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june 2012
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A I R P L A N E Vol. 40, No. 6
2012
J U N E
CONTENTS 2
Straight and Level Your AirVenture Bucket List by Geoff Robison
3
Friends of the Red Barn
4
Aeromail
6 News 7 Book Review 8 T-Craft Tale With a Twist LSA meets vintage by Budd Davisson
16 Type Club Notes
8
Oil leaks . . . where? Oh, where! by George Horn
17 The Hunter Brothers Part 1, A flying family from Sparta, Illinois by Robert H. Hayes
22 Nobody Whistles at Coveralls Adventure with the Curtiss crew by S. Michelle Souder
23
Light Plane Heritage Exploring Early Rotary Engines by Bob Whittier
28
The Vintage Mechanic Truss-type fuselage structures by Robert G. Lock
32
The Vintage Instructor Wind, takeoff, and traffic patterns, Part 1 by Steve Krog, CFI
34
Mystery Plane by H.G. Frautschy
36
What Our Members Are Restoring
37
Classifieds
38
The Flabob Connection Poly-Fiber expertise used to restore squadron mascot by Dave Gustafson
40
Old Radials and Fathers by Lynn Larkin
COVERS FRONT COVER: With a color scheme honoring a Taylorcraft used by Cliff Henderson’s staff of the National Air Races of 1937, this bright little gem was restored by Don Hernke of Cannon Falls, Minnesota, and is now owned and flown by Michael Zidziunas of Lakeland, Florida, and Peter Van Spronsen. The engine powering the T-Craft, a Lycoming O-145, may not have been as popular as the Continental A-65, but it has a loyal following among antique aircraft aficionados. EAA photo by Tyson Rininger.
BACK COVER: The joys of flying a Cub are doubled with the addition of a pair of EDO floats in this ink and watercolor illustration by Bob O’Hara, part of a series of Young Eagles themed illustrations which we’ll be sharing with you in the coming months. An enthusiastic young lady enjoys the sights, sounds and smells of cruising the shoreline near Snug Harbor during her Young Eagles flight in a Piper J-3 Cub on floats.
STAFF
EAA Publisher Director of EAA Publications Executive Director/Editor Business Manager Senior Art Director
Rod Hightower J. Mac McClellan H.G. Frautschy Kathleen Witman Olivia P. Trabbold
Advertising: Manager/Domestic, Sue Anderson Tel: 920-426-6127 Email: sanderson@eaa.org Fax: 920-426-4828 Independent Business Relationship Representative, Larry Phillip Tel: 920-410-2916 Email: lphillip@eaa.org Classified Advertising Tel: 920-426-6809
For missing or replacement magazines, or any other membership-related questions, please call EAA Member Services at 800- JOIN-EAA (564-6322).
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STRAIGHT & LEVEL Geoff Robison president, VAA
Your AirVenture Bucket List
W
ow! As I write this i t ’s m i d - M a y, a n d AirVenture is a mere nine weeks away. The excitement continues to grow for what I will yet again predict to be another excellent year to attend AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. All you really have to do is go to http:// bcove.me/w2grykdi and watch EAA’s video titled “What’s on Your AirVenture Bucket List.” Be sure to turn up the sound and click on the lower right of the window to put the video in full-screen mode. If you don’t feel the energy and desire to pack up the airplane or car and head to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for this event, then you, sir or madam, have nothing but ice water running through your veins, or you do not have a single aviation bone in your entire body! Be prepared to become obsessed! You just have to be there . . . it will be wild! I would also suggest that you give some thought to volunteering with the Vintage team of volunteers. Every year the Vintage Division of EAA attracts more than 450 folks who will volunteer more than 22,500 total hours of sometimes hard but always enjoyable work to this wonderful organization that we all love and cherish. It doesn’t matter if you can help out for just a few hours or for the full week. Come give it a taste, and I think you will be glad you did! You can start your journey as a volunteer at the volunteer kiosk located right in front of the VAA Red Barn Hospitality Center. Remember now, your fellow VAA volunteers will be operating the EAA Aeromart at AirVenture this year, so
we will be in need of some additional personnel to assist us in making this operation a real success. If you make the decision to come join us, you can feel free to contact the various chairmen from the list below. Convention Management Geoff Robison 260-437-5579 EAA Aeromart Paul Kyle 262-844-3351 Judging/Chief Judge Dave Clark 317-839-4500 Computer Operations Earl Nicholas 847-367-9667 Construction & Maintenance Mike Blombach 260-745-2339 Setup & Transportation Phil Blake 507-256-4543 Headquarters/Sales Ruth Coulson 269-624-6490 VAA HQ Hospitality Jeannie Hill 815-943-7205 Interview Circle Ray Johnson 765-664-2588 Merchandise Bob Lumley 262-782-2633 Metal Working Shop Steve Nesse 507-373-1674 Aircraft Parking/Safety Kathy McGurran 303-671-9612 VAA Security Tim Fox 260-486-8126 Tall Pines Café Steve Nesse 507-373-1674 Type Club HQ Steve Krog 262-966-7627 Manpower/Volunteers Gerry Larkin 865-577-6759 Come join us and we’ll do our best to make you feel welcome! Many of you are likely unaware that all of the returning Vintage Past Grand Champion aircraft are always provided a special recognition park-
ing space at AirVenture each year. These returning Champions are always parked facing west on the east side of the road in front of the Vintage Red Barn and Vintage Hangar area. These Grand Champion aircraft represent the “best of the best.” They’re among the finest examples of why we as members of the Vintage movement are dedicated to the preservation of the artifacts as well as the history of these old flying machines. It’s always nice to be able to check out these fabulous aircraft and to take a moment to appreciate the TLC that is provided for these aircraft in their routine upkeep and maintenance. I oftentimes will target one of these old birds and spend as much as an hour just looking it over. It’s amazing to me the number of little details you will notice and pick up on when you take an extra moment to give such a great restoration a good look.
VAA is about participation: Be a member! Be a volunteer! Be there! Do yourself a favor and ask a friend to join up with us. Let’s all pull in the same direction for the overall good of aviation. Remember, we are better together. Join us and have it all. Come share the passion! Hope to see you at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the 60th annual celebration of flight — July 23 through July 29, 2012.
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VAA Friends of the Red Barn Your support is crucial to the success of VAA’s EAA AirVenture activities and programs BY
H.G. FRAUTSCHY
VAA members like you are passionate about your affiliation with vintage aviation, and it shows. You’re the most loyal of all EAA members, renewing your VAA membership each and every year at a rate higher than any other group within the EAA family. We appreciate your dedication! Each year about this time we give you another opportunity to strengthen your bond with the VAA by inviting you to become a Friend of the Red Barn. This special, once-a-year opportunity helps VAA put together all the components that make the Vintage area of EAA AirVenture a unique and exciting part of the World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration. This special fund was established to cover a significant portion of the VAA’s expenses related to serving VAA members during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, so that no dues money is used to support the convention activities. This is a great opportunity for Vintage members to join together as key financial supporters of the Vintage division. It’s a rewarding experience for each of us as individuals to be a part of supporting the finest gathering of Antique, Classic, and Contemporary airplanes in the world. At whatever level is comfortable for you, won’t you please join those of us who recognize the tremendously valuable key role the Vintage Aircraft Association has played in preserving the irreplaceable grassroots and general aviation airplanes of the last 100 years? Your participation in EAA Vintage Aircraft Association’s Friends of the Red Barn will help ensure the very finest in EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Vintage programs. To participate in this year’s campaign, fill out the donation form below and return it in the envelope included in this magazine or visit our website at www.VintageAircraft. org/programs/redbarn.html to make an online contribution. And to each and every one of you who has already contributed, or is about to, a heartfelt “thank you” from the officers, directors, staff, and volunteers of the Vintage Aircraft Association!
✃
STEVE MOYER PHOTOS
VAA Friends of the Red Barn
Name______________________________________________________________________EAA #___________ VAA #___________ Address______________________________________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone___________________________________________________E-Mail______________________________________________ Please choose your level of participation: ■ Payment Enclosed (Make checks payable to Vintage Aircraft Assoc.) ____ Diamond Plus $1,500.00 ____ Diamond Level Gift - $1,000.00 ____ Platinum Level Gift - $750.00
____ Gold Level Gift - $500.00 ____ Silver Level Gift - $250.00 ____ Bronze Level Gift - $100.00
■ Please Charge my credit card (below) Credit Card Number _____________________________ Expiration Date _________ Signature_________________________________________
____ Loyal Supporter Gift - ($99.00 or under) $_______Amount Use envelope provided or 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 __________________________________________________________________ ■ 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) BRONZE LEVEL AND ABOVE 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.
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AEROMAIL Send your comments and questions to: VAA, Letters to the Editor P.O. Box 3086 Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 Or you can e-mail them to: vintageaircraft@eaa.org
Cub Memories Dear Mr. Handleman, I read your article “Going Home Again” about the history of the Cub in the December 2011 issue of Vintage Airplane. Thanks for the nice article; I, too, used to fly a Cub and can identify very much with your sentiments. The part that really brought back memories was your mention of the rising “clatter” as you pushed the throttle forward and accelerated down the runway. Exactly! It sounded like a farm tractor shifting into high gear; each cylinder was heard quite clearly. What a blast! You are indeed correct regarding the origin of the “J-series” name for the Cub line of aircraft. In 1986, I was privileged to eat dinner with Walter Jamouneau and Bill Piper Jr. This dinner was held at the lightly attended trial run of the very first Sentimental Journey Fly-in at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 1986 (the fly-in officially kicked off in 1987). My wife, Margie, and I attended the fly-in banquet one evening with about 20 other people in the back room of a small local restaurant, and we got to meet and talk with both Walter and Bill. (Frank Kingston Smith was the after-dinner speaker, but that’s another story). Both Walter and Bill were about 75 years old at the time; I was a young 27 then. At one point in the conversation, the question came up about the similarity of the “J-series” name and Walter’s surname. He modestly assured us it was not named after him and seemed a bit embarrassed by this per-
sistent legend. Walter’s assertion was backed up by Bill Piper Jr., who was sitting at the table as well. Walter was very humble about his work on the J-series, and I actually believe he would have refused the honor if it had been offered to him. Bill and Walter were very pleasant and gracious. Both these men are gone now, but even today I am thrilled that we got to meet both these aviation legends. I last flew a Cub in 1987 and then flew our family Tri-Pacer hundreds of hours until it was mothballed a few years ago (needs cover and overhaul). Hopefully I will get it flying again sometime. The J-3’s owners, a husband and wife team, rebuilt their Cub and have since flown it from Georgia to Alaska and back and later wrote a book about the journey. Happy flying! Sincerely, John A. Ritchie Jr. Duluth, Georgia
The Vintage Instructor Dear Steve, Re: “Do You Know What You Don’t Know?” I look forward to reading your Vintage Instructor with each issue. I think it’s made me a better pilot (at least I think so). You have got me thinking better when I do get in the cockpit. Sometimes we get a little lazy and don’t realize it. I’m 82 and still fly my WWI S.E.5a replica my son and I built, plus a J-3 Cub, Baby Ace D, and our Cessna 170A I’ve had since 1970. I wish I had you as an instructor when I started flying in 1946. Please keep up the great work you are doing
instructing, and keep on writing for Vintage Airplane! Just for the LOVE of flight, I remain, Mr. Robert F. Zilinsky Willowbrook, Illinois Steve responds: Dear Bob, I received your note today and want to thank you for your kind comments. I thoroughly enjoy teaching people to fly in a J-3 Cub. There is nothing more satisfying to me than stepping out of the cockpit and telling a student to do three solo takeoffs and landings. And the second most satisfying moment is shaking hands the day they pass their checkride. I have been flying since 1969 and teaching flying since 1973. Until 2008 I had been teaching tailwheel checkouts nights and weekends while working full time. But I chose to take an early retirement and open a flight school using Cubs in the spring of 2008. In the past four years I’ve had the pleasure of flying with nearly 300 people, many of them “seasoned citizens” who once flew but left aviation to raise families. Now they’re ready to return to the love of flying. Many of them are in their late 60s or 70s. I had one student that, at the age of 80, earned a sport pilot certificate. You mentioned in your note that you have a J-3 Cub. Have you given thought to participating in the 75th anniversary of the J-3 and flying to Oshkosh? Our plan is to have the Cubs meet at Hartford, Wisconsin, and then fly in trail to Oshkosh on Sunday, July 22. It would be an honor to have you be a part of this one-time event. Thanks again for writing and sharing your thoughts. It makes the effort well worthwhile when I receive notes such as yours. Sincerely, Steve Krog, CubAir Flight Hartford, Wisconsin www.CubAir.net For more information on the events in Hartford, Wisconsin, and EAA AirVenture surrounding the 75th anniversary, visit www. Cubs2Osh.EAAchapter.org.
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VAA NEWS Jack served in the U.S. Air Force as an aircraft maintenance officer on active duty from 1955-58 and later attained the rank of captain in the USAF Reserve. Our condolences to his many friends, and to his wife, Jean, their son Jeff and daughters Jerri and Jeannie, as well as their families, and to Jack’s brother, William. Jack’s services were held Monday, May 20, at the Pine Grove Cemetery in Westborough, Massachusetts. In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to the Vintage Aircraft Association, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903.
Jack Copeland
VAA Director Jack Copeland Longtime VAA Director John “Jack” Copeland passed away at the age of 81 on Wednesday, May 16, 2012. Jack, who joined EAA in 1971, has been a volunteer with the VAA (then the Antique/Classic Division) dating back to 1975, about the same time he bought his first airplane, a Cessna 140. He served the membership as classic parking co-chairman, manpower chair, and, for more than two decades, the enthusiastic chairman of the participant plaques. Appointed an advisor in 1979, he’s been a director of the division since 1984. Jack was one of the faces familiar to countless members as he headed up the participant plaque program during each year’s annual fly-in. An instrument-rated pilot and later a flight instructor for most of his life, Jack’s expertise as an engineer was helpful to the division’s needs during his nearly 40 years of service to the membership. On a local level, he was an active Young Eagles pilot, having flown 281 Young Eagles since the program began in 1992.
Cubs 2 Oshkosh Plans are shaping up to make this year’s celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Piper J-3 Cub one of the most exciting events in the Vintage area in many years. We’ll have much more on the program in the July issue. If you’re even thinking about coming to Oshkosh, please visit the official Cubs 2 Oshkosh website at www.Cubs2Osh.EAAchapter.org.
VAA Picnic and Cubs 2 Oshkosh Dinner
AirVenture 2012 With just more than a month to go before the summertime celebration of flight that is EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, we have a few items we’d like to share with you as you prepare to make your journey to Wittman Field. We’ll have more in the July issue of Vintage Airplane.
Type Club Information Type club representatives who wish to have a presence at a table in the Vintage Hangar during AirVenture 2012 should already have been in contact with VAA Director Steve Krog, the type club hangar chairman, at sskrog@gmail.com. If you’ve not made your table reservation, please be certain to contact him as soon as possible.
VAA Awards Ceremony
A combined event with two dinner seatings will cap off the celebration of the Piper Cub’s 75th anniversary as we combine that celebration’s dinner with the VAA Picnic dinner held in the EAA Nature Center the evening of Wednesday, July 25. Tickets go fast once the convention begins, so be sure to purchase your tickets right away when you arrive on the convention site. Jeannie Hill will be available during the pre-convention celebration in Hartford, Wisconsin, so that Cub pilots can purchase their tickets before departing for Oshkosh. During the convention, you can purchase your tickets at the VAA Red Barn prior to the event. If you have a type club and would like to have your group get-together as part of the VAA Picnic on the Wednesday night of AirVenture, contact VAA Director Jeannie Hill at 815-245-4464.
The VAA aircraft awards ceremony
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will take place in the Vintage Hangar, just south of the VAA Red Barn. The ceremony, which will take place after the daily air show, starting at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, promises to be a great evening for winners and attendees alike. After the ceremony, we’ll host a reception for all attendees and the winners in the Vintage Hangar with soft drinks and snacks. Plan on being there to cheer on your friends and enjoy some vintage camaraderie before we all head home the next day.
VAA Judging Categories But for those of you who are not yet VAA members and are planning on bringing an airplane to be judged during EAA AirVenture, you’re strongly encouraged to join the division. Why? VAA volunteers spend hundreds of hours parking aircraft, judging them, and making the VAA area the best it can be. VAA also covers the majority of the cost of the actual awards, so we’d appreciate it if you’d show your support for the volunteers’ efforts and VAA by becoming a VAA member. So it’s one less thing to deal with upon your arrival, give us a call at 800-843-3612 or join online at www.VintageAircraft.org. Dues are only $42 per year if you’re already an EAA member! Each year we receive inquires regarding the effective years for VAA’s judging categories. Here they are: Antique An aircraft constructed by the original manufacturer, or its licensee, on or before August 31, 1945, with the exception of certain pre-World War II aircraft models that had only a small postwar production. Examples: Beechcraft Staggerwing, Fairchild 24, and Monocoupe. Classic An aircraft constructed by the original manufacturer, or its licensee, on or after September 1, 1945, up to and including December 31, 1955. Contemporary An aircraft constructed by the original manufacturer, or its licensee, on or after January 1, 1956, up to and including December 31, 1970.
Required Equipment: EAA AirVenture NOTAM If you’re planning to fly p in to Oshkosh next month, it’s it imperative that th you obtain a copy of the FAA’s 2012 AirF Venture Notice V to Airmen (NOTAM), which T contains arrival c and departure procedures for the 60th annual fly-in convention. These procedures are in effect from Friday, July 20, through Monday, July 30. (The event is July 23-July 29.) While the overall procedures are similar to past years, you should always review each year’s NOTAM and be familiar with the procedures so you don’t have to fumble around in the cockpit as you head down the railroad tracks from Fisk! You can download a PDF version at www. AirVenture.org/flying/2012_NOTAM. pdf, or call EAA Membership Services at 800-564-6322 and a printed booklet will be mailed to you, free of charge. (You can also order a booklet on the website noted above.)
Don’t Forget Your EAA Passport This Summer The EAA Museum Passport Program, in partnership with the Association of Science-Technology Museums (ASTC), was launched a couple of years ago. This member benefit provides free admission to more than 300 participating museums around the world. To use this benefit, you need to display the ASTC logo on the back of your membership card; current EAA membership cards have the logo conveniently printed on the back. Your EAA Passport will grant free admission to you and your immediate family into most participating museums on the list—as long as it is more than 90 miles from your home. (Additional restrictions apply in Wisconsin.) See the complete list at www.EAA. org/passport for the exact policy the museum of interest enforces.
BOOK OF INTEREST An American Adventure: From Early Aviation Through Three Wars to the White House by Dr. William Lloyd Stearman Dr. William Lloyd Stearman, the son of famed aviation pioneer Lloyd C. Stearman, has recently published a memoir that should garner the attention of anyone who has any interest whatever in early aviation, WWII in the Pacific as a naval officer, life in the diplomatic service in Europe during the Cold War, the Vietnam War, and the workings of the White House National Security Council staff. This book, entitled An American Adventure: From Early Aviation Through Three Wars to the White House, is published by the Naval Institute Press and is available on Amazon as well as other book sources. Of particular interest to Stearman enthusiasts are his recollections of the lives and history of various members of the Stearman family, of their interactions, and of the many of aviation’s famous personalities that he encountered as a young boy at his home, as well as at the Stearman factory. He also describes how the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (now Lockheed Martin) came into being. His father was its first president. This volume displays his keen insight into life from the 1920s to the present, and his opinions and perspective on world affairs and leaders is very insightful and persuasive. It is one which should join the list of required history reading. His elegant prose and writing style makes for a very interesting and informative easy read. I enjoyed it immensely and highly recommend it to all. Moreover, I agree with John F. Lehman, Reagan’s Secretary of the Navy and author of several books, who wrote, “With a novelist’s sense of drama and a historian’s rigor, he has given us a real page turner full of insight and anecdote.”
THOMAS E. LOWE, PRESIDENT, NATIONAL STEARMAN FLY-IN VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
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T-Craft Tale With a Twist
LSA meets vintage BY
BUDD DAVISSON
PHOTOS TYSON RININGER
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It seems as if every week we see the debut of a new, usually slick and streamlined LSA design. The concept is definitely here to stay, and the increasing demand for LSA is what has kept Michael Zidziunas
of Lakeland, Florida, in business for some years: He offers LSA flight training, sales, and maintenance at Breezer Aircraft USA (www.Breezer AircraftUSA.com). However, when Mike Z, as he is known
by just about everyone, showed up at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011, he wasn’t flying the newest LSA on the field. In fact, it may well have been the oldest on the field: a 1939 Taylorcraft BL-65.
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The prewar Taylorcraft’s panel is dominated by the large backwards-turning tachometer in the center of the instrument panel. A nice, lightweight interior in the airplane keeps its performance sprightly.
Very thin plywood was used as the headliner in the cabin. A pair of truncated triangular skylights keep the cabin bright while adding to the pilot’s visibility out of the aircraft during turns.
The Lycoming O-145 wasn’t as popular as the competing Continental A-65. This example was found to be in excellent condition after being pickled following an overhaul in 1975.
The ’39 T-craft came out of a friendship Mike had formed with one of his LSA students who had a similar taste in airplanes, Pete Van Spronsen. Mike says, “Pete learned to fly with me a couple of years ago, getting his sport pilot license [certifi-
cate] at age 53. Then he went on to get his private. He and I became partners in a 1940 BC-65 project and are still doing a complete restoration on it. Pete is also the president of our local EAA Chapter 1178, and it was his idea to get a flying T-craft so we could have
something to look at and fly while we restore the ’40.” When restoring an aircraft, it always helps to have a “pattern” airplane as a source of information. Mike says, “Pete found a ’39 T-craft on Barnstormer and went up to see it just before AirVenture 2011. I remember how excited he was when he called to tell me what he found in a makeshift hangar on a small private strip south of Minneapolis. After delivering my Breezer LSA to be on display at EAA AirVenture 2011, I went to pick up the ’39 and brought it to Oshkosh. My third landing in it was at AirVenture. I spent a glorious week camping with the plane in the vintage camping area, then flew the little airplane back to Plant City, Florida (800 feet AGL the whole way).” The aircraft that persuaded Mike and Pete into taking their checkbook out wasn’t just another Taylorcraft: It wears the colorful livery of the Model A Taylorcraft that was used by the management of the National Air Races to both pro-
Don Hernke enjoyed mimicking the 1939 NAR scout plane color scheme when he restored the Taylorcraft. 10 JUNE 2012
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mote and conduct the 1937 National Air Races at Cleveland. The colorful little BL-65 had been restored by Don Hernke of Cannon Falls, Minnesota. Don is a longtime airplane guy whose background parallels that of many of us in sport aviation, with the Taylorcraft being the latest episode in his long aviation life. He says, “As a teen, and into my early 20s, I used to hang around an old WWII grass strip in Cannon Falls and eventually started taking flying lessons. That was in the early ’60s, and I was flying Cessna 140s. I started working towards my license [certificate] but had no idea it would take 20 years to accomplish that task.” Don’s tale of the struggle to get his certificate resonates with most pilots: He started flying, but building his life, career, and family sidetracked his flying activities. “I got into models and eventually motorcycles,” he says. “But airplanes were always on my mind, and eventually I got back to them.” When he returned to aviation, it was as a homebuilder. He says, “I’ve always liked working with my hands. It’s really satisfying to take nothing and make something out of it, so homebuilding an airplane was a natural thing to do for me. I started looking around and ran across a set of Avid Flyer wings that needed a fuselage to make them into an airplane. So, I scratchbuilt the fuselage, doing all of the work myself. I worked on that for four or five years, eventually getting it flying with a Subaru EA81 in the nose. It flew really well, and I put around 150 hours on it before selling it to get into the Taylorcraft project.” The Avid Flyer went to a pilot who put it on floats, but not before Don spotted what he thought would be his next project. “I had the Avid based on a 1,000foot private grass strip south of Minneapolis,” Don says. “The gentleman who owned it operated an ultralight school and dealership out
of it and had a number of hangars. I rented one of those and noticed a pile of parts that looked like a Taylorcraft in one of his other hangars. It turned out that he had taken what he described as ‘a big box of parts’ in on trade for one of his ultralights. I asked him if it was for sale, and at first it wasn’t. Then he put a price on it. But I thought it was too high, and I decided to wait until he came to his senses.” Don continued flying his Avid Flyer, all the time knowing that his next airplane was piled up in the back of one of the hangars he was continually passing. All he had to do was talk the owner out of it. Finally, when he retired in 2000, he decided to get serious about becoming the Taylorcraft’s new owner. He says, “I looked it over, and it appeared to all be there with the exception of one strut. It was a bare skeleton, with no cover, so I could easily see into all the nooks and crannies. I didn’t see any catastrophic rust, but the wings needed a bunch of work. However, it had a Lycoming O-145 that had been overhauled way back in ’75, so it was a question mark. In a casual inspection, the engine appeared to have been well pickled, so I figured it was probably okay, or at least would need minimum work. At the same time I glanced at the logs. “By this time,” he remembers,
“it had been sitting in the hangar for quite a few years, and the price had slowly worked its way down to where I thought it should be. So I bought it. But then I noticed one peculiarity with the paperwork. The last entry in the logbook was in 1966, when it said, ‘Needs complete recover.’ And the title was in the name of Acme Flight School, but the bill of sale was signed by a Mr. Morris Way. There was no mention of the flight school, which was the official owner as far as the FAA was concerned. So, in theory the guy I was buying it from didn’t actually own it. In fact, for something like 40 years, the airplane had changed hands repeatedly with a title that the FAA wouldn’t accept, and they had said so. This started a whole sequence of events that, had it not been for the Internet, probably couldn’t have been solved: For the airplane to actually be mine and licensable, I had to find the last owner and have him sign a new bill of sale, which wasn’t going to be easy. “The FAA had no record of the original owner, so I started searching his name over the Internet. Had his name been Smith or Johnson, it would have been much more difficult, but his was unusual enough that a manageable number popped up. I started by sending out a blizzard of e-mails and
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Now owned by Michael Zidziunas of Lakeland, Florida, and Peter Van Spronsen, this 1939 Taylorcraft was restored by Don Hernke of Cannon Falls, Minnesota. then made some phone calls. The effort paid off because I found his cousin, who then put me in direct contact with the last owner. This was just before Oshkosh 2005, and it turned out that we were both going to be there. So, we met at Oshkosh, he signed a new bill of sale, the FAA accepted it with no problem, and for the fi rst time in nearly half a century the airplane was finally legal. More important, I was now its official owner. What a headache that could have turned into, but it didn’t.” With the airplane legally his and all paperwork hurdles behind him, Don could begin seriously working on the airplane. “Since I wasn’t an A&P,” he says, “I made a deal with a local one to oversee my work, and we set up a schedule of regular visits. As it turns out, he didn’t let me skate past on anything and was probably being just a little overly cautious.
“The wings took a lot more work. A lot!”
He made certain that everything I touched was done right every step of the way; his name was going to be on the paperwork, and he didn’t want something biting him, and he didn’t want me to have problems in the air. For instance, the wooden Flottorp prop looked really good with no cracks in the finish or anything, but he wanted it inspected and refinished. I found someone working for a museum who had the credentials to overhaul such a prop. I sent it to him, and it came back all shiny and new looking. “The fuselage had little or no rust and cleaned up really well during the sand blasting. After I had it blasted clean, my mechanic went over it carefully, finally saying that it was okay to spray on the epoxy primer and urethane top coat. “The wings took a lot more work. A lot! For one thing, a couple of the spars had been nibbled on by some kind of rodent. Most of the damage
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was well out on the tip, so I could splice them. But one was bad enough that we replaced it completely. “One thing that made the spar replacement easier was that sometime in the far distant past, the original BL-65 wood ribs had been replaced with aluminum Taylorcraft ribs as used on the postwar BC-12s. So, I only had to pull some nails, not break glue joints that would then need to be reglued. “The metal fittings were all in good shape, so I removed them, cleaned and repainted them along with all other wing steel, then sanded and revarnished the spars. When reassembled, they looked great, if I don’t say so myself!”
A never-ending problem with lots of vintage projects that have been shuffled from owner to owner over the years is that the sheet metal is generally nothing more than lumpy sheets that can be used only as patterns. That was not the case with Hernke’s Taylorcraft. “I was really lucky with the sheet metal,” he says. “There were a few dents I had to iron out, but the panels were so good that none of the original Boeing cowl fasteners were missing. Those are hard to find, so that was a coup of sorts. The metal was all there, all reusable and all reasonably smooth, so I just cleaned, primed, and painted it.” The instrument panel was a to-
tally different situation than the sheet metal; it had suffered the way most instrument panels do over nearly seven decades. “It had been pretty chopped up, which is a shame because the original arrangement is classic and really makes the airplane’s interior. So, I got a piece of salvage yard aluminum—don’t ask what kind, I don’t know, it’s just aluminum— and made a new one. This included forming a compound-curved lip all around the top edge. The panel is dominated by a really big—huge, actually—tachometer. It’s at least six or seven inches across and works backwards. The needle goes from right to left, not left to right. I had
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the original instruments and sent them out for repair, but the overhaul station wouldn’t touch those with radium dials. So some dials are slightly larger but still look right. “I did the interior more like a boat, I suppose, than an airplane. The headliner, for instance, is varnished thin wood, and the seats are nothing more than laced slings with pads. It’s comfortable, and I think it looks great!” Brakes can be a problem in airplanes of this vintage because some of the parts are becoming really hard to find. Don, however, didn’t have to go through all that aggravation. “I lucked out on the brakes, which are Shinn mechanical units.
You can get by with questionable brakes on a T-craft because they land so slowly. In my case, however, I didn’t have to worry about that because my brakes had brandnew linings when I got it, and I knew it was highly unlikely that I’d fly it enough to use them up.” When it came to the engine, Don knew that even though the logs said it had been overhauled and never flown, over a quarter of a century of just sitting could have reduced it to a four-cylinder lump of rust. Making matters much more risky, O-145 Lycomings don’t have separate cylinders, which can be replaced or repaired one at a time. On an O-145 Lycoming the cylinders themselves are integral parts of the case castings with only the heads bolted on and removable. So a bad cylinder means a bad case half. Not a good thing! “I gave the engine to my mechanic and he completely disassembled it, checked everything, and put it back together: I had assumed that it had no internal rust or problems, but was nice to know that for sure. “I covered the airplane using a Ceconite envelope for the fuselage and Poly-Fiber for the wings and tail. The paint is Poly all the way through, and yes, I used up a lot of masking tape and paper shooting it.” When it comes time to paint an airplane after a complete rebuild, decisions loom large and difficult. The paint is all most people see when they look at an airplane, so it’s critical we pick out something we like but at the same time is unique enough that the airplane stands out from the crowd without being crazy. Usually the paint scheme starts circling around inside our heads before we even own the airplane but quite often isn’t finalized until we pull off the last piece of masking tape. Even then, we may be tempted to make changes. But Don didn’t seem to have that problem. “I knew pretty much what the paint scheme would be before I even started working on it. I had seen a photo of the Taylorcraft Scout plane
from the 1937 National Air Races in Chet Peek’s Taylorcraft book. That book is the bible for Taylorcraft guys, and I loved that paint scheme. It’s wild enough to be different, but it is also easy to prove that it’s true to the type of aircraft and the period. When I finally got it in the air, I was really pleased with people’s reactions to it.” Don flew the airplane for nearly five years before it showed up at AirVenture 2011 with Mike Z and Pete Van Spronsen. Mike says, “As soon as I saw the pictures, I was in love! There are so many Taylorcrafts floating around that it’s really difficult to come up with something that looks different but at the same time is totally original. And I liked that about it. It really fits in with the fun atmosphere that surrounds our LSA flight-training operation. And everyone loves it down there. Actually, it’s a great conversation piece. When we had it in the Vintage area at AirVenture 2011, it was amazing how many people wanted to talk to us about the paint scheme. And it’s an absolute hoot to fly, although we’d like a little more power. “Fortunately, when Don rebuilt the airplane he installed all the stuff that’s required in the C-85 STC for Taylorcrafts. So, if at some time in the future we decide we want to go with an 85-hp Continental, all of the work is done except for the actual engine installation itself. It has the right fuel tanks, fuel lines, valves, etc. Everything! So, if we do it, it’ll be an easy change. “Peter Van Spronsen and I are both enjoying the airplane. And we plan to continue enjoying it for a long time to come. That’s the beauty of it being an LSA. Our fun won’t be limited by our abilities to pass a physical.” It’s not often we see a government program such as the LSA concept intersect with a bit of little-known history, in this case the National Air Races Scout airplanes, and produce such a pleasant—and fun—result. We love it!
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Type Club Notes Oil leaks . . . where? Oh, where! BY
GEORGE HORN,
CESSNA 170 CLUB PARTS/MAINTENANCE ADVISER Reprinted with permission from The 170 News, Second Quarter 2011, the quarterly publication of the International Cessna 170 Association Inc. www.Cessna170.org
There’s oil all around, but where is it coming from? The pushrod tube rubber seal without ultraviolet lighting.
Like most everyone, I’ve got an engine covered in many areas with anti-corrosion compound…namely, AeroShell W100. I’ve had a difficult time pinpointing the exact area of the leak. If I run it a short time on the ground, the leaks don’t present themselves for discovery. If I fly it around the patch and land . . . the oil is everywhere, including the firewall!
Where, Oh Where Is the Source? So I went to AutoZone and picked up its least expensive ultraviolet oil leak detector kit, which consists of an ultraviolet penlight, some dye (careful…you want the oil/hydraulic fluid leak-detector dye, not the Freon or fuel dyes), and some yellow-lens glasses (the better to see the ultraviolet-lighted oil). With a fresh oil change performed, but before washing the engine down, I added the dye just before adding the last quart of fresh oil to the crankcase. I wanted to make certain the maximum amount of dye was washed down the oil service tube on the engine and mixed with crankcase oil, so I made certain I followed the dye with a quart of oil, to wash it down. I ran the engine for about 10 min-
The pushrod tube rubber seal with Tappet body covers. ultraviolet lighting clearly shows the source of the leak.
utes at about 1000 rpm and then pulled the plane back into the hangar, closed the doors, and turned off the hangar lights to make it as dark as possible. Then, while wearing the yellow glasses, I took a look at various areas of the engine that are always wet with oil, illuminated only with the ultraviolet penlight.
“Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!” —Gomer Pyle I had thought the oil was leaking from the engine through-bolts, but the first surprise was the dipstick tube! See the “without UV lighting versus with UV lighting” photos. I was also surprised by the studs at the tappet body covers. An area of the No. 5 cylinder pushrod rubbers stayed wet, but the rubbers looked good, and I thought it would prove to be the crankcase through-bolt holding the left front engine mount. Wrong! An otherwise healthyappearing pushrod rubber has apparently lost its elasticity. Although it takes patience, and about a $30 investment in dye, penlight, and glasses, I am glad to know the real culprits of my oil leaks.
Now to Fix Them I plan to clean the dipstick tube
and tappet body cover/stud with solvent and electronics cleaner and then apply Permatex No. 2 into the crevices, to stop the oil leak. (I’ve successfully used this technique on engine through-bolts and cylinder base nuts.) Let the Permatex dry overnight before operating. Meanwhile . . . for those of you who want to know the exact source of oil leaks, you might wish to try one of the ultraviolet leak detection kits used and sold by automotive sources. Even if I don’t actually stop the leaks, I am reassured that the source of oil was determined to not be a cracked case or other traumatic problem. I’m just glad to know where that oil is coming from! Hope this short article is helpful. A note regarding the photographs: It was really hard to take pictures through the yellow lenses of the glasses, necessary in order for the UV lighting to show up. Holding the camera, glasses in front of the camera lens, holding the penlight with the other hand twisted up/around to illuminate the leak, and then finding a spare finger to focus, then activate the shutter, all of which was done in very low-light conditions, was harder than pouring in the dye and running the engine!
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The Hunter Brothers PART
1
A flying family from Sparta, Illinois BY
ROBERT H. HAYES
In a photo that appears to have been taken during the record-setting endurance flight, the technique used to transfer of fuel between “Big Ben” and the “City of Chicago” can be seen. An open hatch area just aft of the wing on the lower plane, the City of Chicago, allowed the crewman to grasp the hose to refill the fuel tanks.
Just a mile north of the small southern Illinois town of Sparta is the town’s airport, called Hunter Field. It was named to honor four local brothers who became well-known in the world of aviation in the United States during the first half of the 20th century. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
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This photo, taken in north suburban Chicago at Sky Harbor Airport, shows adding fuel to the plane Big Ben from a Deep Rock tanker truck. Deep Rock Oil company furnished the fuel for the 1930 endurance flight. Albert and Walter Hunter flew fuel and supplies to John and Kenneth and the City of Chicago in the airplane Big Ben. At a young age they lost their father. Since the family lived on a farm, it became necessary for the boys of the family to assume the chores of operating the farm. They never lost that hard work ethic. Albert, the eldest son, quit school after the seventh grade and rode a horse into Sparta to work at the Ford garage. After several years, Albert began working at a local coal mine. In time the family moved into Sparta, and the other three boys joined their brother working as coal miners. Working as coal miners, the boys purchased motorcycles for transportation and pleasure. In their free time they would entertain the citizens of Sparta and the local area by performing daring stunts on their motorcycles. Each summer, when the coal mines shut down, the boys would ride into St. Louis and trade their current motorcycles for newer models. In early June 1924, on their annual motorcycle shopping voyage to St. Louis, the brothers rode out past what is now Lambert International Airport (about a 65 -mile journey from Sparta). At the air-
port, they saw several biplanes parked by the Robertson Aircraft Corporation’s plant. They stopped and inquired about the planes and decided that rather than obtain new motorcycles, they would buy an airplane and learn to fly it. Albert, the oldest Hunter brother, assigned John, the second oldest brother, to stay at the airfield for a day and take flying instructions. Albert and his two other brothers returned to Sparta. John did just that, and after 90 minutes of instruction, he flew the plane to Sparta, navigating by following the roads they had taken to St. Louis. When John arrived in Sparta with the plane, he landed the plane in a pasture across the street from the Hunter house on Dickey Street. That pasture was home to Blossom, the family cow. Both John and Blossom survived the landing, but the plane did not. Landing in a crosswind resulted in damage to the plane. One landing gear of the plane and the propeller were broken. The brothers quickly repaired the plane. Soon, an airplane pilot by the name of Harlan A. “Bud” Gurney
joined them in Sparta and helped John, Albert, Walter, and eventually Kenneth to become accomplished pilots. For the next several weeks, Sparta residents witnessed an almost daily air show as the Hunter brothers learned to perform stunts with their plane. Soon, the brothers bought a second plane and sold it to Bud Gurney. During the summer, Gurney and the Hunter brothers would fly to towns in southern Illinois and southeast Missouri, selling people an airplane ride for a small fee. Eventually they purchased a third plane, started the Hunter Flying Circus, and gave performances at area county fairs. From September 9 to 13, 1924, they performed at the Jersey County Fair in Jerseyville, Illinois. September 16 to 19, 1924, they performed at the Randolph County Fair in Sparta. Their performance consisted of wing-walking, parachute leaps, changing from one plane to another in mid-air, loop the loops, tailspins, and other sensational stunts. In addition to the air show, they
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also gave passengers a seven- to 10-minute ride, charging $3 for each passenger. They used a field just south of the local fair grounds for a landing field. Herbert Budd, a mechanic working for the Hunter Flying Circus, performed the wingwalking, parachute leaps, and changing from one plane to another in mid-air stunts. The Hunters advertised their flying circus and hoped to get billings at other fairs in the vicinity. Bud Gurney was a young man from Lincoln, Nebraska. He came to St. Louis and was working for Robertson Aircraft Corporation Company. Robertson had hired Charles A. Lindbergh Jr. as the chief pilot to fly mail. Lindbergh hired Bud Gurney to rebuild Robertson’s small fleet of de Havilland DH-4 aircraft. Lindbergh and Gurney met on April 9, 1922, when both men sat side by side in the front cockpit of a Lincoln Standard Turnabout on their first airplane ride. Gurney was working at the Nebraska Aircraft Corporation factory in Lincoln, Nebraska, to pay for his flying lessons. Lindbergh had paid $500 to Ray Page, the president of the Nebraska Aircraft Corporation, for flying lessons. Both Lindbergh and Gurney became close, lifelong friends. In addition to performing in the Hunter Flying Circus, the Hunters used their airplanes to travel to air shows, air races, and just barnstorm around the United States. In October 1924, the Hunter brothers flew to Dayton, Ohio, for the air races. On the way back to Sparta, Albert and his passenger, Charles Exiter, planned to stop at Brookville, Indiana, to carry passengers and treat the citizens to an air show. As Albert was landing the plane, the engine quit while the plane was still about 200 feet in the air, causing the plane to crash into a cornfield. Exiter ducked his head beneath the cowling in the front cockpit. Because of this, he broke his neck and died in the crash. Albert, flying the plane from the rear cockpit, was only slightly injured.
In May 1925, the Hunter Flying Circus put on a big demonstration at a field, about five miles north of Chester, Illinois. As part of that demonstration, Kenneth Hunter performed his first parachute leap. Charles Hamilton, a local boy from Chester, also made a parachute leap. As Hamilton attempted his leap from the plane piloted by John Hunter, the parachute failed to release from the case, which was attached to the plane. Hamilton was suspended at the end of a rope, about eight feet below the landing gear of the plane. John Hunter had considerable difficulty keeping the plane from losing altitude due to the aerodynamic drag of him hanging below the plane. After about 30 minutes of circling the field, Hamilton was able to climb up to the bag and unlace the mouth of it so the parachute would release. Hamilton landed safely in a wheat field about a mile south of the landing field. After John Hunter landed the plane, it was discovered that the bag had almost torn loose from the plane. Had the bag torn loose, it would have prevented the parachute from opening. When Hamilton returned to the field, he declared that he was ready to make another leap. John Hunter, more frightened that Hamilton during the episode, responded that he would not permit another amateur to drop from his plane. The Hunter Flying Circus performed at the Randolph County Fair in Sparta in September 1925. On Saturday, September 19, 1925, the last stunt of the performance was a parachute leap. Kenneth “Beans” Hunter leaped from the plane flown by his brother John, at an altitude of 1,500 feet, about a mile south of the grandstand at the fair. A rather stiff wind from the southwest carried Beans and his chute toward the assembled crowd
Bud Gurney in the grandstand. Beans was able to descend away from the trees north of the grandstand and made a perfect landing on his feet on top of the grandstand roof. However, the wind caught his partially open parachute, pulling him from the roof to the ground, 40 feet below. Beans landed on his left hand and side. He remained conscious for a short time, but lapsed into unconsciousness. He was carried to the Red Cross Hospital where he was examined by Dr. J.K. Gordon. The prognosis was that he was suffering from shock, but not seriously injured. A later examination by Dr. C.O. Boynton revealed a fractured bone in his left wrist. Beans was able to sit up the next day and was unhappy that his doctor would not permit him to fill an engagement in St. Louis on Sunday. The Hunter brothers returned to Sparta on Saturday, October 9, 1926, after spending the summer in the New York City area carrying passengers in their three planes. They sold one of their planes while in the east. On April 15, 1926, Charles A. Lindbergh Jr. began the Robertson Aircraft Corporation’s contract mail service between St. Louis
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and Chicago by way of Springfield and Peoria. The Robertson Aircraft Corporation hired Lindbergh, 24, as chief pilot for the mail contract. Lindbergh recruited a number of pilots to assist in the service. John and Walter Hunter joined the Robertson Air Mail service. It’s quite possible their previous association with Bud Gurney led to their recruitment. Pilots flying mail had to fly in visual contact with the ground. They flew in all weather, good and bad. Weather reports were not reliable. Often, journeys started in good weather would fly on into bad weather and fog. Radio communication with airports did not exist. The airports were cow pastures with a windsock. The Hunters became good friends with Charles A. Lindbergh Jr. Lindbergh visited the Hunters in Sparta on several occasions. On his first visit to Sparta, Lindbergh rode his motorcycle from St. Louis to Sparta. He flew to Sparta for later trips. On October 13, 1927, John and Kenneth Hunter flew home to Sparta from Hackensack, New Jersey, where they had spent the summer providing passenger rides in their plane. One of the most pleasant experiences that occurred on that trip was a flight in which a 19-year-old boy had his hearing restored. The boy had become deaf at 8 years of age. John Hunter gave the lad a ride during which he made a dive of several thousand feet. Upon landing, the young man could hear. Several months later, the Hunters again visited with the young man and learned that he was still able to hear. The Hunter Flying Circus presented a performance to a large crowd at Freeburg, Illinois, on Sunday, October 16, 1927. Many Spartans attended the performance. An article in the April 12, 1928, edition of the Sparta News Plaindealer reported that Bud Gurney, now chief air mail pilot for Robertson Aircraft Corporation, created quite a stir in Sparta when he dipped low over “Blossom’s pasture” to wave to the Hunter brothers who were servicing their planes.
Gurney was flying mail to Memphis, Tennessee, in a Ryan monoplane, similar to Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis. Many people, thinking it was Lindbergh paying a visit to the Hunters, rushed to the field. By the time they arrived, Gurney had resumed his trip.
One of the most pleasant experiences that occurred on that trip was a flight in which a 19-year-old boy had his hearing restored. John and Walter Hunter continued to fly mail on routes out of St. Louis. John flew the St. Louis– Evansville, Indiana–Chicago route. Walter continued flying the St. Louis-to-Chicago route. Beans was working at an airport in South Bend, Indiana, as a flight instructor. Endurance flying started on New Year’s Day 1929. U.S. Army Air Corps Maj. Carl Spaatz and a group of fliers set the first endurance record by remaining airborne more than 150 hours in a Fokker C-2A plane named Question Mark. That record required transferring fuel from a plane to the endurance plane. This endurance flight required 42 in-air refueling and resupply contacts between the two airplanes.
Throughout 1929, fliers in Fort Worth, Texas, Cleveland, Ohio, and California each surpassed the time aloft set by their predecessors. In July 1929, Dale “Red” Jackson and Forrest “Obie” O’Brine remained aloft for 420 hours and 21 minutes over St. Louis, Missouri, in a Curtiss Robin monoplane named St. Louis Robin 1. The Curtiss Robertson Aeroplane and Motor Company manufactured the airplane in St. Louis, Missouri. In August of 1929, John Hunter participated in an attempt to break the record set by Jackson and O’Brine. John was the pilot of the refueling plane, Big Ben, which carried gasoline, oil, and supplies to the endurance plane. Starting at 6:52 a.m. on September 30, 1929, John and Kenneth Hunter, piloting the endurance plane, attempted to surpass the Jackson–O’Brine endurance record. They remained in the air 11 days but had to discontinue their flight when a heavy fog made it impossible to refuel the endurance plane. The endurance plane was a Stinson SM-1 Detroiter named Chicago WeWill, owned by the Chicago WeWill Corporation. In early June 1930, John Hunter purchased the Stinson SM-1 Detroiter airplane and renamed it City of Chicago. On June 11, John and Kenneth Hunter quietly took off from Sky Harbor Airport at Northbrook, Illinois, and began their recordsetting endurance flight. An article in the Chicago Daily News on June 13 was the first mention of the attempted endurance flight. The support of the flight was well-planned, but the endurance attempt was not publicized. The experience of the 1929 attempts led John and Kenneth to enlist brothers Albert and Walter to fly Big Ben, the refueling plane. The Hunters hired a manager to help them with the business connected with the endurance flight. As the flight progressed over the Sky Harbor Airport, refueling contacts were initially made about ev-
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ery six hours. After more than a week, refueling contacts were increased to every three hours due to a leak in one of the fuel tanks in the endurance plane, City of Chicago. At each contact with City of Chicago, Big Ben provided gasoline, oil, food, and clean clothes to John and Kenneth. Their mother and sister Irene did their laundry and prepared their meals. John and Kenneth took turns flying City of Chicago and sleeping. On occasions, Kenneth would leave the cabin and scoot along a catwalk to the engine in the nose of the plane, where he would change spark plugs and tighten bolts on the engine. Communication between City of Chicago and support on the airfield was by exchanging notes. One note from John and Kenneth to their sister, Irene, complained the food they were receiving was not “heman enough.” The note continued: “Give us more hot dogs and hard boiled eggs, and less of the fancy fixed duck and chicken.” As the endurance flight continued toward the record set by Dale Jackson and Forrest O’Brine, the flight of City of Chicago began attracting more and more attention. Daily articles in the Chicago newspapers caused large crowds to visit Sky Harbor Airport to witness the event. Many citizens from Sparta made the long trip north to Sky Harbor Airport to cheer the Hunter brothers on. Will Rogers rode along with Albert and Walter on Big Ben during a refueling contact with City of Chicago. On Sunday, June 29, 1930, City of Chicago passed the O’Brine– Jackson endurance record; John dropped the endurance plane low over Sky Harbor Airport with Kenneth standing on the catwalk waving to the crowd estimated to be about 75,000 people. Officials at Sky Harbor Airport offered to get a doctor for their mother, Mrs. Ida Hunter, who seemed a bit faint as she watched the event. Albert’s response was, “Aw shucks, get her a chair and let her sit down. She’s seen things like this before.”
On July 4, 1930, brothers John and Kenneth Hunter landed City of Chicago after having been airborne for 553 hours, 41 minutes, and 30 seconds, establishing a new flight endurance record. John and Kenneth had been experiencing difficulty all day. In late afternoon, an oil screen in the motor clogged. As oil was poured into the motor, it was forced out into the faces of John and Kenneth. The motor began to overheat due to the lack of oil. John and Kenneth decided to land the plane before the motor failed. As City of Chicago touched down and taxied down the runway, the crowd rushed toward the plane. John, recalling Lindbergh’s experience in Paris, taxied the plane around the crowd and into the hangar. Inside the hangar at Sky Harbor Airport, John and Kenneth were rushed to the microphones of the national radio networks. They reported that they were tired but could have stayed in the air for several more days had the oil screen in the motor not become plugged. Following the radio broadcast, the Hunter family, including all four brothers, their mother, and sister Irene were taken by a long automobile procession to the House on the Roof at the Hotel Sherman in Chicago. There they were guests of the hotel management. After arriving at the House on the Roof, John and Kenneth enjoyed their first bath in more than three weeks. After bathing, they were required by their manager to sit at a table and listen to long talks. When the talks were completed, John and Kenneth were finally permitted to get some long-overdue rest. They were awakened the next morning at 10:30 a.m. for an appearance on stage at the Palace Theater in Chicago shortly after noon. The record endurance flight was reported all around the world. Pictures and news of the endurance flight were published in the New York Times. The July 8, 1930, issue of the St. Louis Globe Democrat featured a front-page article about
Sparta, the Hunter brothers, and the endurance flight. Many news accounts reported that Albert was the only member of the family who was married. This was quite possibly amusing to John Hunter, who on May 7, 1929, was married to Laura McCarey of Sparta by a justice of the peace in St. Charles, Missouri. Laura was teaching school and chose to keep her marriage a secret. In the spring of 1930, John was flying mail and planning an endurance flight. Laura thought that announcing their wedding then would attract attention to her while John was a national celebrity. In the week following the endurance flight, the Hunter family was honored as guests at a number of banquets in Chicago. The banquets were hosted by Will Rogers, Charles S. “Casey” Jones, an executive of Curtiss-Wright, and members of the Chicago Board of Trade. Their sister Mabel was the only family member not present during the endurance flight and subsequent festivities. Mabel was in a hospital, suffering from tuberculosis. During that week, the Hunter family appeared three times a day on stage at the Chicago Palace Theater. After that week, the Hunter brothers abandoned the stage to work on their planes. The City of Chicago had a new 300-hp Wright J-6 engine, donated by the CurtissWright Corporation, installed to replace the original 220-hp Wright Whirlwind J-5 engine. The Wright Whirlwind J-5 engine was the same type of engine that Lindbergh chose for his New York-to-Paris flight. Both planes, City of Chicago and Big Ben, were being prepared to carry the Hunter family to Hollywood, California. The Hunters signed a contract with United Artists to appear in a movie to be produced by Howard Hughes and Sid Grauman. Part II of the Hunter brothers’ story will appear in next month’s issue of Vintage Airplane.
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Nobody Whistles at Coveralls Adventures with the Curtiss crew BY
S. MICHELLE SOUDER
H.G.FRAUTSCHY
W
hen I first started flying I had no idea of the plethora of different aircraft I would come in contact with. Having a hangar beside an aircraft builder/restorer has been quite an education—and an interesting one at that. In 1911 Eugene Ely flew a Curtiss Pusher onto and from a ship in San Francisco, California. That was the beginning of U.S. naval aviation, although the process to fully incorporate aircraft took some doing. Fast-forward 100 years to a small airport in New Market, Virginia, and a man named Bob Coolbaugh. In honor of the Navy centennial he, a former Navy aviator, and several airplane cohorts built a replica of the Curtiss Model D that Mr. Ely flew. Their intention was to participate in a number of centennial shows with the Navy and introduce people to some little known aviation history. (See the May 2011 issue of Vintage Airplane.) Watching for three years as the overgrown ultralight-looking contraption took shape, I could not help but look at the “sticks and wires” and think, “You’re going to do what?!” Since Bob and his wife are more like family than neighbors, I answered the plea for help and marked my calendar for the shows I could make. We have a familiar joke between us that “some of us aren’t retired . . ..” As such my attendance was limited, but I was able to manage a few trips as part of the crew during the year. I boned up on my Curtiss history (fascinating, I admit). Then I set out to find some attire I wouldn’t melt in while wearing the somewhat-period-correct Curtiss coveralls. I must say they were spiffy in white (White? Yes, white.) with Curtiss embroidered on them. Any frustrations I had about not fitting into 10-year-old shorts were for naught as the coveralls made midlife flaws inconsequential.
S. MICHELLE
SOUDER
Many a conversation was started by those coveralls with the name emblazoned on the back. Nobody whistles at coveralls, but many opportunities were provided to share about the airplane—which was as it should be. My job while crewing consisted of manning the support tent, folding oodles of T-shirts, helping move the airplane, and of course, talking to lots of people. Being the babe (in the aviation experience sense) of the group, I was a bit hesitant to take a place beside the airplane to talk about it. I needn’t have worried. While I couldn’t relate the actual flying experience of it, I could answer most folks’ questions and share their amazement. Any positive connection was worthwhile. The rest of the crew graciously shared their space and responsibilities with me. We laughed, sweated, and occasionally grumbled together. We ate too much “show” food and went to bed tired just to get up and do it again the next day. Crazy, yes probably, but for some of us it was a once-in-alifetime experience to share that kind of aviation history. The Curtiss is overwintering in Florida. It was flown more than 120 hours (4,000-plus miles) from Virginia around the East Coast, halfway across the country, and back. There were many things to contend with, but no aircraft emergencies—quite a testament to those who built it. Congratulations, Bob, on a successful and safe year. You and the “regular” crew have much to be proud of. Kudos to the whole Curtiss group (and your significant others) for your hard work and talent. I was fortunate to share a small part. Thanks for letting me wear the coveralls and share the adventures.
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Light Plane Heritage published in EAA Experimenter January 1994
EXPLORING EARLY ROTARY ENGINES BY
BOB WHITTIER EAA 1235
This amazing model of a Gnome rotary engine was on display at the Hays engine tent at Oshkosh years ago. Younger EAA folks who have never heard of rotary engines are often amazed the first time they see one running. The Turkish towel draped behind this model was to catch oily exhaust. n the years following World War II, it was easy to find serviceable 65-hp lightplane engines at attractive prices. These powerplants, so important to the population expansion of the certificated lightplane in the years bracketing the war, launched the homebuilt airplane movement on a course which led it to what it is today. But now, those engines are getting on in years, they’re not so easy to find,
I
and they’re increasingly expensive to recondition thoroughly. At the same time, engines of more recent manufacture tend to be of higher power, and this has led to the development of homebuilt aircraft designs that are faster and more expensive than many grassroots aviation enthusiasts want, have the skill to fly, or can afford. Mass-produced aviation and automotive engines have been around for so long that most of the people
now active in sport aviation literally grew up with them and know them well. Younger enthusiasts are thus often surprised, amazed, and puzzled when they encounter strange old aero engines in books and museums and at fly-ins. Many EAA people are expert mechanics but know rather little about the intricacies of aircraft engine design. Yet, lack of knowledge about what has been done in the past can stifle ingenuity when doing pres-
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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Left, cutaway of pre-1913 Gnome rotary. Note inlet valve in piston head. Magneto and oil pump mounted on anchorage plate did not rotate. A brush-and-ring arrangement which sent current to plugs had to be kept clean. Because heat and oil deteriorated rubber insulation, bare wires that carried current to plugs often broke. Top right, enlarged view of intake valve. From 1913 onward, “Monosoupape” Gnomes used the less troublesome inlet system shown at lower right.
Left, the reason for using an odd number of cylinders on rotary engines was to achieve a smooth running firing order. Right, counterweight on valve ends of rocker arms overbalanced tendency of centrifugal force on rods to hold valves open. ent-day experimental work. Therefore, this and articles to appear in succeeding issues will present aero engine history in an interesting and imagination-spurring way. We have to point out, however, that it’s a vast subject that can’t be treated fully in magazine articles. Because they had been in use since the 18th century for driving water pumps, factory machines, and boats, steam engines became increasingly numerous and well-understood as the 19th century moved along. It is
understandable that some aeronautical pioneers tried to adapt these engines for powered flight. While some acceptably light, powerful engines were created, they were held earthbound by the size and weight of the necessary boilers and their supply of wood or coal. Powered flight thus had to await the appearance of comparatively light yet powerful internal combustion engines burning liquid fuel internally. For the quite short flights feasible in very early airplanes, a small and there-
fore light supply of fuel was adequate. For the most part, early gasoline engines created for use in cars and boats were too heavy for their power output to be suitable for aircraft use. One writer described attempts to fly under their power as being like “trying to imitate the kangaroo.” To achieve usefully low weight, the Wright brothers built their own engines around a cast aluminum crankcase. It delivered 12 hp and weighed 179 pounds. We have to remember that their flights of December 17, 1903, were made with an appreciable head wind. A very early European aero engine was the Anzani, made by a firm having a motorcycle background. To make his 21-mile English Channel crossing in 1909, Louis Bleriot used a 24.5-hp, three-cylinder, air-cooled Anzani. It just barely got him to England, and would not have done so if a providential rain shower had not cooled off the badly overheating cylinders. More capable French Antoinette monoplanes used custom-built, expensive Antoinette V-8 air-cooled engines able to produce 30 to 50 hp and weighing around 200 pounds. In case you wonder, these machines
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were named after the daughter of one of the firm’s principals. A vast step forward for aviation took place in 1908 with the introduction of the Gnome engine which weighed 165 pounds and delivered 50 hp. In French folklore, a gnome is a sturdy little worker, hence the name. At the Rheims air meet in August of 1909, pioneer fliers such as Henri Farman and Louis Paulhan surprised the aviation world by demonstrating how very ably this new combination of power and lightness could fly big, box kite-style biplanes. The Gnome was a “rotary” engine, and we should point out that it was nothing at all like the much later Wankel having an internal rotor. One way of making a lightweight engine is to start with a single-throw and therefore very short crankshaft, fit it into a ringlike and similarly short and light crankcase, and arrange several cylinders radiating out from the crankcase in a starlike fashion. The Gnome crankshaft and case were substantially lighter than the longer equivalent components of engines having four or six cylinders in a row. The rear portion of the crankshaft was made quite long so that it could be affixed to suitable brackets or bulkheads built into an aircraft’s fuselage. Of course, it projected appreciably from the back side of the crankcase. Downward pressure on piston heads pushing against connecting rods created side-pressure on the cylinder walls, which thus made the crankcase and cylinder assembly revolve swiftly while the crankshaft remained motionless. Clamp the projecting crankshaft end of a junked lawn mower motor into a vise, rotate the rest of the engine around it, and you’ll grasp the idea perfectly. The propeller was attached to the front of the crankcase and rotated with it. Whatever the time period in which an engine happens to be designed, it represents the “state of the art” as of that time. Whatever is available in the way of design techniques, materials, and manufacturing facilities is used to best advantage. Creators of the Gnome, the
brothers Laurent and Louis Seguin of Paris belonged to a family which had long experience building locomotives and heavy machinery. They had experience with and the machinery for working in steel. A crankcase machined from a solid billet of forged steel would be easier for them to produce than one of cast aluminum, which at that time was a relatively new and unfamiliar material. Similarly, for air-cooled cylinders it would for them be quite routine to put billets of steel into a lathe and turn the cooling fins. But a problem! Because of the shapes necessary it would be hard to produce cylinder head fins with a lathe. Some combination of fussy drilling, broaching, and planning work would be necessary. Even then, the resulting fins might be too lacking in number and area to dissipate combustion chamber heat. Thus they hit upon the rotary idea. Cylinder heads located at the outer edge of a revolving engine would travel through the air at considerable velocity and thus cool as well as possible, considering their skimpy finning. The Sequins did not invent the rotary engine; they adapted the idea to aero engine use. A mopedlike, two-wheel vehicle built late in the 19th century had a five-cylinder rotary engine built into its rear wheel. A few early automobiles also had rotaries. For Gnome engines, solid steel billets weighing 67 pounds were machined into cylinders weighing about 8 pounds. Wall thickness was only 1.5 millimeters, or about 1/16 of an inch. Steel parts for the later Le Rhone rotary engines were machined down to 184 pounds from billets totaling 1,160 pounds. That’s how they achieved lightness using what they had and overlooking the cost in terms of wasted material. After the 1909 Rheims meeting, demand for Gnomes soared, and for some time it was the leading aero engine. It was in demand because it combined power with lightness. Other firms, of course, rushed rotaries into production. Although we now can consider the rotary idea to be freakish, the outbreak of World
War I in 1914 caused governments to swamp rotary makers with orders simply because these quirky engines were available and the need was urgent. Well-known French makes were the Gnome, Le Rhone, and Clerget. The British built some of these under license and developed their own 230hp Bentley, the most powerful rotary to be built. Gnomes had been built under license in Germany prior to the war, and modified versions continued to be made there under the Oberursel name. There were numerous less-wellknown makes. Details of rotary engines were often outlandish by today’s standards. But we should not laugh at them, for they exhibited a degree of designing imagination not often seen today. Carburetors as we know them, for example, were not used. It would have been practically impossible to contrive one that would work while whirling around at 1200 rpm. Besides, air and fuel were thoroughly mixed and vaporized as they sped past crankshaft cheeks and connecting rods inside crankcases. Very crude air and fuel metering valves and jets were mounted at the rear ends of hollow crankshafts. Details varied from make to make, but in general pilots had to be skilled at manipulating air and fuel controls to keep their engines running. Also, it would have been impossible to keep a supply of recirculating oil within a whirling crankcase. Oil was thus pumped into the hollow crankshafts, and airflow swept it along into crankcases. Because main bearings were of the ball bearing type, pressure lubrication was not needed. Oil mist served them adequately, just as in two-cycle engines. Mineral oil would have mixed with and been diluted by gasoline. Besides, such oils available long ago proved unable to stand the heat and pressures experienced by rotary engine parts. So castor oil was used. It would not mix or be diluted with gasoline, it could withstand the heat, and it had higher lubricity—the ability to cling to metal surfaces—than early mineral oils. It did cause hard, black varnish
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Left, piston side-pressure on cylinder walls made the engines revolve. Big ends of connecting rods had crutchlike, curved pads that ran in grooves in main bearing. Center, 80-hp Le Rhone engine. Right, a double-acting rocker arm actuated by a push-pull rod operated both valves. Cams were complex. coatings to build up on hot surfaces. And this combined with quite light construction gave early rotaries 10 or 20 hours of flying between overhauls. The best of them produced late in the war could be run for perhaps 50 hours. Because of limited supplies of castor oil, the Germans made less use of rotaries than did the Allies. Incoming castor oil lubricated briefly, and then airflow and centrifugal force carried it into the firing chambers. Some of it burned and created a smoky exhaust. That which didn’t burn flew out with the exhaust. Many early rotary-engined planes were of the pusher type so that only the tail surfaces would be coated with the resulting film. Castor oil gave exhaust fumes a pungent, penetrating odor suggestive of ether or automotive starting fluid. When tractor-type engine installations came into favor, it quickly became apparent that sheet metal shields would be needed to keep the worst of the mess and stink from blinding and gagging pilots sitting in open cockpits a short distance behind. These evolved into the neat cowls seen on Sopwith Camels, Nieuports, and others. While these did add some streamlining to fuselage noses, their prime purpose was to collect the exhaust and direct it down and out below the fuselage. As a study of accompanying drawings will show, it would have been next to impossi-
ble to fit exhaust manifolds. Even if one were contrived, it would still exit the exhaust in pinwheel fashion. Exhaust flame exiting from rotaries were something to see at night. It is said that pilots wore long, flowing scarves not to appear dashing but to have ready at hand goggle-wiping cloths that would not blow overboard. One old book states that 85 pounds of centrifugal force acted on the fairly small valves of a Le Rhone. Because centrifugal force pulled outward on pushrods with such force, overriding counterweights were built into the valve ends of rocker arms. Because of low compression ratios and running speeds, words such as “thundering” wouldn’t apply to the sound emitted by a rotary. Various writers have described it as being a moderately loud but pleasant hum, a soft but strong buzz, or a low growl. Early Gnomes had inlet valves built into the piston heads. They opened and closed by pressure differentials and forces on hinged counterweights. To maintain uniformity of inlet timing, and thus full power output, mechanics were kept busy removing cylinders to check and adjust these valves. In 1913 Gnomes thus began to use a system called “Monosoupape,” meaning “one valve” in French. This referred to the single big exhaust valve—really more of a flap—in the cylinder heads. A ring of holes was
drilled around the lower ends of cylinder walls. Shortly before reaching bottom dead center, pistons uncovered them and the fuel/air mixture flowed into combustion chambers, as in a two-cycle engine. It took practice to learn to run a Monosoupape. Because they had doubts about the legitimacy of these strange engines, Englishspeaking pilots took to pronouncing the name as “Minus-a-pops.” Le Rhones used intake and exhaust valves mounted in the cylinder heads. Copper intake pipes ran from the crankcase to each cylinder head, and centrifugal force helped the mixture get out to the heads. The single rocker arms were doubleacting. Single pushrods operated by complicated cams alternately pushed up and pulled down on these rods. The tortuous and restricted intake route of the Gnomes caused them to burn about 10 gallons of gas and 2 gallons of oil per hour for an output of 80 to 110 hp. Le Rhones used half that much. The high fuel consumption of rotaries limited their use to short-range fighters. Less thirsty straight-six, V-8, and V-12 engines were preferred for bombers. Because of their built-in-flywheel effect, rotaries ran very smoothly indeed. Also, their pistons did not reciprocate. Instead, revolution of the cylinders created the necessary four strokes. Clamp the big end of a Continental connecting rod into padded
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Left, pilots had to learn how to operate Gnome fuel and oil supply systems. Because oil was used briefly and then expelled in exhaust, a large supply had to be carried. In crashes, systems employing air pressure often sprayed gasoline and aggravated the fire hazard. Right, because the volumes of heat generated in larger cylinders would have overtaxed marginal cooling systems, Gnome resorted to using standard cylinders to build up this 14-cylinder, 160-hp, double-row rotary engine. vise jaws, install the piston, and then slide the cylinder up and down on the piston to visualize this action. But in the air, rotaries also experienced pronounced gyroscopic effects. Find the front wheel of a bicycle and a wooden shaft. Drill the end of the shaft so you can force-thread it onto one end of the wheel’s axle. Hold the wheel at right angles in front of you and get it to spinning. Then experience for yourself the gyroscopic forces with which rotary pilots had to cope. In a steep right turn, the pilot of a nimble single-seater would use hard left rudder to keep the nose from being pulled down into a spiral. In a steep left turn, he’d apply hard left rudder to keep the nose from being pulled skyward. The German Siemens-Halske that appeared late in the war is a prime example of engineering imagination bordering on the weird. Designed to produce 160 hp, its creators realized that a mean amount of gyroscopic force would confront pilots. So, the cylinders rotated one way while a set of gears behind the crankcase made the crankshaft and propeller turn in the opposite direction! That cut the gyroscopic force—but since the cylinders then rotated at only 800 rpm, there was poor cooling. Because of very elementary air and fuel admission controls, Gnomes could not be throttled down. They ran at about 1,200 rpm all the time.
To taxi and to descend for a landing, a pilot pressed a thumb button on top of the control stick to short out the ignition. He’d release it before the engine died. This was called “blipping the engine.” Le Rhones had more sophisticated admission devices and could be slowed down usefully by pilots who were deft with the controls. Planes powered by Clergets and Bentleys had a set of switches by means of which these nine-cylinder engines could be run on seven, five, or three cylinders. This meant that unburned fuel and combustion flames exited into the cowlings at the same time. Apparently only the steady rush of air into and out of the cowlings kept the planes from being torched. An assortment of factors brought on the end of rotaries. They were inherently quirky and messy, never very safe, and expensive to operate and maintain. The gyroscopic effects killed many pilots, both students and experienced. Fuel consumption was uneconomically high, and meanwhile the efficiency of stationary engines was steadily improving. If rotational speed was significantly increased, centrifugal force would place huge loads on light steel crankcases. The long, tortuous journey from air inlet past the jumble of parts inside and out to the combustion chambers gave them inherently poor breathing efficiency. In Europe civilian pilots having re-
cent military experience used rotaries for a few years after the war simply because they could be bought so very cheaply from war surplus outlets. But gasoline was so expensive there that the high fuel consumption of rotaries soon led to their being retired. In the United States, some Le Rhone rotaries had been manufactured in 1917 to 1918 for use in military training and scout airplanes such as the Thomas Morse. In the early postwar years one company managed to convert surplus Le Rhones into fixed radial engines. But the stationary V-8 Curtiss OX-5 engine was much more plentiful here, and while it had its faults, it didn’t have the nasty vices of the rotaries. And it, too, was cheap. So it became “the” engine for private and modest commercial flying in the 1920s. It thus had the effect of discouraging the development of lowerpowered aircraft engines here. But from the early 1920s onward, the high cost of petroleum in Europe led to much activity in the field of small and very much improved engines. Many of these were of the radial type. Externally they resembled rotaries in that cylinders fanned out from the crankcases. But these parts did not whirl around. Instead, crankshafts revolved within fixed crankcases. This produced very much more tractable, reliable, and economical engines. Next month we’ll explore radials.
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Vintage Mechanic
THE
BY ROBERT G. LOCK
Truss-type fuselage structures Perhaps the oldest aircraft structure is the truss-type fuselage, which dates back to the Wright brothers. Over the years truss fuselages have been manufactured from wood, aluminum, and steel. The truss-type fuselage structures evolved into two basic types—the Warren truss and the Pratt truss. Illustration 1 shows a wire-braced, truss-type fuselage.
Illustration 1
Illustration 2
The primary fore and aft load-carrying members are called longerons. Illustration 1 shows both Pratt and Warren type structures. The Pratt truss can be identified by longeron cross-bracing being placed at 90 degrees to one another, with either wire or tube bracing for rigidity. The Warren type structure has crossbracing at varying angles to the longeron. Examples of truss-type frames are shown above right in Illustration 2.
As is the case of most early aircraft designs, there were no maintenance or overhaul manuals written by the factory. On occasion the factory would produce a sketch detailing repairs to primary structural components. Such is the case with New Standard Aircraft Corporation of Paterson, New Jersey, and its model D-25. The factory provided a detail drawing of how to splice aluminum angle longerons, which could be adapted to other angular components.
Illustration 3 Right: Illustration 3 is a New Standard D-25 factory sketch of a longeron splice. Repair sketches like this are very rare, especially when made by the original manufacturer.
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Saving an Original Truss Fuselage Frame
Illustration 4 Illustration 4 shows a 1929 Command-Aire 5C3, NC998E, the factory entry into the Guggenheim Safe Flight Contest, 1927 to 1929. This photo was taken at Mitchell Field, Long Island, New York, at the start of the contest in October 1929. NC998E eventually became a crop duster in Fort Pierce, Florida, and has miraculously survived throughout the years. It is in the author’s possession and will be used in this column to describe repairs to a steel tube truss-type fuselage frame.
CONTACT US TODAY! TOLL FREE: TEL: FA X: SALES: VDOHV#VXSHU IOLWH FRP WEB: Z Z Z VXSHU IOLWH FRP Scan this QR code with your smartphone or tablet device to view our complete line RI IDEULFV WDSHV DQG ÂżQLVKHV
Illustration 5 Illustration 5 shows NC998E, modified to crop dusting, displaying major damage to the forward section and internally rusted lower longerons necessitating entire replacement, both left and right. Before starting the repairs a mechanic must make a determination as to the condition of the entire frame. This ship is so rare that every effort must be made to save as much of the original frame as possible and still keep the ship airworthy. So the first step is to determine how much of the original tube structure is still airworthy. This should be completed before designing repairs; if the frame is no good, then it will be a waste of time to design repairs, as a new frame will have to be constructed. A quick and easy first step is to test the tubes that are not damaged using a tap-testing tool that comes to us from advanced composite damage assessment. Illustration 6 shows tap-testing the tubes.
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Illustration 6 Tap-testing a modern-day advanced composite structure is practiced by gently tapping the structure with a dense metal object (usually a coin made from a section of brass bar stock) and listening for a metallic ring or a solid sound (Illustration 6). If the structure has delaminated, the sound will be dull or dead. You can do the same thing with steel tube; just tap the structure and listen for a metallic ring. Take a new piece of tubing and support both ends, then tap and listen to the sound. Practice this, then move to the structure and begin tapping on the bottom or lower portion of the tubes. If internal rust has eaten away the wall of the tube, the sound will change to a dull tone, indicating that the wall is thin. Do the entire frame, making notes on a sketch or marking with masking tape if you find tubing suspected of internal rust.
Illustration 7 One will be amazed how easy and quick this step takes. Just invert the frame and tap all the tubes, longerons, cross and diagonal tubes, etc. In the case of this Command-Aire, the lower longerons are rusted internally to a point that they are unairworthy. In fact there are a few holes that emanate from the inside of the tube all the way through the wall thickness. When this step is completed and the frame found to be airworthy by using the tap-test, a more thorough inspection may be needed in certain critical areas.
Illustration 8 shows some of the damage detected in the Command-Aire frame. If detail and assembly drawings can be secured from the FAA or other sources, then dimensions will be available, along with tubing diameter and wall thickness. If there are no drawings (as is the case with the CommandAire), then it will be necessary to make detailed sketches of the fuselage structure complete with accurate dimensions as the frame will have to be cut apart to make necessary repairs. A background in mechanical drawing comes in very handy in situations like this. Having already restored one Command-Aire, I made detail drawings of as many primary structural components as possible during the restoration. I also fabricated a fuselage fixture to weld the side truss of the shop, which may come in Illustration 8 handy when repairing this project. However, when the factory fabricated all the fuselage frames (except for the first few ships), Chief Engineer Albert Vollmecke designed a large fixture whereby the entire 4130 frame could be fitted and then welded. It was a marvelous invention that assured uniformity in the production of tube structures, including fuselage, ailerons, elevators, horizontal stabilizers, vertical fins, rudders, landing gear, and engine mounts. Illustration 9 shows an original factory photo of the rotating fuselage fixture and gas welders at work in the Little Rock, Arkansas, plant. Note the Pratt truss-type structure that was entirely constructed from 4130 chromoly tubing, when most other manufacturers were still using 1025 mild steel.
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Illustration 9 Saving a rare old aircraft is a passion, and one I wish to share with any who are interested. There will be more on this restoration in future articles. When designing and conducting repairs to any primary structure, alignment of the hard points are very critical. The fuselage frame sets the geometry of the landing gear, engine thrust line, lower wing angle of incidence, cabane strut location, horizontal and vertical stabilizer location, and tail wheel mount point. When an airframe is damaged from an accident, many of these points can be affected, so close examination must be completed before a decision is made to either repair or replace the frame. The upper longerons are straight, so the top of the fuselage is flat. If one laterally levels the upper cross tube at station 1 and then checks the level at the aft cross tube, any twist in the frame will be evident. Once a decision is made to repair the frame, detailed sketches of the structure must be created in order to place the structure back to its original dimensions. I have a background in mechanical drawing, so with drawing board, tee square, triangle, and scale, suitable sketches can be made of the structure complete with dimensions. Back in 1982 a search of FAA files and the Federal Records Storage Center turned up no ATC drawings. One FAA offi cial suggested that the original drawings were transferred to Fort Worth, Texas, and were destroyed in a flood. Whatever actually happened to the drawings will never be known, except that they no longer exist. And so this column ends with a decision to repair the original fuselage frame by replacing both lower longerons, repairing cross and diagonal tubes in stations 1 and 2, removing all tubing that was added to support the hopper installation, and welding cross tubes in place that were removed when the hopper went in. Stay tuned for further progress reports.
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Are you nearing completion of a restoration? Or is it done and you’re busy ying and showing it o? If so, we’d like to hear from you. Send us a 4-by-6-inch print from a commercial source (no home printers, please—those prints just don’t scan well) or a 4-by-6-inch, 300-dpi digital photo. A JPG from your 2.5-megapixel (or higher) digital camera is ďŹ ne. You can burn photos to a CD, or if you’re on a high-speed Internet 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 creating photos we can publish, visit VAA’s website at www.VintageAircraft.org. Check the News page for a hyperlink to Want 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 31
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Vintage Instructor THE
BY Steve Krog, CFI
Wind, takeoff, and traffic patterns Part 1 How do you fly the traffic pattern, especially if you are going to do two or three takeoffs and landings? “Never much thought about it,” is the reply most often offered when I’m conducting a flight review. “It sort of comes natural,” they add. “Is that why we were about one-quarter mile south of the runway centerline during the climb-out,” I offer? “Geez, I never realized I was doing that,” the pilot responds, “Why are you making such a big deal out of it?” My reply is, “To prevent a midair collision, and so that you can make a good landing.” “What does my climb-out have to do with my landing?” Everything! Precision in the traffic pattern usually leads to a good landing.
Takeoff and Climb-out NOTE: Assume in the following example that we are experiencing a 45-degree crosswind from right to left at 12-15 mph. After completing the pretakeoff checklist but before every takeoff, what do you do? Align the airplane with the centerline and push the throttle to the stop? Or do you take a few seconds and think about the takeoff? Do you ever ask yourself the “What if” questions? What if the engine sputters and quits before liftoff? Just after liftoff? Do you remember to take a quick peek at the engine gauges as the power is added? What is the surface wind doing just before adding power? If these questions are answered honestly, most would agree that the airplane, engine, and pilot inputs are oftentimes taken for granted. Maybe we could and should all pay a bit more attention and run through the “What if” questions before each takeoff. Let’s take a look at how the airplane responds in a crosswind takeoff and the actions, or lack thereof, of the person at the flight controls. Many of us general aviation pleasure-flying pilots will glance at the windsock as we taxi away from the hangar and make our way to the preferred runway. After determining which direction we’ve selected for the takeoff, we never again look at the windsock. Rather, we just assume the wind won’t change before we get into the air. The surface wind can be quite variable in any given day, particularly if it is less than 15 knots. Have you ever
found yourself adding power, beginning the takeoff roll, and then found that the airplane decided to take you on a cross-country tour through the tall grass on either side of the runway? It catches you by surprise as you apply corrective control inputs, but the question comes to mind, “What was that, and what did I do wrong? The wind was right down the runway when I last looked (7-10 minutes ago).” When working with students, I insist that they take one last look at the windsock before applying power. Beginning with the takeoff roll, the control stick or yoke should be all the way back in your lap and turned or pushed near fully to the stop in the direction from which the wind is coming. A crosswind from the right requires the stick to be pushed or turned to the right. The right aileron is deflected to the up position, preventing the right wing from generating more lift than the left. With the stick or yoke in the full back or aft position, the prop blast and the relative wind cause a downward load on the tail, keeping the steerable tail wheel firmly planted on the ground as power is applied. Directional control for the first four of five seconds of the takeoff roll is maintained by the tail wheel and proper rudder pedal application. Generally, several soft taps on the right rudder are needed in a calm or light head wind situation. But in this particular situation one may need to tap the left rudder to offset the crosswind that is attempting to push the tail to the left and the nose to the right. As groundspeed increases, pressure on the elevator can be felt in the control stick. At this point, gently move the stick slightly forward, lifting the tail about a foot off the ground. A mistake commonly made at this point is raising the tail too high, creating either a neutral or negative angle of attack. This tail-high attitude significantly extends the length of the takeoff roll. Simultaneously, light rudder pedal taps will be needed to maintain straight-line directional control. If the crosswind is strong, left rudder will be needed, but if it is light, right rudder will be required to offset engine torque and propeller P-factor. We began the takeoff roll with the right aileron fully deflected upward. With increasing groundspeed, the controls become more effective and less aileron deflection is needed to offset the crosswind. Just as the airplane leaves the ground the control stick should be rotated to a neutral
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position, causing the aileron to assume a neutral position as well. Oftentimes a pilot will continue holding aileron deflection during the liftoff, causing the wing to dip in the direction of the wind. Simultaneously, some pilots will then add and hold left rudder causing a slip/skid configuration. Correct this by glancing at the space between the bottom side of each wing and the horizon line. In a lowwing airplane, look at and balance the space between the top of the wing and the horizon. Level the wings and take your foot off the left rudder pedal. Once airborne, even in a light crosswind, I like to climb to about 15-20 feet, then level off and neutralize the rudder and ailerons if you’re still holding the windward wing down. Depending on the crosswind velocity, the airplane will “weather vane,” basically establishing its own crab angle. When the crab angle stabilizes, resume the normal climb-out attitude while maintaining the crab angle. Don’t forget to apply light but constant right rudder during the climb to offset torque and P-factor. This will allow you to climb on a straight line off the end of the runway. Continue the climb until reaching at least 500 feet above ground level (AGL), and then lower the nose to a level attitude. Depending upon the level of activity in the flight pattern and airport traffic area, you may want to vary your climb attitude and airspeed for safety. Traffic volume may dictate a more gradual climb angle so that you can more easily see over and around the nose and spot any potential traffic conflicts. A designated pilot examiner (DPE) friend, for whom I have a great deal of respect, recommends making gradual S-turns passing left and right through the imaginary extended centerline during the climb. This will allow seeing whatever is in front of the airplane (i.e., to better see other traffic). This is an especially good practice when flying an airplane like the J-3 Cub, as the nose blocks all forward visibility when in a normal 60-mph climb attitude. Just because your airplane will climb out in a steep attitude, there is no need to demonstrate this feature when departing a fly-in. Wait until you are clear of the airport traffic area, then play. It may someday save a near miss or even worse.
Head wind or Tail wind on Crosswind Leg After lowering the nose and clearing the area for other traffic in or approaching the traffic pattern, establish a shallow-bank climbing turn to the left (for left-hand traffic patterns). In a light or no-wind condition this turn would be approximately 90 degrees, so that you are perpendicular to the departing runway but flying away from that runway. In this example we are turning from a right-quartering head wind to a right-quartering tail wind. If this is not taken into consideration, the crosswind leg will not only increase your groundspeed, but the wind will also push the airplane leftward toward the runway, tightening the traffic pattern track. To correct this situation, roll out of the
turn about 10 degrees early to establish a slight crab angle to the right, offsetting the wind’s push. The increased groundspeed will necessitate initiating the turn to downwind a bit more quickly than you may have anticipated. The crosswind leg of the traffic pattern is the leg that is most often abused by students and certificated pilots alike, based on my experience. Frequently, neither the wind direction nor the velocity is taken into account. In turn, a sloppy crosswind leg leads to an equally sloppy downwind leg, which then leads to a bad base leg. I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ll state it again. If I’m flying with an individual who is flying a sloppy pattern, I’ll challenge that person to a contest. I will predict, while on downwind leg, if the landing will be good or not. A student will almost always accept the challenge. I’ll write the letter “G” or “B” on my hand—“G” for a good landing and “B” for a less than good landing. I can truthfully say that I’m correct well more than 90 percent of the time. The more things are done properly and correctly while flying the traffic pattern, the fewer things have to be fixed on either the base leg or final approach. The fewer things to fix, the better the landing. Note: In the next issue I’ll explain the downwind, base, and final legs of the traffic pattern and what I look for to help make a better, more comfortable, safer, smoother, and uneventful landing.
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by H.G. FRAUTSCHY
MYSTERY PLANE This month’s Mystery Plane comes to us from the EAA archives/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 July 10 for inclusion in the September 2012 issue of Vintage Airplane.
You can also send your response via e-mail. Send your answer to mysteryplane@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.
MARCH’S MYSTERY ANSWER
O
ur March Mystery Plane came to us from the Cedric Galloway collection of the EAA archive. Here’s our only answer: On January 7, 1929, Braley Field was established southeast of Wichita, Kansas, and just north of Travel Air Field (Wichita Beacon. January 7, 1929, and January 13, 1929. Referred to as “Braley Airport” in the first article and at www.WingsOverKansas.com). This facility consisted of one building and a hangar. Two addresses are known for the Braley
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Aircraft Company and the adjunct Braley School of Flying (211 E. Douglas Ave. and 6400 E. Franklin Rd., Wichita, Kansas, respectively). The Braley operation was a family affair. Thomas E. Braley served as company president, with his sons, S. Ward “Skip” Braley, serving as the designer of their aircraft, and his brother, Ted, being in charge of production and testing. Known in most sources simply as Ward Braley, he was, and is, undoubtedly one of the youngest aircraft designers in aviation history. In early 1928, at the age of 17 or 18 (depending on whether one accepts the obituary information given in the Wichita Beacon or the Wichita Eagle, respectively), Ward Braley designed his first aircraft. Known as the B1 (some sources include a hyphen, hence “B-1”), it was given the appellation of Beezle Bug1 . Registered as X8171, the B1 (photo attached) was a singlebay biplane powered by a 220-hp Wright J-5. It had an upper span of 27 feet and a lower span of 25 feet. The overall length was 21 feet 7 inches, and the useful load was 800 pounds. The range of the B1 was 75 miles, with a VMAX of 184 mph, a VC of 135 mph, and a VSO of 35 mph. Inset ailerons were only fitted to the upper wing. The next Braley design, also a Beezle Bug, was known as the B2K5 (registered as 660H). The span was 27 feet, and the overall length was 21 feet. It apparently differed little from the original B1 with the exception of the engine, which was a Kinner K-5 of 100 hp. Yet another was built as the B2-R5 (or B2-J6). Registered as X432N, it apparently
differed in the use of a 225-hp (165hp, according to Aerofiles.com) Wright J-6-7. The fourth and final Beezle Bug is the subject of the Vintage Airplane photo. Registered as NX626K, it was powered by a 185-hp (170-hp, Aerofiles.com) Curtiss R-660 Challenger and was designated as the B2-C6 (or B-2C6, depending on what nomenclature one wishes to accept). NASM laser videodisc 1, side A, frames 15,387 and 15,388 are two other photos of this same aircraft. The manufacturer’s name is incorrectly spelled as “Brayley.” According to Aerofiles.com, special “flaps” were fitted to the landing gear struts to slow the aircraft to 35 mph for landing. Unfortunately, tragedy struck the company within a year. At 9 a.m. on the morning of Monday, January 13, 1930, both the building and hangar were destroyed in a fire which consumed 11 aircraft, three of them being Beezle Bugs. The fate of the fourth Beezle Bug is unknown, as are the identities of the other aircraft. The total loss was valued at $90,000, according to the Wichita Beacon. However, this is not the end of the story…. By mid-April, the Braley School of Flying was again operational, and a new school was opened for glider instruction. In May, the Braley Glider Corporation had built a new glider, known as the Skysport (Wichita Beacon. April 18, 1930, and May 11, 1930). Unfortunately, tragedy once again struck the Braley family with the death of 18 (or 19)-yearold Ward “Skip” Braley on July 19, 1930. According to newspaper accounts, one of the wings of the Sky-
sport came off at 100 feet altitude, while being towed into the air by a car. “Skip” Braley died on impact, and was survived by his brother Ted and a 9-year-old brother named Jack, and a sister, Dorothy, age 16. He was buried at Marion, Kansas. According to one source, the school may have continued up to the outbreak of the Second World War. Whatever the case, the fate of one Beezle Bug remains unclear. S. Ward Braley’s obituary mentions that four Beezle Bugs were built, and the story of the fire does state that three were destroyed. As most of these stories go, we will probably never know exactly what happened…but it would make a good research project…for someone. Any takers? Wesley R. Smith Springfield, Illinois No other correct answers were received.
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.
1 The etymology of the words “Beezle Bug” is somewhat controversial and obscure. The term was used in Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who. In that story, animals threaten to boil the Whos in Beezel-nut oil. This may be another form of the 1920s slang term “beezer,” meaning “nose.” A search of the Internet reveals little. Some say it is a reference used in the Sylvia Foster story The Women. One blogger wrote: “The engineers said she couldn’t fly, but she did, every Saturday night.” I heard my grandparents use these words a few times, and my recollection is that it simply referred to a winged insect, usually a beetle or a locust (known as “June bugs” and “grasshoppers” in the Midwest). I recall that the buzzing sound made by the wings of June bugs was the reason for the term “Beezle Bug,” but childhood memories are far from conclusive.
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WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING by H.G. Frautschy
Brian Coughlin, one of the antique world’s most accomplished restorers and antique aircraft reproduction builders, shared these photos with us in a couple of letters. I’m embarrassed to say that one of them has been hanging around in our file for more than a couple of years, so I suspect he’s further along on these projects than is shown in the photos. He told me the Curtiss-Wright is close to flying, with just an exhaust awaiting overhaul and a couple of small details to be finished off before it’s ready for flight.
Buhl Pup Brian purchased this very original 1931 Buhl Pup in 2010, where he found it in a barn 50 miles south of Glens Falls, New York. It had been in storage for 65-plus years. He learned about it thanks to its proximity to a summer camp, Lake George, his wife’s family has had for many years. Brian worked out a trade deal with vintage airplane collector Kermit Weeks, so the Buhl has returned to the state where it was originally owned— when delivered from the factory, it belonged to a Miami, Florida, flying club. As found, the Buhl Pup project is shown here with its original tail fabric from 1931 and cotton wing covering installed in 1938.
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VINTAGE TRADER S o m e t h i n g t o b u y, sell, or trade?
Aeronca C-3 and Curtiss Wright Junior. I’m going to let Brian tell you about these two in his own words: “These two airplanes spent 50-plus years in the attic of a chicken coop in upstate New York, along with eight or nine other pre-WWII ships. One of them is a Curtiss Robin restored by Doug Wallbridge of Pompey, New York. I have flown that Robin 30-40 hours and even took the prior owner, Clarence Ingersoll, for a ride on his 90th birthday. “I have been working on the Curtiss-Wright Junior for over four years. In one of the photos, you can see the engine start for the first time since the early 1940s. The Aeronca C-3 is owned by my neighbor Gen. Bob Knauff. (It’s C-3 Master version. The single-axle landing gear and doors are the clues to look for on this one.—HGF) He has had the engine overhauled and new ribs made. The fuselage fabric is factory original. “On a trip to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., I noticed that on the kiosk for the Curtiss Robin Ole Miss there was a photo of the Key brothers in front of presumably their Curtiss-Wright Junior. I decided on the spot to use their logo on mine. See the photo. The boy on the left is Charlie Mann, and on the right is our son, Teddy Coughlin. Both are air-minded and enjoy flying.”
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 37
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For a group of USAF F-22 mechanics who had never worked with wood or fabric, the rebuild of a WW I Nieuport 28 was a challenge they met with enthusiasm and superlative skills.
USAF Nieupo r t 28 a n d F-22 R a p tors :
The Flabob Connection Poly-Fiber expertise used to restore squadron mascot BY
One of the oldest existing U.S. Air Force’s fighter units is the 94th “Hat in the Ring” Squadron, made famous in World War I by Eddie Rickenbacker. The 94th has a historic lineage, Nieuports and Spads in WWI, P-38s in WWII, later F-86s, F-4s and F-15s, and now the F-22 Raptor. For more than 25 years, the 94th displayed a full-scale Nieuport 28 replica outside its squadron building in honor of its first combat fighter. Last summer a freak windstorm destroyed the Nieuport, and a saddened squadron vowed to restore it. Donations flooded in from 94th alumni worldwide; the only problem was that the current F-22 maintenance guys didn’t know much about working on 1917 wood and fabric aircraft. Several contractors offered to replace the replica at inflated prices, but their quotes were well beyond the squadron budget.
DAVE GUSTAFSON
Jon Goldenbaum, president of Flabob’s Poly-Fiber, heard of the disaster. Goldenbaum was a member of the 94th when the replica was originally built. At the time he was an F-15 pilot whose hobby was antique and classic aircraft. In those years, he owned and maintained a Taylorcraft that he flew at Langley AFB when he wasn’t in an F-15. Since Goldenbaum was the only pilot in the unit who knew anything about fabric aircraft, he wound up assisting builder Ken Kellett assemble and install the airplane in front of the 94th .. Later, Goldenbaum gave Kellett a ride in an F-15, a memory they share when they meet at air shows today. Since the windstorm, Goldenbaum coached the 94th F-22 maintainers on antique aircraft restoration via e-mail and phone. The 94th guys installed a wood shop
in an F-22 hangar, then launched with enthusiasm to learning new skills including cutting and shaping wood, welding steel. In January, Goldenbaum and top Poly-Fiber technician Hualdo Mendoza flew to Langley to help finish the restoration and teach the high-tech F-22 guys how to cover a 1917 WWI fighter with fabric. More than 20 Air Force technicians worked on the project. Soon, fabric components were in the paint shop receiving an authentic WWI camouflage paint job with the proud Hat in the Ring emblazoned on the side. The replica was rededicated in February, then installed in its place of honor in the front of the 94th. If you get a chance to visit Langley, don’t miss seeing the 1917 airplane completely restored by 2012 F-22 maintainers, with a little help from the past and Flabob.
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VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
Enjoy the many benefits of the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association
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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.
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Old Radials and Fathers When one would fly over the house, whoever heard it first would yell out, “Old Rumbly’s coming!” by Lynn Larkin
W
hen I am asked, as I am sure many of you are, how I became interested in aviation, I think back to early childhood. Our house had a large picture window that looked out over a creek and a cow pasture. Beyond the pasture were the Southern Railway tracks. All these features became the personal playground of my best friend and me as we grew up. I remember standing in front of the window at my dad’s side. When one of the pre-jet-age airliners would fly over on its climb-out from the Knoxville airport, we would watch and listen to it as it flew into the distance. What a beautiful sound! I would ask, “Where is it going to, Dad?” “Oak Ridge,” was his reply. “Wow,” I thought. Readers, the plane might have been going towards Oak Ridge, but not to land. There was not an airport there, but I didn’t know that or even really care. Five-year olds are just happy to get an answer, any answer. Sometimes we would get in the car and drive to the local airport just to watch planes take off and land. It was inexpensive entertainment for young parents to provide their children. When Gerry and I became parents, our children were exposed to aviation from infancy, and Oshkosh was our summer vacation. We had a plane and lived next door to a grass strip. We also had a special name that we applied to any radialengined airplane: “Old Rumbly.” When one would fly over the house, whoever heard it first would yell out, “Old Rumbly’s coming!” and we would run out of the house to look and listen until it was gone. I suppose we were doing our part to make sure it made it safely through our part of the sky. Time marches on . . . my father passed away 34 years ago, the children have grown up and moved off, and Old Rumbly seldom flies over any more. Occasionally, however, a Rumbly will grace the sky, en route to Oak Ridge perhaps. As always, I will put down whatever I am doing, walk outside, and stand reverently until he is gone. Invariably, my mind takes me back to that picture window of my childhood. I so miss my dad at times . . . Lynn Larkin and his wife, Gerry, are longtime volunteers for the Vintage Aircraft Association.
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