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OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION INC.

Publisher Paul H. Poberezny

(Photo by Cene Chase)

Editor Gene R. Chase

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 report ing rests entirely with the contributor . Directors

9191368-2875 Home 9191368-2291 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 9131782-6720 Office

Claude l. Cray, JI. 9635 Sylvia Avenue Northridge, CA 91324 213/34<),1338

Arthur R. Morgan 37 44 North 51st Blvd . Milwaukee , WI 53216 414/44 2·3631

Morton W . lester P.O . Box 3747 Martin sville . VA 24112 703 /632·4839

Richard H . Wagn e r

Dale A. G u stafson

John R. Turgyan 1530 Kuser Road Trenton , NJ 08619 609/585·2747

P.O . BOX 145 UNION, IL 60180 815/923-4591

P.O. Box 181 lyons, WI 53 148 414 /763·2017

7724 Shady Hill Drive Indianapolis, IN 462 74 317/293·4430 AI Kel ch 66 W . 622 N. Madi so n Avenue Cedarburg, WI 53012 414/377-5886

Robert E. Kesel 455 Oakridge Drive Rochester. NY 14617 716/342·3170 George S. York 181 Sloboda Av e. Mansfield , O H 44906 419/52<).4378

Ronald Fritz 15401 Sparta Avenue Kent City, M I 49330 6161678-5012

VOLUME 8

NUMBER 12

(On The Cover . . A visilor from Essex, England, Jonalhan Turnbull pilots Chuck Hunter's Stearman past th e Golden Cate Bridge. His passenger is Jim Richardson . Jim 's wife, Deborah took this spectacular photo from a friend 's Citabria. The Stearman is based at Sonoma Va lley Airport, California .! (On The Back Cover. . Howard DCA-15 based at Bridgeport, Connecticut in the '40s and '50 and used for cha rter. See Letlers to the Edi lor. Photo by Owen Hjerp e.!

TABLE OF CONTENTS AIC News by Gene Chase. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Th e Lo st Blade Of Grass by AI Wheeler ..... . ....... . ..... .... .. . . .. .... Lane Leonard 's Gathering of the Clan Fly-In by Claud e Gray .. . _... .. .. . .. 1934 Klemm Wins Top Award In Germany ....... . ....... .. ... . .. . .. , ... . Ju st Another C ub? .. . Not Rea lly ... by Gene Chase ......... ..... . . ... . Ford Tri-Motor Status Report by Gene Chase ................ . ..... ... ... Book Rev iew - " Aeronca Champs And Chiefs" by Charles W. Lash er . . _.. 1980 Stinson Club Fl y-In by Michael G . Emerson ......................... Plans For The Gere Sport Biplane - Part 2 by Douglas Ro lfe . . ..... . , . ..... The Marlboro Antiquers by Wally Smith ............. ... ......... ... ..... Lette rs To The Editor ........ . . .... . . ......... .. ......... .. ........... ..

4 5

6 10

13 14

16 24

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION MEMBERSHIP o NON-EAA

MEMBER - 522.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antiquel 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 .

EAA MEMBER - 514.00_ 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 .)

Advisors

TREASURER E. E. "BUCK" HILBERT

DECEMBER 1980

D aryl Lenz , Mu seum mechani c, gasses up th e replica Laird Super Solution at Oshkosh '80.

PRESIDENT W. BRAD THOMAS, JR. 301 DODSON MILL ROAD PILOT MOUNTAIN, NC 27041

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

John S. Copeland 9 Joanne Drive Westborough , MA 01581 617 /366-7245

Stan Gomoll 1042 90th lane , NE

Minneapolis. MN 55434 612/784·1172

Gene Morri s

27 Chande ll e Drive Hampshire, Il 60140 312 /683·3199

THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is owned exclusively by EM Antique/Classic Division , Inc ., and is published monthly at Hales Corners, Wiscons in 53t30. Second class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Office, Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130 . and additional mailing offices. Membership rates for EM Antique/Classic Division , Inc.• are $14.00 per 12 month period of which $10.00 is for the publication of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membersh ip is open to all who are interested in aviation .

Page 6

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Page 15

~~Uews

CampI., e d by Gene Chase

TULLAHOMA '80 AWARD WINNERS The top awards at the 2nd Annual Tullahoma EAA Fall Convention October 1-5 at Tullahoma, Tennes see went to the following: GRAND CHAMPION ANTIQUE- N3N, N2219, Benny Britt, Tucker, GA RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION ANTIQUE - Travel Air 6000, N8865, Morton Lester, Martinsville, VA GRAND CHAMPION CLASSIC - Aeronca Sedan, N1491H, jim Thompson, Roberts, IL GRAND CHAMPION CUSTOMBUILT - Midget Mus tang, N54B], Bill johns, Osawatomie, KS GRAND CHAMPION WARBIRD - Grumman TBM 3E, N9586Z, joe Dulvick, Lake Orion, MI GRAND CHAMPION ROTORCRAFT - Scorpion, N99708, Edward Alderfer, Hamilton, OH GRAND CHAMPION ULTRALIGHT - Mitchell Wing, Gary Ingraham, Roanoke, VA

SUN 'n FUN '81 The dates for Sun 'n Fun '81 will be March 15 - 22 at Lakeland, Florida. The full spectrum of forums, workshops, air shows, commercial displays, camping, social activities, etc., is scheduled. For more informa tion contact Betty jones, 4195 Forrest Drive, Mul berry, FL 33860.

FROM DAVID H. SCOTT'S WASHINGTON REPORTS: ADAP STATUS Congress adjourned without renewing the Airport Development Aid Program, so not only is the airport program in limbo but the supporting taxes have also not been extended. LICENSING ELECTRONIC TECHNICIANS The FAA has under consideration a plan to license technicians that work on electronic equipment for

aircraft. This has been in the discussion stage for many years but it will probably be a year or two before any thing is done about it. AIRMAN'S INFORMATION MANUAL The FAA proposes to change the publication sched ule of the Airman's Information Manual to three times a year instead of the present four times a year. The object is to save money and to bring the schedule in line with the publication dates for the Air Traffic Handbooks .

FROM THE NORTHEASTERN SPORT AVIATION NEWS: The August, 1980 issue of Reader's Digest had an article called "Why People Make Mistakes". It is a condensation of a longer article that was in the April issue of "Psychology Today". When people do "dumb" things like mindlessly putting ketchup into their cof fee (or landing a plane with wheels up), the basic cause is that the human brain is a very sophisticated com puter. Sometimes it gets overloaded and sends out a wrong message. By all means read this article if you have not already done so. It will make you a better pilot by teaching you something about how your brain functions.

CESSNA 120/140 MIGRATION TO OSHKOSH '80 Readers of Th e VINTAGE AIRPLANE will recall that in two different issues prior to Oshkosh '80, mention was made of the efforts of the West Coast Cessna 1201140 Club to generate interest in a mass flight to the Convention. Their efforts were successful be cause at noon on August 1, twenty-one Cessna 120/ 140 types flew into Oshkosh in formation, in 3 groups of 5 and 1 group of 6. The initial departure point for the organizers was some place in Northern California (must be a secret hideout because the airport was never mentioned). Others joined the group along the way at stops which included Battle Mountain, NV, West Yellowstone, MT, Lake Andes, SO, and Monticello, IA. At Monticello the group had grown to 21 planes plus two non 1201140 types, and represented the states of California, Montana, Arkansas, Washington, Texas and Ohio. Ohio? This was the group that proceeded to Oshkosh, arrivi ng information on August 1. They were able to park together at Oshkosh be cause they phoned ahead from their last refueling stop giving their ETA and number of aircraft, which

allowed the Antique/C lassic parking committee to plan for their arrival. If other type clubs would coordinate their arrivals in similar fashion, they could be assured of parking their aircraft together at Oshkosh . Some of the above information was extracted from Laura Woodward's "Oshkosh Report" in the October issue of the "West Coast Cessna 1201140 Club News letter" .

CHAPTER INSURANCE Chapter Meeting Place Insurance is available for active, incorporated Chapters of the Antique/Classic Division of EAA . This FREE million dollar general liability coverage is available by application to: The Richards Agency P. O. Box 2424 Osh kosh, WI 54903 Telephone, 414/235-1980 . The programs and assistance provided by EAA are available to the Chapters of the Antique/Classic Divi sion. If we can be of any assistance please contact the Chapter Office at EAA Headquarters, phone 4141 425-4860.

RENO AIR RACES SET FOR NEXT YEAR The dates for the 1981 Reno National Champion ship Air Races have been scheduled for September 18-20, according to Thornton Audrain, race chairman. " The races will be moved back a week later than usual in an effort to avoid conflict with the Nevada State Fair," Audrain explained. Since the conclusion of this year's races, the Board of Trustees have been concentrating on stabilizing the Unlimited race course. "We are now working with other outdoor recreation oriented organizations to study the feasibility of mak ing the race site a year-round facility," he added. Race Director Floyd Edsall termed this year's races a success even though admission prices were not raised. "We still managed to have a successful three day event in a time of inflation, when our operating costs were increased sufficiently," Edsall said. Edsall explained that the Board is working on many improvements for the coming year. Among them are the upgrading of the general admission seating area. Several thousand better quality seats will be added, along with a number of reserved seats, to avoid over crowding . The Board is also trying to develop more readily available parking for daily spectators.

THE LOST BLADE OF GRASS Three aircraft owners stood, by chance on an empty, lonely field Each one lost in memory

Of times 'fore the gate was sealed

Of Wacos, Fleets and Kitty Hawks

one man among them thought

Another dreamed of ages past

and the students he had taught.

The third man thought he heard the roar of engines, strong and round And strained his eyes to see a plane where he thought he heard the sound. Of only three I speak in rhyme ,

tho they number by the score

(Ph otos by Gene Chase)

The ones who search the grassy fields

for the things that are no more.

The country fields that they called home have slowly disappeared

Two vi ews of the 1955 Czechoslovakian Super Aero 45 which won the Most Unique Classic Award at Oshkosh '80. Owner is Jon Svendsen, Waterloo, fA. Th e propeller is in th e full fea th ered positi on on th e 105 hp Walter Minor 4 - fll engine, above. Th e large and very effective flaps are shown below.

And factories , shops and industries

their ugly heads have reared.

The aeroplanes that they displaced

are here , as in the past

Restored to live and fly again

their heritage wi ll last.

From asphalt runways , hard and long

they fly on gold priced gas

But in their hearts they'd like to hear

The swish of summer grass!

By AI Wh eeler, A IC 55 19

12 Bishop Pin e Lane

EI Sombrante, CA 94803

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~eo(\~t Gatqe rillS by Claude Gray

fAA 9052, AIC 1003

9635 Sylvia Avenu e

Northridge, CA 9 1324

Photos b y Bob Steel e Ph otograph y

of tqe Clan FlY ill

What started out a few years ba ck as a once-a-year Sunday afternoon get-together, has grown into a very special event that attracts some 400 antiquers. This gathering takes place in April at Cable airport, located on the east edge of Los Angeles, California , a few miles north of Ontario and Chino airports . Th e host for th e occasion is Divi sion member Lane Leonard, a retired American Airlines Captain and an antiqu e airplane enthusiast of long standing. He owns a Staggerwing Bee ch and a 4000 Travel Air. His hangar , wher e the " Gathering" is held , is a mini-museum it self, with many old aviation publications , parts from

famous airplanes of the past, autographed pictures and articles of many aviation greats of past and present. Each year Lane honors one guest who is notable in aviation history. In 1979 the honored guest wa s Gen eral Jimmi e Doolittle. This year the occasion was " Bud Gu rn ey Day". Bud' s experiences in aviation spanned the tim e from the ea rl y Jennys on through the days of airlines, flying DC-8s with United Airlines . In the early 20's, Bud 's aviation career included barnstorm ing and later flying th e air mail , wh ere he spent time on the same line with Lindbergh on the SI. Louis to Chicago air m ail route .

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Left is Gu es t of H onor, Bud Gurney, ea rl y fl ying buddy of Charl es Lindb ergh . On th e right is host, Lane Leonard.

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Th e Classi c Ca r Club of America and The Roaring 20's Club joi ned the festiviti es to add a nos talgi c note with many b eautifully restored antiqu e autos.

The following is an excerpt from some of Lind bergh's writings. It was written about a time when Lindbergh visited his friends at the Lincoln Standard factory , after not having seen them for seven months. Their time was spent in the usual way, doing much ground flying and catching up on events . The fol lowing quotation refers to that session and what fol lowed: "I soon learned that Bud Gurney had made a para chute for himself and was intending to test it by the simple method of going up to an altitude of fifteen hundred or two thousand feet and cutting loose from the plane. If the chute opened, it was successful. " After a great deal of persuasion I prevailed upon him to let me take him up in my ship while we made the first test with a sandbag . The tanks had just been filled with fuel but I had unlimited confidence in my Jenny and we lashed the parachute and a sandbag on the right wing. Bud, who weighed one hundred and sixty-five pounds himself, climbed into the front cock pit and we started to take-off with a total load of about six hundred pounds, to say nothing of the resistance of the sandbag and parachute, which were directly in the slipstream from the propeller. " Even with this load we cleared the nearest obsta cle by a safe margin and finally attained an altitude of about two hundred feet. Then we were caught by a descending current of air which carried the plane down to within ten feet of the ground, and try as I would I could not get any higher. A wooded hill was directly in front, and to avoid striking the trees I turned downwind . A railroad trestle was then in front of us and we stalled over it by inches . For the next five minutes we dodged hills, trees and houses. I signalled Bud to cut the sandbag, but when he started to climb out of the cockpit to reach it, the added re sistance brought the plane down still lower. Then in front of us appeared a row of trees, much higher than the rest, which I knew it would not be possible to get over. We were then passing over a grain field, and I cut the gun and landed down wind. The grain was high enough to keep the ship from rolling far, and we unloaded the sandbag before taking off again. With the weight of the bag and its resistance gone, we had no trouble getting out of the grain and back to the flying field. " A week later Bud carried out his original inten tion of testing the chute. It was successful. " . .. Charles A. Li ndbergh This M o nocoup e w as origin all y own ed by Ton y LeVi er.

H e recentl y purchased th e airplane and res tored it.

Warner powered Fairchild 22, owned by Kal Irwin, Santa

Bud retired a few years ago , and since has con tinued to be very active in antique aircraft restora tion and flying. He has a Gipsy Moth and is seen at most of the West Coast fly-ins year after year. Attending this year was the well known jimmie Mat tern. He is known for record breaking flights in the early 30's across the Atlantic in a Lockheed Vega and nearly successful round-the-world flight during that time . He is holder of many early records . Martin jensen was present this year and is remem bered as 2nd place winner of the famous Dole Pine apple Race in 1927 from Oakland, California to Hawaii. The race was won by the late Art Goebel. Only these two planes made it out of eleven that tried . Many of the other planes that tried either aborted or cracked up on take off due to being so over gross that they just could not fly. The others were lost enroute . As the story goes, Goebel would often remind jensen that he really came in last. jensen would remind Goebel that he did not do so well either, as he was next to last. From the racing days of the past was guest, Cliff Henderson. Cliff was managing director of the Na tional Air Races for many years, starting in 1928. Tony LeVier, well known retired Lockheed test pilot, brought out his recently restored 1928 Velie Mono coupe . As you can see from the pictures , it is a beauti ful restoration. He has since picked up a few top trophies at fly-ins including Watsonville and Chino. Please note his new title on his T-shirt. Test flying restored Monocoupes must not pay too well! There were over 40 Antiques, Classics , Warbirds and Homebuilts on the field. Two car clubs were invited : Classic Car Club of America and The Roaring 20's Club . Their members brought out over 50 very top quality antique cars for display. This added much color and interest to the "Gatheri ng". The " mean looking" fellow in the straw hat is Mor gan Woodward of movie and TV fame, who is well known for his roles as "the bad guy" . He is really just the opposite and an antique airplane enthusiast from years back. He is presently between ai rplanes because of lack of time, but a few years ago he re stored and flew one of the nicest PT-19s around. The weather was great this year , with a turnout of people who consumed over 400 delicious bar-b-que beef dinners. The beef was furnished and cooked by one of the antiquers . Salads and other good food was furnished by the wives . This is always a great event and we are all looking forward to next spring 's " Gather ing of the Clan ".

On left is Jimm y Mat/ ern , earl y record ho ld er wi th his Lockheed Vega. O n right is h ost Lane Leo nard, originator of " Ga th erin g of th e Clan " .

Ton y LeVi er capitali zing on his recent exp eri ence as a M o nocoup e test pilo t is ava ilable for th ose needing his servi ces (maybe) .

Claude Gra y on ri ght,

auth or of this articl e, is

having a round w ith m ovie

and TV " bad gu y" M o rga n

Woodwa rd, w ho is also an .....

antiqu e airplane buff wh en

he is off screen.

Gray's American Eagle didn ' t l et that P-51 dampen its spirit.

Brad Larson 's Rya n

Martin jensen , second (a nd last) place winner of 1927 Dole Pineapple Race.

Sew.

The Klemm L 25 d VII R owned by Rolf Ehmann, EAA 55441 and a member of the Oskar-Ursinus Vereinigung, the German counterpart of EAA, has been nominat ed by the International Amateurbuilt Aircraft Committee (CiACA) of the FAI to receive the Phoenix Diploma for 1980. This prestigious award was created by the FAI in 1978 for the b est res toration of a vintage airplane (over 30 years old) by an individual amateur. In 1979 the award w ent to a French Simoun. This Klemm , Serial Number 978 was built in 1933/34 by Klemm Lei chtflugzeugbau at B6bling en in Ger many . It was certifi ca ted in 1934 with the registration

This photo was not cap tioned but we assume th at one of the gen tl emen is Rolf Ehmann, the owner of the beautiful award winning Klemm. Note the 1976 EAA winged decal on the fuselage side on the trim lin e between the cockpits.

designation D-ELAH . The aircraft was sold to the Deutsch e r Luftspo rtverband Kempten, a sport avia tion club. In 1938 it was operated by the Shell Flight Center in Hamburg. The last inspection of the aircraft took pla ce in 1938 in Hamburg and the plane did not fly during World War II . After the war the aircraft was tak en over by a holders pool within another sport aviation club, the Luftsport verband Bonn , which included among its members Peter Klimp el, Hans Frintrup, Josef Baier , Matthias Ludwig and Heinz Simon. They restored the aircraft and it re ceived a new registration designation , D-EJOL. After numerous flights during the next ten years

it was bought in 1975 by Rolf Ehmann who is the present owner. The aircraft still is in good airworthy condition and it holds a sta ndard certificate of airworthiness. The aircraft is entirely original, with no modifications to be found when checked against drawings bearing dates prior to that of the machine's production . The 85 hp HM 60 R Hirth engine bears serial number 857 as was entered in the aircraft's first documents . There is no problem with hangar space for Mr. Eh mann as the wings are removable and can be fitted to the fuselage in no more than eight minutes.

1934 KLEMM WINS TOP AWARD IN GERMANY

The aircraft is based at G6ppingen Berneck where the Fritz Ulmer Oldtimer Collection can also be found. About 600 of this type were sold during the 1920's and 30's.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The photo and the above i nfor mation was sent to us by EAAer Wolfgang Wagner, AIC 3074, of West Germany . 10

JUST ANOTHER CUB?

NOT REALLY .. .

Story & Photo by G ene Ch ase

How many Piper J-3's do you suppose are flying today, still with the origi nal factory installed engi ne and propeller? How about a Cub with one original tire and the original tailwheel? (The other tire was replaced by a used one in 1948 when the plane was two years old!) This unusual Cub is owned by Arthur L. Johnson , a farmer near Berea, Nebraska in the northwest cor ner of the state . It was manufactured on 2/28/46 and Art purchased it from the original owner the follow ing year. Total time on the airframe and engine is 992:00 hours and the C-65 engine has just undergone its first major overhaul. It previously had been topped twice . The original fabric was replaced recently with Grade A Cotton and butyrate dope by Dick Bosn, an A & P mechanic at Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Dick was very care ful in maintaining authenticity and was disappointed when he could not obtain the original style Sensenich decals for the wood prop which he refinished . Art operates his prized Cub off a small grass strip on the edge of Berea and he fully intends to fly the p lane for another 30 plus years .

(Phoro by Ron A lexander)

Th e p ort ber, and and

loca ti on of this b eautiful scene is Ceda r Ri dge A ir nea r G riffin , Georgia and th e tim e wa s ea rl y Septem 7980 . Th e Stea rm ans belong to Ca rl King, j oe Sh elor Ro n Alexa nder, all D elta A ir Lin es p ilots. The Ford th e Pure gasolin e pu mp are own ed b y Ed jo nes.

(Photo by Dick Stouffer)

Th e Ford taking off with a load of passengers at th e fAA Convention at Rockford, Illinois in 7969.

FORD TRI·MOTOR

STATUS REPORT

by Gene Chase Seven years ago the EAA Air Museum Foundation acquired a Ford Tri-Motor from an insurance company when a freak wind storm lifted it from its moorings and severely damaged it at the Burlington Wisconsin Airport. It had been owned by Dale Glenn of Lawrence , Kansas and was a familiar sight over the years at EAA Conventions at Oshkosh, and before that at Rockford , Illinois . Cash donations to the Ford Tri-Motor restoration fund have been coming in, due mostly to a 60 page booklet, "A Ford In EAA's Future" , by George Hardie, Jr. This publication is not for sale but it can be ob tained free by anyone making a ten dollar minimum donation to the SAVE THE FORD FUND. " A Ford In EAA's Future" is a brief history of the development of Henry Ford's "Tin Goose " and spe

cifically EAA's Ford 4-AT-E, NC8407, Serial Number 4-AT-69 . The booklet is 8'12" x 11 " in size and in addi tion to th e fascinating story of Ford planes, it con tains many outstanding photos, including several from the Ford Archives . The fuselage of NC8407 was damaged so badly that it could only have been rebuilt in a jig . It so happened that KAL-AERO, Inc., of Kalamazoo , Michigan had such a fixture thanks to the Ford Tri-Motor fuselage which J. R. Nielander retrieved from a Nicaraguan jungle in 1975, and donated to the EAA Air Museum Fou ndation . This fuselage was corroded too badly to ever be airworthy , but ·it se rved just fine as the pattern from which KAL-AERO constructed a jig . The first use of the new jig was to rebuild the Island Airways' Ford Tri-Motor which had been substantially damaged in a landing accident in 1978. The Island Airways Ford was completed last April and KAL-AERO immediately began work on the EAA Ford . By th e time Oshkosh '80 rolled around, they had completed the fuselage rebuild from the fire wall to the station aft of the cabin door. That was the

portion which KAL-AERO had trailered to the Con vention and placed on display near the Mini Museum display. Since then the fuselage framework has been com pleted and is now ready for its covering of corrugated aluminum . However, the project is currently at a stand still because the SAVE THE FORD FUND is depleted. The Museum's interest in acquiring the Ford back in 1973 was to save this priceless bit of aviation his tory. NC8407 made its first flight on August 21, 1929 and then was sold to Pitcairn Aviation, Inc. , which was later absorbed by Eastern Ai r Transport. More of the aircraft's interesting background is described in the booklet , " A Ford In EAA's Future ". Wh y' not make a ten dollar contribution today to the SAVE THE FORD FUND, and receive the Ford story as a gift from the Museum? Better yet, make several ten dollar contributions and give the books as Christ mas gifts . Contributions may be made to SAVE THE FORD FUND , EAA Air Museum Foundatioll, Inc. , P. O. Box 469 , Hales Corners, WI 53130.

BOOK REVIEW "AERONCA CHAMPS AND CHIEFS" b y Charles W. Lash er

Th e Aeron ca Own ers Club

74700 Lake Candlewood Court

Miami Lakes, FL 33 074

This book is modestly described by the editor, Jer rold A. Elling, as "An Edited Compilation of the Aeronca This is a result of th e fr ea k wind storm whi ch hit th e Bur Owners Club Bulletins". That probably is a true state ling to n, Wi sconsin Airport on Jun e 76, 7973. In addition ment, but it certainly gives no-insight as to the vast (Ph oto by Gene Chase) amount of useful information contained in this 240 to th e Ford Tri-M o tor, several o th er aircra ft were also Th e p artiall y rebuilt fu se la ge of th e Mu seum Ford Tri page publication . da maged. M oto r looked lik e this at O shkos h '80. The remainder o f It tells the reader what to look for when buying an th e fuse lage fram ework has sin ce been completed. KAL Aeronca . It gives the designation and specifications A ER O is doing a remarkable job w ith this pro ject. Th e for the 7 and 11 series airplanes , as well as conver plane w ill be li censed Standard Ca tegor y w hen completed. sion information on the various models. AD's and Service Bulletins are covered including " Aeronca Service Letters" and " Aeronca Helps and Hints ". Maintenance, repair and restoration information is included, along with excellent photos and drawings. Original factory paint schemes and colors are de scribed in detail. This large 8 %" x 11" volume published by Flambeau Litho Corporation of Tony, Wisconsin is a must for all Aeronca buffs and especially those who own Champs and Chiefs . It's a shame that comparable publications aren ' t available for other popular vin tage light aircraft. (Ph o to by Lee Fray)

Gene Chase

1980 5t'1'nson

6Zub

rJiZyJn

The Nationa l Stinson Club's 108 Section held its Fourth Annual Fly-In at the south central Nebraska village of Mi nde n on july 18, 19, and 20th. Forty-six Stinsons were registered, with several other planes flying in and over twenty Stinson lovers driving in. The Stinson aircraft in attendance gave testimony of the great pride of ownership. Twenty-one states and Canada were represented, with Texas , Nebraska, Kan sas, and Minnesota having the most present . Aircraft also attended from Washington and Oregon on the West Coast and Maryland and Ohio from the East, with the longest distance being flown from Merigo mish, Nova Scotia, Canada, by th e Frank Penny family.

Articl e and Ph o tos by Mi cha el C . Em erso n, A IC 24 23

708 W es t 16 Street

BI g Spring, TX 7972 0

All of the previous three 108 Section fly-ins have been held at Minden , originally organized by current Fly-In Chairman Bob Near of Hastings, Nebraska . The local Experimenta l Aircraft Chapter 544 with Minden Coordinator john A lbers have traditionally been hosts for the Stinson Fly- In . Early arrivals came in Thursday evening, with the majority of the attendees arriving on Friday and Satur day morning. There was an ice cream social Friday evening at the Kearney County 4-H Community Build ing on the airport premises . Seminars were held in the same building Saturday afternoon as well as the Banquet and Awards Presentation Saturday night. Seminars included recovering and painting; the story of Aviatrix, Phoebe Omelie; a presentation by Phillips Petroleum of their XI C oil; and a presenta tion on repair of metal parts on the Stinson 108 series . Steve Dyer , President of Univair, conducted the re covering and painting seminar. Steve, a veteran of five complete aircraft restorations and countless parts projects, gave tips on how to uncover, then cover and finish your aircraft. He talked about some of the newer products available (especially those from Randolph, one of Univair's distributor lines) and techniques for app lying them. He showed a rudder covered in Ce conite and cotton and finished in various methods. The origina l paint scheme drawings for the Stinson 108' s were also displayed. jane Ormsby Stevens p resented the Phoebe Omelie Story. She told of her past six years researching the Aviatrix through use of slides of old newspaper arti cles and pictures. Phoebe Omelie and her husband formed a famous flying stunt team that toured the United States in the 1920's, and later she went on to win national air races on her own . In 1933 , President Roosevelt appointed her to the National Advisory Com mittee on Aeronautics as a technical advisor, and in 1941 she became a flying specialist for the Civi l Aero nautics Administration. She and Amelia Earhart got involved in a project to mark the names of towns and cities on the roofs of buildings and on highways as a gUide to pilots. George Leamy of Spartanburg , South Carolina , gave his usual interesting seminar - this year on repair of Stinson metal parts. George covered repair of vir tually every metal part with rivets, body epoxy , and with Lumiweld. The Lumiweld process accomplishes welding without flux and by disso lving and fUSing with aluminum at a temperature about 400 degrees F. below normal melting temperature of aluminum. It is a beautiful way to weld up minor cracks and tears in non-stru ctural aluminum parts . For further infor

~ Bru ce H oover, ri ght, Chairman of th e 108 Sectio n of th e N atio nal Stinso n Club presents an Appreciati on A w ard to Bob Nea r. Bob founded th e 108 Fl y- In in 1977 and is th e current Fl y- In Ch airman.

mation on the Lumiweld p rocess , write Dept. H , A lumi smiths , Inc., P. O. Box 517, Deland, Florida 32720 . George also made reference to an Air Progress maga zine article entitled " All About Riveting " by Matt Thurber. Bill Ackerman , Aviation Sales Representative for Phillips Petroleum , gave a presentation on th eir rela tively new multiviscosity aviation oil , " X/C ", for cross country. Its merits are the same as for automotive oils in that it maintains the correct viscosity at a range of temperatures, thus maintaining optimum lubrication of engine parts. There was a static display (engine conversion kit)

Don and Anna M axfi eld, Kearney, Nebras ka. 1944 Stin son V-77, NC33543. W inner of Bes t C uI/wing awa rd and th e Sweep stakes.

Cork y Barn ett a nd sons, Po nca Cit y, O K. 1947 Stin son 108-2, N9836 K. Bes t M odified Stin son and th e b es t of all - th e G RAND CH A MPI ON.

Frank Penn y and famil y, M erigomish , Nova Scotia, Ca nada. 1948 Stinso n 108-3, C-G LDA. Lo nges t distan ce awa rd .

provided by Univair and Alpine Aviation (Mike Mc Daniels, Tom Bond , and " Bobcat") . Craig and Julie Baldwin brought a new Lycoming 180 hp engine from Colorado and newly manufactured parts for the 180 hp and 200 hp Lycoming engine conversion for the Stinson 108 series . At the Saturday evening Awards Banquet , Bob Near, John Albers , and Osee Newbold were recognized for their efforts in organizing the 1980 Fly-In. Receiving the award for the Best Stinson 108 were Richard and Julie Klepperich of Webster , Minnesota; Best 108-1 Raleigh and Pat IIlgen of Watertown, Wisconsin ; Best 108-2 - Merle and Marge McNeel of Litchfield , Ne

braska; Best 108-3 - M. C. Hanley of Pauls Valley, Oklahoma ; Best Pre-War Voyager - Bill Lakes of Man hattan, Kansas, for his HW-7S; Best V-77 - Don and Anna Maxfield of Kearney, Nebraska . Other awards were made for Most Original Restora tion - Charles and Louise Idler of Kirk, Colorado, for their 1949 Piper Stinson 108-3; Best Modified Stin son 108 - paul and Maria Taipale of Belleview , Wash ington ; Best Modifi ed Stinson 108-1 - Jerry and Jane Callahan of Portage, Michigan; Best Modified Stin son 108-2 - Ray and Marilyn Helmich of Kansas City, Missouri ; Best Modified 108-3 - George and Linda Leamy of Spartanburg , South Carolina.

Bill Laker, M anh attan, Kansas . His 193 9 Stinson HW-75, NC23 7 10 won th e Bes t Pre- War Voyager awa rd.

Awards were also presented for Best Modified Stin son to Corky Burnett of Ponca City, Oklahoma, who also won the Grand Champion award for his Stinson 108-2. Sweepstakes were presented to Don Maxfield for his V-77 Gullwing. Other awards were presented for Best Work Horse to Ronald Mosman of Minne apolis, Minnesota; to the Oldest Pilot , Charles Idler, age 72, of Kirk, Colorado; and to the Youngest Pilot, Bill Delise , age 16, of Bingham, Nebraska. Appre ciation was expressed for the hospitality ex tended by Lil ' Red Aero, local FBO managed by Louie and Don Bosworth. Thanks was also given for the support of the Minden Chamber of Commerce and , of course , to Harold Warp, owner of the Pioneer Vil lage Museum for his unending support and gener osity extended to the Stinson Club . The Stinson Club looks forward to another success ful fly-in at Minden, Nebraska, in 1981 .

Juli e and Ri chard Klepperi ch , Webster, Minn es ota. 1946 Stinso n 108, N97607 . Bes t Stins o n 108.

PART 2

Plans For The

GERE Sport Biplane

Part I of this 2 part seri es appea re(1 in th e November, 1980 issue of Th e Vintage Airpl ane.

This excellent photo of the Gere Sport Biplane speaks for itself. Good design, clean lines and beautiful workmanship.

Part 2 As Taken From The EAA Reprint Of The 1933 Flying Manual. by Douglas Rolfe

deal of banging about. Now, rightly or wrongly, most This chapter shows plans for building the Gere Sport training ships are of the biplane type and from this Biplane wings, tail assembly, controls , and control sur we may assume that the type is particularly well suited faces. When you 've finished ship you ' ll have a light bi to hard usage if not actual abuse. Certainly it can com plane that is the last word in modern design. bine rugged strength with low weight - two factors which are of supreme importance in any lightplane design. In case you fellows who have followed this article " The writer's purpos e in designing this plane was to think I am hipped on the subject, let me confess to make a lightplane that would perform like the ordinary a weakness for biplane design. Amateur builders as commercial or training plane and be of modern design a rule do not have very much flying time behind them and construction throughout the entire structure . .. the and therefore need a plane which will stand a good

factor of safe ty often is maintain ed throughout and is greater in many places." (From the unfinished notes of George "Bud" Cere.) After reading Bud Cere's stated reason for design ing and building this ship and after digesting the plans and pictures which accompany this article there is little doubt in my mind that you will feel inclined to agree that he just about hit the mark. As mentioned in the previous installment, every thing has been done to try and make the accompany ing working drawings self-explanatory. It has also been explai ned that th rough u nfortu nate circu m stances the builder of the original ship was unable to complete the plans himself. Now it is literally impossible in the limited space at our disposal to cover every single detail of any air plane design and the prospective builder must be pre pared to exercise a certain amount of ingenuity and generally use his own head. These remarks are par ticularly directed to those who may feel the urge to write in and complain that I have not covered the en tire ship. My personal opinion is that builders will always take certain liberties with one or more details of the de sign they are reproducing; and for various reasons, not the least of which is the desire to incorporate some little improvement of their own - fancied or real - into the finished job. Which seems to me a healthy attitude deserving nothing but praise so long as the important features of the design are not tampered with . For the builder who is tackling his first job and who therefore is rather at sea when it comes to tackling some of the construction operations I can think of no finer advice than to recommend the purchase of a copy of the 1932 Flying Manual. This is literally a mine of information and contains not one but severa l airplane building articles. Written as they are by dif ferent designers and specialists, these articles are of unusual value to the amateur builder and a careful perusal of this volume will put the reader in posses sion of just about all the written knowledge neces sary to build the Cere plane from the plans furnished here. Now having got that off my chest let's proceed with the work in hand:

THE WINGS

You will see by the drawings and photographs that the wings are cut off square at the tips. This elimi nates the making of curved tips, which are hard for

most amateur plane builders to make all alike. There is so little loss in dynamic effect in using a flat tip on a plane of this size and type that the additional work involved in making curved tips is not warranted. The spars are designed large enough to permit the use of pine if spruce is not available, but spruce is re co mmended. They are 1 in. thick . The depths of front and rear spars respectively can be obtained from the working drawings. The spars are not routed to form I beams, as difference in weight is so slight that it would not pay to have it done in a mill and to rout them by hand is a tedious operation requiring a good deal of time and care. Top and bottom edges of the spars should be beveled to meet the form of the rib, this operation naturally being delayed until after the ribs have been made. While making the wing spars it would be a good plan to make the center section spars, one front and one rear, following th e draw ings for length .

WING RIBS

Gere Sport built by A. S. Smokovitz, Vulcan, Mich., in 1934. Powered with a 60 hp Dayton Bear engine.

(Photo by Jock McRae)

Each of the two upper wings requires nine full ribs , the two lower wings will each account for another four full ribs and five shorter ribs which extend to the rear spar only. In addition to these four more ribs will be needed to complete the center section, mak ing a total of 30 full ribs and 10 short ribs to be made before the wings and center section can be assembled. The ribs are made from 1/8 in. by 1/2 in . spruce with gusset plates of 1/32 in. fiber. This latter material is obtainable from most electric supply houses and is recommended in preference to plywood, which, though permissible , is more difficult to handle. After laying out the rib jig from the drawings, steam the cap strips until they are pliable enough to be bent; then place them in the jig. Next cut the truss strips to size and set in place, brush plenty of waterproof glue into each joint and nail the gussets on, taking care to use plenty of glue on each gusset before set ting it in place. Twelve compression ribs - three to each wing are specified in the plans . These are illustrated in de tail on the wing drawing. They are made by stiffen ing the ordinary ribs at the point specified. It would be a good plan to make all four ribs for the center section in this manner. The slight increase of weight is nothing in comparison to the extra stiffness which will result from this treatment. When all the ribs have been completed and the spars shaped to accommodate them the wings are almost ready to assemble. First, however, the spars have to be drilled for drag fittings, interplane strut

'"'"

HALF OF TOP WING

-=---=

03--- FRONT

SPAR o

REAR SPAR

A !JOOd view of the wing construction. It is suggested that 20 gao steel wire be used for the false ribs instead of shaped aluminum, as used on the original job.

Working drawi,ngs of the wings and center section are given here. Note the position of the surge tank in the middle panel of the center section. A further improvement would be to place this tank on one side and the gas tank on the other. The center panel could then be braced as shown in the drawing. Tips of the wings a,re square for simple building. fitt ings , etc. , and th e fittings th emse lves made . Fol low th e pl ans f or th ese units. Drill th e rea r spar of each lowe r wi ng to acco mmo date th e ai lero n hinge bolt s and cu t th e f uselage end of all th e lower spars to an angle of 10 d eg. Th is angl e is necessa ry in o rd er to secure a snu g fit in th e w ing fi ttings attach ed to th e fuselage o n acco u nt of th e dih edral angle of th e lowe r wi ng . Th e wi ngs may now be asse mbl ed . Sli p th e rib s i n p lace, fo ll owi ng th e p lans fo r p osition, and secur e 18

in p lace . Bolt th e d rag f i tt ings i n pla ce and rig th e wi ng w i th No . 10 air craft w ir e, usi ng 325 SF turn b u ck les to tig hte n. Grea t ca re sho u ld be ta ken in ri g gin g the wi ngs to in sure th at t hey are fi ni sh ed abso lutely tru e. Fa lse ribs exte nd in g fr om th e top of th e f ro nt spa r to th e lead ing edge of th e w ing and situated b etwee n th e main ribs are advisab le. Th ey are not sh own in th e drawings b u t can qu ic kl y and eas il y be made by taki ng lengths of 20 gao hard w ir e and shap in g it to

th e contou r of th e nose ribs . Th e end s of th ese wi re nose rib s are pressed fi rml y into h oles drill ed in the f ro nt sp ar and th e leadi ng edge . If a mo re p owerful mo to r is co nsid ered it w ill be advi sabl e to cover t he enti re lead ing ed ge of th e w i ngs fro m th e fr o nt wi ng sp ar to th e leading edge memb er with 1/32 in. ply wood . Th is in additi o n to th e fa lse rib s alr ea dy men ti oned.

THE CENTER SECTION The ce nter sectio n is the next point of attention. Spars and ribs for this are exactly si milar to the main wing constru ction, with the added suggestion that all fou r ribs b e stiffe ned in the manner prescribed for the compression rib s. The spars should be drilled to take care of the upper wing fittings before assembling. On the original ship no provision is made to carry eith er surge (water) or gas tanks i n this member. It was decided later to incorporate one or both of these tanks into the center section and our recommendation is that actually both tanks should be located here. It will simplify things generally and in consequence of this. decision a layout showing this form of install ment has been added since the first plans were made - this layout will be found on th e conti nuation pages. It shows the disposition of the two tanks and you will see that this arrangem ent takes a slight change in the rigging essential. The tanks occupy the spaces between the ribs l eft and right, the center space being rigged with No. 10 aircraft wire the same as the wings. So before drilling the center section spars it will be necessary to check with the additional lay out reterred to. The center section strut attachment system is shown in the drawings.

This picture was snapped at Wold-Chamberlain airport just after the plane had won her wings in a successful test flight _ George Gere, Sr. is seen congratulating pilot Elmore Wall on his expert handling of the plane designed and built by his son.

AILERONS Ailerons are employed on the lower wings only. They are built up in the sa me manner as the wings and are atta ched by three hinges which are shown in detail on the drawings . The aileron co ntrol is operated by torque rod and b ell and crank. Thi s con trol , also shown in detail , should be mad e and fitted before attempting to cover the ailerons and wings. The entire framework of ailerons and wings should be given a good husky coat of varnish b efo re cover ing; and if you have any misgivings about the cover ing operation itself drag out the old 1932 Flying Manual again - it tells all about it there!

SPRUCE: CAPS, STRUTS. ANO BRACES

The Gere rib is very strong and follows modern construc tion practice. Compression ribs are formed by covering ordinary ribs on each side with 3/32 in. plywood. Use this drawing in laying out a rib jig.

TAIL ASSEMBLY The entire tail assembly is so thoroughly explained in the detail ed drawings that little comment is neces sary. As it is a welded job from start to finish the same care should be lavished on this unit as has been al read y given to the fuselage. Make the necessary hinges for flippers and vertical rudder and all other fittings shown in the detail. After the assembly is completed

check for fit on the fuselage, as it may be necessa ry to make a few alterations and this is more easily at tended to while the framework is still uncovered. THE CONTROLS These have been covered in great detail in the work ing drawings. One of the outstanding features of the

Gere plane as Bud built it is the excellent operation of all the controls. As will be seen from the drawings, positive control is used in all cases with the exception of the rudder control, which is operated by cables. The location of the control column and rudder bar is not arbitrary - these units may be placed in what

seems to be the most comfortable position for the pilot. This being the case, control rod lengths and similar measurements will have to be determined by the builder to suit his needs . INSTRUMENTS

NOTE ' STRUT END BOl,S ARE f-THE STRUT MEMBERS ARE ~ ')(l8 GA .

THE OUTER FLYING STRUT ASSEMBLY WING

STRUT

DETAILS

FAIRING ATTACHMENT AND LOWER STRUT END DETAILS

The moving end joints for the center section, or cabane struts.

DETAIL SHOWING ARRAN C EMENT O F FUEL TANKS IN THE CENTER W INe;

This simple arrange· ment of gas and . wa · ter tanks is recom· mended as most prac· tical.

The unusual radiator mounting shown here is used with Ford type motors as well as with the Chevrolet seen in these pictures. If an air·cooled motor such as the Packmag Twin is installed, the radiator is, of course, eli. minated.

The only essential instruments are the oil gauge , tachometer, altimeter, air speed indicator and switch. For those who have the means the combination instru ment panel as used by Gere will add a finishing touch to this smart little ship , but it can of course be dis pensed with . Wing struts are covered in detail drawings. The diagonal strut should be cut to the proper length before welding and a jig should be used in assembling both the outer bay struts and the center section struts. The center section struts are welded to the spar fit ting at the top, but we recommend a moving joint at the fuselage point of attachment. This is not neces sary and if the builder prefers he may dispense with fuselage fittings and moving strut ends at this point, merely welding the lower ends of the struts direct to the fuselage. Flying wires and wing bracing generally may be either 1/4 in. streamline cable or stranded

NOTE · --;;;:"E PAT"TERNS OF T .lE COW' JNG PLATE S

H~AVY

PAPER AN ) FIT Y( UR

.WIRE TO SAfETY THE WING NUTS

SHIP

~~ EEF9_RE CUT T ING THE AI..;! ',41NUM

cable. Although some may feel like using ordinary aircraft wire for rigging the wings, it is not desirable and should be avoided. Rig the ship with great care, as the wings must be true in every respect.

COVERING Use a good grade of airplane fabri c throughout and give six coats of dope, using pigmented dope for the last three coats. Added attractiveness is obtained by finishing the ship in one of many striking color com binations which Berry Brothers, Detroit, furnished on request for a nominal sum - if indeed they make any charge at all.

MISCELLANEOUS DETAilS

SECTION THRU THE BOTTOM CoWLING PLATE

_ _ _........ _

__ - - -

DOTTED OUTLINE

1'X20 6 FOR

, ..........

',_

~J'~t~~SPRU;~C;/' - - - -

N OT E TH E PORTS FOR

ACCESS TO CARBURETOR

The motor cowling will naturally depend on the type of motor selected. However , if a Ford, Szekely or Packmag Twin type is employed it will be neces sa ry to check the weight and point of balance before making a motor mount to accommodate the engine. In any case, it will be advisable to check the point of balance whatever motor is used, before drilling the engi ne bearers and bolting the motor down . A good plan is to shift the motor back and forth along the bearers until the proper balance is obtained. If a water cooled motor is used, a remote tempera ture gauge should be fitted and the motor always run up to about 150 deg. F. before attempting a take off. A Paragon 10 J 60 in. propeller is satisfactory for the Chevrolet motor. For Ford motors, use the pro peller recommended by Mr. Pietenpol and for other motors obtain the manufacturers' advice on the sub ject .

GA TUBES NOSE

" fRAMING

-=".

RAD 'ATOR

~~;I~c;.,L~~:~~'''''''iuMINUMFUSELAGE Each individual builder will prob· ably have ideas of his own when it comes to the engine cowling, which will have to be modified to suit the particular power plant selected , The above sketches will be helpful where Ford or Chevrolet engines are used, Straight lines carry out the general lines of the ship and are easier to handle, Start by mak· ing paper patterns.

METHOD OF FASTENING THE RADIATOR AND COWLING T o MOTOR MOUNT_ _

FLYING AND GLI DER MANUALS 1929, 1930, 1931 1932,1933,

2.50 ea.

'".

SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO :

EAA Air Museum Foundation, Inc. Box 469 Hales Corners, WI 53130 TM

Allow 4-6 Weeks For Delivery Wisconsin Residents Include 4% Sales Tax

Closeup view of the aileron. The inboard aileron hinge and a compression rib are seen to advantage in this picture.

Tail group with elevators and horizontal r u d d e r removed.

Close·up view of the plrtly finished cockpit with instruments on panel.

.fIx 20 GA . TUBE

2 TO CONTROL STICK

PROFILE

ALUMINUM TUBING

FUSELAGE COWliNG

...._.

PU~MP

i-x ._____.

r-------..j-L---,

I : I

'- -

FUEL TANK - IF MOUNTED UNDER COWLING -

- - -

I : I

---' ALL BOLTS

.3."

~~~// ~ «

::::

.: . ~

'F-""'~""So......;"""'-~'/ ,

PROP. HUB

----, FUNNEL

.... AIR INTAKE DOTTED LINE

~NDICATES

FIJSELAGE

COWLING OUTLINE.

COOLING

SYSTEM HOOKUP FOR THE CHEVROLET MOTOR

Chevrolet motor cooling ho'o kup.

ARE 16 IN THIS HOOKUP R E A R /?::' SPAR ' AILERON

SPAR

~'STEEL HORN AILERON CONTROLS. HORN. AND HINGE ASSEMLY=

This detail drawi~ng expl,a ins the aileron hinge constructio,n and gives furthe'r infor mation on the aileron controls.

Extreme simplicity of the Gere tail unit makes these plans self·explanatory.

The late Bud Gere survey· ing his handiwork. This photo emphuizes the all· uound sturdy construe· tion of the ship.

BEAR ING COLLAR

COCKPIT CONTROL ASSEMBLY

~~~

j"x 20

GA . CONTROL COLUMN

~'BO~

NOTE : fOOT PEDAL ASSEMBLY MADE UP OF 20 GA •. TUBES

i"x

COLLARS

Note that the vertical rud der is the only cable o-p. erated control.

f\) w~

____

____________

____________________

______________

Not to preface this narrative with, "Once upon a time . . .", is difficult because as tempus fu gits, the activities of the original Marlboro Antiquers appear to have faded away into a long ago story-book-like tale . The locale was Marlboro Airport , situated on Farm Road in Marlboro, Massachusetts . The field , the oldest privately owned in the state , having been established in 1929. The year was 1960 when , for all intents and purposes , the Marlboro Antiquers in formally organized and held their first fly-in, an event which became an annual affair through 1966. Regret fully , it was decided that the proceedings had out grown facilities and the Marlboro Antique Fly-In was held no more . Nevertheless, for seven years the Father's Day weekend heralded one of the best known and eagerly awaited fly-ins with participants arriving from all parts of the country. The nucleus of the Marlboro Antiquers was made up , understandably, by owners of antique airplanes and in 1960 these were: Don LaCouture, airport man ager and co-owner (with Tony Nunes), who owned a Meyers OTW; Carmen Perrotti, Jr. , Fleet 16-B; Ted Perrotti, Fleet 10; Ed Waters, Dart G; Bill Purcell, Ryan ST3-KR; and Gerry Barg, Meyers OTW. The pre ceding aircraft were all active, flying from the field. Another noteworthy airplane which was hangared at Marlboro but which never flew there was a Rearwin Speedster owned by Don. As the years passed , other antiques such as Travel Airs , Curtiss Robins, other model Fleets, a Kittyhawk, Stearmans , Great Lakes and early Cubs have been in habitants, giving pleasure to the camera-toting fana tics as well as the casual spectator. And so it was that the Marlboro Antiquers, zealots to a man , would congregate most every Sunday morn ing, be it snow, rain or shine, to see what was hap pening; possibly a buddy ride in an old bipe, one cared not where as long as that old radial was pop ping away up front; maybe a hot session of hangar flying, slides and movies if the weather wasn't pretty much CAVU ; or just plain taking it easy under a wing on a hot summer day. Annual banquets, cookouts and social gatherings served to mollify some of the wives and sweethearts of the Antiquers who at times must have felt akin to golf widows! But , by and large, the Marlboro An tiquers existed in a spirit of good fellowship and co operation, each one doing his part toward the suc cess of each fly-in, spot landing contest or what ever event had been undertaken . The sixties were, in retrospect, the " good old days" of antique airplane activity, at least here in the East. There was no energy crisis, fewer restrictions on sport flying by government and , most important of all, the

THE MARLBORO ANTIQUERS

by Wall y Smith Southboro , M A

(ph oto b y D on LaCouture, Ir,)

(Ph oto by Wall y Smith)

Lineup of four aircraft leaving for Oshkosh 79 from Marl boro, Ma ssachuse tts.

Trophy winn ers at the Marlboro Antiqu ers 7967 Fly-In, Standing, left to right: Carmen Perrotti, Sr., Pete Brucia , Fr. lohn M acGillivray, Arch McConnell, Ted Perrotti , Miss Marlboro Antiquer, ludi Smith , Ted Larter, Bob Brodeur, D emi Cop adis, Bill Purcell, Front row, D o n LaCouture, Gerr y Barg with daughter Marcia , Art Bujnowski, Mike Farrey, Dee Barn ard, Carm en Perrotti, Ir., Dick lohnson ,

(Ph oto by Ira Ward)

7929 Curtiss Ro bin C-2, when own ed by th e Perrotti Brothers, This plane w as th e Grand Champi on at th e AAA National Fl y-In a t O ttumwa, Iowa in 7962 , Thi s Robin is no w own ed b y th e Hill Country Museum , M orga n Hill, California.

(Photo by D on LaCouture, Jr,)

Dave Watso n, Pres ident of fAA Chapter '673 enroute to Oshkosh 79 in his Clip Wing Cub whi ch received th e Custom Class " A " Award th at year.

value of antique aircraft hadn 't soared to the point where flying them presented a large financial risk. Oh, well, it was fun while it lasted! And so one story and one era ended as individuals such as the Perrottis, Carmen and Ted, Dale Means, Ed Waters and others, with the exception of original Marlboro Antiquer, Bill Purcell, and a newer tenant, Bob lebewohl and his Stearman PT, drifted away from the field to other interests. However, the end of one story marks the beginning of another. There were always (and we say this fondly now), many aircraft on "RAG ROW" such as Taylorcrafts, Cubs, Champs, etc. which were entirely ignored at antique activities for years . These planes, now re ferred to as classics are coming into their own, being restored and flown by dedicated individuals who have banded together in their common interest. This group has in turn been accepted by the homebuilt enthusi asts forming a healthy and growing sport flying or ganization . Many of these people, although not formally or ganized , had been meeting at Marlboro for breakfast flights and other activities for quite some time when, in 1974, Don laCouture, Jr. flew a 90 hp Cub to Osh kosh, Wisconsin to attend the EAA's Annual Fly-In. Don Jr:s enthusiasm generated interest by other own ers and soon plans were being made for other flights to the big event. A banner year in 1979 saw four air craft, each either a classic or antique, flown as a group from Marlboro carrying six pilots to a touch down at Oshkosh. And there wasn't a radio in the bunch! When the mini-armada returned, the prevalent feel ing was that Marlboro Airport was long overdue for establishment of an EAA chapter and so, application for same was made. This was done through the initia tive of Dave Watson of Marlboro who had been pre sented the 1979 Custom Classic Class A Award at Osh kosh for his J-3 Clipwing Cub . In keeping with tradition the eleven charter mem . bers decided that the name of the chapter should reflect the history of the antique/classic movement of the 60's . And so the official title became, "Chapter 673 - The Marlboro Antiquers, Inc." After just two meeti ngs the chapter roster had swelled to the present twenty-five members. Meet ings featured discussions and instruction on varied topics such as welding, riveting and other aircraft oriented procedures. The new " Marlboro Antiquers" are pointing toward the flight to Oshkosh as the highlight of Chapter 673's activities for the year. A number of pilots have signified intentions to make the , flight so look fO.r them there!

AVAILABLE BACK ISSUES The VINTAGE AIRPLANE

1940 Piper J4A Cub Coupe - Oshkosh Winner 1976 Outstanding Workmanship , 1977 Reserve Grand Cham pion - See Vintage Airplane feature sto ry and cover, August, 1977 also November, 1977, October , 1979. Serious offers only . AI Anderson , 313/676-3119.

1973 - March through December 1974 - All Are Available 1975 - July/August, September/October, November/ December 1976 - January through May, August through Decem ber 1977 - All Are Available 1978 - January, March through June, August, October, November 1979 - February through December 1980 - January through November Back issues are available from Headquarters for $1.00 each , postpaid, except the July 1977 (lindbergh Com memorative) issue, which is $1.25 postpaid.

...,

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION • Memb ership in the Expeflmental A ircraft Association. Inc . IS $25.00 for one year . $48.00 for 2 years and $69 .00 for 3 years . All include 12 Issues of Sport Aviation per year . JUnior Memb ership (under 19 years of age) IS available at $15.00 annually.

EAA ANTIQUE CLASSIC

• EAA Member - $1400 . Includes one year membership In EAA Antique -ClassIc DIVISio n . 12 monthly Issues o f The Vintage Airplane arid memjershlp card (Applicant mu st be a curren t EAA member and must give EAA membership number .) • Non ·EAA Member - $22.00 Includes one year membership In th e EA A Antique-Classic DiVISion . 12 monthly Issues of The Vintage Ailplane . one year membership In the EAA and sep arate membership ca rds Sport Aviation not Included.

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lAC WARBIRDS

M embership In t he International Aerobat lc Club . Inc. IS $16 .00 annually wh ich includes 12 Issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are requlfed to be mombers of EAA.

• Members h ip i n the Warb irds of America, Inc . is $20.00 per year , wh ich i n c ludes a su bscriptio n to Warb irds Newsletter. Warb ird members are requ i red to be members 01 EAA .

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBER SHIP IS DESIRED . ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS .

P. O. BOX 229

HALES CORNERS, WI 53130 25

LETTERS

Gene: The enclosed photos (see right and back cover . . . Ed.) are of a Howard DGA-15 that I operated during the 1940s and 50s. A pre-War aircraft , it left th e factory powered with a 330 hp Jacobs which wa s later replaced with th e power pack, firewall forward , from a ,BT-13 , including the P. & W . R-985AN-l, Hamilton Standard constant speed prop, cowling and spinner . Flown from Air Service, Inc. , at Bridgeport, Con necticut, it was used for both passengers and light cargo and covered much of the East Coast. The photos were taken shortly after an airframe Illajor overhaul (known as a complete restoration today) and the red and black exterior finish and the authentic mohair and leather interior would make NC1227 a trophy win ner today. She was a great airplane and I' m happy I spent over 900 hours in her when she was a working airplane in stead of a " priceless antique" . She wasn ' t pampered and washed and polished before each flight - she worked hard , and enjoyed it - and so did I! AI Wheeler AIC 5519 12 Bishop Pine Lane EI Sombrante, CA 94803 Editor' s Note: This Howard is currently registered to Ron Rippon of Rockford, Illinois.

Dear Gene: In your September, 1980 issue of Th e VI N TAGE AIR PLANE, which, by the way, is a fine presentation, page 11 showing a car which is shown to be a 1920 Packard chassis with an older Locomobile body. I showed this picture to a friend of mine, Mr. Ralph Buckley, who is one of the foremost antique car re storers in the country. He tells me the body is from a '21 to '26 Pierce and the chassis is around a '28 Packard. I really enjoy your fine publication. Sincerely, Victor G. Plumbo

Box 230

Millville, NJ 08332

!Photo by O wen Ih erp e)

Th e beautiful interior of the pre-war Howard flown by AI Wh eeler.

Dear Gene: Spent three enjoyab le hours the o th er Sunday f ly ing in and out of a British meadow and giving rid es in the Miles M.65 Gemini 1A, photograph enclosed. This is a li ght twin prod u ced just after the WW 2 by the Mil es Compa ny at Reading in Berkshire. The basic airframe is that of the singl e engi n ed Miles Mes senge r , an AOP wartime effort with remarkable per forman ce, and which was also sold as a civilia n four seater. The nam e Gemini is obvious with the two Ci rru s Minor 2 engines each 100 hp . Th e frame is all wood and all plywood covered. Maximum endu r ance is six hours , but not wit h fo ur people on board! Note th e externa l Junkers style f laps which really work. Only about three of these are left f lying. The gear ups and downs by electric jacks . The props are Fairey Reed made of metal slabs just twisted. Beautiful weather today here but four hours away by Tailwind a nasty front in the mountains just before Switzerland, my destination , so being yellow I stayed in the office and wil l use the airline tomorrow . Hop e that all is we ll with you.

CALENDAR :0F EVENTS

Classic owners!

CLASSIFIED ADS

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For Sale ACRO II PLANS The new 2-p lace aerobatic trainer and spor t bi plane. 20 pages of easy to follow , detailed p lans . Com plete with isometric drawings , photos , exploded views. Plans - $85.00 . Info pack - $4.00. Send ch eck or money order to : ACRO SPORT, INC. , Box 462, H ales Cor n ers , W I 53130. 414 /425-4860.

DOG

Yours sincerely, Harold Best-Devereux European Office Directo r European Region Office Stonehi ll s House W elwyn Garden City Herts. AL8 6NH England

MARCH 15-22 - LAKELAND , FLORIDA - Sun 'n Fun '81. A full spec trum of forums , workshops , air shows , commerci al displays , camp ing , social activities , and more. For further information , p lease contact: Betty Jones , 4195 Forrest Drive, Mulberry, FL 33860. AUGUST 1-8 - OS HKOSH , WISCONSIN - 29th Annual EAA Co n ven tion and Sport Aviation Exhibition - the world ' s largest and most excit ing aviation event. For further information , please con tact: EAA, P.O. Box 229, Hales Corners, WI 53130.41 4/425-4860.

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

HISTORICAL MILITARIA, our mo st rec e nt photo illustrat ed cata logue featuring antique edged wea pons, medals, and military items will soon be pub lished . $4.00 for First Class copy, o rd er by Genera l Sales Catalogue No. 132G. Roger S. Steffen Historical M ili taria , 14 Murnan Road , Dept. 24 , Cold Spring, Kentucky 41076.

Seat Upholstery - Wall Panels

Headliners - Carpets - etc.

FLYING AND GLI DER MANUALS

Ceconite Envelopes and Dopes

-Send for FREE Catalog Fabric Selection Guide - $3.00

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259 Lower Morri.ville Rd. Fall.ington, Po. 19054 _VISA . (215) 295-4115 ft = - 'II. __ f t - ftft ...........~

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1929, 1930, 1931 1932, 1933,

2.50 ea.

SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO:

EAA Air Museum Foundation, Inc. Box 469 Hales Corners, WI 53130 Allow 4-6 Weeks For Delivery Wisconsin Residents Include 4% Sales Tax

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