VA-Vol-23-No-8-Aug-1995

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EDITORIAL STAFF Publisher

Tom Poberezny

Vice-President

Marketing 8c Communications

Dick Matt

August 1995

Vol. 23, No.8

Editor-in-Chief

Jack Cox

Editor

Henry G. Frautschy

CONTENTS

Managing Editor

Golda Cox

Art Director

1 Straight & Levell Espie "Butch" Joyce

Mike Drucks

Assistant Art Director

Sara A.Otto

2 AlC News/H.G. Frautschy 4 Aeromail 5 Life as Viewed through a 140's Windshield/Don Alesi

Computer Graphic Specialists Olivia L. Phillip Jennifer Larsen

Advertising

Mary Jones

ASSOCiate Editor

Norm Petersen

Feature Writers

6 From the Archives/Dennis Parks 10 Steve Wittman's First Airplane ­ The Hardly Ableson/ H.G. Frautschy and Pat Packard

Page 6

George Hardie. Jr. Dennis Parks

Staff Photographers

Jim Koepnick Carl Schuppel

Mike Steineke

Donna Bushman

Editorial Assistant

Isabelle Wiske

12 The Paramount Cabinaire/ H.G. Frautschy

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INC. OFFICERS

16 Steve Wittman's "Hardly Ableson"/ Drawing by Pat Packard 18 AI Nordgren's Grumman G-44 WidgeonlNorm Petersen

Page 18

22 Vintage Seaplanes/Norm Petersen 25 Why did it Sag Off? / Norm Petersen 26 Mystery Plane/H.G. Frautschy 28 Welcome New Members 30 Vintage Trader

Vice-President Arthur Morgan W211 N11863 Hilltop Dr. Germantown. WI 53022 414/628-2724

Secretary Steve Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Leo. MN 56007 507/373-1674

Treasurer E.E. ' Buck' Hilbert P.O. Box 424 Union, IL 60 180 815/923-4591

DIRECTORS

24 Pass it to BucklE.E. Buck Hilbert

29 Calendar

President Espie ' Butch' Joyce P.O. Box 35584 Greensboro. NC 27425 910/393-0344

Page 25 FRONT COVER. . The Paramount 'Cabinaire: a Wolter Carr design from the roaring twenties. This particular example. the lost one of its type. is SIN 7. and has been restored by Fred Clark and Bud Rogers. It was the Antique Silver Age (1928-1932) Champion at EM Sun 'n Fun '95. EM Photo by Jim Koepnick. shot with on EOS-IN equipped with a 7D-200mm f2.8 lens. 1/125 at fl4 on Kodak Ektachrome Lumiere 100 film. Cessna 210 photo plane piloted by Bruce Moore.

BACK COVER . .. The Mckinnon conversion of the Grumman G-44 is dubbed the 'Super Widgeon." This Continental 10-540 powered twin was restored by AI Nordgren. and it was picked as the Best Amphibian at EM Sun 'n Fun '95.

EM Photo by Jim Koepnick. shot with on EOS-IN equipped with a 7D-200mm 12.8 lens. 1/250 at f9 on Kodak Ektachrome Lumiere 100 film. Cessna 210 photo plane piloted by Bruce Moore.

Copyright © 1995 by the EAA Antique/Classic Division Inc. All rights reserved.

VINTAGE AIRPlANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EM Antique/Classic Division. Inc. of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EM Aviation Center. 3OIJO Poberezny Rd.• P.O. Box 3086. Oshkosh. Wisconsin 54903-3086.

Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh. Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offICes. The membership rate for EM Antique/Classic Division. Inc. is $27.00 for current EM members for 12 month period of which $15.00 is for the publication of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EM Antique/Classic Division. Inc.• P.O. Box 3086. Oshkosh. WI 54903-3086. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES - Please allow at least two montha for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPlANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail.

ADVERTISING - Antique/Classic Division 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 POUCY: Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in erticles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely wnh the contributor. No renumeration is made.

Material should be sent to: Ednor. VINTAGE AIRPlANE, P.O. Box 3086. Oshkosh. WI 54903-3086. Phone 414/426-4800.

The words EM, ULTRALfGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM, SPORT AVIATION and the logos of EAA, EM INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, fAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB, WARBIRDS OF AMERICA are ® registered trademarks. THE fAA SKY SHOPPE and logos of the fAA AVIATION FOUNDATION and fAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above association is strictly prohibned.

John Berendt 7645 Echo Point Rd. Connon Falls, MN 55009 507/263-2414 Gene Chase 2159 Corijon Rd. Oshkosh. WI 54904 414/231-5002 Phil Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawton. MI 49065 616/624-6490 Charles Harris 7215 East 46th St. Tulsa. OK 74145 918/622-8400 Dale A. Gustafson 7724 Shady Hill Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46278 317/293-4430 Robert UCktelg 1708 Boy Oaks r.

Albert Leo. MN 56007 507/373-2922 Gene Marris 115C Steve Court. R.R. 2 Roanoke, TX 76262 817/491-9110

Robert C. ' Bob' Brauer

9345 S. Hoyne

Chicaw. IL 60620

312/ 79-2105

John S. Copeland 28-3 Williamsbur8 Ct. Shrewsbury. MA 1545 508/842-7867 George Daubner

2448 Lough Lone

Hartford. WI 53027

414/673-5885

SfanGomolI 1042 90th Lone. NE Minneo~I~. MN 55434 61 /784-1172 Jeannie Hill

P.O. Box 328

Harvard. IL 60033

815/943-7205 Robert D. 'Bob' Lumley 1265 South 124th St. Brookfield. Wi 53005 414/782-2633 George York 181 SlobodaAv. Mansfield. OH 44906 419/529-4378

S.H. ' Wes' Schmid 2359 Lefeber Avenue Wauwatosa, WI 53213 414/771-1545

DIRECTOR EMERITUS S.J. Willman 1904-1995

ADVISORS Joe Dickey

55 Oakey Av. Lawrenceburg. IN 47025 812/537-9354

Jimmy Rollison 640 Alamo Dr. Vacaville. CA 95688 707/45Hl411

Dean Richardson 6701 Colony Dr. Madison. WI 53717 608/833-1291

Geoff Robison 1521 E. MacGregor Dr. New Hoven. IN 46774 219/493-4724

STRAIGHT & LEVEL

by Espie "Butch" Joyce The August VINTAGE AIR­ PLANE is generally considered the EAA Oshkosh Convention issue of your magazine. I try to let everyone know what activities are taking place during the week, as well as other items of interest.

It is with great sadness that I must report to the membership that An­ tique/ Classic Vice-President Art Mor­ gan passed away suddenly July 9, 1995.

It was reported to me that Art was working on his and Kate 's airplane on Saturday afternoon with his friend Andy. Art told Andy that he was not feeling well and was going home and take it easy the rest of the afternoon.

That night Art began to feel worse , so Kate took him to the hospital at 5:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Art had inter­ nal bleeding that the doctors were un­ able to control, and he died at 4:00 p.m. Sunday. A memorial service was held in Menomonee Falls, WI Thurs­ day night, the 13th of July.

Arthur R. Morgan (EAA 17674, A/C 2355, WB 9877) was 58 years old at the time of his passing. He joined the Experimental Aircraft Association in 1962 and was a Century Club mem­ ber. He was a very loyal EAA mem­ ber - if you called his phone number and got his answering machine, there was a recruiting message about the EAA Antique/Classic Division, asking you to join up. Art's volunteer work began in the days of the Rockford, Illi­ nois Convention. When the fly-in moved to Oshkosh he became the Classic Parking Chairman and later became the Parking Chairman for the total Antique/Classic area . Still later he became the Flight Line Chairman, encompassing the parking and security areas. Art assembled a very capable group of volunteers and trained these people to do a good job. Besides his work for the Convention, he served as a Director of your Division for a num­ ber of years, and as Vice-President for

Art Morgan 1937-1995 the past six years. Art was a good friend, and I'll miss his presence at EAA Oshkosh '95. Kate, Art's wife , would like for me to pass along her thanks to everyone for their thoughts and kindness.

During the Convention, if you would like to fly in the Antique/Clas­ sic Parade of Flight, be sure and come by the red barn to pick up a form.

Fill it out and drop it off there. Pa­ rade of Flight Chairman Steve Nesse can then look you up and talk to you about this activity. We also will be once again having our fly out to Shawano. This is a good get-together for a half day to relax and enjoy new friendships.

Speaking of good fellowship and a good time, check out the Antique/ Classic picnic. Tickets go fast , so be sure and stop by early and buy them.

Remember, should you need assis­ tance, come by the RED BARN; someone there will be able to help you

or know where you ' ll need to go for help. One of the most active areas close to Headquarters is the Type Club tent. Here you can meet the princi­ pals of your Type Club. You ' ll often run into someone you may have talked to but have never met face-to-face .

Also located next to the Type Club tent is the Antique/Classic Mainte­ nance Tent; here you can observe and learn about maintenance practices on older airplanes as well as perhaps get­ ting an answer to that technical ques­ tion that no one else has been able to solve for you .

Be sure to check the forum sched­ ule to make sure that you do not miss a subject that you would like more in­ formation about. The Red Barn, as it is known, is your Antique/Classic Headquarters; as I have mentioned before, this is a very good, recogniz­ able landmark where you can have your friends meet with you during the day. Also, the porch at the Barn is a good place to relax in the shade and watch the air show.

Just in case you are looking for them, the OX-5 Headquarters is lo­ cated just to the west of the Barn; then just to the west of them is located the airline pilots' sign-in tent. Just across from the Barn to the east will be 20 to 25 Golden Age air racers - you won't see that type of gathering anywhere else . Down the east side of the north/south paved road you can see the beautiful past champion award winning aircraft.

Looking around the show makes you realize how important the EAA Antique/Classic Division is as a group dedicated to preserving and flying An­ tique, Classic and Contemporary air­ craft. It is important that you con­ tinue to ask friends to join up with us as members. Let's all pull in the same direction for the good of aviation. Re­ member we are better together. Join us and have it all! ...

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 2

ART MORGAN

1937-1995

compiled by H.C. Frautschy

AlC CHAPTER 29 Local Antique/Classic activity con­ tinues to grow, and to further under­ score that fact, we have the news that one more Antique/Classic Chapter has been added to the list. Antique/Classic Chapter 29, the " San Francisco Bay Chapter," has been organized, with Bud Field as its charter president. Meetings are held every second Thursday of the month at Hayward Airport. Meeting time is 7 pm, and you can contact Bud at 510/489-0574 or Secretary Lynn Jor­ genson at 5101736-2992 for more infor­ mation . A total of 37 charter members and officers were included in their Chapter application, an outstanding number for a new Chapter. We look

forward a report of their activities - with that much enthusiasm, we're sure lots of good things are happening!

CLIFF R OBERTSON WORK EXPERIENCE P ROGRAM Two Young Eagles from the western part of the USA have been selected as the Cliff Robertson Work Experience Program participants. Tim Reid , 16 years old, of Cheyenne, WY and 17 year old Mike Hagele of Kamiah, TO have started working at the EAA Air Adven­ ture Museum 's Pioneer Airport. Dur­ ing the time they'll spend working at Pi­ oneer airport (July and August) flight instructor/mentor Instructor Mark Foss of Janesville , WI will provide dual in­ struction.

WE SHALL MISS. Harold moved on to a long (30 year) ca­ reer with TWA as an airline pilot, and he also kept active in recreational aviation, fly­ ing his 145 Warner powered Monocoupe he called "Little Mulligan." He continued flying aerobatics until well into his 70's, often flying in International A erobatic Club competi­ tions. Little Mulligan has been donated to the EAA Aviation Foundation, and we look forward to its display.

Harold Neumann and his beloved "Little Mull i ga n," a 145 Warner p owered Monocoupe he flew after his retirement from TWA.

Harold Neumann (1906-1995) Harold Neumann (EAA29004) of Red­ wood City, CA passed away July 5, 1995 at age 89. Harold was the young man who flew Benny Howard's "M r. Mulligan" to victory in the 1935 Thompson Trophy race. '35 was a good year for Harold , for he also won the Greve Trophy race with Howard's " Mike. " His passing means the loss of the last pre-war Thompson Trophy winner.

That same year, Mr. Mulligan was flown to victory in the Bendix transcontinental race

by Benny and Gordon Israel. The three wins completed a sweep by an airplane maker of the top three events at the National Air Races that was never duplicated.

Harold flew the Folkerts SK-2 "Toots" in the '36 NAR, winning the 375 cu. inch class race , and placing second in the Greve and fourth in the Thompson.

Ken Cook (1914-1995)

EAA Antique/Classic vice-presi­ dent Art Morgan passed away July 9,1995. A pilot since 1961, Art and his wife Kate have been EAA and A/C Division volunteers for over 20 years. A Director of the Division since 1978, he was serving as A/C parking Chairman and as vice-presi­ dent at the time of his death. For more on Art, please read president Butch Joyce's "Straight & Level" column on page 2.

The Robertson Work Experience Program offers the opportunity for two youngsters to recreate the atmosphere of Cliff Robertson's own aviation expe­ riences as a youth, as he traded his labor for a few precious moments in the air.

Our thanks to Mr. Robertson and The Ray Foundation , the program's sponsor, for their support and assistance in bringing these young people to the EAA Aviation Center.

• • Flies" and later tbe HM-l. The " Zeta," an­ other Miller design , is on display in tbe Springfield, MA Science Museum, as are repLicas of bis designs in tbe New England Air Museum.

He was an active and enthusiastic sup­ ported of the Wolf/Benjamin effort to build their replica of the Gee Bee R-2, and in fact Steve Wolf held a phone out the door during Delmar's first flight so that Pete Miller could hear the sound of the new Gee Bee. Later, be worked for United Technolo­ gies at their Research Center, from whicb he retired in 1969, after a 27 year-long career with the corporation.

For many of our members, the name Ken Cook may have a familiar ring - be was the Our condolences to the family and friends of publisher of American Airman magazine during tbe late 1950's until tbe early '60s . Harold Neumann, Howell "Pete" Miller and Ken Cook.

The founder of Ken Cook Company, a pub­ lishing firm specializing in produet support ,

Ken was also an active aviation book pub­

lisher, and was one of tbe first owners of a

military surplus jet. He flew a DH Vampire

around tbe Milwaukee area during the early

1960's.

Howell "Pete" Miller (1902-1995) Pete Miller, whose Gee Bee R) and R-2 designs helped define the "Golden Age of Air Racing" died July 10, 1995 at the age of 93. Pete graduated from New York Univer­

sity in 1926, and went to work at botb Huff- ~

Daland and Keystone before being hired by ~

Zantford "Grannie" Granville to serve as the "

formal engineer for Granville Brothers Air­ Howell "Pete" Miller with the Gee Bee

R-2 replica constructed by Delmar

craft, succeeding Bob Hall. His engineering Benjamin and Steve Wolf.

talents were also seen in Frank Hawk's "Time VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

MAIL

Dear SirIn your February 1995 issue you have a spread of the 1929 Thompson Cup with all the aircraft in the race.

To correct the record, #30 was flown

by C. D . Bowyer-Cleidth Donald Bowyer-who was my instructor and I was at the race. He was not flying a Cessna Airmaster but rather a Cessna AC powered by a Comet engine. I have actually flown the airplane.

Thought you ' d like the record straight.

Nice magazine.

Sincerely yours, R. N. Buck P. O. Box 689

Moretown, VT 05660-068

Gentlemen: I have just finished reading a fasci­ nating book, "On A Wing And A Prayer ," which is a collection of avia­ tion columns written by Ernie Pyle for the Washington Daily News from 1928 through 1932. Few knew Ernie Pyle as a pioneer aviation writer, but remem­ ber him as one of the best of the war correspondents during WW II. He knew most of the great and not so great pilots of the 1928-1932 period of avia­ tion and wrote of them in his columns.

Some of his vocabulary is reminis­ cent of the times. What we now call aerobatics, he called stunting. An en­ gine was a motor, and an instrument panel was a dashboard.

I began flying in 1929 from Chan­ dler Field in Atlanta, so many of the names and stories in this collection of his columns brings back many memo­ ries of those people and their times.

Let me share a couple of them with you and your readers.

One of Ernie ' s columns was de­ voted to Johnny Kytle, a pilot for East­ ern Air Transport on their Atlanta to Richmond mail run, using Pitcairn Mailwing airplanes. In a stormy night flight from Atlanta to Richmond in 1928, Johnny crashed into the west side of Stone Mountain, with only mi­ nor injuries. Stone Mountain is a solid block of granite rising about 700 feet

above the surrounding terrain with al­ most vertical sides on three sides and a gentle slope on the west side with scat­ tered scrub trees. Johnny flew into the sloping west side and came to a stop in the tops of several small scrub trees. It was very dark and he couldn't see the ground from his wrecked airplane rest­ ing in the tops of trees, but he finally managed to rescue the mail and climb down one of the trees to the ground.

Johnny ' s company decided that the airplane wasn't worth salvaging so it was bulldozed over the north side of the mountain. A local farmer later hauled the wreckage a short distance to his barn and charged the aviation hungry public 25 cents admission to see it.

While my memory is back in the late 1920s and early '30s, another avia­ tion adventure in Atlanta aviation comes to mind, although it is not re­ lated to the Pyle columns.

Chandler Field in those days had two fixed base operators, Beeler Blevins and Doug Davis. Beeler Blevins, Ed Hightower and our local wingwalker Bonnie Rowe were the participants in this tale. Beeler con­ tracted with a movie company to pro­ vide three airplanes with pilots and wingwalker Bonnie Rowe to film a se­ quence involving an airplane losing a wheel on takeoff, a second airplane lowering a replacement wheel by rope to Bonnie Rowe on the damaged air­ plane, and a third airplane flown by ~d Hightower with a movie cameraman 10 the rear cockpit to film the stunt. Inci­ dentally , the one wheeled airplane with Blevins and Rowe aboard was a Jenny. Bonnie Rowe did all the wing­ walking on the Jenny, and after re­ moving a wheel and stowing it, he pre­ pared to receive the replacement wheel from the airplane flying close formation above. Somehow, in lower­ ing the rope with the replacement wheel attached, the rope became en­ tangled around the propeller shaft of the Jenny, stalling the OX-5 engine.

Bonnie Rowe quickly cut the rope with his sheath knife, separating the two aircraft, and the Jenny made a one wheel dead stick landing with no in­

juries to any of the participants. The movie cameraman in Ed Hightower's airplane flying close by all this action was so excited by the emergency that he forgot to crank his movie camera, so none of it was filmed.

Once us old-timers get started telling tales of the early days of avia­ tion, we don't know when to stop. This turned out to be a longer epistle than I had intended, but it has been fun.

Very truly yours, W. R. (Bill) Plage (AlC 21147) 6165 River Shore Parkway NW Atlanta, GA 30328-3704 Dear Mr. Elliott, Your letter to (EAA) VINTAGE AIRPLANE was printed in the May , 1995 issue. You asked for information regarding MILES SPARROWHAWK NC191M. I have a lot of info for you.

I keep my aircraft, Navion N350FU, at Lantana Airport, Lantana , Florida and have hung around this airport since my separation from the United States Air Force in November, 1955.

Mr. Perry Boswell of Delray Beach, Florida owned NC191M in the late 1950s. He had it modified apparently for racing-lower side profile, etc.

Perry owned several interesting air­ craft such as a Nieuport 28 and others.

He sold the Sparrowhawk to Mr. George Roberts, now of Reno, Nevada. Mr. Roberts owned the bird at the time of its demise , April 22, 1959. On that day the aircraft was be­ ing flown in an air show of the local va­ riety. It made a low pass down the runway, pulled up sharply, stalled and flat spun onto the runway, killing the pilot, Sergeant Hamlin of the USAF, who was alone in the airplane. The aircraft was a complete loss, the largest piece being about the size of a bushel basket. Mr. Roberts, the owner of the Miles, is the only person at this time who would know of the disposition of the wreckage.

Mr. Owen Gassaway, the owner and operator of Florida Airmotive, Inc. at this airport, has been present on the airport since the early 1940s. He is the true guru of the airport and is the final authority on all of the various comings and goings at this airport since that time. He is a true aerophile and loves airplanes and their pilots. He has a few pictures of the subject Spar­ rowhawk, including at least one of the crash debris. I am sure he could pro­ vide additional information and stories about this plane and the people in­ volved . His address and phone num­ ber are as follows: 2633 Lantana Road, Lantana, FL 33462; 407/965-6400.

(Continued on page 27) VINTAGE AIRPLANE 4

Lie

as Viewed Through a 140's Windshield

by Don Alesi NC 16315 to do with how you feel on the inside. Be­ tween the kids we flew and the adults we met, I became as young as they are.

I'm 31 , own my own airplane , and to­ day I feel kind of old. I have a job that is more muscle than mental. I'm beginning to think like my parents, and getting up at five for work every day is more hassle than hustle.

My wife and I rebuilt a Cessna 140 over a seven month period. Some social life we had last yea r! But there is a si lver lining to that time - with the airp lane came a whole bunch of new friends. Most of these fine people are over 50 and some are see­ ing the highe r side of seventy. I guess by airplane standards we are quite young.

We bought this airplane abo ut four years ago noHg.lOwing a thing a bout an­ ti't~ , c assic or even mod ern a irplanes, for tha alter. But as we flew, more and

month marathon with the 140, we were re­ minded that we were quite a bit younger and had what it took. I disagree.

This couple still had that same enthusi­ asm we did. I'll bet they could still fly the socks off our 140 had there been be tte r weather. Everyone we talked to about flying, be it young or old, first rides or sea­ soned experts, all shared that same love of airplanes we did.

I guess what I realized today is th a t when it comes to airplanes, pilots and fly­ ing, how you feel on the outside has little

are young again.

What I have learned from these folks?

They're not old , at least not in the ordi­ nary sense of the word . Sure there's a bit of gray hair, one more chin, and the two mile run is not their best event. It's their mind . It 's the skill that they neve r lost.

Plus, a ll the wisdom, the experience and stories they have.

I also think of owners of the old bi­ planes. I'm talking Wacos, Fleets, Stear­ mans and more. One owner I met worked

at one of the factories. To them , flying was just the icing on the cake compared to the e nj oyment they get working on a Wright or old Continental engine. They are craftsman, not just mechanics trying to make a living. The place where my air­ plane is worked on is run by just such a man. He works on other people's modern aircraft with the same enthusiasm he has when he goes home and putts around his home with his Stearman or T-28 warbird.

It sure has rubbed off on me.

So how does this fit in with how I feel today? This mornin g my wife and I crawled out of bed, dragged ourselves to the airport and prepared to go to a nearby air strip for a picnic and to give a bunch of kids some rides.

As we strapped on the 140, and fired up the old Continental, my mood began to change. The pain s in my bones that I earned as a paratrooper in the Army be­ gan to go away faster than the haze that had blesse d us this morning. I thought about these people and my first ride in a small air lane. ne weather was warm and hazy with the wind pre dicted to be about twenty knots at almost ninety degrees to the run­ way. Thank goodness for the parallel grass runway. Maureen and I were going to have our hands full.

Throughout the day Maureen and I took turns giving rides while the other briefed the kids and visited with the par­ ents and grandparents. One elderly gen­ tleman came over and asked that hi s grandson be given a ride in the same type aircraft that he took his first ride in. Heck.

We ended up taking both up, and I don ' t know who smiled more. The boy, th e grandfather or myself.

This was about the best fly-in I ever at­ tended. Maureen and I flew about a dozen kids and five adults. Over eighty kids re­ ceived their Young Eagle flights and al­ though we were exhausted, we felt great.

Whenever I'm feeling tired and old, I think of these people and how they have changed my view of things. I hope when I'm truely old I can say I did a little some­ thing for aviation in the same way these people have touched my aviation soul. To all of them, I say "THANK YOU! " ....

FROM THE ARCHIVES . . .

CURTISS

MAIL PLANES

1925-1930 From 1925 through 1930 Curtiss pro­ duced a series of mailplanes, many of which went to National Air Transport. (see the February 1995 issue of VIN­ TAGE AIRPLANE). National Air Transport, founded in May, 1925 was one of the first companies organized specifically to operate as an airline .

The Curtiss aircraft used by National were the CARRIER PIGEON, the FALCON MAILPLANE and the CARRIER PIGEON II . With the aid of photos provided by Peter M. Bowers, the various models are detailed below.

(Top) Curtiss Carrier Pigeon at St. Joseph, MO. airport, 1925.

(Above and right) The first of the Curtiss air mail series, the Carrier Pigeon. This design was offered in the 1925 Post Of­ fice competition for a single-seat mailplane to be powered by a Liberty en­ gine. National Air Transport (NAT) pur­ chased their first plane from the Post Of­ fice and had 10 others constructed.

These were powered by 400 hp Liberty engines. With a 56 cubic foot compart­ ment, they were able to carry 1,000 pounds of cargo, with a cruising speed of 105 mph and a range of 525 miles.

6 AUGUST 1995

o

~

n.

(Above and Right) The Curtiss Falcon Mailplane of 1928-29. Fourteen of the com­ mercial version of the military Falcon were built for NAT in 1928 and 1929. In the air mail Falcon, the pilot's seat was moved to the aft observer's position. Up front, two metal­ lined compartments were placed capable of holding 750 pounds of mail. The 425 hp Lib­ erty powered aircraft had a cruising speed of 125 mph and a range of 728 miles.

(Below) The Curtiss Carrier Pigeon " of 1929.

This was a new design developed in re­ sponse to inquiries for a huge single engine airplane that could carry a ton of payload.

The Carrier Pigeon" was the largest and heaviest single engine mailplane of its time and for some time to come. Though bulkier, the Carrier Pigeon " was a much cleaner de­ sign than the Falcons. NAT had three of these mailplanes.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

Curtiss Carrier Pigeon II

REGISTRATIONS: NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT 1929-1932

Make: Model

Year built

Registration Years In Number Register

Make: Model

Year built

Registration Years In Number Register

Ford : 5-AT-C

1930 1930 1930 1930 1932 1930 1930 1931 1929 1929 1929 1929 1930 1930 1930 1930 1930 1926

NC-4 11H NC-4 13H NC-420H NC-422 H NC-424H NC-426H NC-427 H NC-436H NC-841 4 NC-84 1S NC-9668 NC-9669 NC-103S1 NC- l 03S2 NC-l03SS NC-298W NC-llY C-29

Curtiss: Carrier Pigeon

1926 1926 1928 1928 1928 1928 1928 1928 1928 1928 1928 1928 1928 1928 1928 1928 1929 1929

C-3 1 C-3S C-11 2E NC-183E NC-18S E NC-187E NC-188E NC-189 E NC-190E NC-191 E NC-191E C-208E C-209E C-210E C-211 E C-212E NC-2SSH NC-2S6H

Ford: 5-AT-C Ford : 5-AT-C Ford: 5-AT-C Ford : 5-AT-D Ford: 5-AT-C Ford : 5-AT-C Ford : 5-AT-D Ford : 5-AT-C Ford : 5-AT-C Ford : S-AT-B Ford: 5-AT-B Boeing: 40-B-4 Boeing: 40-B-4 Boeing: 40-B-4 Stinson: SM-8A Northrop: Alpha 2 Curtiss: Carrier Pigeon

Curtiss Carrier Pigeon II

8 AUGUST 1995

1930,193 1,1932 1930,193 1,1932 193 1 193 1,1932 1932 193 1,1932 193 1 193 1,1932 193 1,1932 193 1,1932 193 1,1932 193 1,1932 1932 1932 1932 1930,1931 1932 1929

Curtiss: Carrier Pigeon Curtiss: Falcon Boeing: 95 Boeing: 95 Boeing: 95 Boeing: 95 Boeing: 95 Boeing: 95 Boeing: 95 Boeing: 95 Falcon Falcon Falcon Falcon Falcon Falcon Falcon

1929 1929, 1930 1929, 1930, 193 1,1932 1932 1932 1932 1932 1932 1932 1930,1932 193 1 1929,1930,1931 ,1932 1929,1930,1931 1929,1930,193 1,1932 1929,1930,193 1 1929, 1930,193 1,1932 1929,1930,193 1 1929,1930,1931,1932

Make: Model

Year built

Falcon Falcon Falcon Curtiss: Carrier Pigeon Boeing: 95 Boeing: 95 Boeing: 95 Boeing: 95 Boeing: 95 Boeing: 95 Boeing: 95 Boeing: 95 Boeing: 95 Boeing: 95 Douglas: M3 Douglas: M4 Douglas: M4 Douglas: M4 Air King Curtiss: Carrier Pigeon Curtiss: Carrier Pigeon Douglas: M3 Douglas: M3 Douglas: M3 Douglas: M4 Douglas: M3 Douglas: M4 Douglas: M3 Douglas: M4 Douglas: M4 Douglas: M3 Travel Air: 5000 Douglas: M4 Stearman: C3MB Stearman: C3MB Pitcairn: PA5 Pitcairn: PA5 Douglas: M4 Boeing: 49B Curtiss: Falcon Mail Plane

1929

NC-257H

1930,1931,1932

1929

NC-258H

1930,1931 ,1932

1929 1929

NC-301E NC-311N

1930,1931,1932 1930,1931 ,1932

1929 1929

NC-397E C-412E

1930 1929

1929 1929

NC-413E C-414E

1932 1929,1930,1931 ,1932

1929 1929

NC-415E NC-417E

1932 1930,1931 ,1932

1928

C-423E

1928 1929

C-424E C-425E

1929,1930,1931,1932 1929,1931,1932

1929 1926

C-426E C-789

1926 1926

C-791 C-794

1926 1929

NC-795 NC-883H NC-905H

1929 1929

Registration Years In Number Register

1929

1929,1930,1931,1932 1930 1932 1930,1931,1932

1927

C-lOOO

1929,1930,1931,1932

C-1001 NC-l003

1929,1930,1931 1929,1930,1931

1926 1926 1926

NC-l060 C-l061 C-1063

1929,1930,1931,1932 1929,1930,1931,1932 1929,1930,1931

1926 1926

NC-1645 C-1646

1929,1930,1931 ,1932

1926 1926

C-1647 NC-1649

1927

C-3002 C-3881

1928 1928 1928

C-5636 C-5863

1928 1927

C-7163 C-7471

1929

NC-8670

I足

1929 1929,1930,1931 1929,1930,1931

NC-985H

NC-4552 C-4552

k'4f

1929,1930,1931,1932

1927 1927

1928 1928

~/

1929 1929,1930,1931,1932 1929,1930,1931 1929,1930 1929,1930,1931 1931 1930,1932 1929 1929 1929 1929

1931,1932

(Above) William J. Spencer, NAT Airmail Pilot, stands before an NAT Curtiss Falcon.

(Below) An NAT Curtiss Falcon Mailplane.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

Steve Wittman's

FIRST AIRPLANE

by Patrick H. Packard and H.G. Frautschy Drawing and model by Patrick H. Packard

Additional biographical information from "Steve Wittman - One of the World's Greatest Race Pilots II

by Aaron L.King, Jr.

In 1923 and 1924, as Sylvester "Steve" Wittman was preparing to grad­ uate high school, his dream of becoming an aeronautical engineer was still a part of him, but with no financial resources available for the Byron, WI native to at­ tend college, he had to rely on his own study habits and the practical knowl­ edge he'd gained to be able to make a career in the new industry of aviation.

A little background history will give the reader a clearer understanding of his aeronautical beginnings . As a youngster, Steve's father, Martin, was the station agent for the Soo Line rail­ road in the little Wisconsin town of By­ ron, 7 miles south of Fond du Lac. The family lived in the depot's living quar­ ters, located on the second floor. His mother, Mary Ann was also adept at handling the railroads affairs at the sta­ tion, including being a skilled telegra­ pher.

The family managed to get by fine for a number of years until tragedy struck. Little Steve was only eight years old when his father passed away at the age of 56. Fortunately, because her co­ workers at the station vouched for her abilities, Mrs. Wittman was retained by the Soo Line as the station agent after her husband 's death. Still, times were hard, and Steve recalled spending a good part of his youth working to earn additional money to help support the family, which also included his older brothers, Martin A. , Hubert, Raymond, and his older sister, Marie. As a young adult , Martin A. fell ill with a disease that slowly calcified his back . He be­ came a bedridden invalid, and required constant care. With his mother working for the railroad , Steve had to help care 10 AUGUST 1995

for his older brother. He found he had little time for school, and as a conse­ quence, he didn't finish high school until he was 20 years old.

After graduating from Fond du Lac high school in 1924, he and his buddy Perry Anderson bought a Standard J-I. He had been riding a motorcycle for a couple of years with no problems associ­ ated with exceptionally poor sight in his right eye, the result of a viral illness Steve suffered at the age of 5. He and Perry learned to fly the biplane, and im­ mediately put it to work by selling ad­ vertising on its fuselage sides. They barnstormed all over Wisconsin, selling rides and putting on flying exhibitions to help foot the bills. "Witt," as he was often known to his friends, also ran a fledgling fixed base operation at the Fond du Lac airport, then located on the east end of the town, directly on the south end of Lake Winnebago.

But all of this took place after an ear­ lier aeronautical project, for Steve Wittman's first airplane was one he built himself! Before he graduated high school, "Witt" had been involved in the construction of an airplane, the first of his own design . As he finished high school, he was also hard at work design­ ing and building his first homebuilt air­ plane . Since motorcycle riding was ac­ complished with no problem, why not realize a long held dream of learning to fly?

In a series of interviews with Pat Packard that took place from 1991 until 1994, Steve related the details of the air­ plane's construction. It was to be a monoplane of what we now consider conventional layout, with squared off tail and wing surfaces . Power was a

Harley-Davidson 61 cubic inch V-twin motorcycle engine of 12-14 hp at 1200 rpm, complete with an added gear re­ duction mounted between the two cylin­ ders to drive the propeller. The power­ plant would give the airplane its name ­ it was dubbed the "Hardly Ableson," a play on words by Steve that pointed out the Harley's less than adequate power level, given the task Steve was asking it to perform. It's probably a safe bet that Steve didn't actually give it this name until after he had tried flying the air­ plane.

The actual layout of the wing struc­ ture does have a bit of mystery attached to it, and with Steve's passing we may never know . Fortunately, during the past winter Steve told Pat that he was pretty sure the spars for his first air­ plane still existed in the hangar loft of his Wisconsin home. After Steve's death, as preparations were made to move artifacts from his hangar, Pat and members of the EAA Foundation's col­ lections staff, Ron Twellman and Sean Butler, found a pair of spars that were identical in shape and layout and ap­ peared to be old enough to be the spars for the Hardly Ableson. Close exami­ nation showed that spars were not con­ sistent with Steve's description of the spars for his first homebuilt - they were strongly tapered, and the mounting was with straps over the center section, in­ stead of the bolts through the spar as Steve had described them.

Since Steve had described the use of the RAF 6 airfoil, and he made no men­ tion of a tapered wing in either chord or thickness, it leads to the belief that the spars found are not those of the Hardly Ableson. They do appear to be old

enough to be part of the materials he re­ ceived when the Pheasant Airplane Company folded. Steve had been the test pilot for a number of their airplanes, and had raced one of their Pheasant Traveler high-wing monoplanes in local county fair races and airshows. Al­ though too short to be standard Trav­ eler wings, perhaps they have some an­ cestry in that design. The spars are interesting artifacts and it is hoped that once they are put on display in the soon­ to-be constructed Wittman Hangar, more information will come to light re­ garding their application.

Until later conversations, it was un­ clear if the wings were cantilever or strut-braced. Without the actual spars to check, it is difficult to confirm, but a passing comment by Steve that he was pretty sure the wing was strut braced to the third wing rib bay (the root aileron bay), coupled with the general layout of the wing, leads to a strong supposition that each wing had a pair of struts running from the landing gear " Vee ," at the point where the gear legs in­ tersect at the fuselage, extending out to each spar. The RAF 6 was a very popular airfoil of the period, and was included in a number of U.S. Navy airplanes built during that time.

The landing gear was very sim­ ple in layout. Two 3/4" x 3-1/2" oak "vee's" were bolted flat to the sides of the fuselage, with a tubular axle running in slots at the apex of the "Vees. " The axle was actually a pair of tubes, one slid in­ side the other for strength, with the tire mounted on the smaller axle.

Bungee cords supported the solid axle in the slot, and served as the only shock absorption in the landing gear.

The construction of the Hardly was done entirely with wood, except for the piano wire bracing (purchased from a Fond du Lac piano store) used in the wings, tail and fuselage . A spring from a wagon was fashioned into the tail skid, and other small fittings were whittled out of scrap steel. The wood for the airplane was transported from Green Bay back to Byron by railroad. The spars themselves were built in the shops in Green Bay. One of the men in the Green Bay shop cut the wood for the spars, and then Steve brought them back to the railroad shed in Byron.

Steve had become pretty good friends with a number of Soo railroad men, and he would hop a freight train enroute to the railroad shops in Green Bay, 70 miles to the north, where he was al­ lowed to gather up scraps and other pieces of lumber. Steve then returned home with his wood to construct his air­ plane.

The fuselage was laid out so that Steve would sit on a wooden bench type seat with no padding, and no seatbelt.

The seat was located between the front and aft spars so that the proper e.G. could be maintained . While traveling around on his motorcycle with friends, he often would stop at airports and talk with the pilots, many were WW I pilots who flew war surplus Jennys and the like. He learned much of his practical aeronautical knowledge he had to that point firsthand, meeting the men who flew and maintained their own airplanes.

Martin Wittman /I Little Steve was only eight years old when his father passed away at the age of 56."

The shed in Byron did not have a workbench, and the airplane was built on sawhorses. After the fuselage was built, Steve mounted the spars on the fuselage to use as a "self-jig" for the wing. He bolted the wing spars into po­ sition on the fuselage, and proceeded to build the wing while in place. Onlyaf­ ter it was done did he remove it so it could be covered.

A number of areas showed a good eye for detail, and you can see the be­ ginnings of some of his intuitive feel for aircraft construction. The wing ribs all had lightening holes and cap strips, and

the use of a steel wire trailing edge showed the young Wittman understood that an airplane needed to be as light as practical to fly well.

On the other hand, one item will give the "willies" to anybody familiar with what today are considered sound engi­ neering practices. The use of the wood screw eyes in tension as control surface hinges was not the best idea - the screw eyes would pull out of the wood due to vibration and/or stress over time. Given the limited flying done with the air­ plane, and the low speeds involved, this particular fault never came into play.

A 52" prop was carved out of lami­ nated mahogany, driven by the gear re­ duction. The rear bearing for the prop drive shaft rested in a pillow block mounted on the top of the cowl, and the front bearing and gear support was attached between the two cylin­ ders. The engine was bolted directly to a pair of bearers projecting from the firewall. The gas tank sat di­ rectly behind the firewall, with the pilot's feet extending to the rudder pedals mounted on the floor be­ low th e tank. Steve sat down in­ side the fuselage with his upper chest, shoulders and head extend­ ing above the top of the fuselage.

All the controls were actuated us­ ing two-cable controls (pull-pull controls) , and the ailerons and ele­ vator were stick controlled . No windscreen was fitted.

The covering was cotton sheeting from the local Fond du Lac dry goods store, tacked and stitched in place, and then finished with thinned varnish , as were the bare wood sec­ tions of the fuselage.

After the airplane was complete, he and a few of his friends pulled it down the road to a farmer's field, where Steve set out to teach himself to fly!

The airplane did not have enough power to sustain flight - a bump or two in the field would launch the little airplane into the air for a flight, but he never tried to clear the ever-present barbed wire fences surrounding the field. He also recalled that on a couple of land­ ings he managed to touch down side­ ways a bit, rol1ing the motorcycle tires off of the rims. He applied the standard fix used in those days - he wrapped tape around both the tire and rim to prevent the tires from being pushed off the rims during a side load . Steve recal1ed that he flew it only a few times, primarily be­ cause it was very underpowered, with some vibration from the Harley engine.

The last landing of the Hardly Able­ son ended in what we would describe as a ground loop, with the landing gear folding and the wire wheels being badly

(Continued on page 17) VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

Fred Clark and Bud Roger's

Paramount Cabinaire

An unusual cabin biplane From 1929 is back after 50 years.

by H.G. Frautschy

As a relatively young man, I'm still amazed by the fact that "new" old air­ planes are still showing up for the first time on the modern fly-in circuit. Fred Clark (EAA 260092) of Deland, FL and Bud Rogers (EAA 83099, AIC 1243) of Sanford, FL have brought one of the past 's most rare antiques back to the skies.

The Paramount "Cabinaire" was the result of the collaboration of Wal­ ter Carr and Joseph Behse. The two Michigan aviators saw the need for an airplane that kept the passengers out of the slipstream, enclosed in a sump­ tuous cabin.

Walter Carr was a pioneer aviator who soloed in 1914 using a Curtiss Pusher. He soon progressed to exhi­ bition flying, showing off the new-fan­ gled flyin' machines to the public.

During the Great War he flew Jennys as an instructor for the U.S. Signal 12 AUGUST 1995

Corps. His aviation experience con­ tinued after the conflict when he bought his own Jenny and barn­ stormed around the country, eking out a living . In 1919, domestic life beckoned, and he married a young lady named Edith from Saginaw, MI. As the years passed, Edith made it clear that she wished Walter would settle down and live in one location, so he decided to set up a fixed base operation at the Saginaw airport.

All the time he spent flying passen­ gers convinced Carr that if aviation were to progress, with the general public being flown on a for-hire basis, airplanes needed to be more comfort­ able. Certainly he was not the first to realize this - Eddie Stinson saw the same need, as did many others during the 1920's. Carr wanted to convert his philosophy into hardware, so he ap­ proached some local men of substance

- two brothers , Walter and Edward Savage, and John Coryell, all from the local area. The four men came to an agreement that spelled out the estab­ lishment of CSC Aircraft of Saginaw, MI. Carr's idea for a cabin airplane would come to being as a three-place high wing monoplane powered by an OXX-6. Tipping the scales at 1660 Ibs, the "Maiden Saginaw" wanted a lot from the Curtiss engine, and ap­ parently did not enjoy outstanding flight characteristics, requiring the touch of an experienced pilot. Unfor­ tunately for Walter, the project never got past the prototype stage, and only one of the aircraft was ever built be­ fore CSC Aircraft folded.

Carr wasn't lacking for work at this point. The Great Depression was still four years away, and he was busy fly­ ing as the Chief pilot for Northern

(Opposite page) Fred Clark and Bud Rogers have brought back the Para ­ mount Cabinaire, an unusual cabin bi­ plane built in 1929 in Saginaw, MI. Fred had owned the airplane for over 20 years, patiently collecting parts and pieces needed for the restoration over that time. Bud became a partner in the air­ plane as the restoration was undertaken.

(Top) The distinctive wing and cabin arrangement of the Paramount Cabi ­ naire is shown off in this view.

(Above, right) When Walter Carr decided to build the Cabinaire, he wanted a cabin with excellent visibility. The seats fea­ ture a steel tube frame with wicker backs and seats, and fabric upholstery. The model 165 had a four-place cabin, and a rather spartan instrument panel domi­ nated by a Consolidated style instrument cluster, flanked with an altimeter and airspeed indicator.

VINTAGE AIRPLAN E 13

Conceived by Michigan aviator Walter Carr and intended for the budget minded busi­ nessman or for charter work, the Paramount Cabinaire received its Approved Type Certificate a week after the Stock Market Crash of 1929. The economic uncertainties of the time shut off the market possibilities for the Cabinaire, and the company folded in 1931 after the death of company president Joe Behse.

Airways, most often flying a route be­ tween Detroit, Saginaw and Bay City.

He still had his fixed base operation at Saginaw, flying charters and flight in­ structing with his trusty Travel Air 2000. His fortunes and experience both served him well, for in 1927 the Warner Aircraft Co . of Detroit was looking for a pilot to test fly their new engine. The new " Scarab" series put out 110 hp, and was targeted towards 14 AUGUST 1995

the same pi lots and aircraft who were flying behind the war-surpl us Curtiss OX-5 wit h its 90 hp. The OX-5 in Carr's Travel Air was pulled, and the new 110 hp Warner put in its place.

Over 150 hours of flight time was put in by Carr with his Travel Air, helping to proof test the engineering in what would become one of the Golden Age of Aviation's more well known pow­ erplants.

All that time spent by Carr in the Travel Air helped gel an idea in his mind . If the Travel Air was such a sweet flying machine, why not make it a cabin job? With one of those new Warner engines, it could be a real money-maker, just the ticket for those charters to the big city , or as an eco­ nomic form of transportation for a growing businessman.

Capital was still needed though, and the man who wo uld provide it was a fellow aviator, a lbeit a rather well heeled one. Joseph E . Behse was heir to the Modart Corset factory fortune, and had learned to fly in the military towards the end of WW I. He never made it overseas, with the War ending before his orders came through. Back home in Saginaw , he worked in the family business until it was sold in 1927 to another company.

Behse put his money to work by backing Walter Carr's new venture , which may have already had a proto­ type flying . The exact history of the first Cabinaire is a bit foggy, with some discrepancy as to when exactly the first airplane was built. The configuration of the airplane has never been in doubt, however.

The biplane featured a cabin roofline that did not incorporate the upper wing . Instead, the upper wing was mounted above the cabin, sup­ ported by a set of short cabane struts.

A single pair of " N" struts braced the wing structure, with a push-pull aileron actuating rod extending from a bell­ crank in the lower wing to the ailerons mou nted on the upper wings.

The Paramount Aircraft Corp. was incorporated at the end of the summer in 1928. Carr was fortunate to be the recipient of the SIN 1 Warner "Scarab" engine, no doubt as partial or full pay­ ment for his services during flight test­ ing of the new engine. It would serve as the engine in the first "Cabinaire," and it appears that his Travel Air also gave its very best to the project as well.

The actual wings and tail surfaces of Carr's 2000 were put to use, as was the basic fuse lage . The upper longerons were reworked to extend the cabin roofline, creating a three-seat airplane with plenty of room for the two passen­ gers to enjoy the sights while the pilot took them to their far off destination.

As is often the case with a new air­ plane, there were lessons to be learned, and the first airplane may have been reworked into the second Cabinaire, SIN 2. As 1929 progressed, Paramount Aircraft figured they had a good thing going, for they sold their first airplane.

The early Cabinaires all had the same basic layout, including a Warner 110 hp engine and a neat NACA low-drag cowl, which Carr hoped would stream­

line the airplane enough to negate the extra drag of the biplane's brace wires and wings.

Four more 110 hp examples of the Cabinaire were built, including SIN 5, which received a CAA Group II ap­ proval a four-place airplane. The next version of the airplane put the lessons of the first five into practice. More power was needed for the Cabinaire to be a true four-place airplane, and a re­ vised wing and landing gear configura­ tion (used in the earlier production ver­ sions) was incorporated.

The extra power came from a Wright J6-5 (R-540) which pumped out 165 hp with its 5 cylinders. The new version of the Paramount product was to be known as the Cabinaire 165. The late fall of 1929 was certainly a "good newslbad news" time for the company ­ the Cabinaire 165 received its Ap­ proved type Certificate, No. 265, on November 2,1929. But the stock mar­ ket crash only the week before gave everybody in business the jitters, and put them all on edge as far as the future was concerned.

NC-17M was the seventh Cabinaire built, and the first of the "165" series.

Carr and Behse gamely worked at pro­ moting the Cabinaire, but the market for the airplane barely existed. Only two more were ever sold, (including the rebuild of SIN 3, which created SIN 9) even after the two men set out to prove the airplane's worth in the 1930 Ford Reliability Air Tour, a cross­ country event that saw 18 entrants.

The Cabinaire placed 15th, not a par­ ticularly great showing. By the fall of 1930, as the Air Tour was winding up, Carr let Behse know he was leaving Paramount Aircraft. Sales were going nowhere fast, and he didn't see how they would improve.

Joe Behse continued as president, but not for long. A small two place floatplane was designed by Ralph John­ son, who had done the engineering cal­ culations on the Cabinaire . It was named the Paramount Sportster. The 110 hp Warner Scarab once again made an appearance on a Paramount air­ plane. Unfortunately, the Sportster was around for only slightly over one month. First flown in April 1931, it crashed in the Saginaw river on May 16,1931, carrying Joe Behse and me­ chanic Whitney Merritt to their deaths.

Sometime after the Ford Reliability Air Tour, SIN 7 was bought by Erie Is­ land Airlines, hopping passengers around the Put-In-Bay area. They flew the airplane until just after WW II, when it was sold to a company in Wis­ consin. Relatively inactive, the wings were damaged in a hangar fire, and it later was bought and moved to a mu­ seum in Sarasota, FL. There, Fred Clark bought the remains of the plane during the mid '70s.

He continued to collect parts as he found out about them, and was particu­ larly helped by President Bob Taylor of the Antique Airplane Association, who had some parts, as well as Dave Cle­ vanger, who had at one time owned the

airplane and was able to come up with an engine mount and a few other odds and ends. ' Bud Rogers is also part owner in the Cabinaire, and he and his wife Lillian did much of the restoration work. New wings had to be rebuilt, since the origi­ nals were damaged in the previously mentioned hangar fire, and Bud's wife Lillian helped with the stitching chores.

The fuselage required work as well, including all new wood. It was decided that an original Wright J6-5 was to be used, putting the airplane in its original configuration. The distinctive look of the Cabinaire finally was seen by An­ tique enthusiasts at Sun 'n Fun '95 .

More than one of us had to take a peek in "U.S. Civil Aircraft" by Jos. Juptner to refresh our memories about this par­ ticular airplane. Fred and Bud were kept busy asking questions all day about the Cabinaire and the Curtiss Robin they have re-engined with a Buick V-8.

The Cabinaire 165 didn't make it as sales were concerned, but as a temple­ scratching, "I wonder what that is" an­ tique, it's a rousing success. Thanks to Bud Rogers and Fred Clark, the rare cabin biplane with the wing above the fuselage will be puzzling fly-in atten­ dees for some time to come!

*

My thanks to Dr. William Ballard, D.D.S. and Robert Pauley for provid­ ing additional historical background.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

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bent. The pile of parts were hauled back to the railroad shed in Byron, and Steve began to think about purchasing one of the surplus airplanes he had seen during his motorcycle trips around the state.

Unfortunately, no photos or original drawings ex ist of the Hardly Abelson.

In fact, Steve did not talk that much about the airp lan e, and rarely men­ tioned it during the course of interviews about his life. A passing comment about it piqued the interest of a longtime friend, artist Pat Packard. Pat contin­ ued to question Steve abo ut the air­ plane, and details began to emerge.

Steve had remarkable recall about the Hardly Ableson, including the di­ mensions, so the basic outlines of the airplane went down on paper pretty eas­ ily, and then Pat and he began to fill in the details, showing him the drawings as time progressed. Steve would then com­ ment and make corrections on the draw­ ings, which were complete at the time of Steve's death - they were to be signed by him upon his return to Wisconsin.

The results are represented by the drawing on pages 16 and 17. This copy­ righted general arrangement drawing is one of 4 sheets, and should be suitable for modeling purposes. Readers are cautioned regarding the structural and flight characteristics of the airplane as depicted - no analysis has been done on this airplane in any way, and as men­ tioned in this article, certain aspects run counter to building practices now ac­ cepted as correct. A full size, non-flying replica for display in the Wittman Hangar at EAA Pioneer Airport is now being constructed over the next year by Pat Packard , who generously allowed the reproduction of this plate so that modelers and historians could gain some insight into the first airplane constructed by the late Steve Wittman. ...

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DA....-E"_ VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

AI Nordgren's

Grumman G-44

WIDGEON

by Norm Petersen

Best Amphibian Award Sun In Fun 1995 Just east of the large city of Portland, OR, is a smaller community named Trout­ dale - the name alone conjures up thoughts of patient fishermen, beautiful water and interesting shorelines - that was the home of McKinnon Enterprises, Inc., a company that specialized in converting Grumman amphibians to corporate chariots with im­ proved performance. The company head­ quarters was actually at Sandy, just down the road a few miles. However, the main McKinnon Hangar still stands at the Trout­ dale Airport.

18 AUGUST 1995

Right next to the McKinnon building is a hangar belonging to AI Nordgren of Troutdale, who happens to own a beautiful 1943 Grumman G-44 "Widgeon," N69058, SIN 1291, which was one of the more than fifty that were converted to "Super Wid­ geons" by McKinnon back in the 1950's.

Instead of the original six-cylinder, in­ line Ranger engines of 200 hp with fixed­ pitch wooden propellers, the Super Wid­ geon has Lycoming GO-480-BID engines of 270 hp swinging three-bladed Hartzell controllable props with full feathering ca­

pabilities. In addition, it has retractable wingtip floats , larger fuel capacity (154 gals.) and a beefed up hull and landing gear to handle an increase to 5500 lb. gross weight.

Just how AI Nordgren ended up with this beautiful amphibian at Sun 'n Fun '95 and ran off with the Best Amphibian Award is a story in itself. AI was born and raised in Troutdale, OR, and earned his helicopter license when he was 18 years old. His father Earl and was also taking helicopter training, received his li­

cense the very same month.

Moving on to fixed wing aircraft, A I has bought, sold and traded numerous ma­ chines over the years, but never a Grum­ man Widgeon - until N69058 came on the scene!

The airplane had been advertised in Trade-A-Plane and was located at Arling­ ton, WA. AI traveled north to Arlington and negotiated the purchase, knowing that a great deal of rebuilding work lay ahead.

This particular Super Widgeon had been surplused o ut of the U.S . Navy on Apri l 27,1947 and was acquired by Lana Kurtzer of Kurtzer Flying Service on beau­ tiful Lake Union in Seattle, W A. It faith­ fully served over forty years in the Seattle area until 1988, when it was sold to a party named Edson , who flew the Widgeon up to Sitka, Alaska, where it served for about three years. They brought the o ld girl back to Arlington, WA in 1992, where AI purchased the airplane. It was in need of considerable help (there were patches on top of patches) . The Super Widgeon was dismantled and hauled home on two large trailers to Troutdale where the long road to respectability began.

As the airframe was taken apart, all meta l was bead blasted to remove old paint and reveal any and all corrosion .

There was plenty, especially where it was not supposed to be . However, where the rebuilders expected severe corrosion, there was often bright, shiny, aluminum with little or no hint of deterioration. Riv­ ets by the thousand were drilled out to re­ move aluminum panels as each section of the large fuselage came under scrutiny.

Jack Barnes , former McKinnon em­ ployee, was the lead person on the restora­ tion and his expertise was shown at many critical times . All pieces and parts that measured up for fina l assemb ly were etched and alodined and then sprayed with a special Boeing primer. AI Nordgren says the primer does an excellent job of preser­ vation , and it also a llows for critical in­ spections in later years that might reveal future corrosion. If o ne paints over the primer with polyurethane, th e corrosion does not become visib le, a nd is hidden from view - not a comforting thought.

New aluminum skins were fabricated and installed on the belly of the fuselage as the old ones had seen better days. The en­ tire tai lwheel with its strut assembly was dismantled, bead blasted and rebuilt with all new moving parts. The main landi ng gears were also taken down, bead blasted, magnafluxed for internal cracks and then reassembled with all new bolts and fittings.

In addition, new Cleve land wheels and brakes were installed on the gear.

Before new sides were installed on the fuselage, a 50,000 BTU Janitrol heater was installed in the aft fuselage to accommo­ date those cold mornings in places like Alaska. AI says this heater has been a real comfort on many occasions. The tail feath­

(Above) The new custom built instrument panel features a center stack of radios and late model instruments. Note the cherry wood control wheels with ebony inlaid de­ signs - a touch of real class.

(Left) The heart of the McKinnon Widgeon conversion that makes a real hot-rod out of the airplane are these Lycoming GO-480­ B1C engines that crank out 270 hp each at full bore, yet the large, three-bladed props get a really good bite of air at the reduced propeller speed. (Red wing blackbirds also like the Hartzell props!)

(Below) With the retractable wingtip floats in the down position, AI Nordgren brings the award-winning Widgeon in for a perfect touchdown on the vented step of the hull.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

(Above) Turning into the evening sun, AI Nordgren brings the Widgeon up close for Jim Koepnick's camera. Note his right hand on the dual overhead throt­ tles. Did you ever notice that a Lycoming GO-480 engine has a "smiling face" on its front cowl?

(Left) Backlit by the sun, the familiar shape of a beautiful Grumman amphib­ ian is easily identifiable aga inst the darker water.

ers of the Widgeon were all rebuilt with new skins installed on the stabilizer. The old pieces of aluminum were severely cor­ roded. The rudder and elevators were cleaned up, primed and covered with fab­ ric, the ribstitc hing being very close ly spaced for high speed work.

Up in the wing center section, the en­ tire area was opened up, bead blasted, in­ spected, cleaned and then sprayed wit h Boeing primer. Long range fuel tanks were installed to bring the fue l capacity to 154 gallons from the original 108 ga ls.

Uniq ue to the Widgeo n are removab le wing leading edges. These we re carefully bead blasted and reworked to new condi­ tion before being primed and reinsta lled.

About this time, Allocated a new set of landing gear retract mechanisms that had never been installed in an airplane. He contacted Sky Control in Sun Valley, CA, who had built the original gear actuators, 20 AUGUST 1995

and t hey were able to supply new actua­ tors . AI's "Good Luck " charm came through about this time when Mrs. McKin­ non (the widow of A. E. McKinnon, who did all the conversions) called. She said the family was selling the airfield and house. In the attic there was a bundle of paperwork they were just going to throw out. She mentio ned A l was welco me to come and r ummage through it to see if anything was of use. AI says they fo und all of the origina l stamped FAA Approvals that McKin non had do ne on the various Gr umman amp hibia ns! A ll of this pre­ cious materia l was saved and eventually was sent to a museum in Ketchikan, Alaska, who has charge of the paperwork.

A ve ry specia l t h a nk you has to be ac­ co rded Mrs. McKinno n for being savvy enough to call before throwi ng the ali-im­ portant paperwork in the trash bin.

All of the wiring in the entire airplane was rep laced to modern standards and a new floor was fabricate d fr om Boeing composite flooring as used in their airlin­

ers. A new one-piece windshield was in­ stalled along wi th a new interior done in lea th er, Ultra Suede and cherry wood .

The colors are light grey, grey and wood to rea lly add a touch of class. T he dual con­ trol yokes are handmade from cherry wood with ebony in lays. A custom instrument pane l was fabrica ted to handle all new avionics and instrumentation.

Both three-bladed, full-feathering , Hartzell propellers were sent in for over­ hau l and the left engine , a GO-480-B1D Lycoming of 270 hp , was majored. The rig ht engine had about 1000 hours, but checked out in good shape.

A major improvement was the installa­ tio n of retractab le wingfloats on each wingtip. T hese are an STC'd installation and are operated by electrical actuators.

The big advantage is a more efficient wingtip that increases the cruise speed and allows the float to be raised when the wing is passing over a dock or obstruction of some ki nd. Again, the important thing to remember is to lower the floats for a water landing, lest you run out of wingtip flota­ tion when the airplane slows down on the water. (A n upside down Widgeon is not a very pretty sight!)

Another important addition is a spray rail that goes completely around the nose of the fuse lage . This neat spray rail was designed by veteran Widgeon guru , George Pappas (EAA 4071 , AIC 7893) of A nchorage, AK, and really helps to keep spray off the propellers.

Once the airplane was pretty much all asse mbled and test r un, it was carefully

prepared for a new paint scheme with all colors done in Sterling polyurethane. The base coat is Matterhorn White with the trim done in Scarlet Red, Light Grey and Gold. Again, extreme attention to detail is evident and the beauty of the entire paint scheme accents the classic lines of LeRoy Grumman's beautiful Widgeon. Needless to say, the classy paint job caught the eye of the judges at Sun ' n Fun and when all the shouting was over, Al Nordgren had won the Best Amphibian Award for 1995 with N69058. (Not too shabby for an air­ plane that is 52 years old, having been built in 1943.)

Following th e total restoration , which required about two years time, many , many dollars and untold sore fingers and muscles, Al decided to fulfill his lifelong ambition and take the pretty Widgeon to Alaska. The trip was nearly six months long and covered the greater part of the huge State of Alaska . He spotted polar bears along the icy shores near Kotzebue, found moose along the many streams and even located a few grizzly bears. On nu­ merous occasions, his appreciation for the Janitrol heater that was installed during the restoration really came to the fore . As Al says, "It was one of those cases of per­ fect foresight."

Working his way down through south­ east Alaska, which is the absolute dominion of the Grumman amphibians, Al was able to visit many beautiful areas among the is­ lands and waters that have listened to air­ plane engines for nearly eighty years. This is where an amphibian , especially a " hot rod " like a McKinnon Super Widgeon, re­ ally comes into its own. Al relates the events of the entire saga with a twinkle in his eye. The inflections in his voice let you know it was an unforgettable experience.

Running off with the Best Amphibian Award at Sun ' n Fun ' 95 was the icing on the cake for Al Nordgren and after flying the beautiful twin for over 300 hours, he plans on selling the airplane and moving on to the next project. If you are inter­ ested in learning the details, give Al Nord­ gren a call at 503-661-8050. Tell him Norm sent you.

Specifications: (Before and after) Super Widgeon Takeoff run @ sea level, GW .

Take-off run from glassy water ..

Rate of climb @ sea level ................ .

Climb to 10,000 ft. .

. .600 ft........... .

Landing speed

......895 ft.

... .7 seconds .......... . ......25 seconds . 1,750 ft./min . . . ... 1Omin .

Cruising speed @ sea level (75% Power) ....... .175 mph .

Service ceiling .

Original 1943

18,000 ft . . .62 mph .

......1,000 ft ./min . ......15 min . .....142 mph .

15,000 ft. .... .50 mph .

Gross weight

.... .5,500 Ibs.

.... .4,525 Ibs.

Empty weight

......... .4,016 Ibs.

.... .3,240 Ibs .

1,484 Ibs.

. ... .1,285 Ibs.

Useful load

EAA has an excellent 80-minute video entitled "Advanced Seaplane Flying" that is available for $29.95 plus S & H. This is in addition to the highlyac­ claimed "Wonderful World of Floats" which is the finest 2-hour video avail­ able on how to fly floats, priced at just $29.95 plus S & H. For bargain hunters, order the two videos together for just $49.95 plus S & H, directly from EAA. To order, dial 1-800-843-3612.

There are a total of 114 Grumman Wid ­ geons remaining on the FAA register includ­ ing eleven of the S.C.A .N. Widgeons built in France under license. ...

(Above right) When purchased in Arling­ ton, WA, the Widgeon was dismantled and the fuselage and engines were care­ fully loaded on a flatbed trailer. Note the large augmentor exhaust tubes from the GO-480 engines that add a bit of thrust and help to quiet the big bird.

(Right) Rebuilding the fuselage while the left engine is out for overhaul, we get an inside look at the aft fuselage where the 50,000 BTU Janitrol heater was installed before new metal was riveted back on.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

Vintage Seaplanes

by Norm

DeHaviliand DHC-2 Beaver on Edo Floats This very pretty Canadian registered DeHaviliand Beaver, C-FRZH , mounted on a set of Edo 4930 floats was photographed in front of John Mark's Mimminiska Lodge in north central On­ tario, Canada. The Beaver is used on a daily basis for hauling fishermen to out­ lying fishing camps. Some trips are made with an aluminum canoe tied to a canoe rack on the float struts.

This very airplane was declared sur­ plus by the Tennessee Valley Author­ itya number of years ago and in 1986 was sold (in pieces) to the EAA Avia­

Petersen

has th e hangar next to the Kermit Weeks Flight Research Center. The pieces were moved to the new owner's hangar and the restoration was com­ pleted under the direction of Dave Al­ grem, John Mark's chief mechanic.

The Beaver was then flown to Cam­ bridge, MN for its new paint job before going to Canada for the installation of floats.

The partially restored Beaver is pic­ tured in the Vette Hangar at EAA's Pi­ oneer Airport displaying the valiant ef­ forts of the many EAA volunteers. The flaps, ailerons and tail feathers are on the floor under the fuselage. Note the original round window aft of the door that has been replaced by a Kenmore large baggage mod and rectangular win­ dow. The fuselage just behind the Beaver is EAA's DeHavilland DH-89A "Rapide" named "Sir Robert Puryear" in honor of one of the donors, longtime EAA director Bob Puryear (EAA 25472, A/C 77) of Trinity, CA.

tion Foundation. Bauken Noack, of the EAA staff, hauled the parts and pieces to Oshkosh, WI, from Mus­ cle Shoals, AL, and the long rebuild was begun , mostly with volunteer help . With the restoration about half done, the Beaver was de­ clared excess to the future needs of EAA and was put up for bids. The high bidder was John Mark (EAA 9866, A/C 8935) of Oshkosh who

Stearman C3B on Edo Floats This sharp photo of a Stearman C3B, (NC)5686, SIN 245, mounted on a set of Edo P-3300 float s is from the extensive collection of Stan Gomoll of Blaine, MN. Powered with a Wright J -5 engine of 220 hp, the three-place Stearman C3B made a very respectable seaplane with spritely performance at 2850 lbs. gross weight. It was certificated on a Group Two Approval number 2-124, dated 9-7-29. The swan logo on the side of the fuselage has "Es­ cadri lle III" printed above it and just for­ ward of the lower wing, a bomb is painted on the side of the fuselage. Note the navi­ gation lights on the wingtips and top of the rudder.

22 AUGUST 1995

Tom Alsworth 's Piper PA-11 Pictured on the quiet shore of St. James Lake at St. James, MN, is this pretty white and red Piper PA-11 Cub Special, N4812M, SIN 11-323, mounted on a set of Edo 92-1400 floats . Pow­ ered with a Continental C90-8 engine of 90 hp, the PA-11 has been the pride and joy of Tom Alsworth of Fairmont, MN, for over 25 years. Origina lly re­ stored from a bent up "basket case" by Tom and his father, the late Lloyd Alsworth , veteran instructor, FBO and

FAA Designated Flight Examiner from Fairmont, MN, the PA-11 was mounted on a set of Edo 1400 floats and splashed about the lakes of southern Minnesota for many years.

A smiling Tom Alsworth rests on the float of the PA-ll as he contemplates some more water takeoffs and landings.

Tom is related to the entire community of Port Alsworth , Alaska, which was started by his uncle, " Babe" Alsworth , back in the 1930's.

Supermarine Rolls-Royce S.6.

These two photos of the 1929 Su­ permarine Rolls-Royce S.6. are from the collection of Stan Gomoll of Blaine, MN. The first is Sqdn, Ldr. A. H. Orlebar, A.F.C., Officer Command­ ing the High Speed Flight, took up each of the racing machines himself on the initial trial flight before handing over to the officers of the team for practice flights. H e is shown in the pic-

ture ready to disembark from the ma­ chine after setting up the new World's Record of 357.7 m.p.h. This same ma­ chine also won the 1929 Schneider Trophy.

The second photo shows the special touring lighter that was built to the or­ der of the Air Ministry to allow th e machine to be towed to sheltered wa­ ter when the conditions re ndered it im­

possible for the slipways to be used for practice and trial flights. These lighters were actually used on the day of the Schneider Trophy contest. The win­ ning and record breaking Supermarine Rolls-Royce S.6. is shown on th e lighter which is fitted with a false bot­ tom running on roilers, and the patent winding gear launches it complete with the machine into the water. ...

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

Why Did It Sag Off?

PASSd ~BUCK

How to solve a problem with a major overhaul!

by Buck Hilbert EAA #21 Ale #5 P.O. Box 424 Union, IL 60180

by Norm Petersen I just read another antique airplane horror story. There is a picture of a beautiful Stearman on its back as a lead-in for the story, and as usual in the mass media, the writer is far from knowledgeable about airplanes. His headline lauds the "Forced Landing" as being heroic because the pilot missed hitting any buildings or hurting any people.

In reality, the pilot is probably feel­ ing pain in his wallet, and for a quite a while will be kicking himself for not doing a better job of preflighting the airplane. The investigation turned up contaminated fuel as the reason for the off airport landing.

Always on the side of th e pilot, I did a little research on contamination.

As far back as 1964 the FAA did some testing on a typical high wing airplane (read Cessna 170) and came up with some very startling results.

They added three gallons of water to the half full tanks. After a few min­ utes the gascolator was checked for water. Guess what? They had to drain ten ounces of fuel before any water showed. This is considerably more than I or most pilots drain on an ordinary preflight. Think about it.

Ten ounces is just about enough to take you through a fast run up and get well into the takeoff run. Whew!

They did a second test with the same airplane by leveling it to simu­ late level flight. The fuel system was cleared of all water. This time, a gal­ lon of water was added to the half full tanks. Again a check of the gascola­ tor didn't show any water until more than a quart of fuel was drained.

In each of the tests there was resid­ ual water in the tanks that couldn't be removed except by draining the fuel tank sumps.

The lesson here is that the gascola­ 24 AUGUST 1995

tor will do its job once the water gets to it, but what's in the lines has to be drained first. Also, each fuel tank must be turned on to drain the lines to the gascolator. The best lessons that came out of these tests were that the fuel tank sump drains will hold the water, and they should be drained and checked before the contaminate ever gets to the gascolator.

Now if you're lucky enough to have a Champ or a "T" Cart, or even a J-3 Cub type , the gascolator IS the sump and you don't have a double check to do, but if you do have fuel tank sumps, drain them! And be generous in the amount you do drain. You can always pour it back into the filler hole if it's clean. And after you've done the tanks, then go to the gascolator.

Also, if you have a belly drain, that IS the lowest point in the fuel system so be absolutely certain you do that one too.

Don't do this only at preflight ei­ ther. Do it anytime fuel is added 'cause it will stir up the bottom and anything there could show in the sumps and eventually work its way into the gascolator. Again, don't just dribble a little, do enough to really check it out. And use a container you can actually see the sample in and as­ sure yourself it's free and clear.

Even though all this was done way back in 1964, it holds true today. With auto fuel going through the EPA Clean Air convolutions, and with all the resultant confusion, assure your­ self that you've got the cleanest fuel system going.

Hey! Happy flying and it's over to you, gang!

As you may recall from a write-up in a previous "AIC Tidbits," the Con­ tinental C90-8 engine in my '46 J-3 Cub , N10XS, had been giving me (and numerous other pilots) fits for the past two years. It would run like a charm for hours on end, and then suddenly sag off about 200 to 300 rpm. It acted like someone pinched the fuel line! Yet there seemed to be few repetitive characteristics.

From the outside, we checked every possible problem area. We knew that carburetor heat had no ef­ fect on the "sagging" engine and a switch to individual mags during the rough spots had absolutely no effect either. The idea that an exhaust valve was hanging up at times seemed the most logical.

We loaded the fuel with Marvel Mystery Oil to lubricate the valve stems. No change. The next idea was to clean out the carbon with a similar product called "SeaFoam."

Two cans of the stuff were run through the engine with not even a hint of change. It still sagged off.

The idea that it was a stuck valve be­ gan to loose its validity.

The Annual Inspection produced compression readings of 72 to 76 over 80 for all four jugs. The Bendix mags were retimed right to the mark (one was off less than a degree and the other was right on) and the car­ buretor was disassembled, cleaned and reassembled with all parts check­ ing out perfectly. Even the induction system was checked and cleaned and reinstalled with new gaskets (it was possible a leaking gasket was the problem.) After the annual, a runup was done, and then a maintenance check flight. No change, it still sagged. Hurmph . This was getting frustrating!

About this time the fuel system be­ came suspect, so it was completely ta ken apart. The flexible line between the carburetor and gascolator was old and partially collapsed. This was re­ placed with no improvement in the sag­ ging off. Next we checked the gascola­ tor sediment bowl. It had a tiny bit of "stuff" in the bottom, however, when we pulled the brass screen from the top of the gascolator, it was covered with a layer of cottonwood see ds abo ut 118 inch thick - a perfect "gas ket ". Boy, this time we thought we had this one nailed! This had to be the source of all our troubles. What do you know - on the next flight, it sagge d off as usual.

Nuts.

In th e cold winter ai r , the e ngin e would sag off, but if yo u caught it with throttl e soo n e nou gh , it would come right back. On an air-to-air photo mis­ sion on skis, Gene Chase had the e n­ gine sag off and before he could catch it, the engine died! He made a success­ ful forced landing (the 14th of his ca­ reer) in the middl e of a plowed field covered with snow - a half mile from the road! EAA photographer Donna Bushman was in the back seat. After huffing and puffing the half mile to the airplane in snow up to our knees, we found Gene and Donna making " An­ gels" in the snow and giggling with laughter.

I pulled the prop through four blades , turned on the switch and it started on th e first pull! Ne edless to say, Gene and Donna took a bunch of teasing and razzing on this episode. I flew the Cub back home, bending a ski

in the process when I hit a clump of frozen plowing so hard it ratt led my teeth .

Through the summ e r and fa ll , th e engine was sagging off at a n increasing rate, the oil consumption was up to one quart per hour , and I ha d the funny feeling that it was time for a top over­ ha ul of the four jugs. In October, we pulled the engine and sent it home with Ted Travis (616-627-6409) of Cheboy­ gan, MI. Ted had just fin ished rebuild­ ing Gene Chase's 145 Warner for his D avis D1-W and I have bee n a fan of Ted 's si nce writing a story about his

In the cold winter air, the en­ gine would sag off, but if you caught it with throttle soon enough, it would come right back. beautiful Corben Junior Ace , " R ag Rose," back in 1985. Ted soon had the engine into pieces and parts. His phone call was "Good News-Bad News". The bad news: "This e ngin e is a bunch of junque !" The good news? "We may be able to save the crankshaft."

The crankshaft was sent in for over­ haul and came back with a red tag on it - number three rod journal was cracked!

When Ted took the cylinders off and flipped it upside down, one of the ex­ haust valve guides fell out on the floor!

It had been going up and down with the valve and hanging up a t times - which held the exhaust valve open. This was the reason for the intermittent sagging off. It was readily apparent that the

previous twenty years of towing gliders and eight seasons of seaplane/skiplane use had done the old girl in .

A factory new crankshaft fro m 1963, still in the factory crate and cosmo line was loc a te d , the crankc ase wa s re­ worked to new specs, the rods were re­ worked to new specs and four brand new Superior cylinde rs, complete with all parts, were installed. In addition , a new camshaft, lifters, lifter bodies and a host of other new parts were installed as Ted carefully rebuilt the engine back to new condition. His meticulous atten­ tion to detail is something to behold.

Besides the basic engine, Ted com­ pletely overhauled the carburetor, carb airbox and both Bendix magnetos along with a new ignition harness. To really add the finishing touch , he built a new set of "eyebrows" for the J-3 Cub cool­ ing system.

The engine is finished in gleeming black Imron paint and finished off with brass safety wire. It is lit era lly too pretty to put out th e re when all th e bugs can juice it up! When Ted deliv­ ered the engine to my home (on a beau­ tiful2 X 8 wooden stand), he brought along a large box of " former " engine parts. Would you believe that the box weighed within a few pounds of the overhauled engine? In fact , I could al­ most build a nice snow sled engine with the leftover parts!

The b ea utiful new engine is now hung in the Cub and it ma kes old N10XS a real hummer again . Hallelu­ jah! Tha nk you, Ted Travis, for yo ur patience, yo ur diligence and above all , ... your outstanding workmanship.

Ahhh, the joys of a good perfonning engine!

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

adds that the airplane was named for a newspaper cartoon of the time (1928). He also pointed out that at least two were built by Eyerly, with reportedly a few more built by amateurs.

The specifications were as follows: Span: 35'-6" Length: 18"-9"

ystery Plane

by H.G. Frautschy Here's another small aircraft from the pre-war days. Take a look at that exhaust system - the tubing bender must have had the day off! From the late Own Billman's collection, the an­ swer will be published in the November issue of Vintage Air­ plane. Answers for that issue must be received no later than September 25,1995.

The May Mystery Plane is an airplane well known to many in the country, especially in the great Northwest. It seems to be known internationally as well, since two of our nine re­ sponses were from members outside of the U.S.

Lloyd Willis, (EAA 28795, A/C 12463)103 Douglas Rd., Doonside 2767, NSW, Australia writes: As seen in the article (from the APM Bulletin) it's the Eye­ rly"Wifflehen." An unusual name for an attractive plane.

My interest in vintage aircraft is as a flying scale modeler, and to that end, does anyone know the colors of the SIN 2 airplane in the photos?"

You can write to Lloyd directly with your answer, and if you are able to come up with the colors, please send us a copy of your letter so we can tell everybody else.

Ralph Nortell, (EAA 8493, A/C 4607) Spokane, WA 26 AUGUST 1995

The weight of the Whifflehen was approximately 470 lbs, and according to the letter and photos published in the APM Bulletin, it was built up using steel tubing and cedar spars and ribs. An overhead stick controlled the airplane.

SIN 1 had a 30 hp Szekely for a powerplant, while the sec­ ond Eyerly built airplane had a Continental A-40. Dick

Geist, the letter writer, owns the air­ frame, prop and engine of SIN , and mentioned that the ultimate fate of SIN 1 is unknown.

Correct answers were received from Charley Hayes , New Lenox , IL; Bill Rogers, Jacksonville, FL; Lynn Towns , Brooklyn, MI; Bill Ewertz , Sonoma, CA; Bob Kaelin, Riverhead, NY ; Doug Rounds, Zebulon, GA ; and Lennart Johnsson, Eldsberga , Sweden.

Lynn Towns a s ked about the fu­ ture of Mystery Plane, in light of George Hardie 's retirement from the column . Rest easy, Mystery Plane fans - the column is one of our most popular (if not THE most) columns , and we plan to continue the Mystery Plane as long as we find airplanes that few people know . Which, as you can imagine, leads us to the next point, which is . . . if you have an old picture of an obscure airplane you think would make a good Mystery Plane candidate, feel free to send it in to Dennis Parks at the EAA Boeing Aeronautical Library, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 . We will then have our photo lab make a copy negative of your picture and send you back your origina l, should you so de­ sire. With your help, we can continue to send members scurrying off to their bookshelves to look up o ur ob­ scure aircraft every month! ...

Send your Mystery Plane Replies to

EAA Headquarters:

Vintage Airplane Mystery Plane

P.O. Box 3086

Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086

VINTAGE

AEROMAIL

(Continued from page 4) Mr. Gassaway and I have discussed your letter to VINTAGE AIRPLANE and th e e vents and facts mentioned above . He is agreeable to receiving any letter or phone call from you regarding this inciden t.

I hope the above information is part of what you are looking for.

Very truly yours, Harvey L. Brown (A/C 391) P. O . Box 897

Delray Beach, FL 33483-0897

Dear H .G. , I have a question about an aircraft and maybe one of our readers can an­ swer it.

During the spring or summer of 1946 an air show was held at the Mineral Wells, Texas airport and a feature was an aerobatic routine by a guy named "Doc" Estes from Ft. Worth. His air­ craft was a tiny biplane with a large ra­ dial engine. The announcer said it was a Laird Super Solution. It had no in­ verted systems and the engine would cough or die anytime he flew inverted.

When he tried an Immelmann turn, the engine died, the aircraft spun in and the pilot perished in the fire that consumed the aircraft.

My questions are: 1. Was the aircraft actually a Laird aircraft?

2. If it was a Laird aircraft , was the announcer right when he said it was a Super Solution?

3. Or was it actually a Laird Solu­ tion?

I've often wondered about the actual identification of the aircraft and once even thought of asking Matty Laird about it when he was at Oshkosh. The press of people there prevented any questions. Maybe someone can en­ lighten me?

Sincerely,

Wendell L. "Doc" Roy (A/C 19307)

520 SCR #5

Ft. Collins, CO 80524

To : H . G . Frautschy , Editor, EAA VINTAGE AIRPLANE Subject: Articles on what to exam­ ine on an antique/classic aircraft prior to purchase.

Reference: Ron M. Hynes letter in "Aero Mail," April 1995 VINTAGE AIR­ PLANE

I fully agree, an excellent idea; how­ ever, I would not publish these subject

articles in VINTAGE AIRPLANE. If you did publish them therein, and you did not delete some other section of the magazine, you would run up your publishing costs, hence , another in­ crease in dues . ..

Plus, there would be a long-time wait between type aircraft. My suggestion would be to gather as much information as possible , with as many pictures as possible , and put all this material in loose-leaf form because as time goes on you would be receiving ne w and up­ dated information.

You could, through the Type Clubs as suggested , be gathering information on most a ntiquelclassic aircraft at once-no long-time delays for readers interested in a certain type.

Now, we would have loose-leaf note­ books and those people interested could purchase them from you directly; charge them your cost plus shipping and han­ dling, or what you think the market will bear! In fact, first ask the membership.

If I were in the market for an antique/classic airplane, this loose-leaf publication would be well worth the cost, especially since it could be updated and I could perhaps get a handle on some future problem that may develop with the aircraft I purchased.

Roy M. Feher (A/C 13798) 5241 N. Via Sempreverde Tucson, AZ 85715-5967 Dear Mr. Frautschy: It was with great pleasure that I read your article , "One of Each, Please," which appeared in the January 1995 is­ sue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. I was particularly struck with the history of this particular airplane having been de­ livered to the Clarksdale School of Avi­ ation , Clarksdale , Mississippi and actu­ ally ending up at Fletcher Field.

This was of particular interest to me because this was the school where I at­ tended Primary Flight Training in August and September 1942 as part of the second class to attend that school. It goes with­ out saying that Clarksdale , not having been exposed to service personnel previ­ ously , was an aviation cadet 's paradise.

At that time I attended Fletcher Field in Clarksdale. Our equipment was PT-17s and PT-13 Stearmans. Not all the con­ struction was complete and , for example, the Second Stage Building, or Ops Shack, had not been built at that point.

I have , for shoe who might be inter­ ested, a book which gives further details and photographs of the staff at that field at that time.

Hope you continue the super stories.

Regards, J. C. (Chuck) Weber (A/C 10028)

390 Sixth Street

Dover, NH 03820-5903 ...

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

New Members

Vicksburg, MS Kenneth E . Aasand Gilroy, CA Brian Adams North Branch, MN Darren J. Adams Wichita, KS Harry B. Adams St Louis,MO David L. Allen Robert G. Archibald San Rosa, CA Grand Forks AFB, ND Blane Armstrong Sierra Vista, AZ David A. Arthur William E. Atkinson Euless, TX New York, NY Andrew S. Auchincloff Mt. Vernon, WA Scott 1. Banford Stone Mountain, GA Jerry R. Barrett Wilmington , NC Sigmond Bear Antigo, WI Jeffrey J. Bell Paul K. Bennett Gatlinburg, TN Los Angeles, CA Paul W. Berg Robert Bern Overland Park, KS John Edward Biggs Altona, Victoria, Australia Milaca,MN Myron Bishman Bartlesville, OK Dwight D. Boesiger Arcadia, CA Leon Douglas Borden Champaign, IL David W. Brady James A. Buddemeyer San Antonio, TX Eugene, OR George T. Carpenter Roseville, CA William C. Carroll Hamilton Cartwright Old Hickory, TN Waco, TX Robert Chapman David M. Cherven Plainfield, IL Palatine, IL Gordon M. Colditz William R. Cooke Houston, TX Naperville,IL Randy Coutre Castro Valley, CA Ron Darcey Sparta, MI JayT. Dean Marysville, MI Norman F. Denman Riverside, CA John P. Dibble East St Louis, IL James A. Dougherty Austin, MN Louis Dumke Nashville, AR Robert Dunn Christopher L. Early Saranac Lake, NY Moreno Valley, CA Marcus A. Elmore Hayward,CA Lloyd W. Emberland Hinsdale, IL James W. Fegley Willard Fernandez Sunnyvale, CA Hurst, TX Glen P. Fike Ken W. Forbes Acton,CA Caledonia,OH Robert A. Freeman Battle Creek, MI Larry Fronczak 28 AUGUST 1995

Dodgeville, WI Clinton R. Fruit Winston-Salem, NC Dick Gainer Mt. Vernon, IN John P. Gerton J. Laurence Gould Wilmington, MA Kevin Graulty Herndon, VA Houston, TX Jerry Graves Santa Ynez, CA Bob Gregg Buffalo, MN Harold Greseth Mike Griffin Westfield , IN Leo G. Gross, Jr. Pleasanton, CA Winter Park, FL Daniel Gump Timothy P. Haake St. Peters, MO Castro Valley, CA George P. Hagerman Las Vegas, NV Rodney Hansfield Victoria, BC, Canada Danny Hartlen Douglas, AZ David Harvan 100858 Fort Worth, TX Richard Hawkins Manitowoc, WI Harold Heidenreich Overland Park, KS Mark Herriott Joel Herris Los Gatos, CA Anchorage, AK Howie L. Hilliker Jay H. Hocutt Charlotte, NC David Hooey Duluth,MN David Howie Redmond, WA Tim Iverson Staples,MN Gary L. Jacobson Loveland, CO Lakeville, MN Mark B. Jereczek Winslow S. Jones Glen Ellyn, IL Danville,CA Lynn D. Jorgensen Atlanta,GA Peter Kahn Wisconsin Rapids, WI Ronnie W. Kasel Matthew W. Keveney Oakland, CA Gordon Kibby Pleasanton, CA Kevin Kinch Didsbury, Alberta, Canada Olathe, KS Louis J. Koch Livermore, IA Richard N. Kohlhaas Milaca,MN Gil J. Kosel Griffin, GA Douglas Krepps Hollis,NH Kenneth A. Kula Lafayette, LA Mark J. Lerille Mosinee, WI Alan L. Lewitzke Wood A. Lockhart Sausalito, CA Torrance, CA Roy A . Loper Lanier Lowery Walker, LA John Machamer Gettysburg, PA Bringhurst, IN Greg L. Marcum Aurora, CO Katherine J. Mc Gurran Leslie H. McCurdy Shelburne, VT

Livermore, CA

John W. Meredith Streator, IL

Jim Michlik Beloit, WI

WesMilner Billing,MT

LeRoy Monson Sid Morris Kenia, AK

Waco, TX

Chuck Morrow Stockport,OH

Gary Mummey Alden, NY

Charles L. Munzert Michael R. Nash Vicksburg, MI

West Sacramento, CA

Linn K. Nelson Menomonie, WI

Richard Nelson Stormville, NY

John A. Neno, Jr. Dean Nichols Lake Oswego, OR

Lake City, MI

Nicholas Pane Hayward,CA

Eric M. Parent Sherry Parshley Stroudsberg, P A

Las Vegas, NV

Keith Perreault Bellville,IL

Ron Pierce Ventura, CA

Ricky M Poe Jasper, AL

Ron Portzer Schaumburg, IL

Michael A. Potopinski James L. Pouncey Fort Smith, AR

Jonesboro, TN

Larry R. Price William H. Prince Beverly, MA

Ft Laderdale, FL

Joe Radosky John R. Randall San Mateo, CA

Newark,OH

Kenny F. Rauch Sullivan, WI

Richard G. Reinders San Jose, CA

Rodger A. Reinhart Arvada, CO

David P. Reiter John Reynolds Cincinnati,OH

Terry Riney Fort Worth, TX

David M. Robertson Balmertown, Ontario, Canada Elwyn Roosevelt Jacksonville, AL Inc Rose Packing Company Barrington, IL Benjamin Salsburg Palo Alto, CA Louis C. Sandford Fremont, CA H . J. Savage Oakland, CA William R. Scheunemann Hustisford, WI Nampa, ID Edward K. Schrader R. Dean Schumacher Tehachapi, CA Christopher J. Shaker Mountain View, CA John J. Shea Douglas, WY Tim E. Shideler Indianapolis, IN Derek K. Shipman Denton, TX Timothy L. Shy Champaign, IL David Lee Skipper Ocala, FL Nancy G . Smart Dallas, TX Leonard G . Smith Sante Fe, TX Roger A. Spriggel Battle Creek, MI Charles W. Starr Randolph , NJ Mimi Steel Pleasanton, CA David George Stilley Waukee,IA Jeff Sunzeri San Jose, CA Joseph James Sypien Geneva, IL Scott A. Taylor Beloit, OH Douglas C. Tenneson Saugus, CA The Write Inn Oak Park, IL Ron Thornton Valencia, CA William H. Valentine Accomac, VA R. Valier Waterlooville, Hants, England William L. Vaughan Fort Payne, AL Joseph M. Vella Palgrave, Ontario, Canada Robert P. Vidrine Lafayette, LA Charles Vranian W Bloomfield, MI John D. Wall Maplewood, MN Wichita Falls, TX Ronald P. Washburn Ken West Clintonville, WI John F. Whitehouse Gulf Breeze, FL Chris Woychesin McKinney, TX Tammy J. Wright Freemont, CA

AUG. 20 - BROOKFIELD , WI - A IC Chapter 11 10th annua l vintage airplan e display and ice cream social. noon ' til 5 p.m. 4141781-9550.

AUG. 25-26 - COFFEYVILLE , KS ­ Funk Owners Assoc. Reunion. Contact Gene Ventress, 9131782-1483.

AUG. 25-27 - SUSSEX, NJ - Sussex air­ port. Sussex Airshow '95. Gates open at 8 a.m. , show starts at 1:30 p.m . For info call 2011875-0783.

SEPT 2 - MARION, IN - 5th Annual F1y­ In /Crui se-in breakfast spon sore d by Marion High School Band Boosters .

Antiques, Classics, Homebuilts, as well as The following list of coming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of information AntiquelCustom cars welcome. For infor­ only and does not constitute approval, sponsorship, involvement, control or direction of mation co nt ac t Ray Johnson , 317/664­ any event (fly-in, seminars, fly market, etc.) listed. Please send the information to EAA, 2588.

Att: Golda Cox, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Information should be SEPT S-10 - VALPARAISO, IN - EAA received four months prior to the event date.

Chapter 104 of NW indiana hosts the Tri­ motor Stinson for rides during Popcorn­ Coast Waco and Travel Air Fly-In , hosted Fournier 405/258-1129 or Bob Kruse fest at Porter Co. Airpor t (VPZ) . Wina­ mack , Indian a Old Antique Ca r Club by Precissi Flying Service. Flying events, 405/691-6940. display and pancake breakfast on Sunday. me morabili a auction, a nd grea t food . OCT. 6-S - EVERGREEN, AL - South­

Contacts: Frank Rezich, 805/467-3669 or east Regional Fly-In. 2051765-9109.

For more info call Paul Deopping, 2191759­ Jon Aldrich, 209/962-6121.

OCT 6-S - WILMINGTON, D E - New

1714 or Rich Lidke, 2191778-2709.

SEPT. 9-10 - MARION, OH - MERFI SEPT. 22-23 - MOCKSVILLE, NC - Tara Castle Airport. EAA East Coast Fly-In

Airbase . 10th annual " Anything That 25th anniversary. "A Gathering of Ea­

(Mid-Eas tern Regional Fly-In) . 513/253­ Flies" Fly-In. Early arrival on the 22nd, gles" WW II victory airshow and Fly-In.

4629.

Big D ay on 23rd . USO style big band Special statue dedication in honor of the

SEPT. 9-10 - HAGERSTOWN , NJ ­ Washington County Airport. Fairchild party Sat. night, awards, military vendors. WASP's of WW II. For pilot's info pack,

contact EA A East Coast Fly-In Corp. ,

Homecoming and airshow. Gates open at 2100x80 sod strip - private field - opera­ 9 a. m., airshow at 1 p.m. Join Fairchild tion and attendance is at your own risk. 2602 Elnora St. , Wheaton, MD 20902­ owners, employees and fans to celebrate Call Novaro or Jan Nichols, 7041'284-2161, 2706 or phone 301/942-3309.

OCT. 6-S - HARTSVILLE , SC ­ Fairchild's contributions to aviation. For Or 910/650-8021.

SEPT. 23 - NORTHPORT, MI - Woolsey Annual Fall Fly-In for AntiquelClassic

info call 3101745-5708.

IntI. airport (5D5) , 30 miles north TVC a ircra ft , spon sore d by EAA A IC

SEPT. 9-10 - SCHENECTADY, NY ­ County airport. Northeast Flight '95 VOR. Fly-IN breakfast , P a ncak es , Chapter 3. Awards in all categories.

Airshow - Sponsored by the Empire State sa usage , ha m, cherry J am a nd more . For info call or write R. Bottom, Jr., 103

Antique planes and autos. Biplane rides. Pwhatan Pky., Hampton , V A 23661 Fax

Aeroscience Museum.

SEPT. 10 - MT MORRIS , IL - EAA sponsored by the Northport Pilot's Assoc. at 804/873-3059.

Chapte r 682 and Ogle County Pilot s Contact: Keith Strong, 616/386-7557. Rain OCT. 7-S - RUTLAND , VT - Rutland

airport. Annual Leaf Peepers Fly-In, 8­ Assoc. Fly-In breakfast. For info call Bill date 9/24.

Sweet at 8151734-4320 or the airport at SEPT. 23-24 - ZAINESVILLE, OH ­ 11a.m. Sponsored by EAA Chapter 968,

Johns Lan ding Airfield. 4th Annu a l the Green Mtn . Flyers and R.A.V.E.

8151734-6136.

SEPT. 10 - VALPARAISO, IN (VPZ) ­ AntiquelCiassic Fall Fly-In, sponsored by (Rutland Area Ve hicl e Enthusiasts).

EAA AntiquelClassic Chapter 22 of Ohio. Breakfast both days, Fly-Market. Call

EAA Chap ter 104 4th annual Fly­ In /Driv e- In p ancake breakfast. Call Food, fun and fri ends. Call Virginia for Tom Lloyd for info: 802/492-3647 .

OCT. S - TOMAH, WI - Bloyer Field.

more information - 614/453-6889.

2191926-3572 for info.

SEPT. 14-17 - CODY, WY - International SEPT. 23-24 - LUMBERTON, NJ - South 8th Annual Fly-In breakfast sponsored

Cess na 195 Fly-In . For info co ntact J ersey Regio na l a irp o rt. Air Victory by EAA Chapter 935. Flea market, stat­

Springer Jones, 50 Schnieder Rd , Cody, Museum Air Fa ir , 10 a. m. -5 p .m., air ic displays . Call John Brady for info:

WY 82414. Phone 307/587-8059 or Fax shows at 12 and 3 p.m. Call 609/486-7575 608/372-3125. to volunteer, or 609/267-4488 for info and OCT. 12-15 - PHOENIX, AZ - Copper­ 307/587-8061. state Regional Fly-In . 6021750-5480.

SEPT 15-17 - URBANA, IL - The Byron directions.

Smith Memorial Stinson Reunion Fly-In, SEPT. 23-24 - ALEXANDRIA, LA - Gulf OCT. 12-15 - Phoenix , AZ - Williams Gatewayairport. Luscombe Foundation Frasca Field. Ca ll 3131769-2432 or Coast Regional Fly-In. 504/467-1505.

708/904-6964 .

SEPT. 2S-0CT. 1 - CAHOKIA, IL ­ Southwest gathering. For info, call the SEPT 16-17 - ROCK FALLS, IL - North Parks College reunio n for WW II Army Luscombe Foundation at 602/917-0969.

Centrral EAA " Old Fashioned " Fly-In, Air Force ca de ts tra ined by Parks at OCT. 12-15 - MESA, AZ - 24th Annual Whit es id e Airport. Contact Gregg Sikeston, Cape Girardeau, Tuscaloosa or Co pp e rs tate Re gio nal Fly-In. Call Erikson 708/513-0641 or Dave J ac kso n , MS. Ca ll Paul McLaughlin 800/283-6372 for info pack, or if you wish to commercially ex hibit , call C hri sti a nso n 815/625-6556. Pa ncak e 618/337-7575 , ext. 364 or 292.

SEPT. 30 - HARRISONBURG , VA - 5201747-1413.

Breakfast on Sunday, 0700 to 1100 local.

SEPT. 16-17 - RO CK FALLS , IL - North Shenandoah Valley Airport. Fly-In pig OCT 14-15 - SUSSEX, NJ - Quad­ Chapter Fly-In, F1yfflea-market spon­ Central Regional Fly-In. 708/513-0642. roast, sponsored EAA chapter 511, con­ SEPT 22-23 - BARTLESVILLE, OK ­ sored by AIC Chapter 7, EAA Chapters tact Sheldon Early, 540/433-2585.

OCT. 1 - HARRISONBURG , VA - 238, 73 and 891. FOr info , call Herb 38th Annual Tulsa Regional Fly-In , co­ spo nsore d by EAA AIC C h apter 10, Shenandoah Valley Airport. Fly -In D a nie l, 2011875-9359 or Pa ul Styger EAA lAC chapte r 10, AAA Chapte r 2. breakfast, sponsored EAA chapter 511 , (S ussex airport) 2011702-9719.

OCT. 20-22 - KERRVILLE , TX ­ For info , call Charlie H arris, 918/622­ contact Sheldon Early, 540/433-2585.

OCT. 6-S - PA U LS VALLEY , OK ­ Southwest R egiona l Fly-In . 915 /651­ 8400.

SEPT 22-23 - LOD!, CA - The Great West Antique Airplane Fly-in. Contact Dick 7882.

Fly-In ---------Calendar

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

MEMBERSHIP

INFORMATION

,

VI~TA(3(

EAA

Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is $35 for one year, including 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION. Family membership is available for an additional $10 annually. Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $20 annually. All major credit cards accepted for membership.

TI2A[)(12

ANTIQUE/CLASSIC Something to buy, sell or trade? An inexpensive ad in the Vintage Trader may be Current EAA members may join the Antique/ just the answer to obtaining that elusive part. .40¢ per word, $6.00 minimum Classic Division and receive VINTAGE AIR­ PLANE magazine for an additional $27 per year. charge. Send your ad and payment to: Vintage Trader, fAA Aviation Center, P.O. EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE mag­ Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086, or fax your ad and your VISA or MasterCard azine and one year membership in the EAA number to 414/426-4828. Ads must be received by the 20th of the month for Antique/Classic Division is available for $37 per insertion in the issue the second month following (e.g., October 20th for the year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included).

December issue.)

lAC Current EAA members may join the Intemational Aerobatic Club, Inc. Division and receive SPORT AEROBATICS magazine for an additional $30 per year.

AIRCRAFT EAA Membership, SPORT AEROBATICS maga­ zine and one year membership in the lAC Division is available for $40 per year (SPORT 1936 Aeronca C-3 Master - 15 hours AVIATION magazine not included). since total restoration. Perfect. E-113C engine. 15 hours since reman. $18,950.

WARBIRDS Hubie Tolson, days 919/638-2121 , ext .

Current EAA members may join the EAA 7433; nights (before 9 p .m . EST) Warbirds of America Division and receive WAR­ 919/637 -3332 BIRDS magazine for an additional $30 per year.

EAA Membership, WARBIRDS magazine and one year membership in the Warbirds Division is available for $40 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included).

MISCELLANEOUS

EAA EXPERIMENTER Current EAA members may receive EAA EXPERIMENTER magazine for an additional $18 per year.

EAA Membership and EAA EXPERIMENTER magazine is available for $28 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included).

FOREIGN

MEMBERSHIPS

Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars. Add $13 postage for SPORT AVIATION magazine and/or $6 postage for any of the other magazines.

EAA AVIATION CENTER P.O.BOX 3086 OSHKOSH, WI54903-3086 PHONE (414) 426-4800

FAX (414) 426-4873 OFFICE HOURS: 8:15-5:00 MON.-FRI. 1-800-843-3612 MEMBERSHIP DUES TO EAA AND

ITS DIVISIONS ARE NOT TAX

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CONTRIBUTIONS.

GEE BEE etc. - Model plans used by Benjamin, Eicher/Kimball, Turner, Jenkins. 52 plans, 1/3 smaller. Shirts, etc.! Catalog/News $4 .00, $6.00 for­ eign. Vern Clements, 308 Palo Alto, Caldwell, ID 83605, 208/459-7608. (9­ 3)

SUPER CUB PA-18 FUSELAGES ­ New manufacture, STC-PMA-d, 4130 chromoly tubing throughout, also com­ plete fuselage repair. ROCKY MOUN­ TAIN AIRFRAME INC. (J . Soares, Pres.), 7093 Dry Creek Road, Belgrade, Montana 59718, 406/388-6069, FAX 406/388-0170. Repair station No .

QK5R148N. (NEW) This & That About the Ercoupe, $14 .00. Fly-About Adventures & the Ercoupe, $17.95. Both books, $25.00.

Fly-About, P .O . Box 51144, Denton, Texas 76206. (ufn) FREE CATALOG - Aviation books and videos. How to, building and restoration tips, historic, flying and entertainment titles. Call for a free catalog. EAA, 1­ 800-843-3612.

Wheel Pants - The most accurate replica wheel pants for antique and classics available. 100% satisfaction guaranteed . Available in primer grey gelcoat. Harbor Products, Co. , 2930 Crenshaw Blvd., Suite 164, Torrance, CA 90501, phone 310/880-1712 or FAX 310/874-5934. (ufn) Curtiss JN4-0 Memorabilia - You can now own memorabilia from the famous Curtiss "Jenny ," as seen on "TREASURES FROM THE PAST." We have T-shirts, posters, postcards, videos, pins, airmail cachets, etc. We also have RIC documentation exclusive to this historic aircraft. Sale of theses items supports operating expenses to keep this "Jenny" flying for the aviation public. We appreciate your help. Send SASE to Virginia Aviation, P.O. Box 3365, Warrenton, VA 22186. (ufn)

WANTED Wanted - Heath Parasol parts (any condition) or registration papers .

Dennis, 614/876-0932 .

Wanted - Eclipse Hand Crank Starter for Kinner K-5 . Consolidated Mfg. oil pressure gauge. 516/785-1037.

YouCanB • d AnAirplane. .

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Two hands-on days of theory and practice.

Introductory Course - $149. Excellent overview of designs, materials , & basic skills.

Intermediate Courses - $ 199 each.

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Kit Plane Co.'s •

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• Camping • Vendors

Workshops • Airshow • Fly-Bys • Awards •

EAA FLY-IN

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Military Aerial Demonstrations •

October 12 - 15, 1995 • Williams Gatewa v Airport '<t>

Mesa, Arizona • 1-800-283-6372

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- Dobbie Lickteig

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Remember, We're Better Together'

800-727-3823~ Fly with the pros.. .fly with AUA Inc.

AVIATION UNlIMlrED AGENCY

COMAV, working with ADA Inc., has the broad knowledge it takes to cover the specialized needs of antique and classic aircraft pilots. COMAV coverage is backed by SAFECO Insurance, one of America's most trusted companies, with an A++ rating from A.M. Best. For more about our unique programs, contact your aviation specialist. Or, if you're an EAA member, call ADA at 800-727-3823. Remember, we're better together.