HELP!

The Vintage Airplane Magazine is in grave danger. The problem is lack of material.
As with SPORT AVIATION and other EAA publications we are almost totally depen-
dent on the photographic generosity and writing activity of our readership. It' s up to
you to share with the other members of the Antique/Classic Division your experiences,
memories, photographs or research . Headquarters can not do it all on its own. The
supply of manuscripts is so low that unless we hear from some of you soon there may
not be a happy new year. Please get involved ... now!
Paul H. Poberezny, Publisher
David Gustafson, Editor
(David Gustafson Photo)
Ryan PT-22
Editorial
Staff
Publisher
Paul H. Poberezny
Editor
David Gustafson
Associate Editors: H. Glenn Buffington, Robert G. Elliott, AI Kelch,
Edward D. Williams, Byron (Fred) Fredericksen
Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Associate Editorships are assigned
to those writers who submit five or more articles.which are published in THE VINTAGE AIR-
PLANE during the current year. Associates receive a bound volume of THE VINTAGE AIR-
PLANE and a free oneyear membership in the Division for their efforts. POLICY-Opinions
expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibil ity for accuracy in reporting
rests entirely with the contributor.
Directors
ANTIQUE/CLASSIC William J. Ehlen AI Kelch
Route 8 Box 506 7018 W. Bonniwell Road DIVISION
Tampa, Florida 33618 Mequon, Wi sconsi n 53092
OFFICERS
Cl aude l.Gray, Jr. Morton W. Lester
PRESIDENT 9635SylviaAvenue Box 3747
J. R. NIELANDER, JR. Northridge, California 91324 Martinsville, Virginia 2411 2
P.O.BOX 2464
Dale A. Gustafson ArthurR. Morgan
FT. LAUDERDALE, FL 33303 7724Shady Hill Drive 3744 N. 51 st Bourevard
Indianapoli s, Indiana46274 Milwaukee, Wi sconsin 53216
VICE-PRESIDENT
Richard Wagner M. C. "Kell y" Viets
JACK WINTHROP
P.O. Box181 RR 1 Box 151
RT. 1, BOX 111
Lyons, Wi sconsin53148 Stillwell , Kansas 66085
ALLEN, TX 75002
Advisors
Ronald Fritz
1989Wil son, NW
SECRETARY
W. BRADTHOMAS, JR.
Grand Rapids, Mi chigan 49504
301 DODSON MILLROAD
PILOT MOUNTAIN, NC 27041 John R.Turgyan Robert E. Kessel
1530 Kuser Road 445 Oakridge Drive
Trenton, NewJersey 08619 Rochester, New York14617
TREASURER
E.E."BUCK" HILBERT Stan Gomoll Robert A. White
8102 LEECH RD. 104290th Lane, NE Box 704
UNION, IL60180
Minneapolis, Minnesota55434 Zellwood, Florida32798
THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is owned exclusi vely by EAA Ant ique/Classic DiviSion, Inc" and is publ ished
monthl y at Hales Corners, Wisconsi n 53130. Second class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Offi ce,
Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130, and additional mai li ng off ices. Membershi p rat es for EAA Anti que/
Classic Division, Inc., are $ 14.00 per 12 month period of which $10.00 is for the publi cation of THE
VINTAGE AI RPLANE.Membership is open to all who are i nterested i n aviation.
TheVINTAGEAII1PLANE
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC
DIVISION INC.
ofTHE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 229, Hales Corners, WI 53130
Copyright C> 1978 EAA Antique/Classic Division,Inc., All Rights Reserved.
OCTOBER 1978 VOLUME 6 NUMBER 10
(On The Cover . ..l oe Era/e's Curtiss Robi n. Photo by David Gustafson.)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MoreOshkosh '78 by David Gustafson . ....".,.. .,.,... ..., ' ,...,..., 4
HistoryofFlight'78 . ..,' ,. . . ., " ',. .,., ' ,... ............ . ............ 9'
Curtiss Robin by David Gustafson . ... ....... . ......... . . .... . . . . . .,... 12
Winners.... . ...,.... .. ..... . ..... .,.. .,,,,.,..,.,.. .,......,.. . ... . . 16
From The Ground Upby loisKelch ................................... 18
Tom' sTravelair by Kent McMakin . .,. . . .,....," ,.." . ... .,. ... .,. ... . . . 21
Staggerwings In Uniform byAIGililland . ,. . ... . .. .. ... . ... . .... . . . . . . . 23
Restoration Tips: Radio Installations in C-170' sand
Other Classi cs by Don langford..,,,.. . . .,,,. . .,.,..,,,.,,,.,,..," 25
CalendarofEvents .... .. ., . ,.... .. .,., ' ,. ,',. .. . . . . .....,.,', . ," ',.. 26
EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION MEMBERSHIP
o NON-EAA MEMBER - $20,00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/
Cl assi c Divi sion, 12 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; one year m ~ m
bership in the Experimental Aircraft Associ ation and separate membership cards.
SPORT AVIATION magazine notincluded.
o EAA MEMBER - $14.00. Inc ludes one year membership in the EAA. Antique/ Classic
Divi sion, 12 monthl y i ssues ofTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE AND /MEMBERSHIP CARD.
(Appli cant must becurrentEAA member and must give EAA membershipnumber .)
.I

,.
.... .....
, ~ , '
~ - - .."' . =:IIlII
Page 4 Page 9 Page 23
3
MORE OSHKOSH '78
By David Guslafson, Ecl ilOr
As the song goes: " It was a very good year". Aside
from a dramatic thunderstorm that tickled the north
end of the field, providing a thrilling backdrop for
the opening of Monday's air show, the weather thi s
year was everything 1977 had left to be desired. Abun-
dant sunshine covered the field in the mornings, puffy
clouds rolled in for lun ch, out for dinner, and tem-
peratures everyone would like to see year-round com-
bined to create a pilot and photographers' dream.
Like prospective parents who cross the threshold
of expectancy earlier than anticipated, we were all
surprised to count 377 display aircraft on the field
when the sun set on the eve before the Convention 's
opening. That tally included 42 Antique and 116 Classic
aircraft, many 'of which had staked out a piece of the
campground south of Ollie' s Park . So when dawn
cracked on Saturday there was already an excellent
representation of vintage planes, 82 more than a year
earlier, and each successive day saw another new
record in attendance. At week ' s end, the Antique/
Classic Divi sion could not only boast of a bigger and
better fly-in than in previous years, but it could again
lay claim- if it means anything- to the largest total
number of display aircraft on the field. Antiques and
Classics outnumbered Homebuilts by several hundred
and Warbirds by a factor of five. In aircraft registra-
tions that translates into 190 Antiques, 7 Replicas, and
a whopping 604 Classics.
Naturall y a lot of Oshkosh regulars and intermittant
types (irregulars ?) turned up again. Hours were filled
and quickly passed with reunions and exchanges of
the latest flying stories. What makes each day really
exciting, however, are the arrivals of the debutantes,
the basket cases that have had the full Cinderella treat-
ment before their "coming out" party. Like royal gold
filigree they shine in all directions; like the ancient
theatres of Greece, they remind us of another time
that's curiously grown to seem more noble and less
complicated than what we' re locked into now.
With each year the stories of restorations, of what
the builders had in the first place, of what they had
to find or build anew, grow ever more involved. Easy
pickin's are gone. These days, or in the last decade,
people have had to start with some pretty empty bas-
kets.
This year, the trophy for Grand Champion Antique
went to Joe & Joe Erale' s Curtiss Robin, a ten-year
project; Grand Champion Classic was Ron Wojnar' s
Aeronca Champ which was also a full decade in the
remaking. Both planes were at Oshkosh for the first
( Photo by Ted Koston)
S. L. Wa lli ck, Jr., pilol Shi S80ein g 700 ( P+ 12 F4 8-1 ) over
Oshko sh.
time; both were rebuilt by their owners. They shared
center stage with some other outstanding newcomers
like Jack Chastain 's rare Rawdon T-1 , Ray Stebnis' and
Jack Schnaube It ' s excellent Fa irch i Id 22, Margaret
and Rick Demond 's sparkling Corben Ace (antique
homebuilt) . Donald Cassidy flew in a beautifully cus-
tomized Spartan Executive, and S. L. Wallick arrived
4
in the world's on ly Boeing 100, while Wallace Mitchell
brought in his one of a kind RPT Waco low wing. There
were some exciting replica debuts: a brand new Spad,
Fokker Triplane, even a Ramsey Bathtub (from Baker,
Oregon!).
Since there are so many Class ics, it ' s difficult to
nail down. what's new or freshly refurbished, but the
number put on the block for judging expands rapidly
every year, which is indicative of the effort people
are making to preserve and maintain everyth ing that
flies.
Among the scads of tasteful "wet-look" classic
paint schemes, were a liberal sprinkling of bare ' n
polished metal planes that were sometimes blinding
in the sunlight. Beauty was occasionally more than
skin deep with some of these Classics as found in the
case of a gleaming Luscombe 8F that looked stock at
first glan ce, but which harbored a 150 HP Lycoming
under its cowl.
Of course, there ' s more to Oshkosh than fossil
aircraft. For example, there are the archaeo logical
discussions about the roots of early aviation. Thirty-
nine of the forty forums scheduled for tent number
3, beside the Antique/Classic field headquarters, went
off on schedule, drawing some full houses and strongly
appreciative responses. Ollie ' s Park, between the
Antique Parking and the Antique/Classic Aircraft
Campgrounds provided an ideal setting for a finger-
lickin ' good picnic. It was a pleasure to see so many
wives and kids present. A lot of those people recon-
vened at the same spot on Friday night following the
awards show in the Main Forums Pavilion.
Highlighting the week of Antique/Classic activities
at Wittman Field, and driving Chairman Ron Fritz and
some of the other organ izers to the brink of babble,
was the airborn History of Flight. Lauded by all as an
overwhelming success, the Parade sequenced nearly
all the major types of aircraft developed between the
1911 Curtiss Pusher (which led the parade) through
a United Airlines DC-8 jet which flew through after
104 antiques, classics and warbirds. Breaking the
steady flow of fly-by 's from time to time were some
barnstormers who regularly perform airshow routines
with Vintage aircraft. They held the stage for a while,
twisting smoke trails into delicate geometric patterns.
It's safe to say that never before in the history of avia-
tion have so many people volunteered their time and
airplanes to participate in such an extravaganza.
The picture presented of air progress was quite com-
prehensive. Naturally, next year's will be even bigger,
hopefully better and even more exciting.
5 (Photo by Dick Stouffer)
The Antique/Classic parking area at Oshkosh.
ANTIQUE AIRCRAFT IN ATTENDANCE
REGISTRATION & AIRCRAFTTYPE
AERONCA
N14632 C-3
N22322 Chief
N22359 S-65CA
N27302 Chief
N33702 Chief
N31S37 65TL
N33757 65TC
N49302 L3
AMERICAN EAGLE
N7310 American Eagle 101
N54SY Amer i can Eaglet
BEECHCRAFT
N40E D-17S
Nl195V Staggerwing
N9113H D-17S
N9724H D-17S
N44562 Staggerwing
N5329S D-17S
N67550 D- 17S
NS0305 G-17S
C-FGWC D-17S
CESSNA
N15462 C-34
N20764 C- 165
N20765 Airmaster
N254S5 C-165
N69072 T-50
DE HAVILLAND
N4446 Tiger Moth
CF-BHK Tiger Moth
CF-CTN Tiger Moth
DOUGLAS
N45WT DC-3
N1S949 DC-3
N54542 DC-3
FAIRCHILD
NC1476S Fairchild 22
NC3629 Fairchild 24
N19177 Fairchild 24
N22032 Fairchild 24
N25323 Fairchild 24
N27697 Fairchild 24R
N77605 Fairchild 24
N7760S Fairchild 24W
NCS1263 Fairchild 24W
NS131S Fairchild 24
NS1333 Fairchild 24W
NCS134S Fairchild 24R
NS1356 Fairchild
N13DR PT-19
N46395 PT-19A
N51S74 PT-19
N66S13 PT-19
N69167 PT- 26
PT-26
PILOT AND/OR OWNER
Dale Wolford.Ashland. OH
John A. Moore,Escanaba.MI
Lawrence F. Diedrick, Lodi, WI
Jerry Ernst ,Owosso,MI
Joseph A.Simandl ,West Allis,WI
RobertDecker/Scot Decker,East Peoria,
IL
DwayneTucker .Concord,AR
Keith A. Littlefield,Tacoma, WA
Ed Wegner.Pl ymouth.WI
Gene Morris/ Mary Morris,Hampshire.
IL
Glen McNabb.Jasper.TN
John W.Womack.lola.KS
Donald R. Quinn,Inner Grove Heights.
MN
D.W.Koeppen ,New Milford. CT
Richard Hansen,Batavia, IL
Richard L. Perry. Hampshire.IL
R. C. Vanausdell . Santa Paula ,CA
James Gorman,Mansfield, OH
George Lemay.N.W.Calgary,Canada
Cl yde Bourgeois,Santa Ynez. CA
Harry Menear, Palmyra,PA
John Bergeson,Mt .Pleasant .MI
Gar Williams,Naperville. IL
James Kramer, Boynton Beach. FL
John Bright ,Kalamazoo. MI
C.E.Rankine. Scarborough. Ont..
Canada
Frank Evans{Tom Dietrich,Kitchener,
Ont., Canada
Tom May. Uniontown,OH
George W.Gibson.Antrim.NH
EAA Air Museum.Franklin.WI
Ray Steinbis/Jack Schnaubelt . Elgin.IL
C. C. Mason,Mora. MN
Russ Schmude. Oshkosh .WI
Allen D.Henninger ,Tullahoma.TN
Ed Wegner .Plymouth. WI
Don Genzmer ,Mukwonago, WI
Glenn M.Kindell . Mesa. AZ
Burton Modert. Jackson, MI
Warren Long ,Thomasville,GA
Neil Fuller. Midland.MI
Steve Thomas, Belvidere.IL
H.Van Bortel/B. Moore. Palmyra.NY
. Don Mather,Huron. OH
RobertM.Young/BobFalls.McLoud.OK
Gerard Carlson,East Hartford.CT
William T. Patchett,Warrenton,VA
Donald Jensen.Albert Lea,MN
Jerold L. Frye.Bethalto.IL
Terry R. Chastain. Singapore 21 .
Singapore.
(Photo by Ted Kaston)
Gene Morris of Hampshire,
Illinois flew up in this Tra-
vel Air 4000.
GRUMMAN
NIAS Widgeon G-44
N7491 Widgeon
N62000 Widgeon
HOWARD
N14SS7 DGA-l1
N67433 DGA 15P
NC95462 DGA 15P
INTERSTATE
N37303 Interstate Cadet S1 A
NC37334 InterstateCadet
NC37357 Interstate Cadet S1A
Arthur C.Slifel III . Miami Beach,FL
Brian Van Wagner. Clark Lake. MI
James Rogers. Middlebury,IN
John Witt . Minneapolis,MN
Clayton Graves. Santa Paula,CA
Chub/BetteTrainor. Wayne.NJ
H.EdwardWestlake. Columbus.OH
Tim Talen/ Marian Johnson.Cottage
Grove, OR
Richard Redell . Lake Geneva. WI
6
(PhOlO by Ted Koslon)
Ed Wegner of Plymouth,
Wisconsin taxies hi sAmerican
Eagl e down the flight line.
LUSCOMBE
SA
N1972B
N2514S SC
N25173
NC25174 SA
N25342 SA
N28547
N39083 SA
LOCKHEED
NC105W Vega
N1 2AT 12A
N36P 12A
R. N. Branson , Burleson, TX
Don D Dodge, Manhattan, KS
Arthur R. Morgan, Milwaukee, WI
David Novak. Algoma, WI
Harold Wighton , Roslyn, WA
Earl W. Ellis, Westminster, CO
Gerry Sheahan , West Allis, WI
Robert E. Tree, Remus, MI
Dave Jameson , Oshkosh. WI
EAA Air Museum, Frankl in. WI
Paul Valentino, Bloomfield, MI
MEYERS
N26487 OTW
N34311 OTW
MONOCOUPE
N369H
Nl1760
N15427
N18062 90A
N38922
NAVY
N1 2063 N3N-3
N45222 N3N-3
PIPER
N19554 J-2
N23200
N24603 J-3
N24693 J-3
wnc30233 J-3
N30859 J-3
NC32S52 J-3
N33578 J-3
N3432N J-3
N35811 J-3
N38259 J-3
N42028 J-3
N49901
N51574 J-3
N43518 L-4
NC26716 J-4A
N28205 J-4
NC30340 J-4A
N41153 J-4
N35697 J- 5
N38243 J-5A
N59988 J-5A
RYAN
N18911 SCW
NS146 STM
N47210 PT- 22
N53148 PT-22
REAR WI N
N20723 Sportster
N25570 Sportster
SPARTAN
N705N C' 3
N97DC Executive
N836 Executive
NC13993 Executive
N17605 Executive
NC17615 Executive
N20200 Executive
STEARMAN
N78SH YP-9
N21EC
N44JP N2S5
N44WR
N16SD
N450PW A75Nl
N966CD
N1034 N2- S1
Nl066N
Nt395V
N9078H
Charles Downey/ Melbourne Schmidt ,
Hinsdale, IL
Richard Martin, Green Bay, WI
Nelson Eskey/Ron Testerman, Blue
Ridge, VA
Joseph Jones, Pleasant Hill , OH
Matthew B. Poelking , Wadsworth , OH
H. Art Marsden/J. D. Slack , Argos, IN
Bud Dake, Berkeley, MO
,Tom Ahlers, SI. Charles, MO
Arnold W. Lindall , Marine on SI. Croix,
MN
Dave Jameson, Oshkosh , WI
Thomas Janusevic, Rockford , IL
William T. Coleman, Portage, WI
Dennis Agin, Cleveland, OH
George Williams, Poynette, WI
Tim Lyons, Lake Bluff, IL
Peter Doblosky, Manville, NJ
Robert W. Reid III , San Jose, CA
Donald Jensen, Albert Lea, MN
Gus Limbach, Mahtomedi, MN
D. Diedrich, McHenry, IL
Norman Lewis, Frederichsburg. OH
John Young, Reynoldsburg , OH
Norbert Okoniewski , Utica. MI
Gene O'Neill , Fostoria, IA
Dan Kuhlman/Dave Coller, Coraopolis,
PA
Glenn D. Charles, Irwin, PA
Alan Anderson. Grosse lie, MI
Roger l. Herren, Clayton , IL
Ed Hedlund, South Haven, MI
D. J. Rohrbaugh , Ft . Wayne, IN
Leo Waiter , Riley, KS
Richard McDonald, Olympia, WA
Bobby, Friedman , Highland Park, IL
Don McMakin, Sarasota, FL
James G. Taylor, Sky Harbor Air Park, MN
Alfred Nagel , Montello, WI
Kenneth Williams, Portage, WI
Ed Wegner, Plymouth, WI
Donald Cassidy, Martinsville, IN
Norm Kleman. Hampshire. IL
Robert Pond, Eden Prairie, MN
Donald E. Dickenson, Santa Paula, CA
J . T. Patterson , Louisville, KY
William Goldman, Chandler , AZ
Ray Stephen/C. R. Jones, Livermore, CA
Ed Colman , Genesel , NY
Robert Graves/ Charlotte Parish,
Tullahoma, TN
W. F. Russell , Houston, TX
Susan Dacy, Harvard, I L
Bob and Pat Wagner, Miamisburg, OH
Chuck Doyle, Apple Valley, MN
Norman Corsaut , Traverse City. MI
David E. Neuser, Manitowoc, WI
David Litchfield, Bloomfield, CT
F. R. Griffin, Minnetonka Beach .
MN
7
(Pharo by Lee Fray) ( Photo by David Gustafson)
Convention Chairman for theAntiquelClassic area, J. R. fAA Convention Director Tom Poberezny discusse s the
Nielander (ieft) and Co-Chairman Robert A. White. week's activities with the press.
N9301 H Leslie A. Haley, Old Mystic , CT NC29898 Andrew T. Surratt. Medinah, Il N127Y Wallace Mitchell. Brookfield, WI
N38940 William F. Bohannan, Columbus. OH N33992 Larry Grimm, Finleyville, PA N16591 EOC-6 Stan Gomoll , Blaine, MN
N55626 Chuck Andreas. Neenah. WI N36256 Ralph Grebb. Sulphur Springs , TX NC29903 UPF-7 Richard Peterson/ William Amundson.
N55809 Michael Hall, Palatine, IL N36298 Ralph V. Jones. Suitland, MD Stoughton , WI
N57947 Edward A. Pease, West Mystic. CT N36389 Dave Siler , Versailles. MO N30186 UPF-7 James J. Sorenson , Green Bay, WI
N61511 Roger Koerner, Kankakee, IL N46667 James Souris. Minneapolis. MN NC30188 UPF-7 Henry Geissler . Webster . MN
N63991 Marvin Sievert, MinneapolIS. MN N47026 Stanley A. York, Mansfield. OH N32084 UPF-7 Loel Crawford . Harvard, IL
N75228 PT-17 Paul R. Beck, Sausalito, CA NC47301 Arch L. Howard/Harold N. Downing, NC2309 VKS-7 Kermit D. Hoffmeier , Kearney, MO
Lexington , KY N31653 VKS-7F Vince Marian i. Findlay, OH
N47481 Gerald Boling. Newcastle, IN N29375 RPT Wallace Mitchell . Brookfield, WI
STINSON N47583 Robert J. Kuhlow, Brookfield. WI
NC408Y SM-8A EAA Air Museum. Franklin, WI N50107 Willi am Schank , St. Pau l. MN ADDITIONAL ANTIQUES
NC443G Jr. S D. F. Neuman. MinneapoliS, MN NC50129 Larry Moffitt , Raytown, MO N872H Boeing 100 (P-12 F4B-1) S. L Wallick, Jr , Bellevue, WA
N100JN SR-9F John T. Neumeister. Sussex. NJ N50964 William G. Baldwin . Pacifica. CA NX5148 Corben Baby Ace Richard Demond . Whitmore Lake. MI
N18410 Reliant Stanley L. Kuck, Kohler, WI N91032 Dale Jorgensen, Algoma, WI N101B Culver Cadet David W Starbuck , Rudd , IA
N9t 78H vn Tallie Holland, Columbus , OH NR59H Curtiss Robm Joseph EralefBil1 Garvey. Brentwood,
N22531 HW-75 Richard F. Viles. Union Lake. MI L.I .. NY
N23703 HW-75 Jerry L. Ackerman, Perry , OK N20915 Dart GK-2 4 Art Bishop/F Leidig, Norton, OH
TRAVEL A IR NC28961 Ercoupe Thomas Rowland. EI Paso. TX
NC8115 Nick Rez ich, Rockford . IL N24137 Funk Harry Keith , Coffeyville , KS
TAYLORCRAFT N9088 4000 Gene Morris. Hampshire. IL N543K Great Lakes Tom Bins. Three Lakes. WI
N20407 Thomas R. Tr iplett, Watertown . WI CF-NXT Miles Hawk John W. MacGillivray, Ottawa South ,
N24341 Donald W. Berg/ Harold Hamp, Alma, MI WACO ant. , Canada
N26690 Jasper Janssen. Houghton , MI N6974 10 John Hatz. Gleason. WI N 12937 Pletenpol Forrest Lovely. Richfield . MN
NC27486 James E, Edwards, Clearwater. FL N6930 ASO Dean Crites, Waukesha. WI N18743 Port erfield Charles E. Lebrecht . Wonder Lake. IL
N27657 John Gadeikis, Burlington. WI N12453 IBA Ed Packard, So . Bend, IN Swallow Buck Hilbert /United Airlines. Union. IL
N29869 A. N. Polidori , Mundelein. IL N655N Taperwing Bob Lyjak, Ann Arbor . MI NX 21 1 Sp irit of St. Louis EAA Air Museum . Frankli n. WI
N29885 Samuel E. Winters. Hampsi re. IL NC11427 F- 2 L. E. Parsons, Carrollton, OH CG-OMD St amps SV4B R. G. Hadf ield. M i lton. ant.. Canada
8
7977 Curtiss Pusher, Dales Crites, Waukeshau, WI 7973 Spad VII, Carl Swanson, Aliens Crove, WI
Swallow, Ryan, Stinson - "The journeymen" 1935 Cessna C-34, Clyde Bourgeois, Santa Ynez, CA
7938 Ryan SCw, Rich McDonald, Olympia, WA 1947 Waco VKS-7F, Vince Maiani, Findlay, OH
t
7942 Cessna T-50, jame s Kramer, Boynton Beach, F L 7942 Piper L-4, Gene O'Neill, Fo storia, LA
7943 PT-79, Bob Young/ Bob Fall s, Mc Loud, OK 7943 Howard DGA 75 P, Chub Trainor, Wayne, N j
Navion 7953 Cessna 795, Mike Young, McLoud, OK

11
Story and Photo s by David Gu stafson, Editor
Beer commercials have started a trend toward
philosophizing in an existential key, usually in fifteen
words or less: "You only go around once . .. grab all
the gusto you can."
Recently, a sage hops merchant decreed, "When
it's right, you know it." The simplistic reasoning in
this tome is that you can often wander around in the
decision making ho-hums until chance and other odd
ingredients suddenly touch off a flash of "there it is! "
or "that 's it, that's the one! " All this heavy logic is
meant to point up the fact that when John Garvey
taxied up in the Curtiss Robin that had been restored
by owners Joe Erale, Junior and Senior, there were a
gaggle of judges and other onlookers who lit up like
they were auditioning for a TV commercial.
It was "right " and nearly everyone knew it. The
Robin was parked among a very large and impressive
group of immaculate restorations, yet something set
it apart.
The Joseph Erale's, a father and son team, had sal-
vaged a notable piece of aviation history, an airplane
that's worth at least a partial review here.
The beginnings of the Erale's " First Curtiss Robin "
(which reall y isn 't the first one at all-- it's got SI N 462)
reach back to late 1927 or earl y 1928. Curtiss, who was
most actively involved in military production at the
lime, had dabbled occasionall y with commercial mod-
els like the Oriole, Lark and Carri er Pidgeon. Sensing
that the open cockpit bipl ane was limited to the whims
of climate and likel y therefore to eventually face re-
pl acement in the commercial market by closed cabin
airplanes, Curtiss proceeded to sketch out a three-
seat "enclosed " airplane. He called it the Robin. It
was distinctive because of its squared off, straight
lines look. There was more to Curtiss' thinking than
simplicity in construction; he subjected the structure
to wind tunnel tests and found it was aerodynamically
efficient. The first X-model Robin had three doors .
The production model was cut back to two doors on
the right side.
With a skylight and full-length side windows for the
pilot, visibility was excell ent. Since over-production
in the first world war had left Curtiss with a ware-
house full of OX-5 engines, he naturally mounted
one on the Robin. The prototype OX-5 Robin was
given A.T.e. #40, but wasn ' t used for production .
Curtiss went on to develop the prototype Challenger-
Robin (A.T.e. #63). Then there emerged a production
line OX-5 Robin (A.T.e. #68) and right behind it, the
Challenger version (A.T.e. # 69) . Factory produc-
tion of both models was undertaken by the Curtiss-
Robertson Aircraft Company at Lambert Field in St.
Louis . It was one of the OX-5 Robins (converted to
accept a Wright J-5 radial) that was flown by 'Wrong-
Way Corrigan " across the Atlantic.
The Challenger-Robin, which is what the Erale 's
are currently flying (they also have the bones of an
OX-5 Robin) had been developed in 1928 to uti I ize
Arthur Nutt's new engine design. Nutt was a Curtiss
employee.
Originally rated at 165 horsepower, the six cyl inder
Challenger proved itself highly reliable for the period.
Somewhere in the next couple of years, the factory
would go on to upgrade the engine to 170 and then
185 horspower . According to Joseph Juptner: " The
' Challenger' engine was an air-cooled radial type of a
rather odd configuration, it was a staggered twin-row
' radial ' that was actually two banks of three cylinders
each operating off of a two-throw crankshaft ."
From the firewall back the two models were virtually
identical save in the matter of empty weight and per-
formance specs. Both had two 25-gallon gas tanks,
steerable tail skids, and the options of wheel brakes
and flying struts, which could add 41 square feet of
lift area to the 224 square feet already occupied by
the wing. It was also possible to equip both Robin
types with dual controls and man y were thus em-
ployed in the network of Curtiss ' flying schools around
the country.
Number 46 2 of the Challenger series was pulled
off the assembl y line for special dut y. There was noth-
ing special about 462; it was "stock " in all respeds.
With a few additions , however, it was made ready
for an endurance contest that would see Red Jackson
and Forest O ' Brine over St. Louis for a record break-
ing 420 hours or 17% days. During the course of the
flight they were refueled by another Challenger Robin.
Most likely, something about the flight and the record
contributed to the identification of #462 as " the 1st
Curtiss Robin ". The exact reason is lost. Working
from photographs in day-by-day account of the flight
which ran in the SI. louis Dispatch and the New York
Times, the Erale's have recreated the paint scheme of
the plane as it appeared in the course of the endurance
fl ight.
That endurance record, which changed hands
frequently in those days, was not without its share of
risks. While Jackson and O'Brine were aloft, enjoying
good weather, several others were either forced
down, or they crashed in IFR conditions. On the other
hand, the St . Louis duo encountered other threats,
the major one being the need to change two spark
plugs while flying. When they noticed the engine was
running rough, Jackson climbed out on a catwalk
and traced the trouble to the bottom two plugs.
They sent down word to the ground crew and en-
gineers who decided the plugs should be changed in
flight! A device was quickly developed to compress
the valve springs so that the pressure in the cyl inders
wou Id be rei ieved. Jackson cI imbed out again for a
task few people will ever face or would want to. For-
tunately the air was smooth. Can you imagine what
it would have been like with a moderate chop? Jack-
son was successful in his efforts, but he severely
burned his hands on the exhaust pipes in the process.
Fears of infection threatened the flight now, but
medication and luck took effect and Red 's only prob-
lem was the pain.
Then the engine started missing again.
This time the trouble was diagnosed as a bad mag.
A check on the right side revealed nothing, a check
on the left showed the problem . It almost seemed
silly: a loose safety wire was flopping about and peri-
odically grounding the mag.
After 420 hours Bill Robertson ordered the plane
back on the ground, even though O ' Brine and Jack-
son were eager to continue. When they 'd had time
to shower and shave the record setters were driven
through St. Louis and Chicago in massive parades.
Then they took " The First Robin " on a 14-city tour.
In Syracuse, New York Forest O' Brine lost it on a land-
12
ing and wiped out the right wing, tail group and en-
gine. Gulf Oil bought what was left, replaced the
broken structures and hung an upgraded 185 horse-
power Challenger on the front. William Case then
took the plane on a promotional tour for Gulf in
1930 that wound through every state in the Union.
In 1932, Gulf donated the Robin to the Franklin
Institute which put it on display from July of that year
until December, 1940, when it was loaned to Roose-
velt Field. They kept it until their closing in 1951,
at which time Frog Chapman bought it as junk for
$350.00. He towed the deteriorating cargo home and
let it sit for another 16 years. Obviously, this Curtiss
Robin had seen better days.
In 1967, the Erale's negotiated a purchase agree-
ment that included 'a clear title: the plane was still
owned by the Gulf Oil Company, but no one at Gulf
wanted to assume responsibility for signing over the
title (sound familiar?) until the Erale's got in touch
with the President, who took the step that launched
the rebuild.
Though they didn't know it at the time, Joe and Joe
were facing a full decade of intermittant work. The
slow and arduous task of tearing down, cleaning,
building and rebuilding wasn 't anything new. Joe
Senior (now 66) runs an auto body business on Long
Island. At one point he built up his own unique sports
car. He then shifted over to airplanes, having pur-
chased a large variety of restoration projects in the
1950's, when they were cheap. Prior to the Robin he
restored three UPF-7's and a Cabin Waco. He also
redid an award winning 1929 Curtiss Fledgling which
he subsequentl y sold to the Brazilian Government.
Young Joe (32) had pitched in from time to time
and leaned toward the mechanical end of things. He's
now an A & P, working on his AI and seems to be shoot-
ing for some sort of student pilot record: he's had a
student ticket sin ce he started flying his father 's Tri-
Pacer in 1962.
What they were confronted with in 1967, was basi-
cally a complete aircraft- less a prop, instruments
and lower cowl- which needed a total refurbishing.
Left out in the harsh New England weather for a dozen
years, the fuselage required stripping, sandb lasing,
and a couple new chunks of tubing.
Fortunately, the wings and tail groups had been
stored inside and were in decent condition. In the
recovering process, however, the wings and fuselage,
were skinned with Ceconite. The lift struts were done
over with Grade A ..
Joe Jr. admits the compromise in fabric was moti-
vated by finances, but wishes it might have been other-
wise. Other changes from factory specs include the
use of some phillip head screws, the required ELT,
and a bunch of nicropress sleeves. "I didn ' t want to
learn cable splicing and weaving on the control lines
for this plane, " says Joe Jr. "so we used the nicropress
sleeves and I faked the splicing over the sleeves." If
he hadn't given away the secret, few people wou ld
have noticed.
Both men were surprised when they tore down
the engine. It had not been overhauled since it was
built in 1930, and had not run since 1931, but internally
it was in near perfect condition. They honed the cyl-
inders, cleaned off the pistons to check for cracks,
and without replacing so much as a gasket they re-
assembled all of the original parts . After a modest
search they located a prop in Alaska and managed to
scrounge up the necessary inst ruments to refill the
panel.
In the process of replacing original bolts with AN
hardware, they stuck with castle nuts and cotter pins
throughout. There isn 't a stopnut in the entire ma-
chine. That 's a lotta cotterpins.
The interior of the plane was completely done over,
and in the process they removed the doors and the
upholstered panels on the doors. Apparent ly the
doors had been ent irely painted before the original
panels were attached. Removal therefore provided
an unfaded paint chip that could be used to create
the original base color. As mentioned earlier, pho-
tographs from old newspapers showed how the side
of the plane had been lettered. Some simple scale
work gave an indication of word size.
Paint on the fabric is all butyrate and the metal
parts are covered with lacquer. Hand rubbing pro-
duced a gleaming surface that scatters sunlight in
exquisite patterns.
August, 1976 ... after 44'12 years of silence, the
Challenger sputtered and roared again. The Robin
flew I ike it was fadory new. Years of effort and sweat
were suddenly rewarded as the airfoil did its job.
Rightfully concerned about proteding such a gem
from hangar rash , theft and other bad possibilities,
the Erale's were pleased to secure hangar space on
a 400 acre Long Island potato farm where they can
share a 2200' grass strip with another antique lover
who has seven vintage planes of his own.
With the assistance of Pan Am Captain Bill .Garvey,
young Joe Erale accompanied the plane to Oshkosh
' 78 where it handily earned the Grand Champion
Trophy.
To come to Oshkosh Joe had to interrupt the work
he and his father are currently engaged in with another
of those 1950's basket cases. It' s Joe Senior ' s fourth
UPF-7! After that they' ll tackle a 1928 OX-5 Robin, a
Stinson Reliant , two Command-Aires, an Alexander
Eaglerock with a 180 hp Hisso, and a Fairchild 24. Talk
about workaholics!
Sure gives us a lot to look forward to though .. .
13
3
2
5
(DavidGustafson Photo)
Champion Silver Age - 7929 Boeing 700
- S. L. Wallick
(Ted Koston Photo)
Champion Golden Age - 7926 Swallow
7. Champion Replica Aircraft - - Buck Hilbert
Dale Crites
(DavidGustafson Photo)
(DavidGustafson Photo) Champion AntiqueHomebuilt- 7932 Cor-
2. Champion Contemporary Age - Waco UPF-7 - Richard .ben Baby Ace- Richard Demond
Anderson, Wm. Amundson
(DavidGustafson Photo)
3. Champion Customized Aircraft - 7937 QCF-2 - Lee 17
Parsons
FROMTHE GROUND UP
vignettes and photos byLois Kelch
W. 66 N. 622 Madison Ave.
Cedarburg, WI 53012
18
Lois andAI Kelch.
1945 J-3 CUB CLIP-WING NC33578
Two very young men from California are venture-
some and enthusiastic about aviation. They are on a
tour for the summer flying a 1945 J-3 Cub Clip-Wing
airplane. Their first stop was the EAA Oshkosh Con-
vention, and ittook them 4days.
The pilot is 19 year old Robin Reid of San Jose who
was accompanied by 14 year old Wesley Ingalls of
Cambell, Califomia.
After soaking up all the excitement of the Conven-
tion, they are heading to Washington, D.C. and points
north until timeto return home and back toschool.
Theirparting words were- ' We' re having ablast!"
Charle s "Moose"Auten of Belmont, Californi a.
CHARLES W. AUTEN"MOOSE"
As you walk among the thousands of airplanes on
display, and watch people looking at them with smiles
and much interest, you wonder just what brought
about that interest. Not all the people on the flight
line flew airplanes in, but all have a common interest
- aviation!
One such man is Charles Windsor " Moose" Auten,
of Belmont, California. He is 70y ears young, and has
been flying since 1929 when he soloed in an OX5
Waco 10 after only 4V2 hours instruction. That made
him an expert and he in turn was instructing and haul-
ing passengers with less than 10 hours solo time. His
early aviation history started in Grinnell, Iowa where
he practiced his take-offs and landings from a pasture.
He once took his grandfather for a ride in an Aristo-
craft for his first and only airplane ride. As the grand-
father was climbing out of the cockpit , he smiled and
said "Iwasn'tscared even apenny'sworth!"
Charles loved to give people their first rides, being
sure not to do any sharp turns or rolls to frighten them.
He must have succeeded, for they all came back for
more.
He has worked for American Airlines as a mainte-
nance man for 41 years. He notes with pride that he
worked 38V2 years without a sick day off. Charlie is
the guest of Gene and Mary Morris- nice guest to
have when you own an American Eaglet and a Travel
Air.
Charles married his childhood sweetheart and
they have been flying together for 51 years. They have
two sons- Charles flies for Braniff and Carl Richard
flies for TWA. He even has a granddaughter with the
initials E.A.A. (Elizabeth Ann Austen)- how's that
for carrying on tradition?
19 year old Robin Reid and
his navigator 14 yearoldWes-
ley Ingalls atOshkosh.
John La Mascus and his 7945 J3 Piper Cub.
1945 )3 PIPER CUB #NC 42478
As with so many of today's flying enthusiasts, John
La Mascus' dreams of flying started as a small boy when
he saw airplanes flying over the cotton fields of Madera,
California- he vowed he would be an airplane pilot
some day too.
His dream of owning and flying his own airplane
was realized 11 years ago when he found this 1945
Piper J3 Cub in a field, sitting among the weeds in
Delano, California, with a homemade cardboard "For
Sale" sign. He bought it, learned to fly, and flew it for
only one year, because it needed new fabric and a re-
build job. Since he had a growing family, he left the
plane in storage until 1975 when he started his restor-
ing job, which took him 2'12 years of long hard work
to bring it back to new condition.
John is from Pacific Grove, California and he flew
his Piper to Oshkosh, accompanied by Arlene Eide,
which took them 36 hours flying time, but actually 9
days, due to some 1 and 2 day delays because of un-
favorable weather conditions. His highest altitude
over the mountain passes was 10,500' and that 65 hp
Continental purred on, high or low, hot or cold. The
Cub is absolute perfection, and I found out how he
keeps that beautiful unscratched varnish on the floor-
boards- flies in his "tennies".
1954 HEllO COURIER N242B
An intriging sleek looking airplane caught my eye,
and it turned out to be the first production model
Helio Courier. It was donated to JAARS (Jungle Avia-
tion and Radio Service, Inc.) by a man in Philadelphia,
to be used in their work around the world, currently
in 35 countries. They use their 23 Couriers and 65 dif-
The JAA RS Courier.
ferent aircraft in the'ir work supplying people who are
out in the tribal areas with transportation and supplies,
and last but not least, God's holy word.
The pilot of the Courier who flew it to the EM Con-
vention is Skip Holmberg of Arizona, who has spent
the last five years in Brazil with his family, but who
has now been reassigned to the U.s. as a public rela-
tions spokesman for JAARS.
Seeing this STOL Courier flying a demonstration
Wednesday afternoon, holding at what looked like
15 miles indicated, showing its ability to land in the
jungle, was deftly flown by Skip, held the crowd's
attention.
1932 CORBEN BABY ACE NX5148
Serial #72, Continental A65
Richard Demond of Whitemore Lake, Michigan
acquired hi s Corben Baby Ace from the l ate Dewey
Bryan, in 1972.
It has been a family restoration job; hi s wife built
the ribs, and 9 year old Lee and infant Amy were on
hand for polishing and light construction.
The restoration took 5 years and was accomplished
on their 9 x 14 sun porch at a cost of $1775.00.
The trip from Brighton, Michigan to Oshkosh took
6V2 hours. He flew in formation with a Taylorcraft and
a Cessna 150.
Dick Demond and hi s Corben Ace.
Greg and his beautiful shiney Luscombe.
1947 LUSCOMBE 8E "SILVAIRE"
N2424K
Seeing th.is beautiful shiny Luscombe reflecting
the morning Oshkosh sun, I walked up and found 21
year old pilot, Gregg Beitel, using lots of elbow grease
and polish to get that mirror finish .
It is Gregg's first time at Oshkosh, and he flew the
Luscombe here from Gastonia, North Carolina, in
formation with Richard Pettyjohn in his Cessna 120,
and Jerry Heik in his Cessna 140. They got a thrill when
Weir Cook International Airport at Indianapolis in-
vited them to fly over the airport for them to observe
the interesting formation. The trip took them 8 hours
flying time, which was a little longer than anticipated,
due to dodging some thunderstorms in Kentucky and
Tennessee.
Bob Beitel, an airplane pilot for Eastern, taught his
two sons to fly at an early age. The three of them have
a "hobby business" of restoring antique airplanes.
They found the Luscombe in Chapel Hill, North
Carol ina in "sad shape" and restored it to its present
beautifu I condition.
Gregg will graduate from Purdue University in May
1979, as an Aeronautical Engineer, and his ultimate
dream is to go to work for NASA. With his drive and
enthusiasm, I'm sure he will make it.
19
(Photo by Lee Fray)
"
-
,.
ANTIQUE JUDGES
Back row, left to right - John R. Turgyon, Dale
Gustafson, Ed Wegner, Dick Martin, Gene Mor-
ris, Ken Williams, Doug Rounds. Front row,
l eft to right - Don Coleman, Pete Covington,
H. N. Dusty Rhodes, Claude Gray.
(Photo by Lee Fray)
Jack Winthrop (left) Manpower Chairman and Jack Cope-
land the Manpower Co-Chairman.
(Photo by Lee Fra y)
Seated, Phil Coulson and Ron Fritz. Standing, Donna
Benedict, Willard Benedict Antique/Classic Fl y-By Com-
mittee.
20

Article and Photos by Kent McMakin
622 Salem Street Apartment 7
Rockton, Illinoi s 6 7072
Have you ever heard a restorer exclaim in disgust,
" Those damn duster pilots sure did butcher up a lot
of nice old airplanes. "
Sure, it is too bad that they were modified in such
a way years ago. It makes for a lot of work to put them
back into stock configuration . But, even though the
AG business modified and cut up a lot of airplanes,
if it weren ' t for them, there would be a whole lot fewer
airplanes around for us to restore. Back in the late
30's, 40's and 50's, a WACO 10 or Travelair wasn 't
worth a bucket of prop wash to the average Cub pilot.
A considerable number of aircraft, which only a few
years earlier were somebody's brand new pride and
joy, went down the tubes due to their obsolesence.
Obsolete, that is, to just about everybody but the
AG pilot. He clung to these early birds for years after
almost everyone else discarded them. They kept them
going, working and f lying up into the ' 70's in some
cases until replacing them with newer equipment.
So, thanks to the AG business, many old machines
were "saved". I, for one, have one of these ex-dusters
under restoration. And so does Tom Hegy of Hart-
ford, Wisconsin. Tom is the resuredor of a 1928 Trav-
elair 2000. He has put a considerable amount of time,
work and bucks in his ex-duster, but he really doesn 't
curse the previous owners due to the fact that he is
an AG pilot himself.
Tom purchased his prize from John Thurmon in
Arizona way back in 1964. Not much was accomplished
on the Travelair until recent years.
When obtained, the Travelair was a typical basket
case. A rusty jake hung on the nose, four decomposed
wings, and a highly modified forward fuselage. The
firewall section of the frame had been completel y
changed to accomodate the jacobs and much cutting
and welding was needed to bring it up to snuff.
The huge air wheels were replaced with original
looking Bendix N3N wheels with hydraulic brakes, the
heavy T -6 tailwheel assembly was discarded in favor
of an ingenious Cessna 180 set-up. All of the wOQd in
the fuselage and tail sect ion were replaced. Only the
fittings and a few drag wires are of 1928 vintage.
Instead of using the old OX-S, Tom opted for the
dependable 220 hp Continental with a Hamilton stan-
dard ground adjustable prop. The air filter carb heat
box are from a Timm N2T and makes for a neat, un-
cluttered installation. It ' s just too bad these Timm
carb heat boxes are so scarce. The exhaust and cut
down accessory cowling is Stearman. All cockpit cowljj
ing is new, as is the aluminum wing leading edges.
As you can see by the pictures, the workmanship
is beautiful. By the time you read this, Tom will proba-
bly be covering his creation (or recreation) with STITS
and in original colors, Travelair blue and silver.
22
STAGGER
UNIFOR
By AI G
4055 Elmwood Rd.
South Euclid, OH 44121
(Photos by David Gustafson)
We're all aware that people who can afford them
purchase former warbirds which have outlived their
military usefulness- and convert them to civil avia-
tion birds.
That 's why there are organizations like Warbirds
of America, the Confederate Air Force, and other
groups dedicated to preserving and flying former
military types.
Just before America entered World War Two there
was a switch, which saw the U.S. military services
buying civil aircraft to convert to war birds.
One of the civil aircraft types drafted into military
service was the four-place Beechcraft Model 17, a
Single-engine tail-dragger biplane, called the "Stagger-
wing" because of the negative stagger of its wings.
The Staggerwing first flew in 1932. When produc-
tion ceased in 1948, well over 400 had been built.
Most of the variants in the Staggerwing Model 17 had
to do with engine changes. The airframe remained
virtually the same in all versions, until 1945 when the
G17S five-place model was put into produdion.
Initial produdion versions were the 17R powered
with a 420 hp Whirlwind, and the A 17F powered with
a 700 hp Cyclone. Both models had a fixed under-
carriage and wheel pants.
First version with retradable landing gear was the
B17L, powered with a 225 hp Jacobs. Later versions,
all equipped with 285 hp Jacobs power plants, were
the B17B, C17B, C17L, CI7R, E17B and E17L.
Other variants were the F17D with a 330 hp Jacobs,
D17A with a 350 hp Whirlwind, D17R with a 450 hp
Whirlwind, and D17S with a 450 hp Wasp Junior en -
gine.
First Staggerwing to go " into uniform" was a C17R
model. In 1936 the U.S. Navy bought one for use as a
personnel transport.
In 1939; Beech entered a D17S in an Army competi-
tion for a light personnel transport. It won, and a con-
tract was issued for constru ction of three prototypes,
to be designated YC-43; (Y for evaluation testing).
These aircraft subsequently were deSignated UC-43
(U for utility) and assigned to Air Attache offices. That
same year, the U.S. Navy purchased seven D17S Beech-
crafts and designated them GB-l 'so They were assigned
to Naval Air Stations as utility personnel transports.
Also in 1939, one model D17Awent to the Brazilian
navy. The records do not indicate whether this was
an outright purchase by Brazil, or was an early lend-
lease airplane.
Serious production of Beechcrafts for the U.S.
Army and Navy began in 1941 . Mostly, the Model 17's
which went into uniform were the D17S version.
Glen McNabb's 0-77 from Jasper, Tennessee, provides a good example of a Slaggerwing in warpainl.
They were used in the military for liaison, trans-
port and communications. A total of 207 went to the
U.S. Army Air Force as UC-43's, and 63 went to the
Navy as GB's.
While some of these went to England, China, Brazil
and other countries under lend-lease, most of them
remained in the U.S. Army and Navy service during
the war.
At the end of the war in 1945, most of the USAAF
UC-43's were sold as surplus. The Navy kept their
GB's in service until as late as 1948.
The Staggerwing had a maximum speed of 205
mph, a maximum cruising speed of 198 mph at 10,000
feet, and an initial climb rate of 1400 fpm.
Range was 1400 miles. Empty weight was 2800
pounds, loaded weight 4250 pounds. Wingspan was
32 feet, length 25 feet nine inches. Height from the
deck was nine feet.
Many former military transport aircraft- the Stag-
gerwings among them - were turned over to the
(t hen) Civil Aeronautics Administration, which later
sold them as surplus.
Beginning in '1945, Beechcraft
tion of a five-place civil version,
Staggerwing production ended in
these G17S models were built.
About 250 Staggerwings are on
went into produc-
the G17S. Before
1948, some 90 of
the U.s. Civil Reg-
ister today, nearly half of them in current license.
Most of them are D17S models with 450 hp Pratt &
Whitney engines. Most of them were in uniform in
WWIL
Other civil aircrdt drafted into military service
during the war, to name a few, were the L-type (liaison)
Cubs, large transports, and big flying boats.
24
Restoration Tips:
Radio Installations in C-170's and
Other Classics
(reprinted from The 170 News)
By Don Lan gfor d
391 5 Booklin e Circl e
Hunt svill e, Al abama35810
Most 170's have had a radio change since that day
long ago when they rolled off Clyde Cessna's pro-
duction line. If the radio installation was done well,
many years shou Id pass before the installation needs
to be looked at again. For those 170's with original
gear, it's about time to take a serious look at the wir-
ing, antennas and switches hooked to that radio, and
it may be that trusty old coffee grinder is not going
to pot after all.
Good radio shops will tell you about 70% of all
radio problems are actuall y installation problems and
cause many hours of unnecessary hunting for grem-
lins on the bench. Poor installation jobs can account
for poor performance and many of the new popular
general aviation radios have gained a bad reputation
which is not really the radio's fault. One guy will claim
excellent results with a radio and his buddy with the
same model claims a real lemon.
Let's start with the voltage regulator. Our aircraft
rad ios operate off 13. 75 volts. A one volt drop can
cause an older tube transmitter to put out only hal f
as much power as it should. If power is simi lar to the
airspeed versus horsepower theorem, you have to
square the power to double the range of a transmitter,
therefore half power drops the range to 'l4 what you
shou ld have. The receiver is affected si milarl y but
not as bad since the receiver draws much less amper-
age than the transmitter. Check the voltage output
of the regulator with varying loads and R.P.M. settings
to see where your voltage starts to drop and expect
poorer rad io performance when the voltage is less
than 13.75 volts.
The generator supplies us with that additional
voltage and current needed so its the next item to
look at. Most of our 170's have 25 amp or 35 amp gen-
erators (rated 20 and 30 amps), hardly enough to han-
dle lights and a couple of tube type radios. Check
into the possibility of going to a 50 amp generator if
the sum total of your electrical load is more than 80%
of the output of your generator. For an approximate
load rating, tum on all electrical gear with the engine
stopped, key a transmitter and check the ammeter for
current drain. Add 10% to the reading and divide by
your generator ' s rated output. Also check the part
numbers of your voltage regulator to make sure it
is the proper one for your generator.
The next step is your master switch, radio switch
and radio fuse. If any corrosion has bu i It up over the
years, resistance is being added between our magic
13.75 volts and the radio. As lit1le as one ohm in the
line can cause a radio drawing one amp of current to
drop one volt. We know the output of the regulator,
now check the voltage at the input to the radio. If a
noticeable difference occurs start cleaning those con-
tacts.
O lder radios were grounded to the airframe by
the case. Newer, transister models usually have a
separate ground wire from the connector and should
be fastened securely to the case or other so lid air-
frame point.
Next stop is the mike and phone jacks. It 's a sure
bet there is a coating of corrosion and dirt film on the
contacts. Frequent insertion of the plugs tends to
wipe these points clean but a visual check and clean-
ing is well worth the trouble. TV tuner cleaner or a
rubber eraser work well. Make sure the contacts have
good pressure on the jack.
Speakers deteriorate over the years. Ten years is
a good replacement time. Look for a replacement
speaker with a good, heavy magnet. Hi-fi speakers
are not good. We are looking for good voice intelli-
gibility in a noi sy cabin. Mobile radio shops some-
times have a good selection. Connecting radio speaker
outputs together can cause a degradation to the speak-
er output. Some radios just don't mix well. See your
trusty radio shop if you suspect this.
Antennas cou ld fill a book. First, the VOR antenna,
two rods shaped in a vee, or the popular flying wing
style need a balun, an odd conglomeration of coaxial
cable. Check the connections for signs of fraying,
broken strands, corrosion or swelling of the insula-
tion which indicates water has gotten into the cable.
The tail mounted antenna is especially susceptible
to vibration and water. Most tail mounted antennas
have a bulkhead connector at the base of the stabi-
lizers where the coax enters the fusel age. Check for
the same symptoms as above.
Better quality coax is available now than in the
50's so consider replacing runs that look especially
bad. Sharp bends and kinks are a no-no. Heat can
cause the center conductor to move closer to the
shield in spots causing symptoms a technician will
pull h is hair out trying to find.
Thi scl ean 170 Bbelon gs lO JohnW. Reeves of Liberty-
vill e, '"inoi s.
The Communications antennas are vertically
mounted and depend on the airframe for a ground
plane. A good ground at the antenna base is impera-
tive. The newer blade antennas can be coated at the
base with an alodine solution (your radio shop should
have some) to improve and retain surface conduct ivity
of the antenna base to airplane skin. Antennas shou ld
be no closer than 15" to each other to prevent any
interaction. Never paint or wax an antenna.
D.M.E. and transponder antennas are mounted on
the underside as they are very sens itive to anythi ng
in their path to the ground station (i.e.; gear legs,
steps). These two antennas must be kept very clean,
which should be part of every preflight. Glideslope
antennas on a 170 are usually the type that mounts
in the upper windshield area, or a splitter that makes
use of the VOR antenna. Both types are quite ade-
qu ate. Propeller R.P.M. can cause a fluctuation of
the glideslope needle, just change the R.P.M. slightly.
ADF antennas are not as susceptible to dirt and
oil but interact greatly with the aircraft skin and electri-
cal wiring. Have ADF problems? Try various combina-
tions of electrical loads and R.P.M. settings to track
down install ation problems.
Noise can be a real headache. Two sources are
most common; the antenna system and the power
supply lines. Fi Iters and sh ielded power wires can
help. The RF noise shows up as wavy VOR and ADF
needles, odd squelch settings. It's time for an expert
when dealing with RF noise.
The one thing that can help a repairman most is
detailed symptoms. Make notes of anything that might
be a clue when a problem arises in a piece of gear.
There's a good possibility it's not in the radio at all
but some completely unsuspecting part of the instal-
lation. Good radioing, and see you at the convention.
25
Calendar ofEvents
OCTOBER 5-8 - HARLINGEN, TEXAS- Confederate Air Force Air
Show '78. Contact CAF Public Affairs, Box 2443, Harlingen, Texas.
5121428-45%.
OCTOBER 7-8 - REDDING, CALIFORNIA- Oktoberfest at Redding
Sky Ranch, sponsored by EAA Chapter 157. Contact Curly Medina
916/241-7737.
OCTOBER 13-1 5 - Tulsa EAA-AAA-IAC Fly-In, Tahlequah, Okla-
homa. Contact Larry Brown, Brown Aviation, P.O. Box 51206,
Tulsa,OK74151.918/ 835-7663.
OCTOBER 21-22 - MARANA, ARIZONA- Seventh annual Copper-
state EAA Fly-In at Marana Air Park. Awards for homebuilts,
antiques, classics and warbirds. Contact Fred Feemster, Box 12307,
Tucson, Arizona 85732. 602/299'2723.
OCTOBER 28 - His and Hers Air Race, Salinas, California, entry kits
available for $2 starting July 15. Contact Salinas His and Hers Air
Race, cl o Rosemary Rice, 1158 San Fernando Drive, Salinas, CA
93901.
NOVEMBER 18-19'- MIAMI, FLORIDA- Antique, Classic and Cus-
tom Built Fly-In at the third annual Harvest- A Country Fair,
sponsored by the Historical Association of Southern Florida, at
the Dade County Youth Fairground, Coral Way at 112th Avenue.
Awards given for antique, classic and custom built aircraft. Con-
tact Capt. Ken Ufland of the Civil Air Patrol , office (305) 552-3106,
home after 6:00 p.m. (305) 251-5927, or Mary Dodd Russell, Har-
vest Coordinator, at the Historical Museum, 3280 S. Miami Ave-
nue, Building B.,Miami , FL 33129:
JANUARY 21-27 - Sun ' N Fun, the biggest fly-in in the southeast-
and the second biggest in the nation. It's a full week of southern
hospitality and flying fun: daily aerial demonstrations; fly-bys of
antique, classic, homebuilt and warbird aircraft; forums, exhibits
and static displays; parties and corn roasts; big new food conces-
sion; country store for campers in our shady campsites. Make
motel reservations early- our free information booklet has a
complete list of accommodations. Write to Sun ' N Fun, P.O. Box
3538, Lakeland, Florida 33802.
Do you know ofa Beechcraft staggerwing that is fl ying,
beingrestored, or in a basket? Ifso then get in touch with
Tom Lempicke ofRoute 1, Box 5190, St. Cloud, Florida
32769. Under the direction ofthe staggerwing Museum
Foundation he i srevising the book STAGGERWING, and
would like to have ANY information on ANY stagger-
wing, ANYwhere. The book should be published in 1979
and'will feature information on ownership, condition and
location ofeach aircraft built.
CLASSIFIED ADS
Wanted to replace fire loss one 1973 Oshkosh patch. I. W.
Stephenson, EAA 82203, P. O. Box 202, Menominee, Michi-
gan 49858 USA.
1918 Standard JI-Hi sso Powered, trophy winner. Niels Soren-
sen, 389& Idaho Circle No. , Minneapolis, MN 55427. 612-
537-0448.
EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC
DIVISION
MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
WIN
*
A pair ofAntiqueGoggles
bypersuading5peopleto
JOin.
er A Leather Flying Helmet
whenyouget10peopleto
sign up.
- then startoverand win again -
A free five year member-
shipintheAntique/Classic
Divi sionifyousponsorthe
most new member s in
1978.
ToQualify: Write your name and member-
ship numberonthebackoft hemember-
shi p' blankswe'vebeen provi ding inTHE
VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Headquarters wi ll
keep score_
FOR THE COMPLETE
AVIATION LIBRARY
THE
FLYING AND GLIDER MANUAL
FOR: 1929
1930
1931
1932
1933
1929-1933 MISCELLANY
$2.50 Each Post Paid
ORDER FIVE
ANDGETTHE
SIXTH ONE
FREE
Total Cost ForAll Six
$12.50
Order From:
EAA AIR MUSEUM FOUNDATION
BOX 469
HALESCORNERS, WI 53130
26
Are you restoring a Classic?
\



JJ
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