering wheel in front of her, so she grabbed it and drove around the Stinson and out onto the air­ port. To her horror she soon felt no more bumps and knew that she was flying. By some miracle the plane cleared the trees at the end of the runway and con­ tinued to climb.

As her first panic subsided she realized that in or­ der to survive this she would have to somehow figure out how to fly the plane. She started experimenting and found that she could turn, like driving a car, and in that way she kept the airport in sight. She then found out if she pushed forward the plane went down and when she pulled back the plane went up. She thought, " Well now, this isn't so bad," so she then started tryi ng out the "i nfernal" knob that started all this in the first place. She found out that if she pulled back, the engine would slow down. She was smart enough to keep the knob all the way forward, because she wanted to be sure the engine was running fast

enough to keep her up in the air.

Meanwhile, back at the airport it was chaos. Peo­ ple were running everywhere trying to clear things so she would have a chance (if she ever got back to the field). Mainly they were shoving planes in hangars.

The take-off had scared every plane owner on the field so they were all trying to save their planes.

She flew around the airport three times before she remembered that when her husband landed he had come in over some trees at the edge of the field, so that was what she would do . She came over the trees just right, pulled back on the knob, and the plane set­ tled to the ground just right. She was so relieved that she shut it down. That's right, she pushed it forward to the panel. Yes, sure enough, she was flying again.

Again, after regaining some composure, she came in over the trees, only this time she hit hard on the nose wheel. It really wasn't too bad. This landing did, however, preclude any more inadvertant take-offs.

Th us ended one of the true sagas of aviation.

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(Photo by Lee Fray)

There are times when the only source of new rings is an auto dealer, but . ..

Restoration Tips:

By Dorr B. Carpenter, I.A.

EAA27724L

225 Saunders Rd.

Lake Forest, IL 60045

Equal Or Better

The supply of original engine and airframe parts for antique airplanes dried up for all intents and pur­ poses many years ago.

Fortunately, most of the old flying machines with the exception of the Warbirds, were essentially hand­

22

made, and if they could be built that way then, they can be rebuilt the same way now. Anything made of metal can be made just as well or better now than it was then.

I n the case of the Ryan ST series aircraft, blue­ prints, manuals and bulletins are available to help with this task of maintenance. For a part to be entirely legal and satisfactory, it need not come from a box marked "Menasco" or "Ryan".

It is hard to set these ideas down in black and white without an illustration showing that there can be pitfalls and failures in these substitution-of-parts endeavors.

Probably the modern parts most often substituted for originals are piston rings. Every combustion en­ gine uses them and they are readily available over the counter in auto stores and on special order from some manufacturers.

This is where the problems of legality and suita­ bility come into play. There are a number of facts which you should know . No engine part manufactured for a car or tractor has a parts manufacturer's authori­ zation under FAR Part 21. These parts bear no Air­ worthiness Approval tag form 8130.3 and none were manufactured under a TSO (Technical Standard Order) as in FAR Part 37. So, on the surface, it appears that they cannot be used in aircraft. But this is not so.

The fact that these parts have no tag or authoriza­ tion only means that they were not manufactured for aircraft use. We must go one step further into FAR Part 43; to be specific Part 43.13 paragraph (b) which reads: Each person maintaining or altering, or per­ forming preventive maintenance, shall do that work in such a manner and use materials of such a quality that the condition of the aircraft, airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, or appliance worked on will be at least equal to its original or properly al­ tered condition (with regard to aerodynamics func­ tion, structural strength, resistance to vibration and deterioration, and other qualities affecting air­ worthi ness).

The key to the above paragraph is the "materials equal to its original". Nothing is said about boxes , yel­ low tags or approvals. Here we have a question as to who makes this evaluation and on what basis. Any certified A and P or Inspection Authorized mechanic and any FAA maintenance personnel can make these substitutions legal. Bear in mind that they lay their reputations and license on the line when they sign for the work done with other than authorized parts. If these people are not engineers, and most are not, it

boils down to such parts as pistons, rings, gaskets, and such parts that are known to be better made in 1977 than in the 1920's and 30's.

On the other hand, most manufacturers do not like to sell their automotive rings for use in aircraft be­ cause of a possible liability. One manufacturer .has even gone so far as to instruct his salesmen to say that there is an FAA letter in the company files prohibiting the sale of rings for aircraft use. This isn't true, but they do have a company memo t'o this effect. For this reason, it is best when buying rings, to buy them in­ dicating size and not use.

The modern cast iron ring is of much better quality than in years past. However, when using these rings in Menasco engines, trouble results because of their increased efficiency. My experience in the installation of modern rings in a Menasco D4-87 engine which was rebuilt about 15 years ago, gives some idea about the type of difficulties that could occur. The engine was run in and flown for about ten hours when the rings seated and then the trouble started. Up until this time the engine burned a considerable amount of oil, but ran very well. As the rings seated she seemed to miss and lose power for no apparent reason. Every test was performed on the engine. While hot and cold it tested perfectly with exceptionally good compression. How­ ever, after twenty-five hou rs of very unsatisfactory flying service, the engine was removed and torn down.

To my great surprise, the compression rings were nearly worn out!

What had happened is that in April , 1942 the Men ­ asco Company had issued a Service Bulletin (number 29) calling for installation of double oil rings in place of the single rings found in the original product be­ cause of excessive oil consumption. Now, 25 years la­ ter, the modern ring had improved in quality to such an extent that the combination of two oil scraper rings left the cylinder walls dry, which accounted for the missing and low power from poor compression .

This poor compression was evident only when the en­ gine was running. When it was stopped and allowed to cool somewhat, the inverted configuration of the cyl­ inders and extra heat allowed oil to seep down around the rings and seal them for good compression by the time it was tested!

Since that time I have used only single oil rings , usually on new pistons and have not had any prob­ lems .

The only advice I can put forward concerning sub­ stitutions on parts, is to be very careful. The more you know about old equipment, the more likely you will come to realize that almost anything can happen and sometimes does.

Periodicals of Interest to the

Antique Classic World

AIRPOWER: bimonthly, on military aircraft and their hi story, use ; JV Mizrahi, ed, Sentry Books Inc., 10718 White Oak Ave., Granada Hill s, CA 91344; $8/yr.

Compiled and Commented on By

Leonard Opdycke, Editor (EAA 1076)

World War I Aeroplanes

75 Crescent Rd.

Poughkeepsie, New York

AMERICAN AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOUR­ NAL: quarterly scholary publication dealin g with all aspects of American avhist, generally balancing nicely the old and the new; membership also brings the AAHS NEWSLETIER, a brief interim account of current doings and new members; Robert E. Williams, ed, Box 99; Garden Grove, CA92642 ; $12.50/yr.

0)

AELR: quarterly journal of the friends the Army Museum, Belgium, half in French, the other half features news of the collection and supplementary history of the a/ c; Albert Van Hoorebeck , ed, Avenue van Gogh 15, 1140 Brussels; 100 francs.

AERODROME MODELER: bimonthly journal devoted to the WWI modeler, information on markings, de­ tails, kits , some history; Gary Circe, ed, 788 State St., Schenectady, NY 12307; $10/yr.

AEROPLANE MONTHLY: monthly aviation history journal with access to the back files of both FLIGHT and THE AEROPLANE, and a rare combination of literacy and accuracy; Richard T. Riding, ed , Dorset House, Stamford St., London SE1 9LU UK; $20.80/yr .

AEROSPACE: 10 issues /y r. , journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society, deals with the affairs of the RAeS plus special papers on aero history and design, and current research ; comes with membership ; G . R. Wrixon , ed, 4 Hamilton PI. , London WIV OBQ, UK; $5/yr.

AIR-BRITAIN DIGEST: bimonthly , along with the monthly AIR-BRITAIN NEWS: journals of The Inter­ national Association of Aviation Historians, the former strong on registers , production, and airlines , mostly British; the latter strong on registers and a/ c movements ; occasional pieces on early a/ c as they appear; J. C. Cook, ed, 12 Woodfield Close, Redhill , Surrey RH1 2DL, UK; $11/yr.

AIR CLASSICS: monthly, on aircraft history, a good deal on museums and restoration, heavy on WWI , WWII - frequent articles on "forgotten air-craft"; Jim Scheetz, ed, Challenge Publ. Inc., 7950 Deering Ave., Canoga Pk., CA 91304; $11 /yr.

AIRCRAFT ILLUSTRATED EXTRA: quarterly, featuring picture stories of six or seven famous aircraft types with brief informative text ; Ian Allan Ltd. (US subscriptions from Bill Dean Books, 166-41 Powells Cove Blvd ., Whitestone , NY 11357).

ASAP NEWS: brand new journal of the Australian Society for Aerohistorical Preservation , dealing with collection and restoration and partly aimed at the establishment of an Australian National Avia­ tion Museum ; Neville Hewitt, President, Box 1093, Canberra City, ACT 2601 , Australia.

AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA JOURNAL: there is both a society and a journal , but we seem not to have been able to make con­ tact with either. .

AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA JOURNAL: there is both a society and a journal , but we seem not to have been able to make contact with either.

AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF NEW ZEALAND: quarterly journal about NZ aviation history and its aircraft, usually some material on the earliest period; membership also brings the AHSNZ NEWSLETIER and THE REGISTER REVIEW, altogether giving a nice overview of the subject past and present; Brian L. Lockstone , ed, Box 18-056, Wellington, NZ; $6NZlyr.

AVIATION NEWS: weekly, subtitled Britain 's Inter­ national Aviation Newspaper, mostly historically­ oriented articles with current news when appropri­ ate; Alan W. Hall , ed, 26 The Broadway, Amersham, Bucks HP7 OAR; US subscription fr Bill' Dean Books (cf AIRCRAFT ILLUSTRATED EXTRA, above).

CONTROL COLUMN: bimonthly journal of the British Aircraft Preservation Council, features restorations of all kinds , recovered wrecks and sites, museums, collections; some h is tory when appropriate, a modellers ' column; Peter -Schofield, ed, 8 Green­ field Ave., Urmston, Manchester M31 1XN, UK; 25p each.

CROSS & COCKADE JOURNAL (GT BRITAIN): quarterly journal of the British Society of World War I Aero Historians, scholarly, readable, stresses

the aircraft themselves perhaps more than its US counte.rpart (below), which tends to feature accounts of pilots, squ adro ns, and missions; Paul S. Leaman, ed, 31 Holly Rd ., Cove, Farnborough, Hants GU14 OEA, UK; $9/yr.

CROSS & COCKADE JOURNAL (USA): quarterly jour­ nal of the Society of World War 1 Aero Historian s, featuring (b ut not exclusively) men and machines an d events co nnected with the American War; scholarly and complete (cf C&C Gt Britain , above); rotating editorship; write George H . (Cooke, Bus Mgr. 10443 S. Memphis Ave. Whittier~ CA 90604; $9/yr.

DEUTSCHE AEROKURIER: monthly, covers current German aviation scene, with stress on gliders and - general aviation; articles on oldtimers and museums; Wolfgang W agner, ed , 5000 K61m 1, Ebertplatz 2, W . Germany.

LE FANATIQUE DE L'AVIATION: monthly aviation re­ view, a good deal of historical material, largely French though not exclusively ; modelers' page; Michel Marrand, ed, 15-17 Qual de l'Oise, 75019 Paris, France ; 99f overseas.

ICARE: quarterly revue de I'aviation francaise: each volume is a work of art, visually, technically, his­ torically - superb journal; each issue has a special theme or topic, with appropriate research and authors; Jean Lasserre, de, ICARE/-Cidex A No .

213 94396, Orly-Aerogares, France; 105f overseas.

INTERNATIONAL ANTIQUE AIRPLANE DIGEST: quar­ terly journal. of the Antique Airplane Association, some historical material , often in the form of reprints from early sources, plus news of fly-ins and reports from the various chapters (type clubs) of AAA ; member's hip ' also brings the QUARTERLY AAA NEWS and the QUARTERLY APM BULLETIN (journal of the AM's Airpower Museum); Louise Blaine, ed, Box H. , Ottumwa, Iowa 52501; $12.50/yr .

Incl. membership .

ITALIAN AVIATION RESEARCH BRANCH OF AIR BRITAIN JOURNAL: quarterly journal of the IARB, features Italian aviation history, especially the air­ craft, old and new, drawings and a green-paper English translation insert ; Giorgio Apostolo , ed, Via Ampere 49, 20131 Milan, Italy; 8500 lire.

NSM: quarterly journal of the National Soaring Museum at Elmira, NY, features soaring activities and developments everywhere, with occasional his­ torical material on the gliding pioneers ; Meta L. Levin, ed, NSM, Harris Hill, RDI, Elmira, NY 14903.

23

PEGASE: quarterly journal of 1'AssoCiation des Amis du Musee de l'Air presents historical material in connection with the various types on exhibit, or with some special current events, and includes some straight historyall, of course, about the French efforts, men and machines; jean-Paul F-Chapuis, ed, 46, Ave. Kleber, 75116 Paris, France, 20f.

PILOT: monthly review of flying for business and pleasure, with occasional pieces on early aircraft of different periods; james Gilbert, ed, Blakeden Dr., Claygate, Surrey KTIO OjR, UK; $9.25/yr.

PILOT NEWS: m.onthly, sent free to all a/c owners in the Midwest, dealing mostly with flying situations, men and machines in that area, including some his­ torical material that goes way back, and Stan Morel's regular Fokker Verein column; Kenneth C. Weyand, ed, 5320 N. jackson, Kansas City, MO 64119 ; $5/yr.

PIONNIERS: quarterly review des Vieilles Tiges , featuring articles on aviation pioneers, esp French ones ; Arnaud de Castillon de Saint-Victor, ed, Porte Maillot, 75116 Paris, France; 20f.

PROP SWING: journal of the Shuttleworth Veteran Aeroplane Society, occasional publication, comes with the Shuttleworth Collection and its restoration and exhibition projects; David Ogilvy, ed, Shuttle­ worth Collection, Old Warden Aerodrome, Biggles­ wade, Beds, UK. SCALE MODELS: monthly, dealing with scale models of all kinds: aircraft, tanks, cars, etc. plastic and flying; historical articles in support of the model under consideration - good history and tech . draw­ ings; R. G. Moulton, ed, Box 35, Bridge St., Hemel Hempstead, Herts HP1 1EE; $8/yr.

SPORT AVIATION: monthly journal of the Experi­ mental Aircraft Association, deals with every aspect of homebuilding and design and restoration; tips, techniques, new materials, new kits, new designs­ and old ones; marvelous advertisements; jack Cox, ed, Box 229, Hales Corners, WI 53130; $20/yr in­ cludes membership and organizational services.

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT: monthly, dealing with antique and classic aeroplanes, thei r history, construction, and reconstruction and flying - museum news, work­ shop reports - mostly English; Gordon Riley, ed, 137 Onslow Gardens S Woodford, London E18 INA, UK (US subscriptions Bill Dean Books .- CF AIR­ CRAFT ILL EXTRA,_above); $5.50/yr.

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WINGS: bimonthly, on all types of aircraft and their history and design, excellent material; j . V . Mizrahi, ed, Sentry Magazines, 10718 White Oak Ave., Granada Hills, CA 91344; $6.50/yr.

de YELLOW J·3 CUB

WINGS: weekly magazine, color, good paper and all, on aviation of all kinds and periods (subtitled The Encyclopedia of Aviation in Weekly Parts); Anthony Robinson, ed, Orbis Rubl Ltd., 20/22 Bed­ fordbury, London WC2N 4BL, UK.

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113

WORLD WAR I AEROPLANES: 5/yr. journal dealing with building and rebuilding aeroplanes 1903-1919, techniques, information , sources, museums, some history; Leonard E. Opdycke, ed, 15 Crescent Rd ., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601; voluntary contributions, back issues for sale at $2.

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Dear Sir: I enjoyed the December 1977 issue of The Vintage Airplane which just arrived. I was particularly in­ terested in the two articles on Carl Swanson's creation and restoration for the National Aeronautical Collec­ tion in Canada as my father was a scout pilot in the First World War with a few hours in Sopwith Triplanes and Active Service Flying Camels .

The photographs of the cockpit arrangements were particularly fascinating as they bore out many of my father's memories. However, I believe that your caption writer is in error in drawing attention to the firing button for the machine gun located at the top center of the spade handle "joystick" in the pictures on pages 11, 12, 15. If what my father has told me is correct, this is the " blip" switch, used to short out the ignition circuit on the rotary engine to give the pilot some measure of control over R.P.M . Evi­ dently throttle and mixture adjustments were touchy and once set, were left alone as much as possible with power air final approach being controlled by shorting out the mags for short periods.

The machine guns on my father's aircraft were activated by two levers located inside the spade grip and attached to bourden cables which ran to the triggers. Neither the Sopwith Triplane nor the Sopwith Camel were equipped with an electrical system.

Therefore the machine guns could not have been fired electrically.

I still own the " joystick " out of one of my father's Camels, a photograph of which is enclosed.

The " blip" switch and gun levers can both be seen.

Tom Wood 122 John Street P.O. Box 2080 Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada POB 1CO

Dear Sir: Enclosed is a print. It was taken from a glass negative, somewhat deteriorated after 65 or 70 years of storage, that was found in extreme northeast Kansas. .

My grandmother has spoken of seeing Lincoln Beecky barnstorming in the area although I cannot say if this is a photograph of him.

I would also be interested in corresponding with anyone that has information about the Lincoln Sport Biplane or the Lincoln Aircraft Co. that produced airplanes in Lincoln , Nebraska about 1920-30.

Harry R. Owen EAA 02365 Railroad Ave. Isanti, Minnesota 55040 Dear Mr. Nielander: Last week I had the pleasure of meeting with Gene O ' Neill. The circumstances of our meeting were quite extraordinary and one of those things that go to make a Ripley story. Apparently he is a friend of the Applebys (Flabob) and had been asked by them to look me up in Australia. Would you believe, the first day in the country, some 70 odd miles from Sydney, he attended a barbecue at which I was present. Needless to say, at dawn the next morning we went flying!

Having learned that I intended to visit the States in January, he did a good selling job in that I have changed my vacation itinerary so that I can visit the Lakeland Winter Convention. The purpose of this let­ ter is to ask you to please initiate any pre-registration that might be necessary. I am already a member of E.A.A. - reg. no . 097622. My Australian private pilot license is No. 4396.

In Australia I am building up an airfield complex similar in concept to Cole Palen 's. Hopefully, it will be finished in 4 - 5 years, however, at the present time we have in residence two Tiger Moths, two Tiger Hornets, Fokker DR1 Triplane, an Auster and a J3 Piper Cub. Our field covers 130 acres, grass, of course, and we welcome in only old aircraft . My aim is to duplicate Palen's setup right down to the replica World War I aircraft, and to this end we are currently building two Sopwith Pups. Come 1984, we should have our act together. In the meanwhile I am visiting as many antique field shows as possible to pick up pointers, and I look forward to meeting you and members of your group in Florida.

Cheers,

Neil Cottee

Hurstville, New South Wales,

Australia

Dear J.R.: Thank you very much for being so kind as to send us the early "AAA Newsletter". You, indeed, do have a deep interest in the early publications of the AAA, and you're to be commended for your pursuit of finding a set of these things.

We just returned from a 1400 mile round trip to Ardmore, Oklahoma where we picked up the remains of the Rearwin Airplane Company which had been donated to the Museum. This consisted of five pickup loads plus three trailers including the type certificate , manufacturing rights, and we still have to get the blue­ prints and miscellaneous stuff in connection with this.

There always seems to be something that takes us away from our correspondence and magazine work, but it's nice to get out and go pick up some goodies once in a while, too.

Very truly yours, Robert L. Taylor President Antique Airplane Association, Inc.

Dear AI: I wish to compliment you on your presentation of the articles on the Johnson airplanes and on Orville Hickman. My compliments also to Mr. Ropp and Mr. Peterson. I have the original article in Argosy magazine and newspaper articles about the Johnsons. I did not know the Johnsons, but live only 25 minutes from Terre Haute. I was only 6 years old in 1913 but remember well the tornado and flood which did so much damage to the Johnson Brother's efforts. This same tornado

25

blew away my grandparents barn and another barn Mr. Dave Gustafson: plus doing other major damage within a quarter Noted the article of AI Kelch on Orville Hickman mile of our home. in the December 1977 issue of the Antique/Classic I also flew one of Mr . Hickman 's designs in 1928, publication " Vintage Airplane". which was an OX5 powered Air King owned by Walter I read the article with interest and could not help Jones, Brail, Indiana . The only thing I didn!t like noting the last paragraph where he states that "it's about the Air King was the method they used to a shame that these small bits of history are lost" . mount the aileron horns on the aileron front box Recognizing Orville's name somewhere, I dug out a spars. While checking the airplane one day I found 1933 issue of the Flying Manual and sure enough, one of the aileron horns loose. On further inspection in Chapter 4 he authored an article on his own deSign, we found the horns were fastened to the box spars the Hickman Midget Seaplane. Complete plans were with just plain wood screws. As the aileron box spar offered. A very early contributor to the homebuilt was built up with rather thin wood we decided to movement! beef them up. We removed one side of the box at Respectfully, point of aileron horn attachment and inserted an Marion H. Havelaar 18 inch solid piece of spruce glued in, and replaced (EAA 47909) part of box removed; redrilled holes and bolted President Chapter 39 horns back on clear through spar. Otherwise the Route 1 Box 133A plane flew good and I had no other complaints.

Rapid City, SD 57701 I soloed a JN4D in 1925 and flew it quite some time; then I bought a J1 Standard and was flying it at the time I flew the Air King. I transitioned to the Air King myself without a check ride in anything, with no problem whatever. I enjoyed flying the Air 'King , . . . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . . . , as it was so much more responsive to control input than J1 or JN4. Of course, the performance and load carrying capabilities were much better, also, I Dear Mr. Gustafson: wish that National Airways System could have stayed I would be happy to have you run this photo in in business. Of course those depression days affected your next issue with the request that if anyone knows a lot of us, including me. I always thought the Pheasant anything about the event, such as Name of Pilot, and Starl ing were pretty airplanes. I never flew either Owner of Plane, Name of Plane, Location: Jackson of them.

Park or Lincoln Park, Chicago, etc., can contact me at Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New the address shown below.

Year, I beg to remain, Thank you very much for your cooperation in this Sincerely, effort to satisfy my curiosity.

Malcolm McHargue Richard A. Wiley Rural Route No.1 1710 Avondale Carbon, IN 47837 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103

WORLD WAR 1 ~

WORLD WAR I AEROPLANES is a service organization founded in 1961 to bring to足 gether builders and restorers of early air足 craft, and provide information about parts , information, drawings, engines, and if pos足 sible, whole aircraft. Sample issue of the journal $2 ; subscriptions on the basis of voluntary contributions.

Leonard E. Opdycke 15 Crescent Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

Are you restoring a Classic?

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