Issuu

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MARCH 2012

The Henley’s Mark, Tanner, and Johnathan ■ Mark is an ATP and has been a pilot since 1976 ■ Tanner is a student pilot who flies every chance she gets ■ Jonathan is 18 and has been a private pilot for one year

Our L-4 was based in the US During WWII from 1943 to 1945. We bought it early this year and have enjoyed every minute of it. The stearman was built in 1942 during WWII and we have owned it since 1975. Owning and operating antique aircraft has been a part of our family for 3 generations going back to 1963 when my father Tom bought a Piper Tripacer. Our family has owned aircraft ever since. Our aviation roots run deep in this family, and that is why we choose AUA as our agency. They have a long distinguished record of service with the types of aircraft we operate, and understand our problems and concerns.

Thanks AUA !

— Mark Henley AUA is Vintage Aircraft Association approved. To become a member of VAA call 800-843-3612.

Aviation insurance with the EAA Vintage Program offers: Lower premiums with payment options Q Additional coverages On-line quote request available Q AUA is licensed in all states

Flexibility on the use of your aircraft

Experienced agents

Remember, We’re Better Together!

The best is affordable. Give AUA a call – it’s FREE!

800-727-3823 Fly with the pros… fly with AUA Inc. www.auaonline.com Vintage March 2012.indd 2

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A I R P L A N E Vol. 40, No. 3

2012

M A R C H

CONTENTS 2

Straight and Level Cubs2Oshkosh and FAA funding by Geoff Robison

News

Friends of the Red Barn

9 Travel Air: Performance and Dependability The excitement of sharing it with people by Sparky Barnes Sargent

14 Breaking Through the Clouds: The First Women’s National Air Derby The story of grassroots aviation pioneers by a grassroots independent film producer by Sparky Barnes Sargent

16 Achtung, Baby! Prague E.114M Air Baby HB-UAF restored to flying condition by Stefan Degraef

Light Plane Heritage Exploring the Parasol Monoplane by Bob Whittier

The Vintage Mechanic

Wood defects: Compression failure, shakes, checks, longitudinal cracks by Robert G. Lock

The Vintage Instructor A Proud Moment by Steve Krog, CFI

EAA Publisher Director of EAA Publications Executive Director/Editor Business Manager

Mystery Plane by H.G. Frautschy

Classifieds

I Fly With The Best

STAFF

“Wearing” the airplane S. Michelle Souder

COVERS

FRONT COVER: Joe Santana ﬂ ares out as he gets r eady to tickle the grass airstrip at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh with his T ravel Air 3000. T urn to page nine for Sparky Bar nes Sar gent’s ar ticle on this beautifully r estor ed example, which was on display during the 2011 salute to the centennial of U.S. Air Mail. V AA photo by H.G. Frautschy .

Rod Hightower J. Mac McClellan H.G. Frautschy Kathleen Witman

Publication Advertising: Manager/Domestic, Sue Anderson Tel: 920-426-6127 Email: sanderson@eaa.org Fax: 920-426-4828 Senior Business Relations Mgr, Trevor Janz Tel: 920-426-6809 Email: tjanz@eaa.org Classified Advertising Coordinator, Jo Ann Cody Simons Tel: 920-426-6169 Email: classads@eaa.org For missing or replacement magazines, or any other membership-related questions, please call EAA Member Services at 800- JOIN-EAA (564-6322).

BACK COVER: An alpine meadow isn’t often the setting for an airplane in the pages of Vintage Airplane, so we we’r e quite pleased to bring you the stor y of a rar e Praga E.114M Air Baby . Stefan DeGraef sent us the stor y of this ﬁ ne Swiss-r egister ed example fr om his home in Eur ope. Photo by Edwin Bor remans.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1

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STRAIGHT & LEVEL Geoff Robison EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VAA

Cubs2Oshkosh and FAA funding

irVenture 2012 is now a mere five months down the road! Wow, there is so much going on right now, and so much to accomplish before July sneaks up on us yet again. Every year I tell our Vintage volunteer group that the goal is to always outdo ourselves from one year to the next. The volunteer work weekends are already completely planned out, and we’re ready to launch into yet another year of accomplishment on the grounds at EAA. It’s going to be another great year at Oshkosh, so I hope you will be able to join us for another exciting event full of aviation and excitement. Planning for the Cubs2Oshkosh event is already gaining a fair amount of steam. This will certainly be an event to remember. With the exception of the wonderful yearly Sentimental Journey fly-in that takes place in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, I don’t believe you could ever see a bigger field of yellow Cubs; it will be a magnificent thing to see. I have been really impressed with the number of folks who have already committed to participating in the 75th anniversary of the beloved Piper J-3 Cub. It all really makes me want to just go out and buy one! Be sure to stay connected to the official website (www.Cubs2Oshkosh. org) to stay abreast of the latest information on how to participate in this very special event. As our plans come together, we’ll get the word out via that website and EAA and VAA’s official communications. Join the forums area on the site and share your enthusiasm for this once-in-a-lifetime event with oth-

ers who are also planning to make the trip. Be sure to click on the “Cubs Location” link and check out the map that shows where all of the Cubs will be coming from. A number of individuals are already planning to hook up with other Cub pilots traveling from the same general area en route to Oshkosh. VAA Director/CFI Steve Krog, who owns and operates several Cubs out of the Hartford, Wisconsin, Municipal Airport (HXF), has graciously reached out to the community of Hartford and has already experienced a large interest from them desiring to participate as a host community/gathering spot for the many dozens of Piper Cubs en route to AirVenture Oshkosh. Hartford, Wisconsin, is conveniently located 33 miles northwest of Milwaukee and is a convenient short 60-mile flight to Oshkosh. Hartford has a grass strip (2,250 feet), and self-serve fuel is available. Several other airports around the country are also planning to host our Cub pilots while en route to Oshkosh, and that information will be kept updated on the forums area of the Cubs2Oshkosh website. The parking/camping arrangements at Oshkosh will be ideally located in and around the Type Club parking area. Be assured that EAA and VAA are planning to make your visit to this anniversary event very special. Hope to see you there with your Cub! There’s finally some long-awaited news from inside the beltway regarding the extensive efforts to get a long-term FAA reauthorization bill through Congress, which would fund the agency for several years.

House and Senate conferees have now managed to work out their differences and recently finalized the language in the bill. The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed the FAA Reauthorization Bill, 75-20, on February 6, so it’s now headed to the president’s desk for signature. If the president signs the bill, the FAA will have its first long-term funding plan since 2007. This will finally end the string of 23 short-term funding extensions that have kept the FAA operating since 2007, and will allow the agency to plan and implement some of its key projects and initiatives. EAA and other aviation groups have long worked hard to have language included that benefits GA in a variety of areas, including no user fees or aviation fuel tax increases, funding for airport improvement projects and the NextGen air traffic control system, as well as progress for vintage aircraft data and airport through-the-fence agreements. This effort toward a full FAA reauthorization bill was the result of GA groups being stronger together to represent our members and all aviators. But, it’s not all good news for our local airports that may now experience their local share on federally funded airport improvement projects increase from 2.5 percent to 7.5 percent. This is going be painful for some small airports that just simply don’t have those kinds of local funds available to implement a large-scale airport construction project. Remember, we are better together. Join us and have it all.

2 MARCH 2012

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VAA NEWS Vintage Aircraft Data Newly signed FAA reauthorization bill allows for release of abandoned data

SOME VINTAGE AIRCRAFT OWNERS got a big win in the FAA reauthorization bill signed in early February by President Obama, as the measure included an EAA-supported provision that authorizes the FAA to release certain type certificate and design data for aircraft no longer supported by a manufacturer. The specific element of the bill (Section 302) provides that the FAA can release “abandoned” data that is essential to safely maintain and operate vintage aircraft. That includes data for aircraft such as those built by longdefunct companies whose type certificates were not acquired or maintained. Three years is the initial threshold for inactivity. It also gives the FAA the authority to declare that data as abandoned, or releasable to the public if aviation safety will be enhanced by the information for aircraft, engines, propellers, and other aircraft appliances. “This is great progress for those who own and restore vintage aircraft and preserve our aviation legacy,” said H.G. Frautschy, executive director of the Vintage Aircraft Association, a special interest group within EAA. “EAA and VAA have been working for many years to eliminate this dilemma for those who want to own, fly, and display these magnificent aircraft. We have previously sought and implemented policy and regulatory solutions to this dilemma. Each effort has failed under legal pressure on the FAA not to release solutions that could be considered proprietary or intellectual property. It was clear that a legislative solution would be required.” An additional amendment to the reauthorization bill (Section 816) requires the FAA to maintain engineer-

ing data relating to aircraft that were certificated between 1927 and 1939, and precludes the destruction of any such airworthiness and historically significant documentation. The amendment also eliminates the ability of type certificate holders from that period to force the FAA to withhold such data under the claims of “trade secrets.” The amendment was proposed by longtime EAA member Greg Herrick, an owner and restorer of numerous vintage aircraft, and included in the legislation by Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri). “There are two initial and complementary victories contained in the nearly decade-long effort: the preservation and release of historically significant documentation necessary to restore and maintain truly antique prewar aircraft contained in the Herrick Amendment, and the EAA initiative giving the FAA authority to release the design and airworthiness data for both pre- and post-World War II general aviation aircraft that are no longer supported by a manufacturer,” said Doug Macnair, EAA vice president of government relations. “These efforts do not give completely unfettered access to design data,” continued Macnair, “ but they do go a long way toward helping owners of antique and vintage aircraft maintain these beautiful flying pieces of history. The EAA effort also seeks to protect not only owners of aircraft that are no longer supported by a manufacturer, but also those that may not be supported in the future, making this a long-term protection for all general aviation owners. We are very grateful to the FAA for their collaboration in this effort and their willingness to introduce the original language into the early drafts of the reauthorization bill on behalf of E AA and all who own and fly vintage aircraft.” As with all new laws, time will show how effective these measures prove to be in obtaining certification and design data for older aircraft. EAA will be monitoring how this process unfolds and is prepared to pursue additional remedies should they become necessary. For now, however, owners of vintage aircraft have an opportunity to seek data by filing a Freedom of Information Act request to the FAA (visit the FAA FOIA office website at www.faa. gov/foia) for the information necessary to restore and maintain their aircraft, and those owners have a fighting chance of actually obtaining it. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

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User Fees: Good News, Bad News

Nominat ions

C A L L F OR V I N TA G E A I R C R A F T A S S O C I AT ION

Nominate your favorite vintage aviator for the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association H all of Fame. A great honor could be besto wed upon that man or woman wor king next to y ou on your airplane, sitting next to you in the chapter meeting, or walking next to y ou at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Think about the people in your circle of aviation friends: the mechanic, historian, photographer, or pilot who has shared innumerable tips with you and with many others. They could be the next VAA Hall of Fame inductee—but only if they are nominated. The person you nominate can be a citiz en of any country and may be living or deceased; his or her involvement in vintage aviation must

have occurred between 1950 and the pr esent day. His or her contribution can be in the areas of flying, design, mechanical or aer odynamic developments, administration, writing, some other vital and relevant field, or any combination of fields that support aviation. The person you nominate must be or hav e been a member of the Vintage Aircraft Association or the Antique/Classic Division of EAA, and pr eference is given to those whose actions hav e contributed to the VAA in some way , perhaps as a volunteer, a restorer who shares his expertise with others, a writer, a photographer, or a pilot sharing stories, preserving aviation history, and encouraging new pilots and enthusiasts.

To nominate someone is easy. It just takes a little time and a little reminiscing on your part. •Think of a person; think of his or her contributions to vintage aviation. •Write those contributions in the various categories of the nomination form. •Write a simple letter highlighting these attributes and contributions. Make copies of newspaper or magazine articles that may substantiate your view. •If at all possible, have another individual (or more) complete a form or write a letter about this person, confirming why the person is a good candidate for induction. This year’s induction ceremony will be held near the end of October. We’ll have follow-up information once the date has been finalized. We would like to take this opportunity to mention that if you have nominated someone for the VAA Hall of Fame; nominations for the honor are kept on file for 3 years, after which the nomination must be resubmitted. Mail nominating materials to: VAA Hall of Fame, c/o Charles W. Harris, Transportation Leasing Corp. PO Box 470350 Tulsa, OK 74147 E-mail: cwh@hvsu.com Remember, your “contemporary” may be a candidate; nominate someone today! Find the nomination form at www.VintageAircraft.org, or call the VAA office for a copy (920-426-6110), or on your own sheet of paper, simply include the following information: • Date submitted. • Name of person nominated. • Address and phone number of nominee. • E-mail address of nominee. • Date of birth of nominee. If deceased, date of death. • Name and relationship of nominee’s closest living relative. • Address and phone of nominee’s closest living relative. • VAA and EAA number, if known. (Nominee must have been or is a VAA member.) • Time span (dates) of the nominee’s contributions to vintage aviation. (Must be between 1950 to present day.) • Area(s) of contributions to aviation. • Describe the event(s) or nature of activities the nominee has undertaken in aviation to be worthy of induction into the VAA Hall of Fame. • Describe achievements the nominee has made in other related fields in aviation. • Has the nominee already been honored for his or her involvement in aviation and/or the contribution you are stating in this petition? If yes, please explain the nature of the honor and/or award the nominee has received. • Any additional supporting information. • Submitter’s address and phone number, plus e-mail address. • Include any supporting material with your petition.

The possibility of GA user fees just won’t go away, despite more than a decade of congressional opposition from both parties and overwhelming negative responses from the aviation community. Already in early 2012 we have heard good news and bad news on the subject. First the good ne ws: The final language in the first full FAA reauthorization bill in five years passed both houses of Cong ress in early February and was signed by President Obama on Feb. 14. It contains no provision for user fees and no increase in the aviation fuel tax, which is GA’s fair contribution to FAA’s funding. The reauthorization bill was a goal of EAA’s advocacy efforts, as it stabilizes the agency’s funding and planning through 2015 and allows major initiatives such as NextGen and airport improvements to move forward. Now for the bad ne ws: The Obama administration’s proposed Fiscal Year 2013 budget includes a $100-per-flight user fee for selected GA aircraft flying within controlled airspace. While the budget proposal would exempt all piston aircraft, military aircraft, public aircraft, air ambulances, aircraft operating outside of controlled airspace, and Canadato-Canada f lights, the plan would create additional financial burdens for GA and require new bureaucracy to administer user fee collection. It also opens the door to an eventual expansion of user fees to other private aircraft and GA operations. E AA and fellow G A groups responded immediately to the budget proposal. The leadership of GA caucuses in the House and Senate has been alerted to the need to again oppose the user-fee plan. User fees is an issue where the concept of “stronger together” is essential. It is the unified strength of aviators and their representative groups such as EAA, AOPA, and others fighting a specific proposal when it emerges in Washington that will prevail.

4 MARCH 2012

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EAA Skiplane Fly-In Like so many locations here in the northern half of the United States, the winter has been unusually mild (yes, we consider 25 degrees F to be a mild winter!) and very dry, with little snowfall. Happily, there’s been exactly one Saturday when the annual EAA Skiplane Fly-In at Pioneer Airport could have accommodated skiplanes, and that was Saturday, January 21. With just the right amount of snow on the ground, 33 skiplanes flew in and participated, joining hundreds of attendees on the ground. A last-minute snowfall the day before covered Pioneer’s runway, drawing planes from three states. The gathering was also a celebration of Audrey Poberezny’s birthday, and attendees enjoyed celebratory chili, soup, and birthday cake inside one of the Pioneer Airport hangars. EAA’s Sweepstakes Cub sporting new TrickAir wheel-penetration skis was a popular participant, prompting several attendees to enter the sweepstakes on the spot. A list of attending skiplanes appears at www. SportAviation.org.

EAA’s grand prize Piper Cub was on hand, complete with a new set of TrickAir Skis. You can win this Cub this summer when it’s awarded to some lucky EAA Sweepstakes supporter. For more information, visit the “Win the Cub” Sweepstakes website at www.AirVenture.org/sweepstakes, or see the insert in the April issue of Sport Aviation.

Right: Rick Kluver’s Piper J3C-65 painted up as a NE-1, the Navy’s version of the L-4. His NE-1 isn’t knock-kneed, it’s just that the port ski has stuck with its nose in the same position it was in while the Cub rested on the ground. When a ski is stuck in this way, while it’s not the preferred way to have a ski hang up, all is well as long as a “wheel landing” isn’t attempted. Normally, a length of cable and bungee cord will keep the tips slightly up in relation to the centerline of the airplane, like the position of the starboard ski.

What Our Members Are Restoring

Are you nearing completion of a r estoration? Or is it done and you’r e busy flying and showing it of f? If so, we’d like to hear from you. Send us a 4-by-6-inch print fr om a commer cial sour ce (no home printers, please—those prints just don’t scan well) or a 4-by-6-inch, 300-dpi digital photo. A JPG fr om your 2.5-megapixel (or higher) digital camera is ﬁ ne. You can burn photos to a CD, or if you’r e on a high-speed Inter net connection, you can e-mail them along with a text-only or Word document describing your airplane. (If your e-mail program asks if you’d like to make the photos smaller , say no.) For more tips on cr eating photos we can publish, visit VAA’s website at www.VintageAircraft.org. Check the News page for a hyperlink to W ant To Send Us A Photograph?

For more information, you can also e-mail us at vintageaircraft@eaa.org or call us at 920-426-4825. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

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Friends of the Red Barn 2012 Each year at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh the largest single space for the display of enthusiasts’ aircraft is the Vintage parking and camping area. For four decades it’s been not only a picturesque scene of the finest restored airplanes in this country, but also a gathering place for aviation people and their magnificent machines to share knowledge and friendship. Each day during the convention, we get to see the widest variety possible of airplanes, including a few one-of-a-kind aircraft. Don’t forget the special Type Club parking area, where we host many examples of a particular manufacturer’s airplane. From replica race planes to the American Barnstormers Tour, the amazing colors and outlines of the golden age of aviation are on display for all to see each year. All of this is possible through the efforts of the nearly 500 VAA volunteers, the volunteer VAA board of directors, and the VAA staff. Their passion is what makes it a great place to be throughout the week of AirVenture, and it’s why so many visitors and aviation enthusiasts come back year after year to work, relax, and enjoy aviation’s premier event. It’s a place to rekindle old friendships and make new ones. A time to relax and enjoy aviation, learn something new, and rub elbows with our fellow aviators. As you can imagine, it takes some fairly substantial financial resources to underwrite such an event, and the Vintage area at EAA AirVenture is no exception. The Vintage Aircraft Association has, by necessity, elected to underwrite a portion of its yearlong activities with funds other than members’ dues. The proceeds from this fund pay for all sorts of volunteer activities and improvements to the VAA area, as well as supporting VAA advocacy efforts and educational endeavors. It serves as working capital for improvements such as the Vintage Hangar, the VAA Flightline Safety Operations Center as well as for upkeep of many

structures. There’s never a shortage of windows that need caulking, doors that need to be replaced, and roofs that need to be repaired. To be certain, almost all of the labor involved is performed by our dedicated and talented volunteers, but what about the cost of supplies and hardware? That’s where our Friends of the Red Barn campaign comes in—it provides all of us, who wish, the opportunity to assist in the vital financial support of the VAA’s activities. We’re most appreciative of the contributions made by hundreds of VAAers who see the tangible benefits of supporting their fellow VAA members in this manner. As a critical part of the VAA budget, the fund pays for such diverse items as VAA awards presented during the annual EAA Vintage Aircraft Awards program, special recognition for our many volunteers, and expenses associated with our special displays, forums, and educational areas such as the VAA Workshop and Type Club areas in the Vintage Hangar. Your annual contribution made in the first half of 2012 will directly benefit this year’s convention activities and VAA programs throughout the year. Please consider actively participating in the 2012 VAA Friends of the Red Barn Campaign. Your donation may be tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and you can enhance your participation if you work for a matching gift company. You can do so by copying and filling out the form included on these pages, by filling out and sending in the form included in the mailing that will arrive in many of your mailboxes in April, or by donating online at www.VintageAircraft.org/programs/ redbarn.html. If you desire more information concerning the VAA Friends of the Red Barn Campaign, feel free to call us at 920-426-6110. We’d be happy to speak with you! Many services are provided to vintage aircraft enthusiasts at EAA

AirVenture Oshkosh. From parking airplanes to feeding people at the Tall Pines Café and Red Barn, volunteers do it all. Some may ask, “If volunteers are providing the services, where is the expense?” Glad you asked. The scooters for the flightline crew need repair and batteries, and the Red Barn needs paint, new windowsills, updated wiring, and other sundry repairs, plus we love to care for our volunteers with special recognition caps and a pizza party. The list really could go on and on, but no matter how many expenses we can point out, the need remains constant. The Friends of the Red Barn fund helps pay for the VAA expenses at EAA AirVenture, and it’s a crucial part of the Vintage Aircraft Association budget. Please help the VAA and our nearly 500 dedicated volunteers make this an unforgettable experience for our many EAA AirVenture guests. Your contribution now really does make a difference. There are seven levels of gifts and gift recognition. Thank you for whatever you can do. Here are some of the many activities the Friends of the Red Barn fund underwrites: •Red Barn Information Desk Supplies •Participant Plaques and Supplies •Toni’s Red Carpet Express Van and Radio Rental •Caps for VAA Volunteers •Pizza Party for VAA Volunteers •Flightline Parking Scooters and Supplies •Breakfast for Past Grand Champions •Volunteer Booth Administrative Supplies •Membership Booth Administrative Supplies •Signs Throughout the Vintage Area •Red Barn’s and Other Buildings’ Maintenance •Tall Pines Cafe Tent Rental and Kitchen Updates •Flightline Safety Operations Center •And More!

6 MARCH 2012

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Become a Friend of the Red Barn. Help the VAA make EAA AirVenture Oshkosh an unforgettable experience for our many guests. Diamond Plus $1500

Diamond $1000

EAA VIP Center

2 People/Full Wk

VIP Airshow Seating

2 People/2 Days

2 People/1 Day

Full Week

Close Auto Parking

Gold $500

★

2 Tickets

1 Ticket

2 People/Full Wk

1 Person/Full Wk

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Tri Motor Certiﬁcate

Special FORB Cap Two Passes to VAA Volunteer Party

Special FORB Badge Access to Volunteer Center Donor Appreciation Certiﬁcate Name Listed: Vintage Airplane Magazine, Website and Sign at Red Barn

Silver $250

Bronze $100

Loyal Supporter $99 & Under

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

★ ★ ★ ★

★ ★

2 Days

2 Tickets

Two Tickets to VAA Picnic

Breakfast at Tall Pines Cafe

Platinum $750

★ This star represents qualifying tribute for level of participation.

✃

VAA Friends of the Red Barn

Name______________________________________________________________________EAA #___________ VAA #___________ Address______________________________________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone___________________________________________________E-Mail______________________________________________ Please choose your level of participation: ____ Diamond Plus $1,500.00

____ Silver Level Gift - $250.00

____ Diamond Level Gift - $1,000.00

____ Bronze Level Gift - $100.00

____ Platinum Level Gift - $750.00

____ Loyal Supporter Gift - ($99.00 or under) $_______ Amount

____ Gold Level Gift - $500.00 ■ Payment Enclosed (Make checks payable to Vintage Aircraft Assoc.) ■ Please Charge my credit card (below) Credit Card Number _____________________________ Expiration Date _________ Signature_________________________________________

Mail your contribution to:

VAA FORB PO Box 3086 OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086

*Do you or your spouse work for a matching gift company? If so, this gift may qualify for a matching donation. Please ask your Human Resources department for the appropriate form.

Name of Company __________________________________________________________________

BRONZE LEVEL AND ABOVE ■ No badge wanted for this year. ■ Yes, prepare a name badge to read: __________________________________________________________________ First M. Last (Please print just as you wish your badge to read) The Vintage Aircraft Association is a non-profit educational organization under IRS 501c3 rules. Under Federal Law, the deduction from Federal Income tax for charitable contributions is limited to the amount by which any money (and the value of any property other than money) contributed exceeds the value of the goods or services provided in exchange for the contribution. An appropriate receipt acknowledging your gift will be sent to you for IRS gift reporting reasons.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

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&?KN SLBCP RFC UGLE MD KW ?GPNJ?LC

What’s on 285 AirVenture bucket list? Go to AirVenture.org/bucket to share your list with others and buy your AirVenture 2012 tickets today. Or call 1-800-564-6322 to speak with an EAA Member Services representative.

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Tra vel Air : Performance and Dependability by Sparky B arnes Sargent

The excitement of sharing it with people! SPARKY BARNES SARGENT

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

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COURTESY JOE SANTANA

The 1928 Travel Air was ﬂown for re-creation scenes for the ﬁlm.

COURTESY JOE SANTANA

Wing to fuselage ﬁt, rear view.

COURTESY JOE SANTANA

Aft cockpit seat.

COURTESY JOE SANTANA

Empennage.

Instrument panel.

COURTESY HEATHER TAYLOR

gleaming new Travel Air Model 3000 (C-5427, s/n 516) climbed aloft in the summer skies above Wichita, Kansas, for its first flight in 1928. Powered by a water-cooled, 8e-cylinder Hispano-Suiza “Hisso” Model E 180-hp engine, its wings embraced the sky as its “elephant-ear” ailerons created a distinctive silhouette on the tips of its 34foot, 8-inch wingspan (lower span 28 feet 8 inches). The new three-place biplane measured 24 feet, 3 inches from its wood prop to tailskid. It carried 42 gallons of fuel and could cruise at 100 mph with a range of more than 400 miles. A perusal of this Travel Air’s records is a glance back into familiar aviation history. The first document in its airworthiness file is the manufacturer’s affidavit, which states that the airplane was manufactured on June 7, 1928, in conformity to ATC No. 31 and was signed by Walter H. Beech and notarized by Olive Mellor of Travel Air Manufacturing Co. Inc. The Travel Air Manufacturing Company of Wichita, Kansas, touted its new biplane as “typical of the proverbial brilliant performance with dependability that characterizes all Travel Air Biplanes” (Aero Digest, April 1928). Two years later, the Travel Air Company Division of Curtiss-Wright advertised the Travel Air as: “A Plane for Every Purpose—Sportsmen Penetrate the Wilds in Their Travel Airs. In commercial flying, Travel Airs daily ply their way over mail, transport, and business corporation routes. They constitute a major proportion of all commercial planes in service in the United States. And in distance and speed contests, these planes capture firsts with a regularity that is almost monotonous” (Country Life, April 1930). Speaking of contests, it was pioneering aviatrix Louise Thaden who cheerfully focused the media spotlight on Travel Airs. She was an employee of Douglas C. Warren, the West Coast Travel Air dealer, and her employer encouraged her record-setting efforts. Louise set a women’s altitude record of 20,260 feet on December 7, 1928, in a Hisso-powered Travel Air (C-5425) at the Oakland Airport. In March 1929, she flew Travel Air C-5426 (sister ship to Joe’s C-5427) and set a solo endurance record of 22 hours, 3 minutes, 28 seconds—again at the Oakland Airport. The biplane was modified for the task, and featured “DC War-

10 MARCH 2012

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ren – Northern California Distributor for Travel-Air” on the fuselage.

Current Caretaker Joe Santana grew up in Sacramento, California, where his neighbor first introduced him to aviation. “He had a homebuilt Stits Playboy at the airport, and he used to let me sit in it,” shares Joe. “After I soloed at 17 and earned my private that summer, he also took me to my first EAA meeting.” Joe also spent a lot of time hanging around a duster strip just south of Sacramento. That’s where he started learning about the joys of old biplanes and the pilots who flew them. “Back in the early 1970s, my first airplane was a Luscombe, and I flew off a strip at Clarksburg. There was a person who restored dusters there, and they were using N3N Stearmans and Travel Airs for dusting. I used to sit around with those guys at the shop, and the old duster pilots used to tell me that a 220-hp Travel Air could outfly a 450-hp Stearman,” recollects Joe, adding, “I really wanted to get an old biplane, and I decided I wanted a Travel Air, because it cruises fast, flies real well, and hauls a good load.” Finding that Travel Air would take a few decades, though. In the meantime, he tried college after high school, but just didn’t take to scholastic bookwork very well. So he obtained his A&P and CFI and taught flying for a while. He worked for a Piper dealer in Sacramento and then started flying DC-3 freighters—and even flew as a fish and game warden pilot, using a Beech 18 to plant fish in the high Sierras. In 1985, he was hired by Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA). Today, Joe resides in the scenic Shenandoah Valley in Waynesboro, Virginia. He’s captain of an Airbus 320 and enjoys his ongoing long-term career with PSA (now merged with US Airways). In 2004, his long-held dream of owning a Travel Air became tangible.

Bit O’ History Twenty-seven years before Joe was born, a brand new Travel Air

(C-5427) was sold to D.C. Warren Company at Oakland Airport in San Francisco. In April 1929, the biplane was sold to W.J. Browne of Stockton, California, and it remained in the Golden State for years. In January 1943, the biplane landed in the hands of Harry Newell of Phoenix, Arizona. It stayed in The Grand Canyon state for nearly three decades. In 1945, the biplane was converted for use in crop dusting and seeding. A hopper, agitator, and gearbox were installed. The elevator controls were modified, and a center section fuel tank was installed. The Hisso was removed, and a 9-cylinder, 220-hp Wright Whirlwind J-5A was installed (changing the biplane to a Model 4000). In 1947, owners Wayne J. Kempainen and James A. Strand of Farm Aero Service in Phoenix had the Wright J-5A and motor mount removed, and a Lycoming motor mount and Lycoming R680-9 installed, along with a Stearman oil tank and modified exhaust stack that extended over the top wing. In February 1970, NC5427 landed in the hands of PSA Captain Spencer Nelson of San Diego. “Spence was very well-known in the Travel Air world as a restorer,” explains Joe, “and he and PSA mechanics Jim Ward and Harry Somers worked with him to rebuild the biplane.” After Spence died in a PSA midair collision in September 1978, Jim and Harry continued with their Travel Air West restoration company. They sold NC5427 to Leland Jones of Anchorage [in 1983], with the agreement that Travel Air West would continue the restoration work, which they finished in 1991. Jim and Harry put the overhauled Continental W-670 on it and converted it back to standard configuration. The biplane required extensive work; the men essentially rebuilt the entire aft fuselage, and replaced the old firewall with stainless steel, and installed new 3/8-inch birch plywood floorboards. They fabricated and installed a new front in-

strument panel of laminated birch plywood and a new aft cockpit panel of laminated birch and rosewood, as well as installing new seat belts and a shoulder harness in the aft cockpit. They replaced all of the woodwork on the fuselage, and fabricated new stainless steel control cables. The biplane was finished with Stits Aerothane in an elegant combination of dark green on the fuselage and cream-colored wings. Joe took note of this handsome Travel Air during his PSA overnights in San Diego, and discovered that it had already been flown 105 hours since its restoration. He bought the biplane from then-registered owner Carolyn Jones of Alaska in August 2004. “Then I flew it home to Waynesboro,” says Joe, smiling, “and have had the airplane ever since. I’ve probably put 220 hours on it, flying it mostly during the summers.”

Flight Transition Despite his fairly extensive flying time in 2004—including 3,500 hours of tailwheel time—the insurance company wanted Joe to log five hours of time with a flight instructor in the Travel Air in order to insure it. “It really worked out great,” shares Joe enthusiastically, elaborating, “Captain Dick Doll, who was No. 1 on the PSA seniority list, did some of the flying on the airplane when it was first restored. Dick started out flying in dusters and raced P-51s at Reno, and I was never senior enough to fly with him on PSA—so I asked him if he’d check me out. He said, ‘Yeah, sure!’ What a pleasure that was! The first time we went out, he flew it from the back seat and put me up front, where there’s just a stick and throttle. He said, ‘Let’s go out and makes sure it stalls and falls through okay,’ because it hadn’t flown for a while. So we flew around for 15-20 minutes, and he shot a landing with it, and then we taxied back in. Then he puts me in the back seat and he gets in the front—we flew the five hours in two days and shot a bunch

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of landings. That was a real treat, because he’s such a great guy.” Exceptionally pleased with his Travel Air, Joe says, “It flies great! It lifts off around 55 mph, climbs right out, and cruises about 95-97 mph indicated, at low altitude. I fly final around 55-60 mph, and it’s pretty straightforward in a crosswind. It originally had a skid, but now it has a tail wheel. The 12-inch mechanical brakes are original for that airplane and work great. They’re ‘good enough,’ and that’s what you want on that airplane. It burns 12 gph at cruise and holds 68 gallons of fuel, with 26 in the center section and 42 in the main tank. The longest leg I’ve flown is 4 hours and 45 minutes, and it burned about 52 gallons before I landed—and it had 16 gallons left.” Joe hasn’t had any maintenance challenges with the Travel Air—but it has had a few repairs. Incidents can happen to any pilot, and Joe unabashedly admits that he “ground looped it at Oshkosh two years ago, so Ted Davis in Wisconsin repaired the lower left wing. That was a good opportunity to do some other work, so we had the engine overhauled by Al Holloway in California. We also discovered that one wheel was cracked—which was unrelated to the ground loop—so we replaced that as well. Other than that, the airplane hasn’t had any significant work done since the 1991 restoration by Travel Air West.”

Making Modern-day History Truthfully, Joe is really a modernday barnstormer at heart. The reason is pretty simple: He derives the most joy from flying his “biplane

built for three” across the country and sharing the experience with others. (And he’s currently treasurer of the Travel Air Restorers Association.) Of course, sharing starts at home; he’s enjoyed taking his two sons up for early-evening flights in the Shenandoah Valley. (His youngest son, Peter, has just earned an instrument rating, and his older son, Paul, is a Blackhawk pilot with the National Guard in Iraq.) “The Travel Air is a great airplane, and we have a lot of fun with it,” shares Joe. His biplane was featured during the Vintage Aircraft Association’s centennial celebration of the first air mail flight in the United States, which was held during EAA AirVenture 2011. Though NC5427 was not owned by Pacific Air Transport, it was selected as an example of the type that flew the mail. “Andrew King of Virginia called me to see if I was interested in bringing the Travel Air for the air mail display at Oshkosh,” explains Joe, “and he was familiar with Pacific Air Transport—their planes were green and cream, and they did have a Travel Air. So my airplane was a good representation of that. We got some original pictures of a Travel Air 4000 that were taken at Pearson Field, which was one of their terminals in Vancouver. That’s how we replicated the Pacific Air Transport Air Mail graphics for the fuselage, which we put on just for Oshkosh.” NC5427 also enjoyed a bit of “movie star status” during AirVenture, when independent film producer and director Heather Taylor’s Breaking Through the Clouds: The First Women’s National Air Derby was screened. (www. BreakingThroughTheClouds.com, see accompanying movie overview.) Back in 2009, Joe spent Memorial Day weekend at the Golden Age Air Museum’s airfield in Grimes, Pennsylvania. Once again, it was Andrew King who had extended a special invitation to Joe—to fly his Travel Air during the filming of a documentary

about the First Women’s Transcontinental Air Derby of 1929. Andrew was aerial coordinator for the film, and Joe was happy to participate, along with several other antique airplane owners. The photo planes were a Breezy and a J-3 Cub. Describing the experience and the film itself, Joe explains, “Heather worked on this film, on her own, for 13 years. She gathered unbelievable amounts of archival footage about the women and the Air Derby, and includes that in the film. She filmed our airplanes because they were similar to ones that flew in the Air Derby, and that way she could include current color footage to bring the airplanes to life for the audience. We filmed for a couple of days, and we each flew about three hours.”

Built for Sharing Joe has been depositing numerous experiences in his memory bank of favorite Travel Air flights since 2004. Though he’s enjoyed them all, there is one particular “annual deposit” that registers at the top of his account. “Probably the greatest thing we do with this airplane is taking it to the Dirksen’s family farm in Winchester, Indiana. The year before last, I took three people up—and they were in their 30s, but they had never been in an airplane before in their life. We go to the Dirksen’s, and their kids are so excited to have us come, and they treat us so well! “We get to land in their hayfield, and the whole town comes out, and we give rides. I mean, that’s what it’s all about,” shares Joe exuberantly, “and to fly with Ted Davis, Andrew King, Jim Hammond, Steve Roth, and Bob Coolbaugh is just such a treat. Some of those guys are the best pilots I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been flying for many years. The excitement of having the Travel Air is being able to go out every summer and fly with those guys. That’s what it’s for—we share it with people!” [Note: The Dirksen’s farm is featured in the documentary Barnstorming—Friends Really Can Drop Out of the Sky. Filmed in 2009, it candidly describes the

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COURTESY HEATHER TAYLOR

Heather Taylor with Joe Santana, during the ﬁlming of Breaking Through the Clouds.

COURTESY JOE SANTANA

ularly, and continues bringing joy not only to its caretaker, but to many others across the country. And it’s still pleasing to the discerning eyes of aircraft judges at fly-ins. That’s quite understandable, since NC5427 still looks like it’s fresh out of restoration—even though it’s been 20 years. This handsome biplane received two awards to its credit this past year: the Silver Age (1928-1936) Champion— Bronze Lindy at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, and the Travel Air Type Club Award at the Antique Airplane Association’s annual invitational fly-in. Joe readily credits these awards to the restoration efforts of Travel Air West and recently affixed a tasteful brass plaque to the aft portion of the fuselage, as a way of paying homage to Jim Ward and Harry Somers.

Engine assembly.

COURTESY JOE SANTANA

unusual friendship formed between a farming family and aviators who first landed in their hay field in 1999. www. BarnstormingMovie.com] He also flies the Travel Air to Hagerstown, Indiana, for another fun gathering—the “Hagerstown Or Bust” Ford Model T and vintage airplane fly-in. “Literally hundreds of Model T’s from across the country show up there on the fairgrounds, and they have a nice grass field for the airplanes,” adds Joe, smiling, “We do a balloon bust there, a flour bomb drop, and Ted gives rides in the New Standard. We’ll also fly to Brodhead, Wisconsin, and Blakesburg, Iowa, for those fly-ins.” One thing is certain—when the Travel Air landed in Joe’s hands in 2004, it found a very good home, indeed. It flies reg-

Fabrication of turtledeck.

COURTESY JOE SANTANA

Applying Poly-Brush.

BONNIE KRATZ

The sun rises and lights up Joe Santana’s Travel Air on the ﬂight line at AAA’s ﬂy-in at Blakesburg, Iowa.

Tailfeathers in silver.

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Breaking Through the Clouds:

The First Women’s National Air Derby The story of grassroots aviation pioneers by a grassroots independent film producer by Sparky B arnes Sargent Tenacity, ambition, spirited passion, personal conviction…these are some of the qualities that imbued the 20 participants in the First Women’s National Air Derby in 1929. Three-quarters of a century later, aspiring filmmaker Heather Taylor

heard about those women pilots who undertook that nine-day race across the country, and instantly felt a connection. Inspired by their accomplishments, and sharing those same personal qualities, Heather felt an irresistible inner calling to convey

the nearly forgotten stories of those Derby fliers. Those elements, combined with a burgeoning technical knowledge of filmmaking, led her on a 13-year quest to create a colorful documentary about them. Heather grew up in an aviation fam-

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ily, and her direct inspiration to create the documentary arose during a conversation with the legendary Evelyn Bryan Johnson in Morristown, Tennessee. Known as “Mama Bird,” Evelyn has logged 57,635.4 hours of flight time. Heather had the opportunity to meet Evelyn, and recalls asking her a few questions about the races and how they began. “As she talked,” says Heather, “something just clicked inside of my gut, and I knew this was the story I had been looking for.” Heather embraced her own challenge and resigned from her position with Discovery Communications in mid-2007, in order to devote her full-time energy to the task. Filmmaking can be a tedious undertaking. In Heather’s case, it was similar to a first-time aircraft restorer tackling a ground-up restoration. Heather shares that the most significant challenge she encountered while creating this film was likely her own confidence—or lack thereof. “I had been in the industry over a decade, had a master’s in producing film and video, but I had never produced my own film,” she admits, adding, “The other significant challenge was finding the right people to help work on the film. But in the end, I met some incredibly talented and gifted people and am grateful for what they brought to the project.” Though there were times when Heather really didn’t know how she was going to achieve her goal, that wasn’t a deterrent—in fact, it turned her personal resolve into tangible action. “I’d never written a script…and [eventually realized that] I had to be the one to write the film. [Another challenge] that took years to work through was how to actually begin such a vast subject,” says Heather, elaborating, “I credit story consultant Fernanda Rossi with helping me . . . break the project down into sizable portions and decide what I felt was the most important.” Breaking Through the Clouds masterfully threads modern color footage in with extensive archival footage. The new footage includes the following airplanes from the vintage/ antique community, which were se-

lected by Aerial Coordinator Andrew King as representative of the types flown in the 1929 Air Derby: 1928 Travel Air 4000 (Joe Santana), 1929 Speedwing Travel Air B9-4000 (Bill Plecenik), 1930 Monocoupe 90 (Bob Coolbaugh), 1928 Monocoupe 70 and 1929 Waco GXE (Paul Dougherty), and 1930 Fleet 7 (Mike O’Neal). Ever attentive to detail, Heather ensured that when the audience sees archival footage of Louise Thaden’s Travel Air flying, they hear a Wright J-5 engine and not some other engine—and she did this as closely as possible with each aircraft. Watching this documentary makes it easy for viewers to feel as though they have been personally introduced to each of the featured women

“I can only hope that . . . it will inspire others to take a risk of their own and contribute to the world in their own unique way.” —Heather Taylor pilots. The transitional graphics were tastefully done, the clips of the original pilot licenses added even more historical detail, and the personal interviews (especially with Pat Thaden Webb, Margaret Whitman Blair, and Elinor Smith Sullivan) added great depth to the documentary. Heather offers a bit more insight to the film, and her own personal philosophy, by sharing: “Even though the derby happened in 1929, the lessons, experiences, and courage the women displayed are life lessons for us today, and so I do not think of it as history. Rather, I think the women are role models for us all on how to act when something excites you and captures your imagination. “Once you find that energy, then you must have the passion and courage to follow through to bring these ideas to the forefront. We all have

been given talents and gifts, and it is our responsibility, in my opinion, to nurture, develop, and explore those interests, no matter how irrational it may be. To do so means giving back to the world and making it a better place. The women in 1929 did this with gusto. I can only hope that by exploring my interest in these women and bringing their story forward, it will inspire others to take a risk of their own and contribute to the world in their own unique way.” Most any project comes bearing not only cloudy challenges, but the proverbial silver linings, as well. Heather thoughtfully reflects, “One perspective I gained in researching all about these women is that rather than seeing them as icons or legends per se, I realized they were just people too, doing something they felt called to do, and they went and did it. In the end, I love…learning from those who have overcome their own personal obstacles to achieve something.” Heather eloquently sums up her unique mission in creating her film company, Archetypal Images, with the following statement: “…to produce films that explore and harness that light in the eyes of people who have found their calling in life, and share that sparkle with others who are still searching to find their own passion.” It is clear that Heather has discovered her own calling in life, and her passion for accuracy and authentic detail was the catalyst for her to achieve excellence in her work. Breaking Through the Clouds: The First Women’s National Air Derby has received the National Aviation Hall of Fame’s 9th Annual Combs Gates Award, the Indie Award of Excellence, is an IDA/ABC News VideoSource Award finalist, and has been officially selected for numerous independent film festivals. Those of us who treasure aviation history heartily applaud Heather’s efforts and extend gratitude to her for having the inner fortitude and vision to bring this documentary to fruition. For more information about the film and ordering details, please visit www. BreakingThroughTheClouds.com.

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Achtung, Baby! Praga E.114M Air Baby HB-UAF restored to flying status BY

STEFAN DEGRAEF/PICTURES EDWIN BORREMANS

he Thunersee, a 12,000 acre lake located in the Swiss Berner Oberland region, dominates one of the country’s most stunning flying regions, dividing fertile wetlands on its northern border and various Alpine giants to the south in a most dramatic and eyecatching manner. In summertime this heterogeneous airspace is crisscrossed by Switzerland’s most unique pelicanshaped vintage aircraft, made airworthy only some few months ago: a blue/white colored Czech-built Praga E.114M Air Baby. This 1947 Air Baby,

registered HB-UAF for more than four decades, is the sole remaining flying specimen of its kind and a very welcome member of Switzerland’s vintage aircraft community.

From Its Early Life . . . Praga E.114M Air Baby lightweight aircraft were manufactured starting in 1934 by the Ceskomoravska-Kolben-Danek Praga A.S (aka CKD-Praga) aircraft factory in Prague (Czechoslovakia). Production ceased during World War II. Following the German occupation and World War II, Praga restarted its aircraft-building activities immediately after the war’s

end. During this period, ending in 1948, 110 E.114D (with a 75-hp engine) and M models (powered by the Walter Micron III 65-hp engine) were produced. The Walter Mikron III, developed in the mid-’30s and actually still in production, is a four-cylinder, air-cooled, inverted straight engine, optimized for use in light general aviation aircraft. The British firm F. Hills & Sons acquired a manufacturing license and built the E.114 as the Hillson Praga at its factory at Trafford Park, near Manchester. In total Hillson built 39 aircraft before World War II. Another 26 E.114Ms were built by the Rudy Letov company.

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The Czech-built Praga E.114M Air Baby c/n 119 was constructed in 1947 and was immediately exported to southern France. After arrival at Cannes in November 1947, this factory-fresh single-engined aircraft received its F-BCSN registration. Having spent some 10 years as part of the “Aeroclub du Var” at the French Riviera, the aircraft was sold mid-1957 to a Swiss owner, who based the aircraft at Thun and registered c/n 119 in its new Swiss HB-UAF identity. Its Swiss flying career would only last 14 years. Soon after its last documented flight out of Thun on October 24, 1971, the aircraft was

dismantled and stored, predestined to be lost for eternity. In 1982 the remains were purchased by Fritz Moser, who stored the wings of the aircraft in a barn at Suderen, located close to Thun. The fuselage and engine were stored in Moser’s garage at home. The peaceful but hibernal sleep of HB-UAF would last some two decades, before Fritz Moser and his son, Andre, showed a willingness to restore the aircraft to its former flying status. The long-lasting inactivity of the aircraft, however, needed an in-depth evaluation of the overall condition of the wooden structure of the fuselage and wings.

Overall assessment by Max Brugger, constructor of a Colibri MB lightweight-built aircraft, proved to be positive and started the lengthy process of overhauling and restoring the aircraft’s remains, plus the manufacture of missing parts. Some parts have not been available for decades, either in the market or within the vintage aircraft community.

. . . To Its Reincarnation The restoration started in 2004 and would eventually last some six years. Its wooden framework surprisingly in good condition, the aircraft was completely stripped down and almost rebuilt from scratch. The original

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Walter Mikron III engine was sent for overhaul and revision to Parma Technic in the Czech Republic. In 1999 this Czech engine company received official approval from the Czech avia-

tion authorities to overhaul and repair these types of engines. Some of the parts of the aircraft including the brakes were rebuilt by Andre Moser. Additional overhaul was per-

Praga E.114 M General characteristics Crew

Length

7.05 meters (23.12 feet)

Wingspan

11 meters (36 feet)

Wing area

16.20 square meters (174.375 square feet)

Empty weight

370 kilograms (815.7 pounds)

Max takeoﬀ weight

585 kilograms (1,290 pounds)

Powerplant

Walter Mikron III four-cylinder, aircooled, inverted straight engine (65 hp) Performance

Maximum speed

187 kph (116 mph)

Cruise speed

165 kph (102 mph)

Range

730 kilometers (454 miles)

Service ceiling

4,300 meters (14,107 feet)

Climb to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) 6 minutes 40 seconds

formed by the well-known Airla vintage aircraft restoration company at Langenthal-Bleienbach aerodrome in northwestern Switzerland, the work performed by Max Brugger. To comply with Swiss general aviation regulations, some modern avionics including a radio, transponder, and an ELT were installed in the wooden dashboard in the cockpit. With all parts overhauled and reinstalled, the aircraft was transported by car to Langenthal for its first flight and airworthiness validation by Gerhard Staude, owner of Airla, and officially licensed by the Swiss Bundesamt fur Zivilluftfahrtl (BAZL) (i.e., Civil Aviation Authority) to deliver the much desired certificate of airworthiness. Pending its first flight since its restoration, various taxi tests and aborted takeoff runs were made to check the various characteristics and performances of the engine. Finally on September 9, 2009, Praga E.114M Air Baby HB-UAF made its second very successful and emotional maiden flight. With no flying manuals available, operating this Air Baby proved to be an “on the job” effort. The excellent gliding characteristics of the aircraft immediately became apparent, forcing Andre to adjust its landing techniques since the aircraft has no external slats or any kind of air brakes. Nowadays this pristine and unique vintage aircraft is based at Flugplatz Reichenbach (LSGR), located in the Swiss region of Berner Oberland and close to some of the country’s most stunning flying areas.

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Light Plane Heritage published in EAA Experimenter March 1993

EXPLORING

THE

PARASOL MONOPLANE BY

BOB WHITTIER EAA 1235

At any gathering of sport planes, one is likely to see at least a few monoplanes of the “parasol” type. Old-timers will have seen so many of them that they’re likely to take them quite for granted. And newcomers often have such scant knowledge of aviation’s long and involved history that to them a Loehle Parasol or Baby Ace is likely to be just another of a thoroughly bewildering array of flying machines. Actually, there’s much of interest and use that can be said about parasols. But before we explore this subject, a few words of wisdom. As the years go by, more and more of the people active in sport aviation were born during or after World

War II. The many informative books and magazines published between around 1920 and 1940 are becoming increasingly hard for them to locate because both public and technical school libraries tend to discard or store away older literature to make room for new acquisitions. But since the older literature deals with aircraft in the performance range today associated with sport flying, much useful knowledge is today, regrettably, out of reach of more and more enthusiasts. [Although, happily, much of this knowledge is being republished on the Internet; for instance, the entire archive of the British periodical Flight is now online at www.FlightGlobal.com. Click on the

“Historic” link in the menu at the top of the web page.—HGF] My own collection of literature goes back to the 1930s, and I refer to it often when writing. Also, I live within an hour’s drive of the aeronautics library at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. When starting work on this article I spent hours there leafing through such books as Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft going back to 1909, the U.S. Civil Aircraft Se-

Figure 1 Above — Parasols have been around for a long time. Far man in France built this one in 1910. The ultimate in visibility! For some obscur e reason the Gnome r otar y engine was mounted ahead of the pr opeller.

Editor’s Note: The Light Plane Heritage series in EAA’s Experimenter magazine often touched on aircraft and concepts related to vintage aircraft and their history. Since many of our members have not had the opportunity to read this series, we plan on publishing those LPH articles that would be of interest to VAA members. Enjoy!—HGF

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Figure 2—As shown by this Albatr os of 1914, militar y men quickly r ealized their superior downwar d visibility made parasol monoplanes ideal for reconnaissance work. Rotar y engines belched a cloud of castor oil smoke upon being star ted. ries by Joseph P. Juptner, and the Aircraft Yearbooks by the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce. I was quite surprised at the large number of parasol types I found pictured and described in these old books. While many were obscure types, all were interesting to study with the question in mind, “Why did the designer do what he did?” A parasol monoplane is one on which the wing is mounted above and more or less clear of the fuselage. The word is derived from the Italian parare, meaning “to ward off,” and sole, meaning “sun.” A lady’s parasol wards off the sun. Because a wing above the fuselage wards off the sun, the French seem to have been the first to apply the word “parasol” to airplanes. Fig. 1 shows a parasol monoplane built by Henri Farman in 1910. He was famous for his biplanes—perhaps he cobbled up this parasol to learn something about the characteristics of monoplanes. Most monoplanes of that time had their wings attached to the top longerons of their fuselages, so presumably the word “parasol” was adopted to describe this new arrangement. When World War I began, airplanes were at first used only for reconnaissance flights. The thin wing airfoils then in use obliged the use of shallow and therefore quite flexible wing spars, so biplane and mid-

wing configurations were popular because these arrangements lent themselves to effectively arranging the many rigging wires needed to achieve structural rigidity.

While many were obscure types, all were interesting to study with the question in mind, “Why did the designer do what he did?” But such planes soon showed themselves to have unacceptably poor downward visibility for military observation work. Pusher-type biplanes were tried, with observers riding in the front cockpits of their nacelles to get good downward vision. But objects falling or blowing out of open cockpits could fly back into pusher propellers, and in the fre-

quent crashes of those days, pusher engines could tear loose and fly forward onto unfortunate airmen. Parasol monoplanes provided the answer. Fig. 2 shows a Germandesigned, Austrian-built Albatros of 1914. The good downward visibility is obvious. Note also the many brace wires. Bleriot and Morane Saulnier in France brought out similar-looking designs, and two-seaters from the latter company were used by the French throughout that war. As the outcome of several incidents of the wings of wire-braced monoplanes collapsing under the strain of combat flight, other countries such as Britain stayed with the more rigidly trussed biplanes. Seeking more speed from available engines, late in the war the Germans developed monoplane fighters such as the Junkers and Fokker Triplanes. The latter had its cantilever wing mounted parasol-fashion above the fuselage to put it out of the way of aiming forward-firing machine guns. As the result of aerodynamic research begun during that war and carried on into the 1920s, thicker airfoils came into general use. These allowed the use of deeper wing spars, so multiple brace wires below and above parasol wings gave way to simpler, cleaner wing struts running from fuselage lower longerons out to fittings on the undersides of wings. Strut-braced low-wing monoplanes were also built but had disadvantages. Struts running from top longerons to fittings on the upper surfaces of wings disturbed airflow and hurt wings’ lifting qualities. Some low wings had struts running from awkward-looking landing gear trusses to fittings on the lower surfaces of wings. Sometimes this arrangement brought a plane’s center of drag so far below the propeller thrust line as to bring on trim or longitudinal stability problems. Browsing through Jane’s volumes from about l920 to 1940 reveals a surprising number of both military and civilian parasol types. Some were handsome and others homely. Practically every European manu-

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Figure 3—Ther e are many variations on the parasol theme. High-wing Lockheed V ega, lower left, was r evised to parasol, upper left, to suit an airline’s needs. Exter nally the English Comper Swift, above, looked like a high-wing but str ucturally was a parasol. Its layout facilitated cockpit access. Small engine on long nose balanced pilot’s weight aft of the wing. facturer built military observation and fighter planes of this type because of good visibility and simple, sturdy construction. When twin machine guns were mounted in fuselages, it was necessary to use interrupter mechanisms to halt their firing when propeller blades passed in front of the guns. Some 1920s parasol fighters moved the guns outboard to where struts met the undersides of their wings. Fairings enclosed the guns and at the same time cleaned up the airflow where struts met the wings. This allowed uninterrupted and therefore more deadly gun firing. The more designers studied parasols, the more advantages they discovered. As originally produced, the sleek 1927 Lockheed Vega, Fig. 3, was a high-wing cabin monoplane. Western Air Express liked its speed but found things to complain about. The cantilever wing’s deep spars intruded into cabin

headroom. Because of its shape, the single pilot’s seat up forward intruded into cargo space at the forward end of the cabin. Pilots felt it would be hard to get out of the enclosed cabin should they have to take to their parachutes. In a crash, the cargo would come flying forward onto them. Lockheed engineers realized the Vega’s wooden wing and fuselage could easily enough be revised to create the parasol Air Express. Raising the wing clear of the fuselage got its deep spars out of the cabin headspace. Cargo area was increased at the front end of the cabin. Probably lift was increased by separating the underside of the wing’s central portion from the fuselage, thus increasing the amount of working wing area. Accustomed to opencockpit biplanes, pilots had no trouble with poor forward visibility in the rearward-located open cockpit. They could bail out of it much eas-

ier and faster. Their weight so far aft balanced the extra 200 pounds of the 425-hp Pratt & Whitney engine that replaced the original Vega’s 220-hp Wright Whirlwind. When a mixed load was to be carried, cargo could be loaded into the front of the cabin with passengers behind it, affording them the best possible safety in a crash. This mention of the Air Express brings out the point that the parasol configuration lends itself to the simple and clean installation of one-piece wings, either strut-braced as in the Pietenpol, Fig. 7, or cantilever as on the Potez 60, Fig. 19. Such long wings can be awkward in a homebuilder’s basement shop, but in factory-built planes save the weight and cost of center section fittings. Cutouts in the top or bottom of a fuselage are not needed. Because the weight of the fuselage, engine, occupants, and landing gear are all well below a parasol

Figure 4—The r elationship between center of lift and center of gravity dif fers as between parasol and low-wing monoplanes, and as between level and steep-climbing ﬂ ight. This signiﬁ cantly af fects longitudinal stability . 22 MARCH 2012

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wing, what is called “pendulum stability” is good. Looking at a parasol monoplane from ahead or behind, it’s easy to visualize how all this weight below the wing will act to restore an upset plane to level attitude. But it’s easy to place more importance on this than is justified. If it has been well-designed and its pilot is normally alert, a low-wing plane will not suddenly roll over upside-down. However, it’s not as well-known as it deserves to be that parasols are very good in regard to longitudinal stability. That is valuable in respect to behavior in steep climbs, stalls, and turbulent air. In Fig. 4A, note the relationship between the center of gravity (CG) and the center of lift (CL) in this parasol in level flight. It is standard practice to position the center of gravity ahead of the center of lift and to balance a plane with a download on the stabilizer. An appreciable nosing down-force, D, is then present. When the engine is throttled or quits, the plane will automatically nose down and begin to glide. In this drawing, the center of gravity’s forward position has been exaggerated in the interests of clarity. As this parasol noses up, Fig. 4B, the wing sort of “rotates” backward. This shifts the center of lift backward, too, and the force D becomes stronger. More backward stick force is needed to hold the nose up, which is a desirable characteristic. In level fl ight, a low-wing as in Fig. 4C has about the same force arrangement. But when it noses up, due to its lower position the CL does not rotate aft and so the nosing-down force D in Fig. 4D is therefore considerably less. In many airfoils the CL moves forward as angle of attack increases, so in some cases the force D can be significantly reduced. Stick force and stall behavior can be adversely affected. Before designers learned how to deal with this problem, the CL in some low-wings could move ahead of the CG, causing a plane to become so suddenly and

Figure 5—Parasols can be ver y handsome, as shown by this Menascopowered Fairchild 22 of the early 1930s.

Figure 6—The Ross parasol was not handsome! High-set wing and low-set fuselage facilitated cockpit entr y and exit.

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Figure 7—Fr ont pits of some ships such as the Pietenpol r by-step cockpit entr y/exit technique.

Figure 8—This 1934 Czechoslovakian Letov solved the entr putting the fr ont cockpit ahead of the wing.

equire a step-

y problem by

Figure 9—Double-taper ed wing on 1929 Davis helped fr ont cockpit accessibility. Note wide, stable landing gear .

puzzlingly tail-heavy as to make it rotate backward into inverted position. This was called “catastrophic instability.” When this appeared while flying at low altitude, the result was indeed catastrophic. Because of this lessened nosingdown tendency with increasing angle of attack, low-wings can be sensitive to load distribution, how fuel happens to slosh back in tanks when climbing steeply, airfoil center of lift travel, amount of wing dihedral (which affects the vertical location of the center of lift), position and weight of the landing gear, and so on. Ride or “feel” in turbulent air can be “jiggly.” Increasing lightness of rearward stick force when approaching the stall can be a warning that a low-wing is approaching catastrophic instability. Now you understand clearly why we have aeronautical engineers and test pilots. After World War I, some designers looked for ways to improve the performance of cheap, surplus Curtiss Jennys. It’s often easy to rebuild a biplane into a parasol monoplane. The center section cabane strut fittings are already in place, and fittings where lower wing spars attached to the fuselage can be reworked if necessary to accept parasol lift strut ends. Thick-airfoil monoplane wings installed on Jenny fuselages resulted in worthwhile performance improvement and called the parasol design to the attention of the American aviation community. While surplus Jennys were cheap to buy, they were large and complicated airplanes and thus costly to recondition after some years of service. Commercial fliers could include such expenses in the rates they charged customers, but private owners often continued to fly decrepit Jennys until they crashed. In 1927 and 1928 there appeared on the American scene 55 to 60 hp Air Cat, Velie, and LeBlond fi ve-cylinder, air-cooled radial engines. To provide smaller, simpler, and more economical airframes to take these engines, some design-

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Figure 10—Smaller radial engines of 33-36 inch diameter led to wide fuselage, side-by-side seating in 1929 Inland Spor t.

Figure 11—Parasols, such as this 1929 English W adaptable to folding wings.

estland Widgeon, ar e

Figure 12—Clar ence Chamberlin’s air school built this Kinner-power ed parasol training plane.

ers brought out neat parasols such as the Davis, Fig. 9, and the Inland Sport, Fig. 10. Open cockpits were then still much in favor, and many designers were still wary of lowwings. These monoplanes needed substantially fewer wing spars/wingtip bows and ribs than did biplanes. The depression that followed the stock market crash of 1929 increased designers’ interest in monoplanes, including parasols. Some outcomes of this were the very handsome Fairchild 22, Fig. 5, for affluent buyers and the lowpriced American Eaglet, Fig. 13, Taylor Cub, Fig. 14, and others for less well-heeled customers. To coax acceptable climb from low-powered airplanes, it’s important to reduce drag. Open-cockpit parasols like the Eaglet and Cub could be fitted with detachable cockpit enclosures, which helped. And, by making cold-weather flying more bearable, these accessories boosted small airports’ income by encouraging wintertime instruction and rentals. Merely by raising the light superstructure atop fuselages, some of these ships could easily be changed into high-wing cabin jobs. In some cases it’s possible to argue at length as to whether a particular ship is a parasol or highwing cabin plane. The English Comper Swift, Fig. 3, and Corben Super Ace, Fig. 15, are examples. In some planes such as the Fordengined Pietenpol, Fig. 7, and the Cirrus-engined Westland Widgeon, Fig. 11, the carburetors were positioned so high that in order to obtain dependable gravity fuel feed, fuel tanks were mounted in the parasol wings. This weight added to that of the high-mounted wings could raise the center of gravity so high as to aggravate the tendency to lean over in crosswind landings and fast taxiing turns. Therefore, wide landing gears were favored. The “outrigger” type on the Fairchild 22 and the Inland Sport afforded wide wheel spacing while retaining acceptable load-

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Figure 13—Open American Eaglet could be winterized with detachable, transpar ent side and r ear panels.

Figure 14—Open Cub E-2 and F-2 (shown) could be enclosed same way. Raising the fuselage top fairing cr eated cabin J-2 and J-3.

Figure 15—Cowling to ﬁ t Ford A engine on Corben Super Ace was extended aft to enclose str uts that suppor ted center of wing.

Figure 16—Ger man school-built A.B. 4 car ried wing on a pylon. V-bottom wood fuselage had ﬁ ve longer ons; 20-hp Mercedes power ed the air craft.

Figure 17—Sweptback wing of 1960s Kaminskas aerobatic of fered cockpit access and r etained pr oper center of lift location.

Figure 18—Polish S-4 Kania; 125-hp radial engine had great rear view mir ror visibility for glider towing.

Figure 19—One-piece wings ar e easily attached to parasols such as this Fr ench Potez 60 of the mid-1930s.

Figure 20—Fr ench Bour gois fuselage had thr ee longerons; note the str ut position. Bulkheads and wood veneer for med the covering.

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carrying angles for the various struts. In some parasols such as the smallish Pietenpol, the vertical space between fuselage top and the lower surface of the wing was just scant enough to make front cockpit entry and exit a problem. Pilots instructed passengers in a well-thought-out entry and exit procedure. Glued woodto-wood joints are not as strong as are welded ones in steel tubing, and a fuselage is basically a beam that carries engine weight in the front and elevator up-and-down loads at the rear end. To avoid discontinuity in a wooden top longeron caused by a cockpit door cutout, designer B.H. Pietenpol did not incorporate a door in his Air Camper’s fuselage. Large people or ones having arthritic knees sometimes could not get into a Piet. But the welded steel tube construction popular in the fuselages of factory-made parasols made the incorporation of door openings a simple matter. Some parasols had their wings mounted as high as their designers dared, such as on the Ross RS-1, Fig. 6, to facilitate entry and exit. But this could bring on a tendency to tip easily in crosswind landings. In those days flying was often done out of farm fields, which allowed taking off and landing into the wind all the time. But the highwinged, narrow-geared Ross could be a problem on a modern airstrip during crosswind conditions. The Czech Letov, Fig. 8, had another approach to front cockpit access—this cockpit was located ahead of the wing. It worked, but put pilot and passenger unhappily far apart. A more common approach to the cockpit access problem was to incorporate a cutout in the wing’s trailing edge. This could be a modest one as on the Fairchild 22, or a large one as on the S-4 Kania, Fig 18. Such a large cutout can impair a wing’s aerodynamic efficiency, but seemed acceptable in this glider tug that did mostly local flying. A rearview mirror positioned in the cutout gave a superb view of a towed glider. A

few Pietenpols had hinged flaps in the trailing edges of their wings. These helped cockpit access yet retained unbroken trailing edge shape in flight. The 1929 Davis had a doubletapered wing employing box spars that were deepest at the point of wing V-strut attachment and tapered both toward the tips and the center section as yet another way of improving cockpit access. This design also kept the struts short so as to make them stiff and comparatively light, and also to reduce drag. Yet another cockpit access solution was to use swept-back wings as in the Kaminskas aerobatic parasol, Fig. 17. This puts the center section ahead of the cockpit, while the sweepback positions the wing’s center of lift where it has to be for proper aircraft balance in flight. Many military parasols used this configuration to keep the center section ahead of tandem cockpits to facilitate quick exit should it become

necessary to take to parachutes. French air show pilots favored Morane Saulnier and Dewoitine parasols for yet another reason. When going upward at the beginning of a loop, one sees only empty sky in front of the plane’s nose. Then as one goes over the top and starts down, the center section of a parasol (or biplane) facilitates judging attitude in relation to the upside-down horizon. We could say many more things and print twice as many photos, if space permitted. But what we’ve been able to cram into the available space should be enough to help you to learn how to understand and evaluate parasol monoplanes. The type is very old, but will be with us for a long time to come because of its versatility and adaptability to various sport flying requirements. Why, when rainstorms disrupt activities at fly-ins, people even scurry to get under the wings of parasol monoplanes!

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Vintage Mechanic

THE

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

Wood defects: Compression failure, shakes, checks, longitudinal cracks Defects in wood structures are critical, and inspection techniques must be developed to locate and identify these structural problems. This data is important to new mechanics who may not be familiar with inspecting wood structures, particularly wood wing spars. This is important when inspecting wood spars in Aeronca, Bellanca, and Champion aircraft. FAA Airworthiness Directive 2000-25-02 R1 in particular requires close inspection of wood wing spars installed in Aeronca 7 and 11 series aircraft and Bellanca Citabria acrobatic aircraft. One would think that a 65-hp Aeronca Champ or Chief would not experience compression failures in wing spars, but I have seen this defect and feel it is important to expand on the airworthiness directive because compression failures are difficult to locate, and in the case of the Champ and Chief, are often mostly hidden because they will form under a wing rib that is nailed to the spar at a critical location. American Champion Service Bulletin 406 Revision A gives detailed information on the subject. These compression failures can happen if the aircraft ground loops and the wingtip strikes the ground, or they can be caused by over-stressing the spar when pulling some gâ€™s performing spins or other semi-aerobatic or aerobatic maneuvers. A compression failure is defined as a break across grain lines of the wood caused by very high compressive forces placed on the spar, normally from a high positive g-load on the outer portion of a wing that is unbraced. An old publication issued in 1943 by the Army-Navy Civil Committee on aircraft design criteria and identified as ANC-19 was the bible for mechanics that inspect, maintain, and repair wood structures. Its data should be a regular reference for modern-day mechanics who work with these structures. All the data that is contained in FAA AC43.13-1B is extracted from this reference source. Illustration 1 is a photo of a compression failure in Sitka spruce; this photo shows the failure almost completely across the entire board. You wonâ€™t find anything like this in aircraft unless a very bad acci-

dent occurred. This type damage may have happened when the tree was cut and it fell across another tree or a large rock, which fractured the entire log. In-service compression failures will normally appear on the top flange of the spar, and in the case of Aeronca and Bellanca spars, directly adjacent to a plywood plate installed at the front and rear strut attachment point. Read on . . .

Illustration 1: Major compression failure in Sitka spruce. To understand the stress forces carried by a wing spar one must know that the upper third and lower third of the spar width carries all flight loads, with the center third of the spar width in a neutral plane. When the wing is positively loaded (positive g), the upper spar flange carries a compression load and the lower

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spar flange carries a tension load. Therefore, any crack across the grain lines can be dangerous, and if not detected, it can lead to complete failure. Illustrations 2-4 are three photos that show a compression failure I found on a Bellanca 7ACA. Illustration 2 is the back side of the front spar. The bright wood to the left of the photo is where a plywood reinforcement plate was glued to add strength where the front lift strut attaches. To the right of the photo is outboard of the plate and the typical spot where a compression failure will form. The lines are made with a pen to highlight the defect. There are some interesting items to observe here. First the crack goes into the upper nail hole that holds the aluminum rib to the spar. The failure is under the wing rib and therefore impossible to visually locate. The failure is about 25-30 percent of the spar width. That is almost a total failure of the upper spar flange.

It will be necessary to remove a small segment of aluminum leading edge to gain complete access to this area. In this view it is very evident as to the definition of a compression failureâ€”a jagged crack across the grain fibers. Illustration 4 shows the compression failure on the front side of the spar that has progressed to 1520 percent of spar width. I took these photos after the spar was removed from the wing in preparation to installing a newly fabricated front wing spar. The bright wood to the right was where a plywood plate was glued to support loads at the front lift strut attach point. To the left of the photo is outboard to the wingtip. There are two parallel pencil lines to allow proper positioning of the wing rib before nailing to the spar. Again, note that the failure is under the rib.

Illustration 2: Bellanca 7ACA, back side of the front spar.

Illustration 4: Compression failure on the front side of the spar.

Illustration 3 shows the view looking down on the top of the spar; the crack is clearly visible. This is the only location to spot a compression failure at this location on the Aeronca and Bellanca series airplanes. The American Champion Company states that an opening should be cut into the fabric to inspect this area to facilitate complete inspection.

Illustration 5 shows two inspection openings on the top of the front spar of my Champ wings covered in Poly-Fiber through silver. These openings comply with the recommendations in SB 406, Revision A. When the wings are finished, aluminum covers will be screwed in place and sealed with a soft rubber gasket so moisture will not penetrate this critical area.

Illustration 5: Champ spar inspection opening. Illustration 3: Looking down on the top of the spar.

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jor fittings such as lift struts and streamline wire attachment points. There are times when a shake that begins at the end of a spar will progress outboard and will exit the plywood doubler and form itself into a longitudinal crack. AC43.13-1B states that most longitudinal cracks can be repaired by gluing on plywood plates on both sides of the spar; however, to adequately inspect the spar and glue on such plates, the wing has to be uncovered, and most mechanics will opt to replace the entire spar or splice in a new section through the damaged area. This final illustration is interesting from the standpoint of visually inspecting damage. Look closely at the photo in Illustration 7 and you will see two distinct failure modes in wood. First, half of the thickness of the spar has failed due to compressive forces, while the other half has failed due to tension forces. How could this happen, except in an accident? Well, back in 1970, that is what happened to the pilot of a CallAir A-9 agricultural airplane. While spraying next to his house, he decided to make a pass over the home to wave at his wife. In a steep left turn, he put the wing into a large tree in his front yard and tore off the outer 6 feet of the front wing spar. He was able to fly back to his strip and land safely, and I was called to make a repair without removing the wing from the airplane. Illustration 6: Typical wood defects.

When re-covering a set of Bellanca 7ECA wings, I found a compression failure in the rear spar at the inboard aileron attach point. Unfortunately I do not have a photo of that failure. Shakes and checks are also on the critical inspection list. Shakes are identified as cracks. Shakes and checks normally can be found at spar ends and are due to moisture entering the wood and causing it to swell. Spar ends are susceptible if the grain is not completely filled with varnishâ€”filling the end grain normally takes additional coats of varnish because the varnish will penetrate the grain structure and be drawn into the wood fibers. Shakes are defined as a longitudinal crack along grain lines, occurring between two annual rings. Thus, looking at a spar end, the opening will be horizontal in the grain. There may be more than one shake in a spar end. AC43.13-1B states that if shakes are visually detected, the spar should be spliced or replaced. Checks are defined as cracks across the grain. Thus, looking at a spar end the opening will be vertical and may be parallel to the width of the spar. Below in Illustration 6 is a sketch of typical wood defects. In this sketch, defect A is a shake, defect B is a check, defect C is a longitudinal crack, and defect D is a compression failure. Longitudinal cracks will appear anywhere moisture can enter the internal structure, most generally at ma-

Illustration 7: Compression and tension failure in a spar.

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Illustration 8: CallAir A-9 spar damage due to an accident.

A compression failure is defined as a break across grain lines of the wood caused by very high compressive forces . . .

This photo shows the view looking directly into the fracture of the front spar—there is a bolt-hole where a compression member was attached, and half of the hole is plainly visible. Note that the left side of the wood appears as if it were cut with a knife—that is the side that failed under compression load. The right half of the spar appears jagged with the fibers pulled apart. That is where the spar failed under tension load. What did the airplane look like you ask? Illustration 8 shows the aircraft and the damaged left wing. When I first saw the wing I wondered where the rest of the front spar was located and was told it was probably still in the top of the tree. Removing the wing just to make a spar repair was a big job, so I decided to splice the spar while it was still attached to the airframe. So how did that go? I’ll tell you all about it in next month’s column.

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33

Vintage March 2012.indd 35

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Vintage Instructor THE

BY Steve Krog, CFI

A Proud Moment

oday was a great day for this old tailwheel flight instructor. One of my students took and passed her checkride and is now a bona fide pilot. Now, that isn’t a big deal nor different from most anyone else receiving a pilot’s license. But this one was special to me. About 18 months ago she and her husband came to me. He was already a pilot, and up until this day she was a very good navigator/ passenger. But on this day she wanted to begin taking fl ight lessons. I thought this wasn’t anything unusual; over the years I’ve worked with a number of spouses who wanted to learn to fly. In this case, however, the situation was a bit more challenging. This couple had previously restored an airplane together, he doing the structural work and she doing the fabric. Together they flew it all around the area, proudly showing the plane. Then together they began another aircraft restoration. As it began nearing completion, she made a comment one evening that she might like to learn to fly, allowing them to each fly a plane to the area fly-ins. Her husband was quite taken aback by the comment. She had always been a good passenger but was near petrified whenever asked to take the controls. When they came to me that first day we discussed both her desire as well as her fear. Her husband, very supportive, didn’t want to push too hard for fear of dampening her enthusiasm. I explained that we would take it very slow, and if at any time she felt

uncomfortable with whatever we were doing, she was to tell me so. The first lesson began with a 30-minute session taxiing a tailwheel airplane around the ramp area and then out to the runway, learning the S-turn method of taxiing while doing so. Quite tentative at fi rst, she soon acquired the feel for the airplane, at least on the ground, and relaxed somewhat. The first step of confidencebuilding now accomplished, we aligned the airplane with the turf runway in preparation for the takeoff. While explaining the control stick position and movement, I could feel her tension building. Her grip on the Cub’s control stick was like a vise. To break the tension I told her I could take her pulse simply by placing a fi nger on top of my control stick. She laughed and relaxed, but only just a bit. Throughout the late summer and early fall we flew weekly. Each new maneuver was a challenge, not because it was difficult for her to master but rather because of her anxiety. Each flight required constant reminders to relax and learn to feel the airplane. It was then that I came to realize part of her anxiety was brought on by her desire to be a perfectionist. She would strive to do everything perfectly, and when a maneuver was less than so, the anxiety would build. It has been said by “seasoned” pilots that flying is a constant learning experience. This thought really hit me between the eyes and caused me to change my teaching technique with her. Thereafter, we discussed every maneuver before flight, initially setting loose guidelines for each.

She had always been a good

passenger but

was near petrified

whenever asked to take the controls.

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For example, I would ask her to demonstrate a steep 360-degree turn to the right or left keeping the altitude within plus or minus 200 feet. Once that was accomplished we would tighten the parameters to 100 feet, then 50 feet, and finally 20 feet. Using this method, she learned to relax a bit more, yet she strived for perfection with less selfinduced pressure. When the cold weather and snow finally arrived, we decided to put further training on hold until spring. Spring 2011 arrived, and we resumed our flight training. It was now time to work in the traffic pattern in preparation for solo. Lack of self-confidence again surfaced, but with encouragement and regular reminders to relax, progress was made. Finally, it was time for me to get out of the Cub and turn her loose for three takeoffs and landings. She argued at first that she wasnâ€™t ready, but I convinced her that she was. Each of the three takeoffs and landings were near perfect. When she taxied back to the hangar following that fi rst solo, the grin on her face was spectacular! She had transformed from someone afraid of touching the controls to being able to safely and confidently fly the airplane solo! What a milestone. After the traditional cutting of the shirttail, I asked how she felt, and she responded by telling me that her butt cheeks were so tight, she thought the seat cushion was still there! Crosswind takeoffs and landings were next on the agenda, and these came to her almost naturally. Within two hours she had mastered the technique and was ready for the dual and solo cross-country phase. At this point I strongly pushed for getting her written test taken. She had been procrastinating, thinking that she wasnâ€™t ready to take and pass the exam. I set a deadline of the next Friday. If she didnâ€™t have the test taken by then, we would postpone the planned dual and solo cross-country flights. Pressure now dutifully applied, she accepted the challenge. Iâ€™ve found over the years that setting deadlines helps students move forward. She called me on that Friday afternoon and in an excited voice explained that she had achieved a 90 percent on the written test. The cross-country training was again back on the flight schedule. Having spent a good many hours navigating for her husband, the cross-country phase of flight training was completed in record time. Over the course of three or four days, all dual and solo cross-country flights were completed. At this point it was time to prep for the checkride, and we scheduled fl ights for each of the next three weekends. Every maneuver was perfect or very near perfect. It didnâ€™t make any difference if it was a steep turn, a power-on stall, or a 50-foot obstacle shortfield landing. She had everything nailed. It was time

to schedule the checkride for the following Saturday. I spoke with her several times during the week preceding the flight test. Each time it was to bolster her courage and confidence. Nervous, yes, but she was prepared. Finally, checkride day was here, and I think she arrived at the hangar at 5 a.m. for the 9 a.m. appointment. For several hours she paced the hangar, reviewing everything in her mind. The perfectionist in her rose to the surface once again. Once the designated examiner arrived and the oral portion of the checkride began, she relaxed a bit. The examiner quite understood and helped put her at ease. The remainder of the checkride went without a flaw, and the examiner commented so. Finally, with the new piece of paper in hand proclaiming she was a real pilot, she fi nally began to unwind, but not without a lot of kidding and congratulations. Iâ€™ve been providing flight instruction for 40 years and have worked with a number of students, but this student and her accomplishments were very special to me. With great pleasure I watched her transform from a position of timidity and anxiety to one of self-confidence and achievement. It proves that anyone with a real desire can overcome most any obstacle, learn to fly, and enjoy the pleasure of flying!

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 35

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by H.G. FRAUTSCHY

MYSTERY PLANE This month’s Mystery Plane comes to us from the EAA archives; it’s part of our Cedric Galloway collection.

Send your answer to EAA, Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Your answer needs to be in no later than April 10 for inclusion in the June 2012 issue of Vintage Airplane. You can also send your response via e-mail.

Send your answer to myster yplane@eaa.org. Be sure to include your name plus your city and state in the body of your note and put “(Month) Mystery Plane” in the subject line.

DECEMBER’S MYSTERY ANSWER Our December Mystery Plane came to us from Wes Smith, Springfield, Illinois. It was of North American origin. Here’s our first answer: The December 2011 Mystery Plane appears to be the one and only McVean Valkyr V-3 (CF-AQA). The photo may have been taken at an air field near Hamilton, Ontario. The story of this little-known airplane began in the late ’20s with Hayes Wheels and Forgings of Chatham, Ontario. At the time, the company was not doing too well. Buggies, buggy wheels, and other wooden products for the carriage industry were a thing of the past, and the automobile indus36 MARCH 2012

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try was gradually replacing woodenspoked wheels with pressed-steel wheels. In order to survive, Hayes Wheels and Forgings needed to develop new products. It so happens that both the c ompany’s general manager and chief engineer, William Kistler and Norman A. Thompson, were aviation enthusiasts. Kistler, who seemingly never soloed despite many hours of training, owned an airplane, an Arrow A-2 Sport twoseat light biplane. Thompson, who had flown with the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force during the Great War, owned a Lincoln Page LP-3 light biplane as well as a private airfield and hangar near Chatham. One day, the LP-3 was seriously damaged in a crash caused by a frozen fuel line. Eager to fly again, Thompson took the welded steel tube fuselage to a local automobile mechanic and talented welder, Philip Alexander. Putting the Lincoln Page back into flying condition proved relatively easy, which got both men thinking. If money could be found, it should not be too complicated to design and build an airplane from scratch. Kistler readily agreed to finance the project. Here, he thought, was a new type of product that could restore the fortunes of Hayes Wheels and Forgings. The airplane would be produced by a subsidiary, a manufacturer of wooden wheel hubs and spokes, W. & O. McVean of Dresden, Ontario. (The McVean family had arrived in Dresden around 1870, and it dominated the local business community for almost half a century. Its patriarch, Alexander McVean, was a close friend of Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. MacDonald. Two of his sons, William and Osgood McVean, eventually took over his company, which became W. & O. McVean.) The airplane designed by Thompson was a conventional biplane with side-by-side seating, somewhat similar in concept to the Arrow A-2 Sport. Known as the McVean Valkyr V-2, this two-seat light airplane/basic trainer was designed to fulfill the needs of private pilots and flying clubs. It flew for the first time on May 4, 1930. Thompson was at the c ontrols. Although

somewhat heavier than planned, the Valkyr V-2 proved remarkably successful and easy to fly. Sadly, no one showed much interest in the new design. Airplanes like the de Havilland Moth, the Avro Avian, and the CurtissReid Rambler were already flying in Canada in some numbers. Registered with some difficulty as C F-AKP on May 14, 1930, by O. & W. McVean, the Valkyr V-2 was sold to Alexander in October 1933. Its pilot throughout the 1930s was Ernest H. Taylor, a young aviation enthusiast who had drawn many of the fittings and components of the airplane. Grounded following the outbreak of the Second World War, CF-AKP was destroyed by a hangar fire in 1940 (some sources say 1946).

Putting the Lincoln Page back into flying condition proved relatively easy, which got both men thinking. If money could be found, it should not be too complicated to design and build an airplane from scratch. Design of another airplane began soon after the first flight of the Valkyr V-2. Larger, heavier, more powerful, and better equipped than its predecessor, the Valkyr V-3 was a three-seater (two side-by-side seats at the front and a single seat further back). This configuration had proven very popular with U.S. airplane makers. One only needs to think about classic designs like the Travel Air 2000 or the Waco 10. This being said, it looks as if Kistler and Thompson planned to offer a tandem two-seat training version to the Royal Canadian Air Force. Kistler, however, left Hayes Wheels and Forgings in the fall of 1930, while the Valkyr V-3 was still under construction. As the economic situation grew from bad to worse, the management of the company reluctantly termi-

nated the project. Convinced that the new airplane had potential, Thompson, Taylor, and Alexander asked that the uncompleted airframe be turned over to them. This was soon done, and construction started anew at Thompson’s airfield, near Chatham. The Valkyr V-3 was registered as CFAQA on February 19, 1931, again with some difficulty, by O. & W. McVean. Thompson test flew the orange and brown biplane around Easter. He quickly realized that the airplane’s flying characteristics were not as good as those of its predecessor. Enlarging the rudder helped, but did not solve ever ything. Rumor has it that the Valkyr V-3 would go into a steep dive after being stalled. Worse still, control could only be regained after a considerable loss of height. In September 1931, both Valkyrs took part in a 450-mile air rally, the Tip Top Aerial Derby, sponsored by Tip Top Tailors of Toronto, Ontario. More than 20 air planes, including both Valkyrs, completed this race. The Valkyr V-2 actually came in third. As the economic depression deepened, Hayes Wheels and Forgings’

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VINTAGE TRADER

S o m e t h i n g t o b u y, sell, or trade? Classifi ed Word Ads: $5.50 per 10 wor ds, 180 words maximum, with boldface lead-in on fi rst line. Classifi ed Display Ads: One column wide (2.167 inches) by 1, 2, or 3 inches high at $20 per inch. Black and white only , and no frequency discounts. Adver tising Closing Dates: 10th of second month prior to desir ed issue date (i.e., Januar y 10 is the closing date for the Mar ch issue). V AA reser ves the right to r eject any adver tising in conflict with its policies. Rates cover one inser tion per issue. Classified ads ar e not accepted via phone. Payment must accompany or der. Word ads may be sent via fax (920-426-4828) or e-mail (classads@eaa.org) using cr edit card payment (all cards accepted). Include name on car d, complete address, type of car d, card number, and expiration date. Make checks payable to EAA. Address advertising correspondence to EAA Publications Classified Ad Manager , P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

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situation grew worse and worse. I t eventually closed down all operations. In May 1936, G.B. Stewart and C.W. Burgess of Dixie, Ontario, submitted but did not complete an application to certify the airplane. M.J. Wilson of Chatham bought CF-AQA later that year but did not complete the certification procedure. Frank H. Armitage of Hamilton, Ontario, bought the Valkyr V-3 at a public auction in August 1936. The following year, the 165-hp Continental A-70 engine suffered a midair failure. Armitage chose to replace it with a 200/220-hp Wright J-5 engine. Tom Senior of Brantford, Ontario, bought CF-AQA, possibly in late 1937, and certified the airplane in January 1938. Before long, he realized the Valkyr V-3 was in rather poor shape and decided to dispose of it. Over the next few months, Senior apparently sold the airplane two or three times, but the buyers soon returned it—and presumably asked for their money back. Senior finally sold CF-AQA to R.M. Armstrong who certified the airplane in July 1939. This young miner and inexperienced pilot from the Levack mines near Sudbury, Ontario, soon contacted another pilot and experienced amateur airplane builder by the name of L .A. Hottie. Armstrong wanted to know if Hottie could make the Valkyr V-3 airworthy again. He could indeed.

On November 6, 1939, the Valkyr V-3 stalled while per forming some low-level aerobatics near Larchwood, Ontario. It spun into the ground. Armstrong and his passengers, G. Lennox and F. Church, were killed instantly. It is worth noting that Ernest H. Taylor later worked for Victory Aircraft at Malton, near Toronto, during the Second World War; he flight-tested Avro Lancaster heavy bombers. Taylor went on to become Canadian representative for the Dassault Fan Jet Falcon/Falcon 20 business jet. Renald Fortier, Curator, Aviation History, Canada Aviation and Space Museum Ottawa, Ontario, Canada One other correct answer was received from Warren Kelley of Clarkson, Ontario, Canada. We enjoy your suggestions for Mystery Plane—in fact, more than half of our subjects are sent to us by members, often via e-mail. Please remember that if you want to scan the photo for use in Mystery Plane, it must be at a resolution of 300 dpi or greater. You may send a lower-resolution version to us for our review, but the ﬁnal version has to be at that level of detail or it will not print properly. Also, please let us know where the photo came from; we don’t want to willfully violate someone’s copyright.

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38 MARCH 2012

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VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION OFFICERS

Enjoy the many beneﬁts of the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association

President Geoff Robison 1521 E. MacGregor Dr. New Haven, IN 46774 260-493-4724 chief7025@aol.com

Secretary Steve Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Lea, MN 56007 507-373-1674

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DIRECTORS

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DIRECTORS EMERITUS Ronald C. Fritz 15401 Sparta Ave. Kent City, MI 49330 616-678-5012 rFritz@pathwaynet.com

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Copyright ©2012 by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association, All rights reserved. VINTAGE AIRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EAA Aviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd., PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 549023-3086, e-mail: vintageaircraft@eaa.org. Membership to Vintage Aircraft Association, which includes 12 issues of Vintage Airplane magazine, is $42 per year for EAA members and $52 for non-EAA members. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54902 and at additional mailing oﬃces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Vintage Airplane, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. CPC #40612608. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES— Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail. ADVERTISING — Vintage Aircraft Association does not guarantee or endorse any product oﬀered through the advertising. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken. EDITORIAL POLICY: Members are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. No remuneration is made. Material should be sent to: Editor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 920-426-4800. EAA® and EAA SPORT AVIATION®, the EAA Logo® and Aeronautica™ are registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks and service marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 39

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I Fly With the Best “Wearing” the airplane BY

o doubt about it— I’m very privileged. I am surrounded by good pilots. I don’t mean ones who just know the rules and can make an airplane take off and land to FAA proficiency standards. I mean ones who know how to put the airplane exactly where they want it. They know how to “wear” the airplane, so to speak. They didn’t get that way by chance. They’ve developed their abilities in untold hours in the sky. They’ve hauled passengers and freight, ferried airplanes, dusted crops, and flown for a myriad of other reasons—the primary one for the sheer joy of flight. They know how to read weather and aren’t afraid to make “no-go” decisions, and I’m sure they’ve all been in the “I shouldn’t have

S. MICHELLE SOUDER

done that” situation at some point. Experience has taught them well. I am fortunate to be in their shadows. Before taking flight lessons I had been introduced to aviation through good pilots. Throughout my training I was constantly pushed toward proficiency and better judgment. A baby pilot indeed, but with excellent examples to follow. These folks encouraged me and shared their wisdom along the way. A number of years later they still do, and I’m still learning. It’s a process that should be neverending. It’s my responsibility to pass that encouragement and knowledge on as well. One spring night I flew lead in a loose formation over a Relay for Life rally. On my left was a Super Cub. On my right were a

Monocoupe and a C-172. Those three aircraft were all flown by pilots whose expertise makes my experience a tiny drop in the big aviation bucket. Privileged I was, doing my best to do my part smoothly so they could do theirs safely. Obviously formation flight requires trust, and whether they trusted me I don’t know, but I knew I was in very good hands. How thankful I am that I’m part of an aviation family who’s not afraid to associate with lessexperienced pilots, and looks out for each other. Big name aviators will come and go. Most of them I will never have contact with. That’s okay with me. I am content to know that in my part of the world I fl y with the best. Who can ask for more than that?

40 MARCH 2012

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