VP-Vol-2-No-2-Feb-1974 by EAA Vintage Aircraft Association

(Photo by Ted Koston)

THE PRESIDENT'S PAGE By E. E . "Buck" Hilbert President, Antique-Classic Division

ANTIQUE-CLASSIC DIVISION TO ENTER lAC AEROBATIC CONTEST AT FOND DU LAC

To better understand and relate to the lAC Division a Spin, Loop and Roll Contest will be flown during the lAC contests this year at Fond du Lac. lntereste? Antique-Classic Division members can participate, be judged and possibly carry home a trophy and /or achievement award. Acceptance of pilot and his aircraft will be at the discretion of the lAC Technical Committee and these details are being fina lized. Pre-requisites are simple - besides courage, a currently packed chute, insurance, solo and current membership in the An tique-Classic Division. An achievement award goes to all contestants and trophies to the top three. This could be the fun or funniest educational session ever, depending on how its taken. It's an excellent opportunity to meet and greet fellow EAA members of another Division, to show and be shown. Approached with an open mind and pa tience we can learn something and at the same time enjoy it. More details will come later, but write now if you'd like to enter.

(Photo by Ted Kos ton)

VOLUME 2 -

FEBRUARY 1974

NUMBER 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Shades o f 1928 . . .Dave Jameson ......... . . . . .... . ..... .. ...... .... . ........... . . ..... .. .. .. 4

The Wallace Touroplane . ...... .... .... . ....... . . .. ... .. . .. ..... . . .... . ..... . ... .. . . . ... . . ..... 11

Around the Antique/Classic World . ..... . ... . . ...... . ..... .. . . . .. ..... . .. . .. .. . .. . .... . ... ..... 14

Peter Bryn - The Travel Air King ................ ..... .... . ...... .. . ........ . ...... . .. . .... . .19

ON TH E COVER .•. Taperwing Waco Photo by Jack Cox

WILLARD F. (,I"'HMt

BACK COVER . .. John Glatz's Clipwing Monocoupe . PhotoJ bv Ted Koston

I4Q27 ROCKY RIVER DR. NO. . .

HOW TO JOIN THE ANTIQUE-CLASSIC DIVISION Membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division is open to all EAA members who have a special interest in the older aircraft that are a proud part of our aviation heritage. Membership in the Antique Classic Division is $10.00 per year which entitles one to 12 issues of The Vintage Airplane published monthly at EAA Headquarters. Each member will also receive a special Antique-Classic membership card plus one additional card for one's spouse or other designated fami ly member. Membership in EAA is $15.00 per year which includes 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION. All mem bership correspondence should be addressed to: EAA, Box 229 , Hales Corners , Wisconsin 53130.

EDITORIAL STAFF Publisher - Paul H. Po berezny Assistant Ed itor - Gene Chase

Ed itor - Jack Cox Assistant Ed itor - Golda Cox

AN TI QUE AND CLASSIC DIVISION OFFICERS PRESIDENT E. E HILBERT 8102 LEECH RD . UNION . ILLINOIS 60180

VICE PRESIDENT J . R. NIELANDER . JR . POBOX 2464 FT . LAUDERDALE . FLA.

SECRETARY RICHARD WAGNER BOX 181 LYONS . WIS . 53148

TREASURER GA R W. WILLIAM S, J R. 9 S 135 AERO DR., RT. 1 NAPER VILLE , ILL. 60540

33303

DIVISION EXE CUTIVE SECRETARY

DOROTHY CHASE . EAA HEADQUARTERS

THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is owned ex clusively by Anlique ClaSSic Aircralt . Inc . and is published monthl y at Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130. Second Class Permit pending at Hales Corners Po st Office , Hales Corners. Wisco nsin 53130. Membership rates for Antique Classic Aircraft . Inc. are $tO.OO per 12 month period 01 which $7.00 is for the subsc rip tion to THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE . All Antique Classic Aircraft , Inc . members are required to be members of the parent organ ization, th e Experi mental Aircraft Association. Membershi p is open to all who are interested in aVI.atio n ,

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

(Photo by Go/da Cox)

Dave Jameson taxis in for the 1968 EAA Fly-In at Rockford, Illinois . The subject of the article below, this is, perhaps, the most historic of all Wacos. The Taperwing won the 1928 Transcontinental Air Derby with famous racing pilot Johnny Livingston at the controls and was later flown by many of the famous names of the 1920s and 1930s. Dave Jameson later sold the Waco to Fred Grothe of Shakopee, Minn . who, in turn, later donated the plane to the EAA Air Museum. It is presently being refurbished for display.

SHADES OF 1928

.. . OR ...

I'VE JUST FLOWN

A TAPERWING

By David Jameson (EAA 15612)

4322 Bellhaven Lan'e

Oshkosh, Wis, 54901

1962, , , so you've just flown a Taperwing! Well, man Me - I don't even know what you 're talking about, so explain please. Um-m-m, I can see you were born 20 years too late, but, shucks, I really don' t mind going into details. You see, my birthday was 42 years ago. I grew up during the depression years, and I grew up looking up, for I can't remember th e day that airplanes and flying haven' t been a part of my dreams. Depression years .. , My allowance, when there was one, hit a high of 25c a week, and I had no trouble spending it. None at all. There were Aero Diges ts and Popular Aviation magazines, and, in between , model kits. Maybe, in September of 1928, you remember the great Transcontinental Air Race, But then, maybe you don't, for these were great years for aviation, and so many long dis足 tance, transocean flights made a more las ting impression than did the races, so let me say a little about the 1928 dash . 4

These races were really a part of the Los Angeles National Air Races . Sort of got them off to a flying start, you might say, All e ntrants took off from New York, and John Livingston, flying a J-5 powered Waco Taperwing, managed to win the race with a total time of 22:56:59. John's time was the fastest of all entrants and all classes, and he brought home the bacon to the tune of $13,910.00. Quite a bundle, even in these times, and almost a fortune ' then . 50, you see, these races were important, especially to the aircraft manu facturers, for each wanted his product to win, and to share in the glory and honors - and orders 足 that were sure to follow . And so it was that the Waco Aircraft Company, of Troy, Ohio, already one of th e best known and trusted aircraft builders in the business, de足 cided that this race was really worth winning, and the idea for the Taperwing was born and brought into being. It was sometime in the summer of 1961 that I learned that the owner of "my" Taperwing wanted to sell the plane.

, I

(Photo Courtesy of Dave Jameson)

Dave Jameson, right , and his son Dave, Jr. shortly after the flight from Buffalo to Oshkosh described in the text. The Taperwing has a Wright R-760-E engine under a Stinson Reliant cowling that was purchased new from the factory. The aircraft was modified to its present configuration around 1946 or so - the cowling , rounded fuselage, tailwheel and "I" struts (built by Matty Laird) were added at that time. Compare present photos with the aircraft in its original configuration .

Stored for years in Buffalo, New York, it just happened that our family planned to visit there, and the owner agreed to hold the plane, and my deposit, until we could have a look for ourselves. Completely disassembled, but apparently complete, I learned that the ship had last been flown right after World War II, and then put into storage. Complete with an air show 'sunburst' design, and a larger than original engine, it was, in spite of the accumulated dust and dirt, an impressive looking airplane. Within minutes I had bought the plane, and was given the name of a local firm who would be willing, and capable, of rebuilding and re storing my gem. Time passed. There were annoying problems. Some wires needed replacing. Where, after so many years, did one find the proper replacements? Also, we tried, but still haven't found, a useable gas gauge for the fuselage mounted tank. So far a float gauge has been used, but this is inadequate - especially for inverted flying! During this period I received one of the biggest shocks I ever hope to have. It came in the form of a letter from Stan Fliss, the rebuilder. As I opened the letter, a news paper clipping fell to the floor. Picking it up, I spread it open and saw a news picture of the still burning remains of a hangar . No one had to tell me which hangar it was. I just sat down and said, " Oh, No! " It didn't seem possible that this could be happening, so I opened the letter to get the horrible details . Stan's very first words were, "Don't worry, Dave. The plane is all right!" Fortunately, the wings were being worked on at another location, and Sheldon Bl eyle, a 19 year old employee, managed to get the fuselage rolled out of the hangar by himself, although he later had to be treated for smoke inhalation!

It soon became apparent that it would be impossible to get the plane finished during the winter of '61-'62, so I waited for spring and summer, hoping, and looking forward to the day our postman would bring the letter say ing, " It's finished, come and get your Waco." Sometime or other all aircraft and engine logs prior to 1942 had been lost, and neither myself, nor the previou s owner, knew the early history of this aircraft. It was some time, on a cold winter night, that I made an important discovery . Looking through the November, 1928 issue of Aero Diges t, one of many such old aviation magazines I have saved , or collected, I came upon a Waco advertise ment. It showed a friend, Johnny Livingston, one of the best known racing and test pilots of this, or any other, era, standing beside a Waco Taperwing. The ad went on to say that John had just won the Transcontinental Air Race, and all Sweepstakes prizes, with this plane. I looked at the picture again. Clearly visible on the rudder was the license number - X 7527. "Holy smokes", I said, as I sat bolt upright, "could it be?" Now the logs were still with the plane, in Buffalo, but golly, I must have something! Then I remembered the bill of sale. Opening the desk drawer I located the bill, upsi de down. Quickly turning it over, I noted: Waco CTO, Serial A 33, License No. NR 7527! The Transcontinental Race Winner was mine! Or was it? As I thought more about this, it occurred that maybe, for some reason unknown to me, the original plane may have been destroyed, and mine may just have inherited the same registration number. How could I find out for sure? Certainly - the FAA records section. Within minutes a letter had been written and, with exuberance to spare, I continued to write. First a letter to Livingston, and then one to the Waco factory,

(Photo From T. C. Weaver Collection)

Johnny Livingston in 1928 with the trophy he received for winning the Transcontinental Derby that year. Notice the special racing windshield on N-7527 . Before the race, there was a lot of grumbling by other con testants that the four Taperwing Wacos were "special speed jobs" rather than production models. The protests were over-ruled, however, and Johnny went on to outrun every one - even a couple of Lockheed Vegas!

to see what their records might reveal. The first to answer was Livingston. John told of Waco having built four of these new Taperwings, all just for the race, and he and X 7527 had managed to beat everyone's time, including Bob Cantwell, who flew a Lockheed Vega. Next came the reply from Waco. I was told that, to the best of their knowledge, I apparently owned the race winner. Then, by and by, came the best news of all. Mr. Robert E. Forbes, Chief, Aircraft and Airman Records Branch of the FAA, replied that since September 15, 1928, one - and only one - plane had ever carried our registration number. Here was the very final word. I really did own one of the best-known planes of the "Golden Age of Flight", and soon I could tryout these wings my self. Finally in mid-October, the word came! I took a com mercial flight to Chicago, and spent the night with my friend, Bill Dodd. Now it just happens that Bill is a darn good aerobatic pilot, and the Taperwing had made a rep utation for being one of the greatest aerial performers of all time, so I had asked Bill if he would like to share this adventure with me. Being perfectly truthful, though, perhaps besides Bill's good company, what I really wanted was a personal friend on hand to see my 'test' flight. One who would applaud if things went well; one who would help gather up parts if they didn't. In any case, Bill was as anxious to get started as I was, so the next morning we grabbed a Viscount from O'Hare and arrived in Buffalo around 11:00 a.m. Stan Fliss met us at the terminal and soon we were on our way to see the Waco for the first time since restoration. Earlier Stan had told me that, since his own hangar had burn ed, he had rented another building on an aban doned airport, and I shouldn't be surprised at the absence of paved runways . When we got to the field our first attentions were drawn to the Taperwing, for it was certainly a beautiful sight. Done over in linen, with International Orange color, and white 'sunburst' design outlined in blue, it was almost

the image of Al Williams' famous Gulfhawk designs. Very soon, though, both Bill and I shared the same thought - "Where's the airport?". This really wasn't a happy thought, for, having flown for over 25 years, I had a sinking sensation that we were on the airport. We just couldn't recognize it because of distractions such as high weeds, bushes, no runways, and trees in the middle of the field which were taller than the airplane! To say that I had a rather reluctant optimism, would be to understate the case. Seeking advice in preparation for this day, I had written or visited all my friends who had flown Taper wings. The advice received ranged from "You're crazy, hire someone", to Livingston's tongue-in-cheek remark, "Don't try slow rolls on takeoff until you are high enough for the wingtips to clear the ground." There were also three offers from fellows who wanted to do the job for me, for fun. Hah! If those three could see this patch right now, I'll bet the ranks would thin down! But - you can't love old airplanes and not want to share the thrills and adventure that those early day pilots lived on, so I had long since decided that this test flight was all mine, and we began a careful, preflight inspection of the airplane . It was apparent that Fliss and his boys had done a good job, so, with the inspection over, there was only one thing to do . I got my helmet and goggles from our baggage. As I was putting these on, one of the A & E's asked if I didn't think the ship rated a white scarf, but none was available, so I made myself at home in the open cockpit. The weather was on the mild side and I was sitting there in my Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes (white shirt and tie yet) finding that it took just a bit longer to get ready, in this early type convertible, than it did in newer, "in door" type airplanes. First we had to get the right number of cushions under me, then adjust the seat .belt, then the shoulder harness . By then I was perspiring, but this was nothing compared to the temperature I felt after pumping on the wobble pump for a minute or two! Finally, though, everything seemed ready, and "Contact" was called. After

( Photo Courtesy of Joe Juptner)

Below. Johnny Livingston and X -7527 (as it was desig nated then). The wire-braced, cross-axle landing gear was a temporary rig for the race - later replaced by a split/ oleo arrangement.

( Pho to Cou rtesy of Joe Juptner)

Above. X-7525 as it ' appeared when owned by Johnny Livingston . Although we refer to this model Waco Taper wing today as an ATO, the aviation press of 1928 called the plane a " Sport Waco ", " Waco 10-7" or a " Whirl wind 10."

just one or two ' props', the 350-horse Wright leaped into ac tion, and I signaled for the chocks to be removed from the w h eels. This do ne, I planned to taxi d own a narro w, cinder roa dway, which ran across th e field, and which was to be my takeoff strip . I tried to become accustom ed to the stran ge rudder bar and "spur" typ e brake levers, w hich ran hori zontally bac k from th e b ar, and upon w hich I could res t my heels . Well, dad, I can tell yo u right off th ese brakes and myself didn' t become immediate fri ends, but I fo und, in our taxi tests, that the plane had excellent rudder control, so I pre pared for th e bi g mom ent. H aving made two short takeoff s tar ts, I lined up for the big one, and said to NR 7527, " Ole boy, let's both pretend tha t I'm Jo hnny Livings to n, and we' ll turn this flight into pure pleasure." Well, I knew both of us n eeded a lot more convincing th an that, but the tim e had com e, so I eased th e th rottle wi de open . Now you have noticed, from the pictures, th at w h en the Tap erw ing is in a three-point position th ere is some res tricti on to good , forward visibility. Like zero, zero, for instance! This being true, and since the run way (?) was only 8 ft. wid e, it seemed a good cou rse o f action to get th e ta il up imm ediately, if not sooner, and thi s was done. At this point every thing w as goi ng jus t fin e, wh en POWIE, those 350 horses reall y took h old, and we we re airborn e' Man, this was terrific. There jus t was n' t a soul on earth I would have swa pped places with, and, as we passed over Bill and the other fellows, I had th e biggest ear-to -ear gri n I' ve ever wo rn . On e circle of the field, and we continu ed to climb, as we prepared fo r a few flight tes ts. Once the exhilarati on of the takeoff had wo rn d ow n fro m 100% to around 99 99/100%, I noticed that the wings tended to ' fall o ff' jus t a mite, due, undoubtedl y, to the fact that there was no dihedral. Evi dentl y this conditio n was slight, fo r this was th e last time I noticed it. The ass umpti on would have been that o ne began automatically to compensate for it, an d it no longer was noticeabl e.

As we climbed, I flew towards my next airport, onl y a few miles away, where, by and by, we'd land for more gas. Once in view, a nd with 3000 ft. of oxygen and hydro gen benea th us, we "S" turned for cl earance, and bega n s tall tests. Power back, s trai ght ah ea d with increasing back pressure. Up and up com es the Wright, to p erhaps 30 degrees, but no stall! A slow settling, and then back to flyin g. Well, this was too gentle to believe, so w e tried again. Bo th fo rward, right and left, w ith and without power, but n ever once a cl ean brea k. Man, this was child's play. An yo ne could fl y this critter, so off cam e the power, and we spiraled d own for ou r firs t landing. I ho ped that Dodd, and all the others, h ad had time to drive over to this field, and could see the landing. My n ext thou ght was more realis tic, for it occurred that maybe it wo uld be best if no o ne saw it, and how right the thou ght was! H ere we h ad a nice paved runw ay, maybe 20 ft. w ide, and long, Dad, so around into our final approach we turned. Holy mac kerel, the pa tch was los t under that long nose, and I rea lized that things we re s peed ing up on me, but couldn' t see how a noth er time around would improve any thing. I crossed controls for a real, old -time side slip, a nd managed to kick it out jus t before contact was m ad e. Well, undoubtedl y "Co ntact" is the right w ord, fo r wh en we got lin ed up and came back on the stick for a flar e out, there was n' t any! It's true, the nose ca me up, but that plane settled s traight throu gh for th e fastest bounce I'd had in a lon g tim e, and th en we sashayed up th e run way, fir st ri ght, then left, until we taxied to the pump . I'm happy to say, none of " m y" group was on hand to witness this co ntrolled cras h. Th ey arrived jus t as I s hut off th e engine. It was hop ed that, by b eing care ful , I could imply that th e landing had b een uneventful, and in stea d I talked of the terrific fl yi ng charac teris tics w hich were evid ent in the p lane.

(Photo by Oshkosh Daily Northwestern)

Below. DaveJameson, right , receives one of many trophies he has won over the years for his tremendous collection of antique aircraft. This one, being presented by Gene Chase, is for Dave's Lockheed Vega " Winnie Mae ."

(Photo Courtesy of Dave Jameson)

Above. Johnny Livingston in 1968 at the EAA Fly-In at Rockford, Illinois. That big smile was there becauseJohnny had just flown NC-7S27 for the first time since 19281 He now lives in Florida and still flies regularly - in cluding the initial test hops of Pitts and other hot home builts.

From the movies which were made at this time, I gather that most of the bystanders got a charge out of my enthusiasm. I couldn't stop talking about the thrill of flying the plane, and was reliving a good bit of it for any one who would listen, and doing it all with a good bit of hand and arm waving to emphasize flight attitudes. I wanted Bill to fly the plane now, but couldn't per suade him to do it. Just a few miles away was a good sod field, and we decided this would be a fine spot for me to shoot landings, so we got fitted up again and flew over. On the way I gained plenty of altitude, and tried another series of stalls, as well as a number of other glide·'im d power-on maneuvers, and again realized that here was quite a machine. I'm sure the grin was permanently 'set' by this time. The only way a sharp stall could be gotten was to raise the nose so darn high that it simply had to fall through in order to regain flying speed. There seemed to be little tendency for a wing to drop, under any circumstance, and it was found that beautiful turns could be made by using ei ther stick or rudder! It was time now to try landings again, for the first attempt was very much on my mind, and I wanted to try to work this thing out. The first approach had been made at 80 mph, so it was decided to move this up to 85 in order to get some flareou t before touchdown. However, the increased air speed didn't seem to help this, or the fol lowing approach which was made at 90 mph. " After three or four tries, I taxied up to where Bill had been shooting movies, and asked him to try it out. Bill, by then, had stood my big grin and the beautiful sight of that Taperwing just about as long as he could, so, after talking about the things I had found, Bill took over and shot a few landings himself. That night, in our motel room, we talked for hours about the day's experiences, and decided that the only way to stop that continuous, fast settling through on landings, was to use power. Sometime, very late at night, we finally stopped yakking and went to sleep.

Now originally this had been a 3-place airplane, but for years previously it had been used for air show work, with the front cockpit filled with a smoke system tank, and a streamlined cover made to ' fill in' the opening. This tank had now been remo ved, per my request, but it meant that we would have to remove the cover, rig some kind of windshield and install a seat belt, in order for us both to fly back home in it. All this was done by the next morning, and by 11:00 a.m. Bill and I were ready, despite the passing of a cold front and quite low ceilings, to start our trip home . Overshoes, insulated underwear, extra shirts and coats, mufflers, gloves, helmets and goggles. All well and good, but how, now, does one climb into those cockpits? It wasn't easy, but with help from many we finally made it. Soon we were off the ground, headed around Buffalo and the local control zone, and down the southern shore line of Lake Erie. Navigation could hardly have been simp ler. Follpw Erie to its southern end, fly west to Lake Michigan, north to Lake Winnebago. But, as we left Buffalo the ceilings were quite low, and we were only a few hundred feet over the New York State Thruway when it occurred that we were probably a menace to automobile traffic! We were using Bill's gos p~rt sys tem for communication between us, and now started laughing as we imagined the startled expressions of drivers at seeing an old biplane taking the Thruway to Pennsylvania! I decided to lean more to the lake side of the rou te, despite Bill's remark about not having floats on the plane: Now the ceilings rapidly increased as we flew through the front, and at 2000 feet we could easily see the Canadian side of Lake Erie, perhaps fifty miles away. Of course this big visibility was due to the cold air mass which we had entered, and no one had to tell us that it was cold, for it was getting harder and harder for us just to talk, with our faces becoming stiff and cold. Sometime before leaving Buffalo, Bill had kidded me about how much warmer he would be than I, because he

(Photo Courtesy of Dave Jameson)

A close-up of Johnny Livingston and a passenger sometime in 1928. Johnny was general manager of Midwest Airways and was the largest Waco dealer in the world. He also handled Monocoupes and went on to develop the fabulous Monocoupe 110 Special, the "Clipwing" as it is most commonly known . Before he retired to become chief test pilot for Waco in the late 1930s, Johnny was one of the most successful racing pilots of all times.

was nearer the engine, so I thought when Bill's head disappeared under the cowling, that maybe he was taking off an extra sweater! Every little while an arm, or elbow, would become visible, then disappear again. Later I learn ed that he wasn't taking something off, but was instead trying to get more on! I'll never understand how he man aged to get the extra clothes out of his baggage, remove his outer jacket, put on the sweater and then replace the jacket, but some 15 minutes later Bill's head reappeared again, as we merrily approached Cleveland. Cleveland. Should we detour far to the south, and bypass the city, its airports and its T.V. towers, or con tinue on the north, or lake side, and greatly shorten our trip and possibly eliminate more hazards than the lake contributed. We chose the lake, took some fine movies as we flew past, and watched as a North Central Convair flew past our nose. When we left Buffalo, it had been our plan to stop for gas, leg-stretching and personal thawing at Sandusky, but as we flew along I suggested that we make our first stop beyond the half-way mark to Chicago. This would insure an adequate gas supply to carry us in on only 0ne stop. Well, this was a noteworthy idea, it was just too bad ~ that it hadn't occurred before the flight started. Then we could have adequately planned our stop and double checked it with the Airman's Guide to insure gas and food service when we landed. As it was, we goofed but good. Two fields were chosen. As we flew over the first it appeared to be abandoned, so we were forced further off course to the next one. Upon arrival we could see this field being used, so a landing was made. Too bad. The field was brand new, it was Sunday, and all the operator's friends were paying him a visit, while we stewed over the lack of service. It was necessary for us to run an extension cord to the pumps to make them operative, and

then service our own plane. While we were doing this, the operator was "gassing" with his friends, and each time a car drove up he ran to meet the car, dove to the front right side, and kissed the driver's wife or girl friend. Then he showed everyone around. • By now Bill was fit to be tied, and wanted to take off again without putting any gas in at all. I really wanted to hang around and watch just a bit longer, for I was sure, from the expressions some of the drivers were giving 'kissing Dan', that sooner or later one would clobber our friend, and we could operate the field ourselves, which, except for kissing the girls, we seemed to be doing any way. I had also been dreaming of a nice modern restroom, as we hummed along, but was told that the plumbing hadn't been connected yet. We were advised that, when we taxied out and reached the far end of the strip, that we would then be out of sight of 'most' of the peop1e, and might care to tarry there for a while before take-off. "J ust great!" , Bill says, as he considers the least humane way of doing this fellow in. Finally William put in just twenty gallons of petrol, we paid, and then propped the plane to save the operator any further trouble, and proceeded to take off to the nearest field in order to get enough gas to continue. Naturally, this next nearest field was north, 90 degrees of course, and we found, after landing, that it had no service facilities whatever. Well, Bill started talking again, but since the engine was still running I couldn't hear him, so I probably missed out on some unusual language. This time we selected a field south of our course - not 90 degrees though. Maybe only 65 or 70. Thankfully we arrived and found all the 80 octane we needed, with candy bars and pop for ourselves. As soon as the three of us were filled, we headed west again. By now our ETA for Chicago was murdered. We had not only lost time visiting all the

(Photo Courtesy of Dave Jameson)

An interesting episode in the history of N-7527, this shot taken in 1930 shows Paul Rizzo (center, in Sweater) shaking hands with the famous Italian racing pilot, Major Mario Di Bernardi. Rizzo owned the Waco from 1930 through 1931 and had just loaned Di Bernardi the aircraft for an aero batic performance. The hand shaking is for the spectacular show put on by the Italian . Major Di Bernardi won the 1926 Schneider Trophy and held the world's absolute speed record from 1926 through 1928. Paul Rizzo paid $2,200 for the Taperwing and was allowed $2,000 for it on a trade-in on a Sikorsky S-38 in 1931. Rizzo used the plane for air show work and had small fuel tanks mounted on the landing gear for inverted flying an early inverted fuel system! During this period the Waco had a black fuselage with International Orange trim, wings and horizontal tail. The struts and other exposed metal sur faces were chrome plated. What a beauty it must have been!

airfields, but we had been flying, since Buffalo, into the teeth of a Southwester, and our ground speed had suf fered drastically. It was apparent that we'd have to land our non-electrical Taperwing before sunset, so a close track was kept. of our position, with one finger always on the nearest aIrport. As the setting sun sank slowly in the west, we were southwest of South Bend, Indiana, and decided to divert and land there for the night. After landing and getting our bird hangared, we called a cab and asked to be taken to a good motel - preferably one with steam heat, hot air heat, electric heat and two fireplaces! After a long, hot shower, and a toddy made from some mountain dew which we happened to have found in the emergency kit of my luggage, we left for a nearby restaurant. Next morning we were back at the municipal about 9, all decked out in our Arctic garb and ready for the journ ey to Chicago. While Bill had the plane refueled, I called weather and found that winds were 20 knots, on the nose, to Chicagoland! From there to Oshkosh the weather wors ened, but I'd face that when I came to it. Our captain on this leg of the journey was Mr. Bill Dodd, with Jameson sitting uncomfortably in the mail compartment. The air was cold, and the strong headwind very tough. At least I'll say the air was rough, for I was having a grand old time yelling insults to Bill, via the gosport. I was asking for a smoother ride, a hot cup of coffee, and to please have the girl turn up the heat in the front passenger compartment. Otherwise, I warned the captain, I'd certainly consider taking the train my next time out! Bill finally pulled his gosport tube loose, and flew to Chicagoland airport without my caustic comments and ex pert advice. Flying past a patch like O'Hare is always stimulating. T?da~ we nearly unscrewed our heads, swiveling first one dlfection, then the other. I've never figured why we little guys have to watch out so for those big guys, anyway. I

certainly wouldn't want to land with one of them draped across our nose, and with the trouble they sometimes have with little old birds, I know they would not want to tackle something as big as ourselves! Bill lives just a few miles from the airport, so after a buzz Job (not once below 500 ft.) to alert the citizens, he proceeded to make a beautiful landing, in what turned ou t to be 30 knot winds! Now, as an accommodation to me, for I would fly to Oshkosh alone, the wind shifted to N .W., and it was plain that the whole weather picture was deteriorating . After a quick bit of lunch, I called weather. Winds 30 to 35 knots, lowering ceilings, marginal. Well, I decided that I'd give it the big try. There were no compunctions about dOll1g a 180, if it became necessary, so away we went, _the Taperwing and 1. Bill and his dad took off right after us, in their P A-ll, and followed for several miles while Bill took in-flight ?"ovies of the Waco. As we flew north the ceilings did ll1deed become lower, though horizontal visibility, in the cold front, remained unlimited. I was getting darned cold, and wished the wind would shift 180 degrees to get me home in a hurry, but this didn't happen. Finally, after an hour and forty minutes, and a ground speed that proved to be only 70 mph, we got to Oshkosh and landed at Billy Brennands airport on the sou th side of town. I was so cold and stiff it was hard to get out of the plane, and later Bill had to dial my home for me, in order that the family would know I was back. This brought to an end one of the most memorable flying experiences in my life. Perhaps you can imagine, as you look at the pictures, the fun and thrill of flying such an old and famous aircraft. It was impossible not to reminisce, as we flew along, of all the places and persons this proud old plane had known. There is still much that is not know of its flying life and its former owners. If you can add to this knowledge, I would certainly a ppreciate hearing from you .

Golden Oldie of the Month ...

4027 ROCKY RIVER DR. NO. 22 ~LEV.ELAND, OHIO

44ISS

THE WALLACE TOUROPLANE The picture above is photocopied from Vol. 2 of Joseph Juptner's U. S . CIVIL AIRCRAFT, Aero Publishers, Inc., 329 Aviation Rd. , Fallbrook, Cal. 92028 - the " antiquer's bible. " The plane is NC276K, Ser. No . 12 ... owned today by Jim Frost of Tulsa . See pictures elsewhere.

Folding wings, landing gear mounted by means of universal joints, two throttles - one for each front seat, linoleum floors (!) . .. these are just a few of the features that set the Wallace Touroplane apart from its contempor aries in the aviation world of 1928. The June 18, 1928 issue of AVIATION brought the neat little 2-3 place high wing monoplane to the attention of the aviating public: MANY FAVORABLE commen ts nave-been made on the Wallace Touroplane, now being put into production by the Wallace Aircraft Co., Chicago, Ill. It is a light, two or three place, folding wing monoplane with the occupants sitting in a closed cabin under the wing. The two place model is powered with an80h. p. Anzani engine and differs from the three place model only in engine installation and seating arrangement. The three place design is powered with a 120 h. p. Anzani engine with the mount such that a 125 h. p. Ryan-Siemens, 130 h. p. Fairchild-Caminez, or 220 h. p. Wright Whirlwind can be substituted. The two place plane weighs 1500 lb. empty and has, it is stated, a high speed of 97.1 mph over a measured course. The landing speed is 43.1 mph and climb 670 fpm. The three place model with an Anzani engine weighs 2000 Ibs. loaded and has a top speed of 120 mph with a landing speed of 48 mph. Perhaps one of the most interesting features of the Touroplane is the wing . It employs an S.T.Ae. 10c air foil tested in the Eiffel wind tunnel. According to figures supplied by Stanley Wallace, designer of the plane, it has a maximum absolute lift coefficient of 1.56 (Ky - .00399) and a minimum absolute resistance coefficient of .0175 (Kx - .0000301). The maximum LID is 19.6. The airfoil is of moderately thick section with a decided Philips entry and slightly depressed trailing edge. Including the ailerons, the wing area is 205 sq. ft. The span is ?>7 ft.

and chord 5 ft. 10 in. Structurally the wing is of conven tional design, constructed so that it may be easily folded. The center section extends beyond each side of the fuse lage and its trailing edge hinges about the rear spar to pro vide a recess for the trailing edge of the outer panel of the main wing. The outer panels are attached by vertical pins a t the spar points and at the fittings for the wing brace struts. The pins in the forward spar and at the lower end of the forward strut can be removed and the wings rotated about the rear spar and rear wing brace strut points. To support the front spar, when the wings are folded, the for ward bracing strut is attached, at its lower end, to a fitting on the rear strut. The wings are contructed of wood, using solid section Posey spruce spars and built up Warren truss ribs. The spars are not routed and are the same size, front and rear. The ribs are made of 5116 in. square spruce caps trips with 1/16 in. mahogany gusset plates glued and tacked to the ribs at the joints. These ribs were tested at New York University and found to have a wide margin of safety over the required load . The drag truss wires are 10-32 swaged wire. They are double, one set of wires lying in the plane of the top of the spars and the other set at the bottom. Compression struts except at the point where the wing panels are hinged to the center section, are formed by gluing and nailing spruce strips to either side of a former rib, in the plane of the top and bottom drag trusses. The compression strut at the center section is an N made up of three pieces of 3/4 in. by .035 in. steel tubing. It is made integral with the fittings which attach to the front and rear spars of the wing panels. The wings are covered with Flightex fabric and tape and reinforcing tape is pl.aced over the ribs.

Golden Oldie of the Month . • In the sides of the center section, which project beyond the fuselage, are the fuel tanks of 14 gal. each. Thus, the main fuel load is carried outside the fuselage yet on the center of gravity and all fuel lines are outside the cock pit. However, if larger engines are used, an additional tank is carried in the front of the fuselage. The center section spars are of greater depth than those of the outer wing panels. They are level with the tops of the cap strips of the ribs while those in the outer panels are centered between the top and bottom of the rib, as a spar the full depth of the wing would be too heavy. The entire upper part of the center section is covered with birch plywood, which replaces the center section drag wires. The lower part of the front spar is cut away to a depth of two inches over the width of the fuselage to permit better vision. Swaged tie rods a re run along each spar, through the center sec tion, connecting the wing hinges. The external wing braces are of streamline Kawneer steel tubing, welded along the trailing edge. It is cadmium plated for protection and appearance. Universal joints are used in making connections to the wings in the case of both struts, and to the fuselage in the case of the rear strut. The fuselage is rectangular in section with four longer ons and Pratt truss bracing and wires. The members are all seamless steel tubing with none smaller than 5/8 in . by .035 in. in the side truss or in the engine mount. The smallest members in the top and bottom trusses are 1/2 in. by .035 in. The tubes in the bottom truss, to which the wing braces are attached, are reinforced with 7116 in. tie rods. The rear of the upper part of the fuselage, or turtle deck, is built up of spruce cap strips. The engine mount, on the front, is of welded steel tubing ..It is pinned to the fuselage at four points with nickel steel bolts and is readily detachable for the substitution of another engine. A side by side seating arrangement, with dual control, is used in both planes. In the larger mod el the third seat is slightly to the rear and in the center of the cabin. There' is a ten inch space between the two forward seats. The seats are heavily upholstered and quite comfortable. Safety belts are provided and there are metal boxes for tools under the forward seats. By folding up the rear seat, a luggage compartment of 12 cu. ft. is afforded . There are two doors, one on each side of the fuselage, allowing easy entrance or exit. Triplex safety glass windows are used, giving ample vision in all directions. The floors are covered with lin oleum and the walls are insulated to deaden noise and keep out extreme temperatures. There is a dome ceiling light in addition to the concealed light on the Elgin unit instru ment board. All standard instruments are provided, as required by the Department of Commerce. Only one stick is used for the dual control, though there are two pairs of rudder pedals. The stick has a short cross member at the top so that it is convenient to both seats. Two throttles are provided, one on each side of the fuselage. The rudder pedal control is quite original; the foot rests are mounted off center on the pedal column. Normally the foot is in line with the pedal column, but when it is desired to use the wheel brakes, one slides one's foot towards the outside and thus twists the pedal, actuating the brake through a series of cables and bell cranks with an Ahrens control mounted on the landing wheel. The pedals actuate the rudder through cables in the usual manner. Push rods and bell cranks are used for the other controls except the stabilizer adjustment, which employs an Ahrens control actuated from between the seats of the cockpit. All the controls are hidden below the flooring .

• The control surfaces are constructed of welded steel tubing, the rudder and fin being interchangeable. The fin and horizontal stabilizer are made in the same jig but use different fittings. The landing gear is of the divided type employing an oleo and spring type shock absorber. The members are attached to the fuselage longerons, and mounted with un iversal joints with lugs of cast manganese bronze. It is claimed that by having the chassis mounted with universal joints, the fuselage is relieved of twisting strains when landing, and if the chassis should be injured or wiped off in an accident, adjoining fuselage members are less likely to be distorted . All bolts are nickel steel. The front chassis strut, which contains the shock absorber, is round steel tubing covering with aluminum fairing. The rear strut is a streamline tube welded along the trailing edge. The axle is chrome molybdenum steel tubing, heat treated to a strength of 130,000 lb. Bendix wheels and brakes are used . Specifications of the Wallace C-2 Touroplane, as supplied by the manufacturer, are as follows: Length overall . . .... . .. . . . .. . . .. . .. 23 ft. 6 in.

Height overall . . ... . ................7 ft. 6 in.

Wing Span .. . ... ....... ... .. .. ..... . ...37 ft.

Chord . .. ... .. . . ... . ....... . .. .. . ..5 ft. 10 in.

Wing area including aileron .. ....... 205 sq. ft.

Aileron area . ... ... .. . .... .. .. .. . . ...31 sq. ft.

Stabilizer area . .. ... ... .... . .. . .... . .22 sq. ft.

Elevator area .... . . . . ... ....... ......16 sq. ft.

Rudder area . ......... ... . . ... ... .. . . .8 sq. ft.

Fin area ... . ... ... . . ... . .... . . ... ... . .6 sq. ft .

Weight empty with 80 h.p.

Anza ni engine .. .. ......... . .. . .....850 Ibs.

Useful load ....... ... .. ..... . ..... ... .650 Ibs.

Pilot . .... . .. . .. . .... . ..... . . . . .. ..... .160 Ibs.

Fuel . ...... .. . . . .. . .. ... . ... ........ . .160 Ibs.

Oil ..... .. .. . ... . . .. .. ... .... . .... ... ... 30 Ibs.

Actual pay load . . ..... .... . . . .. ..2 passengers

Gross weight loaded . . . . ... .. . ... . . . .1500 Ibs.

Rated horsepower . . . ............ ... . ..80 h .p.

Fuel capacity ... . ..... . .... .. . . . . ... . .. 28 gal.

Oil capacity . ....... .. .. ... .. . ... . ..... .4 gal.

High speed ... . . ...... .. .. . .. . .... 97.1 m.p .h .

Landing speed .. . . . . ............... .40 m . p.h.

Climb at sea level ...... .. ..........670 f.p.m.

Service ceiling . .. . ... . .. . ...... . .... .11,000 ft.

Cruising speed . ........... .. ..... . ..82 m.p.h.

Stalling speed . . . . . .... . ... . ... . .. .43.1 m .p .h.

Time to 10,000 ft.. ..... .. ...... . .... .. 35 min.

Range . . . ... . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . ..... . .... .500 mi.

Fuel consumption at

cruising speed ... . .... ... . .5 1/4 gal. per hr.

Oil consumption at

cruising speed . .. . ...... . ... .40 gal. per hr.

After some experimentation with the prototype, X4253, mainly involving the installation of various engines in cluding a MacClatchie Panther and the already venerable OX-5, Wallace finally settled on the Kinner K-5 as the stan dard Touroplane powerplant. The Kinner Touroplane Breceived ATCNo. 119 in March of 1929 and limited production began. During this same period, however, negotiations were already well along toward merging the Wallace company with E. E. Porter field's American Eagle Corporation of Kansas City. After

Golden Oldie Of The Month the merger, production was moved to Kansas and the Touroplane was produced as the "American Eagle 330." Some re-design was done at American Eagle . . . that resulted mainly in increasing the weight by an incredible 600 pounds over the prototype! Still powered by the 100 h. p. Kinner, one can easily imagine what happened to the little airplane's performance!

Probably at least in part because of the poor flying and sales - performance of the Model 330, American Eagle made the decision to upgrade the design to a four place powered by a five cylinder, 165 h. p . Wright J6-5. This aircraft, the American Eagle D-430, was type certificated on March 18, 1930 and offered for sale at a price of 7,395 post-Wall-Street-Crash-dollars. Few were sold, even after a

( Photo by Gene Chase)

Left. Jim Frost's Wallace Touroplane, NC-276K, Ser. No . 12. The folding wing Stits Playboy in the background also belongs to Mr. Frost. He utilizes the folding wing to the hilt - both aircraft are kept at his home .

WILLAR:J F. SCHMlrr ~ ROCKY RIVER DR. NO. 22 • ~VELAND, OHI.O 44t;3.tI

(Photo by Gene Chase)

Right. The Touroplane with one wing extended to flying position .

thousand dollar price cut the following year. A companion model, the E-430, was the same airframe as the D-430 fitted with a 165 h. p. Continental A-70 radial. A $400 cheaper price than the Wright powered D, helped little or none at all, and in due time, all production of the Touro plane/American Eagle series was ended. Big, lumbering monoplanes were out at American Eagle .. . the next pro ject was the ultra-light "Eaglet." The only Wallace Touro plane your editor knows to exist today is the one pic tured here in skeleton form. It is owned by Jim Frost (EAA 1053), 249 E. 33rd Place, Tulsa, Okla. 74105. Perhaps, we will see this extremely rare bird fly again someday.

•

AROUND THE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC WORLD

SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS PARTS AND

NEW YORK-PARIS FLIGHT SURVIVAL

EQUIPMENT DISCOVERED BY RYAN

HISTORIAN EV CASSAGNERES

By Ev Cassagneres

Cheshire, Connecticut 06410

Ten years have gone by now since I initiated the pro足 ject on the history of the Rya n Aeronautical Company, the aircraft they built and the people who flew them. Many people have been contacted for historical information and material, and all the effort put forth has proved most fruitful on more than one occasion. My collection, all Rya n, is now bulging at the sea ms, and is more than likely the larges t on the subject in the world, including any足 thing now in the fil es of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D. C. Thousands of hours have been spent in correspondence, phone calls and personal contacts, and have been some of th e most enjoyable hours of my life, next to, of course, those hours spent with my wife and two children. But I must say, never have I been so elated as when in 1968 I had the opportunity to meet Charles A. Lindbergh, who has shown an interest in this project. But that is another story in itself, to be told in some future issue . However, next in line on being elated certainly has to be when I discovered parts of the Spirit of St. Louis and the survival equipment carried on that famous flight from New York to Paris in 1927. Here's the story. The NYP (New York-Paris flight and the plane) phase of this project is a big one, and many untold facts and un足 printed photographs have been found . Many people who were directly or indirectly associated with the success of th e flight have been contacted and have cooperated 100% to make this a success, and I am very gratefu l to them for thi s. One such person, for whom I had searched for several years, is Mr. Kenneth Lane. With the help of an airline pilot friend of mine, Captain Walter Hill (owner of Ryan ST, N-17349), I finally located Mr. Lane living in the Miami area of Florida in the winter and up in the northern New England s tate of New Hampshire in summer. One day last July, I telephoned Mr. Lane at his summer home and discussed my desire to come visit with him for an interview concerning his part in the NYP flight. He was most interested and extended an invitation to come there to see him, which I did. While presenting question after question and taking notes as fast as I could, Mr. Lane very casually mentioned to his wife, "Say, don't we have some parts to the Spirit of St. Louis up in the barn someplace?" And with that, I exclaimed, " You have WHAT?" It wasn't long before he was climbing the ladder up to the loft of the barn. Before this he also mentioned that h e thought he had a "kit bag" containing the survival equipment carried on the flight, and that he would look for that too. Well, in a few moments he came down with a cardboard box, about 14" square in size. When we opened it up, there they were, actual parts of th e Spirit of St. Louis. We spread everything on the floor in his living room and went over each piece individually to try to identify them. 14

(Photo by Oshkosh Daily Northwestern)

Not the original survival kit described in Ev Cassagnere 's story, but rather Dave Jameson 's display at Oshkosh a couple of years ago. The Spirit of St. Louis replica is now in the EAA Air Museum .

Several parts we could not identify. This is the first time Lane had looked at it all in over 30 years, so his memory was really taxed . Mr. Lane is about 83 years old now. Of course, one of the first questions I asked Mr. Lane was how in the world he ever acquired it. The story was most interesting. Mr. Lane was with the Wright Aeronautical Corporation in New Jersey when Lindbergh appeared at Roosevelt Field to prepare for the flight. He was Chief Engineer in charge of Aircraft Design, then. The company assigned him and three others (Ed Mulligan, Ken Boedecker and Dick Blythe) to assist wherever necessary on the aircraft and, of course, on the engine. As a result, Lindbergh became very close to these men, a friendship which has lasted until the present time, and he put his complete trust in them and their capabilities. When Lindbergh returned to the United States aboard the U.S. cruiser Memphis, and docked at Anacostia Naval Air Station, Washington, D .C., he was immediately re quested to attend numerous dinners and other formal and social functions. The Spirit needed to be assembled for his forthcoming good will tour of the United States and Central South America, and he just did not have time to do this. He immediately called in Lane to completely supervise the reassembly, and in so doing turned over the box of parts and survival equipment to Lane to take home for safekeeping until he returned. They certainly were not needed on these upcoming flights. And there they stayed, all these years, until discovered in the summer of 1973. Now, as I sat there in Lane's living room I thought to myself, " I wonder what in the world he plans to do with it a\l?" I asked him this question. He really had not given it much thought, he said, and I immediately suggested that it would be most unfortunate if it ever drifted into the hands of someone in the family who did not know what it was or thought it to be junk and would then have it dis posed of, or that it could somehow get into the hands of some collector, who would immediately put some fantas tic price tag on it all, and then who knows where it would end up. I told him I felt it really belonged with the airplane at the Smithsonian in Washington. And, of course, he agreed. And then I said that for the opportunity to document, photograph and write up a full report on it all, I would be happy to hand carry it there for final storage and possible display. He thought that a good idea and turned it all over to me. When I telephoned him in October of 1973 to ask about the survival equipment, he said that he had found it. A couple of days later my wife and I took a two da y vacation trip up through New Hampshire, stopped by to see Mr. and Mrs. Lane and he turned this equ ipment over to me. I now have it all here at my home in Cheshire, Connec ticut. I have since photographed it, but have still to identi fy every piece. My next move now is to telephone Lind bergh and set up an appointment for him to view the parts, hoping he can finally identify them ... after all, who else can now? As soon as this is done, they will be hand carried, by myself, to Washing ton, D .C. and turned over to the National Air and Space Museum. One more step has been made in th e recording of avia tion history, and like the now popular saying, " tell it like it is" CAN be recorded and told, like it really happened. This will be told in the final story of Ryan in the American A viation Historical Society Journal and later in book form.

AERONCA C-3 ADDENDUM

Dear Buck: Thanks for the copy of Vintag e Airplane . I read the article about your Aeronca C-3 and I know how you must have felt on your first flight. I've been working on mine since '64 and still have a long way to go. Although I'm the third owner of mine, and it is complete in every respect, it was beyond any doubt the most "balled up" C-3 that was ever made. When I stripped it down, I found the fuselage was 6" to the left on fuselage tram from behind the cockpit to the tail post. After cutting every bay behind the cabin, I then straightened the fuselage out and added new tubing where needed. When I installed the engine, I found one side of the engine mount was 3/4" shorter at the lower mount (you guessed it, it was pointing the engine to the left). Then to top it off, the top mount was pointing the engine 3/8" up. I've just about finished getting the mount straightened. I might add, Buck, I have the drawings and dimensions for the C-3 motor mounts, if anyone ever needs them . Actually, I have the complete original "Engine and Airplane Hand Book." It covers all drawings, toler ances, parts numbers, "cost", (boy, w hat dreaming one can do looking at those prices!), parts break down, top over hauls and majors on the E107A, E113, El13A-B-C engines. Also, parts break-down on the Zenith carb, Stromberg carb and Bosch magneto. I had a copy made of the most important pages of the original hand book and put them together in a loose leaf notebook. I'll loan this out for copy only upon receipt of a $20.00 deposit, which will be returned if the book is re turned in good condition. I hate to have any money in volved but it's only for assurance of return and in good condition. I wouldn't want it used in a shop where it would become soiled - just for copy. The original was in good shape so copies could be made. There are several other pieces of information I'd like to pass along which I'm sure Aeronca people would be interested in. I'm able to repair some crankshafts that have been cracked. It all depends on just how bad the crack is as to whether a legal repair can be made. There is a machine shop here that can repair broken and cracked crankshafts. They have been very successful in rewelding broken truck cranks. I just finished repairing a shaft last week. The weld ing and magnafluxing cost $22.50. Machine work cost $12.00. I think this is darn cheap when it comes to saving a shaft. I'm also engineering repair on shafts that are broken. This is for front drive only. No throws. I don't have any cost on this as of now. It depends on which method the FAA O.K.'s and getting one sent through a shop for cost estimate. From drawings alone, several machine shops have given me estimates from $200 .00 to $275 .00. This would depend, too, on how many shafts I could get at one time to repair. I'm trying to find some place that would make com plete new shafts from the new metals we have for shafts today. This is a simple crank and can be made. The biggest problem is the quantity. The least quantity they will make is ten and they would prefer twenty-five. So I would need pledges from at least ten people before I can get any action. Off hand the cost would be approximately $350.00 to $475.00. This might seem like a lot of money but according

AROUND' THE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC WORLD

AROUND THE ANTIQUE/ CLASSIC WORLD

Aeronca Potpourri - Photo from EAA files.

to the 1935 price, they cost $160.00 each. I don't know of anything that hasn't raised at least four times over that period. I have an E-113 engine I would like to trade for a E-113C. The reason is that my C-3 is a 1936 model and used the E-113C engine. Somewhere along the way the E-113 was installed which was used on the early C-3 colle gian finished in duo-tone green fuselage with orange wings. Secondly, this had the open valves and it just couldn't be used out here in Arizona with all the dust and dirt. This was probably the hotest of all the Aeronca engines. The heads were of a hemispherical design with a .100 inch larger valve diameter and around .090 to .100 higher valve lift. The last time I ran the engine, it turned up 2450 rpm static. The engine has not been run for 12 years and would need a complete major. As far as I know now, the shaft is O.K. This is the way I would have to trade . . . for an engine that also needed complete major. There might be someone who has an E-113C that has an early C-3 they would want to keep original as possible. I know that this is a slim chance, but hope you will pass the word around. The E-113 was the type engine tha t was used in the C-1 that was built for racing and aerobatics. I have the front part of a 1936 C-3 fuselage . It is a complete framework from engine mount to splice joint behind the cockpit. I would like to trade for an E-113 A-B or C engine. It would all depend upon the condition of the engine as to what r would add to it. I have an extra set of landing gears, shock struts, wheels and brakes but no 3x7x16 tires. Have instrument panel (no instruments except original tach), floor boards, seat, can make doors, repairable elevator and stabilizer, can make upper cowl, fire wall and one extra set of 3" Goodyear wheels and bear

ings. The front fuselage section has about 30% new tubing with the rest of the tubing in good shape. All new tubing on the center backbone. All wing fittings are new and will be sandblasted and Glid-Plate primed. Wish you would pass this information along. I'm not interested in selling outright. Would much rather trade for E-113 A-B- or C engine - believe I can get paperwork as I have the tag from the instrument panel with the serial number and model. I have a place in California that will duplicate pistons in any size for the Aeronca engines. These are top grade forged pistons made for high heat and stress. They cost about $50.00 a copy which is about the cost of most alc pistons. You must have an old piston for weight and design along with exact cylinder diameter. I may have an extra wing for sale in the fu ture have to repair 2 wings for repairable wing and 1/2 wing. No ailerons. Speaking of ailerons, if someone can come up with some .012 2024 5.0. aluminum, I might be able to build ailerons. r have dies made to form skin but no .012 aluminum . Anyone know where I can get this? I can build wings, but these would be expensive. Anyone inter ested, would work on an estimate. No curiosity seekers, please. r need one 3x7x16 air wheel tire if anyone has one they are not going to use. Will buy or trade. r can make a complete 'set of bulkheads - birch or mahogany. r have possible useable 3x8x18 tires and tubes (2 each) for sale or trade. Will sell or trade only upon approval; they are weather-checked, but no breaks. Also, wheels and brakes if needed (Goodyear multi-disc). r have the Historical Aviation Album on Aeroncas, so if information is needed I might be able to supply.

I know where a K fuselage and landing gear are loca ted . Fuselage, doubtful use behind the cockpit but could be used for a pattern. Might be bought for $75.00 $85.00 (?). I read in yo ur " President's Page" where stick and rag men were getting hard to find. I've spent over 40 years with s.tick and rag. I wish I could find someone who could do good photo work and a write up on covering and wood work. I feel I have a world of know-how, but don't know how to pass it on. I've had 3 Grand Champion planes in that many years, plus a number of best in class. My last complete cover job won the best dope finish for a Pitts at the Oshkosh Fly-In this year. You might know the ownel - Walt Tubb. I see so many new processes on the market. True, they save time but that's about all. I've got dope jobs that were done in 1943 that were still good in 1967. Even in Arizona I can get 10 years, if I can do them my way. I have a method of tying the knots on the inside of the wing which really helps in looks and s peed without a strength loss. I have a tool I call a "scraper" which is made from an old file . It is very useful in removing fuzz and knots from Grade A and Irish linen - also to smooth ou t brush marks when build up is about complete. It also works well in feathering out patches and pinked rib tapes. The nice thing about scrapers is the s peed. It will cut sanding down to 1/4 once you learn to use them. You take a small 8" or 10" file to a machine shop and have one side sur face ground. Break the file in 2 pieces and shape on a bench grinder. The only bad thing is, you must have a bench grinder. Actually, with the money saved from sand paper, you can afford to buy one. I can scrape about .025 of dope off a square foot of surface in about 3 minutes. Try that with even wet sandpaper. Another nice thing about them is they ride on top of fabric and do not cut and scratch like sandpaper. Everyone who learns how to use these scrapers - and it's easy - won't use anything else. They are not the final answer, however - some fine sandpaper should be used in the end. I've used these scrapers on a nitratelbutyrate combination and never used one piece of sandpaper. They also work well in clean ing varnished wood for glue preparation. They should be kept sharp for best results - takes about 20 to 30 seconds to sharpen, once you learn how. I hope I've been able to pass on some information to you and to all who own Aeroncas. I will be glad to pass on anything I know to anybody about airplanes. I don't have any secrets. My knowledge is open to anyone and everyone. I believe the only way we can keep antique and experimental aviation progressing is to share and help each other. I'm not a man of monetary wealth, but I believe I have wealth of aviation knowledge which makes up for money. I want you to feel free, or anyone else, to pick my brain whenever you need . I'm almost always home at night, so if anyone wants to call, the number is 602/944-5882. I rarely get to bed before two o'clock in the morning (Mountain Time), so don't worry about late calls. Thanks again for the copy of The Vintage Airplane and remembering of my help in the Aeronca article. Sincerely yours, Joel Qualls 2902 West Alice Phoenix, Ariz. 85021

OREGON TAYLORCRAFT Dear Jack: The enclosed print of myoid T'Craft turned out so " pretty" I thought I should send it to you. I took the snap shot at Vernon Sudbeck's place (N. E. Nebraska, near Hartington) while en rou te to Oshkosh '73. I know you are undoubtedly "swamped" with photos from others who are equally as proud of their planes, but this old girl has taken me from Oregon to Oshkosh twice, and with its 1946 ferry trip, has surmounted the Continen tal divide five times, so I'm really proud of her. Sincerely yours, Gene Parker P.O. Box 1298

Medford, Ore. 97501

AVRO PROJECT Dear Sirs: I'm an A&P student trying to find help and information on a restoration project. I have a 1922 AVRO 594 biplane (maybe the pursuit model). I am minus fuselage and en gine. I am rebuilding the wings (equipped with Handley Page slats) and tail feathers, the landing gear floor pan (the area of the floor only that mounts the stick and rudder controls), flying wires, 1 airspeed indicator (Mark IV Newman Guardia LTD W. 1 No. 2533/B.W.), seats, and other hardware. I'm lost as far as what it is other than what I have. I've been told she takes a 125-165 h. p. Menasco inverted inline but that could be a replacement. I'm now waiting for replies to give me something that I can start this project. I need drawings, blue prints, specs, pictures, history of this type alc and personal experiences with this type plus parts and engines. If you could give some address.es of persons who I can talk to ... Thanks. Sincerely, Milo A. de Grassi 1080 Best Rd . HOJlister, Calif. 95023

AROUND THE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC WOR LD

LAMBERT PARTS

I JUST CAME across seme arlcient mags, carburetor, and an oil tank for a Monocoupe 90A. They are parts I once bought together with a spare engine for a 90 h. p. Lambert that I wish I still had' With all the money floating around this country, you'd think somebody could resurrect one of those fine old radial engines. Open cockpit airplanes need radial engines! Just returned from Dayton with a beautiful little Con tinental A-40 restored to better than original. Hope to get going on my Heath Centerwing real soon now. All I need now is a pair of old style Cleveland wheels (6:00x6) like the old Champ and Chief had with the shoe type brake. Let me know anytime you find some. Lloyd Gabriel R t. 2, Box 440A Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. 49783

Jack Gardiner's Curtiss replica.

CURTISS PUSHER Dear Buck: Last time I talked or wrote to you was in October 1972 and that was about Breezy N-6G which left in the great June line squall in Burlington this summer. I bought another Breezy right after that in Oregon, flew it for a year and sold it this past September to one of the FAA inspectors in Santa Monica. And now to the point of the matter - Since you're the indicated El Presidente of the EAA Antique and Classic Division, I'd like to join, pay my dues 'or whatever, get the triangular patch with the Wright Flyer and all because ... I own one of the only remainin'g true copies of the original 1911-1912 Curtiss Pushers. Mine ~as made in 1960 by Carl Mueller of Sacramento who was a mechanic and flew for Glenn Curtiss at his winter flying camp in North Island, San Diego during the years 1911-1915. Mine has the original awkward Curtiss airfoil, the pigeon tailed triangular horizontal stabilizers, the lateral balancing rudders mounted mid-distance between the wings, the non-steerable nosewheel, rudder bar - the whole bit except for the powerplant. And that's a massive Franklin 65 h.p. that gives me 45 mph top speed and 40 mph stall. The aircraft sinks whenever out of the wind - it sinks wh~never a turn is initiated due to high drag created by the lateral rudders, as Curtiss called them and it does a number of other cute things . But I dearly love it and per haps some day next spring you can watch it operate. Best Long Winded Regards, Jack Gardiner Box 133 Mill Valley! Cal. 94941

A BEAUTIFUL CHIEF Dear Sirs: Please find enclosed a photo of our recently restored Aeronca Chief Model 11AC. The owners are Keith Locke (EAA 75247) and Clarence Hydorn, both of lola, Kansas. We both work for the lola Fire Department and work every other day, thus we were able to complete this project in only 4 1/2 months. The airplane is as near factory original as we could get it, even to using the original Aeronca Emblems and num bers from the old fabric for patterns and making stencils to apply the new ones. It has all the original instruments and hand starter, which works beautifully, and certainly gets a lot of attention when used. We are extremely proud of our bird and are looking forward to bringing it to Oshkosh 1974. Yours very truly, Keith Locke, EAA 75247 910 North Sycamore lola, Ks. 66749 P.S. The photo is by "K" Studio, lola, Ks.

KUDOS Dear Paul: I wish to thank you, your staff and fellow members of the EAA for the fine job that they're doing to preserve flying for the little guy who just owns a plane and Hies for the enjoyment of it. In the short period of time that I've been associated with he EAA, I've met some of the finest and most con genial people that I could ever hope to know. Neeclless to say, this has made my love for airplanes and flying much more enjoyable. I know you like for your members to keep you posted on what aircraft they are working on. My interest seems to fall more along the line of classics and antiques. I have just completed my Aeronca 65CA and I am presently work ing on my Rearwin 9000L. I also have an Aeronca C-3 that I someday hope to find enough parts to put this old bird back in the air. Keep up the good work! We fun fliers need you. Sincerely, Richard C. Frye Box 145 Elderton, Pa. 15736

1917 Standard No. 6948 with a 4-cylinder, Hail Scott A7A (5 114" bore, 7" stroke - 100 hp. at 1400 rpm) . The Hail Scott was later replaced with Curtiss OXX.Q.

PETER BRYN -

Two 1917 Standard J-1s. 6948, left, is equipped with a Curtiss OXX.Q engine and 163, right, has a Mercedes · Benz.

THE TRAVEL AIR KING

Most dedicated antique airplane buffs have heard of Peter Bryn of Dazey, North Dakota. He's the fellow who had the foresight to collect a whole farm full of now rare antique aircraft - mostly Travel Air 4000s - down through the years. Now, of course, each of his old timers is a very valuable artifact of aviation's Golden Age. Recently, Mr. Bryn sent along the pictures you see here. Some are of aircraft he has owned, some are of aircraft he still owns. In any case, we sincerely thank him for the opportunity to share the photographs with all of you. WILLARD F. SCHrv;; ii'

AO.2Z ROCKY RIVER DR. NO. 22

DI WQ..AND..

OHIO ~\_

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.. II h d 110 W · 4000 It 1929 TraveI A J( . ongtna y a a arner. /I th !"ttl "b bbl " f . . . h . N ( a Ice a . e l e u e amngs tn t e upper wtng where the tie rods attach .

1929 Travel Air 2000, N-{)66H, with a Curtiss OXX.Q. .. " George A. Battles IS the pilot. Peter Bryn stili owns this one. Notice the brakeless wire spoked wheels and the grass piled up in frantof the tail skid. Those were the days!

CALENDAR OF EVENTS JUNE 13·16 - TULLAHOMA, TENNESSEE - National Staggerwing Club Fly-In. Contact W. C. "Dub" Yarbrough , Lannom Mfg . Co., Box 500, Tullahoma, Tennessee 37388.

JULY 31 - AUGUST 6 . -OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - NEW DATES 22nd Annual EAA International Ay- In Convention . Largest and best Antiqu e and Classic gathering anywhere. Make your plans and res ervations ea rly .

Back Issues Of The Vi ntage Ai rplane Limited numbers of back issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE are available at .SOc each. Copies still on hand at EAA Headquarters are: June 1973 July 1973

Au gust 1973 September 1973

October 1973 November 1973

December 1973 January 1974