VA-Vol-8-No-1-Jan-1980 by EAA Vintage Aircraft Association

STRAIGHT AND LEVEL

By Brad Thomas January of ea ch y ear marks a p eriod of person al drive t o enh ance and pursu e your N ew Year's res olu tions. Following a p eriod of holida y fes tiviti es and season al enjoyment , th e routin e of your work duti es rel ax es and your thought s wand er through th e pa st year to analyze your goals and achi evements that w ere set twelv e months ag o. During 1979, many unkn o wn factors app eared on th e horizon th at would aff ec t your avi ation hobby and p o ssibl y alter your thought s and int end ed cour se . Th e " Gr eat Airspa ce Robbery " of th e FAA app ea red in fr o nt of us as an unknown blot ch t o sport aviati o n and contain ed many fa ce ts and pr oposals that w ere definit ely not in lin e with th e int ent as pr ese nt ed . Reali z in g th at th ese proposal s w er e not in th e b es t inter es t of sport and ge n eral aviati o n , we rose t o pro test. W e bro ught forth o ur valid anal ys is and sugg es ted reason abl e method s to approach th e actual probl em s with appro priate l ea d ership , thou ght , and fact s. With out th e h elp of each and every m emb er of EAA and our Divi si o n , who wrot e lett ers o f co mm ent t o th e FAA and your Con g ress m en , w e firml y b eli ev e th e entir e prop osa l would hav e passed thr o u gh th e gov ernm ent chann els in hast e. Th e resoundin g echo of our EAA m emb ership tog eth er with the resp o n ses from A O PA and o th er aviation o ri entated avi ati o n g ro up s bro u ght th e att enti o n of o ur individu al and co ll ectiv e exp erti se b efor e th e publi c, o f fi cials of Con g ress and th e FAA. Infl ati o n continu ed to b e brou ght b ef o re our eyes, and as Ja nu ary ex pir ed and th e f o ll o wing m o nth s vani sh ed , a see min gly endl ess ris e o f p ri ce s app ea red in o ur cos ts of oil-related produ ct s. W e had all rea d and h ea rd throu g h th e m edia th at gaso line cos t s t o u s w o ul d reach o n e d o ll ar p er ga ll o n b ef o re th e end of 1979. In Ja nuary and Feb ruar y of 1979, I doubt if many of u s actu ally b eli eve d th ese es tim ates of fu el cos ts would reach th e pri ces pr edict ed. But it did happ en and ev en excee d ed th e ori gin al es timat es. Airlin e transp o rt ati o n cos t s have rise n d ras ti ca ll y and m any f eed er ro ut es w er e ter min ated , thu s multipl e pr o bl em s

for trav elers in th ese areas. Corporate flyi ng increas ed and man y o wners o f sin g le and light twin s found th eir tim e sa ved and tra ve l cos ts redu ce d b y th e use of th eir own aircraft for bu sin ess and p erso nal transp o rtati o n to ar eas n o t se rv ed b y th e airlin e indu stry. But what of th e Antiqu e , Clas si c or sport avi ati o n own er and pilot? O shkos h '79 w as to tall y su ccess ful and w e br o u ght our ai rcra ft fr o m ev erywh ere, drove our ca mp ers and arri ve d in autos. Admitt edl y, sp o rt avi a ti o n and ge n eral av iati o n pil o ts are pro b abl y n o t flying as many pl eas ur e hours as in p reviou s yea rs, but w e do show a t o tal inter est b y co mbinin g o ur r ecr ea ti o n al activiti es with a pl a nn ed schedul e t o continu e o ur hobby with th e z ea l and zes t w e h ave always exhibit ed. So h ere w e ar e in Janu ary, 1980, having surv iv ed two m ajo r se t-b ack s and lo okin g f o rward to a w o n drou s y ea r with th e ambition and su cces s w e p o rtr ay and pursu e with th e abilit y to ov erco m e that p as t and look fo rward to an ev ent ful and su ccessf ul yea r . O ur Antiqu e/ Class ic Di v isi o n di spl ayed a reaso nabl e g r owth durin g "1979. M e mb e rship in creased, n ew ch ap t e r s w e re f o rm ed , O shkos h '79 was fantas ti c, and w e ar e lookin g fo rward to brin gin g you an ex p and ed and fruit ful Divi si o n durin g 1980. Your o ffi ce rs, dir ect o rs and advi so rs w ant you th e m emb ershi p to k eep u s inf o rm ed o f your su gges ti o ns to ex p and and deve lo p o ur Di vi sion f o r th e purp ose it was ch art ered to pur su e. We h av e m any n ew inn ova ti o n s t o i m p r ove o ur im age and th ese w i ll b e br o u gh t to your att enti o n as th ey unfold . O f spec i a l int e r est t o o u r m e m be r ship is ou r ann o un ce m ent th at Jo hn Turgya n h as bee n p laced o n th e Boa rd of Dir ec t o rs of th e D iv isi o n an d w ill ass um e hi s n ew p os iti o n imm edi ately . Th er e is p ro b a bl y n o o ne individu al w h o, ov er th e yea rs, h as att e n ded and p arti cip at ed in m o re fly-in s th an Jo hn. Hi s ex po sur e, kn owl edge, int eres t and d evoti o n to EAA, o ur A ntiqu e/ Class i c Div i sio n an d sp o rt avia ti o n w ill d efi nit ely enh an ce th e im age we d es ir e to dem o nstr at e.

Of n o t eworthy int er es t is th e p os ition of Edit o r of Th e VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Eff ec tiv e at once , G e n e R. Chase ha s ass um ed thi s p ositi o n and b egun hi s duti es to enhan ce o ur o utstandin g publi cation . In ord er t o b ett er relat e Ge n e to you , w e would Ii ke to pres ent so m e of th e interes ting backgro und and quali ti es h e p ossesses . Born in Casp er , W yo min g in 1924 , Ge n e began hi s infant car ee r as a n o rmal child and m ove d with hi s p ar ent s to Sco tt sbluff. N ebra ska in 193 1. H e to o k hi s fir st airpl an e rid e at th e age of twelv e, in a Stinson SR- 6. He had b een wat chin g and admiring airplanes sin ce his early days in Casp er and th e fa scination of air craft b ega n to entr en ch his desire and motivation to beco m e a part of avi ation . Aft er gradu ating from high sch oo l h e ent ered co ll ege in Scottsbluff , compl eted on e year , and with WW II in prog ress entered th e Navy fli ght training prog ram in 1943 and flew TBF 's. Returnin g to Scott sbluff h e compl et ed his coll ege car ee r maj o ri ng in m echani cal en gi n ee ri ng . H e r e main ed activ e in th e Naval Rese rve prog ram and fl ew va ri ou s typ es of fi ghters; so m e o f whi ch w er e Co rsa irs, Bea rca ts, Panth er j ets, Cougars and Ph antom F2H-1 's. Durin g hi s coll ege ca reer h e obt ain ed his fli ght instru ct o r rating and curr e ntly hold s a comm ercial tick et , sin gle and multi- en gin e land , glid er , and in stru m ent and in strum ent in structor s ratin gs. Durin g hi s transiti o n to civili an w o rk h e wa s first empl oyed as an en gin ee r with a n a tur al gas utilit y and then pr o g ressed to probabl y hi s most enj oya bl e exp eri en ce at that lim e, as a pil o t and engin ee r with Standard Oil of Indi ana. In 1973, Ge n e w as invit ed to b e a p art o f EAA H ead qu art ers and h e fun cti o n ed in th e va ri o u s p os iti o ns o f ass istant ed it o r , bu sin ess manage r , and dir ect o r o f ou r EAA Air Mu se um Fo undation wh er e h e continu ed to serv e until hi s rece nt promotion as Senior Edito r o f SPORT AVIATION a nd Editor o f Th e VINTAGE A IR PLA N E a nd W a rbir ds p ubli cati o ns. Th e back g ro und and ex p eri e n ce Ge n e p ossesses w ill und o ubt edl y brin g to us an excitin g , co n ci se and w ell orga ni zed publi ca tio n th at will co ntinu e t o expa nd and crea t e th e int eres t w e d es ir e to d evelop i n Th e VINTAGE A IR PLANE . H e has f lo wn 25 1 d if fe r ent typ es o f air craft th at in clu de ove r 80 a ntiqu es , 60 hom eb uilt s and 28 military typ es. H e is th e pro u d o wn er o f a 1928 C hurch Mi d win g ( curr entl y o n di spl ay in o ur EAA Mu seum), a 1935 Tay lor E-2 Cub th at is li ce nsed an d flying, and a 193 1 Cur tiss Wri ght , Jr ., th at is und er res t o ration . W e ar e p ro ud to have Ge n e Ch ase o n o ur t ea m !

Editorial

Staff

Tti~ VI""TAf3~ AIl?VLA""~

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC

DIVISION INC.

Publisher Paul H. Poberezny

of THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION P.O. Box 229, Hales Corners, WI 53130

Editor

Gene R. Chase

(Boeing Company Photo)

JANUARY 1980

A United Airlines Boeing Model BOA in flight over a mid west city.

Associate Editors : H. Glenn Buffington, Edward D. Williams, Byron (Fred) Fredericksen, Lionel Salisbury 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. Directors

PRESIDENT W. BRAD THOMAS, JR. 301 DODSON MILL ROAD PILOT MOUNTAIN, NC 27041 919/368-2875 Home 919/368-2291 Office

VICE-PRESIDENT JACK C. WINTHROP ROUTE 1, BOX 111 ALLEN, TX 75002 2141727-5649'

SECRETARY M . C. "KELLY" VIETS 7745 W. 183RD ST.

STILWELL, KS 66085

913/681-2303 Home 913/782-6720 Office

TREASURER E. E. "BUCK" HILBERT P.O. BOX 145 UNION, IL 60180 815/923-4205

Claude L. Gray . Ir. 9635 Sylvia Avenu e Northridge. CA 91324 2 13/34Q·1 J38

M orton W . Les ter P. O. Box 37 47 M artin svill e, VA 24 112 703/632 4 839 H o me 703/638 -8783 O fli ce

Dal e A. G u staf son

7724 Sh ady Hill Dri ve In dianapo li s, IN 46274 3'17/293·44 30

Arthur R. Mor ga n

3744 N orth 5'l st Blvd . Milwauk ee, W I 532 16 4 14/44 1·3631

Ri c ha rd H. Wagn e r P.O. Box 181 Lyo n s. WI 53 148 414 /763 · 2017 H o me 414/763· 9588 O ffi ce

TABLE OF CONTENTS Straight And Level by Brad Thomas .. , ', ......... ,.,... . .. . ..... . . . . .... A Tri-Pacer With A Pedigree by Gene R. Chase ........ • ... . ...... . ... . ·, · Laird Super Solution Project by Gene R. Chase .......... . ....... . ... ,. .. Airline Travel Fifty-Plus Years Ago by Edward D. Williams .... . ,... . .. .. . .. A Montana Fly-In by Ed D. "Skeeter" Carlson ..... .. ... , . ..... . .... . .. . .. A Little Bit Of Little Ed Heath by Robert Burge . ... . ... . ....... , .... .. ... . Airplane Type Clubs .... . ..... . ..... .. ............. . ..... - ............. Calendar Of Events . ... .. ...... . ... .. . . . .. ... .. ...... . . . ..... . ... .. . , .. A Curtiss Album by George Hardie, Jr ........... . ... . ...... . .. .. . .. . . . . . Borden ' s Aeroplane Posters From The 1930's by Lionel Salisbury ..... • .. ..

Ceda r bur g. WI 5301 2

414/377· 5886 H o m e

Advisors Stan Gomoll 1042 90th Lane, NE Minneapoli s, M N 554 34 61 21784·11 72

Gen e Morri s 17 Chand elle Dri ve H amp shire. Il 60140 3 12168 3-3 199

Rob ert E. Kesel 455 Oakridge Driv e

Geor ge S. Yo rk 181 Slob o da Av e. M an sfi eld . OH 44 906 Bu sin ess Phone 41 9/ 755- 1011 Home Ph o ne 419/529 4 378

Roch es t er, NY 1461 7

716 /342·3 170 H o me 7 16/325-2000 , Ext. 23250/23320 Offi ce

2 4 7 9 14 16 18 19 20 24

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION MEMBERSHIP o NON-EAA MEMBER - $22_00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/ Classic Division, 12 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; one year mem bership in the Experimental Aircraft Association and separate membership cards . SPORT AVIATION magazine not included.

AI Kelch

Ronald Fritz 1989 Wil son . NW G rand Rapid s, MI 49504 616/453-7525

NUMBER 1

(On Th e Back Cover. Following engine overhaul preparatory to Jimmy Doolittle's Tri- Capitol record setting flight , in October, 793 7, th e SUPER SOLUTION sits parked at th e Prall & Whitn ey Aircraft Plant in Eas t H artford, Connecti cu t. Ph oto courtes y of M ally Laird.!

lohn R. Turgyan 1530 Ku ser Road Tr ent o n . NI 08 619 609/585·274 7

66 W . 622 N. Madi son Av e nu e

l ohn S. Cop eland 9 Joa nn e Driv e ·W es tbor ough. M A 01 581 617/366·724 5

VOLUME 8

(On Th e Cover. Th e number 2 Pip er Tri Pa cer owned by Leslie D. Marsh of Shelbyville, Tennessee. Photo by Jack Cox .!

o EAA MEMBER - $14_00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/Classic Division , 12 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE AND MEMBERSHIP CARD. (Applicant mu st be current EAA member and must give EAA membership number.)

THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) IS owned exclusively by EAA Antique/Classic Division . Inc .. and is published monthly at Hales Corners. Wisconsin 53t30. Second class Postage paid at Hales

Corners Post Office , Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130 , and additional mailing offices. Membership rates for EAA Antique/Classic Division. Inc .. are $14 .00 per 12 month period of which $10.00 is for the publication of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation .

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a ·~~di9r~~ In February, 1976, Leslie D. Marsh, EAA 137616, of 811 Shelbyview Drive, Shelbyville, Tennessee 37160 purchased an "old run-out" Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer bearing registration number N7777K. From a distance it looked fine but up close certain problems were obvious. The wing tip bows were damaged and there was evidence of previous hail damage which among other things, had ,dented some of the wing ribs . The plane was covered with Grade A cotton and Irish linen, all of which punched in the green. It was no raving beauty but was airworthy, and Leslie enjoyed flying the Tri-Pacer for about 100 hours over the next 2 years. Shortly after acquiri ng the aircraft, while going through the plane's paperwork Leslie discovered that he owned more than iust another PA-22. ,After doing some research · he found that his craft bearing serial number 22-2 was the second Tri-Pacer built by Piper, its date of manufacture being 11-15-50. The prototype Tri-Pacer was N7700K, serial number 22-1. It was subsequently destroyed during static testing at the factory. The third Tri-Pacer was the first production machine and was retained by W. T. Piper as his personal plane. Leslie is fortunate in having the early log books for N7777K. A sampling of the entries looks like this: 11-16-50 First test flight by J. Meyers (Various) Several flights checking engine cooling 11-21-50 Tests with Aeromatic prop 11-22-50 Tests with Sensenich controllable prop

2-20-51 Installed standard wings (Leslie talked about this with J. Meyers, Piper test pilot, now retired, and learned that slotted wings were used for some of the tests prior to this date) (Various) Series of fuel flow tests using a Stromberg carburetor 3-3-51 Checked rat e of sink with round leading edge flaps (Various) More Stromberg carburetor tests and cabin heat tests 6-7-51 New type controls installed (No details avail able) 2-8-51 through 9-51 Eight engine changes relating to cooling tests and various horsepower ratings 10-30-51 Installed auto pilot devices (This is the final entry relating to experimental work in N7777K) In June, 1953, all experimental equipment was removed and the aircraft was put in standard category . It was sold by Piper in late '53 or early '54. The factory-installed engine in N7777K was a Lycoming 0-290-0, sin 528-21, however, in 1951 during the period of many engine changes, this particular engine was also installed in two other Piper aircraft, a PA-20, N1590A and a PA-18 , Nl199A . After flying the Tri-Pacer for two years, Leslie dis cussed a complete restoration of the plane with Ri chard Blazier, owner-operator of Ragwing Aircraft at · Tulla

By Gene R. Ch ase

homa , Tennessee. A work schedule was set up and th e restoration was soon underway . Richard and Leslie were pleasantly surprised to find that the only evidence of corrosion in the entire airframe was around the door channels. These were removed and replaced. The frame was cleaned and epoxied and wood stringers replaced where necessary . Damaged wing ribs and tip bows were repaired and the butt ribs replaced. The fuel tanks were removed and cleaned . The aircraft was covered with Grade A cotton en velopes from Cooper Aviation Supply Company. After an application of fungicide, the finish consisted of 4 coats of clear nitrate dope, 12 coats of silver butyrate and 12 coats of color butyrate. The colors are the original Piper Polar Gray trimmed in Tennessee Red . The restoration further consisted of new hardware, control cables, windshield, side windows, headliner, carpet, upholstered seats , tires, bottom engine cowl ing and scoop. Other panels and fairings were re paired to new condition . After 7 months of hard work and total devotion, N7777K was assembled in September, 1978 and test flown on October 2, 1978 . Everything checked out beautifully and after , 5 hours of local flying, Leslie displayed his confidence in the Tri-Pacer by making a round trip flight to the Grand Bahamas. The plane is currently based at Parish Aerodrome, Tullahoma , Tennessee, site of the Walt er H. Beech Staggerwing Museum and the EAA National Fall Fly-In .

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LAIRD SUPER

SOLUTION PROJECT By Gene R. Chase

(Ph o to b y Don M orris)

Th ese are the iolks wh o gave up a weekend to load th e Laird into a closed va n ior it s trip to Wi sconsin. Standing I. to r.: Bill Choma, Rod Spanier, Donna Morri s, Jim Sweeney, Gordon Knapp , Dr. John Shinn, Leonard McG int y, Cici Chapm an. Kn eeling I. to r.: Fr ed C)uinn, Bill y Henderson, Paul Hopkins , Chris Ch oma, George Read, Je ss ie Wo ods. Bill Choma is Director oi Maint enance at th e Mu seum and he and son Chris drov e th e van transporting the plane to th e Mu seum.

In 1931, Jimmy Doolittle set the U. S. transconti nental speed record, crossi ng th e cou ntry in 11 hou rs 16 minutes 10 seconds, averaging 217 mph, including 3 refueling stops. The flight was made in a beautiful little biplane designed by E, M. "Matty" Laird and built by the Laird Company, in Chicago, in only six weeks. The remaining parts of this one and only Laird Super Solution are owned by the Smithsonian Insti tution's National Air and Space Museum and are cur rently on loan to the EAA Air Museum Foundation. In 1975, Chapter 1 of EAA's Antique/ Classic Division offered to restore this historical aircraft for the N.A.S.M. under the auspices of the EAA Air Museum . After completion, the plane would be displayed in the EAA Museum. This group, more commonly known as the Florida Sport Aviation Antique and Classic Association, began the restoration project in earnest. This was a tre mendous undertaking considering the fact that these are the same people who also put on the Annual Sun 'N Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida. The project leader was Ed Escallon, EAA 58814, who demonstrated his extraordinary dedication by

leaving his job as an engineer with the U.S . Navy at Cape Canaveral so he could devote full time to th e Laird project. The work was being done in a hangar at the Winter Haven, Florida Airport. Through Ed's friendship with Matty and Elsie Laird of Boca Raton, Florida, Matty's expertise and support was available. Jimmy Doolittle of Los Angeles also lent his support to the project. As work progressed, the idea of seeing the Super Solution fly one day became overwhelming to those who were directly involved. The N .A.5.M. policy does not permit any of their aircraft to be flown, so arrange ments were made to retain the original Laird parts so they could be duplicated. Work was started immedi ately on a faithful copy of the original aircraft, with ownership being retained by the EAA Air Museum Fou ndation, Inc. Interest in the' project spread like wildfire and soon offers of assistance were received from EAA members throughout the country . This volunteer help was in the form of making parts and fittings, making complete components (for example, the wing panels and tail group), drafting the plans as the plane

took shape , donating materials, etc. Last but not least , were the cash contributions including funds raised through the sale of specific items for this purpose (see notice at the end of this article). When the aircraft reached its present state of com pletion as shown in the accompanying photo, a meet ing was held between representatives of the Florida Sport Aviation Antique and Classic Association and the EAA Air Museum Foundation to discuss the Mu seum 's offer to make its shop at EAA Headquarters available to complete the project. The unanimous decision resulted in the move last summer of the Laird Super Solution replica and the original Laird parts , to the Museum in Franklin, Wis consin. While on temporary display in the Museum, the Laird was one of the most popular exhibits. The aircraft has since been moved into the shop and the construction schedule is geared to having it in flying condition on the flight line at Oshkosh '80! Watch for update reports on the Laird Super Solu tion project in future issues of this publication.

NOTICE - The following items are available from EAA Headquarters. Funds derived from the sale of these items will aid in financing the completion of the Laird Super Solution project. The sales price includes a tax deductible donation to the EAA Air Museum Founda tion, Inc.

lithograph (17" x 22") -

A beautiful rendering of the Super Solution in authentic colors from an oil paint ing by Richard E. Thompson. The original painting was authent icated by Mr. Laird and his initials ap pear below the signature of the artist. This litho graph is also available , framed and personally auto graphed by E. M. "Matty" Laird and General James Doolittle. Historical Photo Album - 12 - 8 x 10 glossy prints from Mr. Lai rd 's personal collection, i ncludi ng pi c tures of the Super Solution, the Laird Solution, the Laird-Turner Racer , Jimmy Doolittle and Matty Laird . Commemorative Stamp Memento - Stamp collectors should be particularly interested in this uncan celled 13c stamp commemorating 50 years of com mercial aviation, 1926 - ·1976. This 8" x 10" memento is suitable for framing and each one is numbered and personally autographed by E. M. " Matty" Laird. Depicted on the stamp are two early aircraft used to carry the first commercial Air Mail in the U.S . In the background is a Ford Pullman and in the foreground a Swallow , designed and built originally by Matty Laird as Wichita 's first airplane. Laird Jacket Patch - These patches are .13;"" x 3 3;"" and are faithful reproduction s of the Laird Company logo. • For prices and ordering instru ctions please see the ad on page 26 of this issue.

(Photo

Th e Mu seum crew unloading lh e Laird lh e Museum . .

Oil

Lee Fra y)

ils arrival

ell

i,.li", By Edward D. William s

Associate Editor

773 Eastman Driv e

Mt. Prospect, IL 6005 6

All Photos Courtesy Of United Airlines

Ex cept As Noted

Airline travel still had a long way to go in 1929. For the previous year, a total of only 52,924 airplane pas sengers had been reported by the Aeronautical Cham ber of Commerce. This averaged out to just slightly more than 1,000 passengers a week for all the airlines in the entire United States. (Last year there were about 5,000 airline passengers for everyone in 1929.)

Historically speaking, when it comes to airline travel, 1929 was a vi ntage year. Fifty years ago, the airline queens of the skies were the Fokker, Boeing, and Ford trimotors, and airline passengers were passing out of the "flying suit and goggles" age into a new era in which they no longer had to sit on mail pouches in open cockpits. But it was still a time when most people in the world had not flown and commercial air travel had to be sold to the public. Today, travel agents book clients on 600-mi le-an hour jumbo jets to exotic and far away places, and these bookings are heavy on both scheduled and char ter flights. But 50 years ago, air travel was new to travel agents, and they had to work to get all but the hardy and adventu resome into an ai rli ner. In 1929, travel agents were given this guidance by an expert:

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found advisable to have the person in charg e of your air " Spec ial clothing for airplane trav el is unnecessary travel department take an airplane ride during (his) spare wh en th e trav el er uses the regular, es tablish ed passenger tim e to acquaint himself with th e advantages , thrill and air lin es . Th e airplanes of thes e lin es are of th e enclosed cabin type with th e int eriors similar to thos e of a railro ad tim e-saving elem ent of air trave/. " This was at a time when most of today's airlines parlor car. "Howev er, should th e trav eler int end to take sp ecial weren 't even born. chart ered airplan e trips, in whi ch open co ckpit planes For example, in the five-page timetable section, may b e us ed, the traveler should equip himself with a there were these familiar names: Northwest Airways, pair of goggles and a helme!." Western Air Express, Capitol Airways, Pan American The advice continues with a style note to the ef Airways, Colonial Air Transport, Clifford Ball, Stout fect that, " A sp ecial flying suit is usually not necess ary, Air Services, Maddux Air Lines, Boeing Air Transport especially in the summer months, and its purcha se should and Pacific Air Transport. be lerr to the discretion of the traveler." But there also were a Southwestern Air Fast Ex This up-to-date information was contained in the press, Universal Air Lines, Interstate Air Lines, Na article "Air Travel - A New Source of Profit", by Fred tional Park Airways, Mutual Aircraft Corporation, and Burns, in the inaugural issue of TRAVEL TRADE Maga even a Yellow Cab Airways. zine of July, 1929. As a service to its readers in Volume And they were flying everything from a new Ford 1, Number 1, the magazine also carried a composite 5-AT-C to the old Eaglerock biplane - flown by Wichita listing of timetables and fares of the existing airlines Falls Air Transport . in the United States which carried passengers. This In addition, according to the timetable section in special section consisted of only five pages. the magazine, other equipment in service were the Burns admitted to his readers that, "Air transporta Boeing 80 and 40B (f lown by Boeing Air Transport), tion is still in its infancy" since many passengers still the Boeing 40C (flown by Pacific Air Transport), the had to ride in open cockpits. But the drama of avia Fokker F-10 trimotor (flown by Pan American, Uni tion, as covered in the press since Charles Lindbergh's versal and Western), the Fokker Super Universal (flown historic New York-Paris flight two years before, could by Universal, National Park, Southern Air Transport mean financial success to travel specialists. "Th e trav el and Standard Air Lines), and the Hamilton Metalplane burea us and tourist agenci es who equip th emselv es now (flown by Northwest). to handle air travelers will not only profit, but will b e th e However, an airline passenger could still find him self in an open cockpit Stearman C-3B of Western recipient of benefici al indirect publicity," Burns wrote Air Express if he didn't mind the breeze . And, ac prophetically half a century ago . Lindbergh's feat had caused public interest to sky cording to the TRAVEL TRADE timetable, other air rocket, and travel would never be the same. Burns lines boasted of such equipment as Capitol ' s and commented: Embry-Riddle Company's Ryan Brougham, Northwest's " With th e Ameri ca n publi c becoming more and more Stinson Detroiter, Southern's J-5 and J-6 Travel Airs and Curtiss Robin and Pan Am's "Keystone Trimotor, airminded daily, the incr ease in pa ss enger airlines and fr equ ent r;1ail y sight of th ese plan es pass in g overh ead, six-passenger Loening and Fokker F-VII" . th e new co mfor ts and sa fety factor of to day's airlin ers, The timetable showed the travel opportunities exist th e enthusia sm of th e public for th e adventure, roman ce ing at that time . Route systems ranged from only be and sp eed of th e airplane flight. th e trav el burea us and tween Waterloo and Des Moines (Midwest) and Kan tourist agenci es are afforded a new and additi o nal source sas City-Des MoineS-Minneapolis (Yellow Cab Airways) to the extensive route systems of Pan Am and Boeing. of in com e." And in order that they might be knowledgeable However, transconti nental air travel had al ready about the subject, Burns suggested that " It is generally been available to an airline passenger for almost two

When Stout Air Services flew between Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago in 7929, it operated the venerable Ford Tri motor, which not only was built by the Slou t Melal Air plane Co., a division of the Ford Motor Co. , but th e air plane traced its lineage to th e ori g in al Stout Trimotor. Stout Air Services in early 1929 was operating th e Ford 5-AT-8 (shown above in the markings of Nationa l Air Transport! and later in the year added th e 5-A T-C. The 5-A T-8 was the ultimate in trayel er comior/ and receiv ed its approved typel certificate ih jun e, 79 29. It was hur riedly put into service' by othe, airlin es, such as Maddux, T.A. T., Pan Am, Colonial and &.A. T.

Th e Ford 5-A T-C, which followed closely behind Ihe 5-A T-B in 7929, 'increased passenger capacity to 77 pas sengers. The first plane off the assembly line in Dear born , Mi chigan, went to Maddux Air Lines in California in mid-1929, and by the end of the year a total of 35 5-AT-Cs had been delivered to various airlines. Note the mail bags being loaded into th e wing storage compart m ent.

years , since Septemb er 1, 1927, but on two diff erent airlin es. That was when Boeing Air Tran spo rt and Na tional Air Transport joined up at Chicago, makin g N ew York to Oakland travel by air poss ibl e for th e first time . (See Th e VIN TA GE A IRPLA NE, D ece mb er, 1977.) The root s of toda y's airline industry go back to that time . For example, Maddux joined with Standard and with Tran sco ntin ental Air Tran sport to form Tran s continental and Western Inc. , the original TWA . Stout wa s merg ed into National Air Transport, which later joined Boeing Air Transport , Pacifi c Air Transport and Varney Air Lines to form United Air lines . Western Air Express, with National Park, evolv ed into Western Air Lines. Clifford Ball evolved into Capital Airlines, which eve ntuall y merged into United. Northwest Airways became Northwest Orient. Embry-Riddle, Univ ersal , Co lonial and South ern and others formed American Airlines . Fifty yea rs ago saw the beginning of th e co mpl ex airline family trees, but they all shared one beli ef that the carrying of pass engers was "here to stay". Travel authority Burn s b eli eved in it, too. Hi s ar ticle in the July 1929, TRAVEL TRADE said: "One decided reason fo r trav elers turning to airplane transportation , especia ll y seasoned travelers, is th e op p ortunity of see in g planes fr om a new p erspectiv e, of being above th e scener y in stead of on a level with it. " That has been one of the major lures to flight from the first time a man-carrying aircraft was launch ed, and now- in 1929 - it was being used to snare pot en tial air passengers instead of early balloonists and aircraft pilots. " An airplane view ca nn ot be dup li ca ted by any m ethod of travel oth er th an via airplanes," Bu rns wrote in u nder scoring the obvious . Today's pampered passengers in th e supersonic Concorde might appreciate their accommodations more if they took noti ce of Burns ' statement that the 1929 air traveler would be able to see more in hi s alloted vacation time "s in ce use of airp lanes w ill en able th e traveler to cover approx im ately 7,000 mil es in 70 h ours". Passenger convenience and comfort in 1929 was not as complex a matter. Boei ng Ai r Transport's Wasp powered Boeing 80 trimotor was the last word in luxurious air travel when it wa s first introduced in late 1928 . The large cabin carried 12 passengers and was provided with hot and cold running water, for ce d air ventilation, leather upholst ered seats and indi vidual reading lamps.

This is the prototype Boeing 80 photographed on Jul y 14 , 1928. Power is three P. & W. Wa sp engines.

Ca bin shot of Ford Trim otor sh owing airspeed indi ca tor and altim eter; also th e aluminum sea ts whi ch rep laced wi cker chairs. Note th e captain 's hea vy lea th er ja cket and th e pull down shade over th e w in dow in th e door to th e flight dec k.

(Trans Worfd Airfin es Photo)

Pa ssenger chairs in th e earl y models of th e Ford Trimotor w ere of wicker co nstru cti on. Lat er they were furni shed in aluminum covered wi th l ea th er. Large wi ndows, ar ranged to provide pa ssengers with a good vi ew of th e landscap e, w ere of non-shall erab l e g lass w ith indi vidu al shades. El ectri c ca bin li ghts were prov ided over each sea t. Th e cab in int eri or wa s covered sheet aluminum w ith a ba lsa wood co re, providing a surface for int erior de cora ti ons and som e soundproofing. 11

(Boe ing Company Photo)

In-fli ght shot of a triple-tail /3 o eing 8 0A. No te th E.' aft ex tens ions on th e fenders to protect th e lower w ings fro m wheel splalt ering.

Th e Boeing 80 trimotor wa s introdu ced in late 79 28 and b y th e next year had es tablished itseli as a leading air lin er despit e the fact th at it was a biplane. Th e single rudder 8 0 was superseded later in 1929 b y a single-rudder 80A and th en a triple- tail 80A.

In late 1929, the newer, Hornet-powered 80A , car rying 18 passengers, was available . Boeing Air Trans port, the following year, hired eight registered nurses to tend to the passengers ' needs. They were the first stewardesses ill the airline industry. The Fokker ··F-10 also had its touch of class. It fea tured mahogany paneling, a complete lavatory and individual reading lights. But more than just pas senge r comfort was of importan ce to the fledgling airlines. In 1929, for example , Northwest Airways equipped its planes with radio r eceiv ers and indi vidual headphones.

The Ford 5-AT-B was the ultimate in air travel in early ·1929.. It was first delivered to Transcontinental Air Transport in October, 1928, and Maddux, Pan American, Southwest Air Fast Express and Stout each got their first 5-AT-B's in December, 1928. Colonial Air Transport didn't get its first 5-AT-B until March , 1929. Almost immediately, in May, 1929, the larger and improved 5-AT-C was delivered to Maddux. The next month, 5-AT-Cs went to Northwest, Stout and Pan American-Grace. By the end of 1929, the Ford Trimotor had become the backbone of the schedule air transportation industry.

Passengers who dared to fly commercially were rewarded with a memorable experience. In 1929, one passenger , a Philadelphia engineer named Walton Forstall, wrote:

" Flying as we did . .. gave a wonderful opportunity to 'see th e world go by'. And what an interes ting world it was. . It had not yet grown used to our tremendous three-motored Ford. Th e roar of our propellers brought humans to look up and wave, dogs to bark in defiance, made horses and ca ttle scamp er wildl y, and dro ve chickens to th e nea res t cover, seeking refu ge from som e giga nti c hawk ."

Cons tru ction details show clearly in this photo of an early Boeing Model 80 .

Wi th sea ting for 18 passe ngers and a crew of two, the Boeing 80A was an air traveler's dream in 1929. The main cabin was lined with rows of three sea ts and was finished with mahogany pan elling (of plywood), with a thick core of balsa wood for insulati on. Soundproofing of th e cabin walls permitted passengers to converse in near normal ton es. Heating and ventilation brought considerable co m足 fort to passengers, who were protected by shatterproof glass windows. There also was a cloak room, overhead racks and a lavatory with hot and cold running water.

The Boeing 80A was introduced in September, 1929 and was a huge plane for the day. It was des ign ed for large capacity trans co ntinental pas se ng er servi ce and mail足 express operation. It was flown by Boeing Air Transport, which introdu ced stewardesses to th e indu stry th e fol足 lowing year.

Being an airline passenger in 1929 could hav e its drawbacks, however. Such as the incident report ed in a 1929 issue of Western Air Express' DASHBOARD RECORD . It involved a flight in a Fokker F-10 which encountered bad weath er and was forced down atop a mountain in Utah in subzero weather. The pilot hitchhiked to a farmhouse and telephoned Salt Lak e City for help . A rescue tru c k was sent, but it couldn't get within a quarter mile of the plane. The result was that the pilot had to enlist the aid of his pass engers in lugging 1,000 pounds of mail and their baggag e to the truck. Then they had to push the truck uphill and ride downhill as they headed for the nearest town. But , all in all, in the history of the airlines, 1929 was a year to remember. 13

Yl ~

Jrlontana (j:Zy"In

Photos b y Doris Carlson

Bea con Star Antique Airfield near Lewistown, Montana. The barn, a famous dan ce spot in the thirti es, was rebuilt by Frank Ba ss in 1977 . A new house w ith an indoor pool replaces an elderly iarm house on the Montana Ran ch.

Beacon Star Antiqu e Airfield is locat ed in the ce n ter of the hu ge Montana Judith Basin where famous Charles. Ru sse ll captured We stern art on ca nvas . The airstrip is on a half section ranch own ed by Frank Bass, a prominent Montana auctioneer who prom otes aviation every chance he gets. His second annual fly in last Augu st 4th and 5th wa s co nveni ently h eld at the e nd of the EAA Oshkosh Fly-In enabling many pilots to stop enroute home to the Northwest. My wife and I in our D. H. Puss Moth joined th e hundr ed aircraft in attendance. The gathering at the privat e airport wa s another suc cess ful event for Frank Bas s and hi s family in cluding son Colin with whom h e i s associated in th e au ction eer bu siness. Th ey are all qui ck to add th at

By Eel D. "S kee ter " Carlson

Rout e I, Box 20 2

Spoka ne, WA 99204

Sca l e model built b y Hap Hall is a ll exact cop y of broth er Bud 's Piper PA- 12.

ther e was a lot of help from man y, many friends. The Montana Chapter of th e Antique Airplane Association help ed prepar e th e airfield for th e fly-in and spo n so red the no-host dinn er of barbecued stea ks which amazingly could be cut with plastic fork s providing th e excellency of Montana be ef . The M oo re, Montana Women's Club mad e sur e th ere was plenty of food and beverages for br ea kfast and lunch f o r the tw o days. In the bi g barn , a famous dance spot of th e thir ties and forti es and rece ntl y saved from destruction by th e Ba ss family, th e Lewistown Barbershop Q u ar tet e ntertain ed with several songs. N ex t , the walls once aga in vibrated with good mu si c by the " H er tz Combo" Orchestra jo in ed b y " Spinach " Ennis on th e~

slid e tromb one who flew in from North Rid ges, Ca li fornia with hi s new bride , Dallys. During the eve nin g Bob Taylor, National President of th e A ntiqu e Air plane A ssociat ion w as introdu ced. H e surpri se d every one by announcing th e forthcoming marri age of Jerri Brooks of Sylma, California and Frank Bass as the first wedding to be h eld at the upcoming A.A.A . National Fly-In at Blakesburg, Iowa. Th e old-fashioned barn dan ce las ted into th e wee ho urs of th e morning. givin g many but a short sleep ' neat h th e wings before th e ea rl y ri sers w ere enj oying th e excell ent weather by flying around th e big sky of M o ntana . Others to o k advantage of the swimmin g pool and enjoyed th e co untry-club atmosp h er e of th e ranch.

Air show p erform er AI Newby taxies his dreat Lakes Trainer past Frank Bass' Kari Keen Coupe which projects a uniqu e "a nt-eater" profi Ie.

va of the three known Lincoln PT's. NC2'J73 I is owned Dr. H al Wighton of Rosl yn, Wa shington and the olh er ()wned by Jim Hayden ()f Boise, Idaho.

Ha yden's award winning Lin c() ln PT and th e Puss th in front of the hangar additi()n whi ch Frank Ba ss 'ed 10 th e barn.

Bud Hall of Bozeman , Montana announ ce d that PA-12 had pupp ed during the night but the " baby " ned out to be an exact scale mod el , meti culously d e by his brother, Hap Hall of Lewi stown, Montana. Among th e outstanding antiques attending besid e , Bass' Kari Kee n Coupe was a Staggerwing Beech h Lan e Leo nard of Covina, California, a Cessna master with Darlene and Art Swenson o f Spokane, shington, and a Wa co Cabin with George H eft ~er of Kansa s City. Also attracting attention were ) Lin co ln PT's , Jim Hayden 's recent restoration for ich th e A.A.A. Missouri Chapter awarded th e " Best ique" trophy and th e military painted one which I just been purchased at Oshkosh by Dr . Hal Wigh of Ro sly n , Washington. Th e only other kn ow n

Lefi to righl- Jerri Brooks and Frank Bass, Belle and " Ou sly' Rhodes, and Bob Taylor in front of the Ka ri Keen Coupe.

Lincoln is owned by th e EAA Air Mus eum and wa s on display at Osh kosh '79. To redu ce expenses everyon e volunteers to h elp during the fly-in and air show. Although Frank main tain s that trophies aren't necessary and that his fly in is just a big get-together for fri endly pilots , he ac cepted the " Roving " Hot Air Trophy and Bob Taylor pres ent ed some flyer s with A .A .A . Fearless Pilot Wings . One such fearless pilot was AI Newby of Belgrade, Montana who gave an excellent performance in his Great Lak es Trainer. AI , along with Fred Ludtke , Ron Litton , and the very active Bozeman Skydiving Team put on a good little air show. "Dusty" Rhodes, ac co mpani ed by hi s wife Bette, f lew in from Co lorado to do th e announ cing .

It is hard to beat Montana hospitality and many of us also had the pleasure of a chat with Rose and Frank Wiley who were visiting from Shreveport, Louisi ana. Mr. Wiley, a noted pilot and form e r Montana Aeronautics Commissioner for whom Miles City Air port was renamed , is the author of an excell ent book on ea rly Montan a aviation called " Montana and the Sky". Frank and Jerri were married at the big August wed ding and speaking for myself and many Northwest aviation enthusiasts we wish them much happiness and many more successfu l fly-ins at their Beacon Star Antique Airfield near Lewistown, Montana.

"A LITTLE BIT OF

LITTLE ED H EATH"

By Robert Burge 761 2 Eri e Str eet Sylvania , OH 4 35 60

Ashville, NY 14710 August 11,1978 Dear Antique 'Ai rplane Lovers: . I had my 1929 Heath Paraso l at Oshkosh in 1973, at which time it was f lown on five different days, with an original HEATH HENDERSON B-4 e ngine. Si n ce then, I have installed a Con tinental A-40-4 in same. It now flies like a real airplane, without the worries that accompanied every flight, reliability-wise. The ac companying picture was taken in the summer of 1977, which shows just how cute a Heath can be (if any Heath fans are still reading thus far.) With th is preface it can be understood that I am a real Heath nut. While reading the list of new mem bers joining the OX-5 Club, I read that Norman E. Skinner, RD #1, West Lake Road, Ashville, New York '141'10, had just joined, and gave as one of his flying instructors the name of Ed Heath. This prompted me to inquire as to "just what" Norman might know about Ed Heath that might never have been said before or stories, etc., and his own flying history especially as it might relate to Ed Heath. I was delighted to get the following eight page let ter from Norm, and with his permission, I am sure that you will enjoy his story as much as I have.

Regards Bob Burge

Robert: Your inquiry concerning Eddie Heath and request for any pictures or what have you, takes me back to the period of March thru July, 1927. I did have quite an album of pictures of the school on Broadway, and the field at River and Touie Cross Road at Rantoul, Illinois. After leaving Heath I obtained a mail job at May wood, Illinois, at Checkerboard Field. I made several flights with Lindbergh and Lt. Edwards on the Chicago! St. Louis air mail run, to familiarize myself with the route. When Lindy went to California for his Ryan, I was given his position until the service was can celled . I bought an OX-5 Standard from Heath for $650.00, flew east to my, at that time, home town of Brocton , New York, and barnstormed around western New York, Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio. In 1932, I joined the Army Air Corps at Kelly Field , Texas, staying in 'til 1945. While in Texas I used to visit a ranch on Medina Lake and one weekend the ranch-house burned down and I lost my photo album, clothes and several hundred dollars. To go back 50 years to Heath School of Aviation is a time I'll always remember. I'm now in my 70th year. The tuition was $350.00, and we worked in the shop for two hours, for one minute of flying time. Eddie Heath was a little shrimp, not much over five feet tall, and a whiz of a pilot. AI Myers was chief instructor , and there was a Texan, about Eddie's size, who also instructed. A big Swede instructed us on the

making of propellers, and a German taught motor mechanics and general construction. At this time Heath was involved in making the Heath Parasol or Henderson-powered plane. I was at the school about three months when the plane finally was taken off the boards and general construction was started. I, along with other students, helped build the fuse lage. We used Thomas Morse Scout lower wings for the Parasol. When the plane was ready for testing, it was lowered through a hole in the shop floor, to street level, as the school was on the second floor of a two story building. It was loaded into a Packard bus or semi-station wagon and taken to the field at Des .plaines, Illinois, where the wings were attached . Eddie had been injured in an automobile accident, so he hired Lt. Edwards of Lambert Mail Service to test hop the plane. After several attempts, it became airborne for several hundred feet, then pancaked, busting the under carriage. They found out that the T. M. Scout wing was not suitable, so Heath designed a high-lift wing, and with some modifications the plane was ready again. This time Eddie tested it and he flew it about four miles when the motor quit and he set it down near a swamp. All the students at the field were taken to where the plane came down and we carried it bodily all the way back to the field. I don't recall why the motor failed but the fabric was completely ruined on the wing and fuselage. The plane was repaired again and Lt. Edwards tested it. The company was given the O.K. to produce and sell it. The Heath Parasol sold in kit form, for $160.00, less motor and prop. The prop cost $38.00. I do not remember what the motor cost. Eddie Heath had pur chased 50 Henderson motors . I made the first three propellers ever made for the plane. The first two were broken in test flights and the third was still in use when I left the school. E. H . had a temper to make up for his small size. He was built like a coiled spring , powerful for his size, moved fast and didn't care how big you were. M any time, at the field, we saw men twice his size, back down . After a student soloed, the school sold him one hour of solo flight time for $35.00. Then E. H . went up with him, and "checked him out". There were no licenses to be had then . You paid for your instruc tions, then bought a new or used plane , if you had the cash . Sometimes two or more went together to buy a plane. You followed the fairs or carnivals or went to country towns and flew passengers.

If I remember correctly, E. H . had the first license ever issued in the state of Illinois. I don ' t believe E. H. weighed much over 110 pounds, wringing wet. Whenever he flew the OX-5 Standard or the OXX-6 Super Standard or any of the Jennys he owned, he always had a large cushion to sit on , so that he could see over the side. E. H. also owned a German Fokker monoplane of WW I vintage. It was suspended from the ceiling of the shop/school. None of the students liked the instructor from Texas as he was a braggard and blowhard, and when ever possible , we asked for AI Myers. Lt . Edwards was an Army Reserve Pilot , and flew the mail from Chicago, Springfield, and St. Louis. He also instructed for E. H. whenever needed. He was killed in a plane crash in the Allegheny Mountains , near Pittsburgh, around 1928 or 1929. On the mail , we flew Curtiss D-12 's with plywood fuselages and fabric-covered wings. If we had a pas senger, he sat on the mail bags, in the compartment in front of the pilot. At one time in school we had a Henderson motor mounted on a heavy post, with a dummy prop on it, for instruction purposes. Directly below the post , on ground level , there was a two chair barber shop. E. H. had started the engine to do some experiments , but when he revved it up, the prop broke, went through the floor and pierced the tile floor in the barber shop, directly beside the chair of a fellow getting a hair cut or a shave. The barber , the cus tomer, the landlord and two policemen came upstairs to Eddie's office. The yelling could be heard a mile away and the end result was that Eddie was forbidden to run any motors in the building. He then had to rent space in a garage behind the school. He also had to pay for all the repairs to the building. He really had a voice that could be heard a long ways off and could swear like the professional he was. I met Mrs. Heath just once, at the school. She was a few inches taller than Eddie, and somewhat heavier. I don't know if they had any children. Eddie didn't spend much time at the shop/school after the Heath Parasol went on the market. I received my diploma from the school in August , and the school got me a job at Checkerboard Field in Maywood, Illinois. I soloed at Heath with 3 hours 28 minutes dual instruction with AI Myers. I bought extra time on several occasions and was hired by Lam bert Aviation Company of St. Louis . I flew several trips, mostly as a passenger, between Maywood, Springfield and/or to St. Louis. I became a full-fledged mail pilot in October of 1927. We were

(Ph o to Cour tes y of Bob Bu rge)

Bob Burge's H ea th as it looks n o w aft er rep lacing th e H ea th-H enderso n B-4 engin e w ith th e m ore reli able Con lin ental A-4 0-4.

(pho to b y Eri c Lundahl)

Bob Burge's H enderson-p o w ered H eath Super Para sol at O shkos h 7 3 .

paid $15.00 per flight or $30.00 round trip, with three trips per week. In June of '28, Lambert lost the mail contract, so as I previously wrote, I bought a Curtiss Jenny and flew home. I worked for Glenn Curtiss in Buffalo for a short time, then joined the Air Corps. I was sent to Kelly Field, at San Antonio, Texas, and when Randolph Field was started, I was one of the first G.l.s assigned there. I was one of the very few enlisted pilots in the serv ice, a 1st Sgt. in the 4th Bomb Wing, heavy, at Mitchell Field, Long Island. I later transferred to the 416 A.B. at B.W. 8, Greenland, then to Africa, Murmansk, Prest wick, Scotland, Archaugel, Russia, back to Greenland then to England General Hospital at Atlantic City, New Jersey; then to Maxwell Field, Alabama; then

Lockbourn Air Base at Columbus, Ohio. In August, 1945 I was discharged as a Master Ser geant at Fort Dix , New Jersey, and returned home to Jamestown, New York where I eventually started my own ornamental iron shop. I hope that my ramblings of the time I spent with Eddie Heath have been of interest to you. Sincerely, Norman E. Skinner Editor 's Not e: In response to Mr. Skinn er 's statement that h e did not know if Ed H ea th had any children, we had th e dislin ct pleas ure of m eeting Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Zach aria s of Sea ttl e, Wa shington about two years ago wh en th ey visited th e EAA Air Museum. Mrs. Zach ari as is th e form er " Di cki e" H ea th, Ed 's daught er.

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International Swift Association Charles Nelson Box 644 Athens, TN 37303 12 newsletters per year Dues: $15 .00 per year

Fokker Verein Dr. Stanley S. Murel 812 East Park Row Arlington, TX 76010 Newsletter: The PILOT Dues: To be established

The Luscombe Association Robert Shelton 339 West Pierce Street Macomb, IL 61455 3 newsl etters per year Dues: $5 .00 per year

The Funk Aircraft Owners Association G . Dale Beach , Chairman 1621 Dreher Street Sacramento, CA 95814 12 newsletters per year Dues: $12.00

The Meyers Club Ev Payette 1604 South Custer Road Monroe , M I 48161 No Newsletter Dues:

National Ryan Club Bill J. Hodges, General Chairman 811 Lydia Stephenville , TX 76401 4 newsletters per year Dues: Ryan Owners, Postage Donations Non-Ryan Owners, $5.00 per year National Stinson Club J. J. Paul, Chairman 14418 Skinner Road Cypress, TX 77429 Newsletter Dues: National Waco Club Ray H. Brandly 2650 West Alex Bellbrook Road Dayton, OH 45459 6 newsletters per year Dues: $5.00 per year Porterfi eld Clu b Charles E. Lebrecht , Pr esident 3121 East Lake Shore Drive Wonder Lake, IL 60097 12 newsletters per year Dues: Owners, $3.00 per year $2.00 t rophy fund (volu ntary) non-owner, $12.00 per year

Rearwi n Clu b Rt. 1 Poynette , WI 53955 No Newsletter Dues: Rose " Parrakeet" Clu b Jack W. Rose P. O . Box 32 Ingleside , IL 60014 No Newsletter Dues: The Staggerwing Club James c. Gorman, President Box 1217 Mansfield, OH 44902 4 newsletters p er year, plus 4 from Staggerwi ng Museu m Du es: $10.00 p er year Stearman's Res torers Associ ation T. Lowe , President 823 Kingston Lan e Crysta l Lake, IL 60014 6 newsletters p er year Du es : $10.00 p er year Taylorcraft Owners Club M e rton A . M ea d e, Jr. , Presid ent 2009 Victoria Driv e Aquia Harbour Stafford, VA 20021 6 newslett ers p er year Du es: $5.00 per yea r " The Uncommon Cub" Garth Elliot Second Li n e W es t Meadowval e Ontario LOJ 1KO, CANADA 3 4 N ews l ett ers Per Yea r Du es: Postage Donation s Vagabond N ew s Cecil Ogl es, Editor/Publish er 448 C Avenue Co ronado, CA 92118 12 newsl etters per yea r Dues: Donati o ns West Coast Cess na 120/140 Club, In c. Doug William s, President Box 891 M enlo Park , CA 94025 7 n ews le tt ers per yea r Dues: $6.50 per year

Wh eelchair Pilots Howard Treadwell 11018 - 102nd Avenu e Largo, FL 33540 No N ewsletter Du es: World War I Aeroplan es Leonard E. Opdyck e 15 Crescent Road Poughkeepsie , NY 12601 5 newsletters per year Dues : Voluntary

Co ntin e ntal Lu sco mb e Association Lore n Bump 5736 Esmar Road Ceres, CA 95307 N ew sletter Du es: Int ernational Pietenpol Association Ro b ert L. Ta ylo r P.O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 4 n ew sle tter s per year Du es: $5.00 p er year

CALENDAR OF EVENTS MARCH 16-22 - LAKELAND , FLORIDA - Sun ' N Fun 1980. Note new dates. For inf ormatio n , pl ease contact: Betty Jones , 4195 Forr es t Drive, Mulb err y, FL 33860. JULY 12 - TECUMSEH, MICHIGAN - Meyers OTW Reunion - Back to Factory . OTW and former OTW owners - hangar flying , dutch tr ea t. For informa足 tion , please contact: Di ck Martin , Rt. 3, Aerodr o m e Road , Green Bay , W I 54301 , or H arold Los sn e r , 41 5 Eighth Street Pla ce, Des Moin es, IA 50313. AUGUST 2-9 - OSHKOSH, WIS CO NSIN - 28 th Annual EAA Fly-In Convention. Start making your plan s now. AUGUST 9-16 - FOND DU LAC, WIS CO NSIN - Th e Int e rnati ona l Aerobatic Championships. Start making your plan s now! AUGUST 17-30 - OSHKOSH, WIS CO NSIN - World A er oba ti cs '80. Fo r th e first tim e ev er , th e U.S. will h os t the World 's Aerobati c C hampionship s. Don ' t mi ss this hi st o ri c event. Fo r inform ati o n , pl ease co nta ct : WORLD AEROBATICS '80, EAA Box 229, Hal es Corners, W I 53130. AUGUST 22-24 - COFFE YVILLE , KANSAS - Funk Fly-In . Best Antiqu e and Best Hom ebuilt trophi es as w ell as Funk tr op hi es. Fly-bys - spot landin g 足 bomb drop contests. M ee t and talk with H oward and Joe Funk , aviation pioneers. For informati o n , pl ease co ntact: Ray Pahls , 454 South Summitl awn , Wichita, KS 67209, o r G. Dal e Beach, 1621 Dreher Street, Sacra mento, CA 95814 . OCTOBER 1-5 - TULLAHOMA, TENNESSEE - 2nd Annual EAA National Fall Fly-In. Don ' t mi ss thi s one. For info rmation , please con tac t: EAA Fall Fly-In , c/o EAA , Box 229, Hales Co rn ers, W I 53130.

Dear Paul : How the year has " flown ". Your visit to those guys " down under " last April just seems a month or two ago . Hope to see you and Audrey soon . Max Clear as you would know is organizing and hosting our " Homebuilt " Annual Convention Fly-In mid January. '80 . For the past two years I have spen t full time pouring in 60 to 70 hours per week for total rebuild of three Tiger Moths I had as "basket cases ". I have made all new wood , replaced 30 % metal compone nt s, cadium plated all metal , etc., etc. Unfortunately, I forgot that Valda was subsidizing the project!! (as with the two Moth Minors) . We now have a five month old boy " Guy ", (easier than making aeroplanes) . I have suddenly realized that I have 10 months more work on the Tigers for " flyaway ". I've already spent $39,000 on the project 足 disaster! As co mplete kit sets they are for sale . My bank tells me I have to find the money quickly. Sadly , I will have to part with my Moth Minor to stay afloat. Paul , I would like to find someone who can afford to love her as I have done. She is a very rare, beautiful and useful aeroplane , with only 550 total hours since new from the factory in 1938. I have replaced all woodwork in her other than the sailplane spar (as with AKM Moth Minor) . She is th e third prototyp e of ei ght made in UK before the production series . Maybe you would know of a person worthy of such an aerop lan e? Kindest ragards and Merry Christmas. Myles , Valda & Guy Robertson 1A - 10 Brett Aven u e Takapuna , Au ckland New Zealand

Myl es Robertson 's Moth Minor.

Album By Ceorg e Hardi e, Jr.

fAA Historian

All photos are courtesy of th e author except as no ted

The success of the Curtiss flying boat came at an opportune time . While the U. S. Navy ordered five of the Model F boats and the Army took three, and a few were sold to wealthy sportsmen, the threat of war in Europe brought a flood of orders. When war finally broke out in August , 1914, the British government bought the Wanamaker flying boat "America" and ordered a duplicate. Designated the H-4 , an additional 55 wer e eventually produced . A larger version, the H-8 , was called the " Large America" by the British. Re足 engiried with the 275 hp Rolls Royce engine, the type became the H-12. This was th e first American airplane to see actual combat in World War I when it intercepted a German Zeppelin and shot it down on May 14 ,1917. The first sinking of a German submarine took place from an H-12 three days later. The H-12 had a wing span of 92 feet 8 inches and was powered with Rolls Royce engines of 275 hp. In 1916 the U. S. Navy ordered the first of a batch of 20 H-12's. Powered at first with the Curtiss VXX engine of 200 hp, these aircraft eventually substituted the 400 hp Liberty engine to get better performance.

The Model HS-/ flying boat of 1917 was and coas tal patrol.

a single engined des ign intended for training

Glenn Curtiss (/eft) poses with a class of fl ying boat students at Hammondsport , New York.

Th e Model HS- 2L had a larg er wingspan and was powered with th e 400 hp Libert y eng in e to improve performance.

A Model H-12 flying boat nears completion at the Curtiss factory, March 1917.

Close-up of the H-12 hull reveals the size of this model compared to the "America".

The Model H-16 has an early type windshield and the engines are not yet installed.

A Model F-5-L awaits covering in this view taken October 31, 1918 at the Curtiss factory,

(A Curtiss Album . .. Continued) The British meanwhile were ex periencing operational damage to their H-1 2's in North Sea operations , so a new model, the H-16, was built with a new hull design. Fitted with Rolls Royce "Eag le " engines of 340 hp , the British eventually bought 75 of the type. Because production facilities at Curtiss were strained to the limit , the British df'cided to manufacture the H-16 at Felixstowe , England. Nam ed for the town where they were built, these became known as the Felixstowe F series flying boats. Noting the success of the British F-5 type, the U. S. Navy arranged to produce the type as the F-5-L, using Liberty engines. The Naval Aircraft Factory built 33 before the Armistice was signed, and the Curtiss Company comp leted 60. When the United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917, German sub足 marines were taking a terrific toll of transatlantic shipping. The British were anxious to obtain as many flying boats as possible to combat this menace. The need for longer range and greater load-carrying ability prompted the suggestion that a flying boat be built to fly the Atlantic to avoid the sub marin e danger on de足 livery. With the decision to go ahead with the project, Glenn Curtiss was called to Washington early in September, 1917 to discuss the design with U. S. Navy officials . After the preliminary specifications were agreed upon , a co ntract was drawn up in December, 1917 by the U. S. Navy for the Curtiss Company to construct four of these flying boats . Named th e NC type (for Navy-Curtiss) th e design was to be

a joint product of Navy and Curtis s engi nee rs. The Curtiss Company had built a new plant at Garden City, Long Island for th e new Curtiss Engineering Corporation , es tablish ed to co ndu ct the experimental work for the company. Th e hull and so me other components for the NC-1 had been built at Buffalo and were then moved to the Garden City plant where a special building for th e project had been built to protect its secrecy .

IOiiicia'

u.s.

Navy Ph ow )

Th e NC-/ at Rockaway Beach. N ote the three engine arrangem ent with the cockpit in th e center nacelle.

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(Offici a' U. S. Navy Ph o to)

Th e NC-4 being prepared (or laun ching .

(Offi cia'

Closp-up oi th e NC-4 being preparpcI i o r flight.

S. Na v y Ph ow)

The NC type was the largest aircraft to be built in the U.S. up to that ti me. With a wing span of 126 feet and an overall length of 68 feet , the NC-1 was powerd with three of the new Liberty engines. Completed in October, 1918, a flight to the Washington Navy Yard for final inspection was mad e on November 7. On November 11, the Armistice was signed and the contract for the NC's was sus颅 pended .

After some preliminary maneuvering the decision was finally made to complete the four NC boats with the express purpose of making a transatlantic flight. Three of the boats, NC-1, NC-3 and NC4, left Rockaway Beach on May 8,1919 on the first leg of the flight. The three left Trepassey Bay, Newfoundland on May 16 for the crossing. NC-1 and NC-3 were forced down, but NC4 landed at Lisbon, Portugal on May 27 to complete the first successful aerial crossing of the Atlantic O cean .

....

~ Anoth er view of th e N C-4 under repair.

(Offici al U S. Navy Photo)

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Th e N C-4 on th e b each for repair.

(Official U. S. Navy PholO)

Th e N C-4 entering Lisbon harbo r aft er the trans atlanti c flight.

(Officia l U. S. Na vy Pharo)

(Offi cial U. S. Navy Ph aro)

Th e N C- 4 taxiing in aft er a flight.

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DESCRIPTION OF CHANCE

VOUGHT CORSAIR

" Th e Chance Vought Corsa ir is mad e by th e Chan ce Vou ght Co rporation of Hartford , Conn ecti cut. It is a hi g h speed pl ane , used a g rea t d ea l fo r li ght m ail rout es. It ca n als o be equipp ed with ponto on gea r f o r use b y the U . S. Navy fo r laun ch ing by catapult f rom batt le足 ship s. It is also a favo rit e pl ane with th e armi es and navi es of Arg enti na , Braz il , Cuba, Chin a, Peru and M exi co. Sp eci fica ti ons: Sp an , upp er win g, 36 f ee t ; lo w er win g, 34 fee t , 6 in ch es. Length overall, 24 fee t 6 in ch es .

H eight ov erall , 10 f ee t 2 in ch es . Win g ar ea (includin g ai l ero ns), 320 squ ar e fee t. Pratt & Whitn ey W asp en足 gi ne, 425 H o rsep o wer . Win g loadin g , 11.4 pound s p er squ ar e foot. W eight empty, 2,365 p o unds; u se ful load , 1,285 pound s; g ross w eight , 3,650 pound s. Perf orm ance: Hi g h sp eed , 150 mil es p er h o ur. Crui sin g sp eed , 125 mi les p er h o ur. Landing sp eed , 55 mil es p er hour. Rat e of climb, 1,500 f eet p er minut e. C limb in 10 minut ~s , 10,2 00 f eet. Se rv i ce ce i l in g, 19,000 fee t. Radiu s 515 mil es. Gaso lin e cap acity, 110 ga llo ns. Co ntro ls are d ual. Plane is convertibl e to land pl an e o r sea pl an e by int erchange of landin g gea r .

Fu se lage fr am ework is built o f steel tub es, cove red wi th fa bri c and aluminum . Ai leron s are o f wo o d , fabri c c ov e r ed . Tai l surfac es ar e of st e el tubi n g, fabri c cove red . Th e fram ework of th e win gs is built of wo o d , cov ered with fabri c. Th e landin g gea r is equipp ed w i th o l eo sprin g, mad e by th e Chan ce V ought Compan y, and Bendi x brak es. Prop ell er i s H ami l ton-Stand ard . H and inerti a start er is p rov id ed . El ectri cal start er is o pt ion al . I nstrum ent p anel is sp ecial Chan ce Vou ght mak e. In strum ents ar e Pi o n ee r ."

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LAIRD SUPER SOLUTION RESTORATION PROJECT

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• Laird Super Solution Lithograph (Shown Above) 17"x22" - Full Color. $6.00. (Tax deductible portion : $5.00) Lithograph autographed by E. M. (Matty) Laird and General James Doolittle $175.00 (Tax deductible portion: $125.00)

American Commercial Aviation

BICENTENNIAL COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE

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(Right) • Individually Numbered American Commercial Aviation Bicentennial Commemorative Is sue Stamp (mounted), signed by E. M. (Mat ty) Lai rd - $5 .00 . (Tax deductible portion : $3.50)

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DRESS IT UP WITH A NEW

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INTERIOR!

All Items READY-MADE for Ea~y DO-IT-YOURSELF INSTALL-ATION

(Right) • Lai rd Jacket Patch - Handsom ely embroid ered in gold , green and red -- $2 .00 .

Seat Upholstery -- Wall Panels

Headliners -- Carpets -- etc .

Ceconite Envelopes and Dopes Send $1.00 for Catalog and Fabrics Selection Guide

(Left) • Historical Photo Album -- 12 8x10 Glossy Prints from E. M. (Mat ty) Lai rd 's Personal Collection -- $10.00. (Tax dedu cti ble por tion : $5.00)

This project being funded by the sale of mer chandise. The sales price includes a donation to the Air Museum Foundation, Inc. Send check or money order to :

EAA AIR MUSEUM FOUNDATION, INC. P.O. Box 469 Hales Corners , WI 53130 Payable In U.S. Funds Only

AVAILABLE BACK ISSUES OF The VINTAGE AIRPLANE

1973 - March through December 1974 - January through March , May through December 1975 - All Available 1976 - February through May , August through D ece mb er 1977 - All Available 1978 - January through June, August , October, November 1979 - February through December Th e above m entioned back issu es are available from H ea dquarters for $1.00 each, postpaid.

,4i/de,x P~,!JIW. 259-15 Lower Morrisville Rd. Fallsington, Pa. 19054 r,•. .. . . J .'J~'.I ( 215 ) 295 - 4115 [ tJ

(Photo courtesy of Matty Laird)

Mr. E. M. " Mally" Laird at his home in Boca Raton, Florida. In th e ba c kground is th e converted 12 hp Frank足 lin automobile engine which powered Mr. Laird 's iirst aircraft design in 191 2; a midwing monoplan e later converted to th e Bab y Biplane .