Va vol 43 no 5 sep oct2015

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015

V A U G H N ’ S

Vagabond

•Restoring a Howard DGA •OTW Reborn •D-18 Family Tradition

Thank You for Another Great Year!

2105 was another remarkable year at AirVenture. The great partnership between Ford and EAA provided many benefits to AirVenture visitors and future aviators.

Ford Motor Company is proud to support EAA AirVenture with many experiences and contributions: • Fantastic opening-night concert performance from Dierks Bentley, with support from Cirrus Aircraft • Extraordinary sounds from Hotel California: The Original Eagles Tribute Band, to close the week • Blockbuster films such as Interstellar, Unbroken and more at the nightly Fly-In Theater; with legendary presenters such as Bob Hoover attending • Creating the one-of-a-kind Apollo Edition Mustang to generate $230,000 for EAA Youth Education programs, including the Young Eagles • Displaying concept designs, production vehicles and state-of-the-art technology at the Ford Hangar and Lincoln Pavilion • Offering a $750 EAA member incentive toward the purchase or lease of a new Ford or Lincoln vehicle through Jan. 4, 2016 • Providing a family-friendly environment to ensure something great is offered for everyone Thank you for visiting and we look forward to seeing you again next year!

The Privilege of Partnership EAA members are eligible for special pricing on Ford Motor Company vehicles through Ford’s Partner Recognition Program. To learn more about this exclusive opportunity for EAA members to save on a new Ford or Lincoln vehicle, please visit www.eaa.org/ford.

Vintage Airplane

Straight & Level

STAFF

EAA Publisher/Chairman of the Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jack J. Pelton

GEOFF ROBISON

VAA PRESIDENT, EAA Lifetime 268346, VAA Lifetime 12606

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Busha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jbusha@eaa.org VAA Executive Administrator. . . Erin Brueggen 920-426-6110. . . . . . . . . . . . ebrueggen@eaa.org

Nothing but amazing!

Art Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Livy Trabbold

Oshkosh 2015 was truly one of the best events I have ever been involved in.

It all starts with EAA leadership and staff and their efforts to execute well beyond our wildest imagination, and they have far exceeded all of the expectations of the membership and our thousands of guests. The buildup to opening day was palpable, and you could actually feel it in your bones…this is going to be exceptional! And it was! Mix in the amazing weather throughout the entire week of the convention, and the crowds were pouring through the gates beginning on day one! More than 550,000 members and guests visited Oshkosh 2015 this week. Vintage had more than 500 volunteers, and the EAA total was more than 5,000 volunteers making it all happen. Vintage counted more than 1,000 aircraft present in our area throughout the week, and the EAA total was more than 10,000 aircraft.

All of the news coming out of EAA and VAA about the AirVenture 2015 has been nothing short of incredible. The lineup of featured aircraft and events for this year was impressive. A B-52 Stratofortress, a B-29, an F-100, two F-22 Raptors, an F-35, and a 1911 Wright Model B replica that all flew during the air shows. This was an incredible event, and it was enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people. My favorite of all the performing aircraft has to be the F-100. As a youngster in the early ’60s I remember the F-100 Super Sabre flying near my home in northeast Indiana, so it has been a very long time since I actually saw one fly.

The new Vintage Interview Circle has been officially named The Bill & Myrt Rose Memorial Park. The finishing touches to the park were completed shortly before the opening ceremony on day one of the convention, and the grandstand was filled with Vintage members and friends of the Rose family. It was an honor for me to host the opening ceremony of the park, and we had a lot of fun during the program! Myrt was blessed to have in attendance nearly all of the Rose’s Raiders who had flown so many of Bill and Myrt’s aircraft to Oshkosh for so many years. We can never thank Myrt enough for her generous support throughout this initiative. I strongly suspect that Bill had a huge smile on his face for the whole week of Oshkosh 2015. The front yard of the VAA Red Barn has never looked so good!

The long-awaited phase two upgrade to the Tall Pines Café is now completed. Our guests and members apparently enjoyed the new enlarged tent over a solid concrete floor this year, considering that we set a record of meals served at the Tall Pines Café during Oshkosh. This was accomplished in spite of the fact that we were unable to serve breakfast on the Saturday before opening day because of some damage to the tent from an early morning

ADVERTISING: Vice President of Business Development Dave Chaimson. . . . . . . . . . . dchaimson@eaa.org Advertising Manager Sue Anderson. . . . . . . . . . . . sanderson@eaa.org VAA, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903 Website: www.vintageaircraft.org Email: Vintageaircraft@eaa.org

VISIT www.vintageaircraft.org for the latest in information and news and for the electronic newsletter:

Vintage AirMail

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION Current EAA members may join the Vintage Aircraft Association and receive VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine for an additional $45/year.

EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine and one-year membership in the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association are available for $55 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included). (Add $7 for International Postage.)

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars. Add required Foreign Postage amount for each membership.

Membership Service PO Box 3086 Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086 Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM—6:00 PM CST Join/Renew 800-564-6322 membership@eaa.org EAA AirVenture Oshkosh www.eaa.org/airventure 888-322-4636

continued on page 62

www.vintageaircraft.org

1

Vol. 43, No. 5

CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 18

Tim and Myrna’s Time Machine Restoring a Howard DGA Sparky Barnes Sargent

26

Vaughn’s Valiant Vagabond Putting the fun back in flying Sparky Barnes Sargent

38

Al Meyers and an OTW Reborn The Herrmann family’s biplane Budd Davisson

45

Keepin’ Up a Family Tradition Walt Bowe’s D-18 Beech Budd Davisson

52

Doomed Titan

The sacrifice of the USS Shenandoah Mark Carlson

TYSON RININGER

2

SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2015

2015

COLUMNS 1

Straight and Level Nothing but amazing!

Geoff Robison

4

Friends of the Red Barn Thank you

5

Oshkosh 2015 Vintage Awards

COVERS FRONT COVER: Vaughn Lovely eases his Vagabond up close to the photo plane. Photo by Tyson Rininger BACK COVER: Walt Bowe and his freshly restored Beech D-18. Photo by Tyson Rininger

9 Ask the AME Tremors

John Patterson, M.D., AME 10 How to?

Select and use aircraft screws

Robert G. Lock 12

Good Old Days

14 Art of Flying

Blu

Sarah Wilson 58 The Vintage Mechanic

Specialty inspection—Part 1

Robert G. Lock 62 VAA New Members 64 Vintage Trader

For missing or replacement magazines, or any other membershiprelated questions, please call EAA Member Services at 800-JOIN-EAA (564-6322).

ANY COMMENTS?

Send your thoughts to the Vintage Editor at: jbusha@eaa.org www.vintageaircraft.org

3

Friends of the

TM

RED BARN

We thank our Friends of the Red Barn supporters for their generous investment in the future of VAA. Diamond Plus Level Robert F. Charles Charles W. Harris Arthur P. Loring Jr. Michael Miller S.H. Schmid Sisk Charitable Trust

Diamond Level Ron & Jon Apfelbaum James Gorman Robbin Hill Ken & Lorraine Morris Earl Nicholas Richard & Sue Packer Geoff Robison Ben Scott Ronald Tarrson Leonard Weiser

Platinum Level James Hamilton

Gold Level Susan Dusenbury Joseph Leverone Silver Level Gary Brossett 4

Dave Clark Gerald Cox John Cronin John Kephart MariAnne & Mark Kolesar Larry Nelson Dwain Pittenger Carson Thompson Michael Wotherspoon

Bronze Plus Level Dennis Beecher Ray Bottom Richard Broderick Donald Coleman A.J. Hugo Ed Lewandowski Terry Ross David Smith Tom Vukonich Bob & Pat Wagner Bronze Level David & Jeanne Allen Lloyd Austin Tom Baker Hobart Bates Marilyn Boese Logan Boles

SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2015

Robert Busch Steve Buss George Chaffey Geoffrey Clark Sydney Cohen Timothy Devine Dan Dodds David Flinn Roger Florkiewicz Stuart Fraley Joseph Gamble Terry Griffin Ian Harvie Lee Hussey Peter Karalus Glenn Kinneberg Marc Krier Barry Leslie Charles Luigs Thomas Lymburn Stephen Moyer Dan & Denise Osterhouse Sandy & Barry Perlman Ronald Price Tim & Liz Popp Robert Porter Peter Ramm Timothy Raupp Jerome Riesz

John Seibold Jeffery Shafer Bob Siegfried, II Joseph M. Smokovitz Dean J. Stoker Carl & Pat Tortorige Alan Thiel Robert Tyler Jan Wolfe Brian Wynkoop Ed Yess Boyt Young Supporter Level Charles Burtch Bruce Denney Duane Dunwoody Walter Kahn James Lockwood John Mahany John O’Callaghan Michael Schnell Robert Staight Don Stewart Michael William Duane Wething

VINTAGE AWARDS Antique Awards STEVE MOYER PHOTOS

(Through August 1945)

Antique Grand Champion Gold Lindy

Antique Continuously Maintained Aircraft JOHN RICCIOTTI, 117 DEER RIDGE DR, BARRINGTON, NH N14048 1934,WACO S3HD Replica Aircraft Champion Bronze Lindy FRANK PAVLIGA, 1965 NEW MILFORD RD, ATWATER, OH N498K 1983 PIETENPOL World War II Military Trainer/Liaison Aircraft Champion Bronze Lindy JAMES SAVAGE, 119 GOLFVIEW DR, GIBSONIA, PA N17634 1939 SPARTAN 7W

Classic Grand Champion Gold Lindy

Customized Aircraft Champion Bronze Lindy PETER RAMM, 290 RIVERVIEW BLVD, ST. CATHARINES, ON N39752 1941 WACO UPF7 Bronze Age (19371941) Champion Bronze Lindy DAVID PYEATT, 10153 WISH AVE, NORTHRIDGE, CA N20961 1940 WACO SRE Silver Age (19281936) Champion Bronze Lindy DAN MURRAY, 3842 FLORENTINE CIR, LONGMONT, CO NC6464 1928 TRAVELAIR 4000

Contemporary Grand Champion Customized Gold Lindy

Antique Reserve Grand Champion Silver Lindy DOUG HARKES, 88832 CHURCH ST, WROXETER, ON CFCVE 1944 FLEET M62A3 CORNELL Antique Grand Champion Gold Lindy CRAIG BAIR, 1647 CHEKAPA LN, GRENVILLE, SD N67478 1942 HOWARD AIRCRAFT DGA15P

Contemporary Grand Champion Gold Lindy www.vintageaircraft.org

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Classic Awards (September 1945 through December 1955) Outstanding Cessna 120/140 Plaques (Small) DOUG SYTSMA, 42333 TRENT DR, CANTON, MI N2339N 1947 CESSNA 120

Custom Class C (151 - 235 hp) Plaques (Small) TABER ROBBINS, 2230 GRAND CENTRAL, HORSEHEADS, NY N10RR 1954 BEECH E35

Outstanding Cessna 170/180 Plaques (Small) JOHN CASTORINA, 675 DANA DRIVE, SANTA PAULA, CA N3261D 1955 CESSNA 180

Custom Class D (236 and up hp) Plaques (Small) CARY SINGLETON,23375 HIGHWAY EE, DEARBORN, MO N4101K 1947 NORTH AMERICAN NAVION

Outstanding Ercoupe Plaques (Small) RONALD BLACK, 217 MILES AVE, VALLEY CENTER, KS N93394 1946 ERCOUPE 415 C

Best Customized Runner-Up Plaques (Large) JOHN NIELSEN, 108 N DUNCAN RD, BLOOMER, WI N170KW 1955 CESSNA 170B

Outstanding Piper J 3 Plaques (Small) MATT HOFELDT, 4918 LANTERN HOLLOW LN., WUNAKEE, WI N92012 1946 PIPER J3C 65

Class I (0 - 80 hp) Bronze Lindy RYAN HARTER, 1434 BUTTERNUT CIR, GREENFIELD, IN N3175E 1946 AERONCA 11AC

Outstanding Piper Other Plaques (Small) PAUL GAGNON, 12 ELDERBERRY CRT, GUELPH, ON CFGAG 1950 PIPER PA-20

Class II (81 - 150 hp) Bronze Lindy TERRY DURHAM, 7743 E. SUMMIT RD, PARKER, CO N1902B 1948 LUSCOMBE 8F

Outstanding Stinson Plaques (Small) MICHAEL GARDONIO, 328 S 60TH AVE W, DULUTH, MN N9418K 1947 STINSON 108 2

Class III (151 - 235 hp) Bronze Lindy CRAIG LAYSON, 8950 STONY CREEK RD, YPSILANTI, MI N180TP 1955 CESSNA 180

Outstanding Swift Plaques (Small) CRAIG LAYSON, 8950 STONY CREEK RD, YPSILANTI, MI N90394 1946 GLOBE SWIFT

Class IV (236 and up hp) Bronze Lindy MICHAEL PRATT, 9223 SPRINGBROOKE CIR, LOUISVILLE, KY N1001D 1950 CESSNA 195A

Outstanding Limited Production Plaques (Small) DAVID DENTON, PO BOX 1312, SILOAM SPRINGS, AR N2916V 1951 CALLAIR A 2

Champion Customized Classic Bronze Lindy MARK MEREDITH, 509 REDLAND BLVD, ROCKVILLE, MD N7DW 1951 DEHAVILLAND DHC 1 CHIPMUNK

Preservation Plaques (Small) PAUL “HARVE” APPLEGATE, APPLEGATE AIRPORT, RR 1 BOX 61A, QUEEN CITY, MO NC8841K 1947 STINSON 108 1

Reserve Grand Champion Silver Lindy ROBERT P. CHRISTENSEN, 1600 GRANDVIEW LA., ASHTON, ID N4846M 1947 PIPER PA 11

Custom Class B (81 - 150 hp) Plaques (Small) MARK HEUSDENS, 29130 2ND PL, KANSASVILLE, WI N2877H 1946 ERCOUPE 415 C 6

SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2015

Grand Champion Gold Lindy ROBERT EPTING, 410 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR BLVD, CHAPEL HILL, NC N92455 1946 PIPER J3C-65

Contemporary Awards (1956 through 1970) Outstanding Beech Single Engine Outstanding In Type RAYMOND DEBS, 6209 27TH STREET CT NW, GIG HARBOR, WA N828R 1959 BEECH K35

Class II Single Engine (161 - 230 hp) Bronze Lindy CODY ERICKSON, 2405 N EVY AVE, SIOUX FALLS, SD N8790D 1956 PIPER PA 18A-150

Outstanding Cessna 150 Outstanding In Type LORRAINE MORRIS, 2900 HOWARD ST, POPLAR GROVE, IL N6469T 1960 CESSNA 150

Class III Single Engine (231 and up hp) Bronze Lindy BRUCE MAYES, 2101 NUUANU AVE APT 1604, HONOLULU, HI N229RS 1963 MEYERS 200B

Outstanding Cessna 170/172/175/177 Outstanding In Type STEVEN WEINER, 15882 THRUSH AVE, NORA SPRINGS, IA N2867X 1968 CESSNA 177

Dean Richardson Memorial Award Bronze Lindy RICHARD JONES, 10960 VILLA MONTE CT, MUKILTEO, WA N8370D 1958 BEECH J35

Outstanding Cessna 180/182/210 Outstanding In Type MARK DENSON, 3101 POST OAK DRIVE, BRENHAM, TX N751S 1964 CESSNA 180G

Outstanding Customized Bronze Lindy THOMAS RHINES, 2258 VZ CR 2301, CANTON, TX N7404R 1966 PIPER PA 28 140

Outstanding Cessna Multi Engine Outstanding In Type THOMAS HANDZLIK, 2931 FALCON WAY, MIDLOTHIAN, TX N4AF 1968 CESSNA 421

Outstanding Multi Engine Bronze Lindy DALE EGAN, 249 N WATER ST UNIT 204, MILWAUKEE, WI N434T 1961 BEECH D50E

Outstanding Piper PA 22 Tri Pacer Outstanding In Type JAMES HAMILTON, PO BOX 1283, ROGUE RIVER, OR N4770A 1956 PIPER PA 22 150

Reserve Grand Champion Customized Silver Lindy JOE BORGESEN, 4235 LAFOREST DR, WATERFORD, MI N8376B 1957 CESSNA 172

Outstanding Piper PA 24 Comanche Outstanding In Type J. BRUCE CAMINO, 1611 E. 4TH STREET, SANTA ANA, CA N8871P 1965 PIPER PA 24 260

Reserve Grand Champion Silver Lindy ED NEWBY, 431 RIDGE CT, LAKE IN THE HILLS, IL N7437D 1957 PIPER PA 22 150

Outstanding Piper PA 28 Cherokee Outstanding In Type STEFAN KURSCHNER, 3450 SW DOWNS VIEW TER, PORTLAND, OR N8933W 1964 PIPER PA 28 235

Grand Champion Customized Gold Lindy KEVIN MAYER, 5545 S WAPAK RD, LIMA, OH N76J 1958 BEECH J35

Outstanding Piper PA 30 Twin Comanche Outstanding In Type DAVID WINTERS, PO BOX 1542, REDWAY, CA N204WT 1965 COMANCHE PA-30

Grand Champion Gold Lindy PAUL SHANK, 5736 STANBROOK LN, GAITHERSBURG, MD N9060L 1970 CHAMPION 7GCBC

Preservation Award Outstanding In Type ROBERT MORELAND, PO BOX 1082, BYRON, IL N5224D 1957 CESSNA 180A www.vintageaircraft.org

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Nominat ions

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

Nominate your favorite vintage aviator for the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame. A great honor could be bestowed upon that man or woman working next to you on your airplane, sitting next to you in the chapter meeting, or walking next to you at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Think about the people in your circle of aviation friends: the mechanic, historian, photographer, or pilot who has shared innumerable tips with you and with many others. They could be the next VAA Hall of Fame inductee—but only if they are nominated.

The person you nominate can be a citizen of any country and may be living or deceased; his or her involvement in vintage aviation must have occurred between 1950 and

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

To nominate someone is easy. It just takes a little time and a little reminiscing on your part.

•Think of a person; think of his or her contributions to vintage aviation.

•Write those contributions in the various categories of the nomination form.

•Write a simple letter highlighting these attributes and contributions. Make copies of newspaper or magazine articles that may substantiate your view.

•If at all possible, have another individual (or more) complete a form or write a letter about this person, confirming why the person is a good candidate for induction.

We would like to take this opportunity to mention that if you have nominated someone for the VAA Hall of Fame; nominations for the honor are kept on file for 3 years, after which the nomination must be resubmitted.

Mail nominating materials to: VAA Hall of Fame, c/o Charles W. Harris, Transportation Leasing Corp.

PO Box 470350

Tulsa, OK 74147 E-mail: cwh@hvsu.com Remember, your “contemporary” may be a candidate; nominate someone today!

Find the nomination form at www.VintageAircraft.org, or call the VAA office for a copy (920-426-6110), or on your own sheet of paper, simply include the following information: •Date submitted.

•Name of person nominated.

•Address and phone number of nominee.

•E-mail address of nominee.

•Date of birth of nominee. If deceased, date of death.

•Name and relationship of nominee’s closest living relative.

•Address and phone of nominee’s closest living relative.

•VAA and EAA number, if known. (Nominee must have been or is a VAA member.)

•Time span (dates) of the nominee’s contributions to vintage aviation.

(Must be between 1950 to present day.)

•Area(s) of contributions to aviation.

•Describe the event(s) or nature of activities the nominee has undertaken in aviation to be worthy of induction into the VAA Hall of Fame.

•Describe achievements the nominee has made in other related fields in aviation.

•Has the nominee already been honored for his or her involvement in aviation and/or the contribution you are stating in this petition? If yes, please explain the nature of the honor and/or award the nominee has received.

•Any additional supporting information.

•Submitter’s address and phone number, plus e-mail address.

•Include any supporting material with your petition.

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SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2015

Ask the AME JOHN PATTERSON, M.D., AME

Tremors W.E. writes, “I have been diagnosed with benign essential tremor. How will this affect my medical?”

The term benign usually indicates that the tremor is not debilitating to the extent that it prevents the individual from accomplishing his or her normal tasks and activities. The FAA stance is that “essential tremor is not disqualifying unless disabling.” Of course that determination can be very subjective, but it certainly gives the airman some wiggle room. There are many commercial and airline pilots flying with this condition and without restriction.

Essential tremor can be inherited and develop at a young age. Typically the tremor worsens with the attempted task (intention tremor) versus the tremor with Parkinson’s disease that is characterized by a “tremor at rest.” There is actual suppression of the tremor with the task attempt.

Of course these are general statements, and the tremor may be present at all times.

Beta blockers such as propranolol are often used to suppress the tremor at rest. This same medication is also given for blood pressure control and is approved unless there are adverse side effects.

As indicated above, the primary differential diagnosis of essential tremor is Parkinson’s disease. The problem with diagnosing Parkinson’s is that there are no blood tests or imaging studies that will definitively make the diagnosis. Generally the individual must have at least two of the cardinal manifestations of the disease. These include tremor and rigidity, gait disturbance, and “bradykinesia,” or slow movement. Parkinson’s is a progressive disease and can lead to deterio-

Essential tremor can be inherited and develop at a young age. Typically the tremor worsens with the attempted task (intention tremor) versus the tremor with Parkinson’s disease that is characterized by a “tremor at rest.” ration of fine motor skills and even affect language. Dementia can be a part of the syndrome, and depression is a common occurrence.

Parkinson’s disease is felt to be due to a decrease in the level of dopamine in the brain, which is a neurotransmitter (allows the nerves to conduct impulses and essentially communicate movements). So treatment is designed to increase dopamine levels in the brain. The only medication approved by the FAA for this purpose is Sinemet, which is a combination of carbidopa and levodopa.

Other medications that are used for Parkinson’s disease, such as Requip and Symmetrel, are not approved because of their sedating and other undesired side effects.

Airmen with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and with symptoms severe enough for medication will need an FAA decision and special issuance. Special issuance will typically result in a time-limited certificate and will depend heavily on the treating neurologist’s report. Follow-up status reports need to specifically address any progression in movement dysfunction and any dementia progression. www.vintageaircraft.org

9

How to?

ROBERT G. LOCK

Select and use aircraft screws There are several types of screws available for aircraft use; however, two of the most popular are the AN525 washer head and the AN526 screw. Both are protruding-head screws and can be purchased as either slotted or Phillips head. All the older aircraft used slotted-head screws because the Phillips head was not invented yet.

The AN525 is a structural screw, being made from 2330 nickel steel and then heat-treated, just like the bolts. After heat-treating, the screws are plated with cadmium for corrosion protection. Common sizes are the No. 8 and No. 10.

The AN526 is a non-structural, truss-head screw made from low-carbon (1020) steel. It is not hardened by heat-treating because there is not enough carbon in the alloy. These screws are commonly used for attaching a cowling, fairings, etc. Do not substitute these screws in any structural application. Figure 1 is a sketch of these screws.

When driving screws into structure it is wise to

For the size 10 screws you can use an AN90-10L steel washer or a No. 10 fiber washer. Either is commonly used.

Screw code sizes are difficult to remember, so I always refer to a catalog or my trusty Standard Aircraft Handbook for reference.

The standard No. 10 screw will take an AN3651032A fiber locknut, which is normally used. Or, an AN366 winged nut plate can be riveted to the structure to make the removal and installation job easier.

Figure 2 shows the AN366 nut plate.

The Phillips head screws are easier to install and remove because the screwdriver fits well into the slots, so when using a slotted-head screw, be careful and

FIGURE 2

FIGURE 1

use a washer under the head to protect a painted surface or to keep from scratching polished aluminum.

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SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2015

hold the screwdriver firmly to keep it from slipping out of the slot and damaging the finish.

Sheet metal screws may be used for attaching nonstructural parts on the aircraft. These screws come in truss heads similar to the above machine screws and can be purchased in either Phillips or slotted heads.

Type A screws have a point on the end of the threads, while type B screws are flat on the bottom of the threads. They are normally secured by Tinnerman nut plates that carry the NAS395 code and come in vari-

ous types from A-E and H. The Tinnerman nut plates come in screw sizes No. 6, No. 8, and No. 10.

Figure 3 is a Tinnerman Type NAS 144 nut plate that can be flush riveted to a structure. This type of nut plate readily will accept any coarse-threaded sheet metal screws—just secure the correct size when ordering.

Brass screws are used for installing instruments

attention to the length of the ears that insert into the instrument. When using this type of mounting nut, the only thread size available is 6-32; therefore, the only brass screw that can be used would be a 6-32. Figure 5 is a sketch of an instrument mounting nut plate.

FIGURE 3

because they are non-magnetic. The common screw to use is the AN520B round-head screw that comes in sizes 6-32, 8-32, and 10-32. Head types are either slotted or Phillips (recessed). Figure 4 shows a brass screw.

FIGURE 4

FIGURE 5

There are flush-head countersunk machine screws available for aircraft use. These screws carry code AN510 and have an 82-degree included angle between the taper. Like most all other machine screws, they come in slotted and recessed-head styles.

Finally, there are fillister-head screws that have a hole for safety wire drilled through the head. These screws carry the code AN502. They are manufactured from 2330 nickel steel and are heat-treated and cadmium-plated.

Special nut plates are available that fit into instrument holes and make mounting much easier. You must order these special mounting nuts by paying www.vintageaircraft.org

11

Good Old Days

P A R C S K O O B

From pages of what was . . .

Take a quick look through history by enjoying images pulled from publications past.

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SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2015

s d A d e fi i lass

C

What would you have found . . .

www.vintageaircraft.org

13

The Art of Flying SARAH WILSON

SARAH WILSON

Blu

SARAH WILSON

Entr’acte. Between acts. An entr’acte is a play within a play during the intermission. In early theater the action would continue in front of the curtain as a prelude to act 2. Audiences didn’t get up to buy popcorn or go to the bathroom then.

They stayed riveted in their seats. Waiting to see what would happen. Act 1 of my story The Wish Twin was over. Action pauses. Curtain closes. No one knows where the plot will go next, including me. Smoke pots glowing on the proscenium.

Mood shifts. The story within a story begins.

Fade to Blu… When I met my first plane, Blu, it looked so much bigger than the only other Stearman I knew. A Diana Cream and orange colored plane that looked just plain.

Her owner was my friend and anything but plain.

He was a successful pro athlete who had traded places with whom “he wished he could be” to actually become it: a professional barnstormer.

He gave me my first Stearman lessons off Kermit’s grass strip after his customers had left 14

SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2015

for the night. He told me if I could fly a Stearman, I could fly anything. I loved flying his biplane. I named her Crème Puff and left pink lipstick kisses on her metal cowling. My plane was different. It wasn’t feminine at all; gleaming in Army blue and yellow military colors. A stunning 1943 PT-17. The 111th Stearman Pete Jones restored at Air Repair and given the buzz number 111 by the builder.

A Stearman was a sentimental and dangerous choice for someone with seven hours of tailwheel

SARAH WILSON

I said, “This plane is trying to kill me,” again and again on the trip.

It wasn’t trying to kill me; it was trying to tell me something.

time, and I was afraid of it. I was right to be.

My few hours of tailwheel time were not at all compensated by my 3,000-plus hours of airplane time. While I had flown all types of aircraft, from pistons to jets, I had never really learned how to use my hands in sync with my feet. My boyfriend at the time, Chuck, was a second set of training wheels in my front seat. Another man who had traded places with whom “he wished he could be” to actually become it: a professional warbird pilot.

On June 11, 2005, Chuck and I left Pennsylvania to bring my Stearman back to Florida. I said, “This plane is trying to kill me,” again and again on the trip. It wasn’t trying to kill me; it was trying to tell me something. Years of poor pilot technique and neglect had created a pretty unhappy biplane.

The plane was definitely a “he,” and I named him Blu on the trip back. His shiny exterior was a veneer, hiding all the things wrong within him. Three

hundred thirty-three hours on his engine in 11 years wasn’t nearly enough. One hour before we landed in Lakeland, the rear main ball bearing went out. His Continental W670 engine was making metal.

It would have to be taken off, driven to Air Repair, and rebuilt. Blu was a mess. I can’t begin to list all the things wrong with that plane, but with each failure they fixed him. Once Blu was right, we flew together on an engine that never missed or failed.

Then hung a second engine after we had run 1,400plus hours together on the first. We became best friends after that first year.

I sold Blu out of fear. Fear I would not have enough money to keep him in the final year of my Speedmail’s restoration. I have no regrets in my life except for the decisions I made that were motivated by fear. Selling Blu was a knee-jerk response to fear. The antithesis of what flying is all about.

I hated every moment of the transition and hated www.vintageaircraft.org

15

SARAH WILSON

Sarah Wilson

and Blu.

myself for selling. I sat in the hangar with Blu for weeks, talking to my plane. Saying, “I love you; thank you for being my friend. I’m going to get you back soon.” Blu didn’t believe me, but he had never met anyone like me. I’ve had an army of pilots reporting on his well-being ever since. There is 16

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a brotherhood among vintage aircraft owners that runs deep.

On the last day of May I woke up early and started Googling Blu’s N number. My intuition said he was for sale. I had to get my friend back. Blu was sold and about to be ferried to the new owner in Texas.

Robbie Vajdos was the ferry pilot and one of the brotherhood. Blu was in safe hands for the moment. On June 11, 10 years to the date I flew him home from Pennsylvania, I called Robbie to see how I could get my plane back. Robbie said he had an idea that might work but was not sure. If he could make it work, it was going to cost me a lot. I said, “I don’t care what it costs, get me my plane.” It did work. I got my first best friend Blu back on June 29.

In the years counting up to the time you start growing young again, it is easy to forget the worst thing that can happen to anyone is losing their first best friend. People worry about losing so many things, because people think they get to own everything, but that’s the best part of a friend.

Friends choose you, and you choose them. That’s why you should always be kind and say, “Thank you for being my friend,” and “I love you,” to them.

I never wanted to be a pilot or a barnstormer.

I fell into it, or maybe fate tripped me. I love inspiring people to do things they think they can’t achieve. I do that when I fly with certain people.

People who really need to fly. People who are afraid and unsure if they can. The people I found the greatest reward in flying with were not pilots. They were dreamers. Souls trapped on the ground, looking up. They’re the ones who contact me, year after year, reminding me how a flight changed their lives. Healed a wound, erased a fear, gave them a deep connection with joy and freedom. Even if for only 30 minutes, they knew what it felt like to be free. To be a pilot. Are we the sum of whom we care for, or is whom we care for the sum of who we are? I traded places with whom “I wished I could be” to actually become it when I flew with them: a vehicle to lift a human spirit.

Friends choose you, and you choose them. Blu and I have something important to continue together, and neither of us can do it without the other one. We’ve missed each other so. www.vintageaircraft.org

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Tim and Myrna’s

Time Machine Restoring a Howard DGA

by Sparky Barnes Sargent

It isn’t often that a non-pilot spouse is inspired to buy a rest o ra t i o n p ro j e c t— l e t a l o n e when that airplane happens to be a World War II-era Howard.

But that’s what Tim Weston was hearing from his wife, Myrna, back in 2000. They had just re18

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turned home from Alaska, where they took a f light in a Pratt & Whitney-powered Beaver. Myrna just fell in love with the sound of that round, rumbling R-985, and when she saw an ad for a Howard in Trade-A-Plane, she pointed it out to her husband.

But Tim had other plans—he was enjoying retirement from his airline career by flying Angel Flight missions in his Baron C55 and working on a 1946 Piper PA12 project. At first, he politely told Myrna that he wasn’t certain he’d actually finish his current

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Weston

project, and he wasn’t about to buy another. Myrna was insistent, even adamant, that Tim inquire about the Howard—and she let him know that if he didn’t call, she would.

So it wasn’t long before Tim flew from their home in Yelm, Washington, to Manteca, California, to look at Serial No. 1830, a 1944 Howard (which was then registered as N100KS).

“Norman Way had purchased the project in 1996 along with two partners, and they had bead-blasted and primed the fuselage, gear, and tail feathers. My mentor, Mike Grimes, from Lancaster, California, happened to be in that area meeting a carpenter friend that had wood wing experience, and they were both amazed when they looked at the Howard project with me. The wood looked brand new, and all the parts were catalogued,” recalls Tim, adding, “the airplane had been built during World War II as a GH-2 air ambulance, and the wings still had the green paint that was used to cover the blue U.S. Navy colors. Everything looked good; it was a rare and complete project, with all parts original to the airplane. Norman and I struck a deal, and two weeks later, Myrna and I flew down to California. We rented a truck and spent a long afternoon loading the project for travel.” www.vintageaircraft.org

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A Few Words About Military Howards

With the advent of World War II, many civilian Howards were impressed into Army and Navy service, and for good reason. Howard Aircraft Corp. touted the Howard’s functional versatility in its Aircrafter brochure: “Howard answers the demand for a faster airplane which can carry heavier loads on wheels, pontoons, or skis. This ‘Multi-Use’ model is a conversion of the Personal Transport…and the cabin is so arranged that the operator can make quick changes without tools to accommodate passengers, cargo, a stretcher for the ill or injured, mail or express, or for use in aerial photography. Mountings for machine guns and bomb racks are also obtainable.”

The Army designation for this model was UC-70. The U.S. Navy contracted Howard Aircraft to build four variants of the DGA-15. The GH-1 utility transport was closest to the civilian DGA-15P with its wheelpants and spinner. The G H-2 N i g ht ingale fe at ure d a rearward-folding utility door, as well as an enlarged baggage door that was hinged across the bottom to accommodate stretcher access.

The GH-2 also had a 24-volt electrical system instead of a 12-volt

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COURTESY TIM WESTON

Tim works on the right wing.

Instrument panel installation in progress.

system. (Today, some components— such as the starter and the bulbs and motors for the Grimes retractable landing lights—are more readily available and economical for the GH-2’s 24-volt electrical system.) The GH-3 was a utility transport, and the NH-1 was equipped for instrument training. During the war, some pilots found the aircraft challenging to handle during landings—hence its nickname, Ensign Eliminator.

Serial No. 1830 was manufactured on May 9, 1944, and the Navy took delivery of the aircraft (military ID No. 32865) in June.

It logged 125 hours as an aerial ambulance in southern California during the war. The aircraft was sold as war surplus by the war assets administrator for $2,000 to John Frederick Wood of Oakland in 1947 and assigned registration number NC63597. The Howard remained in California with various owners until it stopped flying around August 1957. The aircraft’s accumulated total time was 522 hours; it wouldn’t take to the sky again until 2013.

Historical records from the Ho w a rd A i rc ra f t Fo u n d at i o n (HAF), which currently holds the type certificate for the Model 15P (GH-2), reveal that Tim and Myrna’s Serial No. 1830 was one of 131

GH-2s built for the U.S. Navy. The GH-2 Nightingale model was the only Howard model still in production when the Navy canceled the contract in 1944, and Howard Aircraft production ceased. Serial No. 1830 was one of the last Howards built for the Navy, and it was the highest serial number civilcertified by the CAA.

Work Begins

Tim completed the PA-12 in August 2005 and commenced work on the Howard in September. Per Tim’s request to the FAA, the Howard’s original registration number (NC63597) was reinstated. He and Myrna didn’t realize it at the time, but the successful completion of the project would take seven-anda-half years of continuous work.

They decided to restore NC63597 to a prewar DGA-15P civilian livery, as opposed to restoring it in its former Navy configuration. Along the way, Tim had help from numerous friends, especially those who were members of HAF. “There is such a great network of Howard people and experience,” shares Tim. “I built a huge document of my resources; it just takes time, but parts and supplies are out there if you know where to find them.”

The first task involved reskin-

The Howard is easily identified by its tall tail.

SPARKY BARNES SARGENT

ning the Howard’s mahoganyplywood covered flaps, ailerons, and wings. The original casein adhesive had deteriorated, so Tim spent several months researching different types of adhesives, specifications, and application techniques. “The West System offered the best adhesive of all epoxies available,” says Tim, adding, “during this period I also made many phone calls to HAF members, including Les Sargent, Bruce Dickenson, and Dennis Lyons, in order to familiarize myself with wing reskinning.”

Fortunately, fellow HAF member Fred Lundeen was working on his Howard at the same time, so Tim and Fred were able to help each other with the reskinning process. After Tim finished his flaps and ailerons, he fabricated a new cabin roof by using the original one as a pattern. Then it was time to tackle reskinning the wings, while preserving their original washout. (The correct washout in the compound curve of the outer wing is critical for proper flight characteristics.)

“First, I built a frame from 12inch prefab floor joists and 4-by-4inch legs. My neighbor, Fred Tuche, helped level the frame, which we glued to the floor. Then we set the wing on the frame, bottom-side up,” recounts Tim. “Then we used

a hot-glue gun to secure the wings to the frame. It was easy to remove the old skins because small nails were the only thing holding them on. Amazingly, the ribs and spars looked as if they had been recently assembled. Then, with the interior exposed, it was easy to remove the metal parts for inspection and replating. Ed Schlect helped me reskin the wings, and we placed the VOR and marker beacon antennae inside the wing to keep them out of sight. After we reskinned that side of the wing, we just popped the wing free from the frame and flipped it over, glued it down, and reskinned that side.”

If that all sounds like it was too easy, rest assured Tim encountered a bit of a challenge with the reskinning process. Back when his Howard was built, larger sheets of plywood were used for the wing skins than are available today. Per the Howard drawings, the original, single 12-to-1 scarf joint was centered over Rib 21, which was located 100-1/2 inches from the wing root. And Rib 21 was made 1/4-inch wider than the other ribs to support the scarf joint. Today, only 4-by-8-foot aircraft plywood sheets are available. Hence, Tim had to use two-and-a-half sheets of plywood for each side of the wing, which necessitated precise scarf joints where they could be placed over a rib. He rein-

forced the joints with doublers, and throughout the process, he learned the importance of keeping his wood plane very sharp.

After the flight control cables were fabricated and installed, and the electrical wiring was completed, it was time to do a test-fit assembly of the airframe prior to fabric covering. Fortunately, HAF members Dennis and Susan Lyons of California happened to be visiting and were able to lend helping hands for that process.

Jim Erwin of the Seattle FSDO patiently guided Tim through the process of writing an FAA Form 337 for one-time field approval of the West System. Tim was appreciative of all his help, yet a bit dismayed that preparing the paper work took longer than the hands-on process of reskinning.

Fabric and Paint

Tim used the Poly-Fiber process to cover the Howard, with heavyweight fabric on the fuselage and empennage and lightweight fabric on the wood-skinned wings.

Rib stitching was the most timeconsuming and tedious part of the fabric installation. FAA Advisory Circular 43.13-1B requires 1-inch stitch spacing, since the Howard’s VNE exceeds 250 mph.

“I counted 1,600-plus knots www.vintageaircraft.org

21

with the lacing in the tail feathers alone,” shares Tim, “and lacing the fuselage was quite an endeavor.

Ed Schlect was inside with a long pair of forceps to pull the needle in and guide it outbound without tangling. Stretching back to the rear bulkhead required lots of twisting and turning, which isn’t easy for 70-year-olds!”

The metal fuselage skins were stripped, prepped, and primed prior to painting. Tim selected Ranthane for the final red coat (in September 2006, the Poly-Fiber STC was revised to allow Randolph Ranthane HS polyurethane as a topcoat option.)

Tim was using an HVLP paint gun to shoot the Ranthane, and recalls, “I didn’t know how to do it well, and frustration built until I felt like it was time for a big bonfire or a pro painter! So I found an aircraft painter to shoot the large surfaces in my paint booth, and with a little help and instruction from him, I became a fair painter.

I had started with the HVLP gun using low pressure, and the paint orange-peeled badly. The professional painter showed me how using higher pressure with the heavyweight paint would do the job. The side effect was fogging everything in the paint booth, but the finish was correct. The painting part of this restoration took two years and required a lot of sand22

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CHRIS MILLER

The rearward-folding door and enlarged baggage door are special GH-2 features.

Cleveland wheels and brakes were installed.

ing. I used 320, 600, 1,000, 1,500, and 2,000 grit, and then went on to three grades of machine buffing compounds before I had the end results I wanted.”

Fuel and Engine

The original fuel tanks clearly had some leak issues, evidenced by telltale red rings around some rivet locations from 80-octane gas. So Tim rolled up his sleeves once again and completely stripped the tanks, using carb cleaner on the inside. Then he pressure-checked the tanks at 3-1/2 psi to find the pinhole leaks, which were then welded closed.

Myrna’s beloved R-985 was overhauled by Ken Miller of Younkin Aviation at West Fork, Arkansas, and the Hamilton Standard 2D30 prop was overhauled by Northwest Propeller. Tim’s friend, John Miller, helped with the engine and accessory case installation.

The Howard needed a spinner, and when Tim happened to be at AC Propeller Services at Seattle, he inquired if anyone knew of one for sale. It just so happened someone did, and Tim bought his spinner from John Nordstrom.

Interior

The instruments in the Howard’s center panel are all original to the airplane and were overhauled

by Keystone Instruments at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. Tim was able

to purchase an original WWII Navy compass through eBay. Tim and Myrna selected a beige wool fabric and dark blue leather for the cabin upholstery, accented by red piping around the contour of the seats, to complement the Howard’s red and blue paint scheme. Tim created the side panels, while an acquaintance, Pat Bertram, did most of the interior work. Pilot and passenger comfort was greatly enhanced by using Oregon Aero memory foam for the seat cushions.

Paperwork and Mods

When it came time to do the weight and balance, Tim and his helpers pushed the tail of the Howard just outside the hangar to have enough clearance to level the aircraft in an in-flight attitude. Not surprisingly, they discovered that the air plane had gained a few pounds, chiefly from thicker plywood on the wings, new f loorboards and carpet, wheelpants, and larger-than-original tires. Throughout the restoration process, Tim’s IA, Ron Wright, provided helpful advice and a discerning eye to ensure that correct methods and results were attained.

Tim installed modern avionics and radios, which he concealed to help preserve the ambiance of 1944. “I didn’t like the manually operated wobble pump for pump-

ing the fuel from the lower tanks up to the engine,” shares Tim, adding, “so we bought a Weldon electric pump, and I obtained a field approval for that modification, with the help of an FAA designated engineering representative. We also installed a de Havilland fuel filter on the firewall.” (For a list of additional mods to this Howard, please see accompanying text box.)

Though NC63597 didn’t have an inordinate amount of field approvals, Tim shares that he’d never “worked quite this hard in the past to get proper wordage down on paper to satisfy the feds.”

The Howard was last airworthy when the airworthiness certificates were issued in conjunction with the annual (periodic) inspections, so Tim needed to apply for a permanent airworthiness certificate. “The FAA showed up with three guys who inspected the airplane and paperwork. They made a list of items that I had to fix, such as missing placards, loose screws, and a Form 337 for the radios.”

With those issues addressed, the FAA made another visit in February and issued the new certificate. Yet a few minor glitches were discovered, which had to be resolved.

“There were problems with getting the carburetor adjusted and the prop governor set right, but we finally solved those things. Then, after we got the engine up and running correctly,” recalls Tim, “we discovered an oil leak and just couldn’t find the problem. My A&P friends looked at it, test ran it, and it still kept leaking—turns out it was just one governor oil fitting I hadn’t tightened!”

1944 Howard DGA-15P

General Specifications Manufactured Under ATC A-717

Length

24 feet 10 inches

Height

8 feet 5 inches

Wingspan

38 feet

Empty weight

3,200 pounds

(Original U.S. Navy empty weight was 3,080 pounds) Useful load

1,300 pounds

Max gross weight

4,500 pounds

Fuel capacity

151 gallons

Oil capacity

8 gallons

Maximum speed

270 mph

Cruise

165-170 TAS @ 10,000 feet

Stalling speed

68 mph

Landing speed

75 mph

Engine

450-hp Pratt & Whitney R-985

Rate of climb

1,500 fpm

Ceiling

22,500 feet

Cruising range

984 miles

Finally Flying

NC63597 finally leapt from the runway on May 20, 2013, with Tim in the left seat. “With all the problems resolved, my friend Dick Smith, a CFI who has experience in more than 200 types of aircraft, said, ‘Are you ready to fly?’ He had quite a time getting this footless wonder to start using rudders,” says Tim with a chuckle, adding, “the first few landings let me know this truly could be ‘the Ensign Eliminator.’ For me, being competent and confident with flying the aircraft are two different items. I found I was competent with the five hours of required training. Getting confident took about 15 more hours to feel like I could make flying this bird fun.”

Tim’s careful work during the wing reskinning process paid off—after more than 50 hours of flight time, it still doesn’t need any adjustment.

Time Machine

This Howard is a time machine in many ways. It survived the passage of time virtually intact, and after www.vintageaircraft.org

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TYSON RININGER

COURTESY TIM WESTON

absorbing 7,300 person-hours of antique restoration. As I was bedevoted restoration efforts, it has ing handed the trophy, I felt an transported Tim and Myrna to a arm around my shoulder. I looked yesteryear-style of flying, and si- to my right and was stunned to multaneously into their future. see Herb Kelleher of Southwest “Saying you are restoring a How- Airlines’ fame standing next to ard is one thing; getting it done me. Standing on my left was Dick is something else!” declares Tim. Rutan. Seated next to Dick was He and Myrna are enjoying the Bud Anderson, World War II P-51 rewards of finally flying the How- ace. Seated in back of us was Bob ard and are elated with the awards Hoover. It’s pretty humbling to be that the airplane has garnered. in the company of such legends, NC63597 received the Antique Re- and we wouldn’t have been there serve Grand Champion—Silver but for the Howard.”

Lindy award during EAA AirVenMyrna happily serves as PR repture Oshkosh 2014.

“The thousands of hours of labor has paid off in b i g d i v i d e n d s ,” s h a re s Tim, adding, “as Oshkosh was ending, a gentleman stopped at our aircraft with an invitation to display the Howard during the National Aviation Heritage Invitational, which is held at Reno each year. Thirty-five airplanes were on display there, and all were museum quality. I was fortunate to be awarded the Orville and Wilbur Wright trophy for Geoff Robison and Tim Weston.

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resentative for the Howard during these fly-ins and gatherings. Smiling as she relaxes in the shade of the Howard’s high wing, she reflects upon their restoration saga: “I don’t think Tim nor I knew exactly what we were getting into, but I just thought it would be wonderful to have a round engine, so here we are!

I’m not a pilot, but I enjoy flying— I hand out the mints and the water! Seriously, flying in the Howard is such a big change from a Baron with twin engines—when you get behind this big, round engine, you can’t see anything. So that just took some time getting used to, but I love the sound.

As to which airplane is better, it just depends on what you want the plane to do—personally we like to fly to Montana and visit relatives, so I like the Baron for that. But for fun, this is the one!”

Tim, with a smile stretching from ear to ear as he listens to his fun-loving bride of 53 years, can’t help but chuckle when he comments, “All these guys say, ‘I wish I had a wife like that!’”

TYSON RININGER

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Vaughn’s

Valiant Vagabond Putting the fun back in flying

by Sparky Barnes Sargent

Some folks never give it a second glance; just a few can call its name. But the Piper Vagabond hardly feels slighted, because it holds a secret that it shares with those who fly it. It slips right into the heart and soul of its pilot, with an endearing charm born of its unassuming appearance and sweet flying characteristics.

A delight to fly and forgiving in the air, the shortcoupled Vagabond won’t tolerate complacency when its tires are on terra firma. It demands full respect and attention, for which it handsomely rewards its pilot with a happily enduring relationship.

www.vintageaircraft.org

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COURTESY VAUGHN LOVLEY

Air show stunt pilots Lowell C. White and Bill Fischer with NC4426H.

Birth of the Vagabond

Though often overlooked, the Vagabond filled a noble role in the history of Piper Aircraft Co. at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. By 1947, the company was in the depths of financial despair; its production was slashed, and employees were laid off. In an effort to save and revive its business, outside consultant William Shriver was hired. William worked about a year redirecting the company, bringing it slowly out of debt and into stable production. He commanded the Piper engineers to

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design an inexpensive airplane that could be built from raw materials already on hand, and voila! A blueprint for the PA-15 Vagabond was completed in little more than six weeks. About six weeks later, on October 29, 1947, the prototype was flown. Priced at $1,990, it was a nofrills airplane, painted plain yellow and powered by a 65-hp Lycoming, with rigid landing gear and a single set of controls.

The side-by-side, two-place PA15 was the first of the lineage that would come to be known as the

short-wing Pipers (which include the Clipper, Pacer, Tri-Pacer, and Colt), and it saved Piper Aircraft Co. Production began in January 1948 and ceased in July, with a total of 387 built. The PA-17 Vagabond Trainer, designed soon after Piper began producing the PA-15, was a dual-control, deluxe version of the PA-15, powered by a heartier 65-hp Continental and priced at $2,195. A total of 214 were built from May to October 1948.

The valiant little Vagabond exceeded its intended purpose of

transforming Piper’s stockpile of materials into cash; the company actually had to purchase more materials before Vagabond production ceased. By the end of 1948, William had succeeded in changing the company’s ink from red to black, and his job there was completed.

By the early 1960s, the Vagabond was still enjoying its popularity. The 1963 Annual Light Plane Guide described the airplane this way: “ The Piper Vagabond is a curvy little dish. . .but she behaves like a real lady. She climbs at 500 fpm, cruises at 90 mph and lands between 40 and 45 mph. She has a gentle rate of sink, and very little tendency to float….”

Today, yet another generation of pilots is enamored with the performance and handling of the Vagabond. As of March 2015, there were 169 PA-15s and 106 PA-17s registered in the United States.

(Some are registered in other countries, as well.) Vaughn Lovley is one of those loyal Vagabond pilots, and

his particular PA-15 has a flamboyant air show history.

NC4426H

NC4426H (S/N 15-212) was manufactured April 22, 1948, and its Statement of Conformity was approved April 23, “with the exception of the following deviations: Engine Primer, Cabin Heater.”

Lowell C. White of Moline, Illinois, bought NC4426H on April 29, 1948, for $2,010 from Piper.

He had his choice of nearly half a dozen PA-15s at the Lock Haven factory and personally selected this particular one because it weighed 5 pounds less than the others. He had a mission in mind for it, and to maximize its per formance, White had a 17-pound Hartzell HA-12U ground-adjustable propeller installed in place of the original 11-pound wood propeller. This brought the PA-15’s empty weight to 626 pounds and its useful load to 474 pounds.

Lowell immediately commenced flying his Vagabond in air show comedy routines, primarily in the Midwest and Southeast. He was

lanky and tall at 6 feet 3 inches, and reportedly enjoyed putting the Vagabond through its aerial paces, at times by operating the flight controls while perched outside on the right-hand wing lift struts.

He was perhaps best known for his “smallest airport” act. A photo of Lowell landing NC4426H atop a 1949 “woodie” station wagon was featured in the December 16, 1948, edition of The Evening Independent (St. Petersburg, Florida). The caption stated that he “will land and take-off from the ‘smallest airport in the world’ which is a platform attached to the top of a new station wagon. The platform is eleven feet long and eight feet wide.”

Look magazine featured a photo spread titled “World’s Smallest Airport” in its April 12, 1949, issue. “This stunt is made possible by precision flying. It’s done with a light plane, the Piper Vagabond, a stock Mercury Station Wagon— and daring teamwork. The feat is one of many by the Trans American Sky Shows, now touring the country.” [See sidebar for more air show information.] www.vintageaircraft.org

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COURTESY VAUGHN LOVLEY

The project is ready to be hauled from Kansas City to Minnesota, June 2012.

COURTESY FORREST LOVLEY

COURTESY VAUGHN LOVLEY

The Vagabond project in June 2003, before fuselage restoration.

COURTESY VAUGHN LOVLEY

Work progresses on the skylight installaton.

COURTESY VAUGHN LOVLEY

Work on the cowling progresses.

Close-up view of the brake cylinders and rudder pedals before restoration.

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COURTESY FORREST LOVLEY

Installation in progress of the 12-gallon fuel tank in the right wing.

COURTESY FORREST LOVLEY

Close up view of the wing attach points on the fuselage.

Changing Hands

Lowell sold the Vagabond to Harold D. Sheldon of Jacksonville, Florida, on April 12, 1949. All told, this Vagabond changed hands and geographic locations about a dozen times until it came up for sale in 2002. It was one of three airplanes in an estate “package deal,” and Forrest

COURTESY VAUGH LOVLEY

Forrest Lovley and Clifford Hatz work on the landing gear strut.

Lovley of Jordan, Minnesota, went together with air show pilot Warren Pietsch to purchase the lot. (Warren retained and restored a Hissopowered Travel Air.) The PA-15 arrived from Oregon on a trailer, and Forrest and a friend, Clifford Hatz, began gradually working on it.

Forrest was familiar with rag-wing Pipers, having been around airplanes all his life. He grew up on a farm in northern Maine, and recalls, “My dad always had an airplane; he ran a trap line in the wintertime when we weren’t farming, and he had a PA-11 that he kept either on skis or floats.

After we moved to Minnesota, I just kept it up.”

Then in May 2010, the Vagabond once again changed hands— but this time, it remained in the family. Forrest’s 35-year-old son decided to buy the airplane and complete the restoration. Vaughn Lovley, who is tall and lanky just

like Lowell White was, makes his living as a disc jockey (known as DJ Str8Reppin), performing at a variety of venues, including night clubs and corporate or private parties.

Vaughn has 35 years of aviation experience, and it’s almost an understatement to say that he grew up around airplanes.

“I grew up ‘flying in diapers,’ and our family vacations were flying to the Antique Airplane fly-in at Blakesburg, Iowa,” shares Vaughn, adding with a big grin, “Until we went to school, all we knew were airplanes. All the kids we hung out with and all their parents had airplanes, too. So it was a weird culture shock going to elementary school and finding out other kids didn’t know anything about airplanes. We grew up around airplane people, and essentially no one else! I was 18 when I soloed our PA-11—Dad bought that airplane the day I was born in 1978.

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TYSON RININGER

living in Kansas City. “My good friend, John Swander, is really like a second father to me, and he had just let me solo his Waco to celebrate his birthday. He asked me, ‘When are you going to get your own airplane?’ I told him I didn’t know what I wanted—I’ve

always been a Bellanca guy, so a Vagabond wasn’t even on my list.

John said, ‘ Well, your dad still has that Vagabond project; why don’t you get that?’ So I called my dad the next day and asked if he would part with it, and we made a deal. On my 30th birthday in

SPARKY BARNES SARGENT PHOTOS

Mom soloed in it, as well as a lot of my friends. I have over 700 logged hours, but I’m knocking on a thousand I’m sure, and most of it is tailwheel time.”

The genesis of Vaughn’s interest in the Vagabond came about in October 2008, when he was

This PA-15 retains its Spartan interior, sans the fuselage fuel tank.

A Breeze cap covers the front spark plug, eliminating the need for bumps on the cowling.

SPARKY BARNES SARGENT

North Florida Motor Co. sponsored air show stunt pilot Lowell White, who bought this PA-15 new in 1948. Cliff Anderson Jr. hand lettered the company name on the fuselage.

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November, Dad trucked it down from Minnesota.”

Restoration Saga

John generously made a home for the Vagabond project in his basement, where he and Vaughn immediately started working on it. “Then the economy crashed,” recalls Vaughn, “so I moved all around the country to stay working, and the project stalled and just sat in John’s basement for a couple of years.”

Vaughn moved to Minnesota in late 2011 and started diligently working on the PA-15 again in June 2012. His friends, Larry and Barb Frost, had welcomed the project into their hangar at Le Sueur Municipal Airport. Vaughn was familiar with many aspects of restoration, since he and his father restored a Mooney Mite together during the winter of 2005. But Vaughn is the first to assert that the Vagabond would never have been finished without the help, experience, and expertise of a number of friends, to whom he remains grateful.

“This is the first airplane restoration that I’ve been involved with that I own,” shares Vaughn, adding, “I did a lot of work on it, but I had a ton of help, so I can’t claim I did the total restoration myself. Dad came back into the picture, along with Clifford Hatz, Chuck Doyle, and Tim Verhoeven. They really helped me out; I grew up around people who take a lot of pride in their work, and I had two former antique Grand Champion winners helping me with the Vagabond.”

in Redwood Falls.’ So Dad started looking through the logs and found the date that the airplane was in Redwood Falls. That’s how he found out the history. After I purchased the airplane, I decided to put it back like it was when Lowell White was flying it.”

Vaughn contacted Lowell and his son, Jim, who shared numerous photos, old newspaper articles, and other historical information regarding NC4426H’s air show performance and appearance in 1948 and 1949. (Sadly, Lowell passed away a few months prior to the Vagabond’s completion.) North Florida Motor Co. was a Lincoln Mercury dealer in Jacksonville, Florida, and sponsored Lowell’s aerial stunt f lying—hence the company name was prominently featured on the fuselage. During the restoration, Cliff Anderson Jr. hand lettered the company name on the Vagabond’s fuselage, just as it was in 1948.

Mods

W hile NC4426H bears a remarkable similarity to its original

appearance, it is, in fact, highly modified. When Forrest owned it, his first order of business was installing a Continental C-90-12 engine and Sensenich 74-CK-46 metal prop, for which he received one-time FAA 337 field approvals.

Breeze cups were installed over the top two front spark plugs, which eliminated the need for bumps on the cowling.

Forrest also transformed the PA15’s fuel system by removing the original 12-gallon fuselage tank and installing a Clarence Witte 12-gallon fuel tank in each wing.

He obtained a field approval for this by referencing STC SA1496GL and Air-Energy Service Drawing No. 200 for the Piper J-3C, noting that all ribs and cables are in the same place as in the PA-15. A fuel selector valve was installed in the cabin for the gravity-feed tanks.

This gave the Vagabond 24 gallons of fuel to quench the thirst of the higher horsepower engine.

Vaughn and his team of helpers installed a B&C starter on the engine, and an Odyssey 12-volt battery on a reinforced area of the

North Florida Motor Co.

“After Dad bought it back in 2002, a friend of Dad’s called and they were talking about Vagabonds,” recounts Vaughn, “and the guy said, ‘I’ve liked them ever since I saw an air show comedy act www.vintageaircraft.org

35

TYSON RININGER

Vaughn Lovley flies his restored PA-15 to AirVenture 2014.

baggage compartment floor (per field approval). Other installations included a Marvel-Schebler carburetor, Steve’s Aircraft gascolators (per STC), and heat muffs on each of the separate exhaust pipes.

“John Swander and I did the boot cowl when I got the project—that was one of the first things we did, along with the instrument panel.

Chris Blazer of Kansas City helped me a lot with the cowling,” explains Vaughn. “I can cut and form metal and know what looks good, but in terms of bending and stretching metal, Chris is just a pro at it. The cowling is kind of a hybrid between a PA-11 and Vagabond style, where it’s got the three-piece top—but the fasteners are very Vagabond. I did all the sheet metal baffling for the engine, and the nosebowl is the original nosebowl, which still has the dipstick opening on the top.”

Other mods include a skylight, and the Grove Aircraft Landing 36

SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2015

TYSON RININGER

Gear Systems disc brake conversion kit was installed (per STC) for reliable braking, longevity, and low maintenance.

Finally, the airframe was covered with Ceconite 102 fabric and finished with butyrate dope. Then fuel flow tests were conducted “by creating a high angle of attack to simulate climb-out,” recounts Vaughn, adding, “with about 2 gallons of gas total, we did a full-

power engine run on each tank for about a minute. Since it was essentially a scratch-built system, it was important to us that this was tested thoroughly.”

When all the paperwork was completed, the airplane was ready to l e ave t h e g ro u nd . Va u g h n climbed into the Vagabond and made its first post-restoration flight on August 11, 2013. He’s logged more than 50 hours on the

airplane since then, including his longest cross-country flight, which was to AirVenture in 2014.

“Because of all the mods, its empty weight is heavier than original, at 686 pounds. The C-90-12 burns around 5-1/2 gph, depending on how fast I want to go and how lean the mixture is set,” says Vaughn, adding, “I cruise 107 mph at 2300 rpm. It’s the thrill of a lifetime to be flying this airplane—it’s a dream come true!”

Forrest is glad to see his son flying the Vagabond. “It’s really special to be at AirVenture with him and the airplane,” he shares, explaining with a smile, “He was never forced into learning to fly—I may have leaned on him a little bit, but Vaughn has always made up his own mind.”

Vau g hn e cho es his father ’s words, explaining, “You can’t force flying on your friends or kids. It helps for them to be involved early at a young age to become inspired, but I’ve seen a lot of kids almost turned off because they felt it was expected of them. So it just has to come naturally, and you have to allow that interest to develop.”

Vaughn and his wife, Cat, don’t have children, so the two-place PA-15 meets their present needs.

NC4426H has won several notable awards, including Grand Champion (Neo- Classic 1946-1956) during the Antique Airplane Association 2013 Fly-In, and Outstanding Piper Other (Small Plaque) at AirVenture 2014.

“My plans are to enjoy the airplane until I see there’s something else I can enjoy more,” he shares, smiling and adding, “This Vagabond has a neat history and it was a cool restoration, so I’m not in any hurry to get rid of it. At this point, I can’t imagine owning a more practical, fun-flying airplane, especially with the 90-horse engine!”

The Vagabond Novelty Pilot

Forrest Lovley recently acquired aerobatic champion Johnny Vasey’s personal scrapbook, and kindly shared its content for this article. Though the newspaper clippings and air show souvenir programs in its pages are tinged with the patina of passing time, they easily convey the fun-loving camaraderie of some very talented performers during the late 1940s. Those were the days when local airports welcomed the public, and air show admission was only a dollar or two. Following are excerpts from Johnny’s scrapbook.

In 1948 and 1949, air show novelty pilot Lowell White performed the air show circuit with headliner Johnny Vasey, who flew a 450-hp Stearman.

Other fellow performers included Rose Parrakeet stunt pilot Bill Fischer; wingwalker and stuntman Billy Light; bat-wing parachute jumper “Red” Grant; skywriter Maj. Art Davis flying a Taperwing Waco; acrobatic pilot Marion Cole; and low-altitude parachute jumper Carl Ruppert.

A souvenir air show program offers this description of Lowell’s piloting skills: “During the war, the daring pilot served as an instructor in the army air forces and hundreds of the students he taught went out and helped write world history. He has over 6,000 hours at the controls of a plane to his credit.

Veteran pilots, while watching White put his ship through his zany routine, have been heard to say, ‘You can’t do that with an airplane.’”

One period newspaper reported: “His plane is just a plain stock model, without special accessories and has not been strengthened for stunt flying.

Pilots seeing the act seldom believe that White’s ship is not a specially constructed stunt ship and are amazed when they examine the plane after the act is finished. The intrepid White … is known all over the United States for his ‘screwball’ flying and his crazy antics, and has amused countless thousands of spectators. Most of White’s stunts are performed under 50 feet and can be seen in detail by spectators at the show.”

Lowell also performed a crowd-pleasing “drunken flier” act and was sometimes billed as “T. Hennesey Collins from Bourbon, Corn County, Kentucky.” A newspaper account described the act in detail, as it was performed during the International Air Fair held at Stevenson Field at Winnipeg in early July 1948: “The ‘inebriated’ act was put on by Lowell White, novelty flier of the American Tiger air circus. His flight in a 65 h.p. lightplane was just one of the thrills and chills of spectacular flying put on by the American stunt pilots aided by the R.C.A.F. A good many of the spectators turned pale after stunt flier White eluded police and officials to jump into a tiny Piper Cub Vagabond and do a hairbreadth zig-zag takeoff. As part of the act he had been taken by police from the field earlier for causing a disturbance. Once in the air after dragging a mechanic 25 feet across the ground, the little yellow plane shot into the air vertically and kept the crowd on edge for the next 15 minutes as the master of ceremonies Bob Doan shouted instructions over the loudspeaker to the runaway plane. Playing constantly on the brink of a stall, White flew the little craft sideways, bounced on several attempted landings, and at one stage flew across with one leg out the window, shouting frantically to the crowd. He finally made a one wheel landing almost in a circle to the relief of the crowd, who were then let in on the gag.”

The humble-yet-valiant Vagabond played a unique role in history—not only by saving Piper Aircraft Co., but also by providing thousands of air show spectators with priceless moments of surprising and awe-inspiring performances, when flown by the talented Lowell White. www.vintageaircraft.org

37

Al Meyers

and an

OTW Reborn

The

Herrmann family’s biplane

by Budd Davisson

TYSON RININGER

38

SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2015

I

f you think about it, the 1930s was an incredibly contradictory time. On the one hand, soup k itchen lines stretched around the block and Mother Nature had the Midwest vise-gripped in a crippling drought. Times were tough.

However, for totally illogical reasons, highly intelligent people like Walter Beech, Clyde Cessna, Al Mooney, Clarence and Gordon Taylor, William Piper and Al Meyers, among others, decided that, even though the country was starving, it would be a good time to build airplanes. And so they did. And

they succeeded. However, it could be argued that, in a strange sort of way, Al Meyers owned much of his success to Adolf Hitler.

Al Meyers: Kid Airplane Builder

Al turned 21 years old the same year the stock market tanked and a depression with a capital “D” clamped down on the country.

However, by that time, the fascination he had for airplanes, which had apparently gripped him at an early age, had propelled him into aviation directly out of high school. Since the mid-1920s, he

TYSON RININGER

The OTW owes its existence to the need for aerobatic trainers early in WWII.

had been working for all of the major pioneer aviation companies like Glenn L. Martin, Stinson, and Chance Vought. He had been honing his skills in sheet metal work and gaining an understanding of aircraft design, engineering, and construction.

Even as he was getting his hands dirty, however, he was also learning to fly, soloing a Jenny on Long Island. As his flight time increased, he bought a Waco 10 in 1932 and continued flight instructing and barnstorming to build his flight time. A pivotal trip came when he went on the road barnstorming with a friend, Martin Jensen, in an aircraft Jensen had designed and built. It was unique for the time because it had an aluminum fuselage and fabric-covered, wood-structured wings. Al liked the combination, and while working for Stinson in Wayne, Michigan, he began designing and building an airplane of his own design that used the same combination. It’s interesting to put efforts like his in context: He was probably making a minimal wage (as everyone was), the country around him was totally crushed by the Great Depression, and there he was, a young man in his 20s designing and building an airplane.

An impossible dream was taking shape in the shadow of a national catastrophe. It seems the aviation disease first attacks that portion of the brain that sponsors common sense. It must also numb fears of starvation.

Al’s new airplane flew for the first time at Wayne Country Airwww.vintageaircraft.org

39

TYSON RININGER PHOTOS

The aluminum structure of the fuselage seems out of place with its otherwise traditional bi-plane details.

port in May of 1936. But, in looking around at the state of aviation, he must have known that he had designed and built an anachronism. The open-cockpit biplane, even with a metal fuselage, was totally out of vogue in the market place. 1930s “modern” aircraft design had the Beech Staggerwing and Spartan Executive at one end, and the new crop of small engine trainers and sports planes like the Taylors, Pipers, and Aeroncas at the other end. That’s when, although it was certainly not their intention, Adolf Hitler and Hideki Tojo came to his aid.

The Axis Effect

By 1937-38 it became blatantly

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SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2015

clear to American leadership that things were happening in Europe and China that appeared to be headed for critical mass in the not-too-distant future. Besides the overt, and sometimes brutal, political moves being made, Germany had established hyperactive, supposedly civilian, “flying clubs” that were training pilots at an accelerated rate, far greater than would be expected for purely civilian, sports use.

Visionaries in Washington took note of what was happening and decided it would be in America’s best interest if they established some sort of program that taught lots of civilians how to fly. Robert Hinckley of the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) was charged with

developing what would be known as the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) under which the government would pay for a 72-hour ground school and between 35 and 50 hours of flight training. The ground schools would be part of university and college programs, and the flight training would be conducted at civilian flying schools located near the schools.

What started initially at 11 colleges around the country was in the process of succeeding, when, on September 1, 1939, the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe waded into Poland and things got very serious, very quickly. Accordingly, the CPTP was given emergency priority and was expanded to more than 1,100 educational locations and 1,400 flying schools. After Pearl Harbor, it was reorganized and renamed the War Training Service and functioned as a lead-in screening system for the military. When the program was phased out in mid1944, more than 435,000 pilots had been created. Amazing!

As the CPTP began to be wildly expanded, a second tier of training

The Man Behind the Machine: Joey Sahakian David Herrmann, OTW pilot/owner, will be the first to say that Joey Sahakian gets full credit for his airplane being what it is. And Joey is quick to say that one of the reasons he sold it to David was that he would continue to take care of it. “I made it so nice that the neat freak in me wouldn’t let it get dirty. I’d fly for an hour, get some bugs on it, and spend seven hours cleaning it. Even though I’d put my heart and soul into restoring it, flying it bordered on being work. I really enjoyed it but I didn’t enjoy it, if that makes any sense.”

Joey is a second-generation auto-repair guy, having taken over the business from his father. But he’s also a second-generation vintage airplane guy. “My dad had a bunch of old airplanes, including a Luscombe and a Stinson, which I eventually restored.

I got my first airplane, a Piper J-5A, in the ’80s. I flew that old airplane any and everywhere, before finally restoring it. I must have done it right because it won a lot of awards.”

TYSON

RINING

ER

Joey has it better than most nonprofessional airplane restorers. His auto shop was originally a body shop so it has a big spray booth in the back. Joey says, “I’ll put an airplane in there, and when things get slow in the shop or I want a break, I just walk back there and bang on an airplane for a little while.”

“I sold my J-5 when I got married, and a few months later we were having a backyard barbecue and I kept looking up at the airplanes flying over.

That went on for several hours, and my wife finally cornered me and said, ‘Go buy an airplane. You’re driving me nuts!’”

And that’s how the OTW came to be.

When he started his search for another airplane, he heard about an old biplane, an OTW, that had been taken apart and had been sitting in a hangar for five years. The owner was in a hurry to sell, and Joey was in no hurry to buy, so he negotiated until the price was right and then pulled the trigger.

“I got my airplane buddies together, and we

started putting the airplane back together. It was totally complete, just apart and dirty. It took us three weekends, but we got it back in the air and licensed.

I jumped in, never having flown a big biplane before, and flew home with no problems. That says more about how nice the airplane flies than me, as a pilot.”

He flew the airplane for nearly 10 years with it perpetually in “I’m going to restore it some day” mode. It wasn’t in bad shape. He says “fair” would describe it. That, however, changed on a whim.

He remembers, “One day a bunch of my buddies and I were supposed to fly to a strip that’s right on the beach, build a bonfire, and camp for a couple of days. But, the weather turned really sour and we were standing around the airplanes at the hangar watching gloomy skies. For whatever reason, with no forethought whatsoever, I said, ‘I have it! Let’s take my airplane apart, and I’ll restore it. Out came the pocketknives and wrenches, and by nightfall, my airplane was totally naked and in a million pieces. At that point, I was pretty committed to restoring it.”

As always, when an airplane comes apart there are surprises.

“The airplane had never really been restored, especially the wings, and we found a major crack in the rear spar of the center section. The rest of the wing wood was probably usable, but I decided I wanted a brand new biplane, so I replaced every piece of wood in the wings. All of it! My friend Ken Dodderer cut the raw stock for me. When I was done with the wing construction, the inspector looked at them and said, ‘They look like furniture. It’s a shame to cover them.’ But I did cover them using the Stits process all the way through.

“The fuselage aluminum was actually in good shape, but a total cleaning was in order, inside and out. The cowl was rough so another friend, John Nielsen, English-wheeled new metal for it.

“The wheelpants are fiberglass and originally for a Waco, so they aren’t original. I opted to go for an air show look, rather than the original, military scheme: bare metal fuselage, yellow wings. Same thing inside: It had leather seats, nice panel, etc. It may not have been original, but it looked great and was fun to fly.

However, it was time for someone else to enjoy it, so I sold it to David. Now I’m helping a friend with his 1929 Fleet 2 and am looking for a project for myself.

I’d like something a little unusual like a Porterfield, Interstate Cadet, or maybe a PA-12 Super Cruiser. A guy’s got to keep busy, right?” www.vintageaircraft.org

41

TYSON RININGER PHOTOS

Many of the airframe features surrounding the 160 hp Kinner show that restorer Joey Sahakian was going for an airshow appearance, rather than an original military look.

was added. Besides simply teaching them to fly, it was decided that student pilots would all be given aerobatic training , and that’s where Al Meyers’ future immediately changed. Aerobatics in those days automatically meant tandem, open-cockpit biplanes, and Waco couldn’t build enough UPF-7s to meet the demand, so Al was tapped to build his out-of-date biplane to be the aerobatics trainer for flight schools. There was only one glitch: The airplane had to be certificated to be accepted into the program. A second Meyers airplane had been built in the company’s 42

SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2015

temporary factory in September of 1939. Although the aircraft wasn’t certificated yet, the government had already issued a Group 2 approval back in August that technically allowed the company to begin building. The pressure to get airplanes into the f lying schools was so fierce that a lot of governmental winks and nods resulted in around 30 Meyers biplanes already having been built by the time the paperwork for the type certificate was approved.

CPTP Provides a Market, a Factory, and David Herrmann’s Airplane

With government orders in his pocket, Al Meyers suddenly found that funding and adequate facilities were no longer a problem. He was being courted by a number of communities to locate on their airport, and the small town of Tecumseh, Michigan, offered him a tax and facility package he couldn’t turn down. So, Meyers Aircraft Co. (it had already existed in his mind and on paper for many years) officially located onto what is now

known as the Al Meyers Airport.

Al’s nameless biplane became the OTW (Out To Win) as soon as it was selected as one of the CPTP’s aerobatic trainers. One hundred two aircraft were rolled out of the small plant, with production coming to a halt in 1943, probably because the government decided to begin standardizing flight training with the Stearman. The war ended with the OTW having the enviable record of never having a student fatality occur in the airplane.

It was toward the end of production, in 1943, to be exact, OTW serial No. 95 was built. Seventyone years later, wearing N34351 registration, July 2014 found S/N 95 parked on the grounds of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh under the tutelage of a proud new owner, David Herrmann of Two Rivers, Wisconsin. His aviation heritage runs deep, with the OTW being his latest love.

David says, “My dad talked about his uncle Otto who was a navigator on a B-24 named Tommy Thumper. He said when he was home he would get in his

Your Next Oil Change Just Got Easier

e!

Fre ss Me

Piper Cub and fly around the farm having all kinds of fun. That kind of stuck in my head and then, in the early ’80s, going to EAA Oshkosh really got my interests piqued.

“My dad and I kicked around building a Sonerai, and at some point my dad said, ‘You didn’t want to do college, so what do you want?’ and I answered that I’d like to get my pilot’s license so, that’s what I did.”

His flying hit a lull when the family business, suffering from high interest rates and competition, went under, and for nearly 10 years he was pretty much ground-bound.

He says, “I got back into flying when I was about 28, and I got my PPL glider. I did a lot of soaring and even bought a motorglider, a Fournier RF5B. Then I bought a newly restored L-3B Aeronca in California, but I couldn’t fly it home because I didn’t have a power PPL. A friend flew it back.

Then my CFI, Jim Wheeler, and I flew to AirVenture ’03, where it was runner-up in class.”

As David was getting back into flying, his business life was getting busier as he went to work for a Harley dealer, taking care of many departments in a growing business.

“One of our service techs and I built a RV-7 in my garage over four winters that I flew for years before selling it to Steve Morse, guitarist for Deep Purple. Then I bought an RV-8A, but I didn’t like the nose wheel so got rid of that in favor of a straight RV-8 and then an RV-3. That was replaced by an RV-4 and a Cub that I re-covered. And that’s when the OTW joined the fold.”

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Accidental Biplane Purchase

“I went looking for an OTW partially because I accidentally sold my last RV at almost exactly the same time that I discovered OTWs. I’d never seen one until I ran into a local pilot who had one, and it intrigued me. I heard that little voice in my head saying, ‘Hey! I think I’d like to own one of those.’ And I listened to it. Just then a guy looking at my RV asked me if it was for sale.

It wasn’t, but I tossed a silly number at him expecting him to stomp off, but he smiled, and just that quickly, I needed another airplane. I had just looked at the local OTW, but it wasn’t for sale. Then I peeked at Barnstormers and there it was…an OTW! I called the guy, he still had it, and I told him to hold it for me. This all happened on the same day, as if it was foreordained that I was to own an OTW or something.” www.vintageaircraft.org

43

The OTW’s long-strong landing gear makes smooth landings easy.

TYSON RININGER

The OTW he’d never seen but was about to buy had been restored by Joey Sahakian in Fresno, California. In the pictures it looked perfect. When David finally saw it in real life, it looked the same way. (See the sidebar for Joey’s side of the OTW story.)

“I did some research through the OTW club and biplane forum, looking for someone to ferry the airplane home and check me out, and Clay Hammond appeared to be the perfect person. I expected the checkout to be a big deal, because, among other things, the OTW tail wheel is totally free-swiveling. It doesn’t steer and it doesn’t lock. It was like nothing I’d ever flown before, and I expected it to be squirrely. But, it definitely wasn’t. We did five takeoffs and landings to a full stop, as required by the insurance, and I was done. And the insurance premium is exactly the same as I was paying for my RV. This is because the OTW has such a good safety record.”

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SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2015

A Gentleman’s Flying Machine

“The landing gear is so wide and the rudder so effective,” he says, “you don’t even miss the tail-wheel steering. The main gear also has a huge amount of well-damped travel so it’s really hard to bounce it on landing.

Whether three-point or wheeling it on, it just settles on and sticks.”

David says, “Takeoff is leisurely and super easy to keep straight.

It just sor t of f loats off at 65 mph, You climb at 70 and generally cruise in the 95-100 mph range, burning about 10 gallons per hour. You fly the pattern at 80 mph and just aim the nose at the numbers. I usually wheel it on because it’s so easy and you can see what you’re doing.”

Cruising around at less than 100 mph takes a lot longer, and he says the RVs have spoiled him in that regard. But watching the sunset is so much more fun at OTW speeds.

“The first time I brought my wife,

Donna, out to see it, she wouldn’t even get out of the Jeep. She just watched me fly. The second time, she let me put her in it, but she wasn’t about to go flying. The third time, I had her in the cockpit and she says, ‘Can we go flying now?’

She really likes it!”

So, inasmuch as David changes airplanes the way most people change T-shirts, how soon before something new catches his eye?

He says, “This airplane is a big bucket list item for me. I’ve always wanted an open-cockpit biplane with a round motor. Always! So, it may be a while before I part with this one.

“Lastly, I’d like to thank my parents for the start of my aviation adventure, EAA for making sure my aviation interests were kept alive, and a few local mentors, namely Jim Wheeler, Don Gruett, Gregg Goins, Ray Roethle, and Don Kiel.

Also, I definitely need to thank the most important person of all, my wife, Donna.”

Keepin’ Up a

Family Tradition

Walt Bowe’s D-18 Beech

by Budd Davisson Chris Miller Photos

L

ooking around at the sport aviation and vintage aircraft communities, it ’s obvious that we’re seeing second- and third-generation participants jumping into the fray. It seems the family that flies together, at the very least, seriously infects their offspring with the av-bug. Walt Bowe of So-

noma, California, is certainly one of those generational aviators who never had a moment in his life when old airplanes weren’t part of his environment.

Bowe says, “When I was about 12 years old, I got my first vintage airplane ride in Old Rhinebeck’s D-25 New Standard. That one ride really gave me the bug,

and being from Sonoma, California, I fell in with the Schellville airport crowd, which included a bunch of serious antiquers.

“I soloed in a C-140 and was very much taken under the wing of some of the local guys, including the late Ted Babbini and Don Carter. They let me fly their airplanes, which included a Jungmeister and a Fleet, www.vintageaircraft.org

45

Walt Bowe’s opening comment to everyone about his airplane is that he can’t take any credit for its magnificent restoration. That honor belongs to George Byaard, Carson City, NV. TYSON RININGER

to fly-ins, where I was almost always the youngest pilot. I was having the time of my life.

“My first airplane was a Pietenpol that I bought when I was 15 years old for $500 from Joe Santana. It was a bare-bones, unfinished project. I would have been better off starting from scratch in the long run, but it gave me inspiration. My closest friend, Chris Price, and I were fascinated by the old flivver-style airplanes in high school. He started a Heath Parasol (previous OSH winner), and I did the Pietenpol. The Pietenpol was my first project and restora46

SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2015

tion. I finished it in 2005. College, work, and lack of money stopped me from finishing earlier. Chris beat me!

“I met Bud Field,” he says, “a well-known airplane collector and business man from Hayward, California, at one of those air shows, when I was a teenager. He offered to let me fly his stock Stearman and, of course, I jumped at it. He was very generous with his toys.

That led to me flying his Travel Air and Model 4 Stearman to shows.

I was fortunate to fly all his airplanes. He was to have a huge impact on my life.

“I left for college at California State University at Chico and majored in earth science/environmental engineering. I graduated in three-and-a-half years and went back to Sonoma as a flight instructor while hoping to become an airline pilot. I did get an opportunity to fly for a company that operated 737s within six months of being out of school and was in the training program in Tucson. I never actually got the opportunity to fly, though. I began realizing that I was miserable and knew that the airline life was not for me. I grew up in an airline family, and many

Walt Bow e

friends were airline pilots. Many of those friends went out on a limb to help me climb the ranks to be an airline pilot. However, I was headed down a path that wasn’t right for me. Deciding not to fly for the airlines was tough, and I was worried about repercussions with friends and family, but ultimately I decided I couldn’t keep going.

“Before leaving for Tucson, I had received an offer from Bud Field to go to work for him in his construction business, but I turned him down, thinking I should follow the path I had been on for my short f lying career. He told me

that, if things fell through on the airline thing, I had a standing job offer that was good for one year.

That was pretty sweet; he knew I would be miserable. Anyone who knew Bud would understand his craftiness. He had planted a hook in me, and he knew it. “ Within a few months I was done with the 737 gig and working for Bud at his Industrial Construction Co. based out of Livermore, California. Working for Bud was a great experience, and despite what many thought, we didn’t play with his toys as much as was assumed!

Bud gave me an incredible opportunity to learn his business, and in six short years I became a partner in the company. Four years later Bud passed away (February 10, 2010), and I took over his role as president of Lilja Corp. We had a five-year buyout plan, and it is sad that Bud only made it through four of those years. Even sadder, he never got to enjoy retirement and his collection of airplanes to the fullest. He died a young 63. I mention my history with Bud because it’s really important to me that people understand that he was an incredible mentor and friend and gave me the opportunity to ultimately fulfill my dream of collect-

ing airplanes. We tried each other’s patience at times at work, but nothing a few glasses of wine at the end of the day wouldn’t fix.”

While working for Bud Field, Walt got to stretch his wings, so to speak, in the airplane building/collecting area. The Pietenpol was his first, and as he says, “I built it exactly to the plans and even acquired an original N number that had belonged to Bernie Pietenpol and painted the airplane accordingly. It is no brakes, tailskid, Model A powered. Period-correct instruments, solder-wrapped cables, etc. To be honest, it’s ridiculously original!”

Walt’s next air plane was an Eaglerock that had a family connection. He says, “My grandfather was really my inspiration for old airplanes. He learned in the teens and got his license, bought a Jenny for $500 and barnstormed. Later he went to work for an Alexander Eaglerock distributor, then onto the airlines, Eastern, then American Overseas, and flew the Berlin Airlift, then on to PAA flying the flying boats out of New York.

I am fortunate to have discovered all of his old logbooks and photo albums as a teenager. I never got to meet him, though I was named after him. Walter Hostetler was www.vintageaircraft.org

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When George Byaard restored the airplane, it was with function in mind, so, although the instrument panel harkens back to older times, it is still thoroughly usable in today’s airspace environment.

his name. Neat history that I’m fortunate to have in my family, so buying an Eaglerock was a nobrainer. My wife, Carlene, and I bought one in Brewster, Kansas, and trucked it home to Sonoma.

It was pretty much a complete airplane, not a basket case. I overhauled the OX-5, did some fabric work, installed new cables, wiring, and plumbing. It was not pretty, but we got it flying again. That was a sentimental project because of my grandfather’s history with the type. Thanks to Carlene for making that all possible.”

Carlene is part of everything Walt does and still has the Cub she 48

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soloed in. That one was joined by a 1939 Cub project that Walt finished, and he says, “One day, we dreamed up the idea to have ‘his’ and ‘her’ Cubs and go to Lock Haven for Sentimental Journey. Well, we have the Cubs, but have not made it to Pennsylvania yet.”

EAA/VAA members remember Walt’s next airplane well: an awardwinning 1929 Laird that graced these pages. The project that followed the Laird, however, and is still underway is not only exciting but, as he puts it, “It’s a long, long, long project that has come a long way, but has a long way to go.” It’s a 1937 Beech 18A: the original pro-

totype Twin Beech. The very first one! (See sidebar for details.)

As he worked on the prototype D-18 project, Walt decided he had to do something about his overwhelming desire to own and fly a Twin Beech. The prototype was going to take too long. “I wanted immediate satisfaction. I talked Carlene into us buying one (kidding, but kind of true). I wanted to have an airplane we could load the dogs into and go somewhere.”

The D-18 he brought to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014 was a 1944 C-45B that had been totally restored by George Byaard in Carson City, Nevada, but it hadn’t been flown for five years. “It was beautiful and came back to life after a morning’s work. After lunch, Taigh Ramey flew it back to Stockton for a thorough annual.”

The airplane may have been beautiful, when Walt found it, but it hadn’t always been that way. In fact, reading through its military records makes it obvious that the airplane had been ridden hard and put away wet more than a few times.

It was delivered to its first duty station, NAS Norfolk in March of ’44, but a little over a year later, it had a “major repair” done in San Juan. A few months after that, it had a minor repair in the same location, and another two months later it was “reconditioned and repaired.” The airplane was less than 18 months old but had spent more time in the hospital than flying.

It was “reconditioned and repaired” again in November ’46 and again in February ’50, then went back to the factory to be remanufactured in ’53. It then cycled through a number of training command bases until it was put in storage at Litchfield Park, Arizona, in ’59. It was awakened a few years later and put to work again until it taxied into

Byaard had an extensive inventory of new-old-stock D-18 parts including plenty of seats. Inasmuch as the Bowe airplane spent over a decade in an airframe instructional school, it’s interior was completely missing.

So Byaard stitched up a new one.

what is often a fatal parking spot at Davis-Monthan AFB, where military airplanes go to die.

Davis-Monthan AFB is better known as “The Boneyard.” The year was 1967, so, before it was stricken off Navy inventory in April of ’68, it had 24 years and 10,343 hours of military service in its logbooks.

It was time for a well-earned rest… which it didn’t get. In fact, what it got was generally a death sentence for any airplane: C-45B, S/N 6198 was transferred to Southern Nevada Vocational Technical Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, to be used for “instructional purposes.” Essentially, it was a cadaver to be dissected, poked, prodded, and studied by students who had no appreciation for its elegance or history.

For 17 years the plane suffered the indignities associated with being a “donor airframe.” Then, George By-

aard V came along. In December of ’98, he paid $6,000 for a tired-looking D-18. Byaard found as much of the corpse as he could and trucked the remains to his shop where he spent the next 10 years trying to put the aluminum jigsaw puzzle back together.

Walt Bowe says, “Most of it was there, but almost all of it was either worn out or suffering badly from exposure to students and/or the elements. The skin itself, however, was in good shape. In fact, the airplane is still wearing all of its original skin. George went through the airwww.vintageaircraft.org

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plane inch by inch, replacing every bit of original wire and plumbing.

Even the plywood floorboards were replaced, including in the cockpit, which is a major project because all of the controls and many panels have to come out to allow access to the floorboards. This is part of the reason George separated the nose from the airplane. That gave him unrestricted access to the front of the floor and the back of the instru-

ment panel, which made it much easier to install new instruments, wiring, and avionics.”

George and John Crum had it easier than most when it came to doing a first-class job rehabbing all the systems: For years George had been buying new old stock military surplus airframe parts and had a terrific inventory of the necessary items.

So, when they were done with this airframe, many parts were so new

that they still sported the original manufacturer’s part number. In the course of replacing all of the wiring, they even labeled each part with the appropriate number.

The Twin Beech is famous for the problems it’s had with its steel tube center section, and there have been any number of ADs and fixes aimed at it. George complied with the AD and installed a new spar strap on the original spar.

The Twin Beech in the Wings: The First D-18 It is seldom that the very first of The prototype Beech D-18, which Walt Bowe has been restoranything, much less an airplane, sur- ing for years is readily identifyable by the bump cowls hiding vives. In this case, Walt Bowe’s on- its Wright engines. going project is the very first D-18 Twin Beech. It was built in 1937 and carries serial number 62, which Walt says is curious because that’s right in the middle of the Staggerwing serial numbers. It differs from later Twin Beeches in many areas.

Everything is much lighter than later airplanes, which resulted in an empty weight of only 4,000 pounds. This is an amazing 2,300 pounds less than the later D-18s. Walt is undoubtedly correct when he says, “I’ll bet it flies really well.”

One noticeable difference is the airplane’s engines: rather than being 450-hp P&W R-985s, it was/is powered by a pair of Wright R-760 E2s (same as J-6 Whirlwind) of 350 hp each. These are fitted with cowls that feature very pronounced bumps over the cylinders. These alone call when Carlene and I decided to buy it.”

When Walt and Carlene bought it about three years attention to the airplane’s early lineage.

Walt says the airplane was originally rescued by an- ago, it was totally disassembled. In Walt’s words, “It’s tiquers Bob Lock and Fred Patterson.”Bob saved it ini- not like it hit a hill and needs to be built from scratch, tially by taking it from the Reedly, California, airport but it was torn as far apart as a Beech 18 could be, but I to his house to prevent further damage by vandalism, think the project is worth investing the time and money. though he did not own it. Fred Patterson bought it in In my opinion, it is a very historic aircraft, being Beech’s the 1980s and ultimately brought it to Novato, Califor- first twin-engine airplane. This very airplane is the pronia, where I bought it. Fred had done a lot of disas- totype that led to more than 9,000 being built.”

Walt says he plans to restore it “absolutely to the origsembly to stop corrosion, which included removing the center section, but had not touched it in many years, inal brochure.”

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Walt says, “As the airplane came from the training school, the interior was pretty much gone. It had never had anything more than what the military had installed and much of that had disappeared, so John Crum fabricated, stitched, and installed an entire interior in the airplane using surplus D-18 seats from George’s collection. He was 85 years old when he finished, and commented that working on the airplane is what kept him alive.

“I picked the airplane up in Stockton and made one of my more embarrassing takeoffs. I didn’t have the friction lock on, and just as the gear was coming up, the throttles crept way back. I immediately put them forward again, waking up the neighborhood as the props screamed.

Everyone heard it. Flying it back to Schellville was actually my first twin solo! I had flown Twin Beeches, a Lockheed 10, and a DC-3, but always with someone else. When I got it home, we polished it, and Larry Easterby, the gent who painted the Laird, kindly painted the stripes to match our STA.” Walt says the airplane cruises an honest 150 knots at about 44 gallons per hour, which may not make it the most economical airplane to be flying, but with a useful load of over 2,000 pounds, he can load it anyway he wants and use it anyway that fits his mission.

He says, “I use it when I need to do a multi-stop business trip. Last fall, for instance, I had business in Chicago, Indiana, Oklahoma, Houston, Shreveport, and Columbus. My stops were not in garden spots, so by the time I’d take an airline to all those locations, get rental cars and drive a few hours, a lot of time and money would be wasted. Plus, it was hard work. It was a lot more fun to just fly to the local airport and get a ride to the job site. Carlene and I have taken some trips in it locally. But to be hon-

est, we have it just for fun. The first year we had it we put 130 hours on it including going to Oshkosh.

“Flying a Beech 18 was always on my bucket list. As a kid, I wanted to work for Miami Valley Aviation in Ohio, but I was too inexperienced to get a job there. My friends, Chris Price and Josh Brownell, got to do that, and I was jealous. However, the way I’m flying the airplane now is pretty sweet, as I don’t have to do it in minus-degree weather and load car parts. I am fortunate for sure.

And it’s really a great airplane to fly.”

He says, “You pull on the runway, lock the tail wheel, advance the throttles—left one about an inch more than the right—check everything is in the green, as the tail comes up on its own. The throttles go to max, as the tail comes to full height, then roll down the runway, keeping the nose right in front of you, which isn’t difficult. It lifts off nicely, and you’re on

your way. It really is a sweetheart of an airplane. Very stable.

“It lands as nicely as it takes off,” he says. “It will fly nice tight patterns. I normally make nearly poweroff landings to avoid an issue, if one quits on me. Come in about 100 knots on final, bleed the speed off, and roll it on the mains at about 75.

If on a long runway, I pull up the flaps, as the tail starts to settle and, when the tail hits, anchor the yoke in my lap. The locking tail wheel is ideal, much like a tailskid at that point. It keeps everything lined up.

I’ve had it in runways as short as 2,000 feet with no wind, but that’s a little tight.”

When asked if there was anything he’d change, if doing it over, he says, “Not a thing. George did an incredible job! He deserves all the credit on the restoration and quality of airplane. I am just the current owner/ operator/curator.”

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Doomed Titan The sacrifice of the USS Shenandoah

by Mark Carlson

photos courtesy of National Museum of Naval Aviation

I

n 1924, a year that had not yet seen a flight over the Atlantic nor the total collapse of the stock market, Americans from Lakehurst, New Jersey, to San Diego, California, were treated to a remarkable and awe-inspiring experience. It happened over towns and cities, farms and factories.

Far away a sonorous drone grew in volume and clarity, seemingly out of nowhere. Men, women, and children ran outdoors to see what was making the strange sound but were unable to locate its source.

The heavy drone increased until it made the very air vibrate. “It’s an airplane!” someone would yell.

Then they would point to the sky.

“There it is! It’s a Zeppelin! Look!”

All heads spun as if on one neck to see a wondrous sight. Coming into view over the horizon was a silver behemoth gliding magically

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toward them. As it passed overhead, the long, cylindrical craft soon eclipsed the sun, casting whole city blocks into shadow. For many Americans, this was their first sight of the U.S. Navy’s new dirigible, USS Shenandoah. She was on her first cross-country public relations tour to promote the Navy’s new airships. Just over a year later, she would be a mass of twisted wreckage scattered across the Ohio countryside, a tomb for 14 members of her crew.

Ever since the Prussian Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin had developed the first practical rigid airships at the turn of the century, more than a hundred had been built, mostly in Germany. They had carried passengers on short flights around the country, but then, after the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, began long-range reconnais-

sance and bombing. Their greatest vulnerability was the use of volatile hydrogen gas for lift. A single spark could turn a 600-foot-long Zeppelin and her crew into a blazing comet as it fell to earth.

The Zeps had been ineffective as bombers but had still caused death and destruction. In 1917 Germany began building Zeppelins with a lighter duralumin (an alloy of aluminum and copper) framework to gain altitude with the same gas capacity. This allowed the “height climbers” to reach altitudes higher than 20,000 feet, far above what the underpowered fighters could easily reach. But reducing the weight had a trade-off in less strength and durability. The height climbers were far more vulnerable to heavy winds and storm than their predecessors, but this was an acceptable compromise to protect

them against fighter attack. However this was short-lived and soon fighters were able to reach the lofty Zeppelins and shoot them down.

By the end of 1917, the giant airships had lost their invulnerability.

The L49, a U-type Zeppelin that started life as the LZ96, first flew in June 1917. On a raid over England in October, it dropped 2 tons of bombs and then turned for home. Adverse winds forced it to land near Bourbonne-les-Bains, France, where it was captured virtually intact. It provided a threedimensional blueprint of the most advanced German Zeppelins. It was

L49 that was used as the basis for the first American dirigible. Airplanes at that time were woefully limited in range, endurance, and cargo capacity. But large rigid dirigibles (French for “steerable”) could stay up for days at a time and carry several tons of cargo. Military airships could range far out to sea and scout for enemy fleets and invasion forces, and report their findings.

In retrospect, the idea of a massive, fragile slow craft that was highly vulnerable to capricious weather and anti-aircraft artillery and fighters being useful in war is ludicrous, but the U.S. Navy was still eager to find its niche in the air. The U.S. Army, even though most of its hidebound generals saw little use for their own airplanes,

was even more determined to keep the Navy on the water and out of the skies. But American airships would not carry highly flammable hydrogen as a lifting gas.

Germany had had no other lifting gas available, so their Zeppelins were designed with the most advanced safety precautions possible. The ships’ construction and operation were meant to minimize the danger of igniting the gas. The United States possessed the bulk of the world’s helium, a byproduct of the natural gas industry. Even though helium had only 92 percent of the lifting power of hydrogen and was far more expensive, it was imperative that all American airships use the non-explosive gas.

Construction of the Navy’s first

rigid airship began in 1922, where major sections were built at the Navy Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia, then shipped to NAS Lakehurst, New Jersey. A new hangar was the site of construction, as huge duralumin girders and rings were assembled on the floor and hoisted by crane to the ceiling. There, the rings, some of which measured more than 75 feet in diameter, were fitted to the airship’s backbone.

Soon the 680-foot-long skeleton began to look like an airship.

Twenty immense gas cells were hung in webbing inside the hull, where they would be inflated with more than 2.1 million cubic feet of helium. The cells were made of rubberized cotton fabric with a gasimpermeable layer of “goldbeater’s www.vintageaircraft.org

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skin” glued and varnished to the inner surface. Eighteen automatic spring-loaded pressure relief valves were installed on the cells. Six eight-cylinder 300-hp Packard gas engines were fitted into cars extending out from the hull to drive the ship at speeds up to 60 knots for 5,000 miles.

The airship was armed with six Lewis machine guns in the engine cars and had a bomb capacity of 3,000 pounds. Attached by metal straps to the hull, the control gondola was no larger than a delivery van. Surrounded by Plexiglas windows, it was crammed with controls as well as communication and navigational equipment. Annunciators and sets of gauges were connected to the engines, while banks of lights and dials monitored the 20 gas cells in the hull. An elevator man stood his watch at a wheel on the port side, while a helmsman facing forward controlled the ship’s rudders. In all, at least seven men worked in the cramped space suspended under the 2.1 million cubic feet of helium.

The new dirigible’s final cost was $2.6 million in addition to the $3 million for Hangar One. After 14 months of construction, the new airship made her first flight on September 4, 1923, under the command of Cmdr. Frank McCrary. She was not large compared to the dirigibles that were to come, but was long and slim.

For the next two months, the unnamed ship flew to New York, Philadelphia, and the National Air Races in St. Louis. On October 10, she was commissioned into the U.S. Navy as USS Shenandoah, FA-1, for Fleet Airship, but this was soon changed to ZR for Zeppelin Rigid. In addition to being the first U.S. rigid airship, she was also the first one to use helium as a lifting gas. Since helium was far more expensive than hydrogen, the Navy had to adopt different 54

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techniques than those used by the Germans, who filled gas cells to full capacity and vented it as needed. But Shenandoah’s helium was too expensive, at $50,000, to use that way. The cells were filled to only 90-95 percent capacity, and unneeded gas was pumped into tanks in the hull.

An airship uses aerostatic lift to remain airborne, while the engine thrust, rudders, and elevators provide aerodynamic force to maintain course and control. Achieving a balance between the two requires constant vigilance. Wind direction and speed, air temperature, moisture and barometric pressure, the weight of fuel, and a dozen other factors that can change in minutes have to be monitored throughout a flight. A revolutionary system to condense the engine exhaust gases into water was used to compensate for the loss of weight as the fuel was consumed.

For her first full year of operation Shenandoah was used to train her crew in every aspect of dirigible operations, from launch to flight to mooring. The learning curve was very steep, as they often found. On the night of January 16, 1924, a winter gale wrested the ship from her mooring mast and ripped the fabric on the upper fin, causing it to strike the ground, which inflicted serious damage to the bow.

Two gas cells were ruptured. Repairs took more than five months, during which one engine was removed and new radio equipment fitted into the control gondola.

In May the ship resumed her flights under Lt. Cmdr. Zachary Lansdowne, an affable, handsome 36-year-old from Ohio. He had been given command of ZR-1 in February while the ship was still under repair. A 1909 Annapolis graduate, he was an experienced airship officer, having earned the Navy Cross when flying with the

British R34 on the first transAtlantic airship flight in 1919.

Lansdowne was a fervent advocate of large rigid airships for the Navy and conducted tests in the Atlantic with the fleet, operating from a mooring mast fitted on the oiler USS Patoka. Although Shenandoah’s range and lifting capacity was limited by her size, she helped develop the tactics for dirigibles as longrange scouts for the surface Navy.

Her alternate role as a public relations icon began in October 1924 with a record-breaking 19-day tour from Lakehurst, New Jersey, to Fort Worth, Texas, to San Diego and on to Seattle, Washington.

After refueling, she returned via the same route, logging more than 230 hours of flight. As 1924 ended, the ship was literally hung up in the hangar while her helium was pumped into cylinders. The Navy had only enough helium to fully inflate one large dirigible, so Shenandoah’s gas was then used to inflate the new LZ-126, a German-built Zeppelin that had just arrived in New Jersey to begin service as the USS Los Angeles, ZR-3.

ZR-2, built by the British as the R38, had crashed into the Humber Estuary in 1921 after suffering structural failure. The problem of how to save helium during flight was a major concern. The automatic relief valves allowed too much expensive helium to be lost. At altitudes approaching 4,000 feet, the air pressure lessened and the helium expanded. Rubber hoses connecting the cells helped to equalize the pressure. But if the ship rose too fast, the cells could rupture so the valves automatically vented gas. This was costing the Navy too much money.

During the winter of 192425, Lansdowne had 10 of the 18 valves, which weighed 138 pounds, removed. The crew would manually open valves if needed. But his

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NAVAL AVIATION PHOTOS

Zachary Lansdowne

decision could have serious consequences. If the ship were to ascend as rapidly as 400 feet per minute, the crew would not be able to vent off enough gas to prevent damage to the cells and surrounding frames. But this was not considered a likely scenario.

In the summer of 1925, more than 70 governors, mayors, and congressmen wanted Shenandoah to fly over their cities to impress their constituents. And Rear Adm. William A. Moffet, commander of the Navy’s aeronautical branch, was only too happy to oblige. Moffet was doing all he could to promote naval aviation after the Army ’s 1924 f light around the world. A major tour of the Midwest would do just that. He had originally ordered the ship to make the tour in late summer, but this was the peak of the Midwestern storm season. Lansdowne protested and asked that the flight be postponed until the second week of September. Moffet told Lansdowne that Shenandoah’s schedule had been published and he was to raise ship on September 1, 1925.

At 1500 hours that day, Navy ground crew pushed up on rails mounted on Shenandoah’s gondola and engine cars. The 77,000-pound ship lifted gracefully into the afternoon sky on her 57th flight. With

the engines roaring to life, the huge ship soared west into the setting sun. Her 41 officers and crew were to fly over 27 cities and fairs between New Jersey and Iowa in three days. The tight schedule was inviolate. Lansdowne could only deviate for bad weather.

Adm. Moffet did not want to disappoint any important politicians.

At 2345 on September 2, the airship was headed west over southern Ohio. In the control gondola, Lansdowne examined the charts on the small table with navigator Lt. Charles Rosendahl. Weather officer Lt. Joseph Anderson handed them a report from Lakehurst that stated there were severe thunderstorms over the Great Lakes. The www.vintageaircraft.org

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officers decided the storms were far north of their track, and Lansdowne, exhausted from days of preparation, turned control over to Rosendahl and climbed the ladder into the hull to his bunk for a nap.

Three hours later on the morning of September 3, he was shaken awake by a crewman, who said that a storm was closing in. The captain entered the control gondola to see storms and lightning to the east and northwest. A huge black storm front was far ahead to the west.

Anderson suggested they turn south, but his commander, mindful of Moffet’s orders, held course.

They were over the Ohio River Valley, barely making headway against the winds at 1,000 feet.

But fate was against them. A dangerous line squall was forming over them. A line squall is a series of thunderstorms driven by a fast-moving cold front, where damp warm winds collided with dry cold air to form violent up and downdrafts. In moments, the helpless Shenandoah was caught in the storm and rocketed to more than 4,100 feet, then another updraft struck, driving the dirigible sickeningly to 6,300 feet. The bow remained lower than the stern. There was no choice. The manual relief valves had to be opened to save the ship. Rosendahl climbed up into the hell to direct the crew. He never saw Lansdowne alive again.

At last the second violent ascent ended. Like a porpoise diving under the waves the ship dropped to 3,600 feet. Rosendahl later said it felt as if they were doing a loop.

Water ballast was dumped to keep Shenandoah from driving itself into the ground. Lansdowne increased engine speed to pull the twisting ship out of the squall. But two engines overheated and died. The crew tried to hang on and carry out orders while girders groaned and 56

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wires snapped all around them.

Huge sections of the outer skin tore and flapped as the howling wind drove in sheets of icy rain.

Far below, residents of Caldwell, Ohio, watched the black form of the long ship swinging violently in the churning gale.

Finally the ship’s plunge slowed at 2,000 feet and Lansdowne ordered a course change to the south, away from the storm. But it was too late. Two massive pressure waves then acted on Shenandoah’s 860foot length. An updraft forced the bow to rise to the left, while a downdraft slammed at the stern, bending it to the right. The whole ship was being twisted like a damp rag. Struts and girders snapped, and loud groans of tortured metal sounded as if Shenandoah were screaming in mortal agony. With loud cracks, the keel broke in two places, as Rosendahl put it, “like a tree limb,” tearing open the hull. The control gondola, carrying Lansdowne and seven other men, tore loose and fell half a mile to the ground.

USS Shenandoah was ripped apart. The forward end tore loose about 125 feet from the bow. With some of its cells still intact, it rose to more than 8,000 feet, far above the maximum the ship was designed for. The longer stern section, carrying 25 men, began to drift earthward. Part of it broke off and smashed into the ground. The stern soon landed with little violence and slid into a small valley. But the bow, carrying Rosendahl and six other men, was not out of danger. It was totally at the mercy of the capricious winds. The Navy men held on.

Slowly, by carefully venting helium, they were able to coax the uncontrollable hull to the ground.

When a misty dawn rose, the huge airship was scattered over 6 miles of Noble County. It no longer looked like a silver titan of the skies

but a mangled, dead whale. Shenandoah was a tomb for 14 men. But astonishingly, 29 survived, including Lt. Anderson, who had climbed out of the gondola just as it tore away beneath him. Eighteen men had survived when the stern landed, and four others were in the center section. Rosendahl and six others, after their harrowing ascent in the bow, also survived.

The crash site quickly became a tourist attraction when thousands of people arrived to look it over and pick through the wreckage.

Even before the Navy could send a crew to protect the site and begin an investigation, the looting began. Pieces of fabric, girders, instruments, logbooks, charts, clothing from the dead men, and even Lansdowne’s 1909 Annapolis ring were stolen by the callous souvenir hunters. How much evidence was lost will never be known.

The court of inquiry into the accident was conducted in Washington in October, headed by Navy Judge Advocate Capt. Paul Foley, an aide to Navy Secretary Curtis Wilbur. The focus was on the survivors’ accounts, weather reports, the ship’s construction, and a myriad of other details. Lt. Anderson testified that his captain had not taken his advice to steer south to avoid the storms to the west, insisting that they stay on schedule.

Rosendahl said that he had been trying to carry out Lansdowne’s orders to vent helium during the violent climb and dump water ballast while the ship was plunging.

The crash also figured prominently in the highly publicized court-martial trial of Army Gen. William “Billy” Mitchell, long a proponent of U.S. air power. In October 1925 he had been charged with insubordination after making public statements that the Army and Navy had been ‘criminally neg-

ligent’ in their lack of support for the air services. In fact, the Shenandoah’s loss had been the catalyst for his statements on September 5 to the national media.

While not a friend of the Navy, Mitchell’s 1921 aerial bombing tests against several obsolete American and German warships ultimately helped to give birth to the aircraft carrier. He argued that the loss of Shenandoah was an example of how badly the Navy was being run, particularly by forcing Lansdowne, whom he had known, to fly over the Midwest even though there were reports of storms on the route.

Many witnesses testified on Mitchell’s behalf, including Margaret Lansdowne, widow of ZR-1’s commander. She stated that her husband had tried to have his orders rescinded because of the bad weather but to no avail. He had been opposed to what he called “a political flight,” and protested as vigorously as possible to have the tour postponed until the second week of September. Hearst editor Arthur Brisbane also said Lansdowne had told him a September flight over the Midwest would be dangerous, and if the airship were to encounter storms, it would probably result in disaster.

Kapitan Anton Heinen, a German Zeppelin commander and consultant for the U.S. Navy, had helped train Shenandoah’s officers and crew. He had been on board when the ship was torn from the Lakehurst mooring mast in 1924 and took command to bring the helpless dirigible back safely. Heinen told the court that the ZR-1 was essentially an experimental training ship whose structure was not strong enough to survive heavy weather.

He claimed that the crew, with Lansdowne’s approval, had installed “jam pot lids” on the remaining eight automatic valves to prevent

leakage. In an emergency, they could not be removed quickly, further endangering the ship. Heinen had protested. But the officers and crew were certain that they could handle any situation. German Zeppelins had automatic valves for just such an emergency as Shenandoah found herself in. Without them the ship was very unsafe. Heinen said he would “not have flown in her for a million dollars.”

Lt. Orville Anderson (no relation to Joseph) gave evidence that the January 16 accident had damaged and weakened the ship’s structure, even though it had been repaired.

This is circumstantially borne out by the fact that the location where the keel broke was very close to where one of the longitudinal girders had been torn loose in 1924. An Army airship officer named Maj. Frank Kennedy testified that when he reached the site about 0830 the

morning of the crash, he had found the gas cells in the stern section “completely destroyed, deflated and torn to pieces.”

This was strong evidence that the crew had not been able to vent the overpressure from the cells before the ship reached 6,000 feet. So it was probably a combination of factors, i.e., weak construction, the removal of the valves, unknown damage from 1924, and most of all, bad judgment on the part of the Navy and Lansdowne that tore the silver titan from the skies. By 1935, the two newest Navy dirigibles, USS Akron and USS Macon had crashed at sea, thus ending America’s short love affair with the giant airships.

Mark Carlson 11985 Tivoli Park Row, #1 San Diego, CA 92128 858-592-2677 markcarlson2222@san.rr.com

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The Vintage Mechanic ROBERT G. LOCK

Specialty inspection Part 1 In this issue we will discuss some components of inspections I’ll call “specialty” inspections. These will be listed by either airframe or powerplant application. First let’s look at some specialty inspections of the engine and those items that are firewall forward.

Cylinder Differential Pressure Test

The purpose of this test is to assist in determining the internal condition of the cylinder and its components. The test is normally conducted at the 100-hour or annual inspection, or when a cylinder problem is apparent. To conduct this test, a differential cylinder pressure tester is needed by the mechanic. A good source of dry compressed air pressure capable of providing a steady minimum line pressure, greater than 100 psi with a capability of 15 cubic feet per minute, is required. Figure 1 shows

FIGURE 1 58

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my Eastern Technology Corp. Model E2A tester.

In the absence of manufacturer’s instructions for older engines, I downloaded Service Bulletin SB03-3 from Teledyne Continental Aircraft Engine.

It states, “This section lists acceptable inspection and repair procedures that may be used in the absence of a particular aircraft engine manufacturer’s maintenance information.” I suggest any mechanic performing cylinder differential pressure tests obtain a copy of this SB. Much of the information for this portion of the column comes from this data.

Ideally, the cylinder leakage test should be performed as soon as possible after the aircraft has been flown. If this is not possible, operate the engine on the ground with cowl installed (if cowled) until cylinder head temperature reads 300-350° F. For aircraft fitted with a fixed-pitch propeller, operate the engine long enough to warm up, and then operate the engine to full throttle (static) rpm. Allow the engine to cool slightly at a low rpm, shut down, and make the test. Gloves should be worn to remove the hot spark plugs and leads. Make sure the magneto switch is in the OFF position to prevent injury. It is always best to have two people perform the test: one to position and hold the propeller, and the other to operate the tester.

1) Perform the test as soon as possible after the engine is shut down to ensure that the piston rings, cylinder walls, and other engine parts are well-lubricated and at operating clearance.

2) Remove the most accessible spark plug from each cylinder. I always identify the cylinder

number and position of the removed spark plugs so I can examine the spark plugs as an aid in diagnosing engine and cylinder conditions. Figure 2 shows a method I use to keep the identity of spark plugs separate for future reference. Spark plug manufacturers have a handy chart showing firing end conditions when removed from a cylinder.

FIGURE 2

3) For a radial engine, turn the propeller in the direction of rotation until the piston in the No. 1 cylinder comes up on compression. I install the adapter in the spark plug hole to detect the compression stroke.

4) I check accuracy of the right side gauge, which reads leakage by connecting the air source and raising it until I read 80 psi on the left source gauge. My tester will read about 77 psi on the right gauge, thus requiring the source gauge be raised to about 84 psi. At 84 psi on the right gauge, the left gauge reads 80 psi, which is what I want in accuracy. As the test is performed on each cylinder I record the results on my worksheet.

5) With the test unit connected to the adapter, slowly open and apply pressure to the cylinder until the gauge reads 20 psi. It is extremely important for one person to hold the propeller.

6) Continue rotating the engine in the direction of rotation, against the 20-psi pressure, until the piston reaches top dead center (TDC).

Once the piston reaches TDC, the force required to move the prop will suddenly decrease. If you overshoot the TDC position, turn off the air source and continue to rotate the propeller in the direction of rotation until

you come up on the No. 1 compression again.

7) With the piston at TDC, slowly increase cylinder pressure to 80 psi (in my case 84 psi).

Continue to hold the propeller so the piston stays at its TDC position.

8) To assure the piston rings are properly seated and the piston is square in the cylinder bore, slightly rock the propeller back and forth while applying the regulated pressure of 80 psi, to obtain the highest indication (righthand gauge). Adjust the regulator as needed to keep the left-hand pressure gauge reading 80 psi.

9) Proceed to test all cylinders using the firing order of the engine. In other words check No. 1, go on to No. 3, No. 5, No. 7, etc. until you are back to No. 1. Record each reading as you proceed. The difference between the 80 psi on the left gauge and the reading on the right gauge is the amount of leakage through the cylinder. Record each reading as 80/___.

10) Note any leakage source and determine serviceability. Leakage may be heard from the following sources: a) From the crankcase breather: Indicates ring breakage/wear. As crankcase internal pressure increases, there will be a puddle of oil under the breather after a flight. b) From exhaust system: Indicates exhaust valve not seating or burned. Remove valve cover, place a piece of wood on the valve, and strike with a hammer. This is called “staking the valve.� When the engine is pulled through prior to starting you may hear a wheezing sound in the exhaust system as compression leaks around the valve seat. c) From intake system: Indicates an intake valve not seating or warped. The sound will be similar to an exhaust valve leaking except the sound will be in the induction system. d) From spark plug spot face: Indicates a possible crack or poor fit of the adapter. e) From cylinder head to barrel juncture or between head fins: Indicates a pending failure of the cylinder. Look for oil at the head/barrel juncture that will be baked on from heat.

Remove the cylinder immediately and replace with a serviceable unit.

I conduct a cylinder leakage test at every 100hour inspection. As the engine time approaches 500 hours SMOH, I conduct the test every 50 hours’ time in service. I record each test on a form www.vintageaircraft.org

59

kept in the paperwork file of the airplane so a check of leakage can easily be determined. This series of leakage checks will set a trend of the engine.

Tie this together with oil consumption, and a picture will be painted for the mechanic.

What is the leakage test showing me? Once the rings have seated on a newly overhauled engine, cylinder leakage will be somewhere from 80/78 to 80/70. The 80 psi is used as a test pressure for safety purposes. Cylinders at operating rpm and temperature will produce 800 psi to 1,000 psi combustion pressure. These extreme pressures aid in sealing the valves, valve seats, and piston rings during engine operation. Therefore, duplication of exact operating pressures within a cylinder is impossible. Once the rings have seated I chart the leakage pressure of each cylinder and, during engine life, get concerned when it drops below 70 psi. I also look at the spread between cylinders and like to see leakage from 80/78 through 80/70.

Table 1 in SB03-3 lists air discharge source, pressure test value, symptoms and observations, and recommended actions that I won’t duplicate here.

Setting/Checking Valve Clearance

All single-row radials that I have experience with use 0.010-inch cold valve clearance.

Valve clearance should be checked on the 100-hour inspection. For this check the engine needs to be cold. Remove all the valve covers and remove the front row of spark plugs. Bring the No. 1 cylinder up to TDC on the compression stroke. Metal propellers will align with the centerline of the cylinder when on the compression stroke, although this may not be true for all engines. Slip a 0.010inch feeler gauge between the valve roller and top of the valve; there should be some friction feel on the gauge. If the clearance is incorrect, loosen the jam nut and adjust the screw until clearance is set.

Snug the jam nut while holding the adjuster with a large-blade screwdriver. Rotate the engine four blades (two complete revolutions) and recheck the clearance. Adjust slightly if needed, then rotate the engine another four blades and recheck the clearance again. It will be necessary to check the clearance three times on every cylinder because the cam has three lobes and you must check the clearance on each lobe.

Once the clearance has been checked and if neces60

SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2015

sary reset, go back and make sure all locking screws or nuts on the rocker arm adjusters are tight. Clean the rocker covers with solvent and reinstall them. I use silicone gaskets, which are reusable.

Figure 3 shows checking the valve clearance of 0.010-inch cold for each cylinder. Rotate the crankshaft through three revolutions on each cylinder so that all three lobes of the cam will actuate valves in each cylinder.

The Wright R-760 engines tend to mix conden-

FIGURE 3

sation with the oil, no matter how hot they operate. The moisture can be found in various rocker covers as sludge. I find sludge in the No. 3 and No. 6 cylinder mostly, but sometimes find traces in the No. 4 and No. 5 cylinder.

Reinstall the rocker covers with either cleaned silicone or new gaskets. Snug the retaining nuts and torque to 20-25 inch-pounds. When the airplane is ready for return-to-service, warm up and fly the airplane, then check for oil leaks around the rocker covers. Tighten as necessary for a good oil seal.

I rarely find excessive clearance on the valves of the Wright. However, the check serves to remove contaminated oil from the rocker boxes, as the Wright does not scavenge oil from that area. I have found rocker arms rusted in the various cylinders from a buildup of water condensation. It is hard to believe but true.

Before I leave the subject of valve train maintenance, here’s a significant recent problem. The exhaust valve pushrod on a Wright R-760-8 failed on the No. 5 cylinder with 201 hours SMOH. It’s

never happened before to me, but fortunately the two halves of the separated rod somehow wedged together, so all I had was a loss of rpm and consequently a loss of power because the exhaust valve was not opening properly. I shudder to think what would have happened if the exhaust valve of No. 5 failed to open! As I say, it’s very unusual.

Finally, I have had exhaust valves stick in the OPEN position, which causes a loss of rpm and power. Sticking valves can be difficult to detect at times because they may be intermittent, as was the case with the Wright. It was in the No. 4 cylinder on the first engine we operated, so I used the old rope trick to make the repair. One can remove valve springs without removing the cylinder to inspect a valve stem and guide. Here’s how it is done!

On the Wright R-760 you can remove the exhaust pipe, the exhaust adapter, and both spark plugs from the cylinder. Turn the prop until the piston has moved to TDC and then back off a little. Insert a soft cotton rope of 1/4 inch to 5/16 inch diameter into the combustion chamber and on top of the piston. Then slowly bring the piston toward TDC until you feel some resistance to prop movement. Using a valve spring removing tool, depress the springs and remove the retainers and valve springs. Back off on the piston position; the stuck valve can now be tapped back in the guide until free. I didn’t have to remove the valve from the guide, rather I tapped it open until it was free.

Next I mixed a solution of valve lapping compound with engine oil and then forced this mixture into the valve guide and began to lap the valve stem/guide until it worked free. The action is similar to lapping in a freshly ground valve.

Obtain a short section of rubber hose that will fit over the valve stem and rotate the valve while moving it in and out. Do this until the valve has some clearance you can feel between valve stem and guide. Thoroughly flush out the lapping compound/oil mixture with solvent or gasoline; you don’t want this mixture getting into the oil system of the engine!

Finally, move the piston back toward TDC until the rope holds the valves in place. Reinstall the springs and retainers and reassemble the cylinder.

It works and took only a couple hours to complete. And, I didn’t have to remove the entire cylinder, which saved a lot of labor. This is an old mechanic’s trick that I always heard of but until now had never had the opportunity to try.

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685). 1. Title of Publication: Vintage Airplane. 2. Publication No.: 062-750. 3. Filing Date: 8/3/15. 4. Issue Frequency: Bi-Monthly. 5. No. of Issues Published Annually: 6.

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Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail): 1. Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541 (0/0). 2. Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies Included on PS Form 3541 (0/0). 3. Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail) (0/0). 4. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or other means) (0/0). e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3), and (4) (0/0). f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e) (6002/6052). g. Copies Not Distributed (See Instructions to Publishers #4 (page 3)) (1249/2532). h. Total (Sum of 15f and g) (7251/8584). i. Percent Paid (15c divided by 15f times 100) (100%/100%). 16. Publication of Statement of Ownership: Publication required. Will be printed in the September/October 2015 issue of this publication. 17. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). James Busha, Publisher, 8/3/2015. PS Form 3526, September 2015.

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Straight & Level New Members continued from page 1

storm. The tent was soon repaired, and the noon meals were able to continue once the tent was safe to operate in. This upgrade was funded almost entirely by donated dollars. The phase three upgrade that will allow us to build a permanent pavilionstyle structure on the new concrete floor has been approved, and a funding campaign to construct the pavilion structure was launched at this year’s event. Many thanks to everyone for your continuous support of the Tall Pines Café upgrades!

Speaking of generous members and guests at Oshkosh, the VAA Friends of the Red Barn fundraising program was a huge success this year.

I can never properly thank the many dozens of VAA members who have long been actively involved in this program. Your amazingly generous support of the VAA is the backbone of our efforts to bring the membership solid programming, events, and facilities to the Vintage area during Oshkosh! As a reminder, the Red Barn fund has eight different levels of giving, and there are many levels of perks available to our supporters. Check us out at www.EAAVintage. org, and click on the Friends of the Red Barn tab for complete information on this program.

Many thanks also go to the aviation business sponsors who have been continuously supporting the VAA for so many years now! Special thanks to Univair, Radial Engines Ltd., B&C Specialty Products, and Poly-Fiber for your generous support of our association. If you own an aviation-related business and are looking to get your name out to the vintage aircraft market, we always have different programs during Oshkosh that are sponsorship events, and you can easily attach your business name and logo to these events or programming. Please contact VAA Administrator Erin Brueggen at 920-426-6110.

Your thoughts and comments regarding the magazine as well as the business of the VAA is very much welcome! And if you have some words of wisdom to share with your president, please contact me at grobison@eaa.org. We would like to continue to hear your thoughts, positive or otherwise, regarding AirVenture Oshkosh and the VAA in general. I hope you all had as much fun as I did at Oshkosh 2015.

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SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2015

Fredrick Abdallah. . . . . . . . . . . Tucson, AZ Glen Abrahamson. . . . . . . . . . Maribe, WI George Adkins. . . . . . . . . . . . Brooklyn, IA Richard Aldrich . . . . . . . . . . Lancaster, CA Roland Ashby . . . . . . . . Grand Rapids, MI Todd Ashcraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aurora, IL Valerie Barker . . . . . . . . . . Pflugerville, TX David Bellm . . . . . . . . North Riverside, IL Clifford Bender . . . . . . . . . . . . . Plano, IL Lewis Berghoff. . . . . . . . . . . . . Chicago, IL Roy Bischoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . Belleville, IL Mark Bowden . . . . . . . . . . Kansas City, MO Steve Boyer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wooster, OH William Boyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . Custar, OH Gerald Bradley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dallas, TX David Brent. . . . . . . . . . . . . Ann Arbor, MI Kevin Brown. . . . . . . . . . . Watsonville, CA Robert Burke. . . . . . . . . . . . . Clinton, MO Joe Burley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tyrone, GA Paul Burns . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maricopa, AZ Ricardo Byers . . . . . . . . Battle Ground, WA Theodore Byrne. . . . . . . . . . . . Eagan, MN Melissa Cabatingan. . . . Menomonee Falls, WI Stewart Campbell. . . . . . . . . Kitchener, ON Mary Carr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Geneseo, IL Patrick Carroll . . . . . . . . . . . St George, UT Dale Cavin . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marianna, FL Virgil Chapman . . . . . . . Lees Summit, MO Paul Ciletti . . . . . . . Menomonee Falls, WI Darrell Cobb . . . . . . . . . . . . Corsicana, TX Christine Collins. . . . . . . . . Libertyville, IL Rusty Coonfield. . . . . . . . . . . . Lonoke, AR Andrew Corsetti. . . . . . Pembroke Pines, FL Walter Costilow . . . . . . . . . . . Vestavia, AL Mark D’Aversa. . . . . . . . . . . Scottsdale, AZ Glenn Davis. . . . . . . . . Gnadenhutten, OH Brian Daw. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Monmouth, IL Barry Dechert . . . . . . South Rockwood, MI Christopher DeTuncq. . . . . Queen Creek, AZ Larry Dick. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sun City, AZ Eric Dienst . . . . . . . . . . . . Maple Park, IL Bennie du Plessis. . Randjesfontein, South Africa James Dyson. . . . . . . . . . . . . Breslau, ON Bruce Ecker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Waverly, IA Mark Eggenberger . . . . . . . . Freeman, MO Kent Eisenbath . . . . . . . . . . O Fallon, MO Leon Ekiert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Milton, VT Robert Engelhardt . . . . . . . . . St John’s, FL Bob Enos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Somerset, PA Tom Enyeart . . . . . . . . . . . . . Atkinson, IL Will Evans. . . . . . . . . . . . . Gardendale, TX Mary Ann Falsetta . . . . . . . . . Oshkosh, WI Michelle Falsetta . . . . . . . . . . Oshkosh, WI Deborah Fortney . . . . . . . . . Union City, CA Allen Friend . . . . . . . . . . . . . Holland, MI David Funk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oshkosh, WI Chep Gauntt . . . . . . . . . . . Kennewick, WA Andrew Goans. . . . . . Mammoth Spring, AR James Good . . . . . . . . . . . Nevada City, CA Stephen Gray. . . . . . . . . . . . Kitchener, ON Rick Gritters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pella, IA Daniel Gualandri. . . . . . . . . North Port, FL Bruce Gustafson. . . . . . . . . . . Eugene, OR Kurt Gustafson. . . . . . . . . . Winchester, VA Chriscilla Guyer . . . . . . . . . Northridge, CA Ken Hamilton . . . . . . . . . Junction City, OR Hunter Hamilton . . . . . . . . . . . Peyton, CO Tom Hammer. . . . . . . . . . . . . Corvallis, OR Thomas Handzlik. . . . . . . . Midlothian, TX Susan Hard. . . . . . . . . . . North Aurora, IL Roger Harker. . . . . . . . . . . . . Minden, NV Christine Harper. . . . . . . . Beverly Hills, CA Michael Heuer. . . . . . . . . . Collierville, TN Gary Heuser . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hartford, MI Josh Hochberg. . . . . . . . . . Santa Rosa, CA John Hoffmann . . . . . . . . . South Bend, IN Jerry Jackson. . . . . . . . . . San Antonio, TX Robert Jacoby . . . . . . . . . . Jacksonville, FL Robert Jamieson . . . . . . . Douglasville, GA Kevin Johnson. . . . . . . . . . . . Lebanon, TN Kerstin Kelly . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lindsay, ON Steve Kickert. . . . . . . . . . . Shakopee, MN Philip King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stilwell, KS Steve Klineman. . . . . . . . Barrigada, Guam Jim Knowles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lee, NH James Koepnick. . . . . . . . . . . Oshkosh, WI Robert Lampman. . . . . . . . . . . Vernon, NY Richard Land. . . . . . . . . . New Carlisle, OH

TM

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What Our Members Are Restoring

Are you nearing completion of a restoration?

Or is it done and you’re busy flying and showing it off? If so, we’d like to hear from you. Send us a 4-by-6-inch print from a commercial source or a 4-by-6-inch, 300-dpi digital photo. A JPG from your 2.5-megapixel (or higher) digital camera is fine. 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 information, you can also e-mail jbusha@eaa.org.

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 bi-monthly at EAA Aviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd., PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086, e-mail: vintageaircraft@eaa.org. Membership to Vintage Aircraft Association, which includes 6 issues of Vintage Airplane magazine, is $45 per year for EAA members and $55 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.

SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2015

Secretary Steve Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Lea, MN 56007 507-373-1674 stnes2009@live.com

Vice-President Dave Clark 635 Vestal Lane Plainfield, IN 46168 317-839-4500 davecpd@att.net

Treasurer Jerry Brown 4605 Hickory Wood Row Greenwood, IN 46143 317-422-9366 lbrown4906@aol.com

DIRECTORS

Copyright ©2015 by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association.

All rights reserved.

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

Ron Alexander 118 Huff Daland Circle Griffin, GA 30223-6827 ronalexander@mindspring.com

Joe Norris 264 Old OR Rd. Oshkosh, WI 54902 pilotjoe@ntd.net 920-688-2977

George Daubner N57W34837 Pondview Ln Oconomowoc, WI 53066 262-560-1949 gdaubner@eaa.org

Tim Popp 60568 Springhaven Ct. Lawton, MI 49065 269-624-5036 tlpopp@frontier.com

Robert D. “Bob” Lumley 1265 South 124th St. Brookfield, WI 53005 262-782-2633 rlumley1@wi.rr.com

Susan Dusenbury 1374 Brook Cove Road Walnut Cove, NC 27052 336-591-3931 sr6sue@aol.com

ADVISORS John Hofmann 548 W James St Columbus, WI 53925 john@cubclub.org

Ray L. Johnson 347 South 500 East Marion, IN 46953 rayjohnson@indy.rr.com

Earl Nicholas 219 Woodland Rd Libertyville, IL 60048 eman46@gmail.com

DIRECTORS EMERITUS David Bennett antiquer@inreach.com

Charles W. Harris cwh@hvsu.com

Robert C. Brauer photopilot@aol.com

E.E. “Buck” Hilbert buck7ac@gmail.com

Gene Chase

Gene Morris genemorris@charter.net

Phil Coulson rcoulson516@cs.com Ronald C. Fritz itzfray@gmail.com

S.H. “Wes” Schmid shschmid@gmail.com John Turgyan jrturgyan4@aol.com

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