Va Vol 49 no 2 Mar Apr 2021

MARCH / APRIL 2021

MIGHTY CADET FLYING JUNKMAN CLASSICS CLASSIFIED

VIVA

VEGA

Trademark(s) of North American Car and Truck of the Year Corporation used under license by Ford Motor Company.

THE TRUCK THAT NEVER SET TLES. 2021 NORTH AMERIC AN TRUCK OF THE YE AR™

T H E

2 0 2 1

F O R D

F - 1 5 0

Message From the President

March/April 2021

SUSAN DUSENBURY, VAA PRESIDENT

STAFF Publisher: Jack J. Pelton, EAA CEO and Chairman of the Board

Moving Forward

Vice President of Publications, Marketing, and Membership: Jim Busha / jbusha@eaa.org Senior Copy Editor: Colleen Walsh Copy Editors: Tom Breuer, Jennifer Knaack

BY THE TIME ALL OF YOU READ THIS,

plans for EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021 will be well on the way. With this letter being written in late January, planning for AirVenture during the COVID-19 pandemic is at times a “moving target.” Having said that, there are some basic absolutes such as the obvious decision to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. So, with that in mind, we have moved forward with whatever preparations we can under the current guidelines.

I’ll have to admit that I have enjoyed my time here on my farm as somewhat of a COVID-induced recluse. I, like so many of you, have flown more than I normally would (thanks to the self-serve fueling option at my local airport and to having a runway in my front yard!) and have actually had time to work on some projects. I now have both heat and air conditioning in my hangar and am currently changing the engine on my Taylor J-2 Cub. Judging from the rumor mill and from what I have gleaned from the internet, a lot of you are doing the same. We can probably expect to see some newly restored and fascinating airplanes on the Vintage flightline this upcoming summer. And speaking of flightlines, I am happy to say that ground work/ improvements were made in the Vintage aircraft parking and taxi area near Taxiway Papa 5. Those of you who attended AirVenture 2019 will remember that quite a number of parking spaces in that area were unusable (as was a portion of the taxiway) due to the standing water caused by an unusually high amount of rain. Problem solved!

Other behind-the-scenes work done before AirVenture always includes building repairs and improvements along with a splash of paint here and there. At the time of this writing, our team of maintenance volunteers hasn’t been allowed on the fly-in grounds due to COVID restrictions. The one person who has access to our buildings is VAA Executive Assistant Amy Lemke who, when it was mentioned that the VAA buildings needed to be inspected for water, gamely donned a pair of duck boots one rainy day and headed out to inspect the buildings for leaking roofs and standing water. I am happy to report that no water or chipmunks were found anywhere.

It’s a long story, but we did have a family of chipmunks living in the VAA Red Barn a couple of years ago. We were able to locate a company that specializes in wild animal relocation. I am sure those chipmunks are happy in their new home about 20 miles south, and Red Barn Store Chair Mary Knutson is happy about this, too!

We can probably expect to see some newly restored and fascinating airplanes on the Vintage flightline this upcoming summer.

Proofreader: Meghan Plummer Graphic Designer: Cordell Walker

ADVERTISING Advertising Manager: Sue Anderson / sanderson@eaa.org

CONTACT US Mailing Address: VAA, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903 Website: www.eaavintage.org Email: vintageaircraft@eaa.org Phone: 800-564-6322 Visit www.eaavintage.org for the latest in information and news.

Current EAA members may join the Vintage Aircraft Association and receive Vintage Airplane magazine for an additional $45/year.

EAA membership, Vintage Airplane magazine, and one-year membership in the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association are available for $55 per year (Sport Aviation magazine not included). (Add $7 for International Postage.)

Foreign Memberships Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars. Add required foreign postage amount for each membership.

Membership Service P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 Monday–Friday, 8 AM—6 PM CST Join/Renew 800-564-6322 membership@eaa.org EAA AirVenture Oshkosh www.EAA.org/AirVenture

CONTINUED ON PAGE 64

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES

888-322-4636

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Contents FE AT UR E S

12 Cadet Comeback The triumphant return of a Culver classic

By Hal Bryan

22 Reviewing the Classics A complete 1945-1955 buyer’s guide

By Budd Davisson

32 Shining Star Walt Bowe’s Lockheed Vega

By Rich Davidson

42 Long-Distance Flyer The odyssey of the flying ‘Junkman’

By Mark Carlson

52 Cub Flying

By Joe Costanza

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Stars and Stripes over a J-3 Cub — it doesn’t get more patriotic than that!

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE COSTANZA

March/April 2021 / Vol. 49, No. 2

COLUM NS 01

Message From the President

By Susan Dusenbury

04

Friends of the Red Barn

06

Air Mail

08

How To? Construct a Wing Rib Fixture

By Robert G. Lock

10

Good Old Days

60

The Vintage Mechanic My Thoughts on Propeller Care, Part I

By Robert G. Lock

64

Flymart

COV ER S

Front Scott Slocum zooms in on Walt Bowe and his Shell Vega over Northern California.

Back Flying at its simplest and purest form: A Cub skims the morning fog over New Jersey.

Photography by Joe Costanza

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? Send your thoughts to the Vintage editor at jbusha@eaa.org.

For missing or replacement magazines, or any other membership-related questions, please call EAA Member Services at 800-JOIN-EAA (564-6322).

www.eaavintage.org

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Friends of the

RED BARN 2021-2022

DEAR FRIENDS,

For one week every year a temporary city of about 50,000 people is created in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on the grounds of Wittman Regional Airport. We call the temporary city EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. During this one week, EAA and our communities, including the Vintage Aircraft Association, host more than 500,000 pilots and aviation enthusiasts along with their families and friends.

With the support of the very capable VAA officers, directors, and more than 600 volunteers, the Vintage Aircraft Association annually welcomes more than 1,100 vintage showplanes throughout the week of AirVenture on our nearly 1.3-mile flightline. We continue to work to bring an array of valuable services and interesting programs to the VAA membership and to all of our Vintage Village visitors during this magical week. Across Wittman Road and in front of our flagship building, the VAA Red Barn, we will feature some really interesting airplanes, including the beautiful past Vintage Grand Champions, an array of fun and affordable aircraft, and some exciting rare and seldom-seen aircraft. In Vintage Village proper we have a hospitality service, a bookstore, a general store (the Red Barn Store), youth programs, educational forums, and much more.

As you can imagine, creating the infrastructure to support these displays, as well as the programs offered during the week, is both time-consuming and costly, but they are made possible thanks to donations from our wonderful members.

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As your president, I am inviting you on behalf of the Vintage Aircraft Association to join our association’s once-a-year fundraising campaign — Friends of the Red Barn (FORB).

The services and programs that we provide for our members and guests during AirVenture are made possible through our FORB fundraising efforts.

A donation from you — no matter how large or small — supports the dream of aviation for aviators and aviation enthusiasts of all ages and levels of involvement. We invite you to join us in supporting this dream through the Friends of the Red Barn.

I thank you in advance for your continued support of the Vintage Aircraft Association as we move this premier organization forward on behalf of our membership and the vintage aircraft movement.

If you have already made a 2021-2022 FORB contribution, thank you for your dedication and support of the vintage aircraft movement.

I look forward to seeing you all in Vintage Village at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh beginning July 26, 2021!

SUSAN DUSENBURY, PRESIDENT VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON, SCOTT SLOCUM

C A L L F O R V I N TA G E A I R CR A F T A S S O CI AT I O N

Nominate your favorite vintage aviator for the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame. A great honor could be bestowed upon that man or woman working next to you on your airplane, sitting next to you in the chapter meeting, or walking next to you at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Think about the people in your circle of aviation friends: the mechanic, historian, photographer, or pilot who has shared innumerable tips with you and with many others. They could be the next VAA Hall of Fame inductee — but only if they are nominated.

The person you nominate can be a citizen of any country and may be living or deceased; his or her involvement in vintage aviation must have occurred between 1950 and

the present day. His or her contribution can be in the areas of flying, design, mechanical or aerodynamic developments, administration, writing, some other vital and relevant field, or any combination of fields that support aviation. The person you nominate must be or have been a member of the Vintage Aircraft Association or the Antique/Classic Division of EAA, and preference is given to those whose actions have contributed to the VAA in some way, perhaps as a volunteer, a restorer who shares his expertise with others, a writer, a photographer, or a pilot sharing stories, preserving aviation history, and encouraging new pilots and enthusiasts.

To nominate someone is easy. It just takes a little time and a little reminiscing on your part.

•Think of a person; think of his or her contributions to vintage aviation.

•Write those contributions in the various categories of the nomination form.

•Write a simple letter highlighting these attributes and contributions. Make copies of newspaper or magazine articles that may substantiate your view.

•If at all possible, have another individual (or more) complete a form or write a letter about this person, confirming why the person is a good candidate for induction.

We would like to take this opportunity to mention that if you have nominated someone for the VAA Hall of Fame, nominations for the honor are kept on file for three years, after which the nomination must be resubmitted.

Mail nominating materials to: VAA Hall of Fame, c/o Amy Lemke VAA PO Box 3086 Oshkosh, WI 54903 Email: alemke@eaa.org

Find the nomination form at www.VintageAircraft.org, or call the VAA office for a copy (920-426-6110), or on your own sheet of paper, simply include the following information: •Date submitted.

•Name of person nominated.

•Address and phone number of nominee.

•Email address of nominee.

•Date of birth of nominee. If deceased, date of death.

•Name and relationship of nominee’s closest living relative.

•Address and phone of nominee’s closest living relative.

•VAA and EAA number, if known. (Nominee must have been or be a VAA member.)

•Time span (dates) of the nominee’s contributions to vintage aviation.

(Must be between 1950 to present day.)

•Area(s) of contributions to aviation.

•Describe the event(s) or nature of activities the nominee has undertaken in aviation to be worthy of induction into the VAA Hall of Fame.

•Describe achievements the nominee has made in other related fields in aviation.

•Has the nominee already been honored for his or her involvement in aviation and/or the contribution you are stating in this petition? If yes, please explain the nature of the honor and/or award the nominee has received.

•Any additional supporting information.

•Submitter’s address and phone number, plus email address.

•Include any supporting material with your petition.

Air Mail SHORT WING POPULARITY JUST GOT THE ISSUE AND READ FIRST the history of the PA22 (“History Lesson,” January/February Vintage Airplane).

Their history is interesting.

I worked for an architectural firm in Houston whose founder, Bill Caudell, had owned a Tri-Pacer (’52-ish). He wrote many stories and small books, all — no matter the subject matter — he would relate it to architectural design.

He flew himself and three of his partners/staff in the TriPacer to Washington, D.C., for a meeting/presentation in the early ’50s. That would have been an interesting trip.

I have owned and flown a 1946 Bellanca Cruisair N86728 since December 1991. Attended Oshkosh in ’95, 2014, ’15, ’16, and ’19. And won the Outstanding Cruisair award in ’14.

I would very much enjoy seeing a similar article about the early Bellanca Cruisair series, from the three-place to the Cruisemaster. I know there are a lot less Cruisairs as there are PA-22s, but their history can be as much or more interesting.

Jeffrey C. Warren EAA 298249 VAA 13537

I JUST FINISHED READING SPARKY’S ARTICLE (“All in the Family”) in the January/February issue of Vintage Airplane. She really hit a home run! In my opinion, this is her best article to date, and I think she has connected with many pilots that have similar stories in their past. The entire time I was reading it, my mind kept flashing back to experiences I have had with my own father. Frankly, I had to stop several times and dry my eyes so I could continue. The aviation portion and family story are so strongly connected I’m not sure if they could be separated — and why would anyone want to.

My thanks to her for sharing her family with all of the readers and for her love of aviation. Her father was correct, “If you do that, it will never leave you.” I am so thankful that it is true.

Alan Brakefield

I WANTED YOU TO KNOW HOW MUCH I ENJOYED the January/ February Vintage Airplane magazine and read every story!

I am a Piper fan so it was great to read articles about people I know, airplanes I know, and places I’ve been. I enjoy most of the writers, but Sparky Barnes stories are the ones I look forward to in any publication. I will scan the table of contents and read her articles first. She has a way of making the aircraft and owners come together in a comfortable, inviting way. I always learn something new and interesting from her writings.

Once again thank you for the latest Vintage Airplane magazine showcasing Piper aviation, and I look forward to more aviation news through all of my EAA publications.

THIS IS A QUICK NOTE TO SAY how much I enjoyed the January/February Vintage Airplane issue. Dedicating the entire issue to the short wing Pipers was brilliant! I read every page of the articles and learned something on each page. I’ve enjoyed this issue more than any I can remember — each author did a great job, and the photos and the comparative data tables added a lot!

I’d love to see more issues taking a deep dive on a particular aircraft. Please continue this type of coverage from time to time.

I’d be happy to help should you ever wish to feature the Cessna 190/195. I’ve owned mine for 35 years so I’m pretty familiar with the type.

Rosemary A. Duckworth EAA 87492 VAA 1206

Coyle Schwab EAA Lifetime 404473 VAA 20984

Donald E. Duck EAA 43797 VAA 14204

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March/April 2021

YESTERDAY I RECEIVED MY VINTAGE AIRPLANE MAGAZINE. You did a good job for the short wing Piper. I’ve had my PA-17 for 45 years. When I saw the specs for the PA-17 on page 55, why did they show a PA-15? One of the three differences between the two was a -15 had a solid gear strut and the -17 had shock cords. Our oldest son has a -15, but it is two-thirds a -17. It has an 80hp Continental and dual controls.

Keep up the good work.

How To? ROBERT G. LOCK

CONSTRUCT A WING RIB FIXTURE

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

TO CONSTRUCT A WING RIB, a holding fixture must be made. It is

common to use a flat board, such as a piece of good pine board that may measure 1 inch by 12 inches by 72 inches. If no good flat pine wood can be found, then consider using some 3/4-inch plywood of the same dimensions. Hopefully, an example of an original wing rib is nearby; however, in some cases where there are no ribs available it will be necessary to loft a full-size drawing of the rib outline.

Coordinates for lofting a rib can be found in airfoil data books or from old NACA data. We won’t go into how to loft a wing rib at this time.

First, trace the outline of the rib and all its diagonal and vertical members. Then, cut out blanks to represent the spar dimensions.

The spar blanks will be placed at the appropriate location in the wing rib. (Figure 1 and Figure 2.)

PHOTO 1

PHOTO 2

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 2

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The small wood blocks should be drilled in advance of gluing and nailing to the base wood to prevent splitting. The blocks will guide cap strips and truss members in their proper location. Photo 1, scanned from the ANC-19 book, shows a Boeing factory worker nailing up a model PT-13/PT-17 wing rib. The plywood gussets are precut and are in bins at the top of the table. This speeds up fabrication time. I usually cut all the gussets and place them in small cardboard boxes numbered as to their location. The spar blanks are precisely located and glued to the base, and they will accurately locate the vertical members on each side of the spar. If I anticipate difficulty sliding the spars through their respective openings, I will leave the vertical member on the rear side of the front spar and the front side of the rear spar out of the rib, slide the ribs on, and then insert the two vertical members and glue in place. This makes for a good, accurate fit.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES

Coordinates for lofting a rib can be found in airfoil data books or from old NACA data.

Photo 2 shows a close-up of my Command-Aire rib fixture made from aluminum instead of wood. I once had plans to construct five airplanes, but struggled to build just one. The wing rib shown is an original factory part. Rather than use triangular or square plywood gussets, the factory chose to use long plywood gussets that bridged from one vertical upright to the next, also reinforcing the cap strips.

It took a lot of mahogany plywood to make these and there was much waste, which in today’s market is costly. I remember the first sheet of 1/16-inch-by-4-foot-by-8-foot aircraft-grade mahogany plywood cost me $20, but that was back in 1959.

Finally, back in the old days, my father, Leonard (Photo 3), who built most of the wing ribs, and I are assembling the right lower wing on the Command-Aire. The wing was assembled and then attached to the fuselage to assure proper fit.

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PHOTO 3

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Good Old Days

From the pages of what was ...

Take a quick look through history by enjoying images pulled from publications past.

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March/April 2021

www.eaavintage.org

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THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF A CULVER CLASSIC

BY HAL BRYAN

EITH UNZICKER, EAA 575959/VAA 726533, didn’t want to restore an airplane. He wanted to build one.

“I got interested in the Culver STF that was designed by Neal La France from Kansas,” he said. “He took the wood Culver and designed a steel-tube fuselage and drew up plans for it, sold them for a while. So I got excited about that, and because I’m a corporate pilot and I get to travel, I ended up out in San Diego and I called him and I talked to him, went over to his hangar and visited with him for a few hours and talked about the project and plans and got to go flying in his steel-tube version of the Culver Cadet.”

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Keith bought a set of plans and went home and got to work. He built the tail section and a few other pieces and then realized that it would be a lot easier if he could buy a parts airplane and reuse some pieces from the wing, the landing gear, etc., rather than building everything himself. In 2010, he found one on Barnstormers.com.

“So I found this project over in northern Indiana,” he said.

“It was an estate sale, and I was going to just start robbing parts off of it, but after I got it, I realized it had some pretty significant history as far as winning an air race in 1941, owned and flown by a lady, and all the pieces were there for the most part. … I got it home and immediately tore it all apart and fixed a lot of parts that needed repair and bad wood and bad fabric and, anyway, got real excited about the Culver then.”

Keith immediately shifted gears and decided that he’d rather restore his parts donor than build the STF. “I think I have a pretty cool piece of history right here,” he said.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM BUSHA

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TAKE COMM AND OF THE SKYWAYS That history dates back more than 80 years and involves a couple of pretty big names in aviation.

Back when Al Mooney worked for Lambert Aircraft/Monocoupe, he designed a sharp little low-wing taildragger called the Monosport G. When Monocoupe ran into financial trouble, Al got together with a Monocoupe dealer named Knight K. Culver, bought the rights to the Monosport, and formed the Dart Manufacturing Company. The company quickly evolved into Culver Aircraft, and the airplane became the Culver Dart.

Tasked with upgrading the Dart to achieve better performance on a smaller engine, Al set to work and designed the Model L, later named Cadet. While the various production Darts had been powered by a variety of radial engines ranging from 90-125 hp, the first Cadet was built around a 75-hp, four-cylinder Continental A75. Like the Dart, the Cadet, which first flew in December 1939, was a low-wing, two-seat taildragger, but it incorporated several upgrades, the most obvious being the hand-cranked retractable landing gear.

While the Dart was built around a steel-tube fuselage, the Cadet’s was a semi-monocoque structure made of wood, covered with a stressed skin that the company described as “reinforced plastic type material.” The fuselage was then covered in fabric, contributing to the airplane’s slick slipperiness, both aesthetically and aerodynamically.

The fabric-covered wings were built around a laminated spruce and mahogany built-up spar, reinforced with a steel truss. The cantilever wings, with their “baby Spitfire” elliptical shape and a low-profile airfoil, made for some potentially rough stall behavior, which was mitigated with the installation of fixed slots that helped with lowspeed controllability.

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The Cadet’s empty weight was 750 pounds, nearly 200 pounds lighter than the Dart, and the gross weight of 1,305 pounds gave it a useful load of 555 pounds. After you subtract 120 pounds for full fuel, you’re left with 435 pounds to fill the seats and the 50-pound-capacity baggage compartment. The lighter weight helped with the goal of more performance on fewer horsepower — the Cadet boasted a cruise speed of 120 mph, sipping about 4 gph for a maximum range of about 600 miles. A factory brochure circa 1940 promised “big plane appearance, pursuit performance, air liner stability” to anyone willing to spend $2,395 to “take command of the skyways with a sensational Culver Cadet.”

The prototype Cadet was built at the former Dart factory in Columbus, Ohio, after which the company relocated to Wichita, Kansas, and the Culvers were bought out by none other than Walter Beech, who kept the name and installed himself as vice president. The Continental-powered Cadet became the Cadet LCA and was quickly followed by the Cadet LFA, which was powered by an 80-hp

I thi n k I h ave a pretty cool piece of histor y r i ght here.

— K EITH U NZI CK ER

Franklin engine and included an electrical system and a starter. Cadet production wrapped up after the United States entered World War II in December 1941, but by that time, the company had already started shifting its focus to the military market, building a series of optionally piloted, radio-controlled target drones based on the Cadet.

Like everyone else, the powers that be at Culver looked ahead to the end of the war. They produced a series of promotional publications called Culver’s Going Places, and in one of them, they published a tribute to the Cadet titled, “To a dear departed friend.” It was a response to customers who had written to urge the company to resume production of the Cadet after the war was over. The company said it was grateful for the sentiments, but said that its obligation to the military pilots who were currently serving “ as well as those millions who will want to learn to fly postwar transcends a rework job on an old design.” The company promised to “ give the flying public the benefit of design experience gained during the war in the New Culver which will be introduced when America is again flying on the wings of peace.” The New Culver was designed in 1945 and became the Culver V, the V, of course, for victory.

Fewer than 100 were built, the company went bankrupt, and Al and his brother Arthur left to (re)form the Mooney Aircraft Co.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM BUSHA

NC20988 Keith’s Cadet, serial No. 117, was built in 1940, and registered as NC20988. One of the airplane’s first owners was a Culver dealer, an avid and successful race pilot named Edna Gardner Whyte. Born in Minnesota in 1902, Edna learned to fly when she was 29 and went on to a long and successful career as an instructor, owning multiple flight schools over the years. During her racing career, she won more than two dozen races and placed in many more. In January 1941, flying NC20988, she won the Alcazar trophy as part of the Miami All American Air Maneuvers race. The Alcazar was a women’s race consisting of one lap over a 25-mile course, open to pilots flying airplanes with engines of less than 200 cubic inches of displacement.

“I don’t think she had it for more than a few years,” Keith said. NC20988 made the papers in the mid-1960s when then-owner William Magnuson put it on its back in the snow at the Richard I. Bong Airport (KSUW) in Superior, Wisconsin. “And then it sat in Minnesota for quite a while being repaired, and then that’s the state that the previous owner to me bought it [in]. It had a little bit of vandalism done to it with baseball bats. The owner that I bought it from trailered it from Minnesota back to Charlestown, Indiana, in the late ’70s, I believe it was. He had it for probably 30 years, with good intentions of getting it done, and life caught up to him and he passed away before it was finished. Then I got it in 2010.”

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C ADET CONSTUCTION SEVEN YEARS’ EFFORT

The Culver takes shape.

Restoring an airplane is a family affair. Keith’s kids were a big help, and provided a lot of encouragement when it came time to paint.

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Keith had completed two other projects prior to starting on the Cadet, a Piper Tri-Pacer and then an Aeronca Chief that he restored for a friend who’d bought it as a retirement gift to himself.

This experience set him up nicely to restore the Culver, and to do it right.

“There was quite a bit of woodwork done to repair the fuselage and the tail and different things, but since the previous owner had such a long rebuild time, I think it was probably 30 years that he had it, some of the things got damaged in storage,” Keith said. “The son of the previous person said, ‘Yeah, my brother was chasing me through the shed on our bikes, and that hole in the leading edge is from my pedal, or with a wheelbarrow, or something like that. Dad was so mad at us.’”

Keith stripped down the airplane and set to work.

“When I picked up the tail it just rattled on the inside, so I knew that this top skin had to come off, which was all plywood, and figure out what was going on,” he said. “I removed the skin of the plywood tail, fixed a lot of loose gussets on the wing. The spar, though, is the original spar, and it’s in very good shape. There were a few places on the trailing edge that needed some wood repair and some work. I did that all with the guidance of AC-43.13 and all that. I am an A&P and IA, so that makes it easy to do repairs myself and make it all legal and legit and safe.

That’s the big part.”

The previous owner had a Continental O-200 that he’d intended to install, but Keith sold that and bought the proper A75-8.

“They built thousands of these engines. This is one of the only applications that on the type certificate data sheet requires an oil cooler,” he said. “You don’t find those lying around either so I bought the engine. It came off a Taylorcraft and [I] had to find an oil cooler to make it all work. And I found that out at Pacific Oil Coolers out in California.”

Keith enjoyed digging in and doing the research, developing the historical detective skills that all good restorers ultimately embrace.

One of the other challenges in outfitting the engine was trying to find an air-intake box for the carburetor. “You can’t find it, you can’t make it, it’s just impossible, so I ended up putting a bracket air filter and intake on it and got that all approved, and it’s a little bit of the new with the old,” he said. “It would’ve been nice to make it all completely original, but some of that’s just not practical.”

When it came time to find a propeller, well, he couldn’t.

“I think I was up at Oshkosh, probably in 2012 or something like that, talking to the Sensenich people, and I knew that they had it on their PMA list that they could make this propeller,” he said. “I was talking to them, and they’re like, ‘Oh, we never heard of that before. I don’t think we can make that.’ And I said, ‘Well, it says right here you can.’ He said, ‘Well, if it says that, then I guess we can.’ So they went back to their files, I guess, and found the documentation that they could make it, so they did.”

Keith describes the wood prop with its brass leading edge as a work of art. He was frugal on the project where it made sense, but he said that the prop was worth spending the extra money on to get it absolutely right.

One of the more unusual features of the Cadet is the interconnect between the throttle and the landing gear. Today we’re used to warning horns that sound when the gear is up, and the throttle is reduced below a particular range. The mechanism on the Cadet goes a step further and physically prevents the pilot from reducing the throttle below about 1900 rpm while the gear is retracted.

“It’s ingenious,” he said. “I’ve got to hand it to the designers, Al Mooney and his group that did it. … I had a little bit of documentation from the Culver factory. There were some service letters and I just re-created everything, and it really works great. So, on the throttle hookup to the carburetor, I had a little thin plate made so when I pull that throttle back, that plate stays with the throttle arm, and then there’s a follow-through cable with just a pushrod that goes to the gear up-and-down lock lever, and that slides that pin either in the way of the throttle so you can’t bring it back, or out of the way so you can, depending on your gear position.”

Retracting or extending the gear requires about eight quarter-turns of what looks kind of like a sideways trim wheel mounted on the center spar carry-through between the pilot and passenger. Leaf springs behind each wheel ensure the oil struts are fully extended so that the wheel fits properly into the well when the gear is retracted. When it’s time to lower the gear, visual verification comes from a pair of small Plexiglas windows near the cockpit floor.

While the airplane originally had a nonsteerable, fully castering tail wheel, Keith’s was upgraded to a steerable version long before he bought it. The airplane does, however, still have the original Hayes expander tube brakes. Keith is considering a set of Clevelands or something from Grove, but the brakes work well enough as is, and he appreciates the originality.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF KEITH UNZICKER

The Cadet’s clean lines are apparent, even before the final paint goes on.

You’re never too young to help hang an engine.

The Cadet has a mahogany plywood panel that Keith built using the original as a template, though he changed the layout a bit.

“The original layout didn’t really have anything on the right-hand side and then a mishmash of stuff on the left,” he said. “So, I went in with just basic flight instruments, and here’s where I varied a little bit from the original. I just didn’t feel like it needed to have a whole lot of avionics or instruments or anything. There’s no battery. There’s no alternator. I’m not putting any radios in it so I wanted to keep it simple but yet have it be aesthetically pleasing. It looks like it could be original … It’s a small, simple airplane, and if you overcomplicate it, it gets heavy and it gets doggier and slow, and it’s best served by keeping it simple like that.”

The throttle, mixture, and carb and cabin heat knobs are mounted vertically in the center of the panel. The unconventional layout stems from the fact that the cables from each knob are routed through a pass-through hole in the middle of the 20-gallon fuel tank that’s installed just behind the panel. There’s a visual float fuel gauge just below the panel that came right out of a Ford Model A, while the door handles originally came from a 1930s Plymouth. Keith only had one of those, and couldn’t find a matching spare, so he made his own out of a block of aluminum. “It’s pretty close,” he said. “It’s not exact, but you can only see one at a time when you’re looking at it.”

Off to the left side of the panel, there’s another bit of ingenuity hidden in plain sight.

“One other thing that’s a little bit different about my panel is … the mag switch,” Keith said. “I’ve got a real Bendix key attached to that red handle and so it’s basically just a faceplate. … It came with the original mag switch beyond repair and not worth the money, and I already had a switch that fit, so I just installed the switch to the panel and put this cover plate over it and put the key inside this red handle and love it. It wasn’t my idea. I copied it from somebody else.”

Another switch in the cockpit is connected to LED nav lights powered by a removable, 12-volt, sealed motorcycle battery. Keith doesn’t fly at night, but the lights do provide some extra visibility both early and late in the day.

“I can control a lot of things about the airplane, but I can’t control whether or not someone else sees me, so I figured it’d be helpful to have something on there,” he said.

The airplane is covered with Poly-Fiber fabric and Stewart Systems paint. The Cadets left the factory with one of two general paint schemes, standard and deluxe. “There was a standard, which was one base color with a narrow stripe straight down the fuselage. I was going to go that way, and my kids kind of talked me into trying a little harder and doing the deluxe scheme,” Keith said. “Laying out the scallops took a lot of effort, and I wasn’t completely confident in my painting ability and things like that, but [I’ve] got to hand it to my kids, they kept encouraging me to do it … So, I laid out the scallops and took cues from every Culver design I could ever find on the internet. … You lay out the scallops, you rip it off and you lay them out again, you rip it off, and [I] finally got to the point where I didn’t have to rip it off, so I painted them.”

FINALLY FLYING And then, after seven years, it was time to stop restoring and start flying. Kevin hadn’t flown an original Cadet prior to that first flight, but he had been checked out in the STF about seven or eight years earlier, so he had some idea as to what to expect.

“I got to the point where I was doing some higher-speed taxis,” he said. “I have about a 2,000foot grass runway here and I can do whatever I want on it, so it was pretty nice to have that freedom. Then I got to the point where I’m done with taxi testing, I’m done with engine testing, everything’s working the way it’s supposed to. And I had a few friends come over that are also pilots and A&Ps and just airplane friends, and I said, ‘Can you sniff at it? Find something wrong?’ And nobody’s ever had anything to say suggestion-wise. And, yeah, [I] waited till a nice windless day and I didn’t have a crowd or anything.”

In October 2017, an airplane that had sat for 45 of its 77 years flew once again.

“The first flight, I would say, went really well,” he said. “It takes a lot of work, involves a lot of people, moral support, and for me that’s just fun. But having it fly the first time, it’s awesome to be able to tell your friends. I took a few pictures of the wing in flight and sent it to all my airplane friends while I was still flying … That’s a really satisfying feeling.”

After that flight, Keith had no major complaints.

“All first flights after the rebuild or a new airplane are totally special. Unfortunately, the euphoria of that is quickly squashed by the, ‘I still got to do this, and I still got to do that’ … It is a little bit wing-heavy on one side. I’m reluctant to put a trim tab on the aileron because it messes a little with the way it looks, but I can compensate for that in other ways.” Other than that, the only other squawk was that the throttle-gear interconnect needed a little bit of adjustment.

“I don’t know if it’s the low wing or the way the gear is, but it’s the easiest taildragger I’ve ever flown,” he said. He praised the rudder effectiveness and described the airplane as being sensitive in pitch and stiff in roll. “I fly with my fingertips in pitch and my biceps in roll, and it’s fine,” he said.

The Cadet lifts off at about 55 mph and, perhaps surprisingly, delivers factory numbers of 120 mph at 4 gph in cruise. “High-speed cruise, wide open, I can probably get close to 140, but how practical is that?” he said. “I kind of joke that this old wood airplane is kind of like an old wooden rocking chair; it’ll rock but you don’t want to rock it too hard.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM BUSHA

SPECS Aircraft Make and Model: 1940 Culver Cadet LCA LENGTH:

17 feet, 8 inches

WINGSPAN:

27 feet

HEIGHT:

5 feet, 6 inches

MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT:

1,305 pounds

EMPTY WEIGHT:

750 pounds

FUEL CAPACITY:

20 gallons

SEATS:

2

POWERPLANT MAKE & MODEL:

Continental A75-8

HORSEPOWER:

75

PROPELLER:

Sensenich two-bladed, wood

CRUISE SPEED/FUEL CONSUMPTION:

120-125 mph, 4 gph

POWER LOADING:

17.4 pounds/hp

WING LOADING:

10.9 pounds/square foot

VNE:

175 mph

VSO:

45 mph (est.)

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WH AT’S NEXT? When asked if he had plans for any other projects, Keith answered a bit ruefully.

“Well, you know, I have a problem,” he said. “The Culver’s been done a couple of years now, and I’ve got some Frankenclusters that I’ve been welding on … I don’t have anything aerobatic … I haven’t pulled the trigger on plans yet, but a Skybolt, Pitts, Eagle, something like that I think would be a lot of fun.

But I also have two kids starting in college this fall, and I just bought another car for my 16-year-old. … I could find something that [ just] needs a cover job and a little bit of TLC; that makes more sense. But that’s not why you do this, right?”

HAL BRYAN, EAA Lifetime 638979/VAA 714005, is managing editor for EAA print and digital content and publications, co-author of multiple books, and a lifelong pilot and aviation geek. Find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @halbryan or email him at hbryan@eaa.org.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM BUSHA

Preproduction, computer-generated image shown. Available late 2020. Always consult the owner’s manual before off-road driving, know your terrain and trail difficulty, and use appropriate safety gear.

PREVIOUSLY TREACHEROUS TERRAINS, RENDERED AGREEABLE

T H E

A L L - N E W

B R O N C O

R E S E R V E

N O W

S P O R T

Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM KOEPNICK

REVIEWING THE

CL A S SICS A COMPLETE 1945-1955 BUYER’S GUIDE

BY BUDD DAVISSON

A NEWBIE TO THE WORLD OF VINTAGE airplanes might look around and think that the vintage world is populated entirely by Cessna 120/140s, Champs, Cubs, Stinsons, and short wing Pipers.

Because of that, it would be easy to assume that the list of airplanes considered to be classics is fairly short, when it really isn’t. What newbies may not know is that classic-category airplanes are numerous beyond imagination because they are survivors of a traumatic postwar av-marketing debacle that is best described as “gross overproduction.” The guys in the three-piece suits said returning GIs would all want a chicken in their pot and an airplane in their garage. The smart guys were only half right. The chicken half.

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n amazing 33,254 light aircraft were built in 1946! In 1947 that dropped to 15,515 airplanes and by 1949 it was a paltry 3,500.

Plus, there were acres of unsold airplanes all over the United States. An amazing 52,269 airplanes were produced in three years! Almost all of them single-engine light planes. Aeronca’s 7AC Champion was the first new postwar design, as it received its type certificate in late 1945. By the end of 1946, however, 18 more aircraft would join the marketing fray.

For comparison: Guess how many single-engine aircraft were produced in 2019 in a nation that is well over twice as populous as it was in 1946? How about 825? Over half of those were Cirruses. Even though they average 70 years old, classics still constitute a disproportionate percentage of the light airplane population.

There are good reasons why the 1945-1955 classics are the biggest bang for the buck in sport aviation today and a great way to get into airplane ownership. There are lots of them, most are inexpensive to operate, they are all fun to fly, and there are so many different varieties that there is

bound to be one that’ll scratch that flying and/or financial itch. In fact, by digging into aviation production records, it was determined that from 1945 to 1955, which is the official EAA definition of “Classics,” over 40 different models were built by 22 different manufacturers. Some of those models were built by the hundreds, some by the thousands. For instance, there were 5,200 Stinson 108s built; 5,800 8-series Luscombes, including some built prewar; about 7,200 7AC Champs prior to 1948; and another 3,000 after that. Big numbers!

Hidden within the massive numbers associated with vintage airplanes are many designs that are largely unknown to those new to the vintage community. With that in mind, what follows is a breakdown of every more-or-less commonly available vintage airplane produced during that period, along with brief comments on each.

The sometimes wide range in the prices is generally because there are some 100-point restoration airplanes for sale that are, naturally, much more expensive.

The numerical ratings shown for the different categories are 1 to 5, both both positive and negative: +5 is good in that area and -5 is bad, with 0 meaning the airplane is about average.

AERONC A Champion: Built to correct all of the perceived ills of the J-3 Cub, the Champ and all of its nearly identical descendants are more comfortable than the Cub and are soloed from the front seat, which gives great visibility. The Champ set the standard for training aircraft well into the 1960s. It’s a good all-around airplane. 7AC is 65 hp, 7EC is 85 hp, and there are a half-dozen other models.

Aeronca Champ

Model 7AC Champ

Seats 2

HP 65

Price $25K-$35K

Availability +5

Maintainability +3

Flying Ease +5

Chief: A prewar design, it is side-by-side and is very much a “rudder” airplane, as it has more adverse yaw than most of its peer group. The later Super Chief used a C-85 in place of the A-65. It’s one of the least expensive of the vintage airplanes, and 2,300 were built.

Model 11AC Chief

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Seats 2

HP 65

Price $15K-$30K

Availability 0

Maintainability +3

Flying Ease +4

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CONNOR MADISON

15AC Sedan: The four-place sedan is unique among Aeroncas in that the wings are all aluminum. It is a roomy airplane, and 560 were built. Replacing the 145-hp Continental with an STC’d 180 Lycoming makes it a real load-lifter.

Model Sedan

Seats 2

HP 145

Price $30K-$70K

Availability 0

Maintainability +3

Flying Ease +4

Beechcraft Bonanza

BEE CHCRAFT Bonanza: In the late 1940s the Bonanza was far ahead of the competition in almost every area of design. There are dozens of variations, all of them smooth handling, but do research on the different models and upgrades before committing. Maintenance can be expensive.

Model Model 35

Seats 4

HP 165-285

Price $35K-$80K

Availability +4

Maintainability -3

Flying Ease +3

BELL ANC A Cruisair (14-13, 150 hp)/Cruisemaster (14-19, 190 hp): Same airframe with 150-hp Franklin or 190-hp Lycoming. 14-19-2 has a 230-hp Continental. Very slick ailerons, easy flying, tight for big or overly tall pilots, retractable gear, fast for the horsepower. All-wood wings with rag-and-tube fuselage.

Bellanca Cruisemaster

Model 14-13/19

Seats 4

HP 150/190

Price $25K-$50K

Availability -1

Maintainability -1

Flying Ease +3

CESSNA Cessna brought light aircraft into modern times in that its postwar models were all made entirely of aluminum, some with wings rag-covered.

120/140: The “most modern” of the fixed-gear, two-place classics, the 140 had an electrical system, flaps, and a starter, and the 120 didn’t. They were the absolute soul of docility and the most expensive of the smaller classics, for good reason; 7,600 were built.

Cessna 140

Model 120/140

Seats 2

HP 85

PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE CUKIERSKI, CONNOR MADISON, LYLE JANSMA

Price $20K-$35K

Availability +4

Maintainability +4

Flying Ease +5

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170: Think “172 with the tail on the ground.” All metal but first ones had fabric wings; later ones have serious flaps. A good choice for a first-timer wanting a four-place taildragger. There were 5,200 built.

Model 170

Seats 4

HP 145

Price $35K-$60K

Availability +3

Maintainability +3

Flying Ease +5

180: Think “182 with a tail wheel.” This is a very serious, “real” four-place airplane that’ll cruise all day at 150-plus mph.

It also can land and take off in places you wouldn’t normally think about visiting. They really hold their value. There were 6,200 built.

Model 180

Seats 4

HP 230

Price $80K-$150K

Availability +3

Maintainability +3

Flying Ease +2.5

195: Possibly the classiest-looking antique airplane that isn’t an antique. Its round Jacobs engine just makes it look that way. It’s in a postwar class of its own, but needs a decent checkout because it’s bigger and heavier than most of its peers.

There were 1,200 built.

Model 195

Seats 5

HP 245-300

Price $80K-$150K

Availability +2

Maintainability -1

Flying Ease -1

COMMONWE ALTH/RE ARWIN Skyranger: Rearwin started the Skyranger before the war and sold it to Commonwealth postwar. It does not fly like all of the postwar Cub clones. It has a pleasant, heavy airplane feel. It features side-by-side seating. There were 360 built.

Rearwin Skyranger

Model Skyranger

Seats 2

HP 85

Price $18K-$30K

Availability -2

Maintainability +2

Flying Ease 0

CULVER AIRCRAFT CORP. Culver V: The Culver V was a redesign of Al Mooney’s prewar Culver Cadet.

It’s an all-wood, side-by-side with retractable tri-gear. Fewer than 100 (reportedly) were built. The structure needs very careful inspection because it’s wood and it’s old.

Culver V

Model V

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Seats 2

HP 85

Price $25K-$45K

Availability -3

Maintainability -2

Flying Ease +2

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES

ENGINEERING AND RESE ARCH CORP. Ercoupe: The Ercoupe is a prewar design that was supposedly impossible to spin and is driven like a car; most have no rudder pedals! All metal with rag wings and tri-gear, it is sort of a mini sports airplane. It was in and out of production for 20 years, with over 5,500 produced. It’s very popular. Some are LSA-compliant.

Ercoupe

Model 415C

Seats 2

HP 85

Price $20K-$35K

Availability +3

Maintainability +4

Flying Ease +5

AKRON/FUNK AIRCRAFT CO. Funk: The Funk has lots of antiquey airplane features and feel because it was originally designed in 1933, but most of the 380 built were manufactured after WWII. The side-by-side cockpit is set well back in the wing, and the control yokes are 1930s airliner types. Very unique!

Akron Funk

Model B-85

Seats 2

HP 85

Price $18K-$30K

Availability -3

Maintainability +1

Flying Ease +2

INTERSTATE AIRCRAFT AND ENGINEERING CORP. Cadet: Most of the 300-plus S-1 Cadets were built before the war. A rag-andtube tandem airplane, it is fairly sophisticated compared to its postwar peer group. With a bigger engine and airframe mods, it is still in production in Alaska as the Arctic Tern bushplane.

Interstate Cadet

Model Cadet

Cessna 180

Seats 2

HP 85

Price $25K-$40K

Aeronca Sedan

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM BUSHA, ED HICKS, LYLE JANSMA, JIM KOEPNICK, SPENCER THORNTON

Availability -3

Maintainability +3

Flying Ease +4

Cessna 195

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Luscombe Silvaire

LUSCOMBE AIRCRAFT/SILVAIRE Model 8A, E, F: One of the most popular of the postwar classics and the most value for the money, the Model 8 Luscombe started life in the 1930s but really hit its stride after the war. A total of 5,800 were built. The airframe is all aluminum (rag wings on some), so check for corrosion. It is responsive on the runway but not at all difficult. 8A is 65 hp, 8E is 85 hp, and 8F is 90 hp (very rare).

Model Model 8

Seats 2

HP 65-90

Price $18K-$35K

Availability +5

Maintainability +4

Flying Ease +4

Model 11 Sedan: In the late 1940s, Luscombe designed an all-aluminum airplane that besides being four-place could offer load-carrying utility. Fewer than 100 were built.

Model 11 Sedan

Seats 4

HP 165

Price $40K-$70K

Availability -3

Maintainability +3

Flying Ease +3

MOONEY AIRCRAFT CORP. M-18 Mite: Shortly after the war, Al Mooney designed and built a single-place, low-wing, retractable tri-gear mini fighter. It’s a wonderful little airplane, but being all wood and very light, prospective buyers must do a serious inspection. It’s a really fun little bird. Fewer than 300 were built.

Mooney Mite

Model M-18

Seats 1

HP 65

Price $25K-$35K

Availability +1

Maintainability -1

Flying Ease +4

M-20: The first four-place Mooney flew in 1953. It had a wooden wing, retractable tri-gear, and was very fast for such low power. The wing was modified to all metal in 1955. Some versions of it are still in production (usually, anyway).

Model M-20

Seats 4

HP 150+

Price $30K-$45K

Availability +3

Maintainability -2

Flying Ease +4

Piper PA-11

Piper J-3

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Piper PA-16 Clipper

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM BUSHA, JIM KOEPNICK, CONNOR MADISON

PIPER AIRCRAFT During the “classic” period, 1945-1955, all Piper single-engine airplanes were rag-and-tube machines that fell into two groups: the early long-wing airplanes and the later short wing Pipers, which have developed into their own type category with one of the strongest type associations in aviation. The types below actually started before the war, with only the PA-12 Cruiser and later airplanes being postwar. As a group, they represent a wide range of aircraft that are great values but require careful inspection because of their steel tube fuselage structure and their fabric covering.

J-3 Cub/J-4 Cub Coupe: The original Piper Cub, the J-3, continued from the 1930s into the late 1940s unchanged.

The J-4 is a relatively rare, side-by-side version of the J-3. It’s a good flying airplane and a great value.

Model J-3/J-4

Seats 2

HP 65-75

Price $30K-$50K

Availability +5

Maintainability +4

Flying Ease +5

J-5 Cub Cruiser: A modification on the J-3 (as all long-wing Pipers were), the J-5 solos from the front seat, and the back seat is two very skinny people wide. There were 1,500-plus built just before WWII. Model J-5

Seats 2-3/4

HP 75-100

Price $30K-$50K

Availability +1

Maintainability +5

Flying Ease +5

PA-11 Cub Special: The postwar Cub Special is indeed special. Basically, it is the J-3 with a C-90 engine, which makes it a real performer. It also has a full cowl. Over 1,500 were built, but they don’t come up for sale that often because they are keepers.

Model PA-11

Seats 2

HP 90

Price $35K-$50K

Availability -2

Maintainability +5

Flying Ease +5

PA-12 Super Cruiser: Besides getting more horses, the postwar Cruiser got a complete makeover with an electrical system, nice interior, etc. Modified with a bigger engine, it’s very popular as a bushplane. There were 3,700 built.

Model PA-12

Seats 2-3/4

HP 100+

Price $60K-$90K

Availability +3

Maintainability +5

Flying Ease +5

PA-14 Family Cruiser: The Family Cruiser was a four-place, but none of the passengers better be big because the fuselage is narrow. It had flaps and more horsepower, but only 238 were built. It’s rare and many are modified for bush work!

Model PA-14

Seats 4

HP 115

Price $35K-$60K

Availability -2

Maintainability +5

Flying Ease +5

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PA-15/17 Vagabond: The first of the short wing Pipers, the Vagabonds differed only in that the 17 had a sprung gear and dual controls and the 15 didn’t. They are minimalist, tiny airplanes but perform well on 65 hp when not heavily loaded or at high altitudes.

Model Vagabond

Seats 2

HP 65

Price $15K-$30K

Availability +4

Maintainability +5

Flying Ease +5

PA-16 Clipper: The Clipper is a Vagabond stretched enough to squeeze a second bench seat in back, making it a fourplace, but not really. It was produced only one year, 1949, before the Pacer and Tri-Pacer took over and developed Piper’s four-place market. There were 735 built.

Model PA-16

Seats 4 (sort of)

HP 115

Price $25K-$50K

Availability +1

Maintainability +4

Flying Ease +3

PA-18 Super Cub: A legend, the Super Cub holds its value like few airplanes. It’s relatively expensive because its performance is unquestioned and will take its pilots into unexplored parts of the world.

Model PA-18

Seats 2

HP 90-150+

Price $60K-$120K

Availability +4

Maintainability +5

Flying Ease +5

PA-20/22: The Pacer and Tri-Pacer differ only in that the small wheel is under the nose of the PA-22 Tri-Pacer. They came with 125-, 135-, 150-, and 160-hp Lycomings; to make it a true four-place airplane, the 150/160 engines are preferable.

The design is probably the best value in four-place airplanes and is fun to fly. Do a thorough rag-and-tube inspection.

There were 1,100 Pacers built and 9,500 Tri-Pacers.

Model PA-20/22

Seats 4

HP 125-160

RC-3 Seabee

Price $15K-$50K

Availability +5+

Piper PA-18 Super Cub

Maintainability +5

Flying Ease +5+

Piper PA-12

REPUBLIC AVIATION CORP. RC-3 Seabee: As it became clear that WWII was coming to an end and who would win it, Republic Aviation looked for ways to develop its P-47 skills into something more civilian-friendly and developed the Seabee amphibian.

Approximately 1,100 were built. It’s a specialty bird and not for every man.

Model Seabee

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Seats 4

HP 215

Price $70K-$160K

Availability -2

Maintainability -3

Flying Ease +3

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURIE GOOSSENS, JIM KOEPNICK, ANDREW ZABACK

NORTH AMERIC AN/RYAN Navion: Also applying WWII technology to the civilian market, Ryan took over Navion production from North American. It is one of the roomiest fourplace airplanes built, and flies like a 172 but with much more performance. The geared GO-435 Lycoming originally used is often replaced by an engine that is less expensive to overhaul. There were 2,600 built.

North America Navion

Model Navion

Seats 4

HP 260

Price $35K-$60K

Availability +2

Maintainability +2

Flying Ease +5

STINSON Model 108: The four-place 108 is a true four-place airplane and has some of the most pleasant-feeling controls in aviation. Comes in four versions (108, -1, -2, -3) and two engine choices (150- or 160-hp Franklins). Bigger engine conversions are common. In total, 5,200 rolled off the production line.

Stinson 108

Model 108

Seats 4

HP 150/160

Price $20K-$45K

Availability +5

Maintainability +3

Flying Ease +4

TAYLORCRAFT BC-12D: T-crafts get good performance out of 65 hp, and amazing performance when modified with a C-85. The cockpit is as narrow as the rest, and that long wing makes it land like a maple seed. Rag and tube inspection is required.

Approximately 5,000 were built.

Taylorcraft BC-12

Model BC-12D

Seats 2

HP 65

Price $25K-$35K

Availability +4

Maintainability +4

Flying Ease +5

TEMCO/GLOBE GC-1 Swift: Possibly the prettiest and best handling of the classics (a subjective comment!), the all-aluminum Swift flies as sporty as it looks. It came out of the factory with either 85 hp or 125 hp, but many have been reengined with 145220 hp engines. Installing a 210-hp Continental is common.

Temco GC-1 Swift

Model Swift

Seats 2

HP 85-125

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ED HICKS, JIM KOEPNICK, CONNOR MADISON

Price $40K-$125K

Availability +3

Maintainability +1

Flying Ease +4

www.eaavintage.org

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WALT BOWE’S LOCKHEED VEGA

BY RICH DAVIDSON

BIRTH OF A LEGEND When Jack Northrop designed a craft he knew would push the limits of atmospheric travel, he suggested naming it after a star. It was an aptly brilliant idea; astronomical speed and distance were implied. And although the proposed design was grand, the results were more. That machine was the Lockheed Vega.

As it is with people, aircraft legends aren’t born — they’re made. Long before any records are set, ideas and prototypes are produced, tried, and tested, pushed to find limits and stretch them. For the Lockheed company that critical step was the S-1.

Promoted by the Loughead Aircraft Manufacturing Co. as the answer to the first postwar push for an “everyman’s airplane” was the S-1. Light, fast (relatively), and economical, it seemed perfect. It wasn’t. Being the wrong plane for the wrong market limited production to one. Out of options, the factory closed and its members walked away.

The year was 1921.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT SLOCUM

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Five years later, the fuselage of the failed everyman’s airplane would play a key role in the return of Loughead.

Wood monocoque fuselages were not a new idea in 1926, nor were cantilever wings. However, the patented Loughead method for constructing the fuselages was. On Loughead’s first time around, Allan and Malcolm Loughead, Jack Northrop, and Tony Stadlman developed a patented inflatable-bladder process for pressure molding S-1 fuselages. Combining this structure with a full cantilever wing, adamantly pushed by Northrop, would give them a winning design. Or, so they hoped.

The new Loughead aviation company also came with a new name. After the first company closed in 1921, Malcolm moved to Detroit to promote a personal invention. While there, tired of the Irish spelling of his Scottish name — and the endless ribbing that came with it, “Log Head” — he had it changed to “Lockheed.”

When he made the first sale of his product to Chrysler, the refreshed surname became a name of industry.

When he sold the patent to Bendix, it became a star among financiers. After all, Malcolm Lockheed had given the world hydraulic brakes.

So it was that when Malcolm’s brother Allan, along with Jack, set out to establish a new aviation company and a potential key investor recognized the family name. Understanding the power of name recognition, he provided the financing they needed. The Lockheed Aircraft Co. was formed.

Soon, Allan, Jack, and Tony were back in business.

Allan continued to sell real estate on the side to make ends meet, Jack was the sole and full-time engineer, and Tony was the factory superintendent. Woodworkers and other necessary employees filled out the rolls to make it an official factory, located in Hollywood, California.

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VEGA It was a classic American story of perseverance, networking, capitalism, and the freedom to pursue dreams that propelled the Lockheed Aircraft Co. Hardworking men who replaced failures with opportunities, an engineer self-taught to a superior level of knowledge, investors who risked massive sums of money, and a general attitude of “there’s no crying in baseball” made it happen. The product of their efforts reflected the same spirit when it flew for the first time, on July 4, 1927. To all on hand, its exceptional performance was immediately apparent.

Version 1.0 of this famous Lockheed was not what most people think of when they hear Vega. Designed with an uncowled Wright J-5C of 200-plus hp, a rudder reminiscent of a World War I Spad, and flown from an open cockpit, many would find it slower in appearance than history had led them to believe.

Topping out at just over 130 mph, its speed was far shy of its later iterations. However, thanks to the philosophy behind its bones, it was still worthy of a celestial name.

Purchased for the Dole Race to Hawaii while still under construction, the new owner, George Hurst Jr., requested it come with safety features for extended overwater flying.

Named the Golden Eagle, it came with jettisonable landing gear, special flotation bags, various water sealing items, and a raft with a wide range of rescue features. Yet, even with the extra weight and the fact it was the prototype, nearly every time Vega No. 1 flew it set a speed, passenger, or cargo record, or a combination thereof.

Little more than a month after its first flight, Lockheed’s innovative aircraft was one of eight on hand for the start of the race. Four departed, including the Vega. Only two made it. Neither of them was the Golden Eagle. Despite a massive search and rescue effort, neither the pilot, the navigator, nor the aircraft were ever seen again.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT SLOCUM

The warm interior of the Vega represented the height of upscale corporate comfort during aviation’s golden age.

Fortunately, times were different in 1927. America was alive with energy and looking to the future. The high-profile disappearance of an aircraft didn’t bring the country, or aviation, to a hand-wringing stop. Instead, the movers and shakers of the world had seen enough of the Vega before it disappeared to know it was the airplane they needed.

Lockheed’s future wasn’t crippled; it was secured.

HISTORY-MAKERS The first person to successfully make history with the Lockheed was the famous explorer Capt. George H. Wilkins. Obsessed with exploring the Arctic, and trans-Arctic travel, when Vega No. 1 first flew he had already destroyed several aircraft, and his bank account, with various attempts to reach Europe from North America. Down on his luck and feeling opportunity slipping away, a less expensive but risky solo flight was on his mind. Then, by chance, he happened to see the Golden Eagle fly by.

As most men of the era with similar dreams, he proclaimed at first site he knew the Vega was the machine to help him make history; then somehow he made it happen. Eight months later, using Ben Eilson as pilot and himself as both navigator and scientific observer, he finally succeeded in crossing 2,200 miles of uncharted Arctic territory. Landing in Spitzbergen in the Arctic Ocean, after a journey worthy of its own book, their place in history, and the Vega’s, was cemented.

Although a truly astounding accomplishment, George wasn’t satisfied. He had an idea for another. The results of that journey would leave the Antarctic with mountains named after Lockheed and a point called Cape Northrop.

Then, having flown the Earth top to bottom, the airplane was retired, forgotten, and left to rot. However, more Vegas would rapidly take its place.

When Lockheed reformed, everything needed to make flying history and set records existed somewhere.

Aviation was ripe for a giant leap forward. The Vega would be it. A near perfect amalgamation of cutting-edge technology and genius, it filled a sweet spot in history and the guys at Lockheed could taste it. The timing was perfect. Lindbergh’s recent flight offered the final piece of the puzzle: investors ready and willing to invest in aviation.

Unrestrained by regulation and bureaucrats, the industry of flight quickly produced reliable new powerplants, aircraft streamlining, increasingly accurate navigation equipment, airports, and a network of petrol availability. Before anyone could get a handle on the industry, growth and advancements had moved the bar.

Things were happening so fast, before many records made the news, soon-to-be legends had exceeded them in a Vega. Lockheed had such stranglehold on aviation record-making, insiders said it would take a Lockheed to beat a Lockheed.

It was a classic American story of perseverance, networking, capitalism, and the freedom to pursue dreams that propelled the Lockheed Aircraft Co. www.eaavintage.org

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The Vega shows off its clean lines.

Amazingly, that belief would largely hold true, even against the military’s purpose-built aircraft. Lockheed led every category of distance racing and record-breaking until rule changes led more focused minds to chalk purpose-built racers on concrete floors. The Vega was the plane to beat.

First to do it was the Travel Air Mystery Ship, then the Laird Super Solution. However, it is important to note neither conqueror could haul passengers or cargo in enclosed comfort.

Fast may be fast, but fast and comfortable is better. Those seeking more meaningful firsts noticed. The Vega was their aircraft of choice. Flying across oceans, surveying new routes to faraway lands, and circling the globe, pilots such as Wiley Post, Amelia Earhart, Jimmy Angel, Jimmie Mattern, and more all flew them to their limits — sometimes beyond.

Pushing themselves to extremes, explorers routinely took off in a Lockheed, only to wreck it in some faraway land. With equal regularity, any salvageable parts went back to the factory to be assembled with a fuselage from inventory or incorporated into an altogether new build. Once complete, the same dauntless adventurer, or a new one, would fly it in a different direction in pursuit of another goal. Over and over, the freedom to build and fly what you wanted returned them to the air.

The most famous Vega pilot, Wiley Post, used several serial numbers, and parts of others, to set a stream of meaningful records. While pushing the known limits of flight, his altitude record attempts pushed aviation so rapidly that technology struggled to keep up. Yet, each time he decided to explore some new edge of the envelope, Lockheed would do its best to refit his airplane, Winnie Mae, for the effort.

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Unthinkable to today’s collectors, nearly every Vega built was cut, modified, rebuilt, or consolidated into wildly different configurations. Lockheed’s fuselage manufacturing process made it a real plug-and-play machine, and that’s how the Vega was used. It wasn’t a treasured aircraft; it was a tool to accomplish a task. A very good tool.

With such amazing capabilities, it wasn’t long before airlines began placing orders. Some of them bought four or five, along with other Lockheed models built around the same fuselage; those were huge orders for the day. Vegas were operated by Pan Am, TWA, Continental, American, Braniff, and many more. Most lasted into the mid-1930s when they were systematically replaced with newer aircraft and sold to operations in South America and Alaska.

The panel is made up of a semicircle of good old round gauges.

SPREADING THEIR WINGS Eventually, the Lockheed Vega also became what might be considered the first real corporate aircraft. As it is with the critical technology of each decade, most corporate Vegas were owned by oil companies, media companies, and the executives of leading industries. One such machine would go on to live a random life of survival and become the focus of these photos: Shell No. 7.

The Shell Oil Co. owned several Vegas.

Purchased in 1933, Shell No. 7, Vega 5C, NC-13705, construction No. 203, was the last of four acquired by the oil giant. During aviation’s years of rapid expansion, oil and gas companies were both huge sponsors of record-breaking Lockheeds and devotees of the brand. Speed, comfort, and proven reliability made them, specifically Vegas, the model of choice for company aircraft. Long before the term “bizjet” was a thing, Lockheeds were as much a symbol of corporate and individual wealth as Gulfstreams are today. Yet, however they may have been viewed, the usefulness of the machine is what actually made it popular.

Lockheed’s method of construction meant its aircraft could be used for executive transports, modified for research, adapted to carrying cargo, then put back into executive configuration in short order. However, when they were no longer as useful as newer transport aircraft, they were sold. Considering the era of rapid-fire advancement, Shell No. 7 lasted longer than most.

Eleven years after purchasing No. 203, Shell sold it to Charles H. Babb. One year later, aircraft were in great abundance. Machines of all makes and models used for the war effort existed in surplus. The same post-world-war situation that once made it difficult to market the Loughead S-1 took its toll on the next generation of Lockheeds. Most would rot away as the unwanted tool of a less advanced time.

Shell No. 7 would escape that fate. Within a year of purchasing the aircraft, Charles sold it to Mercer Air Service. That company flew it for many years before disassembling and storing it outside. Next, G.E. Moxon purchased it in the early 1960s, held onto it for 25 years, and then sold it to John Desmond in 1988. That’s where the Vega’s outlook changed.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT SLOCUM

TOP: Trim wheel and tank selectors.

MIDDLE: The airplane wears its original registration and Shell corporate logos with pride.

BOTTOM: Even the stitching shows a loving attention to detail.

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CLICK HERE

TO SEE A FLICKR GALLERY ON WALT BOWE’S LOCKHEED VEGA

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT SLOCUM

RESTORATION

John, a businessman and collector of antique aircraft, was unknown to most people in aviation. Outside the “antiquer” circles, his impressive collection of flying machines was largely the same. Although some collectors thrive on attention, others have no use for it.

Wherever you believe he fell on that scale became irrelevant when he passed away in 2014.

Suddenly, his once obscure aircraft collection was on the market. One by one, as people found out, they all wanted to know the same thing, “What’s going to happen with the Vega?”

Only a month before, most had no idea it existed. Yet, there it was, iconic and rare, appearing as if it might fly soon, with its bright red and yellow Shell Aircraft scheme reminiscent of a superhero’s suit. Who would buy it?

Where would it go? Will it fly?

When John first bought the aircraft, it went into storage until a practical restoration plan could be determined. Although the Lockheed factory could crank out three Vega fuselages a week, modern thoughts on aircraft construction and the dwindling availability of skilled craftsmen conspired to delay the restoration over a decade. Three times the project appeared from the shadows with an intent to launch. The first two were scrubbed.

Although the aircraft was essentially complete, the wood was not salvageable. That was the problem. Lockheed’s factory of skilled craftsmen made the original construction process seem easy. Today’s restoration environment made it impossible. Therefore, time and again John and his Heritage Aircraft Collection team could not reach an agreement on how to proceed. Then Bill McDevitt, the shop foreman, consulted a friend with training in wooden boat construction. Modern-day cold molding would save the day.

Once they had the mold, everything else went as smooth as could be expected. Since the Vega had been useful to Shell, then to Mercer Air Service, and there was never much of a demand for Vega parts, the plane beat the odds and survived nearly complete. Despite the hurdles of forming the main structures, everything being “all there” would ensure its complete restoration. A single-piece 40-foot wood wing may be difficult to work with, but when you have the landing light assembly from the old wing, and it’s complete and in such good shape and the bulb still works, you’re miles ahead in the restoration game.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BUDD DAVISSON

BUDD’S VEGA SOUVENIR

BY BUDD DAVISSON There’s a shot of the airplane on its back in Siberia in The Vega book with the rudder missing. This fabric includes the rudder plywood.

Here’s the story: I was attending the huge This swatch of fabric came from a 1929 annual air show at Sussex, Lockheed Vega Model 5 that was known New Jersey, sometime in the for a time as the Century of Progress.

1970s (maybe ’80s) and was snooping around its little fly market. I was trying to look at something on a tabletop and was leaning over, but my feet kept hitting something under the table, so I stood back and looked and it was this N-number. Being a golden age racing freak, the NR jumped right out at me, and when I saw the signature, I nearly freaked out.

On the back is a sticker of a frame shop in Paterson, New Jersey, that framed it in 1934.

I asked the gentleman where he got it, and he said that in the 1940s he was a fireman in New York City and had just put out an apartment fire. He was walking around the basement that had a foot or so of water in it, and there was a footlocker floating around in it. He opened it and found a bunch of flyer’s gear that had to have been Jimmie Mattern’s. On the back of the frame, I have a letter from him stating how he came to be in possession of it to establish provenance.

JIMMY DOOLITTLE AND SHELL OIL CO. During the years leading up to World War II, Shell Oil Co. owned a significant fleet of aircraft. The company’s demand for executive transports, test beds for fuels and lubricants, and advertising platforms demanded a wide range of the machines. When Jimmy Doolittle became manager of Shell’s aviation department, advancements in aviation and petroleum were a daily occurrence.

Throughout his life, Doolittle had many accomplishments. Among them were the first outside loop, the first “blind” flight takeoff to landing, and of course the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. However, one can easily argue his greatest Jimmy Doolittle feat was convincing Shell Oil to invest heavily in refining and producing 100-octane when no aircraft in production required it. Despite his position as manager of Shell’s aviation department, at the time many found the idea laughable. Yet, largely upon his insistence, Shell committed. One year later, in 1936, the company won a military contract to supply small batches for testing. By the end of WWII, the U.S. military was burning through tens of millions of gallons per day. Seventy-five years later, general aviation still runs on it.

Fortunately, several aircraft from Doolittle’s time at Shell still exist, including a Gullwing Stinson, the Lockheed Vega 5C, and a Lockheed Orion now in the Swiss Transport Museum.

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Many of the nicks and dings collected during its time with Shell, possibly with Jimmy Doolittle as the pilot, are still there.

The bold primary colors of Walt’s Vega gleam just as they did when it was factory new.

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Over and over, original pieces were cleaned, inspected, painted, and reused. As Bill McDevitt said, “We had the original entry door and emergency window that only needed to be reskinned. After reskinning, they fit fine. All the cockpit windows and framing were intact and reused. The sliding roof panels were reglazed and used, although we had to fabricate new runners to fit on the wing for the slider. … Almost all the original hardware was cleaned and reused. Even the original landing lights were used. The bulbs still worked.” Also per Bill, those are but a fraction of the original parts they had and used. A restorer’s dream.

Unfortunately, John never saw it finished.

After he passed away, the airplane went through a strange path of possession, involving a love affair between a Jimmy Doolittle relative and a candy tycoon who helped her secure the airplane for a museum. Due to the nature of the interested party, financial negotiations, and timing, the Vega was therefore not finished to the painfully over-restored condition of most modern restorations. Instead, every usable original part went back on the plane. That’s what its current owner seems most proud of.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTT SLOCUM

WALT TO THE RESCUE

Walt Bowe has a knack for saving rare aircraft. Shell No. 7 is his latest rescue. When love left the couple who secured the Vega for a museum, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity arose and he jumped on it. As word leaked out, enthusiasts were elated. Although the museum would have never flown the Vega, everyone knew Walt had different ideas.

Fortunately for him, the guys involved with the restoration, eventually including the Posey brothers, had taken it upon themselves to finish the Vega in a close-to-airworthy standard.

Knowing how the aviation world turns, it seems they felt pretty sure that somewhere down the road something might change. If so, this airplane would be capable of flight.

As you can see in these pages, the guys were right.

Things changed, the Vega is flying, and according to Walt it will continue to do so. That’s not to say it hasn’t had teething problems. On one flight, the case vent system failed, overpressurized the oil tank, and it exploded. Where is the oil tank in a Vega? Under the pilot’s seat.

The Vega breaks away to the right, showing off the strutless cantilever wing.

Imagine you are flying along in the only airworthy wood Vega, specifically Shell No. 7, and the tank comes apart with such force it blows the windows out of their channels and oil is everywhere. To hear Walt tell the story its worse than you likely imagined. In a Vega, the pilot is alone, closed off to the passenger cabin.

Due to the location of the seat, he said, “You feel like you’re flying your own coffin; can’t see anything but what’s in front of you, and you’re surrounded by wood.” Thankfully, he maintained a relatively cool head, followed his chase airplane to a nearby airport, and left the Vega and a giant oil stain for Jimmy Rollison to deal with. Days of reflection and introspection are assumed to have followed.

That said, when you talk to Walt now you can tell he still loves this airplane. It doesn’t hurt that his wife loves it, too. Yet, when he starts to discuss what really makes it special, it’s the fact it is bare-bones stock.

Unlike most restorations today, every piece of sheet metal wasn’t replaced with new pieces built to old specs in an effort to show off the skills of the restorer(s). Instead, what was there to be retained, was. The original hardware that came on the airplane wasn’t replaced, and the cockpit has not been refined.

Many of the nicks and dings collected during its time with Shell, possibly with Jimmy Doolittle as the pilot, are still there. It’s George Washington’s axe, with only the handle replaced.

If you ever get to see Shell No. 7 in person, remember it was the spirit in which Vegas were built, and their usefulness as a tool made them special.

Unburdened with onerous regulations and a crippling obsession with safety, the folks at Lockheed created one of the most useful flying machines of all time.

Working around their fuselages, adapting them to every need and request, among a massive list of factory mods granted were openings here, flotation bags there, skis, floats, a NACA cowl and wheelpants (a first for both on a commercial aircraft), extravagant radio systems and molded-in antennas, gear that could be jettisoned, and one belly purposely constructed so it could be cut out and used as a sled were the pilot to crash in Siberia. Lockheed gave explorers, pilots, scientists, corporations, and a country the airplane they needed when they needed it. Today Shell No. 7 exists in largely the same condition it did in 1933. Only today, it has been given back to us as an example of aviation at its greatest. A star among stars.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES

THE ODYSSEY OF THE FLYING ‘JUNKMAN’

BY MARK CARLSON

n late 1926, Charles Lindbergh was seeking to purchase what he considered to be the perfect airplane for the flight from New York to Paris.

This was the Wright WB-2 Bellanca, a high-wing monoplane designed

by Italian-born Giuseppe Bellanca. The innovative and rugged WB-2 was intended as a demonstration platform for the J-5 Whirlwind engine. It had an innovative angular fuselage and airfoil wing struts, which contributed to its ability to lift heavy loads.

Lindbergh contacted the Wright Aeronautical Corp. in Passaic, New Jersey, to discuss purchasing the Bellanca. He took a train from Missouri to New York and met with company executives, who were shocked that Lindbergh planned to fly alone. They preferred he have a co-pilot and navigator if they sold him the airplane. Originally, Wright Aeronautical had been considering entering the Bellanca in the competition, with the 33-year old former Harley-Davidson dealer and barnstormer Clarence Chamberlin as pilot. But fears of what would happen to their credibility if the airplane crashed ended the project.

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Giuseppe Bellanca (left) and Capt. Carlos Martinez de Pinillos of Peru flew this aircraft over the Andes on a 6,000-mile South American tour in 1929.

Now Lindbergh had to seriously look at having an airplane built. And that would take time he didn’t think he had, being behind at least three other serious contenders.

He sent telegrams to Boeing, Douglas, Curtiss, Martin, Travel Air, and Ryan, inquiring if they could construct a Whirlwind-powered monoplane capable of the New Yorkto-Paris flight. Ryan, a small, virtually unknown company in San Diego, quoted him a price of $10,500 for the job. But just as he was boarding the train to San Diego, a telegram from Giuseppe Bellanca in New York told him the WB-2 had been sold to the new Columbia Aircraft Corp., and the new owner was willing to meet with Lindbergh to discuss selling the airplane to him.

Entering Columbia Aircraft’s offices in the prestigious Woolworth Building, he met Bellanca and Chamberlin.

With them was Charles A. Levine, the owner of the Bellanca. Levine was a self-made millionaire and entrepreneur who had built his fortune by buying military surplus after the Great War and selling it at a profit. He was known in some circles as “The Junkman.” As an enfant terrible in the New York business world, he had a reputation for unconventional and impulsive schemes.

Levine was willing to sell the Bellanca for $15,000.

Then he dropped the other shoe by saying he alone would choose the pilot for the flight from New York to Paris.

Lindbergh was stunned. Levine wanted total control of the entire venture, but Lindbergh and his backers would pay for it. “It sounds like all we’d be getting for our $15,000 would be the right to paint the name Spirit of St. Louis on the plane,” he said curtly. Disgusted, he took the train to San Diego.

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Not surprisingly, Levine chose to enter his Bellanca into the competition. He and Lindbergh, aside from their first names and initials, could not have been more different. Where Lindbergh carefully planned ahead to the last detail, Levine was impulsive and reckless. Instead of wanting to fly the Atlantic for the challenge, Levine’s only goal was the glory and publicity. This led to one of the strangest aviation feats of the era.

The Bellanca only required extra fuel tanks and modifications to the landing gear and navigational equipment to be ready for the 3,600-mile journey.

The airplane was fine, but the pilot was not. Levine was already considering replacing Chamberlin.

“Someone told him that anyone with blue eyes didn’t photograph well,” Chamberlin said in a 1965 interview, “and wouldn’t get any movie contracts. I had blue eyes, so Charlie definitely didn’t want me.

He wanted Bert Acosta, who was more of a dashing movie type.” Acosta, a 32-year-old pilot who had set speed records and served with the U.S. Navy, was hired to fly with Chamberlin. The role of navigator was given to Lloyd Bertaud, who tended to challenge Levine’s decisions.

The first goal was to stay up longer than a flight to Paris would require. With a full load of 385 gallons of fuel, the Bellanca, with Chamberlin and Acosta at the controls, took off from Mitchel Field on Long Island in April. For more than 51 hours, they flew over New Jersey and New York, keeping careful record of fuel use and engine readings.

When they landed, tired but elated, they had covered over 4,100 miles.

1918 Bellanca biplane.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES, BELLANCA AIRFIELD MUSEUM

Giuseppe Bellanca

Levine leased a hangar at Curtiss Field on Long Island.

Once word reached the press, he was on stage. He named the Bellanca Miss Columbia (referred to only as Columbia) and had it christened by the young daughters of a friend. In deference to Prohibition, a bottle of ginger ale was broken against the propeller spinner.

Chamberlin took the girls up for a short joyride. But just as the wheels left the muddy runway, the right-side landing gear strut broke away from the fuselage, leaving the assembly dangling perilously. Once Chamberlin was made aware of the danger from another airplane, he flew around the field, using up fuel until he was able to make a delicate but successful landing with little damage and no injuries.

Meanwhile, two tragedies rocked the aviation world in the spring of 1927. Stanton Wooster and Noel Davis died in the crash of the American Legion on April 26 during a takeoff test, and on May 9, French pilots Charles Nungesser and Francois Coli, who had left Le Bourget on May 8 bound for New York, disappeared over the Atlantic, never to be seen again.

Counting the 1926 René Fonck crash that killed two men, six lives had been lost trying to fly across the vast Atlantic.

Lindbergh arrived in the gleaming new silver Spirit of St. Louis on May 12, after a swift flight from San Diego. The contenders spent their time checking their airplanes, studying maps and charts, and speaking to the print and newsreel reporters, waiting for the weather to clear. Lindbergh was set up at Curtiss Field, next to Levine’s hangar.

The Junkman was as eager as anyone for his airplane to be the first to fly the Atlantic. But his erratic ideas caused no end of problems. The media besieged the pilots for information on their plans. Levine handled the press but continued to vacillate on the choice of pilot and refused to name the man who would make the flight. Instead he would draw the name of the lucky man from a hat on the morning of takeoff. There were also disputes over whether to carry a radio and what route to take. Levine, who was not a qualified pilot, insisted on having the final say. This was too much for Acosta, who did not want to put his life in the hands of an eccentric dilatant like Levine. He quit.

The outspoken Bertaud was fired. Seething, he obtained a court injunction against his former employer to keep the Bellanca from taking off without him. Levine fought the injunction to get the airplane released. The weather over the Atlantic was clearing up. The hearing was at 10 a.m. on May 20. The injunction was thrown out of court. Levine, sensing victory, went back to Curtiss Field to get the Bellanca ready.

But when he arrived at the field, Levine learned that Charles Lindbergh, the dark horse, the man whom he would not let fly his airplane, had left for Paris.

Levine had been beaten to Paris, but then a second goal beckoned. The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce put up a $15,000 prize for the first plane to fly from New York to Berlin. He offered Chamberlin $25,000 to fly the plane, the same amount of the original Orteig Prize for the New York-to-Paris flight. He seized the chance to overshadow Lindbergh. Tired of bad publicity, he told Chamberlin he could choose his own co-pilot. Chamberlin wanted a competent navigator and pilot to spell him on the long flight.

Unsurprisingly, Chamberlin had little luck finding one. Then Levine himself considered going. He had taken a few flying lessons, so he was capable of handling an airplane under good weather and clear conditions. But the intricacies of takeoff and landing, and particularly overwater navigation, were far beyond him. Then his wife, Grace, seeing that something was up, stated, “If I had any suspicion that my Charlie was going, I’d burn the plane.” Thereafter, the two men kept their plans a secret.

On the warm and clear morning of June 4, 1927, exactly two weeks after Lindbergh landed in Paris, the Bellanca was rolled over to the end of Roosevelt Field’s runway, loaded with a staggering 455 gallons of fuel.

The press and a large crowd watched as Chamberlin, dressed in golf pants and a flying helmet, climbed in and started the engine. Levine was dressed in a neat, dark gray business suit. Then he walked over to the idling airplane and climbed in. Grace Levine started to protest, but he called out that he was only going to go to the end of the runway and back with Chamberlin.

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But the engine’s power was increased and the Columbia picked up speed. The tail skid rose off the runway and the airplane clawed its way into the blue sky. Grace grew agitated, saying, “But he said he’d be right back!” Then a friend handed her an envelope. She read the letter inside from her husband that said he was going to fly to Berlin. While he was neither a navigator nor a pilot, he would be the first trans-Atlantic airplane passenger.

Chamberlin followed Lindbergh’s route up Long Island to New Hampshire and on to Cape Cod. But the heavy engine vibrations, probably from the high power settings, broke the compass. Chamberlin was in favor of going back, but Levine wasn’t going to face his wife. They flew on, using visual landmarks to navigate. For the first 1,500 miles they encountered headwinds, but the weather forecasts predicted they would find tailwinds out over the Atlantic. The setting sun was a blood-red orb behind them as the Bellanca left the coast of Newfoundland. Ahead was over 1,800 miles of trackless emptiness with only the stars to steer by.

The air over the ocean was freezing, and Chamberlin had to maintain an altitude that would keep ice from forming on the airplane. When the sun rose the next morning they hit a thick layer of fog that further hampered their navigation and forced them far to the south. By this time Chamberlin had been at the controls for nearly 24 hours.

Unable to fix their position, they could not be sure where or when they might reach land. Their situation was growing serious. Then they saw the smoke-belching funnels and black hull of the Cunard liner, RMS Mauritania, sailing from Southampton to New York. Levine had the previous day’s New York Times and learned when it sailed from Cherbourg, France. Chamberlin circled the ship, then flew along the length of the hull and followed the long, white wake. They were confident that it aimed straight for the coast of France, three hours away.

A short time later they passed over a warship, also headed west. The cruiser, USS Memphis, was headed toward Washington, D.C., carrying the victorious Lindbergh and his airplane home to America.

Finally, as the sun dipped low behind Columbia, they saw land ahead and recognized it as the channel coast of Wales. Chamberlin set a course to cross the French coast north of the Seine River and head into Germany.

But bad luck was not done with Levine. As they flew deeper into Germany, it grew dark and high cumulus clouds blocked their path. Chamberlin climbed to clear the clouds. The Bellanca was soon at nearly 20,000 feet. Chamberlin eventually cleared the storm front. He needed to rest and told Levine to take the controls. If they encountered a high cloud bank, Levine was to circle it until Chamberlin could take over again.

The strong-willed businessman didn’t want to waste time circling. Upon reaching the next cloud bank, Levine climbed, and soon they were at 25,000 feet, the maximum altitude for the Bellanca. The plane stalled. Chamberlin, jolted from his uneasy slumber, leaped for the controls.

“The pedals were flying back and forth,” Chamberlin recalled, “and the stick was flying all over the cockpit, the wings were fluttering. I finally got the turn stopped and got it into a straight dive and gradually worked it out, but we had fallen 17,000 feet. I had no idea where we were. But as we got lower, we found we were over a river with mountains sticking up into the clouds all around us.

A quarter mile on either side and we would have hit a mountain.”

Columbia

BL-10 WBII

As dawn rose ahead of them on their third day in the air, an airfield appeared below. They circled it, finding they were near the Ruhr Valley town of Dortmund. The flight was already news in Germany, and several people on the ground pointed to the east. Berlin was 350 miles away. But fuel was running low and Chamberlin was nearing physical exhaustion. With the engine sputtering, Chamberlin set down on the most level field he could find. It was a wheat field. The wheels tore long gaps into the ripening grain as the plane came to a halt at 5:30 a.m.

A crowd gathered and Chamberlin, who spoke no German, managed to explain they needed fuel to reach Berlin, a hundred miles away.

A boy on a bicycle went to the nearest town, Helfta near Eisleben for help.

Using a teapot, they transferred 20 gallons of benzyl, which the Whirlwind was not designed to burn, but it seemed to work.

The crowd rushed over, e xpecting to see a shaken, white-faced Le vine, happy to be alive. But with total nonchal ance he stepped out, straightened his tie, and said, “Hello. I think I need a shave.”

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF MARK CARLSON

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Spotting a railroad, they followed it, using the old pilot trick called “following the iron compass.” But luck failed them. The railroad did not go to Berlin, but to Poland. In fact, even with less than 100 miles to go, they managed to pass Berlin entirely. With the gas gauge once again touching empty, Chamberlin wanted to find a place to land while he still had some power. But Levine refused. He was going for distance and wanted to fly until the fuel ran out. Chamberlin recalled, “I said, ‘Okay brother, it’s your airplane; if I smash it up, don’t blame me.’”

Then the engine cut out, and he managed to set down on a muddy pasture. The wheels dug parallel furrows in the mud. Suddenly the airplane pitched forward. With a terrifying clatter, a blade broke from the propeller. The two men were thrown forward as boxes of malted milk powder and cocoa, part of their survival rations, spilled over them. In seconds, Chamberlin was covered in the white and brown powders.

Sixty miles short of their elusive goal, they made their needs understood to a local farmer, who drove to an airfield near Berlin. They not only received fuel, but also a suitable propeller was found. On the following day, the farmer towed the Bellanca to a sports field nearby. With less than 100 meters of field, Chamberlin got the plane into the air and headed for Berlin.

At last they saw the German capital and landed at Templehof to a wildly cheering crowd. From their New York takeoff to the landing in the wheat field, the Bellanca had been in the air for 42 hours and 45 minutes, covering 3,911 miles, a new world distance record.

Levine, basking in his fame, was certain that their feat would eclipse Lindbergh’s minor hop. After a few days in Berlin, the two men flew to Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, and Paris. Levine was in his element, milking the publicity for all it was worth. He told Chamberlin he wanted to fly back to New York, making the first round-trip transoceanic flight in history. The level-headed Chamberlin, who knew that a late June westbound flight would put them into fierce headwinds, refused. He went home by ship, leaving Levine behind in Paris.

Undaunted, Levine hired French pilot Maurice Drouhin to fly. The deal was for $10,000 for a successful flight and $4,000 if the flight was called off. Levine somehow convinced himself that Drouhin intended to make the flight on his own and removed parts from the engine to prevent it.

Chamberlin laughed. “Charlie was the sort of guy that if you tried to force him to do something, he’d spend his last nickel to keep from doing it,” he said.

Weeks went by and every time Drouhin suggested they go, Levine had other plans, particularly involving a socialite named Mabel Boll. As September approached, the weather over the Atlantic worsened. The flight was off.

Drouhin demanded his $4,000, but to no avail. He did what Bertaud had done and obtained a court order to ground the Bellanca. Levine, ever the maverick, had other plans. He went out to Le Bourget field and talked to the gendarmes guarding the Bellanca. He wanted to run the engine to keep it working properly. He gave them each a 100-franc note, and they helped him push the plane out.

“Le vine re a lly was a rem a rk a ble gu y,” said Cl a rence Ch a mberlin of his f ormer boss. Despit e Lindbergh’s gre at er fa me, t he Junkm a n’s journe y was fa r more in t eres ting.

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Acosta, Mable Bolls, and Levine.

According to Chamberlin, “Charlie had never made a takeoff or landing before, but he’d watched me do it and he had it all figured out. When the motor started up, the airport police, hearing the engine and knowing the plane was not to be touched, came rushing down on motorcycles. He gave it the gun and, much to his surprise, he got it in the air.” A pair of French pilots attempted to follow, but it was apparent the rash American had no intention of coming back. But his destination was still very much in doubt.

“He didn’t have a map,” Chamberlin continued, “but London was north of Paris. So he set the compass and started out. When he got to the English Channel, he wasn’t sure if it was the channel or the Atlantic. He decided to fly for 45 minutes, and if he did not see land, then it was not the channel. About half an hour later, he saw land. And he finally found a city that looked big enough to be London.”

Against all odds, the Junkman had found Croydon Aerodrome near London.

“He came in for his landing but forgot two things: On the Columbia, you had to adjust the tail stabilizer.

Otherwise, with no load in the back, you couldn’t get the tail down for a three-point landing. He also tried to land with the wind.”

Chamberlin described what happened next. “Landing with the wind and his tail up, he got to the end of the runway. He was still high in the air doing about 75 knots. He told me he wasn’t worried, he’d just try it again. About this time the English got a little worried. So they sent up a plane and had it land in the opposite direction. Charlie got the message.” Four times the neophyte pilot tried to set down without success.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BELLANCA AIRFIELD MUSEUM

Chamberlin and Levine shaking hands.

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Columbia at a past AirVenture.

Burned out Columbia hangar.

Maple Leaf flying over the Statue of Liberty.

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Thousands of spectators were watching as he tried to land. Each time his wheels hit the runway he bounced high into the air, but each successive attempt was a little better.

Finally, he came in, cut the engine, and bounced to a stop just inside the perimeter fence. The crowd rushed over, expecting to see a shaken, white-faced Levine, happy to be alive. But with total nonchalance he stepped out, straightened his tie, and said, “Hello. I think I need a shave.”

A British airport official frowned at him and said, “You havehad a shave, a very close one.” Typically, Levine displayed total aplomb at his narrow escape. He was more interested in the newsreel cameras and reporters. He wasn’t the least worried about the law, but he had barely escaped being killed.

While in England, Levine decided to fly down to Rome and see if he could have an audience with Pope Pius XII. He was aware that for papal audiences, he would have to wear the proper robes. Levine as usual did things his own way. He still wore the same gray suit he’d had on when the Columbia took off for Berlin. The Pope finally agreed to see him. Again Levine’s total disregard for convention served him, and the Pope blessed him and all his future ventures.

As for Columbia, it was shipped back to the United States, where, still owned by Levine, it made several record-breaking flights around North America.

Later renamed Maple Leaf, it again flew the Atlantic from Canada to London. It was destroyed in a 1934 hangar fire at the Bellanca factory in Newcastle, Delaware.

The papal blessing notwithstanding, Levine was plagued with heavy debt and bad business deals during the Great Depression. He was sued by the U.S. government for back taxes and was arrested for allegedly stealing stock, then for counterfeiting. He died in 1991 at the age of 94.

“Levine really was a remarkable guy,” said Clarence Chamberlin of his former boss.

Despite Lindbergh’s greater fame, the Junkman’s journey was far more interesting.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES, BELLANCA AIRFIELD MUSEUM

JOIN US THE VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION WILL BE CELEBRATING THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ICONIC PIPER PA-22 AIRCRAFT AT EAA AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2021.

Please join us in the festivities, which include educational forums on the history and maintenance of the PA-22 aircraft as well as other events. Our VAA Red Barn store will feature specially designed PA-22 clothing along with other items.

DON’T MISS THIS FUN AND INFORMATIVE EVENT!

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT EAAVINTAGE.ORG AND FACEBOOK.COM/EAAVINTAGE

EARNING MY WINGS

STORY ANDCenterline: PHOTOGRAPHY Stay on it.

BY JOE COSTANZA

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A little bit about me: I grew up in New Jersey, and my introduction to aviation to aviation was Newark airport and airliners. At an early age, every time my father would take me to Jersey City to visit my grandmother, the highlight of my trip would be driving past Newark airport and watching the planes take off and land. I vividly remember a white and maroon DHL 727 that seemed to always be parked on what looked like the shoulder of the New Jersey Turnpike.

PHOTOGRAPHYPHOTOGRAPHY

BY CONNOR MADISON

BY XXXX

CLICK HERE

TO SEE A FLICKR GALLERY ON THE CUB

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Every year my family and I would go to Disney World, and unbeknownst to my parents, the highlight of those trips was getting to ride on an Eastern L1011 to and from Orlando. As I grew up in the suburbs of New Jersey and spent a lot of time outside as a kid, my father would always catch me looking up in awe every time a small airplane flew overhead.

I distinctly remember one summer afternoon when I was around 13, my father and I went to the local airport, then Allaire Airport (KBLM) and now Monmouth Executive. We simply watched the Cessnas and Pipers for what seemed like hours, after which the owner of the small flight school (Garret Aviation) came out to talk to us. We talked about airplanes, and he even offered me a job. Before I knew it, I was working in the fields as a banner boy, setting up the banners that flew over the crowded beaches lining the Jersey Shore. That was, by far, the most memorable summer of my life. The banner pilots were like gods to me; the way they flew the Citabrias and modified Cubs was really something. I remember watching them get airborne in what seemed like just a few feet. I could not believe that I was getting paid to hang around the airport every weekend. The rest, as they say, is history.

FLYING ART I soloed shortly after my 16th birthday and knew I wanted to make a career out of aviation. After graduating college in 2003, I worked as a flight instructor out of Caldwell and learned very quickly that teaching others how to fly an airplane really taught me how to fly an airplane. At the time, I remember focusing on just logging hours, trying to get the experience to move on to the airlines.

Looking back, I wish I would have slowed down a little and appreciated my time more as a CFI. Much like our schoolteachers, you never forget the bad ones and always appreciate the great ones.

There was an old-time CFI there (Barry Landy) who has since flown west, and I’ll never forget what he said to me one day when I was discussing my frustration with a student’s lack of progress. He said, “Remember, Joe, flying is the artful application of a scientific process.” He also reminded me that as instructors, the foundation we give these students will be with them for the rest of their flying lives, and might even save their lives one day.

He told me that being a CFI is not to be taken for granted. I think about this more and more as I hope to one day teach my four daughters how to fly.

My middle Daughter Madeline pretending to be a Cub herself and dancing with the “family Cub” one late September evening.

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I have been collecting Cub and airplane memorabilia ever since I can remember and to be able to hang it up in my hangar to keep my Cub company has been great. Nothing beats spending time with friends in the hangar.

As time went on, I got more proficient at instructing and enjoyed it more and more, and wouldn’t you know, I got called for my first airline interview just as I was getting into the groove.

I got hired flying a Saab 340 out of Albany, New York, for a US Airways Express carrier. It wasn’t long after that when I got hired to fly a regional jet for Continental Express out of Newark, the very airport I dreamed about flying a jet into years back.

Fast-forward a few years later and a few kids later (four girls, to be exact) and I am an Airbus captain for Spirit based out of Atlantic City. When I upgraded to captain on the Airbus A320 in 2015, something changed. I missed general aviation more and more and reminisced about the summers as a kid working in the fields setting up the banners. I got tired of the smell of Jet A and de-icing fluid and wanted to get back to the smell of burning oil, avgas, and that unique smell of general aviation interiors. It’s all those things as mentioned mixed with some old crushed velvet, sweat, and probably a few tears.

It’s funny, when I first started flying I was always anxious to fly something bigger and faster, go faster and farther.

But the more I flew the Airbus, the more I missed single-engine general aviation airplanes. I got tired of big airline terminals and wanted to get back into small-town FBOs. The complex airports like LaGuardia and Los Angeles made me miss the old grass strips I visited during my training. In early 2016, I knew I wanted to be an airplane owner, and I knew it had to be the epitome of the golden era of aviation. To me that was an easy decision — it had to be a Cub, and I began planting the seed with my wife.

CUB LOVE I can’t help but get sentimental when I think about the generations of pilots who learned how to fly in a Cub and how important the Cub is to aviation, as well as its monumental role in training pilots in World War II. I wanted something that was incredibly fun to fly and as basic as it gets. I wanted the antithesis of an airliner, and the 65-hp Cub was all I thought about.

I joined the Cub Club, ordered every issue of Cub Clues, and started doing my research. I got my tailwheel endorsement at one of the most scenic airports in the northeast (Aeroflex-Andover 12N) and was taught by Damian DelGaizo, owner of Andover Flight, one of the best tailwheel instructors around.

There was 1940s music playing in the hangar, an old Jeep, a Stearman, and a Super Cub; I knew right then and there I had come to the right place. The second he pulled the Cub out of the hangar, that was it for me. I had to learn everything I could about flying and owning a Cub. It was soon after that that I began to spend hours on Barnstormers and Trade-A-Plane, looking for “the one.”

Like I mentioned earlier, there are instructors you never forget, and Damian is one of ’em. It was both a pleasure and an honor to earn my tailwheel endorsement from such an individual.

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Nothing beats low and slow over farms, especially when it’s home to an old brick farmhouse that has become one of my favorite points of interest when taking people up in the Cub.

BACK TO BASICS I knew I wanted a wooden propeller, no electric, wood spar Cub. Scanning Barnstormers one morning I saw it: a 1941 J-3F-65 Cub that rolled off the factory floor in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, on July 25, 1941, serial No. 7236. The Cub was down in Georgia with just 350 hours on the recently overhauled engine, which had been converted to a Continental A-65 many years ago. I called the owner right away, and he was incredibly helpful in answering all of my questions, sending me pictures, etc. I spent the next week going back and forth with him, getting as much information as I could via the telephone. He called me about a week later and said he had a potential buyer who was going to come down the following week and make an offer, but he wanted to give me the opportunity to come down and look at it first.

A few months earlier, my wife and I had twin girls and between them (and their two older sisters) and my airline schedule, I knew it was going to be tough to make it down to Georgia. There were contributing factors as well. As I said earlier, I began planting the seeds with my wife, but she had no discernible reason to believe that I was actually going to be buying an airplane anytime in the near future. I hung up, but not before telling him I would get back to him if I could work out the trip to Georgia.

Not more than 10 minutes later, crew scheduling called me for a trip that started the next morning (ah, the joys of being a junior captain on reserve), and it had a 30-hour layover in … you guessed it, Atlanta. If that wasn’t a sign that this airplane and I belonged to each other, I don’t know what is! I called the owner back and arranged for him to pick me up from the airport the following morning.

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We spent the entire day together with the airplane, grabbed lunch, and that was that. Pending a satisfactory prebuy, it was mine! The hard part was calling the wife and telling her I bought an airplane, but a wise man once said, “It’s better to ask for forgiveness than permission.”

The Cub had just under 400 hours on the engine, was completely restored in the late 1990s, and other than the Grove brake conversion and a shoulder harness, it was completely stock with no radios, starter, or GPS. In short, it was absolutely perfect!

At the time of purchase, I had only around 20 hours of tailwheel time. When it comes to flying, I have a very simple saying that keeps me safe: “When in doubt, chicken out.” So I got in touch with a ferry pilot, and we scheduled the delivery for middle of August.

I’ll never forget the day of delivery. I knew he would be arriving at the local airport sometime around 6 p.m., so I did what any sane person would do: I got there around 3 p.m. because I was just too excited to hang out at home. Thanks to some afternoon thunderstorms, that 6 p.m. arrival wasn’t going to happen, but shortly after 7 p.m. I heard it. That faint but distinct sound of a little airplane. I’ll never forget it; it was like the scene out of a movie. The Cub was flying overhead, the setting sun reflecting off the yellow paint, the pink clouds and the damp air was as picture-perfect as it gets. After a perfect wheel landing and a quick conversation about the two-day journey, he handed off the airplane to me, and there I was, now a member of a very small but prestigious group of aircraft owners, a Cub owner.

REMEMBERING THE PAST When I think about all those before me who learned to fly in my Cub, and all those who will come after me, I just can’t help but get romantic about it all. I am also very fortunate to have access to a great tube and fabric gentleman named Joe Flood, who knows Cubs just about as well as anybody. I first learned about him when EAA Sport Aviation featured him and his family in an article titled “The Flying Floods.” I had him install wheelpants for me during my annual, and it just gives it that finished look.

This past year of ownership has been nothing short of a dream. The pandemic has been somewhat of a blessing in disguise, in that the airlines have really pulled down their schedule, which has allowed me to do some of my favorite things every day: go flying in the Cub and record it all via my other hobby, photography. I have always loved photography and think social media is a great platform to raise awareness and introduce people to aviation. It’s nice to connect with aviation enthusiasts all over the world who share the same love of old airplanes. I am a Young Eagles volunteer but haven’t had the chance to do any Young Eagles flying because of the pandemic, but I am very much looking forward to that.

When I think about all those before me who learned to fly in my Cub, and all those who will come after me, I just can’t help but get romantic about it all.

My favorite airport to take the Cub (coincidentally also where I got my tailwheel endorsement): Aeroflex-Andover (12N), home to Andover Flight, with Damian DelGaizo.

The airport is located in the most scenic part of New Jersey and is quite challenging. It is a 1,981-foot strip (pavement with an adjacent grass runway) surrounded by water on both ends.

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Just last weekend I had my father at the hangar.

Nothing gave me greater joy than to take him up at dusk, while all his grandchildren looked up in the sky, just like I did all those years ago.

I think it’s important that in the age of glass cockpits and highly sophisticated airplanes, we remember the very basic stick and rudder skills. I fly with so many co-pilots who don’t ever use the rudder on a 30-knot crosswind, and I have met even more who have never flown a taildragger or landed at a grass airport. To me, that’s real flying, where all you need is the hum of an engine and the sound of the wind to fly safely. Every time I meet someone who is early in their ratings/training, I tell them the best flying they will every do will be in a single-engine, general aviation airplane.

Going nowhere and going nowhere slow beats flying an Airbus any day of the week.

I’m very grateful for my job, but nothing puts a smile on my face like a great threepoint landing or the sound of an old taildragger flying overhead.

GREAT JOY August 19, 2020, marked my one-year of ownership of the Cub. I celebrated with a party and cake in the hangar with friends and family. I have flown about 100 hours in the Cub and was fortunate enough to get into a private T-hangar at the Flying W Airport in Lumberton, New Jersey (N14). We have a great bunch of people at the airport, and everyone is always out and about, talking about airplanes, hangar flying, or grilling. It is everything a general aviation airport should be, and it even has an airplane-shaped pool!

It really has been a magical experience. I know it’s cliché, but it is truly a dream come true for me. Nothing beats taking the Cub up on a summer evening with my daughters, flying over old farmhouses with the door open, and watching the sunset as we push the airplane back into the hangar for the night, only to be back just after sunrise to do it all over again. Just last weekend I had my father at the hangar. Nothing gave me greater joy than to take him up at dusk, while all his grandchildren looked up in the sky, just like I did all those years ago.

To me the absolute best time to fly the Cub is very early on those humid summer mornings when the air calm and the majority of folks are still asleep. No better way to start the day than with a Cub flight.

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The Vintage Mechanic ROBERT G. LOCK

My Thoughts on Propeller Care, Part I

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

THIS ARTICLE WILL COVER some thoughts on the care and maintenance of propellers, specifically ground-adjustable props. For the antique aircraft, there are three types of materials from which propellers can be manufactured — wood, aluminum, and steel. I have experience with each of these three types of props. But first let’s make sure that we understand that per the Federal Aviation Regulations, a mechanic can perform the following maintenance on propellers: 1) remove and install, 2) check track, 3) smooth leading edges due to minor nicks, 4) paint the face and tips of the prop, and 5) varnish wood props. Airframe and powerplant (A&P) mechanics may make major repairs to propellers in accordance with Advisory Circular (AC) 43.13-1B. It is important to remember that a prop must retain the balance recommended by the manufacturer, both spanwise and chordwise. So care must be taken not to disturb the balance by adding excessive finishes. It is possible to finely balance a propeller with paint or varnish; however, a propeller maintenance shop is usually the only source for prop balance. FAA Advisory Circular 43.13-1B is a good guide for care and maintenance of aircraft propellers.

Perhaps a quick discussion of engine crankshaft sizing would be in order at this time. Crankshafts were sized according to SAE standards.

These sizes were No. 1 and No. 2 tapered and No. 20, No. 30, No. 40, No. 50, and No. 60 splined. Older engines, such as the Wright J-5 and Curtiss OX-5, had tapered crankshafts. Other small, single-row radial engines — such as Continental W-670, Lycoming R-680, Jacobs R-755 series, and Warner — had crankshafts that were SAE No. 20 spline, while the Wright J-6-5, J-6-7, J-6-9, and Pratt & Whitney R-985 series engines were No. 30 spline. Propeller hubs, whether they were for wood or metal props, were manufactured according to an approved type certificate (ATC) to match engine propeller shaft sizes.

If the hub bolts are loose, check for possible elongation of the holes and for wear between the steel hub and wood propeller. All varnish should be in good condition. If the varnish is faulty, showing cracks, or checking (where the varnish is failing with a web of fine cracks all over the surface), carefully sand and recoat both blades with a good grade exterior spar or epoxy varnish. Remember, balance is critical to smooth engine operation. Typical critical data on a wood prop that operates at 2100 rpm shows that the tips will travel at roughly 612 mph, or Mach 0.80. Wood does not fatigue like metal; therefore, a good visual inspection of the prop and its attaching hardware should be conducted at regular intervals. Avoid operating the propeller in the rain as it will effectively remove the varnish coating.

ALUMINUM ALLOY GROUNDADJUSTABLE PROPELLERS I recently came across a Hamilton Standard Propeller Corp. brochure dated 1930. It details two- and three-bladed ground-adjustable models and contains some interesting data regarding care and maintenance. Hamilton Standard manufactured two hubs that fit most small, single-row radial engines that used either the SAE No. 20 or No. 30 crankshafts. These hubs were: 1) The 5404, ATC 250, rated to 330 hp at 2200 rpm. Crankshaft size for the 5404 hub is a No. 20 spline, and it weighs 30 pounds.

2) The 5406, ATC 251, is rated to 500 hp at 2500 rpm. Crankshaft size for the 5406 hub is a No. 30 spline, and it weighs 32 pounds.

WOOD PROPELLERS Inspect wood props to assure continued airworthiness. The inspection should include visually looking for cracks, dents, warpage, glue failure, and delaminations between the wood laminates. Also, the hub bolt torque should be checked. Loose hub bolts can cause elongation of the holes in the prop hub. Wood propellers are manufactured from yellow birch, and the laminations are bonded with Resorcinol glue.

Wood prop leading edges are protected by brass tipping fastened to the wood by copper rivets and steel screws. After attachment, the screw and rivet heads are secured in place by soft solder. Check for loose screws and/or rivets by observing the condition of the solder.

Thin cracks in the solder around the outer edge of the fastener (which is covered by the solder) indicate the fastener is working in the hole, and it and the tipping are becoming loose.

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FIGURE 1: Wire pointer shown fastened to No. 5 rocker box on Wright R-760 engine. It’s a quick and simple way to verify prop pitch.

It’s interesting to note that the Hamilton Standard 5406 hub for my Wright R-760 (235 hp) is rated for any engine up to 500 hp at 2500 rpm; however, the 4350F aluminum blades are rated for only 125 hp each (250 total engine hp). The 4350F (11C1) blades will work in both 5404 (SAE No. 20 spline) and 5406 (SAE No. 30 spline) hubs.

Like engine crankshaft sizes, hub sizes were also based on an SAE numbering system. The SAE No. 0 size hub is used for engines up to 125 hp, including the Warner, Kinner, OX-5, LeBlond, Gipsy, etc.

The SAE No. 1 size hub can be used on engines with either SAE No. 20 or No. 30 crankshafts. On larger engines, such as the Pratt & Whitney Hornet and Wright Cyclone, the SAE No. 1-1/2 size is used for two-bladed propellers.

The SAE No. 2 size is used for geared engines requiring propellers of a large diameter.

I’m going to extract this Hamilton Standard data and list some of it here in this column.

The quotes are directly from this manual.

“Dynamic Balance of the Propeller: The running or dynamic balance of the propeller is ordinarily roughly checked by testing the ‘track’ of the propeller. The propeller is mounted on the engine or on a suitable mandrel, and the blades are swung through an arc of 180 degrees.

Both blades should pass through exactly the same path, and the amount by which they fail to do so is the ‘error in track.’ For this reason Hamilton Standard Propellers are set very accurately at the factory, the two opposite blades being set to correspond to within 1/10 of 1 degree. It is not always possible to set these blades accurately in the field, but it is recommended that an effort be made to keep the angle of the two blades alike within 2/10 of 1 degree.”

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EAA ARCHIVES

FIGURE 2: The pointer is made using a length of 3/32-inch diameter welding rod with 1/4-inch inside diameter loop formed on one end.

Here, a side note from the author may be helpful. A certain prop shop recently overhauled and returned to service two 5406AR-4350F Hamilton Standard props for a pair of Wright-powered biplanes. Both engines had vibration modes around 1400-1550 rpm; they were so bad that we didn’t run the engines in that range, only to accelerate or decelerate. After they had been overhauled at the shop and reinstalled on the airplanes, I checked the blade angles and found that both props had a deviation in blade angle greater than specified above. One blade had 0.090 inches more pitch than the other. I reset the blade pitch, and now both engines operate smoothly. Figures 1 and 2 show the “special tool” I used to check/reset the pitch.

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The Vintage Mechanic ROBERT G. LOCK

According to the Hamilton Standard manual, “When it is desired to change the rpm of the engine at full throttle by adjusting the pitch of the propeller, the following general rule may be applied. The engine will slow down 60 rpm for each degree of increase in pitch and will speed up 60 rpm for each degree of decrease in pitch.

“Care of Propeller Blades: Whenever there is any sign of pitting on the leading edge of a blade, it must be attended to immediately. If the pitting is at all bad, the rough edges should be smoothed with a fine file, the whole leading edge smoothed down with fine sandpaper and finished with crocus cloth.

However, the file should be avoided if possible and be used only when the pitting is so extensive as to make its use necessary. Occasionally, when severe pitting occurs, it may be necessary to remove so much material that the propeller becomes unbalanced. This condition must be watched for and be corrected.”

(Editor’s Note: Be careful when choosing abrasive cloth. Sometimes the term “crocus cloth” is used generically when referring to abrasive cloth, but it originally was an iron oxide product. Crocus cloth made using iron oxide is appropriate for use only on steel propeller blades and should not be used on aluminum blades. The iron oxide abrasive particles used to create crocus cloth will induce dissimilar metal corrosion if used on aluminum. If it’s necessary to use abrasive cloth when dressing out a pit on an aluminum blade, use mineral-based abrasives such as emery cloth. ) “Vibration: The question of vibration in the powerplant, propeller, and mounting is a very important one. There are, of course, a number of possible causes of vibration. One of the most obvious causes is the static unbalance of the propeller and that can be controlled by inspection.

The dynamic unbalance of the propeller can be controlled within fairly close limits by checking the face alignment or ‘track’ of the blades at a number of stations.

“An aerodynamic unbalance of the propeller may be caused, as is well known, by unequal angle setting of the two blades. It may also be caused by improper template fit of the two blades, resulting in different characteristics for the airfoil, and this feature is carefully controlled by inspection at the Hamilton Standard plant.”

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Hamilton Standard’s book continues: “Unequal amount of stiffness in the two blades may also cause vibration, as the blades will deflect by unequal amounts. In Hamilton Standard Propellers, this condition will not be found, as the material is carefully tested to ensure uniformity of structure and hardness.

“There are, of course, possibilities of vibration coming from the engine, even assuming good distribution, ignition, and timing. One of these is the uneven torque reaction due to the gas pressure. A second source of vibration comes from improper balance of the reciprocating parts.

“However, vibration frequently occurs at certain speeds, and is comparatively small in amount at other speeds. This is often the result of the period of vibration of some of the parts coinciding with the rate of engine impulses or with the rate of revolution. It can sometimes be eliminated by changes in the mounting of the engine or by changes in propeller design.”

Climb and/or cruise performance of the airplane is in direct relationship to propeller pitch. There are “climb” props and “cruise” props. Climb props allow the engine to develop maximum rpm at full throttle, thus achieving maximum rate of climb. Quoting from the manual, “For example, it may be desired to get out of a small field even at the expense of the speed of the airplane. In this case the propeller should be set at a low pitch, allowing the engine to turn-up fast on take-off.

The plane will then get off the ground in a short distance.

“On the other hand, it may be desirable to economize on fuel. For this, the pitch of the propeller should be set at a high angle and the engine held down to a low rpm at full throttle.

This setting will give the greatest economy of fuel, or, in other words, the most miles per gallon.”

The Hamilton Standard manual further states, “Adjustment of Pitch for High Speed: For racing or any other type of flying in which high speed is important, an intermediate setting between these two will be found the most desirable. In determining the best setting (or the prop) for speed, the pilot should try several pitch settings, flying level and at full throttle with each setting. A reading of the airspeed meter should be taken during each test. The setting which gives the greatest speed is, of course, the one most suitable for that particular airplane.”

Before I leave this interesting little manual, there is one more bit of information I found fascinating. The manual says, “Shoulders on Blade Ends: The shoulders on the blade ends are so designated that the shearing strength and the crushing strength are equal and, though nearly so, are not quite as great as the tensile strength of the smallest section of the blade end.

Tensile tests on these blade ends show that they fail at 320,000 lbs. load for the No. 1 size. This corresponds to a factor of safety of approximately 5 for our standard 10 ft. propeller when turning at 1800 rpm.”

Univair Has Kept Ercoupes Flying Since 1946

STEEL PROPELLERS My only experience with steel propellers is on the McCauley installed on stock Stearman aircraft. These props have been around for a long time, and there is an airworthiness directive (AD) on the prop requiring disassembly and inspection every 100 hours’ time in service, which makes this prop expensive to operate.

The McCauley has steel blades with a steel hub, making it heavy. The AD requires disassembly, magnafluxing, and a visual inspection of hub and shank end of blades for pitting corrosion. If corrosion pits or any evidence of cracks are found, the component is “red tagged” and scrapped. I have four McCauley props in my shop that have been scrapped by prop shops. Many owners have decided that the prop is too expensive to operate and have opted to replace it with a wood prop or a Hamilton Standard with 5404 or 5406 part-numbered hubs. Finding a 5404, 20-spline prop hub can be difficult and expensive. My experience shows that the 5406, 30-spline hub is more prevalent.

Again, propeller pitch is set by the manufacturer or the propeller repair shop. Prop pitch is generally set at the 42-inch station (42 inches measured from hub center line) for many props. Smaller props may use the 36-inch station; the manufacturer determines the exact station location.

Univair is the Type Certificate holder for the Ercoupe 415 series, Forney, Alon, and M-10 Cadet. We have thousands of quality parts specifically for these airplanes. Many of our parts are made on the original tooling that was used when these great aircraft were being made. We also have distributor parts such as tires, batteries, windshields, and much more.

Visit our website to request your free Univair catalog. Foreign orders pay postage.

Toll Free Sales: 1-888-433-5433 Shop Online: www.univair.com

AIRCRAFT CORPORATION

2500 Himalaya Road • Aurora, CO • 80011 Info Phone ....................... 303-375-8882 Fax ........800-457-7811 or 303-375-8888 Email ............................info@univair.com

ALL MERCHANDISE IS SOLD F.O.B., AURORA, CO • PRICE AND AVAILABILITY SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE • 12-23-20

FIXED-PITCH METAL PROPS Most 220-hp Continental-powered Waco aircraft left the factory with Curtiss Reed aluminum alloy propellers. Curtiss Reed propellers featured small hubs and graceful blades and were a one-piece prop. Length and pitch angle could be varied slightly by an approved propeller facility. Care of this type of prop was similar to the Hamilton Standard ground-adjustable models; leading-edge care and corrosion protection is important. Never let surface corrosion get to the advanced stage of pitting, especially near the hub where aerodynamic forces are concentrated.

I hope this information will be useful for both owners and mechanics. Let me stress again that the owner cannot make any repairs to the propeller; A&P mechanics are very limited in what they can legally perform. If there are questions regarding the propeller, especially the older props, contact a propeller repair facility. Make sure it is familiar with the type of prop you have; some shops won’t deal with the older ground-adjustable props. Good luck and happy flying.

www.eaavintage.org

63

Message From the President SUSAN DUSENBURY, VAA PRESIDENT

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Right now many of you are making your preliminary plans for AirVenture 2021. As is the norm at Vintage, all parking east of Wittman Road and just to the south of the showplane parking is on a first-come, first-parked basis.

Basically, this area starts in the rows just south of the VAA flightline building, and planes are parked north to south on arrival so that the earlier you arrive at Wittman field, the farther north (in the Vintage area) you will be parked. If you want to camp and park your airplane beside your best bud’s airplane, then you need to arrive at the same time so that our parking volunteers can marshal you to adjoining parking spots.

The number of “anniversary” aircraft flying into AirVenture 2021 has snowballed due to the cancellation of AirVenture 2020. Anniversary aircraft for 2020 are to be recognized along with the 2021 anniversary aircraft.

This includes 15 different aircraft types that will be celebrating a milestone anniversary. Each respective type will arrive together so that they can park together, and they will also be parked on a first-come, first-served basis. For the most part, those pilots flying any of the 15 anniversary aircraft types plan to meet and stage group departures from a satellite airport near Oshkosh so as to arrive at Wittman

field together. To help facilitate these departures/arrivals, each respective type club will be organizing their club’s satellite airport departures. Please contact VAA Executive Assistant Amy Lemke at alemke@eaa.org for more information.

She has a list of the 15 anniversary aircraft and will direct you to the type club and person you will need to contact if you would like to arrive with any of these groups of anniversary aircraft.

Blue skies!

Flymart

Classifieds AIRCRAFT APPRAISALS I Specialize in Aircraft NOT found in any price guide. Desktop or Full On-Site Appraisal for ANY Aircraft. JetValues-Jeremy LLC www.jetvaluesjeremy.com +1.636.751.3987

COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY T HE E AA VIN TAGE AIRCR AF T A SSOCIAT ION. ALL RIGHT S RESERVED. VINTAGE AIRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published bi-monthly at EAA Aviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd., PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086, email: vintageaircraft@eaa.org. Membership to Vintage Aircraft Association, which includes 6 issues of Vintage Airplane magazine, is $45 per year for EAA members and $55 for nonEAA members. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54902 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Vintage Airplane, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. CPC #40612608. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES—Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail. ADVERTISING — Vintage Aircraft Association does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through the advertising. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken.

EDITORIAL POLICY: Members are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. No remuneration is made. Material should be sent to: Editor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 920-426-4800.

EAA® and EAA SPORT AVIATION®, the EAA Logo® and Aeronautica™ are registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks and service marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

DIRECTORY OFFICERS PRESIDENT Susan Dusenbury 1374 Brook Cove Rd. Walnut Cove, NC 27052 336-591-3931 sr6sue@aol.com

SECRETARY Dan Wood 75 Walton Place Dr. Newnan, GA 30263 678-458-3459 fly170@gmail.com

VICE PRESIDENT Tim Popp 60568 Springhaven Ct. Lawton, MI 49065 269-760-1544 tlpopp@frontier.com

TREASURER Jerry Brown 4605 Hickory Wood Row Greenwood, IN 46143 317-627-9428 lbrown4906@aol.com

DIRECTORS Dave Clark 635 Vestal Lane Plainfield, IN 46168 317-839-4500 davecpd@att.net

Dan Knutson 106 Tena Marie Circle Lodi, WI 53555 608-354-6101 lodicub@charter.net

George Daubner N57W34837 Pondview Ln. Oconomowoc, WI 53066 262-560-1949 gdaubner@eaa.org

Paul Kyle 1273 Troy Ct. Mason, OH 45040 262-844-3351 paul_e_kyle@hotmail.com

Jon Goldenbaum P.O. Box 190 Warner Springs, CA 92086 951-203-0190 jon@conaircraft.com

Steve Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Lea, MN 56007 507-383-2850 stnes2009@live.com

John Hofmann 548 W. James St. Columbus, WI 53925 608-239-0903 john@cubclub.org

Earl Nicholas 219 Woodland Rd. Libertyville, IL 60048 847-367-9667 eman46@gmail.com

Ray L. Johnson 347 South 500 East Marion, IN 46953 765-669-3544 rayjohnson@indy.rr.com

Joe Norris 264 Old Oregon Rd. Oshkosh, WI 54902 pilotjoe@ntd.net 920-688-2977

ADVISERS Kevin McKenzie 40550 La Colima Rd. Temecula, CA 92591

Joel Meanor 1015 Trail Ridge Ct. Keller, TX 76248

DIRECTORS EMERITUS David Bennett antiquer@inreach.com

Ronald C. Fritz itzfray@gmail.com

Robert C. Brauer photopilot@aol.com

Robert D. “Bob” Lumley rlumley1@wi.rr.com

Phil Coulson rcoulson516@cs.com

Gene Morris genemorris@charter.net

S.H. “Wes” Schmid shschmid@gmail.com

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT 64

January/February 2021

Amy Lemke alemke@eaa.org

© 2021 Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc.

THE

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