VA-Vol-8-No-3-Mar-1980 by EAA Vintage Aircraft Association

STRAIGHT AND LEVEL

By Brad Thomas According to our local almanac bank calendar, Spring officially begins on March 20th and a most wel come time it is. Flowers begin b looming, leaves sprout on the limbs of certain trees, the air smells fresh with the pleasant odor of many plants, and above all we just feel good and become excited and eager to get that antique or classic out of its winter shelter and into the air. Although the temperatures will vary greatly according to where we live, Spring does come, some times early and sometimes late. Off i cially it begins during the annual Sun 'N Fun Fly-In at Lakeland, Florida this year. W h en we talk about the weather conditions over a short period of time, say during past Sun 'N Fun Fly- I ns at Lakeland when they were held during the latter part of each january, most of us remember those cold, w i ndy or ra i ny days which we expected wou ld be bright and sunny . Well remembered was the Lake land Fly- In a few years back that most of us jokingly called the "Snow 'N Freeze" Fly-In! Waking up on that Wednesday morning to find 1 to 2 inches of snow on the ground did not fulfill the desire to be in the land of sunshine . Last year the wind blew and it was cold. How well we remember the wind blowing through the commercial exhibit tent, with the tent posts jumping up and down like pile drivers. Even tually, some of the tie-downs came out of the sandy ground, collapsing one side of the tent. We apologize to the fine Sun 'N Fun people for talking about the inclement weather over which they had no control. They have worked hard to make the event the tremendous success it has become. Our expuiences with the bad weather were definitely off set by the fantastic good times had by all at each of the previous Sun 'N Fun fly-Ins. Had we not enjoyed our past trips, we would not have returned each of the following years. By changing the date of the Fly In from january to March, there will definitely be many good changes and advantages for both Sun 'N Fun

committees and those of us participating in the events. The weather should be mild and pleasant for the Fly-In in March. We can take our summer clothes out of the moth balls and get them ready for use in the good Florida spring season. Most of us will have our show aircraft out of the hangars and ready for the coming fly-ins. At the past Sun 'N Fun Fly- Ins held in january, it was practically impossible to fly open cock pit aircraft, especially from the middle and northern states. It was highly probable that we would get weathered in for several days on the trip to or from Lakeland, which made the thought of the trip an im possible dream from a practical point of view. Now with the new dates in March, most of us should have no problems getting to and from Lakeland . The Sun 'N Fun committees want us to come and participate exact ly as the name suggests. The sun should be just right for the ladies to get that early tan and all of us can look forward to the functions of the Fly- I n with the re laxed attitude we so enjoy. The site facilities have been improved with the ad dition of a new permanent commercial exhibit build ing, improvements in the 'camping area, taxi areas and the overall grounds . The fine members of Antique! Classic Chapter 1, better known as the Florida Sport Aviation Antique & Classic Association, will be our hosts . Plans are underway to have a facility available where Antique! Classic members and guests can meet and relax on the Sun 'N Fun grounds. Nothing is more desirable than these courtesies being offered by Chapter 1. When you drop by this facility, let them know how much you appreciate their efforts . Sightseeing while on your trip to Sun 'N Fun this year should enable you to enjoy the many attractions available in the Lakeland area . Disney World still commands the largest attraction for many. just off 1-4 west of Orlando, one or two days can easily be spent here enjoying the varied attractions . In the im mediate area of Disney World lies the marine-oriented

attraction of Sea World. If you have not yet witnessed the performances of Shamu, the two-ton killer whale and the other marine shows and exhibits, your Florida trip is incomplete. The Orlando area includes the well-known Wings and Wheels Museum, now open and operating at the Orlando International jetport. A museum with exciting and intriguing aircraft and automobiles, it should be included in your itinerary . Many of the aircraft on exhibit are licensed and flyable and are rare examples of machi nes of early aviation. Turning west on 1-4 at Lakeland, you are headed toward the great historical city of Tampa . Here you can tour the Busch Gar dens containing 278 acres of beautiful grounds with tropical trees , flowers and shrubs, see performances of trained birds in the amphitheatre, visit the Busch Brewery, and ride on the space-age monorail through an African scene where live African animals roam free and live in a natural setting. In the Winter Haven area you can visit the famous Cyprus Gardens where tropical plants and flowers are featured along with a famous and thrilling water ski show of champions . Nearby are the Masterpiece Gardens, the Florida Citrus Showcase, and the Bok Tower, all within a short driving distance. All in all, plan your trip to the 1980 Sun 'N Fun Fly-In to include as many of the above attractions as can be scheduled . Primarily you will be attending a unique Fly-In, which in 1975, its first year, saw 1,980 registered participants representing 32 states . In 1979, there were 12,488 registered participants with an ad ditional public attendance of 2,615. All 50 states were represented last year! . As with Oshkosh, when you have attended one Sun 'N Fun Fly-In, there is no doubt in your mind that you will make plans to attend the next. We'll see you in Lakeland during March 16-22!

Tti~ VI~TA(7~ AII2VLA~~

Editorial Staff (photo by Dick Stouffer)

This Arrow Sport was manufa ctured in 1929 in Lin co ln , N ebraska and is now on display in th e Terminal Build in g at th e Lin c oln Municipal Airport. Th e plan e wa s flown to many fly-ins in the Midwest by its own er, Dr, Roy Cram of Burwell, Nebraska,

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

STILWELL, KS 66085

913/681-2303 Ho m e 913/782-6720 Office TREASURER E. E. " BUCK" HILBERT P,O. BOX 145 UNION, IL 60180 815/923-4205

M o rl o n W . les te r P, O, Box 37 47 Marti nsv ill e, VA 1.4 11 2

Dale A . Gu staf son 7724 Shady Hill Dri ve Indian ap o li s, IN 46174

VOLUME 8

NUMBER 3

(On Th e Cover . ,Seen al Os hkos h '79 was Ihis handsome 194 6 Tayl orerafl BCI2-D, NC44101 , sin 9901 o wn ed b y George T, Bu echle, of Pin conn ing , Mi chigan , Pholo b y Te d Kos lon ,)

Directors

Cla ud e l. Gray, Ir , 9635 Sylvia Av enu e Norrhrid gc, CA 9"1324

of THE EXPER IM ENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIAT ION . P.O . Box 229, Hale s Corners, WI 53130

MARCH 1980

Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs , Associate Editorships are assigned to those writers who submit five or more articles whi ch are published in THE VINTAGE AIR PLANE during th e current yea r, Associates receive a bound volume of THE VINTAGE AIR PLANE and a free o ne- year membership in the Division for their effort s . POLIC Y-Opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors . Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contribu to r.

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

2141727-5649 '

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC

DIVISION INC.

Publisher Paul H.' Poberezny Editor Gene R. Chase

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

PRESIDENT W . BRAD THOMAS , JR.

301 DODSON MILL ROAD

PILOT MOUNTAIN , NC 27041 919/368-2875 Home 919/368-2291 Office

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

Arthu r R. Morgan 3744 NOrlh SIS! Blvd, Milwauk ee , WI 53116

Ri chard H . Wagn er P.O, Bo x 181 Lyon s, WI 53 148

Jo hn R. Tur gya n 1530 Ku ser Roa d

(On Th e Ba ck Cover . D e H avilland Tiger M Olh on di splay in its Ca nad ia n Navy co lo rs and W ltn m e ri ghl w ing panels folded ba c k, Fr, lohn Ma cG illivray d onaled lhis M Olh in 1964 10 th e fA A Air Mu seum Fo undation, At Ihat lim e il ca rr ied Ca nadian registr y CF-IVO. Ph 0 10 b y Ge ne Chase.!

TABLE OF CONTENTS Strai g ht and Level by Brad Thomas, , , . , , , , . . , , , , ... . . , , , , ' , ... . , . . , , , . .. . . , , , . , " A/C News by Gene Chase ., . , ,',.," , ... , .. . . ' " , .. , . , , ' , , . , , , , , , , , , . . , , , , , . , , " AIC Hot Lin e, , , _' . . , , , , , . .. , , , .. , , . , , , , . , , , .. . .. , , , , , , , . . .. , , . . . , , , . , , , , . , , . ' " New Chapter Formed At Arli ngton Fly-In " " " " " " " " " " " " "" " " " " " ' " Laird Super Soluti on Project Progress Report by Gene Chase, , , , . , , , .. , , ,. , , ' , , , , " Clarence Prest and "The Prest Baby Pursuit" by Ra y Cocking. , , . , , .. , . , , . .. , ' . .. , ., The Kemp Air-Cooled Aeroplane Motors by Ed Esca ll o n " " " " . . , . " " " " " " " , Resurrecting A Swallow by Larry Cowell, . , , " , , , , , ,', , , , , .. .. , ... , , , . , , _. .. , . . , , " National Stearman Fly-In by Tom Lowe , , , , . " .. • ' , ' , .... . , ' , , ... . . , .. , ' .. , .. , .... Ca lendar Of Eve nts . " " . " " . . . " " " .. . " " " " " "",." " ,., . "" , . . . ,.",, ' A Curtiss Album by George Hardi e, Jr. " .. " . . ,.""" " ... " , . " " . " , .. " . " ." Borden ' s Aeroplane Posters From The 1930's by Lion el Salisbury ,., . .. ".,' , .', ... , Letters " , , , , . . , , , , , .. , , , , , , . , , , . , , , , , , .. , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ' . , , , . , , , , , , ' . , , , , . . , , , "

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION MEMBERSHIP o NON-EAA MEMBER - $22.00, In cludes o ne year membership in the EAA Antique/

Tre nf on, N I 086 1Y

AI Kelch

Classic Division , 12 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE A IRPLANE ; o ne year m em bership in the Experimental Aircraft Associa ti on and separate membership cards, SPO RT AVIATION magazine not includ ed,

bb W. 612 N. Madi so n Ave nu e

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Advisors

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Ron ald Fritz 1989 Wilson , NW Gra nd Rapi ds, MI 49504

Rob ert E. Kesel 455 Oa k'ridge Dri ve Roch es t er. NY 146"17

George S. York 18 '1 Slobo da Ave, Ma nsfield, OH 441)06

THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is owned exclusively by EAA Antique/Classic Division , Inc. , and is published monthly at Hales Corners , Wisconsin 53130. Second class Postage pa id at Hales Corners Post Office , Hales Corners , Wisconsin 53130 . and addit ional mailing offices . Membersh ip 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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EAA MEMBER - $14.00. In cludes one year membership in the EAA Anti qu e/Class ic Division , 12 monthly iss ues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE AND MEMBERSHIP CARD, (Appli can t must be curre nt EAA member and must give EAA membership number ,)

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Page 18

CESSNA 120/140 MIGRATION TO OSHKOSH '80

[J/jG [J000

by Gene Cha se Each month hu ndr ed s of newsl ett ers are receiv ed at EAA Headquarters from chapters , typ e clubs and flying clubs from allover the world. Although th ey vary greatly in appearance, th ey share a co mmon mi s sion which is communication among m emb ers of th e g roup each represents. In most cases the newsletter editors are writin g only for th e readers on hi s or her mailing list , but frequently these communications contain newsworthy items which would b e of int erest to a much greater audience. The following are extractions from th e curr ent crop of newsl e tt ers. See if you don ' t agree that there are some mighty interesting things going on in the world of antiqu el classic sport aviation. MASS FLIGHT OF ANTIQUE ULTRALIGHTS

TO OSHKOSH '80

Plans for this event have been und e rway since November , 1978. This i s the brainchild of Garth El liott , AIC 2126, who is frantically working on his E-2 Cub restoration with which he plan s to participat e. Garth has been spreading the word through his "U n common Cub" Newsl e tter and originally the plan s included only Taylor E- 2 and j-2 Cubs with a limit of 40 hp. Soon , int erest began running very high in the ven ture and the Dacy's of Harvard, Illinoi s offered the use of their airport and Dick and jeanni e Hill , also of Harvard, offered to host a fly-in on Friday and Satur day , Augu st 1 and 2. Thi s will be the assembly point for the grand flight to Oshkosh, early on August 3. As word got around , Garth began rece iving mor e and mor e requests for information about the flight. Many of th ese were from owners of ultralights other than Cubs, so Garth decided to open up the ma ss flight to other aircraft such as Aeronca C-2's and C-3's, American Eaglets, Taylorcrafts, Rose Parakeets, Cur tiss Wright juniors, etc., th e criteria being 60 hp or les s. To have some control over " what " co mes into th e fly-in, th e meet is to b e invitational in nature. To be invited will simply require sending a le tter to Richard C. Hill, P. O. Box 89, Harvard, IL 60033. To receive The Uncommon Cub Newsletter, contact Garth El liott, Second Line W es t, Meadowvale , Ontario LOj 1KO , Canada.

"Next summ er groups of "l20's and '14 0's will leave Northern Ca lifor nia for a three week trip t o th e EAA Co nve nti on at Oshkosh, Wisco nsin . This is th e ulti mate sh arin g expe ri en ce as we m ove from tow n t o town at a leis ur ely pace flying lo ose formation and enjoying the hospi tality th at ca n only be found in th e small town s of our nati o n . Already 13 people at Santa Ynez, Ca li for ni a h ave sig n ed up to go . Keep th e las t week of jul y and th e first 2 weeks of A ugus t open for the pilgrimage. We're planning for 25 airpl an es. Th ere will b e places along the route for th e fir st few days where people lea ving from different places ca n mee t and join up with us. " Fo r mor e inf orma tion , co n t act jim Barker, Vi ce President, W es t Coas t Cessna 1201140 Club, 25636 Franklin #1 , Hayward, CA 94544. Telepho n e 415 /581-7083. BRAND NEW KEN ROYCE ENGINES

Roy Good of Aircraft and Engine Enterprise, Box 70, Moor e, Oklahoma 73060 is plannin g to manufa c tur e Ke n Royce 120 hp , 7-cy lind er radi al engin es from original tooling, for sale t o persons loo kin g for su ch an engin e for rep li cas of o ld-tim e aircraft. If interested, co ntact him as h e want s to know h ow much demand there mi g ht be. This was the old LeB lond engine, later re nam ed Ken Roy ce . NEW STC FOR SWIFTS Congratulations to C hu c k Li sc h er who ha s re ce ived th e multiple-u se type STC for hi s Swift sti c k co ntrol co nversion . Chuck wanted sti ck co ntrol s in his Swift so he design ed, built and in stalled them . Next came flight testing , rev ising, refi nin g, and then building th e production model. In th e m ea ntim e h e was satisfying eve ry whim of the FAA with the pro verbial r ea m s of pap er work, flight t es t data, etc. Chuck i s rapidly filling all orders on hand and ac cepting n ew orders for this conversion. The first t en conversions will cost $1,500.00 and th e seco nd t en , $1,950.00. Fo r details contact him at 1732 Ano Neuvo , Diamond Bar , CA 91765. Tel ephon e 714/598 -1369 . This information was in a n ews letter publi sh ed by th e In ternational Swift Asso ciation , Inc. , P. O. Box 644, Athens, TN 373 03 . Also included in this particular issu e of th e "Swift " newsletter w ere two articles concerning th e merits of stub wing tips versus stock tips , and co rr ecting in stability problems in some Swifts which seem to b e " bears " to handle during slow flight and cross wind landings. All Swift own ers should find this newsl e t ter, now in its 12th year, to b e well worth the cost of dues in th e I nternational Swift Association .

Ale HOT LINE BELLANCA MODELS 14-13 AND 14·13·2 Th e FAA has issu ed a Ge neral Aviation Airworthi ness A l ert cove ring the wing attach fittings in th e above air craf t. Report s h ave been received of find ing severe intergranular corrosion of wing straps and co rrod ed bolts. The se air craf t are ar ou nd the 1947 vintage.

Lu scombe fin atta chment fitting as suppli ed b y Univair.

LUSCOMBE MODEL 8 Re spo ndin g quickly to th e Luscomb e AD (as d es cribed o n page 26 of th e February , 1980 issue of Th e VI N TAGE A IRPLA N E), Univair Aircraft Corporation, Route 3, Box 59, Aurora, CO 80011, telephone 3031 364·7661 h as rece iv ed a PMA from th e FAA for th e design and manufacture of a replac em ent fin attach ment fittin g for use in Lus co mbe airplanes. This part is applicable t o Lu sco mb e series 8 aircraft with roun d ve rti ca l stab ilize rs and is a 4130 steel repla ce ment for th e original cas t aluminum Lu sco mb e fitting (PN 28444 or 28453) which may be required to b e scrapped and replac ed per AD79- 25-05 . Univair 's p art number is U- 28444 for th e fitting. This part is available for immediate shipment, FOB Univair. The pri ce is $49.50. AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE IN AIRPLANES In spite of press repo rt s to th e co ntrary NASA will und ertak e a program to evalu'a t e automotive gaso line for u se in airplanes as a result of a rece nt m eet ing betwe en FAA and NASA officials. NASA will pro· babl y let o ut co ntra cts to privat e firms to mak e thi s study. Emphasis will be pl aced on m ethod s of modify ing existing fuel systems in production airplanes and especially those aircraft with engines that were cer tified for u se of 80 octane fu el.

(Ph o to b y th e Auth or)

Th e Class ic A w ard we nt to this beautiful/v res tored Cessna 190. It hails from Yelm , Washington and bel ongs to th e Brownell's.

NEW CHAPTER FORMED AT

ARLI NGTON FLY-IN

b y Charles W. Lindenberg 2 14 M ea do w Place, S.E. Everett, W A 98 204

The Tenth Annual EAA/AAA Fly-In at Arlington , Washington had special meaning for the local an tique and classic owners. AI Kelch , of Cedarburg , Wisconsin, and on the Board of Directors of the An tique / Classic Division of the Experimental Aircraft Association presented Dave Tatom with the charter for the newly formed Chapter 9. Along with Presi dent Dave , oth e r Chapter Officer s ar e : Lou Wal lick, Vice President ; Harvey Brown , Secretary; and Gary Nelson , Treasurer. The annual event, which started Friday , August 10, featured a " do-it-yourself " steak cook-out , barbecued over glowing coals. Saturday saw the bigg est crowds , both spectator s and airplanes, w i th aircraft parked almost the length of the runway . After a magnificent spaghetti feed that night , the Chapter was officially organized , th e awards w ere presented, and the danc ing ... to a live band ... took over. Jack Lanning accepted the Vintage Class Award for his beautiful Travel Air 4000. The Antique Award went to Hal Wighton ' s Lincoln Page PTW . . . which he' d picked up at Oshkosh. Fred Ellsworth 's restored PT- 19 took the Warbird Award and the Classic Award went to Ted Brownell's Cessna 190. The weather had been perfect and Sunday morning dawned clear and warm for the. pan cak e and ham breakfast. Many departed for the Abbottsford Air Show, and by mid-afternoon , the fly-in had become history. There had been 698 registrations for th e event, with about 1800 attending the Saturday dinner, and an estimated 3000 people showed up in all . Many thanks to all those who put in long hours . . . and still managed to smile .. . to make thi s on e of the most successful fly-ins in th e Pacific Northwest.

Jim Fern andez owns this rare Tilll lll, p erh aps th e onl y one li v ing wcia), . Brightl y co l ored t e l1 t ~ clo tt eci th e area as th e ca mpers enio)'ed p erfect w eath er . ( Ph o to b y Toni Lindenberg!

(Photo hy th" Author)

/-I a I Wi ,~hlon, d (ortller LlI,colJl/J(' j()ckey, pic kt,tl lip Ihe prize-winning Lin c()ln I'age I'TW al O ., hkosh. II \\Ion Ihl' I\nliqul' I\w,](c/.

I Photo by the Author) Chapler ';.I i ., horn. AI I\p/ch pw'cnb Ihe birth cerlificale to Prt';;(/enl Dave Td/otll, while Jackie Raxler, Jack Lan足 ning ,wII Did. 13,]xler look on.

(Phuto by the Authur)

The chOlv linl' (or Ihe rricfd)' ni,~hl ")/ou-cook- 't'tll" :. Ieak ({'{'c/. The hdn,~"r al,() .' Plvc(/lor Ihc tllceling alHI dancing.

(Pholo by Toni Lindenberg)

Phil and Judy Taylor make a low pass in their Travel Air4000.

(Pholo by Toni Lindenberg)

The Vintage Award winner. This clark blue and cream Travel Air 40()O with a Wright J- 5 belongs to Ja ck Lanning.

LAIRD SUPER SOLUTION PROJECT PROGRESS REPORT

iJy C('nl' Cha se

Th e Laird is in the stage of co nstruction where many details are being completed which really don't show as progress in a photo. The con trol system is com足 plete , th e instruments are being installed in the panel, th e str eam line aluminum fairings for th e stabilizers, fin and h ead res t ar e made as are th e fuselage formers and stringers. The fabric envelopes for the wing panels have been sewn up hy Audrey Poberezny and are ready to go. Dick Wagner, of Wag-Aero, has taken the wheel pant molds to hi s shop and ha s volunteered to make the wh ee l pants. Bill Chomo is making up and installing th e airspeed pitot system. The project is definitely on target for being on displ ay at Oshkosh '80 in flying cond ition.

(Phuto by Tim Marstaller)

/ hl' Laird 'iu/wr Solution i,

up fur rigging. On e of (h e ('/ll/}()rdr y /J/)/lVo()c/ /-s (ruh i., in plac(' /Jf're.

.' C' (

EAA m echanic Daryl Lenz fits

bilize r fairings on the Laird.

(Photo by Tim Marstallef)

EAA m echanic Ba uken Noack installing o ne of the fly足 ing wires on th e Laird . The beautiful laminat ed birch /足 strut is sh own in (his vi ew .

CLAR,ENCE

PRESTAND

Fre(1 Sch um an and C larence Prest and a Cu rti ss Oriole w ith " high lift " wing s.

"THE PRES,T"pABY PUR,SUIT" by Ray Cock ing (EAA 16154, A IC 233 0) 3 468 Barnaby Court Ri verside, CA 92504

Editor's Note: After th e following story was set in print, we received the following additional informa tion from au thor Ray Cocki ng abou t Clarence Prest. Quoting from "Who' s Who in Aviation" published in '1942: Clarence Oliver Prest. Born in Clinton, Iowa, October 24, 1896. Learned to fly at Domingez Field, California in '1911 . Logged hours, 5000, Established Wor}d 's speed record for Class C planes, San Ber nadino, California in 193 0, Exhibition pilot , 1911 to 191 5, Chi ef Instructor, Riv erside Aircraft Company, 19'/6 to '1917. Pilot , Manufacturer , and aviation sales man , '1918 to 1932. Developed Electrolytic te mplate process for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, used on the Boeing Flying Fortress for Boeing , Douglas , and Vega Companies. M ember of the Early Birds and Pro fessional Pilots As sociation.

Clarence Prest lived in San Bernadino, California, just a few doors from where Leland S. "Lee" Miles , th e famous race pil o t, liv ed. Clarence and Lee wer e long tim e friends. Shortly after World War One, Prest opened an aircraft plant in Arlington, California, n ea r Riverside. H e retailed larg e quantities of surplus aircraft part s which he purchased from the government as did so m any at th at tim e . 1 remember as a thirt ee n year old boy, going to Prest's, and see ing all th e rows of Gnome, Le Rhone, OX5, Hi sso, and other engines , plu s rows of fuselages for Jennys and Orioles.

Clarence had a brilliant mind and was always ex perimenting with high lift wings for his Oriole and Jenny. His OX5 Oriole with a high lift wing attained an altitude of 14,000 feet. Prest also built a high lift, parasol wing for an Oriole that moved out at 140 mph with a 165 hp Gnome rotary engine. The story I heard concerning the origin of the Baby Pursuit was Prest's idea to build and sell them to the Chinese Government. I know of two that were built, one with an Anzani 60 hp, and one with the 45 hp Sze kely SR-3 engi ne. Otto Graser, a close friend of Pr es t, said six were built , so maybe a few did get

Clarence Pres t in his record-setting, Szekely-powered Baby Pursuit.

Specifications were: to China. The planes had a lot of performance, and were very aerobatic. Th e last Baby Pursuit belonged to Ernie Fillinger of Lan cas t er , California before its untim ely demis e. It had a 65 hp engine mounted in it , which they say gave it excep tional performance. Clarence flew his Szekely-powered Baby Pursuit to a World Speed Record of '100.8 mph in the cate足 gory for single place aircraft undE'r 440 pounds empty.

Span ......... ... ............ .. .. ... . ... .. . . 24 feet Chord ................................... 49 inches Wing Area .......................... 92 square feet Length ........................... 17 feet, 1'1 inches Empty Weight ... . ..... . . .. .. ......... .. 475 pounds Useful Load ............................ 225 pounds Gross Weight ....... .. . ........ ..... ... 700 pou nds High Speed .............. . ... ... .. ... ...... 90 mph Stall ........................... . ........... 40 mph Climb - First Minute .............. . ........ 700 fpm

The photos accompanying thi s article are 01 Pr es t 's Anzani-powered Baby Pursuit and w ere taken at Eddi e Martin 's Airport, Santa Ana, Californi a (except where indicat ed) .

From AER O DI G EST, April , 193 0 " The design of the Prest Baby Pursuit, a semi-cantilever monoplane produced in Arlington, California by Pr es t Airp lane and MOlOrs, incorporates an unu sual arrange men t at" the fu selage. To permit fa stening th e wing d i rectl)! to the top comer of the fu selag e just above th e level of the pi l ot's eyes, resu l ting in the m i nimum obslruct ion to vision, th e fu selage is lurn ed up on edg e. The pilol ha s normal vi sion forward , downward , and a bove. I n Ih e construct ion of Ihe fuselage, major s tr esse~ are dis tribu led 10 th e entir e stru cture direc tly from th e attach fi tt ings. Th e p lane is powered with a Szekely SR-3 45 hp engin e. Th e wing is semi-can tilever, wilh solid ane! laminate(1 spruce beam s of full lenglh pieces, wilh no sp li ces in th e one piece wing. Th e wing wa s covered wi l h Fligh tex. Internal drag struls are of chrome-mol ybdenum steel tubing, weldec! into a truss and bolted 10 Ih e beams. Th e

elrag bracing is double and is of round Ma cwh yle tie rods with sa fe lo ck fittings. Chrome-molybdenum is us ed Ihroughoul in Ih e co nstru c lion , including sh ee t fittings anel tubing . Th e fu el lanks are of aluminum, pickleel and v ibralion tes ted according 10 Navy sp ecifi ca lion s. Th e landing gear is {itteel with C ru ss Air Siruts. A Consoli d ateel ins trum ent panel is provided. The ailerons are controlled b y means of ca bl es with in the wing a nd a pu sh-pull tube to th e wing fr o m the iorque tube. Th e wing may be removed wi thout loosen ing th e ca ble.' or pulleys, one pin being pull ed to dis c onn e ct th e ailerons. Th e wing is des ig ne d to be re moved by two m en in approxim ately ten minut es . The ai lerons ext end 10 fu ll leng th of th e trailing edge and have a chord of 4 '/. inch es, their tala I area being 6.5 square (eel. Th e entire ship is constructed on a jig , anel a ll of the par/.) are interchangea ble with equivalent p arI>. Th e con

struction 01 th e fu selage (a eili tates manufa c ture in jigs, and it is (/('signed 10 com e (rom the jig in alignmenl so that the landing gear, wings and olher p arts /lla)! be fa sten ed without Ihting or for cing. "

D urin g Worl d W ar Two, Pr es t deve lo p ed an d p a t ent ed a ch ea p , fas t an d accur at e m eth od o f cop yin g t empl at es and p att ern s b y w hat h e ca ll ed th e elec tr o lyti c repr o du cti o n sys te m . It w as es tim ated th at Pr es t' s sys t em saved Loc kh eed , Do u g las, and Vega A ir cra ft Co mp anies o ver 150,000 m anh o urs durin g th eir pr o d u c ti o n of th e fam o u s B-17 b o mber durin g th e ea rl y p art o f W o rld W ar Two, and advan cin g th e bo mb er pro du ction sch ed ul e by thr ee months. Fro m th at peri od on , Pr es t gave up ac tiv e fl yin g, an d d evoted all o f hi s tim e to engin ee rin g ac tiv i ti es f o r Loc kh ee d . Th e o nl y kn own parts of an o ri g in al Ba b y Pursuit n ow b elo ng t o G l enn Beets i n Kin g llJ an , A rizo n a. 11

~lb~ ~~m(f) RJ~lP-CC®®~~~

RJ~lP®(f)~!l~ce

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b y Ed Escallon (EAA 58814, A /C 504 )

64 5 N orth Wh eeling Ave nu e

Mun cie , Indiana 47303

glvlngs. This included a propeller with one blade broken off at the hub . I looked intently at the boss to see if it was all a joke but he only smiled and said "do what you can", then walked off. It proved to be Photos by Cary Alexander

a very interesting project! (Except As No ted)

At a time when most engines were liquid cooled, this one had cylinders that had cooling fins totally machined from what may have been tubular steel stock. The crankshaft appeared to be cut from a heavy KEMP AEROPLA N E MOTORS

plate to the shape of crank-throws and then the jour Editor 's N ote: Brad Th o m as, Pres ide nt of th e Antique/ nals machined round. The crankcase was cast alumi Cla ss ic Di vision receive d th e {allowin g leller from EAA num. An external camshaft made from a length of m e mhe r M o rton E. Cl ark , .3 10 Soldier Creek Roa d , Cran ts tubing with cast iron lobes, which were slid on the Pass, Oreg on 9751 6. Knowing that Ke mp " motors" w e re tubing and pinned to the proper degrees, was driven m anufac tured in Mun c ie , Indiana w e contacte d Ed Escal by external gears and no lubrication was provided . Ion o{ th at c it y to see w hat h e might kno w about th e m. The valve arrangement was quite unique . One We were pleawcl to learn that Ed not onl y kn e w who th e massive exhaust valve operated by the camshaft su ccess or compan y to Ke mp was , a nd had seen th e sub through push rods and rocker arms had a small poppet ject e ngine on cli splay, but that h e h ad planned to writ e type intake valve within itself. The intake valve opened a stor y. Ed 's stor y follow s Morton 's le ll er. We hope you only as the piston, on its downward stroke, created will t' njo y reaciing abo ut the uniqu e and re liable Ke mp a vacuum and sucked the intake mixture into the powe rpl ants . cylinder. As the piston entered the compression stroke Cene Ch ase the valve closed with an assist from a small coil spring on the valve stem, and it all worked! The connecting rods were a bronze alloy with Dear Mr. Thomas: poured babbit bearings reamed to size. Not unlike Some years ago, while working for an aircraft sales the old ''1'' model Ford . Pistons and rings were cast company in Southern California, I had the oppor iron and very heavy. tunity of reconstructing an engine of some historical In the box of parts I found a carburetor and a sin significance. The origin and technical data of its manu gle magneto. They both seemed to be original with facture or date was not known by any of us at the time, the exception of a mounting plate for the magneto. but it appeared to be built for aircraft use and not a I finally fabricated an assembly for it incorporating modified engine of some other function. a vernier coupling from a Ranger mag drive. (The only When I was asked if the recently acquired boxes non-standard part.) of rusty, broken parts could be made to look like an Also found in the box were four steel bands which engin e and mounted on a stand, I had some mis it was determined were some sort of control of ex

(Photo Courtesy Morton E. Clark)

Morton E. Clark with th e Ke mp Mode l 1-4 engine which h e restored and ran. Th e can mounte d above th e engine serv e d as th e temporary gas tank. haust gasses that were allowed to escape through ports drilled in the cylinders immediately below the lowest fin. Scavenging of the cylinders was not only through the exhaust valves but also through these ports. One can imagine the smoke, oil and noise from this sys tem! The propeller was carved from very soft wood with oak plates glued front and rear in the hub area. The

blad es w ere cove red with fabric secured with case in glue and painted silv er. A few d ays aft er co mpl et ion of thi s proj ec t the boss had a wild idea th at it ju st might run. At thi s point I f ea r ed he had " lo st so me marbl es" but to p aci fy him I adapted a ta chometer, thr o ttl e, switch, and a one ga llon can of gasoline . A good deal of priming , a deep sigh, and a frisky snap of th e propel ler was all that was need ed to get this thin g shudder ing to life. Not thinking it might run, I had not pro vided it with any kind of retention so we all spent th e next mom ent or two trying to stop it from colliding with everything in the shop. Well, I guess the bos s wasn't nuts after all! All in all, it was a rewa rding as well as an interes ting tim e for m e. As I und erstand, this engine is now on static dis play at the Kemp Foundry & Machine Work s (address unknown) and has created a lot of curiosity and in t erest in that area. It is also li sted in Jan e's All Th e World ' s Aircraft. Us e the photos and story as you wish. V ery truly yours , Morton E. Clark EAA 19947, AIC 693

In 1905, George Kemp founded the Kemp Machine Works in Mun cie , Indian a to perform general machine work for th e industry in the area. H e too k great in terest in th e flying whi ch th e Wrights were doing in nearby Dayton , around 1910 and he became involved in th e form ation of a Mun cie Aero Club. Sever al fly ing machines were constructed by this g roup, and " hopped " in st raight away runs. Appar ently further enthused by thi s activity, Mr. Kemp decided to build an engine of his own d es ign , but unlik e most of its co ntemporaries, it was to be "a ir-cool ed ". The Kemp Machin e Works ' first engin e was built in April, 1911 , and so ld to D. E. D enni s, of Franklin , Indiana . It was a four-cylinder in-lin e co nfiguration producing 240 pounds of thru st at 1400 rpm swinging a propeller 6'-6" long with a 4'-6" pitch . Production of engines co ntinu ed through the year, including seve ral variations and improv e m ents. Six Model B engines followed th e first engin e, with 17 Model C's, and one Model D produ ced before th e year was out. In 1912, produ ction continued with ten more Mod el D 's and four Model E's. Al so, a new six cy linder engine, known as the F-6 was introduced , and thre e were so ld . Most of th e ea rly Kemp s were us ed on Bleriot or Curtiss ma chin es, as well as other " hom eb uilt " air craft.

•YODEL JlH ' ~ BUIIStPIlWIl U50 R.P.M.· •SOUl 111 DllllIaJllZAUS· SO jplClSCO ' . m lISE OK A1WTIIl Bm.AHE &oi

_1111_

The Kemp engine as il looks loday on displa y al lh e B. K. Machine Company in Muncie, Indiana.

Sa l es records of th e co mpan y r evea l so m e in teres tin g names that would reoccur in lat er av iation history , includin g engine #58, built in 1914, sold to W . B. Kinn er , who lat er produced hi s own radial s co mmon to m any thirti es and forties vint age aircraft, including Fl eets and Rya ns. In 1916, H aro ld F. Pit ca irn , of Byrn Athyn , Penn sy lvania , pur ch ased tw o 2-cy lind er G- 2's; engin e #73 with ri g ht h and rot a tion , and engin e #75 with lef t hand rotation . Pitcairn biplanes would later be u sed to haul mail for th e start of Eas tern Airlin es, and still later Pitcairn would build autogyros. Th e mo tor " Made in Muncie for Particular Peopl e Ever ywh e r e" saw se rvi ce allover th e world,. Cu s t o m ers includ ed people from Buenos Aires, Singa

pore , Yok ahama , and Rio de Jani ero , as well as Alaska. The two- cy linde r opposed and V-8 co nfi g uration s were added to th e produ c t lin e in 19"13, and 1914 res p ectiv ely . In 1917, aircraft engine prod u ction wa s discontinued, due partially to shortag es o f material s during th e war. It is probabl e that th e forthcoming surplu s of in ex p ensiv e OX-5 's m ay also have been a factor . The last aeroplane motor was an 1-4 , Seri al Num ber 80, so ld to Harvey Tarlin g of Breck enridg e , Min n esota as a demonstrator for $378, whi ch was 30% off retail. Claimed as th e first air-cooled aeronautical motor built in th e Unit ed States (E urop ea ns h ad u sed air coo ling as ea rl y as 1909 and ea rly Curtiss engin es also were air-coo led ), the GRAY EAGLES wer e well thought out and ahead of their tim e in many fea tures. For exa mple , th e cy linders w er e co mpl e te ly machined o ut of a so lid billet of steel, including th ei r " radiatin g fins or flanges " which wer e stat ed to be "scientifi ca ll y co nstru cted and proportion ed with as mu ch care as th e bore of the cy linde r". Although far mor e dif ficult than making cast fins , Kemp 's m achin ed fin s were thou ght to eliminat e th e hard scale of cas t fin s, and thus in cr ease h ea t tr an sfe r. Well ove r thirt ee n yea rs after Kemp start ed production, Prall and Whit ney subs cr ib ed to th e same philosophy for th ei r radials. Kemp piston rings were g r o und a nd th e n shot peened to impr o ve th e unif or mity of th e ir spring te nsion . By virtue of thi s, th e vertical clea rance to th e piston groove could be made as l ow as .005" thus " preventing ca rb o n accumulation and und e r firing ". A tw o- rin g piston wa s u sed. Additional features includ ed a hot air co nn ection furnished for winter tim e, which du cted ai r from th e cylinders to the ca rbur etor, providing an ea rly form of ca rbur etor heat. It would be th e late twe nti es be fore this practi ce became co mm onp lace in en gi n e design. Lubri ca ti o n was fairly co nv enti o nal for th at day, u sin g pressure-fed main bea ring s, and co nn ect in g rods which scooped th eir o il o ut of th e crankcase. O ILZUM was th e reco mm end ed lubri ca tin g oi l . The e ng in e was well finished , with all ex te rn al steel parts ni ckel pl ated, and cas tin gs polished. Th e two- , four -, a nd six-cylinder engin es w er e l arg e ly variations of each other. All fea tured a m ain bearing between each crankshaft thr ow. A rath e r uniqu e valving arr ange m ent was com m o n to th ese engin es, which is partially ev id ent in th e ac co mpanying photographs . A co n ce ntri c intake and ex haust valv e were fitt ed to th e cent erlin e of a r e 13

movable head. The intake valve was spring loaded closed, being sucked open by the vacuum created by the downward piston on the intake stroke. In a most unusual manner, the exhaust valve was fitted con centrically around the intake, taking an " inverted cup shape" in the process. It was opened by a con ventional overhead rocker arm and side mou nted cam. Intake gasses were admitted to the underside of the exhaust valve's cup, and then entered the cylinder through the concentrically positioned in take valve. The exhaust gasses escaped around the outer periphery of the exhaust valve, and exited through the four ports evident in the photographs . A further unique feature of the engine is a series of 8 ports at the lower end of the sweep of the pis ton stroke, effectively venting the cylinder at the end of each intake and exhaust stroke. These ports are visible in the photographs. Their main function was to discharge exhaust gasses, thus improving the scav enging of the engine. For starting, these ports are cove~ed with a hose clamp affair, and then after the engine is running the hose clamp is lowered, expos ing the ports . A noticeable power increase is apparent. One might surmise that the concentrically fitted valves are probably very effective at cooling the hot exhaust valve, but somewhat marginal at providing a good mixture during the intake stroke, due to th e presencE' of excess burnt gas around the intake valve region. Engine design called for a crankshaft speed of 1150 to 1200 rpm to maintain a high prop effici e ncy. Paragon and Flotrop propellers were the most com monly used props .' Idling speed was determined by the minimum speed at which the engine did not "gallop". Much of the emphasis of the Kemp Machine Works' advertising stressed the advantages of the air-cooled engine.' Reduced weight and cooling drag were fore most advantages; Kemp claimed that an air-cooled motor could provide 20-25% more power from its fuel than a water cooled engine, or about t~ice the aircraft range for an equal horsepower . In case any EAAers run into a newfound Kemp, the starting procedure is rather simple . First a ."re charge" of the permanent magnets in the magn eto is recommended . Then actual starting is accomplished by priming through the exhaust valve, directly into the cylinder. The spark advance is th en " retired" (retarded). Then the needle valve on the top of the Stromberg carburetor is pressed until the bowl fills. Finally the engine is propped to start it. Indications are that most Kemps always start on the first blade. Although very different from the two- , four-, and six-cylinder engines, the V-8 was a well advanced en-

Th e nam eplate is on the right , ide of the uclllkca,e directl y below th e ex ternal camshaft.

' It should be mentioned in passing that th e Paragon propeller had a very wide chord and scimitar shape to th eir blades. Consequently, they were shipp ed to the customers in long and wide wooden boxes. These shipping crates, used in co mbination with old n ews papers, serv~d well as "a irport bunks" for many of the young aspiring p eo ple of this era, including E. M. "Ma tty " Laird and the other "kids" at Cicero Field in Chicago.

' The arguments of water coo ling versus air cooling were nev er rea lly settled ev en as late as World War II, with manufa ctur ers lik e Allison, Rolls, and Packard lined up against Pratt and Whitn ey, Wright, Warner, Kinner, Rang er , et. al. Kemp m ay have begun the dis cussion in this country, but th e d eba te was never settled .

gin e. Unlik e Kemp 's oth er en gin es, it fea tur ed a mor e co n ve nti o nal cam-dr ive n intak e and ex h au st valv e. But r eall y uniqu e for thi s p eriod in avi ati o n , it w as pr ess u re cool ed. Fitt ed t o th e c rank sh aft wa s an imp e ll er whi ch p r ovi d ed p os iti ve for ce d dr aft through equal length du ctin g t o b o th bank s of cy lind e rs. Fitt ed around each cy linder was a pa ir o f b aff les whi ch in sur ed passage o f th e coo lin g air thr o u g h th e fin s, and th en inward , to w ard s th e cente rlin e ot th e " V" . A ccording to Kemp l i t e r atur e, thi s in sur ed " uniform exp an sion " , and p ermitt ed th e engin e to b e " entirely enclosed as th e hull o f a flyin g b oa t o r ae ro pl ane " . It also p ermitt ed " arm o rin g " if so d es ired (p erh aps as a b id to th e Air Servi ce ' s r equir eme nt s f o r w ar machin es?) . Thi s co o l in g techniqu e , es p ec iall y ar o und th e cy lind e r fin s would n o t co me into co mm o n pra cti ce until th e late 20's, alo ng w ith th e ev o luti o n o f th e NACA press ur e cow lin g. Ve ry sa dl y, o nl y o n e o f th ese en gin es w as prod u ced . Th e r e are currentl y fi ve G REY EAG LES kn o wn in existen ce. O n e is at th e Th o mp son Pro du cts Mus eum in Cl eve lan d, and one is at th e Or eg o n State Museum in Sa lem , O rego n . Th e N ati o nal Air and Sp ace Mu se um h as o n e. O n e, o ri gin all y pu rch ased b y Geo rge W ed d el , ap peared at an O X-S ga th erin g in Wi chita in 1962. Fin ally, B. K. M achin e Co mp any of Mun cie, whi ch is th e su ccesso r co mpan y to Kemp M achin e Works , has th e 1-4 sh o wn in th ese ph o tos. Th ey run it from tim e to tim e at fl y-i n s and oth er EAA events. Thi s particul ar engi n e was purch ased in runnin g fo r m by Mr. St ew art , of B. K. fro m Jo hn Nage l o f To rr an ce, Ca lifo rni a. M os t c ommon ly prod uced Kemp Engines : Model No. G-2 1·4 H-6 J-8 (V·8)

HP 16 35 55 80

Fuel Bore Stroke Consumption 4" 4" 1.1 G PH 4 Y.' 4Y2" 2.3 G PH 4 Y.' 4 Y,' 3 .5 G PH 4'/. ' 4'1. ' 4. 4 G PH

" Airdrives" inclu ding : Th e ex tern a l c,l/mha'-/' th e lll ,lehin e(1 cy l inder fin s and tilt' uniqut' vd l ve drrangclll e nt ., ho w clearl y in this pho to.

Model No. K-2 M- 2

HP 14 10

Dry Catalog Price Wt. 64 Ibs . $ 200 .00 192 Ib s. 450.00 272 Ibs. 600.00 3801bs. 1 ,250.00

As a foo tn o te , I m o v ed t o Mun cie, Indiana from Cap e Canav eral , Florida ab out two years ag o . Having immen se ly e nj oyed th e fri e ndship, st o ri es and in sight s of m an y fir st gen erati o n pion eers who are re tir e d in Fl o rid a, I wond er ed what aviation history mig ht pr ese nt itse lf in Indiana . I wasn ' t lo ng in learn in g of Kemp , as Matty Laird h ad m enti o n ed it durin g o n e o f o ur subsequ en t v isits, indicatin g it had b een an excell ent early aero en gin e. What a surpri se it was t o lea rn th at th e B. K. M achin e Company , the su c cess or t o Kemp Ma chin e W o rks , not only had main tain ed th e Kemp r ecord s, but actuall y had a runnabl e ex ampl e o f a Kemp en gi n e. A gre at d ea l of cred it is d u e Tom and Phil St ew ard for realizin g th e impor t an ce of th eir co mpan y ' s h eritage and pr eserving it in this m ann er! Thi s articl e is long overdu e in com in g to Th e V IN TAG E A I RPLA N E, and m os t re centl y was pro mpt ed b y Ge n e Ch ase's telling m e o f the le t t er rece iv ed at H eadquart er s from Mr . Morton E. Cla rk. Ed Es call o n

l~ {l~urreet in

~w811ow A few years ago, Charles D. Klessig, EAA 40563, of Galesburg, North Dakota, was making up the internal drag and anti-drag wires for his first Standard )-1. One of the Tucson Chapter EAAers was watching him methodically splicing the wire ends by the old method of wire winding and soldering. He asked Charlie why he wasn't using Nicopress sleeves on the wires since they would be inside and hidden. "Well, " Charlie answered , "maybe fifty years from now some guy might take the cover off this wing and see the Nicopresses inside and maybe he might know they didn't have Nicopresses in 1918. I wouldn't want that to happen." This kind of thinking is behind the craftsmanship that has gone into all of Charlie Klessig ' s restorations and now into his Swallow. The Swallow is the latest in a line of aircraft that has included a Stinson SM8A, )-3 Cub, Pratt-Reed glider, and the two magnificent Standard )-1's, one OX-6 powered and one Hisso powered. Also he has built a Pitts S-1, Baby Lakes, and a Brieglieb BG-12 sailplane, and, believe-it-or not, some violins in his spare time! Charlie's love for airplanes goes back a long way . He learned to fly in 1930 in a Waco 9. Since then he has taught engine mechanics, operated a flying school, and served as a ferry pilot in WWII, flying almost all types of Allied combat aircraft. From 1952 to 1964 he dusted and sprayed for locusts in the Middle East and in Africa, as far south as Ethiopia and the Sudan. The Swallow came into Charlie 's life when in 1977, a friend, Charles Kennedy of Safford, Arizona, spotted an old fuselage in a field near Oracle, Arizona. The

Ph o tos by Jim H a un , EAA I.!I025

b y Larr y Co we ll , EAA 5 1749 2557 East Blant o n Dri ve Tucson , AZ 857 /6

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Charles Kl ess ig bea m s h is approva l of his new l y res tored Swa llow.

Th e Swa llow w ith a d e-ral ed Lyco ming R-680 fo r power.

fab r ic and wood we r e all go n e. Th e m etal app ea red to b e to tally ru sted. Th e engin e had bee n rem oved , but th ere was a nam e-pl ate r eadin g, "S w all o w Air pl ane Co mp an y, OX -5, Seri al #963". Kenn ed y fo und wh o th e own er was and Charli e Kl ess ig bo ught th e re main s b y m ail w ith o ut ev en see in g th em . Th e airpl an e wa s d eli ve r ed t o Rya n Fi eld , Tu cso n, Ari zo n a, b y Kenn edy in late 1977 . By April , 1978 , Ch arli e w as read y to start on th e pro ject. First , th e " ru st" o n th e steel parts turn ed out t o be mainly red-oxid e prim er , commonly used at th e tim e th e aircraft w as built. Th e tub es w ere open ed at th eir low est point s to see if ru st had thinn ed th e wall s. O nl y o ne lo n ge ro n n eeded to b e repla ce d and th en o nl y parti all y . Th e " N " strut s w ere u se less b ecau se

o f ru st and d ents. Th e entire stru ctur e wa s strai g htened , w eld ed wh er e n ecessa ry, sandblasted and prim ed . Th e summ er of 1978 saw Charli e at hom e in Gal es burg . Durin g thi s tim e h e acquired a set o f drawin gs fo r th e win gs f ro m Ed M cCo nn el of Seneca, Illin o is. Ed had work ed o n Bu ck Hilb ert' s Swallow . Al so thi s summ er , Charli e du g up all th e informati o n h e could o n th e hi sto r y o f Sw all ow # 963 . Th e airpl an e h ad b ee n r egi st e r e d t o Sh o bl as ka and Willi a m s, In c., Manito w oc Muni cip al A irp o rt , Manitowoc, Wi sco n sin , o n Au gust 20, 1928. It had last flown o n Jun e 19, 1929 , and th e fil e can ce ll ed du e to an accide nt. Th e wr eck had been m oved to Idaho wh er e D enni s Abbi e had acquir ed it as p aym ent fo r a bad d ebt. A bbi e h ad b ro ught i t to O racle, A ri zo na, ab out fo rty mil es n o rth o f Tu cso n . Th e airpl ane h ad bee n out of service sin ce befo re Charli e h ad lea rn ed to fl y. In th e fa ll of 1978, it was back to Tu cso n for Ch arli e. H e wo rk ed f ull ti me o n th e w in gs, new strut s and co n tr o ls. By Fe bru ary 22, 1979 th e airplan e was asse mbl ed fo r pr e- cove r in sp ec ti o n . Th e co v e rin g, a ll Stit s process, w as co mplete by summ er and Charli e w e nt home to N o rth D ak o ta to escap e th e heat. By O ctob er , 1979, Ch arli e wa s bac k in Tu cso n with an engin e in th e bac k of hi s stati o n w ago n . It w as a b ig Lyco min g R- 680-13 w hi ch h e had bo u ght f ro m a du ster fri end , W arr en W alkenshaw o f Argu sv ill e, N o rth Da ko ta. By Chr ist m as , 1979, th e Swa ll ow w as co mpl ete. Af ter half a ce ntury o n th e gro und th e airpl an e was r eady to f ly aga in except fo r pap er wo rk whi ch w o uld d elay th e first fli g ht. Charli e had saved th e o ld D e H avilland wh eels b y we ldin g Yr. " di am eter tub e rin gs o nt o th e ro ll ed rim s to acco mm odate 550 x 20 in ch tir es , an ava il abl e siz e . Th e R- 680 w as d e- rat ed to 220 hp . A w o od en , brass -tipp ed U . S. Prop eller Comp any pro p w as in stall ed . A tailwh ee l r epl aced the tail skid . Th e co lor is th e o ri gin al bl ac k fu se lage with intern ati o nal ora n ge win gs and tail fea th ers. Th e airpl an e at thi s tim e i s in a n exp e rim e ntal ex hibiti o n ca tego ry with th e installation of th e Lyco m in g radi al. Later Ch arli e int end s to in stall an OX -5 engin e and to r epla ce th e tailwh ee l with th e orig inal typ e wood skid. Th e OX -5 engin e and skid will b e u sed for fl yin g ex hibiti o ns whil e the Lyco min g and tailwheel will b e us ed fo r touring and gen eral flyin g. There is a Kin g 90 radi o in stall ed, but no start er (n os talgia , don ' t you kn ow ). With th e Sw all o w co mpl e ted on e mi g ht think Ch arli e Kl ess i g would r es t o n hi s acc ompli shm e nt s for awhile . Instead, he is h eadin g for Pho enix to res tor e anoth er Swallow , a Bird Bipl ane, two OX-5 engin es and to build a C urti ss Jenn y , all fo r a fl yin g antiqu e mu seum . 17

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Galesburg, Illinois again was the scene of the Na t ional Stearman Fly-In during September 5-9, 1979, which saw another fine attendance of Stearmans and Stearman enthusiasts. A total of 55 Stearmans attended, slightly down from the previous year, but combined with the other antiques, homebuilts , and modern airplanes there was no lack of activity . This was the second year the Fly-In had been extended into a five day event and each day was filled with its own special activity . The first arrival was Don Holton and Bryon Trent in Dan's Stearman PT-17, N444TM, from Ormond Beach, Florida. Each year Bryon is one of the earliest to arrive and this year he and Don descended on Mon day to get in a full week of Stearman flying at Gales burg after having spent the previous week at the EAA Fly-In at Blakesburg, Iowa. There were no scheduled activities on Wednesday, the first official day of the Fly-In, and the Stearman Aerobatic Contest , originally scheduled for Thursday afternoon, was postponed until Friday because of the small number of Stearmans that had arrived at that time. The Stearmans that were there were kept busy with local flights, buddy rides, practice formation flights and their pilots in r e acquainting themselves with friends not seen since the previous year. Thursday evening most of the Stear man group attended a complimentary cocktail party at, Tootie 's Steeplechase, a local watering spot, and all reports indicated that a fantastic time was had by all . . Friday saw another beautiful day dawn and the Stear mans began arriving in droves from all points of the compass, Singularly, in pairs , and in groups . Early in the afternoon most of the pilots flew the short distance westward to Monmouth where the Stearman

...man

b y To m Lowe

8 23 Kin gs to n Lan e

Crys tal La ke, IL 60014

(PholO by

Kenn elh D. Wi /son)

Sa m Mende nh a ll ,

Ca l esb u rg A i rpo rt

Man age r an d St ea r m a n pil ot a nci own er

was grea tl y rl'spom i ble (or th e fine o r ga niza ti on ()f the Fl y In e/uri ng 1'17':1 anci

poses h ere wi th Paul

Deutsch '., P() /i ,h built

Wi/ga STOL aircra ft.

(Ph oto b y Kenneth D . Wilson)

Rex Leo nard of Indianap o li s, Indiana ow ns this 1943 Stea rm an PT- 17, N75696 .

Bill Wilkin s, " Th e Sil ent Ea gl e" 1940 Stea rm an N2S- I.

a deaf-mute p il o t from Circleville, Ohi o sp ent

res torin g this !Photo b y Kenn eth D. Wilson)

This Stea rm an flown b y Steve A lcorn of In d ianap o lis, In d iana is one of several used fo r promoting Red Baro n Pizza throughout th e ~

A erobati c Co ntes t was h eld . This is a fun affair wh ere th e pilot choo ses any fiv e aerobatic maneuve rs that h e wishes and th en fli es th em for a casually chose n gro up o f amat eur judg es , m os t of whom were " too t hi cken " to fly th eir own Stearmans in th e eve nt . Thi s yea r only tru e am ateur aerobatic pilot s w ere judged . Any of th e air sh ow typ es who wanted to fl y were allowed to , but th ey were not scored for th e co ntes t. In all, nin e pilot s fl ew and all did a fine job in showing th e variou s skill s r equir ed to " ras sle " a Stearman through aerobati cs. Eventually , the winn ers ch ose n were Rex Kohr in H ar ry Thomas' Stearman, D o n Buck and John McCormick. After th e co mp etition of th e Co nt est, aerobatic ex hibiti ons w e r e g iv e n b y Jim Lea hy in hi s stoc k N 2S-3 and Dav e Da cy in hi s newly r esto red pal e blue 450 cu stom Stearman . Th e day's eve nts were capped by th e u sual fi n e ca t f i sh and chi c ke n dinn er prepared by th e Galesburg American Leg ion . As th e sun slowly peeked above th e hori zo n at dawn on Saturday morning, pre cisely at 6:30 A .M ., 34 Stearmans began th e ir tak e-off roll s to laun ch th e traditional dawn patrol over Galesburg . The Satur day dawn patrol h as become the highlight of th e Fl y In a nd almost all of th e pilots parti c ip a t e eve ry year . The jug g lin g for position b y pro sp ec tiv e passengers for any empty f ront seat is a neve r endin g stru gg le and th e pilots ar e inundat ed with req u es ts for r ides on this fli g ht alm os t from th e tim e th ey first arrived. Over Galesburg th e Stearmans formed up into formations of various sizes and after seve ral c ir cuits ove r town headed to Monmouth for a free breakfast spo nso red by th e Monmouth Pilot's Association. Th e Saturday morning odyssey to Monmouth usu all y h as been the Fly-In s' nemes is as so m ething disasterous always seemed to happe n wh enever 30 to 50 Stea r mans tri ed to get in and o ut of a small airport at th e same time . Groundl oops, hard landin gs, damaged wingtips , smas h ed VASI li g hts, Stearmans in adjoin ing co rnfi eld s, blown eng in es, and n ea r mi sses all hav e occured. But this yea r everyo ne got in and out w ith nary a close ca ll. Unb eli eva bl e! After the Stear m an s return ed to Galesburg the y were all lin ed up on th e taxiway and a photo sess ion was h eld with 50 Stea rman s posing in a row with th eir pil o ts atop th e ce nt er sec tion . Saturday afternoon the flying contest were co n ducted and hotly con tested by most of th e Stearma n pilots. Th e ir skill s in sh o rt field take-offs , accuracy landings, sa lv o bombi ng and for mation f lyi n g were clearly ev id ent. Late in th e afte rn oo n the field was closed for a Stea rm an on ly " mini air show" . Precision

(P hoto by Ken neth D. Wilso n)

Some of th e " Tull a h o m a Bun c h " th at a ll enc/s th e Na tion al Stearm an Fl y- In ever y yt'ar.

(Ph oto by Kenneth O. Wi lson)

7 4 yea r o ld D eed Lev y wa s th e Sp ec ial

G u es t durin g th e Fl y-In. H e serv ed as

th e Chi ef Exp e rim en ta l Tes t Pil o t fo r

th e Stea rm an Co. fo r alm os t all oi its

ex isten ce.

(Ph o to by Kenneth D. Wilso n)

(Ph o to b y Kenne th D . Wilson)

John M cCormi ck and ex -Stea r ma n C hief Exp erim enta l Tes t Pilo t, D eed Levy, in flig ht o v er Ga les burg in Jo hn 's 194 2 Stear m a n N2S-2, N60562.

Stearman aerobatics were demonstrated by Dave Dacy , and Bob Heuer in their air show modified 450 hp Stear mans and Jim Leahy, who is just amazing in his stock 220 hp N2S-3. That evening the banquet and awards presentation was held at the Howard Johnsons in downtown Galesburg. On of the highlights of this year ' s fly-in was th e presence of 74-year-old Deed Levy who had served as the Chief Experimental Test Pilot for the Stearman Company for almost all its corporate existence and had made the initial test flights of almost every type Stearman built. He was the 1979 recipient of the Stear IT,an Restorers Association's Lloyd Stearman Memorial Award for his contributions in the development of Stearman airplanes alJd his current effort to have Lloyd Stearman enshrined in the Aviation Hall of Fame. Deed was constantly surrounded by Stearman enthusiasts wanting to hear stories on his flying ex periences and also- to gain from his technical knowl edge with the different airplane, engine and propeller configurations . He helped several pilots with spe

cific technical problems and even demonstrated that he could still fly a Stearman, including some aerobatics. Undoubtedly , he was the most popular special guest the National Stearman Fly-In has ever had . Another bright spot this year was Paul Duetsch, a Stearman lover , who flew his Polish built Wilga STOL aircraft from La Habra, California to the Fly In where he adamantly claimed that it was a "Polish Stearman " . He barnstormed rides in his ungainly looking airplane throughout the Fly-In and was in the air almost constantly . Before he departed for home many Stearman pilots as well as the general public had flown in his unique airplane and he donated several hu ndred dollars towards th e expenses of the Fly-In. Sunday's dawn patrol was a mere shadow of the previous day's as only five Stearmans could coax their pilot into the cool early morning air two days in a row . By noon most of the Stear mans had departed for home bringing the Fly-In to another close except

C h e t Reycke rt a n d his 194 3 St ea rm a n , N58 15N, are regulars at th e Fl y-In each yea r fr o m Skiatook, Okla hom a .

for the public air show tilat afternoon . The air show was by far the best one ever presented at the Stear man Fly-I nand featu red Stearman aerobatics by Bob Heuer, Jim Leahy, and Dave Dacy ; Bob Lyjack in his 1929 Waco Taperwing ; a Luscombe act by Jack Lane ; Pete Myers ; Rick Cunningham in his first pro fessional air show in hi·s Bucker Jungmann; John Gardner in a Pitts, and parachute jumper J. T. Hill. The air show proved to be spectacular and everyone was well pleased with its presentation. As the sun faded below the horizon, five days dedicated to the Stearman concluded perhaps the best Stearman Fly-In yet, and ev eryone expres sed the desire for an even better one the following year . Anyon e with an interest in Stearmans i s cordially invited to the 9th National Stearman Fly-I n at Gales burg, Illinois , September 3-7,1980.

CALENDAR

OF EVENTS

MARCH 16-22 - LAKELAND, FLOR IDA - Sun 'N Fun 1980. For further info rmation , pl eas e contact : Betty Jones, 4195 Forrest Drive, Mulberry, FL 33860. APRil 25-27 - BAY CITY , TEXAS - Houston Sport Aviation " Spring Fling " Fly-In , sponsored by An tique/Class i c Chapter 2. For further information, pleas e contact: Ro c ky Howard , 5262 Hu ckl eb erry, Houston , TX 77056. Telephone : 713/621-2510. APRil 27 - BARKSDALE, LOUISIANA - Barksdale AFB is hosting an Open Hous e and Air Show. For further information, pl ease co ntact: Lt. Col. Larry L. Schu ler, or Major Thomas E. Flodstrom, Fly-In Project Officers , 2 CSG /OT, Bark sdale , AFB, LA 71110. Tele phone: 1. 1. Co l . Schuler 318/456-4204 , or Major Flodstom 318/456-3484. MAY 2-4 - BURLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA - Fly In . For fu rther in formation, pl ease contact: Geneve McKiernan , 53 01 Fin sbury Place, Charlotte, NC 28211. MAY 16-19 - WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA - Eastern Cessna 1901195 Club M ee ting. For further informa tion, please co ntact : Cliff Crabs, 25575 Butternut Ridge Road, North Olmsted, OH 44070. MAY 31 - HOLLAND , MICHIGAN - Antique/Classic Chapter 8 is sponsoring a " Spring Happ ening " at the Park Township Airport. For further informa tion , please co ntact: Gary Van Farowe , 1460 Ot tawa Beach Road , Holland , MI 49423. Telephone : 6·16/399-4623. JUNE 1 - DEKALB , ILLINOIS - DeKalb County Corn EAA Chapter 241 and MST Aviation co-sponsor the Annual EAA Fly-In , Drive- In , Breakfast at the Muni ci pal Airport , about 30 miles SE of Rockford . For further information , please contact: Marlin Crown, 159 Thomas , Sycamore, IL 60178. Telephon e: 815/ 875-6856. JUNE 1 - OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND - Chapter 532 is sponsoring th e annual Ocean City Fly-In and Antique Car Show. Ocean City Airport . For further information , pl ease co ntact: Bill Mackey, Chapter 532 President , 230 1 Meadow Drive , Salisbury, MD 21801. JUNE 7-8 - FLANDERS, NEW JERSEY - 2nd Annual Antique/Classic Chapter 7 Fly-In . Flanders Valley Airport. For further information , please co ntact: Walt Ahl e rs, A /C Chapter 7 Presid e nt , 60 Main Street, Fland er s, NJ 07836. Telephon e: 201 /584 7983. JUNE 7-14 - FORT WAYNE , INDIANA - 3rd Annual " 70 Knott ers" Fly-Out and Goodwill Tour spo n so red by EAA Chapt er 2. For further information , please contact : Jo e Dickey , 511 Terran ce Lk . Roa d , Columbu s, IN 47201. Tel ephone : 812/342-6878 . JUNE 13-15 - DENTON , TEXAS - Texas Chapter AAA Southwest Reg ional Fly-In, at the Municipal Air

port , 25 miles N of D/ FW Regional Airport, outside the TCA. For further information, please contact: Jane McCracken , RR 4 , Box 16B, Roanok e, TX 76262. Telephone: 817/430-0163 . JUNE 14-15 - FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA - Antique Aircraft Fly-In Air Show, Shannon Airport. For further information, please contact: Sidney L. Shan non, Jr., c/o Shannon Airport, P. O . Box 109, Fred ericksburg, VA 22401 . JUNE 21-22 - ANSONIA, CONNECTICUT - 2nd An nual PIPER VAGABOND FLY-IN. Ansonia Airport, 80 oct. fuel. For further information, please con tact: Jim Jenkins, 569 Moose Hill Road, Monroe, CT 06468 . Telephone: 203/261-5586. JUNE 27-29 - HAMILTON, OHIO - 20th Annual Waco Reunion Fly-In. For further information, please contact: Ray Brandly , 700 Hill Avenue, H amilton, OH 45015. Telephone : 513/868-0084. JUNE 28-29 - ROMEOVILLE, ILLINOIS - EAA Chap ter 15 & 86 are co-sponsoring the 20th Annual Mid west Regional Air Show at the Lewis University Airport. Theme is " The Barnstorming Days of Avia tion". Hoping to have sufficient antique aircraft to stage a "parade of flight". For further informa tion, please contact : Frank Goebel , Field Direc tor , Midwest Regional Air Show , In c., P. O. Box 71, Lockport, I L 60441 . AUGUST 2-9 - OSHKOSH , WISCONSIN - 28th An nual EAA Convention and Sport Aviation Exhibi tion - the world ' s largest and most exciting avia tion event. For further information , please con tact: Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) , P. O. Box 229, Hales Corners, WI 53130. Telephone : 414/ 425-4860. AUGUST- 10-16 - FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN - The International Aerobatic Club's annual aerobatic competition. Biggest field anywhere for an aero batic contest plus g reatest variety of aerobatic air craft. For further information, please contact: Herb Cox , Contest Chairman, 812 Taylor Avenue, Mt. Vernon , IL 62864. AUGUST 17-30 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - World Aerobatics '80. For the first time ever, the U. S. will host the World 's Aerobatic Championships. Fourteen countries will participate. Don't miss this historic event. For further information, please contact: World Aerobatics '80, P. O. Box 229, Hales Corners, WI 53130. Telephone : 414/425-4860. OCTOBER 1-5 - TULLAHOMA, TENNESSEE - 2nd Annual EAA National Fall Fly-In . Don't mi ss this one. For further information, please contact: EAA Fall Fly-In , P. O. Box 229, Hales Corners, WI 53130. Telephon e: 414 /425 -48 60.

Album

By Geo rg e Hardie, Jr. , EAA 500 EAA Hi sto ri an Photos From The Author's Co lle ction

When the first World War broke out in August, 1914, Glenn Curtiss suddenly realized that his Hammondsport plant could not possibly handle the flood of orders coming in for his aircraft. So he rented a building in Buffalo to manufac足 ture airplanes, meanwhile expanding facilities at Hammondsport to concentrate on engine production. In the Spring of 1915, he expanded further by building a new factory on Churchill Street in Buffalo. By December he had included an en足 gine factory on Elmwood Avenue. A flying field on Niagara Falls Boulevard was acquired and named the Curtiss Aviation Field. Indicative of the tremendous demands placed on the Curtiss Company at this time was an incident which occurred when the British government placed a large order. Curtiss cabled that he could not possibly complete the order without a costly plane expansion. The British asked how much advance payment he needed . Curtiss replied " at least 75,000", meaning dollars. The British assumed he meant pounds and forwarded $600,000 as payment. Late in 1914, J. A. D. McCurdy, a Canadian who had been an original mem足 ber of the Aerial Experiment Association in 1907, proposed to his government that a facility be established to produce aircraft in Canada. Accordingly, Curtiss Aeroplanes and Motors, Ltd. was formed in April , 191 5, and a factory acquired in Toronto. McCurdy was made Secretary-Treasurer and Managing Director of the company .

This L-l tri p lane was used in a uniqu e para chute experiment, seen mounted below the the tail. fuselag e ahead

The Curtiss L-/ was the first in a seri es of triplane designs by th e compan)'.

Tht揃 ,icle-b)'-., ide whee l control arrangement ca n be see n in this rear view of the Moclc! L- I.

The "Canada" on the erect in g (loor of th e Toronto plant in Jul y, I') 15.

This view of th e "Ca nada" shows th e expans e of th e 76 ft. upper wing.

The fir st produ ct of th e new co mpany was a bomb er version of th e "A merica" flying boat. Named th e "Ca nada" , wings and tail surfaces of th e flying boat were combined with a landplane fus elage . The two tractor engines were to be the new Curtiss VX of '160 hp. Design work was started in May and th e airplane was ready for flight by th e end of July.

After a series of tests, the prototype was shipped to England for evaluation. An additional 11 of the type incorporating design improvements were constructed for the British government. However, technical advances in aircraft armament, etc., made the design obsolete and a further order of 25 was cancelled.

}. A. D . McCurcly, left, in the cockpit w ith F. C. Ericson, design eng ineer, poses w ith o th er Officials.

Side view of the "Ca nada " shows th e tail boom mounting and th e rear crew position .

BORDEN'S AEROPLANE POSTERS FROM THE 1930'S

b y Lio nel Salisbur y Se ven H arp er Road Brampton , Ontario Ca nad a L6 W 2 W 3

Article Number 14 , Pos ter Number 15, Series Numb er Th e Clipp er Ship

As regular readers of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE maga zine may recall, this series on the Borden Posters started almost a year ago, after my oldest son, David , came hom e with 18 posters that had been given to him by Mr. Glenn Inch of Brampton . Glenn had collected them as a young man in 1936. Th e first poster appeared in the February , 1979 issue of Th e VINTAGE A IRPL ANE and w e have presented one each month since that time. One of the most satisfying aspects of presenting the posters has been the respon se from various EAA members . The issue of last July f ea tur ed the Bord en Poster on the Ford Tri-Motor , and in that article I inquired if anyone could id entify th e airport in the background . Glenn Buffin gton of Seattle, Washing ton and Frank Abar of Livonia , Michigan both wrot e to identify it as the o ld Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan , and the y supplied so m e interesting in formation on that location . In the very first article in th e ser ies , I had ex plained that we had been given 18 posters out of a total of 19 that had been issued in Canada. I neglected to mention the name of the poste r that was missing. Mr. Cedric Galloway of Hesp eria , California re sponded to that article by ch eck ing his personal col lection that he still had after forty years. Since he didn ' t know which one wa s missing, he listed the posters that he did have. Alas, h e did not have the one I needed , which was entitled " The New Martin Bomb er - Myst ery Ship for th e Army " . Surprisingly though, his list did include thr ee that I did not know even existed. He also advised that he had dated hi s poster s when they were re ceived, and that they were dated 1933 and 1934. That was some three years be for e they were issued in Canada. The promotional material and lists on the backs of th e posters yielded the answer to the mystery. It appears that the post e rs had originated, not with the Borden Company, but with an organization ca ll ed th e Thompson Malted Milk Company of Wauk e sha, Wisconsin. They had initi ate d the series, ap parently in 1933, and had i ss ued 18 posters which you could get by returning coupon s w edged into th e 24

lid s of their cans of Malted Milk Powder. It seems this co mpany was then absorbed by the Borden Company of 350 Madison Avenue , N ew York , N ew York, likely in 1934. Borden's mu st hav e liked th e posters be cau se they brought out a second se ri es, dropping a few fr om the first group, and adding a few new ones. Th ey then made th e posters available in Canada in 1936 through their Canadian sub sidiary. By co mparing th e various li sts printed on the backs of the posters the grand total issued co m es to 30 different posters. Mr. Galloway very kindl y sent th e three posters, which we will add to tho se now appear in g in Th e VIN TA G E A IRPLANE, and they will ap p ea r as articles 19, 20 and 21 . Th e n to my great delight, Mr. Marion Mc Clure of Bloomington, Illinoi s not o nly dug out the post ers h e had , but he sent in hi s entir e co llection!! Thi s group has yielded an add ition al six posters to bring our se ries to a total of 27 . I would like to ex press my thanks to both of th ese ge ntl em en for th eir interes t and thoughtfuln ess. That means we now have an alm os t co mpl ete collection - all but thr ee. The three that are mi ss ing are as follows:

" Th e Stout Sk y Car " " Th e Ne w Martin Bomb er, M ys tery Ship ior the Arm y" "Ca ptain Jimmy Thomp son and his Dog Sc ottie"

That la st poster appeared o nly in the original Thompson Malted Milk se ri es, and may be difficult to come up with, since as Marion McClure exp lain ed, some co ll ec tor s didn't bother to se nd in for that one. It wasn 't " airp lan e". I would g r ea tl y appreciate h eari ng from anyone who may have any of the missing posters, in th eir co l lectio n of airplane memorabilia . If yo u are ab l e to loa n any of the thr ee, I would ask you to advise me by mail to my hom e address. Please ship th e poster(s ) under sepa rat e cover , roll ed and wrapped, and by registered mail , also to my home add ress. In sertin g th e poster into a cardboard tub e is even b'ette r. I will th en prepare some appropriate no tes to go with it, and will forward it to H ales Co rn ers for processing. It will then be return ed to you, aga in by regis t ered mail. I think it would be great fun if we were ab le to come up with what will probably be the o nl y co ll ec ti on of th e thirty Thompson / Borden Posters from the 1930's. (N ext month , th e Douglas Slee p er. )

·a·

•

'sCI

.... a. _ _ _ ___.1-_ _ _ _ _ _ _..:::-_ _ _ _ _

SIKORSKY S-42A

DESCRIPTION

Type: Four-engined commercial flying boat. Wings: High wing externally braced monoplane. Wing structure is of two spar constr uction, with com pression struts and stressed metal skin covering. The metal skin covers both sides of the wing forward of the rear spar. Rearward of the rear spar, ribs and fab ric covering is used. Spars, compression str uts and ribs are trusses built of extruded duralumin shapes and bent sheet duralumin sections, fastened with steel bolts and duralumin rivets. The wing is con structed in one piece, and attaches to the hull by a faired super-structure on the hull and two diagonal struts on each side. Differentially con troll ed balanced ailerons extend the full length of the tapered tips of the wing. A hydraulically contro ll ed flap exte nd s across the full straight portion of the wing. Wing is flushed riveted all over . Hull: Two step type with long stern. Nine water tight compartments. Structure consists of deep keel,

widely spaced transverse frames, and heavy stringers. Keel and frames are of plate girder type. Duralumin shapes and sheet used throughout. All seams sealed with fabric and marino g lu e. Flush riveting allover. Tail Unit : Monoplane type. Horizontal surfaces and twin fins and rudder supported by hull and side struts. El evator and rudders balanced. All tail planes are of metal construction fabric covered. Patented unsymmetrical self-compensating rudders and fins are used to offset unsymmetrical engi ne thrusL Powerplants: Four 750 bhp Pratt and Whitney S1EG "Hornet" geared, air-cooled, radial engines rated at 7,000 feet altitude, in four nacelles faired into the leading edge of the wing. Eight fuel tanks arranged so that two supp ly each engine and four oil tanks, one for eac h engine, are installed in th e wing. All tanks are of riveted duralumin co nstruction . Direct drive electric starters with hand cranking provision provided. Starters con troll ed from pilot's compart ment.

Accommodations: In the bow of the hull is the anchor compartment. Next compartment aft is the pilot's compartme nt with complete provision for the mechanic and radio operator. The third compart ment is equipped for baggage and/or express and also may be arranged for passengers for short flights. The fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh compartments are equipped for eight passengers each. Rearward of the last passenger compartment are two toilets and water fountain. The eighth compartment con tains th e main entrance and accommodations for th e steward. The tail compartment is available for addi tional baggage or express matter. The forward bag gage compartment is in the plane of rotation of the propellers . Di mensi ons: Span 118'; Length 67' 8"; Heigh t 17' 4"; Wing Area 1340 sq. fL Weights and Loadings: Weight Empty 20,924 Ibs .; Weight of Fuel and Oil 7,955 Ibs.; Weight of Equip ment 2,181 Ibs .; Payload 8,060 Ibs.; Licensed Gross Weight 40,000 Ibs.; Wing Loading 29.9 Ibs. per sq. ft.; Power Loading 13.33 Ibs . per bhp.

For Sale ACRO II PLANS The new 2-p lace aerobatic trainer and sport bi plane. 20 pages of easy to follow, detailed plans. Com plete with isometric drawings, photos, ex plod ed views. Plans - $85.00 . Info Pack - $4.00. Send check or money order to: ACRO SPORT, INC. , Box 462, Hal es Corners, WI 53130 . 414 /425~4860.

For Sale PROPELLER Ground adjustable propeller for Lam p.~ rt ·R-266 . $2,000.00. Please contact: John Buehler, 3~ La Plata, N.W., Albuquerque, NM 87107.505/345-3261 . .

Dear Mr. Cox: On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of my former airplane, Junkers " Junior " A 50, HB-UXI, I am sending you herewith three photographs, at your free disposal. With best regards, BERGER-HELICOPTER Hans Berger, EAA 59482 CH-6515 Geido TI Tieino Switzerland

Hans Berger preflighls lh e 85 hp Siemens Sh /3A engine before flying his Junkers " Junior".

LETTERS

Junkers "Junior" A 50, HB-UX/ cleared for lak e-oif.

Junkers "Jun ior" A 50, /-IB -UX / on final.

Dear Sir: SZP has declared itself the Howard capitol of the world and we are working on reviving the Howard Club. At this writing we have five flying Howards on our little airport with another inbound and a seventh within a few weeks of flight. We would like to hear from anyone with an interest in Benny and his off spring. As you can imagine, any and all information on parts is of interest as is any historic information/ war stories. We hope to produce a newsletter at regu lar intervals as well as act as an information and parts exchange. The only way this grand scheme will work is with input from the Howard fans out ther e; so please let us h ear from you. Sincerely, Ja ck Hogan Howard Club P. O. Box 29 1 Santa Paula, CA 93060

(Ph o ro by Gene Chaw)

Scale model aircraie play all important rolf! in aviatioll museum s throughout the world. The y are used to por足 tray full size aircraft when it would be impos~ible or in足 fea sible to di spla y the a c tual machin es. The model s shown above are on display in the Paul H. Poberezny Air Museum. Th e two top shelves contain models of WW I or earli er vintage and were built by Go rd o n Laco mb e of Kenos h a, WI . On the bottom sheli are models built by G o r do n N e l so n of Manitowoc, WI con sisting of Johnny Livingston's Monocoupe 110 (modified) racer, Kinner Sport wing 8-'! , Doug Davi',' Trave/air Mystery Ship ra cer and Art Chester's Coon racer. Also Oil the bot足 tom shelf is cl Morton M-5 , five cylinder modd aircraft ga s engine loaned by Stan Go mo ll of Minn ea p o li s, MN.