Dick Wells' Piper J-3 "Flitfire" Pictured in front of Bill Greenwood's two-place "Spitfire" at EAA Oshkosh '91 is Piper J -3 Cub "Flitfire", NC37905, SIN 6691, flown by R. E. "Dick" Wells (EAA 382491, AIC 17122) of Pickerington, Ohio. Owned by Jay Rodgers of Houston, Texas, the "Flitfire" was one of 48 identically painted Cubs that flew around the USA in 1941 raising funds for the RAF Benevolent Fund to aid families ofWW I British pilots and crew members killed in action. This particular airplane was built on April 16, 1941, as a J3F-65 , and has been through seven owners since then, accumulating 4131 airframe hours. It was converted to a Continental A-65 on July 21, 1951 and redesignated a J3C
65. The restoration began on July 20, 1988 and was completed by White Aero, Columbus, Ohio, in approximate ly 1550 hours. Fifteen of the original
"Flitfire" Cubs are still flying, 14 in the U.S. and one in Germany. This is the first one to be restored in the original 1941 color scheme.
Danny Duggan's Champion 7GCB One of only six "GCB" models remaining on the FAA register, this par ticular Champion 7GCB, N9908Y, SIN 122, is mounted on a set of PK 1800
floats, complete with auxiliary tail fins and a 150hp Lycoming for "get up and go". Owned by Danny Duggan (EAA 302971) of Palestine, Texas, the float mounted Champ was purchased in Hib
bing, MN, and flown back to Texas on floats. Danny reports you have to have a good rapport with the boat marinas along the way, so you can refuel with auto gas. There are very few seaplane bases between Minnesota and Texas! The Champ has since been going through a complete teardown and recover with Stits along with the instal lation of a new interior. Danny will have the airplane back on floats in April for giving dual instruction on floats at Lake Palestine, Texas. In addition to the Champion 7GCB, Danny and his partner, Dave Lockwood, have a Lus combe on Edo 1320 floats which is available for training and rental. They are one of the few, if not the only, seaplane training facilities in the state of Texas.
Dr. Carl Nichols' Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser This handsome looking man in the coveralls is Dr. Carl Nichols (EAA 279990, AIC 11037) of Leland, MS , standing by his newly restored Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser, N3336M,S/N 12 2194. Dr. Nichols had previously owned eight different aircraft when an automobile accident laid him low for seven years. Now fully recovered, he located the PA-12 and decided to have it totally restored by Air Repair, Inc. of Cleveland, MS. The results are plainly (planely?) visible. Note the 150 Lycoming in the nose and the Cleveland disc brake conversion. We are gently
twisting Dr. Nichol's arm in hopes that he will write the story on the PA-12
rebuild for an article in VINTAGE AIRPLANE....... VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17