VA-Vol-24-No-4-April-1996

EDITORIAL STAFF Publisher Tom Paberezny

Vol. 24, No.4

April 1996

Vice-President

Marketing & Communications

Dick Matt

Editor-in"Chief

Jack Cox

Editor

CONTENTS

Henry G. Frautschy

Managing Editor

Golda Cox

1 Straight & Level/ Espie "Butch" Joyce

Art Director

Mike Drucks

Assistant Art Director

Sara A. Otto

Computer Graphic SpeCialists

2 AlC News/H. G. Frautschy

Olivia

4 AlC 25th Anniversary/ Gene Chase

L.

Phillip

Jennifer Larsen

Advertising

Mary Jones

Associate Editor

10 Just Put the Wings on and Fly/Keith Rima

Norm Petersen

Feature Writers

Page 15

George Hardie, Jr. Jim Koepnick Carl Schuppel

12 Gene Chase's Davis D-l-W/

Mike Steineke

Donna Bushman

Editorial ASSistant

Isabelle Wiske

Norm Petersen

EAA ANTIQUE/ CLASSIC DIVISION, INC. OFFICERS

18 An Army Kaydet ­ WWII Stearman/ H .G. Frautschy

21 What Our Members are Restoring/Norm Petersen

Page 12

23 Pass it to Buck/ E.E. "Buck" Hilbert

President Espie "Butch' Joyce P.O. Box 35584 Greensiooro. NC 27425 910/393-D344

Vice -President George Daubner 2448 lough Lane Hart1ord. WI 53027

414/673-5885

Secretary Steve Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Lea, MN 5tlXJ7 507/373-1674

Treasurer E.E. 'Buck' Hilbert P.O . Box 424 Union, IL 60180 815/923-4591

DIRECTORS

24 AlC Tidbits/Brad Hindall 26 Mystery Plane/H.G . Frautschy 28 Welcome New Members 29 Vintage Trader 31 Calendar

Dennis Parks

Staff Photographers

11 First Solo/Glynn Dennis

Page 18 FRONT COVER. . The Boeing Stearman Model 75. given the name "Kaydet " by the factory. is more commonly referred to simply as a "Stearman: This outstanding example. restored by Gid Townsend and owned and flown by Terry Crawford. both of Ocala . FL. is a multiple award winner. EAA photo by Mike Steineke. shot with a Canon EOS-1n equipped with a 80-200 mm lens. 1/250 sec. @ f8 on 100 ASA slide film. Cessna 210 photo plane flown by Bruce Moore. BACK COVER ... Retired Vintage Airplane edrtor and all around good guy Gene Chase. Oshkosh. WI flies his newly restored Dav~ D-1-W during EAA Oshkosh '95 with Kate Tiffany in the front cockpit. Kate has flow n in three Davis airplanes now flying ­ her father Jack·s. Roy Wicker's and now Gene's D- 1W. EAA photo by Mike Steineke. shot with a Canon EOS-In equipped with a 80-200 mm lens. 1/125 sec. @ fl1 on 100 ASA slide film . Cessna 210 photo plane flown by Bruce Moore.

Copyright © 1996 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. 3000 Poberezny Rd.• P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices. The merrbership rate for EM Antique/Classic Division, Inc. is $27.00 for current EM merrbers lor 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 months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to loreign and APO addresses via surlace 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 POLICY: Readers are encouraged to submrt stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. No renumeration is made. Material should be sent to: Editor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 414/426-4800. The words EAA, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM, SPORT AVIATION and the logos of EAA, EAA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB, WARBIRDS OF AMERICA are ® registered trademarks. THE EAA SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION and EAA ULTRAliGHT CONVIENTION are trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above association is strictly prohibrted.

John Berendt 7645 Echo Point Rd. Cannon Falls. MN 55009 507/263-2414

Robert C. "Bob' Blauer

9345 S. Hoyne

Chicago. IL 60620

312/779-2105

Gene Chase 2159CarttonRd. Oshkosh. WI 54904 414/231-5002

John S. Copeland 28-3 Williamsburg Ct. Shrewsbury, MA 01545 fIJ8/842-7867

Phil Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawfon. MI 49065 616/624-6490

stan GomoIt 104290th Lane. NE Minneapolis, MN 55434 612/784-1172

Chartes Harris 7215 East 46th St. Tulsa, OK 74145 918/622-8400

Jeannie Hilt P.O.60x328 Harvard. IL 60033 815/943-7205 Robert D. -Bob" Lumley Dale A. Gustafson 7724 Shady Hill Dr. 1265 South 124th St. Indianapolis, IN 46278 Brookfield, WI 53005 317/293-4430 414/ 782-2633 Robert Uckteig Gene Morris 1708 Bay Oaks Dr. 115C Steve Court. R.R. 2 Albert Lea, MN 5tlXJ7 Roanoke. TX 76262 507/373-2922 817/491-9110 Geoff Robison George York

1521 E. MacGregor Dr. 181 Sloboda Av.

New Haven. IN 46774 Mansfield. OH 44906

219/493-4724 419/529-4378

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

DIRECTOR EMERITUS S.J. Willman 1904-1995

ADVISORS Joe Dickey

55 Ookey Av. Lawrenceburg. IN 47025 812/537-9354 Steve Krog 930TaraHLE Hart1ord. WI 53027 414/966-7627

Roger Gomoll

3238 Vicaria Sf. N

St Paul, MN 55126

612/484-2303

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

STRAIGHT & LEVEL

by Espie "Butch" Joyce

In last month's Straight & Level, I invited anyone wish­ ing to form an Antique/Clas­ sic Chapter to feel free to contact Bob Brauer, A/C Di­ vision Director and Chapter Chairman at 3121779-2105, the EAA Chapter office in Oshkosh at 414/426-4800 or myself. Bob Mackey heads up the Chapter office and has a very good staff assisting him in this effort. We're pleased to welcome a new Chapter, located in New Iberia, Louisiana. Located south of Lafayette, A/C Chapter 30's president is Roland J. Denison; his contact phone number is 318/365-3047. All of the people who help in the formation of a new Chap­ ter will always be known as the charter members. Number 30' s charter members are Roland J. Denison, Gordon S. Brown, R. O. Lassalle, III, Richard L. Denison and Margaret G. Denison. As time progresses, these people will feel hon­ ored to have had the vision to get this group together. Con­ gratulations! Speaking of charter members, A/C Director Bob Lickteig, A/C 25th Anniversary Chairman, phone 507/373-2922, is putting together exciting 25th Anniversary activities that will be taking place throughout the year with some very special ones occuring during this year's EAA Convention at Oshkosh. Board member E.E. "Buck" Hilbert is contacting each of the charter members to invite them to take part in this year's Con­ vention celebration. This group of very active antiquers met in 1971 and formed the Antique/Classic Division of the EAA. The detailed history of your Division will be published in VIN­ TAGE AIRPLANE starting this month on page 4. One aspect of the Division's history is that these charter members felt that by forming your Division, a good many An­ tique enthusiasts (now also Classic and Contemporary) needed a membership oriented organization they could call home. Also, by operating under the umbrella of the EAA, it would have the support needed to provide those services promised, such as your monthly magazine, VINTAGE AIRPLANE. With the guidance of Paul Poberezny (A/C #1), Tom Poberezny, EAA staff, your past and present Directors, Advi­ sors, Officers and dedicated volunteers, we are proud to cele­ brate our 25th year of service. Another important item to our success is the constructive input from the membership, which we encourage and discuss at each Board meeting, held once a quarter. For a number of you who have been around for some time, you understand how your A/C Division is operated. For those of you who may be new to our group, I'll outline our organiza­ tion. The overall operation of your Division is carried out by your Board of Directors and Officers, who have a Board meet­ ing every three months. At these meetings, Division policies and items of concern are discussed, with solutions to these items either concluded or carried forward to the next Board meeting. Individuals and committees are tasked with present­ ing solutions to the challenges that are presented, and then a

policy is voted on by the entire board. Policies established by the Board of Directors are administered on a daily basis by your Officers. There are a number of Directors who are directed by the Board to be in charge of special areas of interest. For example, aircraft maintenance issues are being handled by Buck Hilbert, with specific direction from the board to contact those mem­ bers and organizations who may be affected by these concerns. Each Board meeting we are given a report by Buck on his ac­ tivities for review and comments. Your Director's next Board meeting will be held at Oshkosh on May 10, 1996. On Saturday May 11, following this Board meeting, we will hold a work day at the A/C Convention site. Director Bob Lumley (phone 4141782-2633) will be in charge of this operation, so bring your tools and work clothes and join us for a day of work and fun. Many of you will be reading this just before the EAA Sun 'n Fun Fly-In gets underway, so I'd like to pass along some infor­ mation on the Antique/Classic activities during the week. For parking information, Mr. Ray Olcott is the Sun 'n Fun Chair­ man. Should you need to talk to Ray in advance of your ar­ rival, you can call and leave a message for him at 941/644-243l. EAA Antique/Classic Chapter #1 (FSAACA - Florida Sport Aviation Antique and Classic Association) operates the An­ tique/Classic/Contemporary Headquarters at Sun 'n Fun. Their building is located near the intersection of Foxtrot and Sun 'n Fun taxiways, just east of the Media building. Theyof­ fer some of the best in southern hospitality and are open to serve you daily from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. during the fly-in. If you have a friend along who wishes to join the Division, Jane Kimball and her volunteers will be happy to sign them up! Antique/Classic Chapter 1 invites you to come visit and sit on their porch and have it all. They put on a catfish dinner on Tuesday evening for all to enjoy, but buy your tickets early as it sells out fast. There's a History of Flight fly-by at noon on Tuesday; should you want to be part of this parade in the air, you will also need to check in early. See y'all in April at Lake­ land. Next month I will start outlining what your Division will be doing for you during the EAA Oshkosh '96 Convention. One of the new activities I'm excited about is the A/C flying safety seminar that will be held during the '96 Convention. At this time, it looks as though there will be one session on Saturday and the second on Monday; more on this as we get it together. The Type Club tent, under the command of Joe and Julie Dickey, Type Club Chairmen, will be expanded to over 4,000 square feet to accommodate the clubs that want to participate in this activity at the Convention. The input that your Division has been receiving from the type clubs has just been great and we are thankful for their help. My thanks to the membership for your great support of your EAA Antique/Classic Division, and with your future support we will be able to continue to do good things. Let's all pull in the same direction for the good of aviation. Remember we are better together. Join us and have it all! ... VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1

A/C NEWS compiled by H.G. Frautschy "FIRST OVER THE DITCH" PHILLIPS 66 OFFERS EXPANDED YOUNG EAGLES FUEL REBATES For the third consecutive year, the Phillips 66 Company is offering $1.00 per gallon rebates on Phillips fuel purchases used for flights in the EAA Aviation Foun­ dation Young Eagles Program. Purchases made using a Phillips 66 credit card be­ tween April 15 through October 15,1996 at Phillips 66 fixed base operators (FBOs) are eligible for the rebate. "This is a unique program in the indus­ try," said EAA Aviation Foundation Pres­ ident Tom Poberezny. "We deeply appre­ ciate Phillips 66's expanded interest in Young Eagles and the future of aviation. Through this program , volunteer Young Eagle pilots can save money while opening up the world of flight for a new genera­ tion. We hope others follow the leader­ ship role Phillips 66 has taken for avia­ tion's future ." After a fuel purchase with a Phillips 66 credit card, the fuel receipts or copies of those receipts must then be mailed to Pam Crawford at Phillips 66 Company, 6C-11

Last month's edition of Vin­ tage Airplane feature d Me l Brown's painting, "First Over the Ditch ." Somehow we managed to miss adding a paragraph or two explaining the painting in more depth. Here's what Mel wrote re­ garding his painting: "Depicted is a Dehavilland DH-4 piloted by Lt. Ralph O. Searle on February 24, 1919 over the Grand Canyon. T his was the first documented overflight of the 'ditch,' as it has long been known by the locals. "Lt. Searle was the leader of a flight of DH-4s from Ellington field , TX near Houston on a 'Gulf to Pacific Expedition.' This journey was begun and completed out of Kingman, AZ. The expedition itself took the fo ur Dehavillands from Texas to California by way of the border route already in use by the Border Patrol of the U.S. Army and then they returned by a more northerly route. This expedition was made for survey and publicity purposes and was one of many made by the early Air Service aimed at the American public for recruiting and support of the newest branch of the U.S. Military." You can contact artist Mel Brown at 8415 Red Willow Dr., Austin, TX 78736. Adams Building, Bartlesville, OK 74004, no later than October 31,1996. The fuel rebate is issued only through Phillips 66, not individual FBOs. The rebates are not available for purchases of auto or jet fuel, or other brands purchased with Phillips 66 credi t cards. Participating pilots are also asked to

ED PACKARD RECEIVES AAHS AWARD For many members who started out in aviation building stick and tissue , rubber powered models, the name Cleveland Model and Supply will evoke strong memories. E. T. Packard, the founder of the world-renowned model concern, was recently pre­ sented with the American Aviation Historical Soci­ ety's "IN RECOGNITION" award as " A VIA­ TION'S GREAT RECRUITER." Packard , who celebrated his 90th birthday this past January, started his first "company" at 13 years of age in 1919, when he built eight twin pusher airplanes of his own design and sold them wholesale to three dealers for $1.75 each. By 1927, as the country was going airplane crazy after Lindbergh's epic flight across the Atlantic, Ed Packard started the company that would introduce modeling to millions of young men and women over the following decades. Countless numbers of these young­ sters continued careers in aviation as pilots and mechanics, inspired by their model­ ing successes with Cleveland model kits. Using well drawn plans and relying on light balsa instead of pine to build the structures, the Cleveland model designs have long been acknowledged as the leaders in the modeling field . Now retired, E . T. Packard , "Aviation's Best Friend," remains president of the firm, which still continues to sell copies of all the plans drawn for Cleveland Model & Supply. If you would like a current illustrated catalog, send $2.00 to Cleveland Model Supply, 9800B Detroit Av., Cleveland, OH 44102. A book detailing E. T. Packard's life and career in miniature aviation will be published later this year. Look for news regarding the release of "Cleveland's Packard - Aviation's Great Recruiter" later this year. 2 APRIL 1996

verify their use of fuel purchases by writ­ ing and signing a statement confirming the fuel was used in support of the Young Ea­ gles Program. That signed statement must be submitted with the rebate request. The rebate program was initiated by A/C Division Board member Charlie Har­ ris. In 1994, he introduced the Young Ea­ gles Program to Phillips 66 and urged cor­ porate support for the effort. Jill Bogan , Phillips 66 Aviation Manager, confirmed the company's commitment to the pro­ gram this year. "We were eager to help because we un­ derstand that these types of programs will benefit the aviation industry in the long run," Bogan said. "EAA hopes to provide a meaningful flight experience to a million young people by the year 2003. If this prompts even a small percentage of that million to become pilots, we are helping to ensure the health of aviation into the next century. " Phillips 66 credit cards may be applied for over the phone by calling 1-800/00­ APPLY (362-7759) during business hours Monday through Friday (COT).

PHI LLI PS 66 SPONSORS EAA'S YO UNG EAGLES AVIATION CAMPS In addition to their support of the Young Eagles Program through their fuel rebate program, Phillips 66 has joined with the EAA Aviation Foundation to offer 12­ 14 year olds a summer opportunity to dis­ cover more about the world of flight in a fun setting. The Young Eagles Aviation Camps will be held on June 29-July 4 and July 6-11.

Introduced in 1995, the Young Eagles A viation Camps include hands-on activi­ ties in aviation skills, discussion of flying history and lore, plus field trips to a num­ ber of aviation facilities. Instructors will include knowledgeable staff members and aviation celebrities. Special activities such as orientation flights and other EAA Avi­ ation Center programs may also be in­ cluded. Specific activities will include aeromodeling; model rockets; construc­ tion of airplane parts and demonstrations of skydiving and ultralight flight. "The Young Eagles Camps are a fun way to build young people's interest in fly­ ing," said Jill Bogan, Phillips 66 Aviation Manager. "Phillips 66 sees these camps as another way to cultivate the next genera­ tion of aviators." For more information and registration material, write or call: Young Eagles Avi­ ation Camps, EAA Aviation Foundation Education Office, P.O . Box 3065, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 414/426­ 6815 or Fax at 414/426-6560.

OTHER SUMMER EAA YOUTH ACTIVITIES The EAA grounds are going to be a busy place this summer, with a full range of youth activities slated. The EAA Air Academy Ground School (July 13-21) of­ fers 15-17 year olds a chance to study aeronautic principles a and prepare to take the FAA written Private Pilot written exam. The EAA Air Academy (July 21-Au­ gust 4) continues the exciting summer avi­ ation experience for 15-17-year-olds

started in 1984. The Air Academy is an intensive look inside the world of flight and concludes during the annual EAA Convention. The Cliff Robertson Airport Work Ex­ perience Program offers a six-week sum­ mer work experience (June 29-August 11) at EAA for two young people, as well as for a flight instructor/mentor. The pro­ gram gives the young people a chance to work in an airport setting while obtaining flight instruction. The instructor/mentor, meanwhile, has the opportunity to further develop instructional skills in an aviation­ rich environment. For more information and applications on any of these programs, please contact EAA Aviation Foundation's Education Office at the above address.

JOIN NAFI AND YOU COULD WIN A TRIP TO EAA OSHKOSH As a paid up member of the National Association of Flight Instructors NAFI, an affiliate of the EAA, you'd be eligible to win an trip to EAA OSHKOSH '96. Memberships must be current by June 1, 1996 to be eligible for the contest. Lodg­ ing, transportation within the continental United States and admission for two to the Convention are all provided. The win­ ner will also have an opportunity to be in­ volved behind-the-scenes at EAA OSHKOSH and attend special events dur­ ing the Convention. "NAFI has created a unique opportunity to learn and partic­ ipate at EAA OSHKOSH '96," said EAA President Tom Poberezny. "We welcome all NAFI members to participate in this

STAGGERWING BEECH COMMEMORATIVETOUR Louise Thaden, the pioneer aviatrix who frequently bested her friend Amelia Earhart in air racing, will be honored Au­ gust 27-29 by a cross country air tour. The tour is being flown to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Louise's win in the 1936 Bendix Trophy Race - the first time this prestigious race had been open to female competition. She won the race pilot­ ing a Beech Staggerwing with copilot Blanche Noyes. Louise and Blanche walked away not only with the first prize money, but also with an additional purse of $2,500 "consolation" prize for the fastest woman pilot. The men who organized the race, knowing that a woman couldn't actually win the race, hadn't counted on the ladies' prowess and the Beechcraft Stagger­ wing they flew to victory. Endorsed by the Staggerwing Museum Foundation and Staggerwing Club , the flight will include approximately 35 Staggerwing aircraft and 15 invited guest aircraft. Louise Thaden's granddaughter, Terry, will be one of the tour pilots, flying with Christine St. Onge. This celebration of aviation history will begin August 27 at the Youngstown Elser Metro Airport in Ohio. The planes will fly to the Frank Phillips Airfield in Bartlesville, OK with a small contingent stopping briefly at the Louise Thaden Air­ field in Bentonville, AR - Louise's hometown. The flight will continue on August 28 and 29 to Gillespie Airfield in El Ca­ jon, CA, near San Diego. A few of the Tour aircraft will make Wichita, KS the morning of Wednesday, August 28.

drawing and this year's Fly-In. We invite them to look at EAA OSHKOSH as their Convention too." One name will be will be drawn from current members on June 1, 1996. The winner and one guest will be eligible for the prizes, and no substitutions for the prize is allowed. For more information on NAFI mem­ bership, call 1-800/843-3612. NAFI was founded in 1967 to eliminate disparities among flight instructors operating without a peer support structure. It affiliated with EAA in May of 1995.

STEVENS AVIATION FUElS YOUNG EAGLES PROGRAM Stevens Aviation, Greenville, SC, has launched a program in support of the EAA Aviation Foundation's Young Ea­ gles Program, with all proceeds to be pre­ sented at the 1996 EAA Convention Chairman Kurt Herwald has announced. The current program ends in July 1996. Each time a customer takes on fuel at any of the six Stevens locations, they will have an opportunity to contribute to the Young Eagles Program by donating the cost of an extra gallon of fuel until the goal of $50,000 is met. Stevens will match each donation gallon for gallon with all proceeds going directly to the Young Ea­ gles. Stevens Aviation specializes in main­ tenance and technical services on diverse types of aircraft. The company has six aircraft service facilities across the United States. For more information, call Stevens Aviation at 1-800/879-6000. ....

Beechcraft was the manufacturer and sponsor of Louise's win­ ning C-17R Staggerwing and the fueling stop for the two women during the 1936 Bendix Trophy Race. Festivities are planned for each of the stops, and there is no limit on public attendance during the aircraft stops at Elser Metro , Bartlesville, and Gillespie Field. There will be an open house at Youngstown Elser Metro Airport on Saturday, August 24, and Sunday, August 25, cele­ brating the 50th anniversary of the airport. In Bartlesville there will be a static display of historical aircraft, including a Lockheed 12, and a replica of "Mister Mulligan" which was flown in both the 1935 and 1936 Bendix Trophy Race. Also on display at this stop will be Curtiss Robin NR82H, which was the refueling airplane for Louise Thaden and Frances Marsalis' world record endurance flight in 1932. At Gillespie Field in California there will be a static display including the restored Travel Air D4000 Speedwing Louise flew in the 1929 Women's Na­ tional Air Race, and a replica of the DH88 Comet " Gros­ venor House" which won the 1934 MacRobertson Race from England to Australia. For additional informa­ tion contact Bill Thaden, 207­ 439-1161. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

fAA Antique/Classic Division

25th

Anniversary

by Gene Chase

Since many of our current members may not be aware of the extraordinary efforts that went into the formation of

the largest of fAA 's Divisions, we're pleased to present a 25th Anniversary reprint of the history of the

fAA Antique/Classic Division as first published in the July 1985 edition of the magazine. For the next several

months leading up to the fAA Convention, we'll print a section of this history, and then in the August 1996 issue

we will conclude the series with a retrospective covering the last 10 years. - H.G. Frautschy

PLANTING THE SEED Back in the sixties, when EAA was still pretty much a one man operation , the need became ever greater for more assis­ tance in running the annual Conventions. EAA Founder and President, Paul H. Poberezny, conceived the idea of special interest groups within the organization, to be formed basically as volunteer groups to help at the Conventions. These would be members whose primary interests in­ volved warbird aircraft, aerobatic flight and antique aircraft. Soon the Warbirds of America (a pre­ viously organized group of warbird enthu­ siasts) and the International Aerobatic Club were on board ... and before long a group of antiquers would be. During the 1969 EAA Convention at Rockford, Illinois, a group of members were discussing the value of having a sep­ arate parking area for the types of planes they loved most - the antiques. The con­ cept of "classic" aircraft would come later. This group included Bill and Troy Dodd, Lake Zurich, IL; Bob Heuer Maple Park, IL ; Buck Hilbert, Union, IL, Lee Parsons , Carrollton , OH ; and Charlie Sheets, Solon , IA. There may have been one or two others, but fading memories do not recall their names. While discussing this parking idea , the thought occurred that this special interest group within the Experimental Aircraft Association could actually handle, among other things, the parking of older airplanes at the annual Convention. This small but enthusiastic group would evolve into the Antique/Clas­ sic Division of EAA as we know it today. But first , major changes were on the horizon as outlined by President Paul Poberezny in his " Homebuilder's Corner" in the January, 1970 issue of SPORT A VI­ ATION . He stated: " We will begin this year with a new challenge, that of relocat­ 4 APRIL 1996

Dave Jameson, Oshkosh, Wisconsin­

EAA Antique/ Classic Division's

first president .

ing our Annual Convention site. By now each member has received the four-page Convention bulletin announcing the move to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, some 123 miles from Rockford. Moving a large event such as ours is not an easy task and those of us who are directly involved in its operation are well aware of the great effort that is facing us. If there had been a reasonable solution other than a move , which would have been in the best interest of the member­ ship, your Board of Directors would have accepted it. However, with such issues as follows to be considered , the Board be­ lieved both for future expansion and dol­ lar investment, a new site be obtained for 1970 and future years. "These items presented by the Rock­ ford Airport were of sincere concern, such as: no further expansion or improvement

should be considered by EAA because of airport expansion plans. Th e probable rental of land in the campsite area to a commercial concern; a year-to-year agree­ ment of airport facilities; a choice that if there was camping on the airport grounds the evening aerobatic program would not be permitted , and if aerobatics were held, no camping would be permitted. " It was suggested that EAA rent from the airport, areas such as the campsite , EAA aircraft tie downs and display at a rate comparable to commercial properties rented to others by the airport. Included in the rental would be services that EAA has, in the past, provided or paid for and obtained at a much lower figure than could be purchased by the airport. With this arrangement , the annual convention fee of the members would then have been increased substantially. "The limited area for future expansion of the home built and antique parking area was of concern and due to a proposed new terminal building at the N.W . corner of the airport, plans call for future closing of the NW-SE runway which was used exten­ sively for fly-bys." With the definite move of the Annual EAA Convention from Rockford to Oshkosh having been announced , the group asked President Paul if they could have their own parking area at Wittman Field during the 1970 Convention . Paul said they could, but they would have to or­ ganize and manage the parking of the an­ tiques themselves. The group gladly accepted this new re­ sponsibility and when the winter snow had melted, antiquers and their wives joined similar groups of homebuilders and war­ birds in preparing the grounds for the up­ coming 18th Annual EAA International Convention Fly-In , scheduled for August 1-7. The antiquers were beginning to orga­

nize, and following the precedent set at previous conventions, a judging commit­ tee was named. At Oshkosh '70 this group was officially called the" Judges and A wards Committee, Antique Aircraft Di­ vision." It consisted of Gene Chase, Tulsa, Oklahoma - Chairman; Evander Britt, Lumberton , North Carolina; Dusty Rhodes, Santa Fe, New Mexico; Ed Sanders, Ft. Worth , Texas; and Harold Maloy, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

OSHKOSH '70 Despite the geographic move of the Convention, the 1970 event exceeded ex­ pectations. The Grand Champion Antique was the Lockheed Vega, NRI05W owned by David Jameson, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Dave restored the all-wood Vega in the same colors as Wiley Post's famous "Win­ nie Mae." The Reserve Grand Champion An­ tique award went to a Stearman PT-17, NllBY, in military colors, owned by Dr. Berne Yocke, Aurora, Illinois. There was no Grand Champion Classic award at Oshkosh '70. In those early years, a single chairman was in charge of all " Show Plane Park­ ing," then called "Display Aircraft." The Chairman at Oshkosh '70 was Herb Cun­ ningham from Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. Glorious weather prevailed and the show plane total count was 607 including 249 antique, classic, and "special" aircraft as reported in the October, 1970 issue of SPORT AVIATION. Note the use of the word classic - this is significant, because at that time there was no definition for a " classic" aircraft judging category, nor

separate awards for so-called classic air­ craft. But that would soon change.

JACK COX'S TRIAL BAllOON In that same October, 1970 issue of SPORT AVIATION was a two-page arti­ cle by Jack Cox , Assistant Editor , who with his wife Golda, had been on the EAA staff since January of that year. Jack's ar­ ticle was entitled "The Classic Airplane" and was described as being a " trial bal­ loon - a device to test public reaction to some new idea." Basically, Jack proposed to occasion­ ally devote a couple of pages in SPORT A VIATION to planes that were built af­ ter January 1, 1946 and were at least 20 years old. In 1970 that would have in­ cluded 1946 through 1950, and each year thereafter, a new year would be added. Jack further stated, "What EAA pro­ poses is the formation of an informal co­ ordinating unit having as its purpose the publicizing of existing 'type club' activi­ ties, encouraging and assisting in the es­ tablishment of new type clubs and, proba­ bly most important, making the 'over' 20 classic airplanes a legitimate class recog­ nized at all fly-ins, eligible to park in the display areas and to receive trophies and awards. "The space in SPORT AVIATION would be used for profiles on the aircraft of the period; reprints of flight tests writ­ ten when the planes were new; evalua­ tions of the same birds today; articles on restorations by the bankrupt, sore backed heroes themselves; company histories; re­ ports on outstanding flights of classic air­ planes - modifications and maintenance tips; sources of hard-to-get parts ; and

much more." In his article Jack praised the type clubs and listed the nine he was aware of. He was emphatic in stating, "It should be clearly understood here that this is not definitely NOT! an attempt by the EAA to take over any existing club or even make it an affiliate such as the lAC or the Warbirds." The primary purpose was to legitimize a new classification of older aircraft, thus getting a larger group of aviation enthusi­ asts in on the fun of strictly "sport" avia­ tion. And during the Annual Convention, EAA would reserve space at Oshkosh for the type clubs to park their own classic planes with their own volunteers. Further, EAA would publicize on the Classic Air­ plane pages (in SPORT AVIATION) the existing type clubs and their activities. Jack continued, "Now about the name 'Classic.' Yes, I'm perfectly aware that the term is already used as a subclassifica­ tion in antique airplane judging - including the EAA's which I devised myself. I am further aware that the term ' Neo-classic' (meaning 'new classic') is often used to denote aircraft of the late 1940's. I don't like the term with its built in contradiction - what is 'new' about a 20-year-old air­ plane? In my opinion, there is a beauti­ fully simple way to end once and for all the wild names, confusion, and frustration The Red Barn and an Antique Grand Champion, two rallying points for An­ tique/Classic members. This OX-5 pow­ ered Alexander Eaglerock was named Grand Champion Antique at Oshkosh '73. The Red Barn, shown here as it orig­ inally looked, would not become the Convention Headquarters for the An­ tique/Classic Division until 1974.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

Jack Cox conceived not only the CLASSIC category name but also the first subdivisions for judging purposes.

inherent with the classification of old air­ planes as it is now done." If the response to all this was great e nough , a for mal classic awards system would be formulated and appropriate tro­ phies and awards would be ready for pre­ sentation at Oshkosh '7l. l ack close d his art icl e by asking th e readers to respond with their ideas, pro or co n, and if they supported the concept to send in pictures, articles, personal experi­ ences, etc., which could be used in SPORT AVIATION . Several articles we re sub­ mitted and published in subsequent issues of the magazine.

THE CLASSIC AIRPLANE The response to l ack's " tri a l balloon ar ticl e" was high ly favorabl e and in the J a nu a ry, 1971 issue of SPORT A VIA­ TION he wrote the first of a series of arti­ cles called "The Classic Airplane."

LOOKING AHEAD TO OSHKOSH '71 In the " Hotline from H ea dqu arte rs" section of the May , 1971 issue of SPO RT A VIATION, the fo llowing announcement appeared: "The Ercoupe Club, comprised of owners and pilots of this classic ai rcraft will conduct their nation al convention in conjunctio n with the 1971 EAA Conve nDave Jameson's Lockheed Vega, NR105W, was the Grand Champion Antique at Oshkosh '70, the first year a special parking arrangement was developed tor Antiques and Classic.

6 APRIL 1996

tion and Fly-In , and an area for these air­ craft will be set aside for them. " In th e following month 's " Hotline" column, the new parking plan for classic air plane s was outlined: " This' year a t Oshkosh a new parking area will be des­ ignated for Classic airpl a nes - those air­ craft produced betwee n lanuary 1, 1946 and December 31,1950. Warbirds will be parked at the north end of runway 18-36, the same as last year; homebuilts and an­ tiques (aircraft produce d prior to lanu ­ ary 1, 1942, and so m e wartime plan es such as Staggerwings, Howards, etc.) im­ mediately in front of the control tower ­ again, the same as last yea r. To the south of this group will be the Classic airplane parking area. " Signs will be e recte d to designate ' type' rows such as A e ronca , Erco upe, Mooney ' Mit e,' Lu sco mb e, St in son, Swift , Pip e r , Cessna 170 , e tc. so that ' birds of a fea th e r ' ca n park together and, hopefull y, get some type club activ­ ity started within their respective groups. " Due to the la rge numbe r of Classic airp la nes (1946-1950) a nd th e difficulty of identifying a nd diffe re ntiating be­ tween a '41 and a '46 Luscombe, for ex­ ample, we are assigning parking spots for these aircraft BY PREVIOUS REGIS­ TRATION ONLY. If you pla n to fly a 1946-50 era a irpl ane to O shko sh a nd wish to park it in th e C lass ic a irplan e area , yo u mu st write C lass ic Airplane Parking, Experimental Aircraft Associa­ tion, Box 229 , Ha les Corn ers, WI 53130 prior to th e Co nve nti o n a nd id e ntify your plane by year a nd make (1946 Tay­ lorcraft , for instance ). Yo u will receive

by return mail a diagram of the field and a small disc to a ttach to your windshie ld so that O shk osh gro und person ne l will be able to ide ntify yo u and direct yo u to the proper area . OTHERWISE YOUR AIRPLANE WILL BE SENT TO THE ITI NERANT PARKING AREA. "Planes of this era which are not pre­ registe red wi ll be able to move fro m the itinerant parking to the Classic airpla ne area on ly afte r the owner registers hi s plane at the EAA a ircraft registration booth and is given an identification disc. " Parking of the 1946-50 aircraft has al­ ways been a problem at past Conventions, an d this ne w sys tem is both a n effort to solve the problem and to recognize a new class of o lde r aircraft , those Classic air­ planes which have been restored with the same ' te nd e r loving ca re' as o ld er an­ tiques, thereby providing more enjoyment and participation in the Fly- In for greater numbers of members." Classic a irplanes were now being rec­ ogn ized as me mbers of the sport aviation frat ernity and type clubs were getting na­ tional recogni tion through EAA's SPORT AVIATION magazine. In the luly, 1971 Hotline the Staggerwing Club announced its Annual M eet in g would b e held a t O shko sh '71 a nd a specia l display row would be se t up . A lso, the Mooney Mite owners , th e Aeronca Club and th e Mooney Mite Owners type clubs would be there in full force. Another "classic airplan e" article by lack Cox appeare d in that July iss ue . This o ne proudly announced, "This Au­ gust for th e fir st tim e, the Classic Air­ pl a ne, those a ircraft produced between l a nuary 1,1946 a nd D ecember 31,1950, will be fully recognized at an EAA Fly-In Convention. Classics will have their own parking area a nd will hav e their own awards. " The classic p la ne parking area a nd preregistra tio n procedures we re further descr ibed as were the new orange and white checkerboard EAA traffic control " tow e rs. " These towers would be ma nned by vo lunteer ground traffic di­ rectors who would " a im yo u toward the classic parking area. " l ack Cox conceived not on ly the CLASSIC category name but also the first subdivisions fo r judging purposes. In luly, 1971 he wrote: " Due to the great variety of aircraft invo lved, it has been decided to subdivide classics as follows: Class I, be­ low 100 hp; Class II, 100-165 hp; Class III, over 165 hp." Also listed were several air­ craft examples for each class. l ack 's article on the subj ect concluded with, " Since this is th e first year for the Classic Airplane category we will be play­ ing everything ' by ear' and expect to learn a lo t. Im provements wi ll be made as in­ terest is shown and experie nce is gain ed. Your comments and suggestions are wel­ comed ."

OSHKOSH '71 The 19th Annual EAA Convention was held August 1-7. A total of 828 show­ planes were registered, an increase of 25% from the previous year. The new Classic Airplane category accounted for 288 registrations. Harold Johnston of Pueblo, Colorado won the Grand Champion Antique award with his Vultee V-1A Special , NC16099. It was built in 1936 for millionaire pub­ lisher William Randolph Hearst on a no­ expense-spared basis. Power was a 1,000 hp Wright R-1820 with a 3-bladed pro­ peller. The Reserve Grand Champion An­ tique award went to Charles Klessig of Galesburg, North Dakota for his 1917 Standard J-1, N9477. This stately old bi­ plane was powered with a Curtiss OXX-6 engine. The very first to be named Grand Champion Classic was the one and only 1946 Spartan 12, a tricycle geared devel­ opment of the Model 7W " Executive. " Ed Wegner of Plymouth, Wisconsin re­ stored this rare aircraft after acquiring it from George Goodhead, Tulsa, Okla­ homa, who acquired it through the efforts of Col. Maxwell Balfour, an executive of Spartan Aircraft Company in Tulsa. There was no Reserve Grand Cham­ pion Classic in 1971.

The judging of the Classics was accom­ plished by the Antique Judging Commit­ tee chaired by Evander Britt of Lumber­ ton, North Carolina. He was ably assisted by H . N . "Dusty" Rhodes of Santa Fe, New Mexico; Harold Maloy, Ok lahoma City, Oklahoma; Ed Sanders, Ft. Worth, Texas; Johnny Livingston, Pompano Beach, Florida; and Stan Dzik of Milwau­ kee, Wisconsin. Jack Cox of EAA Headquarters was in charge of Antique Aircraft Awards. A committee responsible for "Homebuilt and Antique Aircraft" was chaired by Herb Cunningham of Scarborough , On­ tario, Canada with Co-Chairman Ed Weg­ ner, Carl Koeling and Bob Puryear. Generally, things went well in the An­ tique and Classic areas at Oshkosh '71 , but the parking by preregistration system would have to be modified. Also, the An­ tique Judging Committee was worked to death attempting fo look at nearly 500 an­ tique and classic aircraft. It was agreed that a separate judging committee for Classics should be formed for 1972. Immediately after the Convention work was started on the '72 Fly-ln . The Classic parking area was plowed, smoothed and seeded . By October a good stand of fall grass was up. Other work consisted of fill­ ing, installation of additional culverts, etc. to generally improve the grounds. In his SPORT A VIATION editorials

Oshkosh '71 - Center stage. Antique parking is at bottom of photo with a few overflow homebuilts, and Wittman Tower is at left center. Across the road south of the Tower is a corn field - The field is now dominated by the large Con­ vention taxiway and display ramp.

after the Convention, Paul paid tribute to the many vo lunteers who worked long hours before and during the event. He stated , "The 42,000 flight operations for the week is something at which to mar­ vel-I 0,000 more than last year and ap­ proximate ly 25,000 more than O ' Hare Field usually reports as the world's busiest airport during a week long period. This could not have been possible depending upon radio control alone or without the cooperation of both the FAA and the pi­ lots. Tolerance and respect for each other as well as excellent airmanship contribute to this safe record .. . " Enthusiasm and favorable personal comments have been received from EAA members /owners of Classic Airplanes (1946-1950) - they have, at long last, been recognized and feel th e y have a home within their own organization - e xtra voices to lend weight to the future of EAA/Sport Aviation at the Chapter , lo­ cal, state and Federal government level." ANTIOUE AND CLASSIC DIVISION OF EAA UNDER CONSIDERATION VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

"A meeting was held ... to consider the formation of an Antique and Classic group within the fAA for our members whose interests lie in this area of sport aviation. The headline above preceded the fol­ lowing three paragraphs on page 17 of the " Hot Line" section of the October, 1971 issue of SPORT AVIATION. " Since the beginning of the EAA , many members have had a great interest in antique and classic aircraft. Actually , the typical EAA member has a wide range of interests within the aviation field­ many own antiques or classics and are also building a homebuilt . Members with a homebuilt as their "fun" plane and a clas­ sic such as a Cessna 170 for instance as their "family" plane, are much more com­ mon than most realize. "Since the first EAA Fly-In in 1953, all types of aircraft have been welcome, and antiques have been eligible for awards all along. This follows the EAA 's avowed policy that the use of an aircraft types it as a 'sport' plane-not age, method of manu­ facture or other criteria. But though this is the policy , it is recognized that most of EAA Headquarters ' time is spent with homebuilt activities and that our annual Convention at Oshkosh is centered around the homebuilt aircraft and the homebuilder. Most of us feel this is just as it should be; however, this is not to say that in addition to the present policies and activities more cannot be done in other arThe first Grand Champion Classic, named at Oshkosh '71 - Ed Wegner's 1946 Spartan 12, NC21962.

8 APRIL 1996

eas . For instance, in addit ion to home­ building forums at Oshkosh, new ones can be he ld on subjects of interest to owners of antique and classic airplanes, etc. "With the foregoing in mind , a gro up of interested EAA members will be meet­ ing this fall at Headquarters to discuss the formation of an Antique!/Classic Divison of the EAA. The purpose will be to pro­ vide direction and leadership so that a larger number of aviation enthusiasts will be able to enjoy EAA activities to an even greater extent than ever before."

FIRST ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC MEETING As reported on page 5 of the " Hot Line" section of the December, 1971 issue of SPORT AVIATION, " A meeting was held Saturday, November 6 at Hales Cor­ ners to consider the formation of an An­ tique and Classic group within the EAA for our members whose interests lie in this area of sport aviation. 16 men from around the nation at­ tended and a great deal of discussion and planning was done - generally, regarding the a ntique and classic classification sys­ tem , aims and goals of the proposed orga­ nization, plans to improve the antique and classic phases of our fly-in Convention at Oshkosh , and the select ion of a slate of provisional officers and directors. "Some modification of EAA 's classifi­

ciation of antique and classic aircraft was approved and will henceforth become the official policy of EAA at the national level and should be adopted by Chapters for their own fly-ins. They are as follows: "Antique Aircraft: Any aircraft of any nation produced before January 1,1946 with the following exceptions: 1) All Beechcraft Model 17s, Fairchild 24s a nd Monocoupes (any model) pro­ duced after December 31 , 1945 will be classified with the prewar models as An­ tiques. 2) Any 1946 model year aircraft that came off the production lines in the last months of 1945 will be considered Clas­ sics. 3) Any military aircraft produced be­ fore January 1, 1946 and not eligible for "Warbird " classification under the current rules of the "Warbirds of America" Divi­ sion of EAA, will be considered Antiques. Also, if an owner of a military aircraft does not belong to the Warbirds of Amer­ ica and/or does not choose to have his air­ craft judged as a Warbird, he has the op­ tion of requesting the judges to consider his plane an Antique . It will be the re­ sponsibility of the aircraft owner to make this intention known. "Classic Aircraft: Any aircraft of any nation produced between Decembe r 31, 1945 and January 1, 1951 (with the addi­ tion of a few 1946 models that actually came off the production lines in late 1945 as mentioned under ' Antique Aircraft') . The decision of the group was to limit the Classics to the 1946-50 era for the time be­ ing, rather than having the 20th year from the present as the end of this classifica­ tion. At some future time a new classifica­

tion for later aircraft could be formulated. "A large Board of Directo rs was se­ lected so as to obtain representation from all parts of th e n a tion and to ens ur e a good number at eac h board me eti ng . EAA Antique Chapters 316 and 395 will have representation on this Board. "Officers and Board members will serve in their provisional capacity until the 1972 EAA Fly-In at which time a for­ mal election will be held. The immediate work for the group will be to prepare An­ tique and Classic activities for Oshkosh and create a n organizational structure. All inquiries concerning the activities of the group should be addressed to the Pres­ ident, Dave Jameso n, 4322 Bellhaven , Oshkosh, WI 54901. "

CAPT. EDDIE RICKENBACKER SPEAKS " During the Antique and Classic meet­ ing, the group was honored with the ap­ pearance by Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker who, along with other Eastern Air Lines officials, was touring the EAA Air Mu­ seum. Accompanied by President Paul Poberezny, Capt. Rickenbacker inspected the restoration area, offices and the main aircraft display area. In a short talk to the vintage aircraft enthusiasts, Rickenbacker stated he was favorab ly impressed with the immaculate condition of the buildings and displays and considered EAAers to be one of America's last outposts of indi­ vidualism and an important reservoir of technical and mechanical skills that made American aviation great. "Still robust and ramrod straight, Capt. Eddie made his entrance amid a standing ovation, his famed wide-brimmed felt hat firmly in hand-a rare and inspiring glimpse of an aviation imortal." Those few paragraphs described the first meeting of the newly formed EAA Antique/Classic Division on November 6, 1971.

SECOND ANTIQUE/CLASSIC MEETING The secon d meeting of the Division took place at EAA Headquarters at Hales Corners on Saturday, February 26,1972. Approximately 30 persons were in atten­ dance from all aro und the nation and the first order of business was the announce­ ment that the Division was legally incor­ porated. Major decisions made during the first meeting included an agreement that, ini­ tially, no separate dues structure would be applied to members of the Antique/Clas­ sic Division. An Antique/Classic mem­ bership card would be issued, on request, to all EAA members who wished to be identified with the Division. Special de­ cals and patches would also be forthcom­ ing. A great deal of time was devoted to the matter of judging. Eva nder Britt of Lum­ berton, North Carolina was reaffirmed as chief judge of Antique aircraft at Oshkosh ,

Officers Elected at First Antique/Classic Meeting: President-Dave Jameson, Oshkosh,WI Vice President-J . R. Nielander, Jr.,Ft. Lauderda le, FL Secretary-Dick Wagner, Lyons, WI Treasurer-Bill Dodd, Lake Zurich,IL Directors Richard P. Austin, Greensboro, NC Tony Blackstone, Enid, OK Ray Brandly, Dayton, OH Ron Fritz, Grand Rapids, MI James c. Gorman, Mansfield, OH John C. Luebke, Naperville, IL Vince Mariani, Findlay, OH John Perry, Scottsbluff, NE H. N. "Dusty" Rhodes, Sante Fe, NM George E. Stubbs, Indianapoli s, IN Landis West, Scottsbluff, NE George S. York, Mansfield, OH

Richard Baxter, Seattle, WA Peter Bowers, Seattle, WA Evander Britt, Lumberton, NC Wayne Fredline, Grand Rapids, MI Ken Hyde, Warrenton, VA Harold Maloy, Oklahoma City, OK Lee Parsons, Carrollton, OH Nick Rezich, Rockford, IL Robert Ring, East Kingston, NH Ed Wegner, Plymouth, WI Dr. Bernard Yocke, Aurora, IL

Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker chats with President Paul Poberezny during a visit to the EAA Museum in November, 1971. Capt. Rickenbacker, then President of Eastern Air Lines, also addressed the first meeting of the Antique/Classic Division during his visit. and it was decided that a second set of judges would be selected for Classic air­ craft due to the large number of aircraft involved. A rating form for judges was to be looked into and categories formulated and published in SPORT A VIA nON prior to the Oshkosh '72 Convention. Finally the work of vastly improving the program at Oshkosh for Antiques and Classics came under consideration. Com­ mittees were formed to plan forums, fly­ out activities, parking, etc., and chairmen were appointed to start the ball rolling. This meeting was deemed the first step in making Oshkosh '72 a great fly-in for owners and adm irers of Antique and Clas­ sic aircraft. Among the chairmen named for the various aircraft categories for the ' 72 Convention were Antiques , Dave Jameson and Classics, Dick Wagner. As was done the previous year, prereg­ istration of classic aircraft attending Oshkosh was required. Among the details worked out during the pre-Oshkosh '72 planning sessions were that Classic airplanes would be judged by a team co-chaired by Jim Gor­ man of Mansfield, OH and Morton Lester of Martinsville, VA. Also, rules were changed to disallow a previous Oshkosh Grand Champion Award winner in the Antique and Classic categories to receive that honor again at Oshkosh.

Nest Month, Gene Chase documents the first half of the 19705, and the creation of the magazine you knw enjoy, Vintage Air­ plane.

All You Have to Do Is put the

Wings

On...

by Keith Rima

"A ll yo u hav e to so is put the wings on." That's what I was told by the person who responded to my ad. I was wanting to trade my homebuilt Kitfox for a certi ­ fied airplane . He was wanting to trade his Pacer. We talked about our planes, the good points and the negatives. I spent some time researching what people had to say about the Pacer and decided it would be a good aircraft for me. After ta lkin g with the Pacer owner and gathering all the information I could from different so urces, it seemed like a fair tr ade. One of th e things that at­ tracted me th e most was the fact th at I wouldn ' t have anot her huge project on my hands. The owner of the Pacer made it CLEAR that a ll the paperwork was in orde r, the e ngin e (o ri gi nal 125 hp with only 950 hours) was in good shape , and the plane ha d bee n recovered a nd painted recently. It still needed the wings attached since the recover job, but all the pieces were sitting together in a ha ngar and I was ASSURED all was in goo d shape. (You're getting the picture, huh?) We ll , I thought thi s so und e d lik e a good dea l a nd we made a verbal agree­ ment over the phone. And I began say­ ing NO to all the calls that began coming in for the Kitfox. As the story continues, we set a da te to pick up the Pacer. My friend and me­ chanic R a lph Goulds (IA) a nd I drove the short dista nce of 1600 miles to make this plane trade. Since both of us were o n ti ght sche dul es, we decided to drive straight through, with Kitfox in tow, shar­ ing the drive and sleep time between Col­ orado and Kentucky . What a great time to get caught up on each others lives­ and talk about the benefits of flying over driving. Finally, 32 hours later , as once again the day turne d to night, we reached our destination . Feeling a bit on th e ex ­ 10 APRIL 1996

hausted side, we unloaded the Kitfox and the Short Wing Piper Club and began to loaded the Pacer. In the blackness of the receive the newsletter. The people were Kentuck y night the Pacer didn ' t look too great , very he lpful a nd ac tua ll y liked to bad-and Ra lph gave the e ngine a brief talk abo ut the Short Wings. After read­ ing an article by Rich ard Collins about inspection . Keepin g to our schedule, we were off his " love affair " with a Pace r, I became a nd hea d e d west. As d ay li g ht ap­ hopeful that this project was not a loss af­ proached so mew he re in Arkansas , we ter all. Day after day, month afte r month , my SA W what we ha d . Be in g the friends that we a re, we ke pt telling each other good friends who put in countless ho urs that ever ything was ok, re minding one with me , Ke n Fox , Ralph Goulds, Jim a noth er of how hon es t thi s ex- Pacer McCooey , Larry Bartlett a nd Di ck owner looked. Woodson, as well as my new fo und Short As always , it was great to get hom e Win g friends, bec a m e as exc ited as I to Co lora do, a nd afte r catching up on about this PROJECT. We were equa lly some sleep, we headed to o ur ha ngar to, thrilled when the day for ta keoff at last ve ry simply, just put the wings on! HA! arrived. The closer we looked, the more we found a nd th e more di sco ur­ It still needed the wings attached since aged I b eca m e. The " put th e the recover job, but all the pieces were wings on " airplane in s t a ntl y sitting together in a hangar and I was turned into a MAJOR PROJECT! I was not thrilled , Ralph was not ASSURED all was in good shape. thrilled , m y family was not (You're getting the picture, huh?) thrilled! To ma ke this long story shorte r, After all the miles, hours, months and we worked from September through July rebuilding th e 0-290D 125 hp , replaced mon ey, 7740K raised her tai l a nd li fted th e magne tos, put in a new exhaust sys­ off in almost no time at all. She climbed tem, ge nera tor, gas and oil lines. We re­ at 500 fpm steadily at a constant airspeed placed and /or overhauled most of the in­ and rpm. She flew so smooth and wings st rument pa nel , repa ire d the wing ribs , level, as if she was as glad to be back in fu e l tanks, ta il wheel, tires , brakes a nd the air as I was to have her there. It was almost as if she was sayi ng "It was worth struts. It seemed that from th e prop to th e it all!" I discovered that Richard Collins' ta il , EVERYTHING neede d rep lacing. love for the Pacer had transferred to an­ H ey , it's o nly mon ey and tim e! All th e other pilot. She is a G REA T a irpla ne while I ke pt asking mys e lf a number of and a real joy to fly. I want to thank my friends , SWPC, the ques tion s, two of which were: WHAT HA VE I DONE ? a nd WILL THIS BE EAA, and the Piper Owne rs Society for a ll their help . I'm looking forward to WORTH IT ALL? Although none of my airport buddies meeting some of the SWPC in the Col­ had flown a Pace r, the y all assured me it orado chapter in the days ahead. So, all in all, it has been worth it- but would be OK and to just hang in there . I will NEVER believe anyone who What are frie nds for anyway? In the meantim e, I was introduce d to says, "Just put the wings on and fly! " ...

My First

Solo

by Glynn Dennis

Like most of us who fly I began my training and worked toward the big event-MY FIRST SOLO. From th e beginning, training was a combination of many things. Evening reading and study was followed by dreams of the next day's flight. Morning brought anticipation of what my instructor might have in store for me this time and finally, the real fun, being airborne and trying not to be too far behind the plane. That first solo came and went, bring­ ing with it a new level of confidence and great pride. Little did I know that there would continue to be first solos through­ out my training and beyond. These con­ tinuing first solos came in more complex aircraft, with the Civil Air Patrol and in tail wheel airplanes. This is where my story really begins ­ TAILDRAGGERS - Citabrias, J-3 Cubs and Luscombes. I found my true enjoy­ ment came not from power, speed and a tall stack of avionics but in the pure joy of a flight in one of these old-timers. They had personality, history and a story to tell, if we'll only listen. These stories can be of long ago, when pilots flew from one place to another by ground ref­ erences and painted towers on the edge of towns, rather than following the needle of a VOR. On one day the story might be of a ten year old's first flight and the view of his own house from this wonderful new per­ spective. On another day the story could uncover clues of how and where turbulence can hide. These stories can indeed be serious and we should al­ ways be listening carefully. After renting from the local FBO for some time, everything pointed to owning my own plane. The decision about what to buy was easy. A Luscombe. Almost a year later my search led me to a pristine 1947 Lus­

combe 8-E. All the paperwork com­ pleted it was time to fly. A knowledge­ able instructor was found and training in preparation for my first solo began ­ again. After a thorough checkout in my new airplane, the instructor shook my hand and said, "Go have some fun." It's now Saturday morning, the sky is clear, the wind is calm, and IT IS PERFECT! As I taxi out, the Luscombe begins to talk to me , "Not too much rudder. " " Don ' t be in such a hurry, careful with the brakes." The coaxing is subtle at first , then more clearly and finally I begin to listen. The so unds are wonderful (I think. "What was that noise? Does the oil pressure seem low?") No, of course not, I'm just nervous, this being my first solo. Run up complete and ready for take­ off. Add power slow ly, keep the nose straight, let the tail fly and we ' re off. This is how it was meant to be, effortless, graceful, thrilling and the smi le on my face cannot be controlled . (What was that noise?) My plan was to go to our 10­

cal practice area south of the airport and get acquainted. I'll start with some gen­ t le turns, then some slow f1igh t and maybe over to a grass strip for some soft field work. (Does the oil pressure seem low?) This old-timer is talking to me, telling me stories, but I'm not really lis­ tening. Suddenly it spoke to me in un­ mistakable tones . Harsh noise. Strong vibration. High oi l temperature. No oil pressure. Loss of rpm. The mind races. What's happened? Is this it? Is this how it ends? No! Remember all the training, all the check-outs, all the instruction, FLY THE PLANE! There is something very wrong but the plane still flies , the engine still makes power, although not much, and there are important things to do. Establish best glide speed, apply carb heat, switch tanks, check the mags, call the tower, I 've been monitoring their frequency, FLY THE PLANE . While all these events do create an extreme sense of awareness, not to mention about 98% adrenaline in my blood stream, time seems to slow. Surprisingly there is no fear, no panic, just important things to do. You hear your instructor's voice . You feel a sense of unreal calm in the knowledge that you know what to do , above all else FLY THE PLANE! Safely on the ground, details can be sorted out and reasons can be estab­ lished. But while we are in the air, never forget to listen to what our planes are trying to tell us, it could be important.

Glynn Dennis' engine had suffered a broken crankshaft, but his calm reaction to the engine failure meant that a successful forced landing was made. As he recalled, flying the airplane first as the task at hand may very well mean you will have time later to figure out the reasons why. - H.G. Frautschy ....

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

Gene Chase's

1933

DavisD-I-W by Norm Petersen

A happy Gene and Dorothy Chase pose by the Davis upon completion of the first flight from Brennand's to Wittman Field on March 16, 1995. The Davis in these two photos, supplied to Gene by John Underwood, and be ­ lieved to have been taken at the 1935 National Air Races by Bill Yeager, might look a bit familiar - it's the same Davis shown in Joseph Juptner's "U.S. Civil Aircraft" in the description of A.T.C. 317 and is Gene Chase's Davis D-1-W (at that time, it was a 0-1-85 [0-1-66]). Gene used these photos to layout the color scheme when the parasol monoplane was restored.

It was nearly forty years ago that the seed for this story was planted in the fer­ tile mind of Gene Ralph Chase (EAA 10522, A IC 300) who resides in Oshkosh, WI , with his lovely wife (and excellent cook), Dorothy. The scene was Tulsa, OK , in the late 1950's and the airplane was a Davis V-3 monoplane that had been acquired by a neophyte pilot named Encel Klier. Being an active CFI, Gene accepted the job of teaching Ence l how to fly the Davis . It was during those lessons that Gene began to admire the delicate, finger­ tip controls of the Davis. It ha ndl ed so easily, one only had to think "turn" and it did it. Slowly, the undeniable urge to own one of these beautiful flying airplanes be­ came a part of Gene Chase's li fe - if onl y the opportunity would present itself. In the late 1960's, Gene spotted the un­ 12 APRIL 1996

mistakable lines of a Davis at the EAA F ly-In at Rockford, IL. Moving closer, he me t the owner , Dale Crites , of Wauke­ sha , WI , and examined the air­ plane from nose to tail. It was a Davis D-1-W, NC13546, SIN 304, all dolled up in a yellow and black paint scheme , complete with scallops, and the power­ plant was a big 499 cub ic inch Warner Scarab of 145 hp . Dale Crites could easily see the lo ok of desire in Gene's eyes which would add a necessary tiny ingredient nearly fifteen years later. During the intervening years, Dale Crites took exce ll ent care of the Davis and flew it an average of just 5.65 hours per year. Eventually, the Davis came up for sa le in 1983 and the first person to look at it was veteran antiquer Al Kelch (EAA 33767, AIC 700) of nearby Mequon, WI. Ju st to be sure he would fit in the rather close rear cockpit, Al proceeded to work his full size ad ult frame into the seat. He immediately realized the Davis was a tight fit , however, when it came time to get out of the airp la ne - he cou ldn 't! It took the combined efforts of five grown men to finally extract Al Kelch from the Davis. It's not that Al is a really big fel­ low - he ' s rather average in height and

weight - but that the Davis is that small! Needless to say, the deal was off and Dale Crites remembered how Gene Chase had longingly looked at the Davis in Rock­ ford years ago. During a meeting of the OX-5 Club in early 1983, Gene sat next to Dale Crites and inquired about the Davis. Dale mentioned he was planning to sell the parasol and Gene 's ears perked up. Before long, negotiations were proceeding and eve ntu ally a deal was struck. On April 29, 1983, Gene and Dorothy became the owners of Davis D-I-W , NC13546 . The airplane had been built on 11-22-33 as a Davis 0-1-85 with an 85 hp LeBlond en­ gine , however, in the lat e 1950's , Bob Huggins of Waukesha, WI, converted the Davis to a D-I-W configuration by the in­ stallation of the 145 Warner engine and propeller from a Fairchild 24W. The air­ plane had a total time of 868.5 hours on the ai rframe when Gene bought it. (It has 964 hours total time now.) The next day, the sod runway at Capi­ tal Drive Airport was solid enough to fly. Before getting in, Gene checked the Davis over carefully . When satisfied that all was ready, he confidently placed his left foot in the stirrup and swu ng his right foot into the cockpit - well almost - his foot hit the fuselage about half way up the side with a resounding thump and the gathered crowd

had a good laugh. As Gene says, " I sud­ denly realized I had gotten a bit ol d er along with the airplane!" Following the required three takeoffs and landings, I was invited to be the first passenger with Gene, so I devised a sys­ tem for large folks to enter the tiny front cockpit. By crawling through the cockpit and putting one's shou lders out the other side, one could work his legs into the lower cockpit and slide down into the seat. It worked! A total of five rides were given that day and the smile on Gene Chase's face told the story like none other. It was the beginning of a beautiful love affair. On November 7, 1983, with every piece of clothing he could put on or get into, Gene ferried the Davis to its new home at Wittman Field in Oshkosh, WI. The tem­ perature was 20 degrees. Along with the airplane, Dale Crites had included a card­ board box of "stuff" that Gene might need in the future. Gene carefully put the box aside without looking into it. During the next eight years, the Davis was flown every summer as Gene attended many Wisconsin fly-ins with the throb of the Warner becoming a familiar sound all over the stale. Being of sufficient heft to start the big Warner by hand-propping, I was often invited to go along with Gene on many of the flights. (Eventually , I picked up the nickname "Eclipse" be­ cause of the hand-propping.) By 1991 , the years were beginning to show on the Davis, the old cotton and linen fabric was getting tired (most was over 30 years old) and the Warner was be­

ginn in g to show sig ns of get tin g tire d , having last been majored in 1959. It was time. The call for help was soon answered as Gene 's ma ny friends began to dismantle the D avis into many pieces, ready for re­ building. The fuselage (on the gear) was moved to Earl Grunska's heated work­ shop north of O shkosh, the wings were put in racks to be used at th e next EAA Adult Air Academy in February. The Warner engi ne was loaded into the back of Ted Travis' Internationa l Scout and hauled to his shop in Cheboygan, MI. About this time, the "good luck charm" of Gene Chase began to work. Ted Travis called and said the main master thrust bearing of the Warner had a groove worn nearly 1/8 inch deep and would probably have failed within the next ten hours! Gene swallowed the lum p in his throat and sudden ly remembered the box of " stuff" that Dale Crites had given him with the airplane. He dug it out and spread the contents on the table. Included were seven new intake valves, seven new exhaust valves and a brand new main mas­ ter thrust bearing . With these critical items on hand , Ted was able to complete the meticulous major overhau l of the Warner engine and return it to Oshkosh looking for all the world like a finished di­ amond. Again the "good luck charm" rattled as word came through that the estate of the late Ken Williams of Portage, WI, had an Eclipse Y -150 starter for sale with an an­ gle drive to fit a Warner 145. A phone call

to Shirley Williams (a lovely lady who is held in high esteem by the Wisconsin an­ tique airplane group) allowed Gene to ne­ gotiate a sa le favorable to both parties and before long, the starter arrived, ready for installation. Meanwhile , the fuse lage was stripped down to bare tubing and, along with the tail feathers, was brought to Leonard Manson's shop for sand blasting. Only three small welds were required before the epoxy primer was applied. One on the elevator tip, one cabane fitti ng was start­ ing to crack and one short piece of tubing in the aft fuselage had to be replaced. Once this was completed , everything was epoxy primed and the long road back to a flyable airplane began. At the same time, the wings (with their unusual gull wing shape) were uncovered in the Adult Air Academy class, carefully saving all the old fabric for the correct placing of reinforcements and inspection covers. Everyone were fascinated by the unique structure in the wings, hidden by fabric all these years and in the left wing, a huge mouse nest was uncovered that signi­ fied a long-term residency at some time in the past. (It was removed.) The class ap­ preciated the opportunity to uncover a set of wings and examine the construction of This overhead view against the green background gives us a good planform look at Gene' s Davis. The double-ta­ pered wing, the center section fuel tank and Grimes navigation lights on wings and tail are all visible.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

a 1933 vintage airplane. About this time , veteran antiquer Don McMakin (EAA 6220, AIC 3396) of Rockton , IL, volun­ teered to overhaul the wings and get them ready for cover. Always fascinated by the Davis wing, Don relished the chance to go through them. During the overhaul, Don replaced the left wing rear spar and one aileron spar before returning the wings and ailerons to Oshkosh , ready for cover. It is conservatively estimated by Gene that Don 's work advanced the Davis re­ build by quite a few months. As Gene was busy rebuilding the fuse­ lage in his garage , the good luck charm once again rattled when Charley Pettit of Hesperia , CA, called with the news that he had made a special tool to fabricate new steel (hat section) fuselage stringers for the Davis he was restoring and was calling all Davis owners to find out if any­ one else needed stringers. Gene immedi­ ately ordered a set which, when installed on the fuselage, really took the sag out of the previous stringers and made the Davis look like a new airplane that hadn't been "rode hard and put away wet." A gleaming new set of streamlined Macwhyte wires were ordered from Nick d' Apuzzo in Ambler, P A, for the tail brac­ 14 APRIL 1996

ing and the center section rolling wires, which are of round section . Gene says the best part is that each wire was ab­ solutely perfect when installed - right down to the correct number of threads and even the cotter keys. Most of the sheet metal on the fuselage was skillfully replaced by Jim Courtney. He also fabricated a new 24" headrest and wing center section trailing edge. Both of these items had been modified during a previous restoration. Bauken Noack formed a new stainless steel firewall, com­ plete with foot wells for the rudder pedal action in the front cockpit. A new canvas baggage compartment was sewn together by AI Putzer of Oshkosh using the old one for a pattern. The new one features a special corner-to­ corner zipper that gives direct access to the sealed battery that is located beneath the baggage compartment. While returning from Sun 'n Fun '92, Gene and Dorothy stopped at Dr. Roy Wicker's place at Quitman , GA, and loaded one of his specially made fiberglass bump cowls and a set of fiberglass wheel­ pants into their van and brought them to Oshkosh for the Davis rebuild. Dr. Wicker had done a remarkable job of

restoring his Davis D-1-W and in the process had made an extra set of wheel­ pants and a bump cowl - which fit Gene 's needs to a "T." Once the new floorboards were in­ stalled in the fuselage and the restored Consolidated instrument panel was put in, the fuselage began to take on the shape of a genuine Davis. All the controls were carefully installed (to maintain that beau­ tiful Davis control feel) and the new stringers were positioned along the fuse­ lage. They are mounted on original ply­ wood standoffs from 1933 except for two that were replaced. In addition, provi­ sions for shoulder harnesses were built into the framework to provide an extra measure of safety. (These were seldom in­ stalled in 1933!) To facilitate the covering process and final assembly of the Davis , the frame­ work was moved to Chuck Andreas' shop on the Brennand Airport near Neenah, WI. Starting with the wings and tail feath­ ers, Stits P-103 fabric was installed with Poly-Tak cement and carefully shrunk with an iron. Although the previous cov­ ering job on the Davis wings had used screws for fastening the fabric to the ribs, Gene decided to use the original rib stitch­

(Above) Sign painter, Jesse Harvey, poses with some of his handiwork, the finished rudder and fin of Davis NC13546. (Left) Against the placid blue waters of Lake Winnebago, the Davis cuts a very pretty line in the afternoon sunshine. This is sport flying at its very best. (Right) Gene lines up a brand new metal stringer that fits along the side of the Davis fuselage prior to moving the fuse­ lage from his garage for covering. Note the plywood standoffs under the stringer at each station.

(Above) Rear cockpit photo shows Con­ solidated instrument panel with gold out­ line, tachometer on the right, with large brass ignition switch on the left. The tiny compass is located just behind the crossed center section rolling wires. Note the fine leather work along the cock­ pit edges. (Right) With the second run of the engine on February 28, 1995, the Davis rests in the snow in front of Chuck Andreas' hangar, minus its bump cowl. This spin­ ner eventually fractured and has been re­ placed by a similar spinner from Ken Cook's 90 hp Champ on floats known as "Goose."

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

(Above) Jim Courtney did much of the metalwork in his shop in Menasha. Jim has an excellent "touch" with metal and can make anything he puts his mind to. (Below) Don McMakin gets ready to load one of the Davis wings on his sta足 tion wagon to transport it to his shop in Rockton, IL. Original leading edges on both wings were in such good shape that they were not replaced.

(Top) Coming directly at you at about 115 mph is Gene Chase and his Davis D-1-W with a young Katy Tiffany in the front cockpit. (Above) This beautiful detail shot shows the unique mounting system of the large wheelpants, which are fastened to a substantial aluminum mounting bracket by eight bolts. Also visible is the cable operated brake. (Right) All together, now - lift! The freshly ma足 jored Warner engine is lifted from Ted Travis' In足 ternational Scout by Chuck Larsen, Ted Travis, Gene Chase and the author. The mighty effort worked fine and the engine was lowered onto its mount. 16APRIL 1996

(Above) A proud and happy Gene Chase stands by his 1933 Davis D-1-W after winning the Outstanding Open Cockpit Monoplane Award (Bronze Age) at EAA Oshkosh '95. Note the Fairchild logo on the prop.

ing method as used at the factory. With Scott Stenerson helping, Gene carefu lly rib stitched both wings and tail surfaces before applying the pinked tapes and get­ ting ready for final finishing. After careful study of various chips of paint from the Davis, Gene was able to match the original color (via EAA library color charts) to Waco Vermilion with ma­ roon trim . These co lors were ordered from Stits in Poly tone and Aerothane enamel and after the wings and tail sur­ faces had been Poly-Brushed and Poly­ Sprayed (silver), the final coats of Vermil­ ion were put on by Scott. Once the wings were completed, they were moved back to Gene's hangar for the next procedure ­ painting the large numbers. In addition, the rudder and fin were readied for final maroon trim and si lver outline painting. Meanwhile , a great deal of work had been completed on the fuselage and it was moved from Gene's garage to Chuck An­ dreas' hangar for covering along with the installation of a "jewel" of a new Warner engin e, fresh out of Ted Travis' engine shop. With everybody pitching in, th e fuselage was soon covered and the many tapes in stalled, each one following th e new stringers exactly. Before long, the Poly-brush had been put on followed by Poly-spray and the wet sanding was com­ menced for that super smooth finish. The steady hand of Scott Stenerso n was called upon for the final coats of bright red vermilion on the fuselage and progress was starting to show. Numerous smaller parts and pieces were also painted red including the landing gear. As assem­

bly started, the Davis was looking good, especially as it sat on the landing gear and new Maule tailwheel. (Gene had formerly used a Scott 3200 tailwheel , but opted for a smaller Maule this time around.) The engine hoist in Chuck 's shop li fted the big Warner into position and the en­ gine and mount were bolted to the Davis firewall. Once this was accomplished, Bob McLaughlin, a longtime EAA volun­ teer, commenced to wire up the entire electrica l system on the Davis including the new Y -150 starter on the engine. (The o ld original factory wiring had been re­ moved during the teardown.) Meanwhile, the wing center section was installed on the cabane struts and work was started on the installation of the wheel pants and the bump cowl. A talented Jackie Kossic was called in to do the leather coaming around the cockpits and her nimble fingers soon had the job completed. Meanwhile, the wing struts had been oiled internally and painted externally, so the wings were brought out to Chuck's shop and installed on the Davis. With the tail feathers in­ sta lled, the pretty red parasol was looking like it wanted to fly. But more work was ahead. The maroon striping down the side of the fuselage and the decorative striping on the wheel pants had to be masked off and carefully sprayed by Scott. The bump cowling was also carefully masked and sprayed for its trim scheme which would eve ntually include the silver pinstripe alongside the maroon. About this time , Ted and Sharon Travis came through Oshkosh and Ted was able to go over the entire engine in­ stallation with Chuck Andreas, checking each item as they went along. In addi­ tion, they checked the magneto timing one last time before bolting on the large wooden propeller with the Fairchild 10­

gos on it. Sharon Travis had sewn a new set of seat covers for the Davis seats that really brightened the cockpits when they were installed . On February 23, 1995 , the Davis was rolled out of the shop into the bright light of day - WOW - what a pretty airplane! During the next couple of days, final checks were made, the oil tank was filled , fuel was added to the fuel tank and oil pressure was brought up in the engi ne for pre-oiling. On Feb­ ruary 27,1995, the Davis was once again rolled out into the snow and Gene crawled into the rear cockpit. With everyone watching , Gene fired up the Warner and it came to life after 3-112 years of idleness. It sounded great, the seven cylinders purring away like an air­ plane is supposed to sound. By March 16 , the temperature had warmed up enough for Gene to make the first flight and deliver the airplane to Chuck's hangar at Wittman Field in Oshkosh. With a chance of snow plugging up the wheelpants, they were removed for the flight, however, everything went well as Gene fired up the Warner (my, but that electric starter is nice!) and taxied over to the runway at Brennand 's and after mak­ ing a last minute check, firewalled the throttle and the Davis took to the air like it meant business. Gene was quite surprised at the "smooth feel " that had been retained in the restoration , the beautiful balance in the Warne r engine and the "git and go" that the airpla ne exhibited in the air. The long, hard years of steady work and expense had been well worth it. The feeling of accomplishment that goes along with such a major effort is hard to imagine , however, other restorers who have gone through it can describe the feeling in detail. It is like none other. Gene and Dorothy would like to extend a very specia l word of thanks to all of the many, many folks who helped in so many ways during the 3-1/2 year re­ build. Perhaps the icing on the cake was dis­ playing the Davis at EAA Oshkosh '95 and answering the hundreds of questions from the many onlookers. In the line-up with two other Davis airplanes , the re­ views were excellent. The crowning achievement came at the awards banquet when 01' NC13546 was called for the Out­ standing Open Cock pit Monoplane Award in the Bronze Age category (1933 ­ 1941). No one was more excited than Gene and Dorothy Chase , who accepted the award with grace and dignity - and just a few butterflies. To a man who has flown 324 different kinds of airplanes according to his log­ book and has been an active CFI for over fifty years, we can only add a well-earned "Co ngratulations " on a labor of love. And Gene, don't forget to slow down and ... wave as you go by my J-3 Cub! VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

AnArmy Kaydet Terry Crawford's

WW II Stearman

by H.G. Frautschy

Multiple award winner. The words conjure up the image of a super-plane , one able to leap over the judges in a sin­ gle bound while dazzling all who look upon it. The reality of it is a bit easier on the eyes . Sometimes, the airplane is a comfortable antique that just doesn't seem to age. Terry Crawford , (EAA 90690, A/C 20879) of Ocala, FL has one of these winners. His PT-17 Boeing Stearman " Kaydet" has been quietly winning top awards at a number of the fly-ins he has attended. Sun ' n Fun '95 saw its selection as the Grand Champion An­ tique, and the previous year it was picked as the WW II Era Antique Champion dur­ ing EAA OSHKOSH ' 94. In 1993, it was awarded the Antique WW II Military Trainer/Li aison Champion trophy. A major portion of the cr e dit on this restoration goes to Gid Townsend of Ocala , FL. A well known

restorer and mechanic in central Florida, Gid has been a friend and fellow aviator to Terry for a number of years. By 1978, Terry had Gid looking for a good Stear­ man project to restore, and a few times they thought they were on the right track. In the mid-70's, Stearman projects were a bit more plentiful than they are today, and the two men were being a bit picky. They wanted a fuselage that had not been modified as a cropduster, and a pretty complete project,

(Left) The original equipment fire ex­ tinguisher, now inert, is mounted in the original location, an is accessable by both the pilot or ground personnel. (Right) The first cockpit many a fighter, bomber or transport bound student spent his first hours in during WW II. Terry's kept it as original as he can, with the modern additions of a transponder and communications ra­ dio, and neatly engraved plastic panel placards. 18 APRIL 1996

(Left) The single leg, hydraulically shock absorbed landing gear on the the A75 Boeing Stearman se­ ries of trainers was built to take it, and students certainly gave the gear a workout. The straight panel lines and clean engine in­ stallation pay homage to the wonderful retoration work done by Gid Townsend of Ocala, FL.

with a ll or most of th e pi eces in the same basket. About the time the search be­ came more serious, in th e spring of '79, there was to be a large auc­ tion held in West Helena, AR. A collection of Stearman parts and pi e ces gathered b y E . E . T e rry was be in g so ld . Gid a nd Terry came home with a couple of " kits" to built a Stearman . They a lso bought a complete airpl a ne th at at th e tim e look e d lik e quite a

buy - it had all the right pieces in the cor­ rect places, and it looked like a Stearman ought. Even th e fuselage was intact , having never been mod ified for a large duster ho pp er. It had been used as a duster, but it had a " Mississippi Valley hopp e r," which fit nea tl y between th e lon ge ron s. As soon as it was h a ul e d back down to Florida , restoration began. The fuselage baskets were restored and re placed, and it was sitting on its landing gear, rea dy for the next step whe n fate intervened for a few years. During a visit to Stearman Mecca, the Galesburg Stearman fly-in held each fall in Illin ois , Terry ran int o two fe llows who had a lso bee n to th e sa me auction th e prev iou s spring , and had bou ght a Stearman th ey now had fl ying . A dea l was stru ck for a fl yin g Stea rman. The cos t ? $6,500! Boy , it rea ll y does not seem lik e th e la te 1970's was that long ago ... A flyin g Stearm an for $6,500 - what VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

so his ties to the local scenery run deep. Although he didn't know whether or not his airplane had ever been used by anybody locally, it was no wonder that he chose to finish his new Stearman PT-17 in the colors used by a Ocala flight school for U.S. Army primary train­ ing during WW II. Greenville Avi­ ation took delivery of a batch of 25 Stearmans in January of '42, and they continued to receive Stear­ mans until they were up to about 125 airplanes. As a tribute to this local bit of history, Terry wrote to Stearman historian Ken Wilson, who researched his particular air­ plane, intending to give him a full rundown on its whereabouts during the last half century. Ken also does full kits for the various stencils that were used on the Stearman Kay­ dets, and when he wrote Terry a note back, he had stunning news ­ his Stearman had indeed been used by somebody locally - Greenville Flight School! It turned out that the stencil re­ quested by Terry reflecting its as­ signment to the local flight school was not just a tribute, but an histor­ ical fact. Local flyers who were flight instructors with Greenville remember a time at the beginning of the War when they were woe­ fully short of airplanes, and they've also expressed their appreciation for the markings on Terry's Stear­ man, a tribute to all of those who passed through her cockpit on their way to defend freedom. ...

deal. It wasn't pretty, and it sure needed work, but it was flying. Gid flew it home, and told Terry he would not get back in the airplane again until it had some work done on it. The last hundred miles, he looked at every single cow pasture as a probable landing site. The airplane had been modified with the installation of a Jacobs radial that was now in desperate need of an overhaul. Terry and Gid did what amounted to a a short list rebuild, with a remanufactured 220 hp Continen­ tal installed , and a good annual inspec­ tion and repaint added. The flying Stearman was just that, a flyer. Nothing fancy, but it got Terry in the air. There was only one problem with that - since he didn't need the first project completed to have a flying air­ plane , it dropped further and further from the top of Terry's priority list. Busi­ ness and family obligations filled his time, but after a number of years, it be­ came obvious that if the first project was not done, and the flying Stearman didn't 20 APRIL 1996

(Above) Utalitarian, but still one of the nicest looking training biplanes ever built, the PT-17 is very much in demand today. (Right) Terry Crawford, Ocala, FL, the proud owner of this PT-17 Boeing Stear­ man.

make it through a future annual, Terry would be without a Stearman to fly. It was time to get serious about get­ ting the airplane done. Gid was given the task, and like so many of his past projects, he did a masterful job . The wings were reconstructed, and then mated to the fuselage, which had been fi­ nally completed. The airplane was cov­ ered with Ceconite and finished with Randolph finishes, dope on the fabric and enamel on the sheet metal. Terry Crawford is a native Floridian, in a state where there are few who can trace their local family history well back into the early 1800's. His ancestors came to the Ocala area in the 1820s and '30s,

PASS db

BUCK

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

Sometime back I ' d writt e n a littl e bit about pilot owner maintenance and what we ca n do to our airplanes under FAR 91 Ap­ pendix " A ." I'd like to expo und a little on wheels and bearings. T he bearings in yo ur main gea r and tail wheel do a lot for you. We know from expe­ rience that airplanes aren't in the same cate­ go ry as motor vehicles. Yet we sometimes have to do co nsiderable taxiing, often tim es great distances. I'm reminded of places like Kennedy Airport in New York a nd H o n­ olulu International. I don ' t think we have th at same proble m, but back in th e "old " days when I was a DC-8 driver, we had spe­ cia l precautions we had to take if we were forced to taxi lo ng distances to the runway. HNL, for insta nce, was al most two mil es from the gate to the "big" runway. The bearings and brakes would ge t ho t from the long taxi and we had a cooling off period to observe before we could actu all y begin our takeoff run. Of course there wa s temperature accountability to contend with , too. JFK didn 't have the same temperature problems that , say, LAX or LAS would have. This is the extreme, though , and I'm citing it o nly to give yo u an idea as to what I'm leading up to. Wh at we 're lo o king for he re is possible bearing fai lures. Failures, other than mater­ ial fai lure, can be from a number of ca uses­ poor mounting, improper lubrication , lubri­ catio n co ntamin atio n ( mo st common) , an d/or improper ha ndling (r ea d m ai nt e ­ nanc e), and maybe ove rh eatin g, like th e above long taxi. If we follow the airplane manu al, it isn't likely th at mo untin g is a problem. If the cups are properly pressed into the wh eel re­ cesses, and the ax le nuts are torqued up to specs, and the cones properly seated, th ere is little likelihood this will be a problem. Lube breakdown manifests itself in sev­ eral ways. Discolo red , flaky, or a caked ap­ pearance tells us the lube is DEAD! One of the first signs of this problem is a noisy bear­ ing. It just isn't ge tting any lube! And if it isn't already too late to save the bearin gs, it won't be long and you'll be faced with a wal­ let bruising you won 't like at all. Anytime

you hea r noise from that tail wh eel, or any wh ee l, don 't tol erate it! It 's te llin g yo u it has a problem. Do so mething about it! Wh a t caused it? H eat, mayb e. Do es your airplane sit out in the sun on a 95° day ? Or did it sit in a snowbank that melted and wate r go t to th e bearings? H e re's a goo d exa mple: Many of us up he re in th e frozen north flying off skis don 't use tail wheel skis. We use that tail whee l as a brake, dragging it through the snow when we wan t to slow down. When thaw time comes, the ice that has jammed past the sea ls turns to wa ter. That sure doesn't do the bearings any good! Co m es sp rin g, th e fir s t item on the pilot/owner list is to get after th at tail wheel and shape it up! Back to the lubricati o n. Co ntam in ati o n is th e grea test problem in ca usin g bea ring fa ilu res. The culprit here co uld very well be th a t gr ease re t a in er yo u shou ld have re­ placed the last time you serviced the wheels. Gr it (dust), bra k e puck r esi du e, wat e r , sa nd y operating conditions-all these co n­ tribute to breakdown of that grease retainer and eventually contaminate the lubricant. Other problems? How a bo ut too much grease? This is a holdover from the old cov­ ered wagon days, when the axles and wheels were wood . The more grease, th e ha ppie r the wheels. Not so in today's world. Those bearings only need the bearings packed, not th e whole cavity and the dust cap. Ex tra lu­ bricant attracts du st and dirt , add s to the g r oss weight, and prom otes co nt a min a ­ tion-especially in th e tail wheel airplanes. Too much grease sometimes results in a full swivel rather than a steerable unit. Not e nough lube - th e o th e r ex tre me . A lick and a promise isn' t good . If you've washed the bearings and th en left some of the so lvent in th em , th e n p ac k so m e ne w g rease into it and shove th e bearing back into service, the chances are yo u may have a problem, because residual solvent will dilute th e grease. The n it'll run o r squ eeze out, and you have an und esirable situation aga in . Using the wrong lubricant can accelerate bearing problems, too. The other day I was looking at a guy 's airplane. H ey! I'm an IA now, I can do that! This guy was getting his

airpla ne ready for the sp rin g and summer flying season. As I was loo king around the dirt flo or ha ngar, setting on th e workbench (an old office des k) was a can of grease that mu st have dat e d back to before the ear th cooled. The can was actually rusted and the old red label said " Fibre Whee l and Axle Grease." I asked him where he got it. " It's been around here for years. I guess the last guy left it here ." He went on to say that he was going to use it. I pointed o ut the fact th at thi s st uff was for manure spreaders and insisted he junk it, RIGHT NOW! Give the can to the Co unty Historical Society for pos­ terity and trek dow n to the auto parts store and ge t so me of that nice new high tempera­ ture wheel bearing stuff. H e did it! And I'm sure his wheel bear­ ings appreciated it ! Actually , he did too ca use he called me to tell me what beautiful stuff that new grease was. The fi nal countdown on this is take care of those bearings by using the proper grease in the proper way. • Work with clean tools in a clean area. • Remove all o utside dirt before ex posing the bearings. • Handl e them with clea n, dry hands. • Treat the bea rin gs very carefully whether they are new or used. • Use CLEAN solvents and flushin g oils. • Lay th e m out on a c lea n paper and keep them covered. • Use clean lint free rags for wiping. • Wrap them in o il proof paper if you're going to store them for any length of time. • Clean th e wh eel and bearing recesses be­ fore installing or reinsta lling your bearings. • Keep your bearing lubri cants clean when greas in g the bea rin gs and cove r the con­ tainers as when you're finished with them. • Use new sea ls, and lastly, pay attention to what they are tryin g to te ll you if they 're making noises. All thi s rh e t o ric is goi ng to save yo ur bea rin gs a nd save yo u mon ey so yo u can spend it on more flying time! I've r a mbl e d o n lo ng enou gh ; now it ' s over to you.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - by Norm Petersen Preston Watson's Aeronca "Bits & Pieces" These p hotos of a tota ll y restored Aeronca CA-65 Super Chief, NC33731 , SIN CA13251, were sent in by longtime EAA member, Preston K. Watson (EAA 91554, A/C 23537) of Zion , IL. Nick named "Bits & Pieces," the 1941 Super Chief basket case was purchased for $1 in 1991 - because it could literally be put into a basket! After 4-112 years, 2500 hours (plus) and a list of parts that would fill a small book, 01' NC33731 is back to "0" time and flying again. The extent of Preston's efforts in rebuild­ ing this airplane are bordering on unbelieveable because of the

huge number of missing parts and severely dam­ aged components. The airplane was covered with the Stits process and the majored A-65 Continen­ tal engine pulls a McCauley 1B90 74 X 47 metal prop. To date, Preston has flown the Super Chief about 15 hours and has enjoyed every minute. Congratulations on a super restoration, Preston.

Norwegian L-18-C Cub This photo of a very pretty Piper L-18-C was sent in by Harald Sorensen of Skien, Norway, which is lo­ cated just southwest from Oslo. The Cub, registered LN-NAV in Norway, featutes a 90 hp Continental engine, metal prop, Scott 3200 tailwheel with a small ski attached and a set of Federal A WB-1500 wheel skis. Harald says the Cub belongs to his wife, Anna Lise, a very lucky lady, indeed. In the background is a Cessna 206, LN-BEU, that is mounted on a set of Edo 3400 floats in the summertime. Harald is Gen­ eral Manager for Teddy Air, a feeder airline based at Skien, flying two Embraer B-110 turboprop air­ craft. Check out the teddy bear sitting in the front seat of the Cub.

Jim Wilcox's 1929 LeBlond "60" A recent acquisition by James (Jim) Wilcox (EAA ) of Eau Claire , WI, is a 1929 LeBlond "60" five cylinder aircraft engine . Apparently the engine had been used on a windsled until coming to an abrupt halt on a pressure ridge hidden by snow. The engine was put in storage for 30 years until Jim came along. It features a vintage tachometer of Elgin Watch Co. manufacture with a neat fitting prop spinner made from a Twilite Headlamp assembly at­ tached to the substantial wooden propeller. Jim hopes to con­ struct an airplane that will allow him to one day fly into Oshkosh behind the LeBlond. He is partial to biplanes. Any suggestions? Jim's address is 3701 Robin Rd., Eau Claire, WI 54703. (FAX: 715­ 839-9453) 22 APRIL 1996

Jerry McKnight's Piper J-3 Cub Patiently waiting for snow to fall is Jerry McK­ night's Piper J -3 Cub, NC921 92, SIN 16632, mounte d on a se t o f Federal A1500 skis. Je rry (EAA 75461, A /C 6864), who Jives in Johnstown , Ohio, reports he had quite a time getting the skis installed and prope rl y rigged for serv ice, how­ ever, st ubborn tenacity finally won o ut. Fitted with the standard Continental A-65 engine and a Sensenich wooden prop, the Cub looks about as stock as yo u can find a nd th e yellow with bl ack lightning stripe looks really sharp. A close look at the folded door reveals EAA and Antiq ue/Classic stickers. (We hope the snow ar­ rived so Jerry could fly his handiwork!)

James Chatterley's Aeronca Champ These photos of Aeronca Champ, N1151E , SIN 7 AC-4707, were se nt in by retired GM e n­ gin eer James Cha tt e rl ey (EAA 477536) of Washington, MI. An Aeronca Champ enthusi­ ast for many, many years, he stumbled onto this one abo ut 40 miles from home and bought it in 1994. It had a leaky fuel tank, which was read ­ ily fixed, and the instrument panel needed to be replaced because the old instruments had been

moved so many times they qualified for "frequent fl yer miles!" A new set of engine baffles to help clea n up the engine compartment and a new set of wheelpants really helped the 1946 airpl ane. Metal guru John Glover helped on the cowl work to make it look like new. With a new spinner on the wooden propeller, the Champ looks like a real winner and James says it is the most comfortable machine for Sunday afternoon flyin g in all th e world . Congrats to J ames on a nice looking Champ.

Roy Skelton's Funk B-8SC Sparkling in the Texas sunshine is a recentl y re­ stored Funk B-85C, NC81173, SIN 303, that is the pride and joy of R oy Skelton (EAA 203577, A /C 25243) of Double Oak, Texas. The Funk had bee n involved in an off airport landing and was pre tty badly broken up when Roy acquired the " project. " The wings were co mpletely rebuilt with new ribs, the fuselage was restored with some new metal and th e whol e airplane wa s covered in Stits and fin­ ished off in A eroth ane Insignia White with Santa Fe Red trim. A majored Continental 0-200, com­ plete with new prop and correct spinner, replaced the C-85 as th e four-year res tora tion was com­ pleted. The first flight was on November 20, 1995, a nd Roy reports the pretty two -placer fli es very nicely. H e plan s on retiring soon, so the Funk will be seen at various fly-ins around the co u ntry in­ cluding Casa Gra nde, Coffeyvill e and Oshkosh . (Ed. note: I saw the Funk at Cas a Grande and it was bea utiful.) Co ngratulation s are in order to Roy Sk elton for a rea lly nice job of restoring hi s Funk B-85e.

Working on

a project of your own? Send your photos along with a short story about your airplane to:

H.G. Frautschy, EM, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

Ale

tabulated in a notebook for reassem­ bly. • An excellent product for removal of very heavily encrusted rust, and grease for that matter, is spray oven cleaner. It comes in aerosol cans and can be directed into hard to reach ar­ eas. As a word of caution, some brands may not "like" aluminum.

Tidbits

compiled by H.C. Frautschy

BRAD'S RESTORATION TIDBITS ­ PART II • Here is an easy method to determine polarity if a storage battery's termi­ nals can no longer be read. Attach a wire to each terminal and immerse the ends in a small amount of acidi­ fied water. Bubbles will form around the negative wire. • A good substitute for "Never Seize Compound" is milk of magnesia; it works almost as well and is more readily available. • Occasionally when gaskets are pur­ chased, particularly if they have been on the supplier's shelf for a while, they may have shrunk to the point where they don't quite fit (this is par­ ticularlya problem with co r k gas­ kets). A few minutes soaking in warm water will bring them back to original size. (To prevent corrosion of the surfaces the gasket contacts, be sure you dry out the gasket before in­ stalling. ) • There are some basic rules that should be followed when storing pa­ per and cork gaskets. Ideally they should be kept between 60 degrees and 85 degrees and 30% to 50% hu­ midity . It is also best to kee p them sealed airtight in plastic wrap or Zi­ ploc bag. • In a pinch, if a band saw or hand held jigsaw is not available, and you need to cut a curve in metal , don't forget your hacksaw. By grinding off part of the back edge of the blade and grinding a bevel on the back edge away from the direction the curve is to be cut, the job can still be completed. • An inexpensive storage system for subassemblies as they are removed from your plane and after restoration is to place them in labeled and num­ bered paper sacks. These are then 24 APRIL 1996

• Wh en reinstalling open ball or roll bearings, do not use a wood block. Small wood slivers may mix with the grease and cause damage or seizure. A better choice would be a block of polyethylene or other similar plastic. • If time is not a factor and the parts are sma ll enough, a jar of kitchen vinegar makes a handy rust remover. After the items have been degreased, place them into the jar and return in a few days. The rust will be gone and the vinegar acid is mild enough not to have attacked the base metal. • Some early aircraft instruments had convex lenses over their faces. These are increasingly difficult to find if the originals are cracked or broken. A good place to start the search is a shop that specializes in antique clock and watch repair. They probably can order the necessary size or something close that can be ground down to size. • There are any number of commercial products available to prevent battery terminal corrosions but none is "sweeter" than plain corn syrup. Af­ ter the terminals have been cleaned and dried , paint the syrup on and let it dry for an hour or so. • Occasionally, as an odd shaped rub­ ber part is needed for a bumper or "insulator" and the original is cracked, chipped or hard as a rock, a replacement can often be fabricated from any good "chunk" of rubber. (A truck tire tread off the highway may be just right.) It can be rough cut to size using an old hacksaw blade which has been sharpened to a knife edge, leaving the bottom of the teeth along the sharpened edge. Water is an excellent coolant lubricant during the cutting. The final finish and siz­ ing can be completed with a grinding wheel. • The best palette for mixing "body filler" for small dent repair is window glass. It provides a flat surface for mixing, and by viewing through the underside you can tell when the two parts are completely blended. • When a shaft or unusual bolt is cross threaded or otherwise has thread damage and a replacement is not im­ mediately available, a good method of repair is available even if a com­ mercial thread chaser is not available. Simply take a nut of the correct diam­

eter and thread pitch and saw it in half. After removing the burrs, place the halves around the section of the damaged shaft and insert the assem­ bly in a vise. Unscrew the shaft or bolt from nut. It may take several passes to restore the threads and maybe more than one split nut. Use of thread cutting oil also will help the process. • Over the years, plastic lenses and other parts can become warped. One method of repair is to heat a pan of clean sand and set the deformed part in it. When it becomes soft, reform it to original shape. The same pan of sand can be used to hold parts while soldering or gluing pieces together. • Sometimes wood glue joints work loose but the assembly cannot be dis­ assembled. Often the joint can be reglued by use of a large hypodermic needle available at most farm or ranch supply sto res . Insert the nee­ dle into a crack or drill a small hole to get into the joint and fill the joint from the inside out. • In many parts of the country, we of­ ten have to put our wonderful air­ planes away in the hangar for a few months every winter until good weather returns. Occasionally mice and other rodents also come in for the winter. Mothballs are usually quite effective repellents if placed in baggage, interior and engine com­ partments. However, the smell re­ mains for some time after they are re­ moved in the spring. Blood meal that can be purchased in most nursery and garden stores works just as well and does not leave a lasting odor when re­ moved . • When changing oil on craft equipped with external disposable oil filters, puncture a hole in the bottom of the filter with an awl or ice pick and al­ low it to drain. This usually makes for a much easier cleanup when fin­ ished. • If a nut and bolt are rusted solid and heat seems to be the only solution, try the following: heat the bolt and/or nut as hot as safely possible, remove the heat source and apply candle wax to the hot pieces. The wax will get drawn into the threads and serve as a lubricant for loosening and removal. • Often we want to give our planes a quick exterior cleaning if it has be­ come slightly dirty or dusty after a day at a show or fly-in. Damp clothes work well but a better solution is a mixture of liquid car wax and water in a spray bottle. No more than a half to three-quarters of an inch of liquid wax in the bottom of the bottle with the rest filled up with water will do

the trick. Shake the mixture well be­ fore sp raying and wiping off with a soft c lean cloth. Not only does it clean, but it puts d own a thin wax coat at the same time. • When fabricating or repairing wood­ en parts, it occasionally becomes nec­ essary to screw into an end grain or lap joint. This circumstance will not produce a strong set for the screw. One solution is to add a hardwood dowel at right angles to the screw by drilling a hole the size of the dowel and gluing it into the end grain piece. Drill a pilot hole and insert the screw lubricated with beeswax or cand le wax. • Lemon juice that is available in nearly any food store is an excellent greasy dirt remover that will not harm paint or wood finish. • To clean vinyl upholstery , try Lava hand soap. It works wonders and is probably in your hangar anyway. • If you have to use a saber saw to cut brass or painted metal surfaces, put duct tape along each side of the cut. The tape will prevent scratches. • When using Permatex " Aviation Form-A-Gasket"during gasket instal­ lation , it is almost impossible to keep some of it off your hands and tools . Rubbing alcohol is an excellent sol­ vent for cleanup. • When restoring wood components , we may come across some severe cases of rot in pieces we need to pre­ serve for patterns. It can often be al­ most impossible to remove these ro t­ ten pieces without them breaking or crumbling into an unusable shape. One met hod for saving the pattern shape is to saturate the rotten wood with a so lution of 15% turpentine, 85% boiled linseed oil. After apply­ ing the mixture , let the wood set for two or three weeks until completely dry. The wood should firm enough to withstand careful disassembly. • To drill a clock-spring or other brittle sheet metal , use a nail with the point squared off. Use a hi gh drill speed and melt the hole through with heat and friction. • To drill stainless steel, use a coolant comprised of 12 parts water and one part Epson salts and apply liberally. This will save lots of drill bits. • A golf tee can often be used to plug fuel a nd vacuum lines. Their tape r allows the m to fit several sizes and they are in ex pe nsive. (And they come in bright colors these days!) • A goo d , te mporary repair of dam­ aged weatherstripping can be made by applying clear silicone caulk to the damaged area. Place Saran Wrap or other similar wrapper product over it

a nd close the door. Come back the next day , remove th e wrap and be­ hold the repaired section. • It sometimes becomes necessary to perform spray paint touchup in a cluttered or confined area, where using masking tape and paper ca n be a lmost impossible. The use of Saran Wrap or other similar product often works wonders. It co nforms to weird shapes and sticks to itself, eliminating the need for tape. How­ ever, before using the plastic wrap , try the paint on a sa mpl e of the wrap, as some paints may "melt " the plastic.

- - - - - T;;\

Brad Hindall (EAA347622, Ale 14860) is an aircraft and automobile re­ sto rer from Sarasota, FL , who has co l­ lected these hints and tips over the years from various sources. Members are en­ couraged to submit any tip or hint to the editor, and we'll do our best to get them published , so that others can benefit. Send your notes to: EAA H.G. Frautschy

P.O. Box 3086

Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086

Our thanks to Brad for volunteering his list of hints! ...

4 - CABLE FROM COCKPIT

~I ~

SHACKLE

~~~~~

/~

STEEL RING AND ROPE SECURED TO POST, HANGER, ETC.

SPRING LOADED STEEL PIN

ALUMINUM PLATE ~ PHENOLIC BLOCK - - .

CABLE CONTROLED TIEDOWN RELEASE Here's another of lim Neuman's terrific drawings. This one can help if you have an airplane that requires an "Armstrong Starter. " It's a simple spring loaded pin that is mounted in conjunction with the taiLwheel. Add your own cable pull feature up in the cockpit (I'd suggest you add a way to lock the pin up, so the ring can be set in place.) Be sure and check with your AI about adding this, but since you're not tow­ ing gliders, most shouldn 't have too much a problem with the installation. Modify it as you please to suit your installation requirements - this drawing is not intended to be exact, but you get you started. If it keeps your pride and joy from waltzing down the taxiway with you running after it, I'm all for it! VIINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

by H.G. Frautschy

The April Mystery Plane comes to us courtesy of Peter Bowers. This lightly built tandem twin amphibian has a bi­ plane tail. The engine installation is unusual as well, with both mounted on the tubular pylon forward of the wing. Bet it had some interesting pitching moments, eh? Answers need to be in no later than May 25, 1996, for in­ clusion in the July issue. The January Mystery Plane also proved to be obscure, with only thr ee answers sent in. Charley Hayes, New Lenox thought it might be a Curtiss J with an N-9 rudder and fin. A good try, with many similarities, but Pete Bowers of Seattle W A and Sean Tavares, Andover, MA provided correct answers. Here's Sean's le tter:

"I would like to submit what 1 believe to be a positive identification of the 'Mystery Plane' photo that appears at the head of your column in the Janu­ ary 1996 issue of Vintage Airplane. "The airplane in the 'Mystery Plane' photo matches two photos of an airplane identified as a 'Thomas tractor biplane' with '90 hp Curtiss en­ gine' that appear on page 249 of 'Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War r (published by Military 26 APRIL 1996

Press, 1990). "These photos show the aircraft in flight, and show an airplane that matches the Mystery Plane in general outline; unstaggered biplane with two-bay interplane struts, slight dihedral and inverse tapered ailerons on both wings, two wheel landing gear with twin anti-noseover skids; horizontal and vertical tail surfaces with shapes reminiscent of the Curtiss Jenny. "Further scrutiny shows the two photos and the Mystery Plane to match in the following details: a. Nearly semi-circular cut out in trailing edge of upper wing. b. Center section struts are canted slightly inward at their up­ per ends. c. Two control horns on each aileron. These are visible on the lower ailerons in one of the Jane's in-flight photos. d. Similar louvers on engine cowl and exhaust pipe arrange­ ment. In one of the in-flight shots, the lower row of louvers can be discerned, as can be the arrangement of the 4 short exhaust pipes. e. Forward strut for landing gear joins the fuselage just aft of the third cowl louver. "The text in 'Jane's' gives particulars for a Thomas Military Tractor, Type T2, having 80-90 hp. (Presumably the T-2 is the 90 hp type shown in the photographs.) The T-2 is described as being developed for all around military work, including scouting, recon­ naissance, range spotting, and messenger service.

"The dimensions of the T-2 were: 1915. The prototype T-2, built in Bath and powered with a 90 hp Overall length, 28 ft. ; wing span, 36 ft.; wing chord and gap Austro-Daimler engine, made its fir st flight at Ithaca early in between wings, 5 ft,; wing area, 350 sq. ft.. It is reported to have 1915. The 24 production models bought by England as trainer weighed 1075 lbs, empty, and to have carried a pilot and observer, for the Roya l Flying Corps were powered with 90 hp American fuel for 4-112 hours flying, and an additional load of 285 lbs,. for a Curtiss OX engines. tota l useful load of 897 lbs. Performance was given as a speed "As shown by the photo, the T-2 was a thoroughly conven­ range of 38-82 mph , and a climb of 4000 ft in 10 minutes, with tiona l des ign for the time, with all -wood construction, long 800 feet being achieved in the first minute. wings with two bays of struts and ailerons on both wings, tan­ " The 'Jane's' text states, 'In 1915 the firm supplied various dem cockpits for two, and as was common on several contempo­ Tractor biplanes to the Allied governments.' More specifically, rary des ign s, skids projecting ahead of the wheels to prevent 'Fighter Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War' (W.M. Lamberton & E.F. nose-overs. Cheesman, Harleyford Publications and Aero Publishers, 1964, "Th e T-2 was designed by an Eng lishman - B. Dougla s section on Thoma s Morse Scouts) reports that 24 examples of the Thomas (no relation) who had been brought to the U.S. in 1913 T-2 were supplied to the British Admiralty in 1915. by Glenn Curtiss, who needed a designer experienced with trac­ "The Thoma s Aircraft Company becam e Thomas-Mors e in tor types. Thoma s had worked for both Avro and Sopwith, well 1915, and later products of this company include the well known known for their tractor models at the time. While he was with S-4 series of Scouts . One can see a few similarities between the T­ Curtiss at Hammondsport, NY Thoma s designed the models J 2 and the S-4's . Both used a great number of clos ely spaced and N , which were later merged to create the famous JN 'Jenny' stringers in their aft turtledecks. The early S-4's (up to S-4B) had lin e, and played a major part in the design of the twin-engine inverse tapered ailerons, and the horizontal tails of the S-4's, par­ Model H flying boat that became the 'America.' ticularly the S-4C which had an elevator with straight trailing "Thoma s left Curtiss and joined the Thomas Brothers at Bath, edge, bore a resemblance to that of the T-2. where he applied his Curtiss experience to the design of the T-2. "I hope I have shed a little light on this airplane." He designed all subsequent Thoma s (Thomas Morse after 1916) Sincerely, models except one. Probably his most famous single design is the little 80-100 hp Thomas Morse S-4, the Tommy." T. Sean Tavares

"Thoma s des igned severa l highly unconventional planes in AIC Chapter 15

EAA 507955, AIC 25236

the early 1920's, and developed a unique sem i-monocoque fuse­ Andover, MA

lage constructure featuring wrap-around corrugated sheet alu­ minum . His la st design for Thoma s-Morse was the thoroughly Pete Bowe rs has this to add: conventional 0 -19 Army observation biplane that featured his wrap-around fuselage. When Consolidated absorbed Thomas­ "The January Mystery Plane is the Thomas T-2, built late in Morse in 1929, Thomas was presiden t and Chief Engineer, and 1915 by the Thoma s Brothers Aviation Company. The firm was moved with the firm into the Consolidated plant in Buffalo, NY. ... initially in Bath, NY but moved to Itha ca, NY in December, He retired in 1933. "

NORSEMAN FLOATPLANE FESTIVAL July 26..28, 1996 & preceding days

Also

Fun for all -

Activities for the whole familyU

RED LAKE, ONTARIO CANADA

For more information contact:

Norseman Committee Box 131 Red Lake, Ontario POV 2MO CANADA

Phone: (807) 727·2809 Fax: (807) 727·3975 VINTAGE AI RPLANE 27

New Members

Mark Accomazzo.............. .....Cave Creek, AZ

Tom Atwood ................................ W ilton, CT

Jeff Austin ....................... ...............5alem, OR

David D. Baer ...................... Bloomington, IN

Paul S. Bartman ............ ..... .. ........... 'Ocala, FL

David W. Beaver...................... Richmond, TX

Julius Behling......... ......... ............. Beemer, NE

Josiah I. Bennett............ .........Englewood, CO

Christopher R. Blakeley .. ............ Lakeland, FL

Wayne Brock ...... ...... ..............Alpharetta, GA

Dan Brogan ......... .............. ..... .. ..St Joseph, MI

Jerry Brown ............................... Pahrump, NV

Ken O. Brown ....... ....... ............ .Redlands, CA

Roger L. Brown ...... .. ........Mount Vernon, MO

Anthony W. Brunson ......................Evans, GA

Craig L. Carlson .... ... ................5cottsbluff, NE

Swithin Chandler MD .........Salt Lake City, UT

Stephen M. Chapman .. ....... ..........Boston, MA

Frank E. Churchill ..... .............Middlebury, VT

Jeffrey Cokain ........................ Indianapolis, IN

Ri chard B. Conaway ....... ........ Henderson, TN

Gerardo B. Condo ..........................Miami, FL

Roger K. Crossman ..................... ..5alome, AZ

David L. Cutigni ....................Spencerville, IN

William R. Dade............. .. ..... ..... ..Hil lside, NJ

John M. Damgard .... ......... ... Washington, DC

Mike Davenport

... .......... ....Langley, British Columbia, Canada

Michael Day.............................Newbu rn, NC

Margaret G. Denison ..............New Iberia, LA

Clark D. Derbyshire ............... .Fort Wayne, IN

David Dixon ................................ Orlando, FL

James R. Dubois ........... ... ...Somersworth, NH

Kenneth S. Eden ......... ......... .........Sarasota, FL

Robert P. Egan ............. ....... ............ Dover, NJ

Burt C. Ellison ...........................Plantation, FL

Kurt F. Elzer ......... ........ ........ .Fort Lupton, CO

Philip Evanger. .........Eikvag, Farsund, Norway

Rick Evans............................ ..San Marcos, TX

Peter J. Fahey

.......... ..... Northcote, Auckland, New Zealand

Robert A. Finch ............................... Sparta, NJ

Harrell Freeman ........... ....... ........Metairie, LA

Mark P. Gagnier... .. ............ Coeur d Alene, ID

Evans Gauthier .........................McKinney, TX

Gilbert Grau ............. .. ........Spring Valley, NY

Michael A. Greenblatt... ............ .Midland, GA

28 APRIL 1996

Lea Griffin .............................. .... Beaufort, NC

William A. Griffin ....... ............... Warren, OH

Bill W. Grinstead ......... .............. Beckley, WV

Ruben D. Hardy.......... ........Jakarta, Indonesia

Charles Hauser .............. .......Coral Gables, FL

Charles A. Haycock ...................Marlboro, NJ

Steve Henry.... ......................... Columbus, GA

E. Norman Hernandez ............... ..5eattle, WA

Rodney A. Hill ............................Ashland, KY

Frederick N. Hodge...... ......... .......Elmhurst, IL

James R. Hohenberger. ............. Northport, NY

Robert J. Hribar........................ .F ly Creek, NY

Charles W. Hubbard ...... ..........Frederick, MD

Mike Hutton

.......................... Feltham, Middlesex, England

LeRoy W. Irvin ... ........................Lakeville, PA

Rick J. Jensen ......... ............. Cedar Springs, MI

Phil Johnson ........ .......... .........Waterville, WA

Michael R. Johnston ...... ... Bowling Green, KY

Randy Jones ............................... .... .Jasper, AL

Joseph R. Kaminskas ........... West Chester, PA

Richard W. Kehrer .... ............... Waterford, MI

Newell A. Kelly .........................Leeton ia, OH

Thurmon Kent, Jr. ..... .....................Millen, GA

Charles H. Kimzey ..................... Mc Lean, VA

Rex A. King ...... ... ...... .................. Humble, TX

Kenneth C. Kurowski ...................Sarasota, FL

W. K. Lambertsen ...... .............. ...Rawlins, WY

John R. Law ......... ..... ........... ......Hayward, CA

John H. Leonard ......................... .. .... York, ME

Stephen J. Lindberg .................. 'Olympia, WA

Gary Luft ......................................Lincoln, NE

Warren Lumpkins ......... ... ..... .......Gilford, NH

Bruce Macinnes ... ................ .. .......5haron, CT

John D. Mack ........ ............ Oconomowoc, WI

Chip Mapoles ... ..... ............... ............. Pace, FL

Tim L. Marlatt ........ ......... .......... ...Golden, CO

Gerry Masica ..... ......... ..... ..........Sylvania, OH

Robert Mastroianni .......... .... .. .... Piermont, NY

Wayne A. Mather. .................... .....Sanford, FL

Lauchlin G. McFadyen ................Raeford, NC

James E. McMillan .................................... ..... .

............. .......................... West Melbourne, FL

Roger E. McVeety ..........................Edina, MN

James Melton ..........................Homestead, FL

W. G. Moore.............. ................. Lebanon, NJ

Mark Moran .................... ........ Cheyenne, WY

Edward A. Mori .......... ..................Oakley, CA

James E. Moser, Jr. ..... ....................... King, NC

Frank Murray ........... ............Manchester, MO

Stephen G. Naymick...............Cambridge, WI

Thomas R. O'Donnell .......... Massapequa, NY

Ralph Oberst... ..... ............................ Boise, ID

E. G. Orsmond ........ .. Bethlehem, South Africa

Michael C. Palumbo ...................Florence, SC

E. T. Petrie ........ ..................... Hiddenite, NC

Mike Phill ips ............................Jonesville, NC

George Rains.................. .........Fort Worth, TX

Ga len Rasmussen ..... .... ................. Ouray, CO

Bert N. Reime ........................... .5t Louis, MO

Rodney J. Richardson ................ Believue, WA

C. Darrin Ries ........ ...... ...... ........... .Garrett, IN

Ralph Riles ................ ......... Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Robert W. Riley .......................... Lubbock, TX

Paul S. Roberts ............. ............ .......Tulsa, OK

Tia M. Robertson .....................Kennesaw, GA

Henry G. Rowe........ ....................Mex ico, NY

Delbert J. Sams .............Milton-Freewater, OR

Edward C. Schaefer .............. .......Belleville, IL

John P. Seburn .................. .....Greencastle, PA

Lawrence C. Siersma, Jr.

......... .... ...................... ...Farmington Hills, MI

Jared Smith....... .................... ........Seattle, WA

Alfred Snelgrove .... ........... .Fredericksburg, TX

Louis Spink ...... .... ................ ....5toughton, WI

Donald C Sprankle ....................... Corona, CA

James E. Steinbrink ............... .... Parkville, MO

Hugh E. Stone ........ ........... ........ Scroggins, TX

Donald A. Sumrall......... ...... Bay St. Louis, MS

P. S. Swank ................. ................... FPO, APO

Robert S. Taylor .......... ................ Ivoryton, CT

Douglas P. Thea ll .... ........... .. .Mouse Bluff, LA

Robert S. Thomas ........ ..............Bellevue, OH

Wayne L. Thomas ...................Searsmont, ME

Pau l J. Tidball ...........................Troutdale, OR

Gene J. Torncello .................. Seira Madre, CA

John S. Triem ...............................Margate, NJ

Anthony Turiano .............................Davie, FL

Michael Waldock ... .. ................Brockport, NY

David D. Weise .... ........... .......Franktown, CO

Leonord J. Wiegand ..................Pittsburgh, PA

James C. Wood ..........................Belmont, MS

John G. Wood ......... ........... Winter Haven, FL

Walter W. Wyckoff 1I ................Nashville, TN

MEMBERSHIP

INFORMATION

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.

Something to buy, sell or trade? An inexpensive ad in the Vintage Trader may be just the answer to obtaining that elusive part. .40¢ per word, $6.00 minimum charge. Send your ad and payment to: Vintage Trader, fAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC Aviation Center, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086, or fax your ad and your credit card number to 414/426-4828. Ads must be received by Current EAA members may join the Antique/ Classic Division and receive VINTAGE AIR­ the 20th of the month for insertion in the issue the second month following PLANE magazine for an additional $27 per year. (e.g., October 20th for the December issue.)

EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE mag­ azine and one year membership in the EAA Antique/Classic Division is available for $37 per AIRCRAFT year (SPORT AVIATlON magazine not includec/).

lAC

1909 Antionette Replica - Complete except lacks fabric covering. Structure redesigned to FAA requirements. Two-place. Brochure available. Marshall Wood 916/ 483-8055. (2/97)

Current EAA members may join the International Aerobatic Club, Inc. Division and receive SPORT AEROBATICS magazine for an additional $35 per year. EAA Membership, SPORT AEROBATICS maga­ 1947 Aeronca Super Chief - Completely zine and one year membership in the lAC restored . IT 1200, 280 since major on 85hp. Division is available for $45 per year (SPORT Phone 815/894-3035 or 815/638-2663. AVIATION magazine not included). 1948 Stinson 108-3 - Looks and flys like a dream. Always hangared. Completely metal­ WARBIRDS ized. IFR certified 7/95. Annual 1/96. Mid­ Current EAA members may join the EAA time engine Lycoming 195hp. New Airtex inte­ Warbirds of America Division and receive WAR­ rior. Loran/ digital radios/ heated pitot/more. BIRDS magazine for an additional $30 per year. $25,000. Bryce Iden, Evenings 614/577-1297, EAA Membership, WARBIRDS magazine and Work 614/486-7736. (5/96) one year membership in the Warbirds Division is available for $40 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included).

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, WI 54903-3086

PHONE (414) 426-4800

FAX (414) 426-4873

OFFICE HOURS:

8:15-5:00 MON.-FRI.

1-800-843-3612

MISCELLANEOUS SUPER CUB PA-18 FUSELAGES - New manufacture, STC-PMA-d, 4130 chromoly tub­ ing throughout, also complete fuselage repair. ROCKY MOUNTAIN AIRFRAME INC . (J. Soares, Pres.), 7093 Dry Creek Road, Belgrade, Montana 59714, 406/388-6069, FAX 406/388-0170. Repair station No. QK5R148N. (2/97) 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.

Curtiss JN4-D 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 R/C documentation exclusive to this his­ toric aircraft . Sale of these 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. (12/96) Ragwing Replicas Ultralight legal Aircampe r, Heath , Pitts , Duster, Triplane. Plans $52. Brochure $3. P. O. Box 39 , Townville, SC 29689. (3/97) Wilson MK-1 Flying Goggles, fine condition early 1930's convex large lens type, $395. Pioneer "Straightflite" horizontal 1930 com­ pass, good working condition, $260. WW I RFC brass and porcelain magneto swtich, Air Ministry marked , $150. 01 ' Jon Aldrich , PO Box 9, Big Oakflat, CA 95321, 209/962-6121. Original Brass Tip Spark Plugs C-26 Champion, new $19.00; military reconditioned $7.50 to $12.00. Tom, 770/478-2310. (9/96) Endless cables - 1/ 16" $80 .00 PP. 3/32 " $90.00 PP. Specify length. George Grubich, Box 36, Buhl, MN 55713, 218/258-3313. (6/96) FREE WORLDWIDE BOOKSEARCH for out of print books . ALSO, over 1,000 aeronautic titles available. Send $2.00 for list, refundable first order. Leatherstocking Bookscout, 738 Hi llside Ave ., Lake Wales, FL 33853. 1/800/230-8071 . (6/96)

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259 Lower Morrisville Rd ., Dept. VA Fallsington , PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

Fly-In Calendar The following list of coming events is fur­ nished to our readers as a matter of infor­ mation only and does not constitute approval, sponsorship, involvement, con­ trol or direction of any event (fly-in, semi­ nars, fly market, etc.) listed. Please send the information to fAA, Att: Golda Cox, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Information should be received four months prior to the event date. APRIL 11-1 2 - JACKSONVILLE, FL - Herlong Field, L-Bird Fly-In. Mass gaggle fly-off to Sun 'n Fun on the 13th. For info call jon Engle, 904/398-1595, or write him at 974 W aterm an Rd. South , Jacksonville, FL32207. APRIL 13-14 - NACOGDOCHES, TX - East Texas Airshow '96 WW II, A/e, Experimenta ls, Aerobatics, Skydivers etc., Airporl Camping, Concessions, N ea rby MOlels (special rates). Contact Bob Dunn, 409/56 4-72 12. APRIL 14-20 - LAKELAND, FL - 22nd Annual Sun ' n Fun EAA Fly-In and Convention.

813/644-2431. APRIL 28 - HALF MOON BA Y, CA - Pacific Coast Dream M achines Fly-In and Show, to ben efit th e Coas tside Adult Day H ea lth Center. For info ca ll 415/726-2328. MAY 5 - ROCKFORD, IL - EAA Chapter 22 Annual Fly-In/ Drive-In breakfast. Courtesy Aircraft, Greater Rockford Airport. 7:00 a.m. - Noon. For info, ca ll Wally Hunt, 8 15/332-4708. MAY 11 - KENNEWICK, WA - EAA Chapler 39 1 Fly-In breakfast at Vista Field; contact: Bob Shaub, 509/735-1664. MAY 12 - DAYTON, OH - 33rd annual EAA Chapter 48 Funday Sunday Fly-In Airshow Breakfast. Awards, flea market, displays, and numerous antiques flying the airshow. Info: 573/878-9832. MAY 18-1 9 - HAMPTON, NH - H ampton Airfield. 20th annual Aviation Flea Market. Fly-In, Drive-In, camping on field. No fees. No rain date. A nything aviation related O K. Food avai lab le . For info, ca ll 603/964-6749. MAY 18 - HUNTSVILLE, AL - Moontown air­ port. EAA Chapter 190 Fly-In and airshow. Call 205/498-3454 for information. MAY 19 - WARWICK, NY - Warwi c k Aerodrome. EAA Chapter 501 annual Fly­ In 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Unicom 123.0. Food and trophies, registration for judging closes at 2 p.m. Ca ll Harry Barker at 201/838­ 7485 for more information. MAY 24-25 - ATCHISON, Ks - Amelia Earhart M emorial Airport. 30th annua l Fly-In, host­ ed by the Kansas City Chapter of the AAA. For info ca ll or write: Gerry Gippner, Fly-In Chairman, 14810 W. 159th st., Olathe, Ks 66061, 913/764-8512 or Lee Crites, 14325

w.

89th St., Lenexa, Ks 66245, 973/888­ 0596 . MAY 25 -26 - DECA TUR, AL - EAA Chapter 94 1 and DAAS sponsored Fly- In and Fly market, Antiq ue, Class ic homebuilts and more. Everyo ne is welcome, grea t food and sh uttl e avai l ab l e. For info ca ll 205/355-5770 or 830-4460. MAY 26 - ZANESVILLE, OH - EAA Chapter 425 Annua l Fl y- In, Drive- In Brea kfast. 8 a. m. - 5 p.m. Sandwiches, etc from noon 'Iill closing. Riverside Airport. Contact Don Wah l, 614/454-0003 . MAY 31- j UNE 1 - BARTLESVILLE, OK ­ Frank Philipps Field. BIPLANE EXPO '96. 10th Annua l National Biplane Convention and exposition. Biplanes and NBA mem­ bers free; a ll others pay admission. Con tacts: Charl es H arris, Cha irm a n, 918/622-8400 or Virgil Gaede, Expo direc­ tor, 918/336-3976. MA Y 3-5 - ROANOKE RAPIDS, NC - Annual Spri ng Fl y- In spon so r ed by EAA Antique/Classic Chapter 3. A ll welcome, major speaker, vintage aviation films, tro­ phies in many categories. For info contact Ray Bottom, Jr. , 804/873-3059. MAY 17-19 - COLUMBIA, CA - 20th Annual Gathering of Luscombes. Aircraft judging, spot landing and flour bombing contests, and the 4th Annual Great Luscombe Clock Race . For info, contact Doug Clo ug h, 36 0/893-6623 or Art Moxley, 206/63 0­ 1086. JUNE 1 - FOWLERVILLE, MI - M ap le Grove airport EAA Chapter 1056 Fly-In, aerobatic demos, lunch, pilot events, rides, hog roast, camping. Ca ll Ron at 517/223-3233. JUNE 1-2 -GRAVENHURsT, ONTAR IO, CANADA - Muskoka Air Fair. Snowbirds, Oscar Boesch and others. Aviation trade show. For info or booth space, ca ll Lizann Flatt, 705/687-1620. JUNE 2 - DE KALB , I L - D eKalb - Tay lor Muni c ipal Airport. EAA Ch ap l er 24 1 Breakfast, 7 a.m. - noon. For info ca ll j ack Bennett, 8 15/756-77 12. JUNE 7-8 - MERCED, CA - 391h M erced West Coas t Antique Fly-In. Fo r info contact M erced Pilots Association, P.o. Box 23 12, M erced, CA 95344, or Virg inia Morford, 209/383-4632. JUNE 7-9 - DENTON, TX - Texas Chapter Antique Airplane Association 's 34th Annual Fly-In at Denton Municipal Airport (0 TO). For info ca ll jim Austin 8 17/ 429-5385, Penn y Ric hards 8 17/ 482-6175 o r j o hn Whatley 2 14/ 517- 198 1. JUNE 8-9 - COLDWA TER, MI - Fairchild Fly­ In a t Branch Co . M emori a l Airport. Contact: Mike Kelly 5 17/278-2654. JUNE 9 - GA YLORD, MI EAA Chapter 1095 pancake breakfast. 5 17/732-7377. JUNE 9 - TOWANDA, PA - Towanda airport (N 27) Fly-In Breakfas t - all you ca n ea t. Eggs, sausage, pancakes, 100% pure maple syrup. 7 a.m. -1 p.m. JUNE 13-16 - ST. LOUIS, MO - Creve Coeur Airport. American W aco Club Fl y- In. Contacts: John Halterman, 314/ 434-4856 or Phil Coulson, 616/624-6490. JUNE 14-16 - CAMARILLO, CA - 16th annual Fathers Day Fl y-In, hosted by EAA Chapter 723 and the CAF. Homebuilts, Warbirds, Antiques, Classics, Pan ca ke breakfast.

Contact: 805/ 985-4058. JU NE 15 - ANDOVER, Nj - O lde Fashioned Fly-In, sponsored by EAA Antique/Classic Chapter 7. Aeroflex-Andover Airport, 12N. O lde birds, good ea ts. 201/786-5682 or 361-0875. Ra in Date: j une 16. JUNE 15- 16 - RUTLAND, VT - 5th Annual Ta ildra gger Rendez vous. EAA Chapter 968, pancake breakfast 8-11 a.m. (Free to the first 25 PICs). Prizes in all categories. For info ca ll 802/492-3647. JUNE 16 - LACROSSE, W I - Fathers Day Fl y/Drive- In brea kfast. 0700-1200. $4 each, PIC is free. Displays, music, aerobat­ ics. Check NOTAMs. 608/781-5271. JUNE 16 - REDDING, CA - EAA Chaper 157 Fathers Day Fly-In. Contacts: Bruce Taylor, 916/275-6456 or Armal Owens, 916/243­

4382. JUNE 23 - ZANESVILLE, OH - EAA Chapter 425 Air Awareness Day, Fly-In, Drive-In Breakfast. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Come enjoy the p lanes on disp lay and good fe llowship. Riverside Airport. Co ntact Do n Wahl, 614/454-0003. JUNE 30-jULY 5 - LAKE GUNTERSVILLE, AL - 28th annual co nvention of the International Cessna 170 Association. Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge. 205/ 57 1­ 5440. Contact H arley Pickett, 205/640­

4785. JULY 23 - ZA NESVILLE, OH - EAA Chapter 425 Annual Pancake Day at Parr Airport. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Oshkosh bound pilots encouraged to fly-in , ea t and refu e l. Contact Don Wahl, 6 14/ 454-0003. JULY 26-28 - RED LAKE, ONTARIO, CANA­ DA - Norseman Float Plane Festival. For more info, contact the Festival Committee at 807/727-2809. JUL Y 2 7-29 - KEOKUK, IA - Sixth World Wide gathering of L-Birds, then en masse up to Wisconsin for EAA grea t OSHKOSH ' 96 on August 1. Co nta ct Irv Linder,

3 19/524-6378. AUGUST 1 -7 - O S HKOSH, WI - 44th

Annual fAA Fly- In and Sport Aviation Convention. Wittman Regional Airport. Contact John Burton, fAA, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. 414/ 426-4800. AUGUST 3 - ELLSWORTH, Ks - EAA Chapter 1127 Fly-In brea kfast (Os hkosh stop-over) and Cowtown Day. Ca ll Dale Weinhold, 913-472-4021 (w) or -4309 (h) for info. AUGU ST 30-3 1 - HA YWARD, CA - EAA Antique/Classic Chapter 29 Fourth Annual Antique Fl y- In and Airshow. Free Earl y Bird Dinner to all display aircraft on Friday. This is a northern California points event. Contact Bud Field at 510/455-2300. AUGUST 31 - MARION, IN - Sixth Annual Fly-In/Cruise-In breakfast sponsored by the Marion Hig h school Band Boosters. Antiqu es, C l ass i cs, hom ebuilts, and Antique. classic and c llstom cars w el­ comed. Fo r inform ation , co ntact Ray johnson at 3 17/664-2588. OCTOBER 4 -6 - REDDING, CA - Benton Fi eld. EAA Ch aper 157 Oktoberfest. Contacts: Bruce Taylor, 9 16/ 275-6456 or Arma l Owens, 9 16/243-4382. OCTOBER 13 - TOWANDA, PA - Towanda airport (N27) Fly-In Breakfast - all you ca n ea t. Eggs, sausage, panca kes, 100% pure maple syrup. 7 a. m. - 1 p.m .

VINTAGE AI RPLANE 31

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Received private pilot training while serving in

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