VP-Vol-2-No-10-Oct-1974

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THE

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By E. E. "Buck" Hilbert President, Antique-Classic Division (Photo by Ted Kaston)

THE ETERNAL QUESTION Most often asked by the group with the Airplane Disease is, "Where can I find an old air足 plane, or project I can restore?" There are ways, ways that require patience, search and more patient research. And when it all comes to a head you must be in the right place at the right time. Occasionally, a "deal" you have been fostering for years will suddenly mature, and if you are not right there when that guy decides to sell, you are out.

Locating them, although sometimes the easy part, is less than half the problem, but it is a problem. There are lots of leads around - you just have to unearth them. Try around home first.

Ask around. The corner gas station, the barber shop, the antique shop, some of the old timers.

It's amazing what will turn up. Right here in my home town with a population of less than 400, I turned up a Gnome rotary - from a source so unlikely you wouldn't believe it.

One school teacher I know starts each new class by introducing himself, explaining that he is interested in old airplanes and then asks bluntly if any of them might know where there is an old airplane. He has turned up more than a few using this method - and met a whole bunch of interesting people in the process.

Fellow aviators are often a good source. When you listen to some of the hangar talk, inter足 ject an occasional query in that direction. You'll get leads that are figments of imagination a lot of times, but there will so metimes be paydirt there. I've chased rumors for days and even weeks to locate an airplane "everybody" knew about only to find it belonged to an uncle of one of my closest friends. He knew it was there all the time .. . I just hadn't asked him.

Once located, then the fun begins. Chances are there have been dozens ahead of you and each one ruffled the feathers of the owner a little until his patience is mighty thin. Butter him up and keep after him. Don't let that bird get away. Our Swallow is a prime example . .. Dario Toffenetti worked on that one better than ten years. But we have it, and it'll fly again. Keep your ear to the ground, you'll find one. In the meantime though , if you have any leads ...

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VOLUME 2

NUMBER 10

OCTOBER 1974

TABLE OF CONTENTS i

Bellanca, The Early Years, Part II ... John Morgan .... ... ..... .......... .... ..... .... . ........

1974 Grand Champion Classic ... Bill Hodges ..... .... ..... .. . . ......... . . . .. . . . ......... . ....

La Rue Transportation Meet . .. Gar Williams ..... . ... ... .... . .. ..... ......... . .. . . ...........

Charles A. Lindbergh . . '. Bill Hodges .. . ....... . ...... . .... .. .... .... ... . . . ..................

Reminiscing With Big Nick ... Nick Rezich ... .. . . ........ ..... .. .... ...... ... ...... . . .. . .. ...

PT Paradise ... Jack Cox ......................... . ........... .... .. . . .. ...... ..... . . ... . ....

Around The Antique-Classic World ... .. . ......... . ...........................................

ON THE COVER . . . A Bellanca CH300 and an early group of private aviation enthusiasts.

Photo Courtesy John Morgan

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BACK COVER . .. John Parish's " Big Red".

Photo by Ted Koston

EDITORIAL STAFF Ed itor - Jack Cox Assistant Ed itor - Golda Cox

Publisher - Paul H. Poberezny Assistant Ed itor - Gene Chase

ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC DIVISION OFFICERS PRESIDENT E. E. HILBERT 8102 LEECH RD .

UNION . ILLINOIS 60180

VICE PRESIDENT J . R. NIELANDER . JR. P. O. BOX 2464 FT . LAUDERDALE . FLA.

SECRETARY RICHARD WAGNER BOX 181 L YOtJS. WIS . 53148

TREASURER GAR W. WILLIAMS , JR. 9 S 135 AERO DR. , RT. 1 NAPERVILLE , ILL. 60540

33303

DIRECTORS EVANDER BRITT P. O. Box 45~ Lumberton , N. C. 28358

JIM HORNE 3850 Coronation Rd .

Eagan, Minn . 55122

MORTON LESTER P. O. Box 3747 Martinsville, Va. 24112

KELLY VIETS RR 1, Box 151 Stilwell , Kansas 66085

CLAUDE L GRAY, JR. 9635 Sylvia Ave. Northridge, Calif. 91324

AL KELCH 7018 W. Bonniwell Rd. Mequon , Wisc. 53092

GEORGE STUBBS RR 18, Box 127 Indianapolis, Ind. 46234

JACK WINTHROP 3536 Whitehall Dr. Dallas, Texas 75229

DIVISION EXECUTIVE SECRETARY DOR OTHY CHASE . EAA HEADOUARTERS THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is owned exclusively by Antique Classic Aircraft. Inc . and is published monthly at Hales Corners. Wisconsin 53130. Second Class Permit pendmg at Hales Corners Post OffIce. Hales Corners. Wisconsin 53130. Membership rates for Antique Classic Airc raft. Inc. are $10.00 per 12 month period of which $7.00 is for Ihe subscripllOn to THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE . All Antique ClaSSIC Ai rcraft , Inc . members are required to be members of the parent organization . the Experimental Ai rcraft Association. MemberShip is open to all who are in terested in aVI.ation.

Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc., Box 229, Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130 Copyright

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1974 Antique Classic Aircraft. Inc. All Rights Reserved

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(Photo by Cosmo New York City)

G. M. Bellanca leans out of the co-pi/ot's seat to point out some features to Roger Q . Williams (in pilot's seat) and Louis Yancy. This is believed to be the famous Pathfinder undergoing factory rebuild for Wil­ liams and Yancy's trans-Atlantic flight to Spain in July of 1929. The Pathfinder, a Bellanca J, NX-3789, had originally been built in 1927. A number of Bellancas went through several rebuilds and renamings for various sponsors of proposed record flights. Bellancas were by far the most often used and most successful over-ocean machines during the period of trans-Atlantic madness following Lingbergh's 1927 flight.

Bellanca.

•

. The Early Years PART II

By John McC . Morgan (EAA 83694)

Summit Aviation, Inc.

Middletown, Delaware 19709

In the April issue of The Vintage Airplane we carried the first of a series of pictorial articles on the Bellanca Aircraft Corporation by John McChesney Morgan , Vice President and General Manager of Summit Aviation in Middletown, Delaware. Mr. Morgan grew up in the shadow of the Bellanca plant and his late brother was Vice President of Bellanca for a time just prior to World War II. Thus he is able to call on his own memory and those of close friends to bring to light facts and interesting anecdotes concerning one of the truly great names of U.S. civil aviation. Next month we will move on to the Bel­ lanc;a Flash, certainly one of the most unusual military aircraft ever built . .. and other goodies you'll ju;;t have to wait for! _ Jack Cox

In starting this second part of the early Bellanca days I am indebted to and would like to express my appreciation to A. R. (Ran) HollaJCly and Dia Islamoff. Both these indi­ viduals were associated with C. M. Bellanca during the period 1927 through 1941. To Ilia lowe thanks for many of the pictures and snaps which do not p.xist ,'lsewhere; to 4

Ran lowe information from the late 20's when I was too young to know and for his verification of many facts .

(Incidentally, Ilia's brother, Jacob, was killed in the un­ successful attempt by the French Ace, Rene Fonck, to fly a Sikorsky Tri-Motor from Roosevelt Field to Paris in Sep­ tember 1926. The grossly over-loaded biplane crashed on

take-off after failure of the landing gear.)

An effort will be made to put the photographs together in a chronological and more or less orderly outline of G. M. Bellanca's series of cabin airplanes and several of the special types he built for record attempts, the military and foreign countries.

In attempting to identify the snapshot of the Wright Bellanca (I had always thought the Columbia was the Wright Bellanca), I went to Ran Holladay. (See Wright Bellanca box) I was certain that this snap showed an engine of some difference from the Wright J-5. I thought it to be a J-4 - similar but earlier. I had actually had my first airplane ride in 1928 in a Wright J-4 powered Buhl flown by Henry Belin du Pont. Ran's information outlines G. M. 's cooperative effort with the Wright Company, which resulted in the beginning of a series of aircraft known for a long period of time as "the world's most efficient."

As many will recall from reading Lindbergh's books, he was most anxious to obtain the Columbia for his New York to Paris flight. Because of litigation and bickering, this was never arranged and he went with the less efficient and slower Spirit of St. Louis. The Columbia was the first of only a few Trans-Atlantic aircraft to make a second successful crossing. It also flew non-stop to Bermuda and back from Canada and set many other records prior to burning in a storage barn at Bellanca Field, New Castle, Delaware.

In 1931 a rash of oceanic flights and round the world attempts cropped up . Wiley Post in the Lockheed, of course, was successful. Clyde Pangbome made the at­ tempt in the first Pratt & Whitney long distance job built

by Bellanca. He was forced to give up the attempt as he fell hopelessly behind Post's record. He did, however, make the first non-stop flight from Japan to the United States, landing at his home town of Wenatchee, Wash­ ington after some forty hours during which he had earlier dropped his landing gear for speed and weight reducing .

Russell Boardman and John Polan do flew the bowlegged Bellanca CH powered by a Wright J-6 300 from Floyd Ben­ nett to Istanbul, Turkey that same year. Over 5000 miles for a world non-stop/non-refueling record . Boardman was the first to reach a preannounced destination since Lindbergh's successful flight four years earlier.

In 1932 Bellanca was commissioned to build probably its longest ranged aircraft . De Pinedo, the Italian, ordered it to set a new non-stop record to Arabia or one of the middle east countries. It was the first to take advantage of the new Hamilton Standard Controllable Prop; the fuse­ lage was widened and deepened with a belly tank to cram

An early Bellanca J in what is believed to be the Staten Is­ land plant - sometime before the move to New Castle, Dela­ ware.

fuel into. It would be the biggest, heaviest and longest flying of the basic Bellanca model. George Haldeman was at the factory during its development and he drooled when he talked of how he would love to have it for a re­ cord flight. It was ill fated, as de Pinedo let it get away from him at Floyd Bennett. He was burned to death crawl­ ing away after it hit a fence and burst into flames .

All was not lost. Engineers found that the fat, pot bellied changes had given this latest Bellanca more speed and load carrying than they had hoped for. After that all the Pacemakers had this appearance. The fat belly carried the baggage and the wings the 200 gallons of gas which was standard. Inside six people rode in luxury of the day. With super-charging came good speed at altitude, although the 180 mph cruise Bellanca quoted was a bit optimistic.

After the foregoing rash of distance flights there was almost a total drop off in such attempts . Occasionally someone was lost but the public followed it with little in­ terest. The Depression was in full force and the aircraft manufacturers noticed it first of all. As a teenager I heard all the scuttlebutt and rumors from across the airport .

(I had learned to fly at Bellanca in 1931 and spent all my spare time there. Ran Holladay and my brother Dick ran the local FBO and had since 1930.) G. M. held on by build­ ing an occasional Air Bus, a few exported Pacemakers ­ outgrowths of the long distance jobs and several special experimental aircraft for the U.s. Navy. Pictures accom­ pany this article showing one with the typical Bellanca lift struts. This aircraft was lost during spin tests and killed Stu Chadwick, a long time Bellanca test pilot and great gent. The other biplane seaplane never flew . They were unable to rig the wings - they just twisted and warped out of shape when they did - and it was way over weight.

George Haldeman, of Ruth Elder Trans-Atlantic fame, taxied it up the Delaware River to the Naval Yard where it was junked.

Another snapshot shows a Packard Diesel Bellanca which early in the 1930's set a non-refueling endurance record which we believe to still hold. The aircraft was flown from Jacksonville or Daytona Beach and circled that area for more than 80 hours. It was a Packard development and publicity program and nothing more is remembered except that it had an extra long wing on it. Bellanca wings were of a very long span to start with , so this one was spectacular in its appearance.

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CONTINUED NEXT MONTH

THE WRIGHT

BELLANCA

The following letter to the author, John M. Morgan, is from A. R. "Ran" Holladay of Rancho Santa Fe, Cali­ fornia. It represents an interesting little slice of aero­ nautical history from an eye witness . . . the kind we like best.

Dear Johnnie Mac: You came to the right place to find out about the Wright Bellanca. I remember all about it and somewhere have a picture of it in profile, which I can't find to save my life, but I always thought it was a far better looking airplane than the Columbia (which was the second cabin monoplane G. M. built) as well as all the subsequent ones.

To summarize, Clarence Chamberlin went to the Wright Aeronautical Corporation in 1924 and got them interested in G . M. whose chief claim to fame at that time had been to build some replacement wings for old DH's which were used for flying the mail. They had done a hell of a job and had raised the cruising speed from 100 mph to 115 and lowered the landing speed from 45 to 39. Wright Aero wanted G. M. to build a plane which would show off the possibilities of their new 200 h.p . engine, which then was the J-4 and is the engine shown in your snap of the Wright Bellanca. G . M. promised 125 mph and actually made 132.5, which was pretty damn good for those days.

The airplane was finished and test flown in the early fall of 1925 and entered in the National Air Races held that year at Mitchell Field. Don't know the pilot's name, bu the spent so much time hunting for the pylons that he was beaten, but the ship was actually faster on several laps than anything else in the race and more than 50% higher in efficiency. That really set off the Wright Corpora­ tion and they decided to send it up for a world's speed record with load. It had 2200 lbs. of sand and fuel for 600 miles when they tried to fly it on a day with high, gusty winds. The pilot tried to make a tum, but lost altitude and tried to land in Curtiss Field - downwind . When he saw he

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couldn't make it, he poured on the coal and tried to get it up again and land straight ahead at Roosevelt Field, but there was a low bluff in the way and he didn't quite clear it. The gear collapsed and the airplane was rolled into a very small ball which was unsalvagable; the pilot, still unnamed, spent several months in the hospital and I have no idea who he was. G. M. was, of course, heartbroken , but the Wright Corporation promptly decided to make another airplane which was finished in 1926 and christened "Columbia." Unfortunately, Wright made G. M. use a con­ ventionallanding gear because of the simpler construction and greater ease of maintenance, which cut down on speed somewhat. The reason the Wright Corporation had to give up on their idea of producing airplanes for the trade was because no other manufacturers could touch the efficiency of the Bellanca design and Wright discovered that if they got into the airplane business, the other manufacturers wouldn't buy Wright engines from them, so they aban­ doned their plane program and announced they would not attempt to manufacture airplanes in competition with the very people they had as customers for their engines. That let G . M. out, though Wright tried to get him to go with another airplane firm which was on the "inside", but he realized he would be just another engineer with his identity lost in the mob. He holed up in a little place on Staten Island - where I first went to meet him - and finally ended up in ILG when some of those rich du Ponts got interested in him. But he lost the Columbia, which stayed with the Wright Corp. and in 1926 won the speed and efficiency races held in conjunction with the PHL Sesqui­ Centennial when it was flown by Navy Lt. C. C. Champion, who later set the altitude record when I was with Pratt & Whitney in 1927. I remember watching him land at Hartford one day and damn near break up his airplane when one wheel broke through some ice on the field.

(It was the altitude airplane, with a supercharged Wasp and called the Wright Apache.")

- Ran

THE COLUMBIA

(Photo Courtesy Ilia Islamofl)

What appears to be a paper sign pasted on the side of the Columbia reads , " Built 1926 Paterson (sic), N. J., USA by G. M. Bellanca. Holds fol/owing records: 1926 ­ Won aI/ efficiency, speed and altitude records in U. S. Army. 1927 - First non-refueling (sic) record 54 hours 30 minutes, Bert Acosta, Clarence Chamberlin . 1927 ­ New York to Germany, Charles A. Levine, Clarence Chamberlin. 1928 - New York to Havana , Cuba non­ stop, Wilmer Stultz, Mabel Boll. 1928 - New York to Har­ bour Grace non-stop , Arthur Argyles, Mabel Boll, O. Le Boutellier. 1929 - New York to California , Comdr.

Jack Iseman, U.S.N.R. 1930 - First New York to Ber­ muda non-stop and return (Pilot) Capt. J. Erroll Boyd, (Navigator) Lieut. Harry P. Connor U.S.N.R., (Pilot) Roger Q . Williams. 1930 - Toronto , Montreal , Charlotte­ town, Harbour Grace, Scilly Isles, Croydon (London) ­ (Pilot) Capt. J. Erroll Boyd, (Navigator) Lieut. Harry P. Connor U.S.N.R." " 'Columbia ' now being flown by Capt. J. Erroll Boyd."

Refueling the Columbia in preparation for an attempt to set a non-refueling endurance record of 50 hours before attempting a trans-Atlantic Flight. Clarence Chamberlin and Bert Acosta set the record .

(Courtesy Il ia Islamofl)

Chamberlin's Columbia sometime in the early '30s. By this time the plane had flown the Atlantic twice. The writing on the fuselage says " Personal Flying Service Ltd., 92 Piccadilly, London W.I ." Columbia survived the ocean flights only to be destroyed in a fire which leveled the barn in which the plane was in storage.

Below - The Columbia undergoing some maintenance. It appears that new shock cords are being installed on the right main gear.

Chamberlin and Devine - off to Berlin .

Clarence Chamberlin scrambles down from the fuel tank stuffed cabin of the Columbia shortly before the New York to Germany flight . Wonder how he and Levine made it across with that exhaust pipe practically sticking in the pilot's window?

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ROMA

(Photo Courtesy Ilia Is/amoff)

The "Roma " , built for Cesare Sabelli for the first non-stop flight between the U. S . and Italy. The 1928 flight failed when the over-burdened engine lost three cylinders only 20 minutes out from Old Orchard Beach in Maine, a favorite take-off point for trans-Atlantic flyers of the day. The Roma was traded back to Bellanca for a smaller highly modified Pacemaker, the Leonardo da Vinci, which was able to lift more than three times its empty weight! In a 1934 flight fuel transfer problems prompted an unsched足 uled landing in Ireland, but Sabelli was able to affect repairs and fly the Leonardo da Vinci on to Rome.

The big Roma went through s~veral mutations for various record attempts.

(Photo Courtesy Ilia Is/amoff)

Below - The smiling gentleman in the white shirt, bow tie and suspenders is, of course, G. M. Bellanca. Cesare Sabelli is to G. M. 's left. Notice the wrinkled material used in the rear door and sliding window by the pilot's seat ... for weight reduction?

(Photo Courtesy Ilia Is/amoff)

Another view of the Roma.

Below - This is the special long wing Bellanca in which Lees and Brossy set the world 's non-refueled endurance record of 84 hours and 33 minutes in 1931 . The plane was powered with a Packard diesel radial engine. In a little known flight later in the year Parker Cramer and Oliver Paquette were lost between the Shetland Islands and Denmark after having successfully negotiated the Atlantic. The Packard足 Bellanca was equipped with floats for that flight.

(Photo Courtesy Ilia Is/amoff)

CONTINUED NEXT MONTH ...

(Photo by Lee Fray)

1974 GRAND CHAMPION CLASSIC

by Bill Hodges

This year's Os hkosh winne r of the G rand Cha mpion 足 Class ic tro phy is a ve ry d eserving 1951 Temco Swift G C-l B, ow ned by Ed Go rn y (EAA 90037) of Li ve rmore, Ca liforni a .

Ed's interest in Swifts d a tes bac k to 1946, jus t afte r he had gotte n his private pilot's license. He noticed a Gl obe Swift brochure lying o n his in s tru ctor's d esk, read it and made arra ngeme nts to bu y a new o ne . . . and jus t about th a t quick' Ed went to Gl obe's G ra nd Prairie, Texas pl a nt to take delive ry o f his ne w pl a ne . Afte r a 11/2 ho ur ch ecko u t session a nd being adve nturesom e a nd used to fl yin g long dis tances, he s ta rted for California . .. by way of Nebras ka .. . and Rhode Is la nd .. . a nd th e n hom e' Keeping th e Swift for local and e xte nd ed cross -country fli g hts , Ed fin ally sold it in 1950. He th en promptl y flig ht delive red it to its new own er . .. in Alas ka .

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As mentioned above Ed soloed in 1946, in an Aeronca 7 AC Champion. His interest in aviation dates back to his childhood days, in Valley Country, Nebras ka, watching the airlines pass overhead. Entering the U.S. Navy in 1937, he served for 9 years, getting out afte r World War II. Ed w as in aircraft maintenance and served as a plane captain under Lt. " Butch" O ' Hare, who was maintenance officer for VF-3, on the USS Saratoga, crewing a Brewster F2A Buffalo.

Later, Ed was a flight engineer on Consolidated PBY Catalina's, flying submarine patrols out of Iceland. Ap足 parently, several of the PBY's were lost to submarin e action in this little known phase of World War II . After being discharged Ed continued to wo rk in the aircraft indu stry , and received his A&P license in 1952. In 1957 he returned

to the service, this time the U.S . Air Force, where he was again in aircraft maintenance. He retired in 1968 after 11 years, completing his 20 years of federal service.

After eyeing his current Swift for 4 years at the local Livermore Sky Ranch Airport, Ed was able to purchase it when the airport was closed in 1956. It's paint was badly worn and faded and was generally in a decrepit condition .

Powered by a stock 125 horsepower Continental, both the airframe and engine needed a major overhaul, which was accomplished in 21/2 years. The paint was stripped, every足 thing that could come apart was taken apart, all new bolts and bushings were put in, etc. In other words, a thorough job was done in its restoration. Ed and his wife, Louise (a non-pilot, but who thinks flying is marvelous), use the Swift to fly to all points of the compass, including near and far fly-ins. Even though Ed has attended numerous Swift Club fly-ins, air shows, etc. since restoration, 1974 is the first year of real competition for N-2459B. Judges other than those at the EAA International Convention and Fly-In must have liked it also as it had won 14 trophies prior to arriving at Oshkosh! While Ed and Louise are avid fly-in followers, he felt his Swift wasn't competition material, until it won its first trophy while parked in the itinera te area of a west coast fly-in!

Ed says his hobby is not airplanes, however, as he en足 joys remodeling houses, and is currently building a 30

foot long motor home . Well, whatever your "thing" is, Ed, you surely turn out beautiful airplanes! Congratulations!

SPECIFICATIONS

(Temco GC-1B, Type Certificate Numbe r TC766)

Wing Span ........... .. ...... .. . . .. ........ 29 ft. 4 in.

Length ......... .. . ... ... ..... . ...... . . ..20 ft. 10% in.

Height ................ . ...... ... .......... . .6 ft. 1 in.

Wing Area .. .. ........... ........... . . . ...131.6 sq. ft .

Power Loading ............. .... . ... .... .... .13.7 lb/hp

Wing Loading ........... . . . .... . .. . ........ 13 lb/sq. ft.

Empty Weight .......... . .............. ... ... 1,185 lbs.

Useful Load ..................... . .. ........... 525 lbs .

G ross Weight ... . . .. . . . ... .. . . .. . ... .. . ..... .1,710 lbs.

Fuel . . .. ...... ..... . .. . ... .. .... ... .... . . ... 27.5 gals.

Oil ................ . . .. .... ... . .. . ...... . .. . . .. 2 gals .

Maximum Speed ... . . . . ..... .. ... ... .. ....... 150 mph

Cruising Speed .............. . . .... .130 mph at 7,500 ft.

Landing Speed .... . .. . . .. . .................... 65 mph

Service Ceiling .. . .. . . . .. . ...... . . . . ... . . . ... .16,000 ft.

Rate of Climb ....... . . . . . .. . .. . . .. . . . . ...... 600 ftlm in.

Cr uisin g Range ...... .. . . . . . . . . . . ..... . ..... .425 miles

Cost, Deluxe, F.A.F .. . . . .. .... . .. ...... ... .... $5,150.00

(Photo by Dick Stouffer)

Right - The Gorny Grand Champion Swift.

(Photo by Lee Fray)

Below - The Big Moment . .. presentation of the 1974 EAA Grand Champion Classic Award. Left to right , Evander Britt, Chief Judge for Antique Aircraft, EAA President Paul Poberezny, Ed Gorny, Louise Gorny and Antique/Classic President Buck Hilbert.

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By Gar Williams

9 S 135 Aero Dr. Rt. 1

Naperville, Illinois 60540

(Photos by the Author)

Those of us who enjoy"Antiqueing" as related to air­ planes most likely enjoy other old things as well. How often have you seen a Model T or Model A parked under a wing or in the corner of your antiquer friend's hangar? Many of the antiquers in this area have such things as old muskets hanging over their fireplace alongside of pictures of steam farm tractors and railroad locomotives.

For those of us who have antique interests beyond aviation there is a one of a kind event held annually in the hills of central Wisconsin. Just a few miles west of Baraboo, Wisconsin is the very small rural town of La Rue. La Rue has the privilege of being the site of the Antique Transportation Meet - billed as the only event of its kind in the world. Here in La Rue for two days in July (6 and 7) you will find a concentration of antique vehicles - from baby carriages through motorcycles to airplanes - that rivals any museum collection. The real flavor of this collection is that the static displays are at a minimum.

This is not an event that passes out trophies for the nicest or most unique restorations - here trophies are given for how well the contestants can operate the equipment. If you think you know how to fly, try the spot landing contest.

You say your Model A engine is well tuned? Try the Model A slow drive contest or the hill climb. This old time transportation meet is certainly a refreshing change from the typical weekend fly-in.

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For this one weekend, the Antique Transportation Meet Committee - sponsors of the event - have arranged to literally block off the roads into La Rue for just antique vehicles. The La Rue International Airport is restricted to antique aircraft - land in a modern 'spam can' and you'll politely be asked to fly to Reedsburg or Baraboo where you can tie down. Arrangements then can be made to bring you back to the show - most likely in an antique car or airplane. The reason for this is obvious when you see the airport - there is very limited parking available and modern equipment frankly detracts from the scenery.

Due to the remoteness of the site, motel accommoda­ tions are just not available, although there is more than adequate space for camping. Sauk City, Reedsburg, Bara­ boo and the Wisconsin Dells resort area offer motels for those not interested in roughing if for the weekend. All are within just a few minutes by air of La Rue. The registration fee includes entry in any or all of the events, camping privileges, as well as a round trip ride on a live steam train . The fee this year was attainable by all­ only $2.50! Considering the current inflation problems this must be the bargain of the century.

The events were scheduled throughout the day to allow the spectators ample time to commute by hay wagon between locations . Since the entire area was basically closed to all cars except antiques, the Meet sponsors pro­ vided hay wagons pulled by tractors to carry the contes­ tants and public between event sites.

Morning events included a hill climb, a Model A slow drive contest, stationary engine starting contests as well as a musket shoot. The Meet site was very well chosen to accommodate all these events. The hill climb utilizes a county road which had a nice straightaway leading into a fairly steep hill with several good climbing curves.

The curves were well banked with hay bales for the over zealous participant and the steepness prevented any exces­ sive speed. The musket shoot was held in the quarry that marked the end of the railroad spur line - stray shots were well contained. Each event had a predetermined time slot and all were well managed. The crowd was easily able to follow the events .

The antique bike races were scheduled for two-thirty in the afternoon . The race started at the headquarters tent near the train station and ran nearly a mile to the finish line at the International Airport. Seeing the guys mount these big old bikes is a spectacle in itself - the starting gun fired and off they went - led by an old Harley­ Davidson motorcycle with what appeared to be a Keystone Kop driving. The speed attained on the final straightaway was surprising although the effort required by the cyclists was apparent in watching their leg muscles. Spectators had been spread out along the route and some began walking to the airport after the racers passed.

Just prior to the start of the air games - short field takeoff, flour bomb dropping and spot landing - all parti­ cipating aviators were requested to display their skills in the Great Paper Airplane Race. Sheets of notebook paper were carefully folded by each aerodynamistlpilot and gracefully heaved into the mercy of the hot dry southwest wind. Many of the launchers didn't take the high density altitude into account and that coupled with a downwind takeoff spelled instant disaster for the paper airplane.

Some overcame these problems with sheer power and made creditable distances .

By the time the air games were ready to start a fairly large crowd had assembled brought in by the hay wagons, Model A's and various other means of antique transpor­ tation . With the appropriate air show verbage supplied by George "Bald Eagle" Williams, flights of five airplanes were dispatched to do their trick. These events were real

crowd pleasers for to the layman and occasional air show visitor, it's a rare chance to see antiques in a rural, barnstormer type environment.

The last scheduled event for the day on Saturday was a run against the stopwatch by teams of four people pumping furiously on an antique railroad handcar. After the tracks had been cleared of people, wild animals and the live steamers, this demanding event was started. The ob足 jective was to run against the clock from a standing start to a point nearly a 4uarter mile down the track where a box of tissue was n .{iled on a tree - a tissue was to be retrieved and the tealn then pumped their way back to the startlfinish line. Th ~ interesting thing about this contest was a simple matter of physics called traction . The crowd roared when four big brutes got set and just spun steel when the starter shouted GO! Up steps four ladies for the next run - they struggle with the hand bars and take off like a shot - the winning crew of four guys matched their energy to the available friction and made the round trip in record time.

The western boundary of the meet site is defined by a railroad spur line running from an abandoned quarry into the town of North Freedom where the tracks meet the Chicago and Northwestern tracks. The spur line is now used by the Mid Continent Railroad Museum, a group formed by railroad buffs interested in preserving the artifacts from turn-of-the-century railroading . Summer weekends, including during the Antique Transportation Meets, are when steam is brought up on the four operating engines and runs made back and forth on the spur line. The sight and sound of those steamers really adds to the atmosphere for the weekend.

Although rides are available on the trains throughout the weekend, the contestants were given a special ride early Sunday morning. Several honored people including many children boarded the train for the free round trip ride from La Rue to North Freedom. The train steamed south

Yonder come the trains!

A 1934 Harley Davidson . .. the " hawgs " haven't changed that much in 40 years, have they?

A slick Meyers OTW owned by Dave Lau of Oconomo足 woc, Wisconsin .

to the old quarry where, lacking a turntable, the engine was switched to the rear of the train and then began back足 ing its way past La Rue to North Freedom. Several miles short of North Freedom the train unexpectedly jerked to a halt. Almost in unison, all the kids leaning out the window shouted, "We're being held up!". Sure enough足 with six guns blazing, five or six masked bandits on horses had stopped the train and left us in the dust as they made off with the Railroad Express strongbox. Shades of Jesse James!

The summation of this two day Antique Transportation event is easy. A unique fun and games weekend that entertains the entire family. Plan now for next years event! Watch the Sport Aviation and Vintage Airplane calendars for the exact July 1975 dates .

Dick Wagner's Waco UPF-7.

Below - Bob Adamec of Maywood, Illinois has full up elevator fed in as he attempts to win the spot landing contest in his Luscombe BE, N-1970K.

)

Well, at least they don't have to pay FAA a $25 users fee every year!

The handcar race - Heave! . . . grunt! ... hot

CHARLES A. LINDBERGH

IN MEMORIAM

By Bill Hodges

Assistant Director

EAA Aviation Museum

A giant has left us. Charles A. "Slim" Lindbergh, th e " Lon e Eagle," has passed from this life.

"Charlie," as he was known to his fri e nd s at th e old Ry an Airlines Company, was just 25 when he e lectrified th e world by flying solo ac ross th e Atlantic Ocean, New York (Roosevelt Field) to Paris (La Bourget Field), on May 20-21, 1927, takin g 33 hours a nd 30 minutes, for a dis tance of 3,625 miles.

Charles A. Lindbergh, an unkn ow n airmail pilot, be­ came the nati o n 's hero, a rol e that h e did not e nj oy.

Pressed into th e lim elig ht, Lindbe rg h felt o ut of pla ce.

Th e ea rly news paper accounts of his trip, a nd especially the festi vities followin g, a rc full of re ferenc es to his bas h­ fullness and retiring attitude. Quotin g from an ea rl y accou n t, " ... he was rese rve d, he was com peten t, he was modes t." This characteristic re main ed with him, even in death.

He turned down additional fame a nd fortun e, s imply becaus e h e didn ' t want to commercialize on his history­ making trip. Lindbergh went on to make two goodwill fli ghts , one touching the 48 United States, and th e other to the countries of Central Am e rica and South America.

Lindbe rg h and his wife Anne met tragedy fac e to face in 1932 wh en their first child, Charles, J r., was kidnapped and murd e red. But th ey arose from this tragedy and con­ tinued th e ir service to mankind.

Charl es and Anne blaze d new trans port routes across the Atlantic Ocea n; he was Technical Advisor for Pan American Airways, and was also invo lve d with TWA for several yea rs as a TechnicaJ Advisor. For his hatred of wa r a nd love of peace and the United Sta tes, he was called an isolationist and pro-Na zi, for recomme ndin g that th e U.S. stay out of th e European War. Late r, durin g WWII , he was a civilian "observer" flying Corsairs and P-38's in the South Pacific, where it is said that he s ho t down a t least two enemy a ircraft.

Whil e he was a note d and av id fly e r, he was a lso deepl y involved in conse rva tion , anthropology, a rcha eology, and biomechanics. As indica ted above, he did not like to be in th e public eye, a nd thus, qui e tl y but firmly turn ed down a White Hou se reques t that he a ttend th e 1967 Paris Air­ s how, honoring th e 40th anni ve rsary of hi s flig ht.

The crossing, you recall, was made in the "Spirit of St. Louis," a plane es pecially built for th e trip by Rya n Air­ lin es, lnc. , of San Diego, California. Lindbergh nev er failed, when a conversation ca m e up concerning th e "Spirit," to give credit to its design e r, Donald E. Hall , and build e r Hawl ey Bowlus.

Lindbe rgh bou ght his firs t airplan e, a Curtiss "Jenny" in April 1923, in which he ma de his firs t solo. On March 15, 1924, he e ntered the Army Air Corps as a fl yin g cadet, and in November 1925 was commissioned a First Lieuten­ a nt in th e Missouri a tion a l Guard. H e made his firs t flight as an airmail pilot on April 15, 1926, inaugurating th e Chicago -St. Loui s Run for Robertson Aircraft Corpora­ tion.

Mrs. Thelma (B e nnett) Ha ught, Milwaukee, reca ll s mee ting th e Lindbergh family in the early 30's. Mrs. Haug ht was in th e e mploy of Mrs. Lindbergh' s uncle, Mr. Frank Morrow, of Kings Creek, Wes t Virginia. She sta ted that s h e was very n e rv o u s pri o r to th e m ee tin g, but th a t " th ey were real peo pl e" and th a t " Mr. Lindbergh was a ve ry nice ma n."

Many words could be written concerning Lindbe rgh , a nd have been , a nd will be. Suffice it to say, th at he was a n unpre te ntious individual that history caught up with.

"S lim" wrote his own eulogy, in kee ping with his ideas of simplicity: " We commit th e body of General Charl es A. Lindb e rg h to its final restin g place, but his s pirit we commend to Almi ght y God, knowing th a t death is but a ne w adve nture in ex istence and rememb e ring how Jesu s sa id upon th e cross, ' Fath e r, into th y h ands I commend my s pirit'. " We of the flyin g frate rnity sa lute you, Charles Augustus Lindbe rgh; February 4, 1902 - August 26, 1974.

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK Nick Rezich 4213 Centerville Rd. Rockford, III. 61102

Fish Hassell, Aviation Pioneer

This past September 16 a group of Rockford, lllinois OX-5ers and QBs flew over the grave site of Bert R. J. "Fish" Hassell and dipped their wings in a final salute to one of America's aviation pioneers . . . and a friend of EAA. Earlier in the year, July to be exact, another group of EAAers, OX-5ers and QBs flew the same mission over Cedar Falls, Iowas in recognition of another great aviation pioneer and friend of EAA, John H. Livingston.

My most prized possession is the memories I have of knowing these two great aviators. Johnny and Fish were beacons of light in the embryonic age of flight. Be­ cause of their pioneering efforts we today enjoy the speed, comfort and safety of our flying machines.

Johnny was a man of speed; Fish was a long distance explorer. Johnny and Fish both were mechanically in­ clined which contributed greatly to their success in avia­ tion. Johnny went from motorcycles to airplanes and Fish from the Cole Automobile Company to the Glenn H. Curtiss School of Aviation.

Fish was sent to Hammondsport, New York to repair the Cole car belonging to Glenn Curtiss. When Fish fin­ ished the repairs on the auto, he and Curtiss went for a test spin, whereupon Curtiss persuaded Fish to tum his talents to airplanes .

At age 20 Fish began his flying lessons and on June 15, 1914 he soloed. Later with pilot license number 20 in hand he went on to become a fancier of seaplanes - and to acquiring his nickname. He was a man of spirit and challenge. In 1915 he was flying a Curtiss flying boat from Chicago to Lake Forest amid choppy Lake Michigan waves when he decided to show his friends at the hangar some precision flying .

In Fish's own words: "As I passed them, a huge wave broke under me, kissed my tail section and forced my nose into the lake. The next thing I saw was more Lake Michigan herring than the local fishermen at Waukegan ever knew there was in the lake!" That incident and 16

numerous others that ended up with both he and his flying boats in the drink gave him the nickname "Fish."

Fish was best known, however, for his pioneering of the Great Circle Route. He had visions of today's air routes long before they became the standard lanes for commercial aircraft . In 1926 he wrote, "Flying the Atlan­ tic is still a stunt." Fish urged the U.5. to look at both the commercial and military advantages of using the Circle Route over the north to Europe.

The small network of airlines that existed at that time and the military were not ready to exploit Fish's ideas and route ... so the pioneering was left to Fish himself.

The scheme eventually decided upon was a flight from Rockford, lllinois to Stockholm, Sweden. Fish mustered a group of Rockford business men to co-sponsor the flight. He then went to his friend Eddie Stinson in De­ troit and asked him to build a ship that would carry a crew of 2 and 700 gallons of fuel (4,200 pounds!!).

The airplane Stinson built was a J-5 SM-l Detroiter, which was named the "Greater Rockford." For co-pilot and navigator Fish chose Parker "Shorty" Cramer. The date for take-off was set for July 26, 1928. Fred Mach­ esney, the owner and operator of the airport north of Rockford which was the jump-off point, pulled up the fence posts at the ends of his runway so it would be long enough for the fuel laden Stinson.

The following is Bert Hassell's own story of the suc­ cessful take-off in 1928 to prove the trans-Atlantic air route using the Great Circle Route.

"With my co-pilot, Shorty Cramer, we took off from Rockford and stuck our nose due north to find Cochrane, Ontario. The flying over Quebec was in the daylight hours, but at night our attention was only on instruments, which made the night seem much longer. As daylight came we found ourselves over a very familiar area Burrwell, near Chidley. With daylight and a definite check of our location, we started across the Davis Strait.

We rode for hour after hour - between cloud layers ­ looking for the Greenland shore to appear. The old J-5 purred along, which was music to our ears."

"Suddenly, the weather started to break and we could see a faint shore line and the sun shining on the Greenland ice cap. We were both stiff and tired (in the air for 20 hours) when we began to look for the fjord which would lead us to our refueling base." But high winds slowed them so it .. . "seemed like we were stand­ ing still." The fuel supply was running dangerously low .

"A careful check by Cramer and myself showed we had fuel for less than an hour."

Hassell reasoned that he did not have enough power ... "to go looking for a small landing strip on the side of a mountain and so we stuck our nose due east, away from those hideous ice crevasses to where it would be only a matter of minutes before it would give up its long struggle to get two pilots to our Greenland base. With power on and off, we were ready to land."

"To our great surprise, we landed safely on centuries­ old ice with about 2 inches of hoar frost on it. We had reeled up the lead radio antenna and sat there like two tired old barnstormers and rested. We had been in the air 24 hours and 12 minutes . .. and that's a long time sitting, even in a chair at home ."

"We tied our lead antenna to an aileron tip and pounded out like made : 'Landed safe on ice cap' - But I guess no one was near enough to read this message. I shut off this piece of equipment and we got ready to go.

We put on our heavy boots, parka, took a rifle and some pemmican and started to walk to our base on the Strom­ fjord. To make it short, it took us 14 days to walk to Dr. Hobbs' camp, all tired from this healthy walk over the ice cap. We realized then that we two barnstormers should have remained at home." . Th~ flight never reached Stockholm, but Fish proved hiS pomt. Today, commercial jet airliners are using that very same route ... thanks to pioneer Bert R. J. "Fish" Hassell. . You would have had to have known Fish to fully appre­ aate that short story. He was a man of will, determination and faith in his fellow man. I'll never forget the story he told me about the pig and chicken farm he had in Goose Bay Labrador - during his service in World War II! It goes something like this : "You see, we had about 1500 GIs and officers stationed on the base and most of them were farm boys from the midwest. Then, we had all those crews coming in daily on their ways overseas - or coming back from a tour of duty . Having powdered eggs and Spam for breakfast was not much of a morale builder so I requested a couple dozen hens and roosters and some pigs ."

When the brass in D.C. heard about the request, they figured 01' Fish had flipped! The first request was ignored but when they received the second one - which was worded in the typical Fish Hassell vernacular - wheels starte.d to tum. A team of brass flew to Goose Bay to find out first hand what was behind this odd request. They were met by Col. Hassell and the first thing he greeted them with was, "Where are my pigs and how much booze is on board?"

When the brass regained their composure, Fish ex­ plained his reason for the pigs and chickens. To make a long story longer, he got his pigs and chickens and a guaranteed ration of booze for his men . His farm boys built a hen house and a pig pen - not only did this make­ shift farm provide fresh ham and eggs for breakfast, but it turned out to be the main attraction at the base for in­ coming crews and solved the garbage problem. It also gained worldwide fame and publicity for Fish. Like he said, " I was the only Air Force commander that gained popularity through chicken - - - - - ! " Besides that,

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Fish Hassell receiving one of many awards garnered dur­ ing his long career. Left to right, Ralph Hartwig, Fish Hassell, Steve Wittman and Nick Rezich .

the pigs gave the base a homey smell.

There are many more interesting and humorous stories about Fish that you can read first hand by picking up a copy of his book, "The Hiking Viking" - over 400 pages of aviation history and hundreds of never before published photos.

The famous Stinson "Greater Rockford", NX-5408, was recovered from the ice cap 40 years later by Fish's two sons, Vic and John, and Robert Carlin, district mana­ ger of National Airlines in Houston, Texas, an antique aviation buff and a native of Rockford .

A Sikorsky helicopter operated by, I believe, Green­ land Air picked the Stinson off the ice and a Hemisphere Aircraft Leasing Corporation C-46 flew it back to Rock­ ford where thousands of people lined the fence to cheer the return of the "Greater Rockford." I was one of the privileged persons who helped unload the Stinson from the C-46. BELIEVE-YOU-ME, it was an honor and a thrill to grab that Hamilton Standard prop and guide that fam­ ous bird out of the doorway of the C-46. It is also ironic that the Stinson was flown home in a Curtiss product.

After all the ceremonies were over, Pop (as the family called him) asked me to remove a spark plug from the J-5 just to see if it would come out. Much to our surprise, the number one cylinder plug came out with no strain using a regular plug wrench. I then depressed the Alemite fitting and, believe it or not, yellow grease oozed out!

The aluminum tanks looked like new with no traces of corrosion at all and the wicker seats were in equally good shape. The yellow life raft was inflated and it held air with no leaks. The "Rockford to Stockholm" sign on the cowl was like new. The only fabric left after 40 years of winds 17

and snow was located on the rudder - with the "NX­ 5408" still very brigh t.

The airplane was later trucked to Machesney Aircraft and placed in the hangar from which it left 40 years be­ fore. That was in 1968 and since then the steel parts have rusted badly and some additional damage has resulted from all the moving around from display to display.

Attempts were made to raise money to restore the "Greater Rockford" but none of them panned out. Fish had hoped to have the aircraft made a memorial to his son Peter who lost his life flying an F-100 while in the Air Force. Eventually, the aircraft ws sold to the new SST Museum located near Kissimmee, Florida where it was put on display awaiting restoration.

On May 5, 1971 Bert "Fish" Hassell and John H. Living­ ston were enshrined into the OX-5 Aviation Pioneers Hall of Fame at Hammondsport, New York. I had the honor and privilege of giving Fish his last airplane ride.

John Tasso, chief pilot for Hartzog Aviation and myself flew Fish and his family to the Hall of Fame ceremonies at Hammondsport.

A fond farewell to Fish Hassell, a great aviation pio­ neer.

Addendum from Big Nick ­ For you eagle-eyed readers, refer to the caption for the middle photo on page 11 of the August issue of The Vintage Airplane. The 3rd man from the left is not Gor­ don Israel as stated. Also, change "Walter French" to Walter Frech, who is now with the FAA in Los Angeles. I only had the negative available when I listed the men in the photo and had to put it up to the light and guess at the figures. Also, change "Earl Sting" to Earl Stine.

- Big Nick

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Fish Hassell, left, and Shorty Cramer shortly before their take-off for Stockholm.

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

The Greater Rockford at Machesney Air­ port in August of 1928.

18

With the tail section of the "Greater Rockford" are, from left, Vic Hassell, Robert Carlin, formerly of Rock足 ford and now of Houston, Tex., Bert R. J. (Fish) Has足 sell, and John Hassell. (Photos by the Rockford Mornin and Register-Republic.)

(Rockford Morning Star and Register-Republic)

Below. The Greater Rockford arrives back in Rockford via C-46 after 40 years on the Greenland ice cap.

(Photo by Frank S. Be/e)

Dale Browder in his beautifully restored Fairchild PT-19. Number 42 in the background belongs to Dr. King Merritt.

PT PARADISE

By Jack Cox

If you are planning to be in Florida on vacation in early November, the weekend of the 9 and 10 to be exact, you will want to attend the 2nd Annual Snowbird Fly-In at the Flying Seminole Ranch just northeast of Orlando.

The festivities are sponsored hy EAA Chapter 74. In addi­ tion to the flying that will go on from the crack of dawn until the sun slips down in the Gulf of Mexico, there will be a banquet at the local Ramada Inn East. For reser­ vations, call 305-273-1500. For further information on the goings on, call Dale :'lrowder at 305-365-3987. The Flying Seminole Ranch airport is 4100 feet of pool table flat Florida grass, so if you have escaped the early snows in Yankee land in your sjJam ran, you can easily get in and out. If you do df'cide to attend, please get in touch with Dale Browder so the banquet can be planned to ac­ commodate your party.

Even if you can't make the November 9-10 Fly-In, the Flying Seminole Ranch should be marked down in your little black book as a "must stop" .. . particularly if you are a fan of the Fairchild PT series. All sorts of PT activities go on here from complete restoration and maintenance to formation flying by the "Taintsville Air Corps" . There are currently 9 Fairchild primary trainers based at Flying Seminole - 3 PT-19s and 6 PT-26s . Can any other airport top that?

Most of the activity centers around EAAer Dale Brow­ der and his Daleair, Incorporated which caters to an­ tiquers, warbirds and homebuilders - sport flying types will find the welcome mat out on a permanent basis.

20

Dale and Bob Riggs of Winter Park own what they believe to be the oldest PT-19 flying. Dale located the old bird near Charleston, S. C. - in sad shape - and managed to patch it up sufficiently to limp down the coastline back to Florida on a ferry permit. With help from the Taintsville Air Corps, he pitched in and com­ pletely restored the 1939 Fairchild in roughly a year's time, including a major on the Ranger. He has become so proficient at Fairchild restoration, that a second one has now been done in even less time than the first and a dili­ gent scouring of the countryside is going on right now to locate all the PT-19/26 and Ranger parts that are still at large. If anyone reading thi~ knows of such parts or aircraft for sale, contact Dale at the phone number above .

You will be helping put another fin ,' old airplane back in the air rather than having it rust and fflt away forever.

The Taintsville Air Corps presently consists of Brow­ der, Riggs, Dr. Donald Chubb of Winter rark, Dr. Wayne Todd of Maitland, Truman Carr of La!..e Mary, Dr. Ed King of Chuluota and Ed Escallon of Cape Cw.'veral who, incidentally, had his PT-26 at Oshkosh this year - the yel­ low one with the vicious shark mouth, for thpse of you who were there. You will see a color picture of it in the November issue of SPORT AVIATION .

Oh yes, about that name . .. "Taintsville (when' the Flying Seminole Ranch is located) is so-called locally because 'taint in Oviedo and 'taint in Chuluota. It's be­ tween both.

You Yankees can understand that ... can't you?

(Photo by Ted Koston)

Ed Escallon 's PT-26A at Oshkosh '74.

(Photo by Dale Browder)

This cockpit cover was especially designed by Dale Browder for the PT-19. It even has provision for the turn足 over structure. Notice the EAA, Antique-Classic, War足 birds of America and Taintsville Air Corps patches . .. now there's a real EAAer! Dale is Commander of the Taintsville Air Corps.

(Photo by John Fitzgerald)

Would you believe that four days after this picture was taken , this PT was flying! These guys don't fool around when it comes to restoring airplanes.

(Photo by Frank S. Bele)

Pine trees, soft grassy runways, Spanish moss, a beautifully restored PT-19, open cockpits and warm Florida breezes . . . take a look at this about mid-January, fellow Yankeelanders, and eat your hearts out!!

by Frank Tallman .

•

D Ryan Broughams and

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~ Here a book of pure enjoy­ 111 ment. Tales of flying those great Z aircraft of all eras from the

Their Builders,

by William Wagner.

The story of the most famous airplane ever built, the Spirit of St. Louis, and the 231 similar aircraft built after Lindbergh's Atlantic crossing. 100 pages, 160 photos, Paul Matt three­ view drawings.

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111 Colorful documentary of the 78 I- days in 1934 when the Army

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Cessna Guidebook Mitch Mayborn and Bob Pickett Complete like predecessor Stearman Guidebook.

Contains photos of every single engine model built through the Airmaster series and WWll Bobcat, three view drawings of the most signific­ ant versions, reprints of old advertising and com­ plete serial listings for military Bobcats. Anyone who has ever flown or admired Cessna will want this one.

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323 photos. .

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3.95 D Ford Trimotor Pilots Manual ....... 3.95 D 747 Boeing Super Jet, Ingells ... . . . 12.95 D L1011 Tri-Star & Lockheed Story, Ingells. Hist. of Lockheed & TriStar . .. . . ...... 12.95 D More Than Meets The Sky, Mills Pictorial hist. Northwest Airlines ............. 12.95 D The Barnstormers, Don Dwiggins . .. 4.95 D Boyhood On The Upper Mississippi,

by Lindbergh .....

5.00 Racing Planes and Air Races Complete story of Air Racing, its planes and pilots by Reed Kinert. Each volume has rare photos, fine scale drawings and complete specs. , combined with text that captures all the color and excitement of each race.

D Vol. 1,1909-1923 ........ .. . 3.00 D Vol. 2, 1924-1931 .. . . . ..

3.00 D Vol. 3, 1932-1939.. ... .. .... 3.00 D V.oI. 4,1946-1967..... . .

3.00 D Vol. 5,1969 Annual (1968) 3.95 D Vol. 6, 1970 Annual (1969) 3.95 D Vol. 7,1971 Annual (1970) 3.95 D Vol. 8, 1972 Annual (1971) 3.95 D Vol. 9,1973 Annual (1972) 3.95 D Vol. 10, 1974 Annual (1973) 3.95 D Hardbound, Vol. 1-4 ................14.95 D Hardbound, Vol. 5-8 ................16.95 D The Skyracers, Hood .............. 4.95 D THE GOLDEN AGE OF AIR RACING -- pre 1940 by EM. Histories of the racers. stones about their pilots and deSigners with race results and 3 views . Hundreds of pictures make this a must volume for the racin enthusiast.

4 .00

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D Ryan, the Aviator

by William Wagner The adventures and ventures of pioneer aviator and businessman , T. Claude Ryan. Highly illustrated and remarkably interesting. $19.95 OUT-OF-PRINT WHILE SUPPLY LASTS

HISTORIC AVIATION

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prints and books for the collector 3850-8 Coro nation Rd . Eagan, Minn . 55122 Ene. $ _ _ _ _ __ (Minn . res. add 4 % tax) Name _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____ Address _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ City _ _ _ _ _ _---'_ _ _ _ _ _ __ State

Zip _ _ _ _ __ Postpaid 14 day Money·back Guarantee 75¢ Handling on Orders Under $10.00

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Mail in plain wrapper.

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Around The Antique/Classic World

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BELLANCA INFO NEEDED D. W . Dean of RR 3, Box 3079, Juneau, Alaska 99801 is rebuilding a 194714-13 Bellanca (N-74409) and is in need of knowledge and techniques used to make wing root splices on all four spars.

JOH NS ON AIR SPEED INDI CATORS For sale. New manufacture. Exact copy of original. $49.95. Bill Haselton, 1238 Cath erwoo d, South Bend, Indiana 46614 .

MEYERS FOR SALE

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Anyone interested in a Meye rs OTW, 145 or 200 should contact Gid Miller, R. D. No.1, Tinsman Road , French­ town, New Jersey 08825 . Phone 201-996-2730.

BAMBOO BOMBER NEEDS Thomas P. Rowe, 832 Douglas Ave., Elgin, Ill. 60120 and two fellow EAAers are rebuilding a Cessna T -50 (UC­ 78B) to like-new condition. Th e proj ec t involves the compl ete rebuilding of the all-wood wing, rebuilding of sub-assemblies and fus elage, recove rin g and finishing to military configuration of the ex terior and overhaul of th e en gin es. Needed are good, useable ailerons, left outboard flap attach fitting, engine control cables. Write Tom or call at 312-697-1470 or 312-377-1451 (hangar).

PITCAIRN PROJECT The accompanying photo shows the current project of Jack Rose (EAA 55976, AIC 1441), Rt. 1, Box 131, Spang­ ler, Was hington 99031 - a 1931 Pitcairn PA-8 Super Mail­ wing. It is powered by a Wright J69. NC-I0753 is Pitcairn Serial Number 164.

Calendar Of Events JANUARY 24-26, 1975 - LAKELAND, FLORIDA - Sun and Fun Midwinter

Fly-In. For an informational mailing, contact: Martin Jones, 1061 New Tampa Highway, Lakeland, Florida 33802.

JULY 29 - AUGUST 4,1 975- OSHKOSH , WISCONSIN - 23rd Annual EAA Fly-In Convention. Sport aviation world's greatest event. It's not too early to make plans and reservations!

FLORIDA SPORT AVIATION ACTIVITIES - The very active Florida Sport Aviation Antique and Oassie Association has a fly-in somewhere in the state almost every month . The decision on the location of the next fly­ in is usually made on too short notice for inclusion in The Vintage Air­ plane , so we recommend to all planning a Florida vacation that they contact FSAACA President Ed Escallon, Box 12731, SI. Petersburg, Florida 33733 for fly-in details. Join the fun!

Back Issues Of The Vintage Airplane Limited numbers o f back issu es of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE are available at .50c each. Copies still on hand at EAA Headquarters a re: 1973 - MARCH, APRIL, MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER 1974 - JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, MAY, JUNE, JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER 23

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