STRAIGHT AND LEVEL

On behalf of the EM Antique/Classic

Division, it is an honor for me to wel-
come our members and guests to "An
Air of Adventure" - Oshkosh '86.
Your Antique/Classic Division, which
represents the exciting and formative
years of our aviation heritage, is proud
to be one of the major attractions for the
greatest annual aviation event of the
world. From August 1-8, Oshkosh '86
spans the world with chapters, mem-
bers and guests plus exhibitors from
over 50 foreign countries.
Your Antique/Classic Division's offic-
ers, directors, advisors plus EAA Head-
quarter's staff have been planning and
working many months to assure you an
exciting and safe aviation convention.
As in the past, we have added new
group activities each year to our Con-
vention schedule. This makes it possi-
ble for you to participate in these events
with like-minded people to enjoy the
camaraderie and our kind of flying.
Our scheduled events for Oshkosh
'86 will include the Antique/Classic pic-
nic on Sunday evening; our annual Fly-
Out on Monday morning; our Riverboat
Cruise on Monday evening; and the an-
nual air show main event, the Antique/
Classic Parade of Flight on Tuesday af-
ternoon. The annual Photo Contest will
run throughout the week. The Antique/
Classic Workshop will operate daily.
The interesting Antique/Classic Inter-
view Circle will be staged morning and
afternoon on a daily basis. The Type
Club Headquarters Tent has again
been enlarged to accommodate the in-
creasing interest by the clubs.
by Bob Lickteig
The Antique/Classic Aircraft Parking
operation has been streamlined to ac-
commodate type parking if requested.
The area for the Antique/Classic Reun-
ion of previous Grand Champions will
again be enlarged to park these in-
teresting and prestigious aircraft. The
Antique/Classic Education forums will
again be held daily in the forums area.
The Antique/Classic Participant's
Plaques will be presented to the pilot of
each registered aircraft again this year.
The Antique/Classic Information Booth
will be open every day to answer your
questions regarding chapter member-
ship and tickets for Antique/Classic
events.
Our judging committees for both an-
tique and classic aircraft will be busy all
week evaluating the hundreds of qual-
ified aircraft . With our new building addi-
tion, our headquarters staff will be ready
to serve you throughout the Conven-
tion. The newest facility in our Antique/
Classic area will be the Airline Pilots
Headquarters Tent. We extend a warm
welcome to this group.
This may sound like an ambitious
program but with the dedicated volun-
teers we have, we look forward to an
exciting week.
To stage the above activities, your
Antique/Classic Division has 24 various
committees with chairmen, co-chair-
men, members and hundreds of volun-
teers who make it all possible. As you
can see, we have something for
everyone including family members and
guests. So, please check in at Antique/
Classic Headquarters, get the details of
all the events - round up your friends
and join the fun.
Whether this is your first or your 34th
EAA Convention, I ask you to become
part of it - to capture the EAA spirit - to
witness aviation in its purest form.
Come and be a part of it - this is EM
Oshkosh '86.
Welcome aboard - join us and you
have it all.
It's going to be a great Convention.
Make the Antique/Classic area your
headquarters for Oshkosh '86 .
2 AUGUST 1986
PUBLICATION STAFF
PUBLISHER
TomPoberezny
DIRECTOR
MARKETING &COMMUNICATIONS
DickMatt
EDITOR
GeneR. Chase
CREATIVEARTDIRECTOR
MikeDrucks
MANAGING EDITOR/ADVERTISING
MaryJones
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Norman Petersen
DickCavin
FEATURE WRITERS
GeorgeA. Hardie,Jr.
DennisParks
EAAANTIQUE/CLASSIC
DIVISION, INC.
OFFICERS
President VicePresident
R.J. Lickteig M.C. " Kelly"Viets
1718Lakewood Rt.2,Box128
Albert Lea,MN 56007 Lyndon,KS66451
507/373-2922 913/828-3518
Secretary Treasurer
RonaldFritz E.E."Buck" Hilbert
15401 SpartaAvenue P.O.Box145
KentCity,M149330 Union,IL60180
616/678-5012 815/923-4591
DIRECTORS
JohnS.Copeland StanGomoll
9JoanneDrive 104290thLane,NE
Westborough,MA01581 Minneapolis,MN55434
617/366-7245 6121784-1172
DaleA.Gustafson EspieM.Joyce,Jr.
7724ShadyHillDrive Box468
Indianapolis,IN46278 Madison,NC27025
317/293-4430 919/427-0216
ArthurR. Morgan GeneMorris
3744North51stBlvd. 115CSteveCourt,R.R.2
Milwaukee,WI53216 Roanoke,TX76262
414/442-3631 817/491-9110
DanielNeuman RayOlcott
1521 BerneCircleW. 1500KingsWay
Minneapolis,MN55421 Nokomis,FL33555
612/571-0893 813/485-8139
JohnR.Turgyan S.J.Wittman
Box229,R.F.D.2 Box2672
Wrightstown,NJ08562 Oshkosh,WI54903
6091758-2910 414/235-1265
GeorgeS. York
181 SlobodaAve.
Mansfield,OH 44906
419/529-4378
ADVISORS
TimothyV.Bowers RobertC. " Bob" Brauer
729-2ndSt. 9345 S. Hoyne
Woodland,CA95695 Chicago, IL 60620
916/666-1875 3121779-2105
PhilipCoulson RobertD. " Bob" Lumley
28415SpringbrookDr. Nl04W20387
Law1on,M149065 Willow Creek Road
616/6246490 Colgate,WI 53017
414/2556832
S.H." Wes" Schmid W.S." Jerry"Wallin
2359LefeberAvenue 29804- 179PI.SE
Wauwatosa,WI53213 Kent,WA98031
4141771 -1545 206/631-9644
AUGUST1986.Vol.14,No.8
Copyright" 1986bythe EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contents
2 StraightandLevel
byBobLickteig
4 AlCNews
byGeneChase
5 VintageLiterature
byDennisParks
6 5500MileFlightonLessThan40hp
byBobGeier
8 WelcomeNewMembers
9 MysteryPlane
byGeorgeE.Hardie,Jr.
10 RestorationCorner- TailGroupandWings
byStanGomoll
12 RebirthofanAirmaster
byJohnA.Young
15 TypeClubActivities
byGeneChase
16 NutsandBolts
byJoeDickey
17 PropellerADs
byPaulH.Poberezny
18 BendixModel52
byMarkA.Savage
22 1929SailingGlider
by Steve Cartwright
24 LegacyofWings- Video Review
by Gene Chase
24 LeHerstotheEditor
25 VintageSeaplanes
26 CavalcadeofWings
byGeneChase
27 CalendarofEvents
28 Member'sProjects
29 VintageTrader
Page12
Page18
FRONT COVER . ' .' Three 1948 Luscombe llA Sedans (L-R)
N6895C, George T. Ramin (EAA 34574, AlC 252) , Houston, TX;
N1651B,JackM.Dunn(EAA119524),NewCaney,TX;and N1652B,
Melvin L. Dunn (EAA76500,AlC 264), Houston,TX.
(Photographed at Oshkosh '77 byTed Koston)
BACK COVER . ..GroverC. Loening aboardthe Loening Model 23
"AirYachtatLong Island,NewYork." OnAugust16,1921 ,thismodel
established a world seaplane altitude record of 19,500 feet with four
on board. Powerisa 40Q hp Lib/illy_engine.
(EAAArchive PhotoFranklinT. Kurt Collection)
ThewordsEAA,ULTRALIGHT,FLYWITHTHEFIRSTTEAM,SPORTAVIATION,andthelogosofEXPERIMENTAL
AIRCRAFTASSOCIATION INC., EAA INTERNATIONALCONVENTION,EAAANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION INC. ,
INTERNATIONALAEROBATICCLUB INC., WARBIRDS OF AMERICA INC. ,are registeredtrademarks.THE EAA
SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION INC. and EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are
trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above associations is strictly
prohi bited.
Editorial Policy: Readers 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. Material
should be sent to:Gene R. Chase, Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, Willman Airfield,Oshkosh,WI 54903-3086.
Phone:414/426-4800.
The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by EAAAntique/Classic Division,
Inc.ofthe ExperimentalAircraftAssociation,Inc.and ispublished monthlyatWillman Airfield,Oshkosh,WI 54903-
3086. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 and additional mailing offices. Membership rates for
EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc. are $18.00 for current EAA members for 12 month period of which $12.00 is
forthe publication ofThe VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membershipis open to all who are interested in aviation.
ADVERTISING- Antique/ClassicDivisiondoesnotguaranteeorendorseanyproductoffered throughouradvertis-
ing.Weinviteconstructivecriticism and welcomeanyreportofinferiormerchandiseobtainedthroughouradvertising
sothatcorrective measurescan be taken.
Postmaster:SendaddresschangestoEAAAntique/ClassicDivision,Inc.,WillmanAirfield,Oshkosh,WI54903-3086.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
Compiled by Gene Chase
MIDWEST STINSON REGIONAL FLY-
IN
Everything went so well last year that
the hosts are going to do it again. The
Second Annual Midwest Stinson Fly-In
is set for September 12-14, 1986 at
Jacksonville Airport, Jacksonville, Il-
linois. Events include a fly-out breakfast
on Saturday morning with special con-
tests on the return flight, seminars, ban-
quet, brunch, flea market and lots of fly-
ing.
A camping area and grills for cooking
will be provided by airport manager,
Sally Prewitt. For those who prefer
motels, transportation is available be-
tween the airport and the Holiday Inn.
For more information on this event,
contact Loran F. Nordgren, P. O. Box
710, Frankfort, IL 60423, phone 815/
469-9100.
SEARCH RENEWED FOR NUNGES-
SER & COLI
On May 8, 1927 (12 days before
Lindbergh's trans-Atlantic flight)
Charles Nungesser and Francois Coli
departed Paris bound for New York
where they hoped to land the following
day. If successful the two Frenchmen
would be the first to fly non-stop from
Europe to North America. After take off
they dropped their big biplane's landing
gear and shortly thereafter were re-
ported over Ireland. They were never
seen again. Their airplane was named
l'Oiseau Blanc (White Bird) and was de-
signed to be landed on water after pos-
itioning the propeller horizontally.
Several unconfirmed sightings of the
plane were reported in Maine on May
9, but exhaustive searches on both land
and water revealed nothing. However,
reports by two witnesses, one of which
came to light quite recently, indicate
that the two Frenchmen may very well
have flown the Atlantic and crashed in
the Maine woods after running out of
fuel and attempting to land on a lake.
An organization known as the Inter-
national Group for Historical Aircraft Re-
covery (TIGHAR) will have completed a
highly organized search of a specific
area in Maine by the time you read this.
We will keep you informed.
EAA AIR ACADEMY '86
Dave Todd (center), president of the
Northeastern Wisconsin and Upper
Michigan Hardee's Restaurant Co-op
presents a check representing the
major sponsorship of EM Air Academy
'86 to EAA President Paul Poberezny
(right) and EAA Aviation Foundation
President Tom Poberezny.
Hardee's began its association with
EAA and the Air Academy at last year's
For more information on TIGHAR,
contact them at P.O. Box 4242,
Middletown, DE 19709, phone 302/378-
8700.
BRISTOL SCOUT TO ENGLAND
World War I Aeroplanes, Inc.' s Bristol
Scout reproduction aeroplane has been
sold to the RAF Museum in London. Be-
cause the Museum has several 80 hp
LeRhone engines, the one from the
Scout was retained and is for sale. It is
complete with all accessories including
prop hub and Fahlin propeller, and a
rebuilt Bendix magneto for reliability.
The engine has about two hours run-
ning time since being put in Cosmoline
some thirty years ago. For information
on this rare power plant, contact Leo
Opdycke, 15 Crescent Road,
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. Phone 914/
473-3679.
Convention by sponsoring a ride on the
Concorde for a lucky Academy youth.
"The relationship between Hardee's
and the EAA Air Academy youth pro-
gram reflects a commitment to youth
and family shared by both organiza-
tions," Todd explained. "We look for-
ward to associating with the EAA Avia-
tion Foundation this year and for years
to come."
NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUN 'N
FUN
Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In, Inc. has qual-
ified for the Federal Surplus Property
Utilization Program. This program is
managed by the State of Florida De-
partment of General Services and pro-
vides the group with an opportunity to
acquire machinery, equipment and air-
craft. This will help assure the continued
maintenance and improvement of this
popular fly-in site at Lakeland, Florida.
More good news is that the Sun 'n
Fun facilities are now available to all
EM chapters for use throughout the
year (except during the annual Sun 'n
Fun Fly-In in March) . It's a great place
to camp and have picniCS. Arrange-
ments can be made by contacting Sun
'n Fun Headquarters, P. O. Box 6750,
Lakeland, FL 33807, phone 813/644-
2431 .
4 AUGUST 1986

EARLY AVIATON MAGAZINE
PILOT REPORTS
by Dennis Parks
EAA Library/Archives Director
"After running the motor a few min-
utes to heat it up, I released the wire
that held the machine to the track, and
the machine started forward into the
wind."
- Orville Wright, Flying, De-
cember, 1913, p. 36.
Though possibly not the first pilot re-
port in an aviation journal , it sure is the
pilot report of the oldest aircraft.
In the December 1985 issue of VIN-
T AGE I issued a call to locate the oldest
flight test of an aircraft conducted and
written by a staff member of an aviation
journal.
The goal was to locate the source of
the now standard and popular pilot re-
ports in the general aviation magazines.
It is known that after WW II these be-
came a regular feature of magazines
such as Air Facts, Flying and Skyways.
Upon examination I was able to deter-
mine that Air Facts had been doing this
since a report on the Waco N in 1939.
These tests reported by Leighton Col-
lins were excellent reports on the be-
havior, especially from a safety view-
point, of the subject aircraft. These re-
ports were later reprinted in two vol-
umes called the Air Facts Reader. The
first volume covered 1939 to 1941 , the
other 1942 to 1947.
Most of the magazines before the war
in reporting on new aircraft basically just
reproduced the information provided by
the manufacturers. Some exceptions
were flight test reports by military pilots
about military aircraft.
I knew that Sportsman Pilot also re-
ported flight tests, but was not able to
determine when they began such re-
ports as the library did not at that time
have available any issues predating the
library's issues of Air Facts. Thus I de-
cided to approach our readership.
One of the first responses was by
Terry Ladage of the Institute of Aviation,
University of Illinois. Mr. Ladage pro-
vided a copy of the Orville Wright report
on the 1903 Wright Flyer. Though it did
not meet the criteria it is definitely an
historic pilot report.
Orville Wright reported that there
were handling problems with the Flyer.
The problem was in pitch response
which caused an "exceedingly erratic
flight. " The second flight was much like
the first but the third was steadier than
the first till a "sudden gust from the right
lifted the machine up twelve to fifteen
feet and turned it up sidewise in an
alarming manner." Orville warped the
wings to recover and headed for the
ground to land, but the lateral control
was very strong. "The lateral control
was more effective than I had imagined
and before I reached the ground the
right wing was lower than the left and
struck first. "
Wilbur, who flew the second flight ,
flew the machine for the fourth time that
day. By the time he had covered 300
feet, ''the machine was under much bet-
ter control. The course for the next four
or five hundred feet had but little undu-
lation." However, at about 800 feet dis-
tance, the Flyer began to pitch again
and struck the ground at a distance of
852 feet.
We have all read of the first flights of
this aircraft but thanks to the reports of
the pilots who flew it we are able to
know what the machine was like to fly.
The winning entry was submitted by
Mr. Charles W. Harris of Tulsa, Ok-
lahoma who sent a copy of the
"Sportsman Test Pilot" article from the
July 15, 1936 Sportsman Pilot. This was
a pilot report by Franklin T. Kurt on the
Lambert Monocoupe.
This report is an in-depth report
spread over four pages. The report
started with entering the aircraft and its
general characteristics:
"Getting in is not very difficult, though
one is annoyed by the cabin full of con-
trols around his ankles .... With the
exception of the controls we found the
construction neat and simple .. . . The
engine compartment is pretty short, so
much so that the magneto points are
reached through a door in the fire-wall ."
The pilot on the appearance of the
plane:
"Whoever supervises the fabric and
doping work at the Lambert Aircraft is a
master craftsman." Comparing it to
other aircraft. "It sells for well under
$4,000 yet provides performance not
matched in several higher price brac-
kets. "
Going aloft Mr. Kurt reported on its
behavior:
"Flying alone, the stability of the little
ship is as near neutral as we have seen
lately . .. It very nearly pOints where it
is put, with only very slow return to level
flight"; and found it very favorable: "We
have flown very few planes where each
control brought such quick and effort-
less, yet well damped, response"; "She
went into an extremely prompt spin. We
recovered in haste and found the con-
trols so effective and the recovery so
quick that we went a little grey." The
overall rating was very positive:
"She takes two people further in less
time and for less money than any
known ship."
The flight tests of Franklin T. Kurt and
Leighton Collins (Air Facts, see De-
cember 1985, January 1986 VINTAGE)
provide a great deal of insight to the
behavior, construction and perfor-
mance of light aircraft.
Recently I was fortunate to receive a
letter from Mr. Collins in which he talks
about Mr. Kurt. "Starting, as I recall in
the late '20s, and certainly through the
'30s, he wrote in almost every issue of
The Sportsman Pilot magazine a flight
test article. They were the best ever
published in my opinion."
He stated that Mr. Kurt was a Navy
trained pilot and the first person to re-
ceive a degree from MIT in aeronautical
engineering. Mr. Kurt spent most of his
aviation career as an engineer and test
pilot with Grumman at Bethpage, Long
Island.
"For his articles the aircraft manufac-
turers would bring their airplanes either
to Grumman Field or else the nearby
Aviation Country ClUb ."
Special thanks to Mr. Collins for his
insight into this matter. As it stands now
we have to credit The Sportsman Pilot
for conceiving of a series of regular pilot
reports for its reader. I have recently
received copies of flight tests from
some 1934 issues of the magazine.
These were of the Lambert Monocoupe
(September, 1934) and the Taylor E-2
Cub (December 1934). These tests
were done by Lewin B. Barringer.
I'm sure this is not the end of the
story. Let's hear from those of you who
can shed additional light on this matter .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
5500 MILE FLIGHT ONLESSTHAN40HP
Author Robert A. "Bob" Geier be-
came a C.A.A. Aeronautical Inspec-
tor about a year and half after this
flight. He served in that capacity until
after World War /I when he left the
C.A.A. to run a flying school in Santa
Ana, California.
Just .before his stint with the
C.A.A., Bob taught his brother, Ber-
nie Geier, to fly. When Bernie re-
turned from the service he got his
flight instructor's rating and taught in
Bob's school for a number of years
prior to going to work for the FAA.
Bernie Geier is well known to
EAAers as he worked closely with
EAA for many years when he was
with Flight Standards in FAA's
Washington headquarters.
Geier and Sammy Galloway pose with their Taylorcraft at the Butler Pennsylvania
Airport. This photo, taken by Bob's parents, is the only one taken during their long trip.
The boys could not afford the extra weight of a camera on board.
by Bob Geier
2727 De Anza Road, #1-17
San Diego, CA 92109
With a Continental A-40 engine de-
veloping somewhat less than its "when
new" 40 hp, in a 1930s Taylorcraft
Model A not equipped with brakes,
lights, radio or instruments other than
airspeed, altimeter and compass, two
men made a 5500 mile round trip flight
from Santa Ana, California to
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in May, 1940.
Enroute in NC18320, SIN 53, they ex-
perienced four emergency landings
(two were "dead stick"), a very near-
miss mid-air collision, a forced power
dive to prevent being sucked up into a
thunderhead, in-flight "re-fueling" and
extended wide open throttle settings to
barely clear mountain passes.
In 1940, the "standard" power plant
of the average personal light plane was
either the Continental, the Lycoming or
the Franklin 65 hp horizontally opposed,
4-cylinder air-cooled engine.
But even the 65 hp engines provided
considerably more cross-country capa-
bility than the single-ignition 40 hp
power plant used by these men in their
long essentially coast to coast round trip
flight in 1940.
A study of the air charts revealed a
number of segments in which airports
with available fuel supplies were farther
apart than the approximate 225 mile
maximum cruising range of the aircraft's
ten gallon fuel tank. This range was ex-
pected to be shortened by the need for
6 AUGUST 1986
full throttle operation at slower climbing
speeds to clear high elevations enroute.
A ten gallon fuel tank was situated in
front of the instrument panel, with the
gas filler cap immediately in front of the
windshield. There was a wire rod
through the cap with a piece of cork on
the bottom floating on the fuel. The
height of the rod above the cap indi-
cated the volume of fuel remaining.
When its bent end rested on the cap,
there was approximately 20 minutes of
fuel remaining.
The baggage compartment was a
canvas sling behind the seat about a
foot deep. This was just about right to
hold three two-gallon round gasoline
cans, which gave a total 16 gallon ca-
pacity to the aircraft. The men took a
spare gas can cap and soldered a bicy-
cle tire valve in one side and a length
of tubing in the other. The tubing ex-
tended from the bottom of a gas can
through the cap and about two inches
above the top of the can. They also sol-
dered a piece of tubing bent at a 90
degree angle into the aircraft filler cap,
so that when the cap was in place, the
tubing pOinted directly toward the
windshield.
A small hole in the windshield ~ h i n d
the end of the bent tube allowed a piece
of neoprene hose to be pushed through
from the inside of the cabin on to the
tube, while the other end of the hose
attached to the gas can tubing. A bicy-
cle tire pump completed the refueling
system. As pressure was pumped into
the can, the gas flowed into the main
aircraft fuel tank, and voila, there was
"in-flight refueling."
This gave a maximum possible range
of 360 miles at cruising throttle, and
somewhat less at full throttle.
The two men, Sammy Galloway,
owner of the plane who got his Private
Pilot license the day before departure,
and Bob Geier, who held a Commercial
Pilot certificate, hoped to visit their rela-
tives in Aledo, Illinois and Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania respectively.
Other than extremely rough air near
Palm Springs, California, the trip was
uneventful until after leaving Tucson,
Arizona. In greater than 100 degree
heat, the plane refused to climb over
3000' while needing 4000' to get past
Wilcox, Arizona. Mountains a few miles
to the North were downwind, and flying
to them, the men flew parallel to their
face, keeping the wing tip as close to
the mountain side as possible, and
found the updraft strong enough to lift
them to 5500', enough to get to
Lordsburg, New Mexico.
But the relief was short lived. The en-
gine began to miss-fire. While trying to
decide what to do, the engine started
running properly again and continued
so for a little while until they hit some
rough air, when the miss-firing re-
sumed. But the periods of proper run-
ning were long enough, and the periods
of miss-firing short enough that they
were still able to maintain the altitude
they had reached, so they decided to
take a chance and head for Lordsburg.
After landing they determined the
problem to be a loose carburetor. After
tightening same and making a take off,
they found the plane would not climb.
Fifteen foot wires had to be cleared, so,
just before reaching them, they pulled
the plane up, having just enough ex-
cess speed to climb over them, but they
had to dive back down to keep from stal-
ling.
Leveling out a few feet above the
ground, they found that the cushion of
somewhat compressed air close to the
ground, formed by the moving aircraft
wing, continued to sustain the plane,
but an attempt to climb simply lost
airspeed of which there was little to
spare. By the time they had flown some
fifty miles of such hedgehopping, even-
ing cooling permitted some climb ability.
They made EI Paso, Texas and an
early start the next day permitted them
to barely clear the Guadelupe Pass and
get to Big Spring, Texas. The enjoyable
relaxation after the arduous periods of
flight in reaching Big Spring was most
welcome. But their relaxation was not
to last. After leaving Duncan, Oklahoma
and nearing Oklahoma City, the engine
again began to miss-fire.
They were near the small town of
Lindsay, and a long narrow farm field
showed up. A circling of it showed a
farm house on one long side near the
middle, and a fairly high power line
along the other long side. There was a
ditch at the far end of the field. An
emergency landing was made on it.
After checking the engine over and
making some minor adjustments, they
took off. The engine performed beauti-
fully for the take off and climb to about
fifty feet when it stopped completely.
They were too high and too far down
the field to land within it. Turning upwind
would have taken them into the power
lines. Immediately to the left and down-
wind was a plowed field which would
surely send the plane over on its back.
Beyond the plowed field was grain field
and they figured the tail wind would
given them just enough help to make it,
and it did.
Removing the magneto, they had it
worked over by a mechanic. A short test
hop indicated no further trouble, so they
decided to resume their trip. A little
head wind permitted a fairly short take
off and they made a low circle of the
farmhouse, wagging the wings in
farewell to the farmers when the engine
suddenly stopped. Now they were too
low and had no tail wind to get across
the plowed field, which was worse for
landing than before because it had
been soaked by rain. The only possibil-
ity was the remaining short length of the
field from which they had taken off and
they quickly put the plane into a steep
side slip reaching the ground for a land-
ing less than 100 feet from the ditch.
Without brakes there was nothing to do
but ground loop at the last moment. The
plane stayed on its wheels and fortu-
nately there was no damage.
This time a new coil was put into the
magneto and the trouble was over. Re-
suming their flight , they were approach-
ing Jefferson City, Missouri when they
were startled as a plane coming from
behind dove immediately in front of
them, at a fairly high rate of speed and
with what appeared to be less than 50
feet to spare. They never did determine
whether it had been an accidental near-
miss, or an intentional scare stunt of a
reckless, immature pilot.
The first destination, Aledo, Illinois,
Sammy's hometown, was reached on
May 11 , after six days of traveling and
29 hours and 50 minutes of flying. A trip
by auto would have been as quick, but
it would not have been nearly as much
fun - or as exciting and interesting.
After a number of landings on a rough
pasture in Aledo, giving rides to friends
and relatives, the bungee cord on the
tail wheel broke. They tied it together
temporarily and flew on.
But the troubles, in addition to the tail
wheel , were not to be denied. With the
flight to Pittsburgh about half com-
pleted, the wire "gas gauge" on the
main tank slowly began to drop its rate
of descent considerably faster than
what would be normal fuel usage.
They climbed to a higher altitude,
while one of the gas cans was made
ready to use. Connecting everything up
they were ready to pump up pressure
the second the engine sputtered, plan-
ning to put the plane into a dive to keep
the propeller turning while they got gas
into the tank.
Now it was simply a matter of waiting.
Fortunately, the trouble was only in the
gas gauge and they made Pittsburgh,
and later, Butler, Pennsylvania where
they gave friends and relatives airplane
rides. The last one to get a ride was
Helen, and her's would be different from
the others. The weather had been heav-
ily overcast all day, and flight was rather
smooth with moderate winds. Ordinar-
ily, a flight in the slow climbing plane
took all the way to the nearby town of
Butler to gain a thousand feet.
Shortly after take off, altitude was
gained rapidly and over a thousand feet
was reached within a short distance of
the airport. Soon the plane was travel-
ing through wisps of clouds, and in spite
of cutting back the power and nosing
down, it still continued to rise. Bob had
to apply power and dive steeply to pre-
vent being sucked into the thunderhead
by the strong updraft.
After a few days visit, they left the
Pittsburgh area and headed back to
Aledo. They were near the small town
of Jackson Center, Ohio when the
weather required them to find an
emergency landing spot to sit out a
storm. They hoped it was just a squall
which would pass over in a short time.
They spotted an ideal wheat field with
a large barn on the north side to serve
as a windbreak. The landing was no
problem. They stationed themselves
under the wing panels where they
would be protected from the rain and at
the same time help to hold the plane
steady.
It was not long before the rain came
and it was heavy. Had they been caught
in it aloft, visibility would have been re-
duced to instrument conditions for
which neither the pilots nor their plane
was qualified. They weathered the
storm and continued on their way.
After another visit to Aledo, they con-
tinued southwestward to Big Spring.
Then intending to stop at Wink, Texas
for fuel they decided not to sacrifice the
altitude they had then gained and con-
tinued toward the Guadalupe Pass. Ad-
ditional altitude became harder to get
as they got nearer and nearer the pass
and considerable doubt as to their abil-
ity to clear it arose. Their hearts were
troubled and their prayers intensified as
they found themselves within a few feet
of the ground and near the ridge. There
was a fairly narrow wash crossing the
ridge which was some ten feet deep
and they guided the plane through it to
take advantage of that small additional
clearance.
They had been operating at full throt-
tle for some time and found that altitude
maintenance required its continuance.
With everything indicating fuel exhaus-
tion, they finally made EI Paso, and
were able to taxi to the parking area
and fuel pumps. They had been in the
air three hours and fifty minutes since
leaving Big Spring, almost all of which
was at full throttle. The main 10 gallon
tank took a little over 9-1 12 gallons to
fill , and they put 6 gallons in the three
auxiliary cans. They realized that had
the airport been 15 miles farther they
would have run out of gas before reach-
ing it. They had just made it.
Leaving EI Paso early in the morning,
they had little difficulty in clearing the
Wilcox Pass for a landing at San Simon,
Arizona, and rough air was the only dis-
comfort they experienced to the Ban-
ning, California pass, when again they
had to use the mountain-induced up-
drafts to obtain sufficient altitude to
cross it.
After more than 86 hours of flying , 11
of it in local sightseeing flights, they re-
turned to Santa Ana. The little monop-
lane had gone through wind, storm,
rain, forced landings, and near crashes
without damage. Taking 75 hours to
cover roughly 5500 miles, its ground
speed had averaged very close to its
cruising air speed at 70 mph, all on less
than 40 hp without brakes, lights or
radio, and with only a compass for navi-
gation .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
WELCOME NEWMEMBERS
thefollowing isa listing ofnewmemberswho havejoinedthe EM Antique/ClassicDivision (through mid-March,
1986). We are honored to welcome them intothe organization whose members' common interest is vintage aircraft.
Succeeding issuesof THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE will contain additional listingsof new members.
Fatzinger,Terry L.
Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania
Sternheimer, Mark
.Richmond,Virgi nia
Moss, Sam
Manhattan Beach,California
DeWitt, DavidA.
Spring L a ~ e Michigan
Foose, M.F.
Cupertino, California
Mankovich,StanleyJ.
Hillsdale,NewJersey
Nelson, LouisW.
Miami Springs, Florida
MusgroveJr., LouisA.
Marietta,Georgia
McQuatters,James
Carson,California
Claster,JayR.
Bellefonte,Pennsylvania
Maples, Hal
SI. Charles,Missouri
FranciS, John
Rock Hill ,South Carolina
Markham, MilfordC.
Columbus, Ohio
Hickle, David S.
Richmond,Virginia
Brody,Tim
Valparaiso,Indiana
Beven,JohnE.
Spokane, Washington
Luthe, Charlie
Austin, Minnesota
Lyman, RobertJ.
Fulton,New York
Miller,William D.
Brawley,. California
Leonard, GaryL.
Rochester, NewYork
Steers, MarkR.
Coronado, California
Faison, Haywood, R.
Isle of Palms,South Carolina
Johnson,Lawrence
Tucson,Arizona
Ashballgh,JohnI.
Winslow,Arizona
Thomas, Randall J.
Eatonville,Georgia
Fuchs,Ken
Wantagh,NewYork
Young, Roger
Ambridge,Pennsylvania
Viets, Edna
Lyndon,Kansas
McGinnis,JohnW.
Strawberry Plains,Tennessee
Jenkins,RobertG.
Stone Mountain,Georgia
Quinn, Pat
Fillmore, California
Lewis,Wayne
Martin,Tennessee
Johnson,David
SI. Paul, Minnesota
Enman,GeorgeJ.
North Harwich, Massachusetts
Funk,Ross
Phoenix,Arizona
Buraceski,JohnS.
Prior Lake,Minnesota
LovejoySr., Ed
Redondo Beach, California
Perry, Alan H.
Bothell, Washington
Upchurch, DavidA.
Medical Lake,Washington
Fischbach,William A.
Alameda,California
Sudduth,Norton
Frankfort,Kentucky
Casey, Victor
Lansing, Illinois
Armstrong, Mike
Miami,Florida
Souto, NathanJ.
Clearwater,Florida
Vreeland,JamesH.
Delmar,Maryland
DeSplinter, GlenA.
Sherrard, Illinois
Frostbutter,David
Severn,Maryland
Gagliardi,Joe
Houston, Texas
Leiss,ToddJ.
MidwestCity,Oklahoma
Nasholm,Carl
Milwaukie, Oregon
Craig,RobertA.
WestChester, Pennsylvania
Molloy, RogerW.
EI Segundo, California
Peck-Sanders, Carol
Bedford,Texas
Weisenborn, Kent
Clarence, Missouri
Clair,Alan
EastAmherst,New York
Roth, Richard H.
ForestGrove,Oregon
Morrisey,Gerald A.
Wichita, Kansas
Keilman, GearyD.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Hall,John
Tomball ,Texas
Akerman, WallaceT.
Dover, NewHamphire
Henert,TerryB.
CoeurD'Alene, Idaho
Canale, Philip
West Babylon,NewYork
Golde, DouglasH.
Wilson,New York
Davenport, Roger
Adams,Wisconsin
Haught, H. Marvin
Huntsville,Arkansas
Maldewin,DavidJames
YuccaValley, California
Anderson, Dennis
Eagle River, Alaska
ZachfisJr., Cecil C.
Trenton,NewJersey
Lyda,Ted
Poland,Illinois
Shackleton, Alan R.
SugarGrove,Illinois
Ives,JamesW.
Denton, Texas
Dalton,WilliamG.
Barrington, Illinois
Parker, RobertG.
Sharpsburg,Georgia
Rains, George
Anaheim, California
Melancon, UlyssesB.
Houma, Louisiana
Brown,CharlesHenry
London,Ohio
Gentry,GeorgeW.
Phoenix, Arizona
Thorpe,J.Carlton
Poway, California
Sanford,WardA.
Puyallup, Washington
Patunoff, Paul
Plattsburgh, NewYork
Hyland,Steven E.
Springfield, Oregon
Hunt, Eldon W.
Cheyenne, Wyoming
Dion, Robert
Shawinigan,Quebec, Canada
Sink, DonaldW.
Boone,North Carolina
Cole,DavidS.
Fort SamHouston,Texas
Aufdencamp,TimothyD.
Bloomdale, NewYork
Murphy, LarryJ.
Annapolis,Maryland
Parker, ChristopherA.
Denton,Northampton, England
KellnerII, AndrewD.
Pennington, NewJersey
Griffin,Douglas
Corning, California
Swanson,Palmer
Lancaster, California
Hunt,Randall S.
SI. Joseph, Missouri
Potts,Stanley
APO, San francisco
Novak,John
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Phair,DouglasR.
Miles City,Montana
Wilkens,WilliamG.
BowlingGreen, Kentucky
Nodge, Ken
Craik, Sasketchewan, Canada
Crowley, Paul P.
Seymour, Indiana
Orsin, Michael J.
Holden,Massachusetts
Jurs,GeraldC.
Hamlin,NewYork
Thompson,HaroldJ.
Roseburg, Oregon
Beal,IraAyers
Paradise, California
8AUGUST 1986
by George A. Hardie, Jr.
Appearances sometimes can be de-
ceiving. This month's Mystery Plane il-
lustrates that statement. Although it fea-
tures the design lines of a popular
airplane of its day, the actual story of its
origin is unique. The photo was submit-
ted by John Underwood of Glendale
California. Answers will be published
the November, 1986 issue of THE VIN-
TAGE AIRPLANE. Deadline for that
issue is September 10, 1986.
The Mystery Plane in the May, 1986
issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is a
Thunderbird W-14, first built in 1926 in
Los Angeles, California. J. W. "Bill "
Knepp of Bartonville, Illinois correctly
identified the airplane and wrote:
"The Thunderbird was, most cer-
tainly, one of those airplanes that de-
served more than it was given. A very
advanced design that became the vic-
tim of management problems. In avia-
tion history there were a number of
planes that can be placed in that cate-
gory."
He also sent a copy of an article on
the Thunderbird by Jim Dunavent which
appeared in the August, 1964 issue of
Model Airplane News.
The Thunderbird was designed by
Theodore Woolsey for the W-F-W
Airplane Co. headed by Jack Frye and
financed by Paul Whittier. Frye made
the test flight of the first Thunderbird on
July 11 , 1926. Production was started
in early 1927. ATC approval was given
under Memo 2-141 . Besides the OX-5
engine used in the first Thunderbird, the
approval covered the 150 hp Hisso, the
120 hp Bailey C7R and the 140 hp
Floco engines.
Thunderbirds became well known for
their speed and climbing ability. In 1927
one set a speed record for commercial
planes of 100 hp attaining a speed of
114 mph in a race at the Santa Ana,
that year a stock model Thunderbird
with a high compression OX-5 engine
averaged 119.4 mph in four trials over
a test course. A number of Thunder-
birds were purchased before production
ceased in 1929. Additional references:
Aviation, August 15, 1927; Aero Digest,
October, 1927 and January, 1928.
Answers were received from J. W.
Knepp, Bartonville, IL; Charley Hayes,
Park Forest, IL; Glenn Buffington, San
Diego, CA; Norman Doloff, San An-
tonio, TX; and Tom Henebry, Camarillo,
CA.
Just before going to press the follow-
ing letter arrived:
"Dear Mr. Hardie:
"John Clark of the OX5 Aviation
Pioneers gave me a copy of the 'Mys-
tery Plane' article on page 19 of the
May, 1986 issue of THE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE.
"It happens that I am as familiar with
that plane as anyone could be, as I am
the one who designed it back in 1925
and 1926. I am enclosing a copy of an
article written by James Dunavent that
appeared in the August 1964 issue of
Model Airplane News.
"By the way, the widening of the fuse-
lage of the old Standard J-1 airplane
that led to the building of the Thunder-
bird as mentioned in Dunavent's article
is where Jack Frye got the name for
Standard Airlines."
Sincerely,
Theodore A. Woolsey
91 Sequoia Drive
Pasadena, CA 91105
. Mr. Woolsey also included a copy of
hiS FAI "Aviator Pilot" Certificate No.
6572 issued October 26, 1926 when he
was 26 years of age.
More on the March, 1986 Mystery
Plane
. Roy Oberg of Rockford, Michigan set
In additional information on the Acme
featured in March. He writes:
"The airplane is the Acme 21 built in
Rockford, Illinois in 1929. It was pow-
ered by a Warner when built but later
with a Kinner. The airplane
for R. S. Link of Grand Rapids,
Michigan and he later became a princi-
pal owner In Acme Aircraft.
"Acme two aircraft, a Gypsy
powered biplane, Serial No. 1., and the
folding wing Acme 21, Serial NO. 2.
Acme had both aircraft at the 1929 De-
troit show. In the early 1930's the Acme
was owned by Simon Smith of Beloit
Wisconsin. '
More information about the Acme
came from Richard Varnell, whose let-
ter follows:
"Dear Sirs,
"I missed seeing the photo of the
Acme .aircraft which was the Mystery
Plane In the March 1986 issue of THE
VINTAGE AIRPLANE. According the
follow-up article in the June issue the
Acme was built in Rockford, Illinois.
This is not correct - it was built in
Loves Park, Illinois. (Loves Park is im-
mediately north of Rockford . .. . Ed.)
"I soloed in the Acme on 9-22-34 at
the Rock County Airport, then located
across from the present airport of that
name. It was hangared at the airport
and owned by Simon Smith. It had a
Kinner K5-1A engine. The Acme's reg-
istration number was 13622.
"It was sold to Neal Coates and later
destroyed in a wind storm. The
was sold to a buyer in Racine Wiscon-
sin. '
. "The Acme was a a nice flying
airplane and I logged many hours in it.
Enclosed is a photo of 13622."
Sincerely,
Richard Varnell
(EAA 92787, NC 3691)
1506 Copeland Avenue
Beloit, WI 53511
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
Restoration Corner
Editor's Note: In this, the seventh instal-
lation of the "Restoration Corner", well-
known vintage aircraft restorer Stan
Gomoll of Minneapolis, Minnesota dis-
cusses general techniques used in ren-
ovating tail groups and wings . .. G. R. C.
TAIL GROUP AND WINGS
by Stan Gomoll
(EAA 44419, AlC 369)
Tail Group
The types of construction used in air-
craft tail groups falls into three general
categories: steel tubing, aluminum and
wood. Some of the aircraft utilizing
wood construction in their tail groups
are Mooneys, Culvers, Wacos and Fair-
childs, to name a few.
Start by laying all the parts on the
floor in plan form. Now is the time to
check for pieces that are missing or
may have been misplaced, such as trim
actuator brackets, hinge pins, brace
wires and attaching hardware. Make a
list of missing parts along with a work-
sheet of the work to be accomplished;
then when you set the piece aside
awaiting parts or material , you can pick
up where you left off.
Check for ADs or factory service bul-
letins which may apply to your aircraft.
These could refer to such things as at-
tach points, hinge brackets, internal cor-
rosion or wood rot.
Steel Tube Construction
Clean all the parts using soap and
water, paint stripper or sandblasting. I
do not choose to sandblast unless it is
absolutely necessary as this process
removes the natural protective coating
on the metal. Wire brushing will clean
the surface, but leaves rust in pitted
areas and inside small radius corners.
If you do choose to sandblast, care
must be taken because it will reduce
the thickness of the material and can
distort light sheet metal parts.
After cleaning and removing all the
rust, punch test the tubing using a dull-
pointed punch and hammer. Also check
for any cracks or distortion. A check for
mis-alignment of hinges can be made
by standing the part vertically and run-
ning a weighted string through the
holes. When there are more than two
hinge pOints on a surface, the alignment
becomes more critical.
Replace worn bushings by pulling
them in. A simple puller can be made
using a threaded bolt and socket or a
piece of tubing with a large, heavy
washer welded on one end. This works
well on straight-type bushings or roller
bearings.
If the trim tab on the control surface
is mounted with bolts or PK screws, it
might be necessary to weld a reinforce-
ment in this area to prevent cracking of
the thin trailing edge tubing.
After each part is repaired and
cleaned, give it a coat of primer. I like
to use lacquer-resistant zinc chromate
or a good epoxy primer.
Adjustable trim tab actuators should
be disassembled, cleaned and re-as-
sembled using a grease with a wide
temperature range. Check cables for
condition and proper clearance from
structures. Make a drawing to be used
in locating accurately the inspection
plate holes after the new covering is in-
stalled.
Check, and if necessary, replace the
wiring for the navigation light. You might
want to install extra wiring for the possi-
ble installation of a strobe light at a later
date.
After all the tail pieces are cleaned,
repaired and primed, take the time to
mount the complete assembly on the
fuselage. It's much easier to take care
of mounting problems now than after
the pieces are covered . At this time do
a complete rigging of all wires and/or
struts for the tail group, including hook-
ing up any adjustable trim tabs. Check
for adequate clearance between parts,
taking into consideration the added
thickness of one or more layers of fabric
and/or tape. Also, it's easy to rig the
proper travel of trim tabs and control
surfaces at this time. Use the FAA or
manufacturer's specifications to deter-
mine the proper degrees of travel.
Aluminum Construction
Check for loose rivets, cracked or
broken internal structure, improper re-
pairs, and corrosion inside and out.
Check for mice or bird nests which hold
moisture, causing corrosion. Check that
all drain holes are open. If the surfaces
are painted, you might want to strip the
paint to check for hidden damage or re-
pairs. Some unscrupulous persons
have been known to cover such areas
with bondo.
Check to see that all repairs are co-
vered on Form 337s. It's not uncommon
to find that the proper paper work has
not been completed.
Wood Construction
The small blade of a pocket knife is
a good tool for checking the condition
of wood structure. The point should
penetrate very little into the wood. I
suggest trying this on a piece of scrap
wood to "get the feel." The blade will
penetrate very easily into decayed
wood.
It's advisable to replace all hardware
(bolts, nuts, washers, etc.) as cadmium
plating wears off and moisture in the
wood can result in rust on these areas,
which in turn, causes the wood to decay
with a major loss of strength. Even
though the hardware may look good, it
should be replaced. It has probably
been installed a long time and with the
long life of today's modern fabrics it
will be a long time before the plane is
re-covered again.
Pay particular attention to the area
around the attach points. All of the old
paint should be removed down to bare
wood so a good check can be made for
cracks and dry rot. Check all glue jOints
and gussets for strength and/or separa-
tion. The old casein glues deteriorate
with age.
Check FAA Manual Part 43 which de-
scribes repairs to wood and metal struc-
tures. The old standby is to finish the
wood. with two coats of spar varnish, as
this product has stood the test of time.
To make an internal inspection of tail
pieces covered with plywood and con-
taining no inspection openings, it may
be necessary to cut holes - but first
check with your AI or FAA inspector.
There are a lot of qualified people to
answer questions concerning your re-
storation project - all you have to do
is ask. Available through EAA Head-
quarters the year around are many
"how to" manuals. These are also avail-
able at the EAA Sales Building during
each annual Convention at Oshkosh, as
are many educational forums and work-
shops covering every aspect of aircraft
construction and restoration. Another
good source of information is local EAA
and Antique/Classic chapter fly-ins and
fly-ins sponsored by the various type
clubs.
10 AUGUST 1986
As mentioned in previous "Restora-
tion Corner" articles, there are com-
panies who sell reprints of aircraft and
engine manuals. These companies ad-
vertise in Trade-A-Plane and several
aviation magazines and are well worth
knowing about.
Wings
To remove fabric covering, first re-
move the rib stitching by cutting the
cords. If the fabric is secured by metal
clips, these must be removed carefully
to prevent damage to the metal ribs.
Whether constructed of wood or metal,
most wings are delicate structures and
can be damaged easily. Either save the
old fabric or make patterns from which
the location of inspection holes and
control cable openings can be deter-
mined when the surfaces are re-co-
vered.
After the covering is removed an
evaluation of the condition of the wing
is next on the agenda. Continuing with
your worksheet, make a list of the fol-
lowing items along with pertinent re-
marks:
Leading Edge - note wrinkles,
cracks, previous repairs, corrosion or
plywood separation. Wings are fre-
quently stored with their leading edges
down creating a natural trap inside the
leading edge covering for moisture re-
sulting in corrosion and/or wood rot.
Ribs - note previous and/or unre-
paired damage, wood rot, loose glue
joints and gussets, damage to capstrips
caused by wire or PK screws, ribs mis-
shapen because of over-taut fabric or
bowed due to over-tightening of drag
and anti-drag wires.
Butt ribs - same as above.
Ribs at aileron space - same as
above plus distortion resulting in too lit-
tle or too much clearance from the aile-
ron.
Spars - note condition of finish, any
cracks or elongated holes causing
loose bolts at metal fittings. Are the
spars straight and in alignment when
sighting down them length-wise? Are all
the ribs the same height from top of
spar? Were previous repairs made in
accordance with Part 43 and properly
noted on a Form 337?
Trailing Edge - note condition. Is it
straight and in alignment with aileron
trailing edge?
Aileron Hinge Brackets - check
bearings and bushings for wear. Do
bearings rotate freely? Check security
of attachments - are they bent or
cracked?
Drag wires and compression mem-
bers - are the wires rusty, broken or
loose? Do they have a heavy build-up
of paint applied by brush? If compres-
sion members are wood, have they
shrunk causing ribs to bow?
Navigation and landing lights -
check mounting brackets for cracks and
security, unnecessary screw holes in
the wood, nut plates or tinnerman nuts
missing or worn out, and condition of
wiring. If the landing light is retractable,
does it operate properly?
Ailerons - check general condition of
structure. Depending on construction
materials, is there rust, corrosion, wood
rot, loose rivets or glue joints? Are hinge
attach points secure? Is the trailing
edge straight and aligned with wing
trailing edge? Check leading edge for
cracks and/or wrinkles - these are usu-
ally visible even through the finish paint.
Some ailerons are counterbalanced
with lead weights in either the leading
edge or mounted on external arms.
Check these for a good, solid attach-
ment.
A decision must be made at this point
whether to completely disassemble the
wing panels or to restore portions of
them. If you decide to totally restore the
wings, be sure to do one panel at a time,
leaving the other(s) assembled to guide
you in re-assembly of the rebuilt unit.
When possible, the route I like to take
is to remove the leading edge covering,
drag and anti-drag wires, and compres-
sion members, leaving the spars and
ribs assembled. This procedure allows
a good cleaning and checking of the
structure. I then re-finish the wood with
a minimum of two coats of spar varnish,
and the metal parts with a good primer
followed by a good covering with black
enamel. Primer alone does not give
long term protection. Reassemble the
wing panel using all new hardware.
Aluminum structures can experience
electrolytic action between the
aluminum and steel fittings (dissimilar
metals) resulting in corrosion. The use
of cadmium plated bolts will neutralize
this action.
An advantage in restoring a classic
rather than an antique aircraft is that
many new parts are available from sup-
ply houses. If this describes your pro-
ject, the next step is to sit down with
catalogs from several supply houses
and make a list of parts needing re-
placement and which are available. Get
that order off right away as delivery may
take some time.
A good example of new replacement
parts is a repair kit for the metal ribs
and spars in Piper aircraft. In some
cases, leading edges can be bought
pre-formed or you can make them your-
self.
When re-assembling a wing, to get
the proper height and fit of the ribs on
the spar, make a pattern off the spar
attach points and the top of the fuselage
(high wing monoplanes or cabin bip-
lanes). Using a wing rib pattern sawed
out of plywood, line up the leading and
trailing edges of the ribs with nose ribs
in place aligned with main ribs. The ai-
lerons should be in place to assure
proper alignment and clearances.
The trammeling process comes next.
Don't be alarmed at the thought of doing
this as it is simple if done according to
the book. It's just a matter of tightening
the drag and anti-drag wires in se-
quence, keeping each bay square and
the spars straight. This must be done
before the leading edge sheeting (if
used) is installed.
Wood leading edges are more dif-
ficult to repair or replace. The wood
sheets have to be pre-bent over a form
with a smaller radius than that of the rib
curvature. Start by soaking the plywood
in water overnight, then clamp it to the
form with wide straps. Old seat belts
work well for this.
Do not try to fully bend the sheet at
one time, but tighten the straps gradu-
ally. The use of an electric steam iron
set on "full heat" and applied directly to
the wood surface helps to bend the
wood without cracking, thanks to
steaming action.
It's of utmost importance to trammel
the wing before final installation of the
leading edge sheeting. For holding the
sheeting in place I made a set of clamps
which work great for either wood or
aluminum. I cut several pieces of 2 x 4
four inches longer than the height of the
spar, then fastened one end of each
strap (seat belt) to one end of each 2 x
4. I then welded flat steel plates to one
end of 8" long pieces of 1 '4" threaded
rod and riveted them to the other end
of each strap.
Each clamp is completed by inserting
each rod through holes drilled at the
other end of each 2 x 4 and held in
place by large washers and nuts. These
clamps can be used to secure the lead-
ing edge material to either the form
blocks or the wing panels. Care must
be taken to not over-tighten the clamps
and damage the leading edge material.
Good clamping pressure can be at-
tained by positioning the clamps over
ribs about 18-24" apart.
During most restoration projects it is
necessary to make some repairs.
These should always be made in accor-
dance with the FAA manual, "Accept-
able Methods, Techniques and Prac-
tices - Aircraft Inspection and Repair,"
FAA AC No. 43.13-1A. This manual is
generally referred to as "Part 43" and it
should be a mandatory addition to every
restorer's library .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
Wayne Smith and his beautiful green and yellow Cessna C-37 Airmaster.
REBIRTH OFANAIRMAS1'ER
by John A. Young
Some people would have been con-
tent if they'd spent hundreds of hours,
and many dollars, to restore an antique
aircraft from a "pile of junk" state to
award-winning condition. For D. Wayne
Smith (EAA 133326, NC 7590) , of
Maricopa, California, however, com-
pleting work on a World War II Stear-
man PT-17 trainer in early 1980 was
only the beginning.
Smith, a construction contractor, re-
cently put the finishing touches on his
second restoration project, a 1937
Cessna C-37 Airmaster, NC18599, SIN
384.
The aircraft didn't look like much
when Smith bought it in DeKalb, Illinois
in November, 1980. The skeleton of the
aircraft had no engine, since the owner
needed it for another plane he was re-
building. The wing had been destroyed
during restoration, and a lot of other
hardware was also missing.
Enroute back to his home southwest
of Bakersfield with the remains of the
Hauling home the new purchase.
12 AUGUST 1986
Wayne Smith used two tons of sand in sandblasting the fuselage
and other metal fittings.
Cessna on a trailer, Smith said a ser-
vice station attendant misunderstood
his request for directions and, looking
at the trailer load, issued directions to
the local dump!
Building a new wing to Cessna
specifications was a major undertaking,
requiring about 1,700 hours of Smith's
time. He estimates he put in five hours
building each of the ribs in the tapered
cantilevered wing.
Smith used 500 board feet of aircraft-
grade Sitka spruce for spars and ribs of
the wing. There are no struts connect-
ing the wing to the fuselage, and in an
effort to convince doubters of the
strength of the structure in the 1930s,
Cessna officials took a picture of 23
men sitting on top of an Airmaster's
wing.
Smith learned that Airmasters had
several different wings. "I did not know
that the chord was changed until I had
finished the wing. This required a
change in the fuselage top deck. Ribs
were built from a 1/16-inch plywood
web with 2-3/16 inch spruce caps glued
and nailed on each side."
The 34-foot spars were most difficult
to build, he said. "I spent about 10 days
trying to figure a method for mass-pro-
ducing scarf jOints (about 40 were re-
quired). A jig on my 6-inch jointer pro-
duced a beautiful joint in about 15 min-
utes. "
Over eight gallons of resorcinol glue
was used in the spars and ribs. A router
and Ski I-Saw was used to shape the
five tapers in each wing. The 1/16-inch
plywood for the covering of the wing
leading edge, center section and tips
was scarfed, soaked and fitted. Truck
tarp elastic tie-downs were used to hold
the leading edge ply during shaping and
gluing.
The Warner engine, which came from
the remains of a Fairchild 24 which
Smith bought just for the engine "ap-
peared to be good", when purchased.
Upon disassembly, however, it was
found to be mostly junk. It was com-
The Airmaster fuselage ready for priming.
pletely overhauled with many parts
being hand-chromed back to specifica-
tions.
Most Warner engines did not have
generators, and Cessna, since the Air-
master had no wing struts for securing
a wind-driven generator, imbedded it in
the leading edge of the right wing. "It
makes an unusual noise when turning,"
Smith notes.
The aircraft engine mount is integral
with the fuselage frame. There are no
rubber shock mounts, so the engine vib-
rations are transferred to the fuselage
and cause a slight vibration during
flight.
The Airmaster was built for speed
and former owners include such nota-
bles as actor Robert Cummings.
The cowl was badly cracked and bent
when Smith bought the plane. Large
pieces were cut out and new soft
aluminum patches were Heli-arced in.
Much filing and hammering with
sandbags and blocks formed a good
cowl. Small imperfections were filled
with epoxy thickened with flox.
Of all the parts which went into the
plane, the only one available new was
the plexiglass windshield. The complete
instrument panel was built exactly as
the original and one of the most difficult
parts to find for it was the 1936 Ford
fuel gauge.
Smith calls the "Johnson Bar" brake
a "real widow maker." The brake was
built from Cessna drawings. The brakes
are mechanical and work through a
lever having a thumb button to engage
a ratchet. With the lever full forward, full
rudder is available. With the lever part
way back, differential wheel braking
comes in on the rudder pedals with only
partial rudder.
Full back on the lever sets the parking
brake.
'This system requires one more
hand," he said. On rollout the stick must
be held back between the knees while
the pilot is still working the rudder ped-
als.
The tail wheel is held straight by a 3/8
The wind-driven generator mounted in the right wing leading
A new wing was made from scratch. edge.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
AnewinstrumentpanelwasmadefortheAirmaster.Theinstru-
mentat rightisthe" difficulttofind" 1936 Fordfuel gauge. ThenewlypaintedmarkingsincludingtheCessnacompanylogo.
inch bungee cord. When turning, the
brakesmustovercomethebungeecord
in orderto turn.
Some other examples of the cost of
rebuilding the plane include:
Smith used 14 4-by-8 foot sheets
of mahogany plywood for wing skins
and ribs;
Two tons of sand was used for
sandblasting the fuselage and parts;
Over $450 was spent for all new
bolts and fasteners;
.The plane was painted original
green and yellow colors, especially
mixed;
The plane was covered in original
aircraft cotton with a butyrate finish on
fabric and acrylic enamel on metal ;
All wood formers-stringersinthefu-
selageand allwoodinthe"tailfeathers"
was replaced;
Wheelpantswereoptionalonnewair-
craft. Smith's are copies of originals
made of fiberglass (the onlypart which
are not original)
The propelleristhe original Fahlin of
laminatedbirch.Smithestimatesheput
about $25,000 into the project.
Smith'sairstripis 1,800feetlong and
100 feet uphill. This did not allow any
taxitest.Theclosecowlandbafflingdid
not allow much engine run-up without
overheating."Once Iwas satisfied that
the engine and airframe were satisfac-
tory - Iflew it," he said. "There were
no problems, except that it flew in a
skid. The rudder had no cutout for a
trim tab and I found out later that the
tab was surface mounted. After instal-
ling aruddertrimtab,itbecameagood
flying airplane."
Airmasters havethreedifferenttypes
of flaps - belly, spoiler and trailing
edge. Smith's plane has the trailing
edge type, operated by an electric
motor through worm gears. When de-
flected, they slow the plane about 10
mph.
Smithputin alotofseven-dayweeks
working on the project. "Ilove this kind
of work, " he said. He looks forward to
taking the plane to fly-ins where the
work he has put into the project will be
appreciated.
The Airmaster is a rare bird these
days. Smith estimates there are only
four of the craft flying on the West
Coast, and only about 20 across the
United States.
The four-place plane could be confi-
guredasaseaplaneandtheywerealso
popular when used in aerial photo-
graphy in the 1930sand '40s because
of their versatility and affordable price
tag. Mounted with a Fairchild Aerial
Camera, Airmasters could flyto 18,000
feet.
"Thisrebuildwouldhavebeenimpos-
sible without the help of many people,
especially Bob Pickett, historian at
CessnaAircraft,whowithAirmasterex-
pertBill Koellig of GreatBend,Kansas,
providedoriginalplansandmanywords
ofencouragement," he said.
Aflyer since 1939, Smith is aformer
Industrial Arts teacher at the Maricopa
High School..
The 1937Cessna Airmasterwaselegant in itsday...and still is!
14 AUGUST 1986
~ I ~ y p ClubActivities
Recent Piper Service Bulletins
Most Piper owners of the subject air-
craft should have received Piper Ser-
vice Bulletins no. 819 (fuselage door
frame tube corrosion - J-4, J-5, PA-12,
PA-14) and no. 1570 (lift strut fork in-
spection/replacement-revised - J-2, J-3,
J-4, J-5, PA-11 , PA-12, PA-14 PA-18,
PA-19). Piper considers compliance
mandatory. Cub Club members not re-
ceiving copies of these can receive
same by sending $1 to the club. This
information is particularly important for
those in the process of rebuilding an
aircraft or planning to do so.
Clyde Smith, Jr. notes that the J-3,
PA-11, PA-18 and short wing Pipers
aren't even mentioned on Service Bulle-
tin no. 819, yet they are also guilty of
the rust problem. The June/July 1986
issue of "Cub Clues", the newsletter of
the Cub Club, includes an article by
Clyde in which he describes a method
of inspecting and identifying the prob-
lem.
These two bulletins pertain to critical
safety measures and owners of a/l Piper
models mentioned above should be
aware of them and take appropriate ac-
tion.
For information on the Cub Club, con-
tact John Bergeson, Chairperson,
Newsletter, 6438 W. Millbrook Road,
Remus, MI 49340, phone 517/561-
2393.
First CPA Fly-In
The first ever fly-in of the Cessna
Pilots Association was held this past
April 18-20 at Concord, California and
it was an unqualified success. Over 300
members, spouses, friends and CPA
staff gathered at the Sheraton Inn on
the Concord Airport for a weekend of
fun, fellowship, education and Cessnas.
Members' planes totalled over 160.
The seminar programs drew the
biggest crowds with three seminar
rooms running continuously during the
day. Other activities included exhibitor
displays, cocktail parties, banquets and
tours, for example, to Fisherman's
Wharf in San Francisco.
One of the most enjoyable activities
was the individual model forums. This
allowed all the owners of one model of
Cessna to gather together and share
ideas, information and experiences
among themselves.
During the Saturday night banquet it
was revealed that the Cessna Pilots As-
sociation is actively pursuing the estab-
lishment of an educational and techni-
cal center for the use of the member-
ship.
Oshkosh Attendees
Once again the Cessna Pilots Associ-
ation will have a hospitality tent for the
exclusive use of CPA members, their
families and guests. This provides each
member with a base of operation during
the Convention, including a place to sit
down out of the sun, get something to
drink without standing in line, store
packages, leave messages for others
CompIled by Gene ('hast'
and seek CPA staff help with any prob-
lems. The tent is located in the outdoor
exhibit area near the EM B-17 and
across from the Cessna Factory exhibit.
For information on the CPA, contact
John M. Frank, Cessna Pilots Associa-
tion, Wichita Mid-Continent Airport,
2120 Airport Road, P. O. Box 12948,
Wichita, KS 67277, phone 316/946-
4777.
A recent newsletter of the Taylorcraft
Owner's Club reports that one of their
members, Dr. Chester Peek of 1813
Danfield Drive, Norman, Oklahoma
73069 is writing a biography of Mr. C.
G. Taylor. Over the past year he made
some progress with some fine help from
Ken Tibbets who was with C.G. from
the very beginning in Bradford,
Pennsylvania.
Dr. Peek is requesting that anyone
with information about Mr. Taylor, the
factory(ies) , experiences with the
airplanes, pictures, articles, etc. which
could be loaned to him for the book,
please do so. He will copy and return
anything you want back. Dr. Peek has
owned a beautifully restored Taylor E-2
Cub for many years.
For information on the Taylorcraft
Owner's Club, contact Bruce "Barney"
Bixler, 12809 Greenbower, N.E., Al-
liance, OH 44601 .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
NUTS AND BOLTS
OF FATIGUE, CORROSION
ANDS-N DIAGRAMS
by Joe Dickey
(EAA 62186, AlC 4169)
511 Terrace Lake Road
Columbus, IN 47201
Editor's Note: This article appeared in
Issue No. 8 of "The Aeronca Aviator",
the quarterly newsletter of the Aeronca
Aviators Club. It is reprinted here by
permission of the author. Even though
the subject aircraft is Aeronca, the infor-
mation is pertinent to metal parts in all
aircraft. Joe is aprofessional mechani-
cal engineer, and he and his wife, Julie,
are me sole proprietors of the Aeronca
Aviators Club. Their newsletters are
several pages in length and are both
entertaining and educational, as evi-
denced by this article . ...G.R.C.
"You can flex a paperclip back and
forth for longer than your interest or
yourfingerswillholdoutifyoudon'tflex
it veryfar.Bend theclip through 90 de-
grees, though, and it will fail in a few
cycles.File asmall notch in the clip,or
letitrustabit,and itwill breakwith little
flexing.
"What have paper clips to do with
Aeroncas? Everything,and even more
to do with your longevity! Every steel
part in your Aeronca behaves just like
LOAD CYCLES TO FAILURE, N
0
0 0
0 0 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
0
0 0
0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0
0 0
0
q
0
~ ~
100,000
86000 PSI Ultimate,
(Material Breaks) )I
I
80,000
I
Ui
I
0..
I
60,000
u5
_l. ___
ui
55000 PSI Yield
'"

U5
(Material Stretches)
40,000
20,000
Areaof"infinite"hfe
Areaof limited life
-- --
~ - - -
---
17-
{;
V
/
~
FIGURE 1- S-N diagramfor
SAE4130 steel, normalized
andannealed.
16 AUGUST 1986
that paper clip. Do the paper clip tests
and you will be determiningthe 'endur-
ance limit' and the 'notch sensitivity'to
the number of flexes or 'stress rever-
sals' appliedbeforefailure and you can
draw 'S-N diagrams' of the clip in its
originalcondition,asbendinganewclip
once,then continuing to flex it slightly.
You would find the overstressing to
have greatly reduced the endurance
limit.
"Most of the stressed parts of post-
war Aeroncas are made of 4130 steel.
The S-N Diagram (see Fig. 1) for this
steel was established by test long ago,
and you can be sure this diagram was
usedwhenyourAeroncawasdesigned.
Keep in mind,the numbersforthe dia-
gram were generated under laboratory
conditions, using new, perfectly
machined test bars and represent the
BEST the material can be expected to
do.
"Figure1showshowIcanflexa4130
steel paperclip(orwing strutorengine
mount or main gear leg) millions of
times if I load it to less than 43,000
pounds per square inch (psi) of cross
section available.Atthisstresslevelan
engineer would call the anticipated life
'infinite.' But if Iincrease the load only
16%to 50,000 psi ,the diagram shows
I can expect the part to fail in about
50,000load cycles. Fatiguefailuresare
sneaky. InCipient cracks are almost al-
waysinvisibletonormalinspection.The
final failure occurswith disastrous sud-
denness.
"Good designers, like those at
Aeronca, work down on the flat part of
the S-N diagram, putting in somecush-
ion as a safety factor. An airplane de-
signer can't getcarried awaywith alot
ofcushion, though. The airplane would
quickly become too heavy to perform
well. Sohedesignsneartheendurance
limit for normal dutyand counts on the
sloped part ofthe S-N diagramto keep
the wings on during the occasional
overloads (read 'overstress') imposed
by hard landings, severeturbulence,or
operation overgross weight.
"The Aeronca designers did such a
superb job of producing optimum
Microscopic cracks at
bottom of pit are not removed
by cleaning and will grow
with further stress.
~ ~ E
~ a d "flow lines" concentrated
by pit in steel.
FIGURE 2 - Corrosion pit acting
as a stress riser in a loaded
structural section.
airplanes, combining strength and light
weight to get machines that could be
expected to last indefinitely if properly
operated and maintained .. . and yes,
there's the rub!
"Overstress and corrosion drastically
lower the line on the S-N diagram. Look
through the logs on your Aeronca (if you
are lucky enough to have all of them)
and imagine all the opportunities she
has had for being overstressed while
on duty as a trainer or an ag-plane. How
about the time the pipeline pilot hooked
a wing while trying to out-turn a coyote
and cartwheeled her through the sageb-
rush? Sure, she was rebuilt 'good as
new' . You betcha. The typical Aeronca
has taken a tremendous beating. You
may not really know how severe or fre-
quent the beating has been or how well
repaired.
"Everyone knows corrosion is bad,
but most assume if the surface rust is
removed or if an ice pick won't go
through a wing strut, the airplane is as
'good as new'. Sorry, but the assump-
tion is wrong .
"Corrosion creates 'stress risers'. If
you are not familiar with the concept of
stress concentration at a stress riser,
study Figure 2 a bit. Picture the stresses
in a part as a flow of water through the
section. You want the water to flow as
smoothly as possible with no obstruc-
tions to cause turbulence or back the
water up. You can see how a corrosion
pit is like a rock in the stream, concen-
trating and confining the flow. In effect,
the part is working at higher stress level
farther up on the S-N diagram where it
takes fewer cycles to break it.
"Removing rust can slow further dam-
age, but nothing can restore the ORIG-
INAL strength of the part. How much is
the part weakened? It depends on how
many pits and how deep they are.
"Is the message getting across? Your
Aeronca is NOT as strong as it was
when new. There is no such thing as a
'just like new' Aeronca, unless EVERY
piece of original material has been re-
placed. Am I saying old airplanes are
not safe? Of course not, but only the
best of maintenance and thorough fre-
quent inspection can keep them safe.
Don't expect them to tolerate the loads
they would take when new. Just be-
cause you survived snap-rolling a
Champ in 1946 does NOT mean you
will survive the same maneuver today.
Both the Champ and YOU have spent
a lot of time high on the S-N diagram
and accumulated a lot of overstress
since 'Give 'em Hell Harry' was in the
White House!"
For those of us operating aircraft
equipped with Hamilton Standard pro-
pellers in accordance with FAA Airwor-
thiness Directive AD81-13-0oR1 , it has,
from the very beginning, become a very
big expense. It has resulted in the loss
of aircraft use and, in many cases,
necessitated the removal of the propel-
ler and trucking it to one of the relatively
few propeller shops (considering the
size of the USA) for compliance. The
AD, as we have heard, was the result
of the Hamilton Standard Propeller
Company's recommendation and our
petition to FAA as the result of a propel-
ler blade failure . . . not much to go on
considering the many, many thousands
of fine Hamilton props in operation.
It was stated that severe corrosion
was the cause of the failure which we
believe to be a very rare occasion. We
assume that liability upon the manufac-
turer was the inducement to persuade
FAA to act. The point could be argued
that a one-time inspection was war-
ranted to gather factual data as to the
integrity of the propeller, and to ac-
(Airworthiness Directive)
by Paul H. Poberezny
cumulate data to determine how real is-
tic the problem really is. However, it has
been most difficult to obtain information
from propeller overhaul or repair
facilities regarding corrosion or other
problems they find during inspection.
About the only statement they will make
is that the AD was complied with. Some
propeller shops have been reported as
saying they will not comply with the AD
unless they overhaul the propeller. This
results in a much greater expense and
the length of time the aircraft is out of
service.
The inspection interval between AD
compliances varies within the many
FAA regions we deal with. Opinions by
FAA personnel vary in giving time ex-
tensions, and many FAA folks are ex-
pected to become propeller experts with
little or no background on the subject. I
have approached FAA at the Washing-
ton level on this matter, but with few
facts in hand other than the history on
our own Museum aircraft, it is not
enough to warrant sufficient interest or
concern by FAA. If I had sufficient infor-
mation and findings as to the amount of
corrosion found, or not found, from you
users, the FAA would be receptive to
reviewing the situation.
I feel that if you pay a certified propel-
ler repair facility for the inspection and
compliance with the AD, then you are
entitled to a written statement as to
what airworthiness deficiency was
found, if any, during inspection in com-
pliance with the AD. How else will we
be able to gather data in order to
evaluate this AD?
Here at EAA Headquarters I will need
propeller make and model, time of oper-
ation in hours, the number and dates of
compliances of the AD, as well as a list
of discrepancies (if any) found during
these inspections. Without your cooper-
ation and this data, we will continue to
add to the expense of operation, the
loss of use of the aircraft, and possible
damage incurred while trucking these
large propellers hundreds of miles to
and from repair stations. These are in-
conveniences that aircraft owners
should not have to endure.
Please write to me personally ~ t EAA
Headquarters.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
- - --_-::[he Model 52 with propeller
BE III MOIEl 52
by Mark Savage
Two years ago, while visiting my
father and step-mother in Florida, I met
a man named Vern Biasell , an aeronau-
tical engineer who had worked on some
of history's more enduring and interest-
ing aircraft. Last March I went back to
Florida and spent the better part of an
evening talking with Mr. Biasell about
some of the famous airplanes he'd
worked on. However, one airplane he
worked on never got past the prototype
stage. This attractive and innovative
bird captured my attention: It was the
Bendix Model 52.
Mr. Biasell had begun aircraft design
and engineering for the Stinson Aircraft
Company in 1937, working for a Mr.
Athanas (Jack) Fontaine. Mr. Fontaine
was Chief Engineer at Stinson at the
time and had been responsible for the
Voyager series. Mr. Biasell was project
engineer on the Reliant and later the
L-5, and as we talked, Biasell took a
moment to reminisce about the "Sen-
tinel. "
According to Mr. Biasell, in 1940 the
Army was in the market for an observa-
tion plane. They had written specs and
were starting tests on several pro-
totypes supplied by competing aircraft
companies; Stinson's entry was the 0-
49, later known as the L-1 . However,
some engineers at Stinson believed the
Army was asking for an airplane that
was too large and expensive for its in-
tended purpose. As a result, a request
was made to top management for ex-
penditure of company funds to demon-
strate their engineering concept. Au-
thorization was given and with Vern
Biasell as project manager, a demon-
stration prototype was built and flown
just 28 days later. It was highly success-
ful and shown to the Army during the
0-49 flight trials. Army interest was
aroused in this "flying jeep" version of
an observation plane, which became
the famous L-5, and production began.
Mr. Biasell was involved in other in-
teresting projects during the war, but as
the conflict drew to an end, many com-
panies and aircraft designers looked
forward to the post-war period. At the
end of the World War II , market surveys
indicated that a two-place, all-metal re-
tractable aircraft would sell briskly in the
anticipated post-war aviation boom.
The Bendix Corporation, like many
other businesses, made plans to build
and market general aviation aircraft to
fill the proposed needs of the many mil-
itary pilots who were soon to return to
civilian life. Mr. Jack Fontaine was hired
from Consolidated-Vultee to head the
new Bendix Aircraft venture along with
Mr. Biasell, who was then at the Gen-
eral Motors Research Laboratories.
Designed in July 1945, the Bendix
Model 52 prototypes were engineered
by Mr. Biasell and built in 1945-46 at
the Bendix Experimental Engineering
Department at 261 McDougal Street in
DetrOit, Michigan. The Model 52 was a
low-wing, all-metal airplane with side-
by-side seating and retractable tricycle
landing gear. Wing span measured 33'
3"; length 22' , with an empty weight of
just 1043 pounds. Target price was
$3,900, and the means by which Bendix
and Biasell intended to meet that price
is intriguing.
What should make the Model 52 in-
teresting both to home builders and
those interested in vintage/antique
airplanes is that Mr. Biasell designed
the Model 52 to use automotive-style
high production techniques. These
techniques not only lent themselves to
economic mass production, they also
kept the weight low without sacrificing
structural integrity.
Figure 1 illustrates the difference in
design between the Biasell/Bendix
Model 52 (top) tail feathers and those
of a conventional aircraft. Note that both
horizontal stabilizers and the vertical fin
are identical ; one piece can serve as
either stabilizer or fin. And, not including
the skin, each unit totaled just 12 parts!
The fuselage was designed along the
same lines (Figure 2) , and used rolled
skin to form the stringers.
But perhaps the most interesting part
of the design was that of the wing. As
shown in Figure 3, the wing consisted
of two spars, 7 ribs set at 45 degree
angles to each other, end cap, aileron
and flap assembly and leading edge for
a total of 19 parts per wing, not including
the skin or landing gear/retracting
mechanism. The wings used a modified
Goettingen section, up-swept at the
trailing edge to flatten the stall curve.
According to Mr. Biasell, the airplane
was virtually spin proof. Moreover, it
had very gentle stall characterisitcs and
maintained aileron control throughout
the stall . The Model 52 could be flown
18 AUGUST 1986
(j), @ ... IDENTICAl.
TOTAL 12 PAI<TS
NOT INCLUDING
SKIN.
BENDIX
BENDIX
"'19 PARTS
CONVENTIONAL
0 , @-@ !!QI
IDENTICAL. .
Figure Three
Figure One
CONVENTIONAL
If 3 BULKHEAD
BLANKED OuTOF"
THIS AREA , ETC.
H;2 BULKI-<EAO
BLANKED ouT OF
THIS AREA "
"" ROl.LED .sKIN
""FORMS STRINGER
Figure Two
Figure Four
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
at very high angles of attack without
dropping a wing or surprising its pilot
with an abrupt stall. An article on the
Bendix Model 52 in the September
1971 issue of "The Great Lakes Flyer"
notes that the 52 had "full length ailer-
ons (that) could be 'drooped' to serve
as landing flaps which reduced the stall
speed ... from 53 mph to 47 mph., " a
highly imaginative design feature for a
general aviation production aircraft.
Figure 4 illustrates the method of pro-
duction that had been proposed. The
rear fuselage, wings, engine cover and
cockpit areas were to be built as sepa-
rate units, then joined to the "keel " at
the end of the assembly line. The cab
was to be lowered onto the assembly
just as automobile bodies were lowered
onto frames in automobile assembly
plants.
The other picture shows the clean
lines of the Model 52, long wing, and
outward retracting gear. It was powered
by a 100 horsepower Frankl in, and, ac-
cording to Biasell , had a maximum
speed of 154 mph. It cruised at 140 and
climbed at 900 fpm. The original design
called for a six-inch propeller hub exten-
sion shaft which gave the plane a more
streamlined appearance. But later, to
reduce manufacturing costs, the exten-
sion shaft was eliminated and the nose
of the Model 52 took on a more conven-
tional appearance. The shorter nose
also reduced the maximum airspeed to
148 mph, which was the maximum
speed indicated by the "Great Lakes
Flyer" article.
The first Model 52, NX-34110, was
flown by Bendix Chief Test Pilot AI
Schram in December, 1945, just five
months after the first design sketches
were laid down. The prototype had
BENDIX EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT DEPARTMENT
(Left to right): Bob Horstman (Engineer), AI Schramm (Chief Test Pilot), Unidentified (Comptroller), Fred Ross (Chief Aerodynamicist),
Carroll Caldwell (Weights Engineer), Bob Fredricks (Engineer), Bill Fredricks (Head Stress Analyst), O.G. Blocher (Engineer), A.P.
"Jack" Fontaine (President & General Manager), Vern Biasell (Chief Engineer-Model 52), Charley Limouze (Engineer), Maurice Mills
(Chief Engineer-Model 51), Earl Lowe (Head Tool Design), O.J. Lutz (Tool Designer), Charley Loomis (Shop Manager), Bill Lothrop
(Engineer), Bill Mara (Vice President & Public Relations), Unidentified (Salesman). Photo taken on the morning the department was
notified of its closing.
20 AUGUST 1986
The aviation community obviously
lost out on an innovative and interesting
airplane when Bendix's top manage-
ment decided to abandon the Model 52;
it was an attractive machine and offered
a high level of performance for its time.
However, in light of the post-war gen-
eral aviation fizzle, abandoning light air-
craft manufacturing was probably a
wise business decision. But just lookng
at these pictures and talking with Mr.
Biasell about the design features and
production techniques of the Bendix
Model 52 made me wonder if these
ideas aren't worth a second look. It
would be a shame to forget this interest-
ing machine .. . and the innovative and
futuristic production techniques inher-
Vern Biasell today.
ent in the design.
been trucked across the Detroit River During the time the two Bendix Model
to Windsor Airport in Canada for the 52's were undergoing flight tests, two-
flight. Biasell noted that the Windsor Air- four place aircraft were being designed
port was chosen because it was close and built. Known as the Model 51 and
by and offered a degree of security 51A, they were all-metal , twin boom
against the press and competitors. By pushers with retractable tricycle landing
September, 1946, two other prototypes gear.
were built and the Model 52 had com- Maurice Mills 12th from the left in the
pleted all but the final flight tests for an photo of the Bendix Aviation Depart-
Approved Type Certificate. Several ment, was Chief Engineer for these
hundred tool makers were working on planes. Mr. Mills had worked with Stout,
production tooling when a change of the designer of the Ford Tri-Motor. Later
Bendix's top management abandoned he worked at Stinson and after the war,
the personal aircraft field. of course went to Bendix.
The new management worried that a Construction of the pushers was simi-
successful Model 52 would make Ben- lar to the Model 52: the wings were of
dix Corporation a competitor of other diagonal rib design and employed the
airframe manufacturers who were cus- same modified Goettingen airfoil (Ben-
tomers of Bendix's other divisions. Ac- dix 416 airfoil) section. And like the
cordingly, management decided that Model 52, automobile-type assembly
situation might hurt sales in those other line techniques were to be used to build
departments, and so in September the the planes. This would make it possible
board of directors announced that the to economically build either a landplane
Aviation Department had to be dis- or amphibian from the same basic air-
banded. The prototypes were stored for frame: the upper fuselage could be
six years and then donated to the Uni - joined to either type of lower fuselage
versity of Michigan, Wayne State Uni- during assembly because except for the
versity, and the Detroit Aero Mechanics lower fuselage, wingtip floats and
High School. longer landing gear of the amphibian,
the major assemblies for the two aircraft
were identical.
Only one of each type was built. The
landplane was flown for approximately
25 to 30 hours (Biasell's estimate) at
the Willow Run Airport at Ypsilanti ,
Michigan. The amphibian was never
flown; only preliminary taxi tests were
conducted. The hull was developed,
and hydrodynamic characteristic tests
conducted, with models at the Experi-
mental Towing Tank, Stevens Institute
of Technology, in Michigan.
Both the landplane and amphibian
were powered by a 6 cylinder Franklin
engine which developed 220 hp at
2,600 rpm. The design statistics are as
follows:
Landplane (Model 51)
Design Max Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . 168
Design Cruise Speed . . . ....... 157
Design Stall Speed . . . . . .. . ... 53
Wing Span .. ....... . . . . .. .. 40 ft.
Wing Area . . . .. ... . .. . . 218 sq. ft.
Length ..... .. .. ..... . .... 28' 2"
Empty weight . . .. ....... 1 ,550 Ibs.
Gross weight . . .... . . . . . 2,550 Ibs.
Seaplane (Model 51a)
Design Max Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Design Cruise Speed . . . . . . . . . . 138
Design Stall Speed ....... . . . 54.5
Wing Span .. . . ... . .... . . . .. 40 ft.
Wing Area . .... . . . . . ... 218 sq. ft .
Length .. . . ..... . .. .. .. . .. 28' 2"
Empty weight . .. . . .. . .. . 1,700 Ibs.
Gross weight ... .. . .. ... 2,700 Ibs.
As Mr. Biasell put it in his note to me
"(this) is a little of the very meager infor-
mation available. Basic tests were so
preliminary (when the decision was
made to cancel the aircraft program)
that no decisions on the future of these
designs had ever been formulated."
Like the three Model 52's, after pro-
longed storage (6 years), both airplanes
were given to universities for student in-
struction purposes .
The Model 52 with the extension removed.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
The newly restored 1929 sailing glider. The machine was invented by a WW I French pilot.
The sailing glider as it appeared when found at Old Orchard Beach, Maine.
22 AUGUST 1986
By Steve Cartwright
Assistant Director
Owls head Transportation Museum
Owlshead, ME 04854
For every invention that works, there
must be many that have failed. Of
course, the inventor doesn't brag about
the flops, even if they did get off the
ground. But one such magnificent mis-
take has been preserved. A zany, one-
of-a-kind flying machine with a Maine
heritage is on exhibit at The Owls Head
Transportation Museum.
Restored to flying condition at a cost
of $20,000 is a 1929 motor-less sailing
glider. It was actually flown a number of
times at Old Orchard Beach in 1930,
but apparently with less than unqual-
ified success. The glider was disman-
tled and stored in a large box until a few
years ago, when it was found and do-
nated to the Museum.
The designer-pilot of the strange
craft, apparently a John Domenjos,
dropped from the public eye shortly
after the trials at Old Orchard.
Oddly, the sail ing glider - sort of a
marriage of a sloop and a plane -
achieved a certain fame when it ap-
peared as the cover illustration on the
August 1930 issue of Popular
Mechanics. But the magazine failed to
say who built the plane. A brief film clip,
although blurry, shows the sailing glider
taking off from the sands at Old Or-
chard, and for a few minutes it is air-
borne, sails flapping.
The glider pilot had to be a combina-
tion sailor-aviator, with a dash of the
daredevil thrown in. The Museum is
hopeful that someone may come for-
ward with more information concerning
The sailing glider in flight in 1930 at Old Orchard Beach, Maine. Photo is a film clip from
an early movie called, "Oddities of Flight."
the glider and its builder.
Meanwhile, the Smithsonian Institu-
tion in Washington, D.C., has recog-
nized the historical significance of the
aircraft, and Museum staff and volun-
teers celebrated the completion of
many hours' work on the project.
The 42-foot wingspan glider was
badly deteriorated when discovered in
its southern Maine storage box. While
the glider is authentic in dimensions and
detail , many new parts were fabricated.
A local sail loft provided new canvas
sails, for example.
For a photo session, the glider was
allowed to roll outside the Museum,
pushed playfully along by the breeze,
but volunteers seized the craft before it
could travel very far along the aban-
doned airport runway; too much was at
stake.
The Museum, located two miles
south of Rockland on Route 73, invites
the public to come view the glider
exhibit any weekday, 10-5. For informa-
tion call 207/594-9219 .
The sailing glider has a Bleriot-type fuselage and the cockpit is a maze of
Front cover of the August, 1930 issue of Popular drums, wheels, cogs, chains and pulleys to hoist the sail, control the boom
Mechanics magazine featured the sailing glider. and operate the conventional controls.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
LEGACY
O F ~ T
nINGS
Another new addition to the EAA
Video Aviation Series is "Legacy of
Wings", the story of Harold Frederick
Pitcairn, an American aviation pioneer,
whose efforts and accomplishments are
reflected in many facets of aviation
today. As a young boy he was fasci-
nated with manned flight and in his
teens was designing, building and flying
model airplanes, including a delta wing.
He took flight training at one of Glenn
Curtiss's flying schools and later with
the Signal Corps during World War I.
His first airplane was a Farman Sport
biplane which he flew from the family
farm. The farm, near Bryn Athyn,
Pennsylvania, became the original Pit-
cairn Field in 1924, and when it was
dedicated, some 20,000 spectators
showed up to witness the festivities.
That same year, Harold Pitcairn in-
formed his wife that he had made the
decision to make aviation his career.
A quiet man, Pitcairn shunned the
spotlight but he worked tirelessly to im-
prove both the scope and safety of avi-
ation. His series of Pitcairn Mailwings
were great improvements over the
machines being flown by airmail pilots.
Pitcairn started his own airline which
became one of today's major carriers,
Eastern Airlines He was intrigued with
rotary-wing craft and traveled to Europe
to meet Juan de la Cierva who had
made rotary-wing flight a reality.
In time, Harold Pitcairn developed his
own rotary-wing craft and his patents,
which date back to 1926, were pur-
chased by Igor Sikorsky and incorpo-
rated in the XR-4, the world's first
helicopter.
This video includes rare, historic foot-
age from amateur home movies show-
ing flights of many Pitcairn aircraft in-
cluding autogiros landing and taking off.
Among Harold Pitcairn's many firsts
was the successful flight of a wingless
autogiro. His ingenuity and inventive-
ness enabled the success of the mod-
ern helicopter.
"Legacy of Wings" should be in the
video collection of every aviation histo-
rian and all who are even remotely in-
terested in rotary-wing flight. It can be
ordered in VHS or Beta from the EAA
Aviation Foundation for $39.95. Please
specify VHS or Beta format and include
your name, address, phone number
and EAA number and mail your check
to: EAA Video, Wittman Airfield, Osh-
kosh, WI 54903-3065. Or, phone 1-800-
843-3612 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00
p.m. (Wisconsin reSidents, phone 4141
426-4800), and use your VISA or Mas-
terCard . ... Gene R. Chase.
Letters To Editor
Dear Gene,
Enclosed are two photos, one of the
Spartan C-3-225 biplane and the other,
the Spartan C-4-301 which were used
by Skelly Oil Company in Tulsa, Ok-
lahoma circa 1934 to promote a na-
tional radio program called "The Adven-
tures of Jimmie Allen."
The man in the photo is the late How-
ard J. "Doc" DeCelles who was a pilot
for Mr. W. G. Skelly of the Skelly Oil
Company. "Doc" flew the Jimmie Allen
Aircraft.
Also enclosed is a copy of a letter
from James A. Williams of Lee's Sum-
mit, Missouri written to the Spartan
School of Aeronautics in Tulsa on April
5, 1979. Williams also sent a copy of
his Jimmie Allen Flying Club member-
ship card. I have been unsuccessful in
attempting to locate Mr. Williams. Ac-
cording to his letter, he was called
Alfred (his middle name) as a boy.
I have talked with several fellows who
remember rushing 'home from school to
listen to the Jimmie Allen radio pro-
gram. In checking with local radio sta-
tion KVOO, the public library, and
Texaco, (now owner of Skelly), I have
been unsuccessful in getting additional
information.
I would be pleased to hear from read-
ers who have information on this long
ago, favorite radio program.
Sincerely,
George E. Goodhead, Jr.
(EAA 3603, AlC 5176)
Spartan Alumni Club
6326 E. 4th Street
Tulsa, OK 74112
Photo by George E. Goodhead, Jr.
Spartan C3-225, NC3070 with a Wright J6, 225 hp. Owned by
Skelly Oil Co.
24 AUGUST 1986
Spartan Aircraft Photo
Spartan C5-301, NC11 006, SIN H-2, powered with a 300 hp Wasp
Jr. R-985, owned by Skelly Oil Co. Man is "Doc" Decelles, Mr.
Skelly's pilot.
VINTAGE SEAPIANES
Editor's Note: The photos and informa-
tion for this month's Vintage Seaplane
column was furnished by Jorge J.
Suarez (EAA 218712, AlC 8206),
Cauce M-4, Alturas del Remanso, Rio
Pierdras, P.R. 00926.
Short Sunderland S.25, N158J flying
boat was completed at Short & Harland,
Ltd., Belfast, Northern Ireland in March
1944 as a Mk. III, SIN ML-814. It was
fitted with four Bristol Pegasus X.C. en-
gines and saw service with RAF. 201
and 422 Squadrons during that year.
In February, 1945 it was returned to
Short for conversion to a Sunderland
Mk. V fitted with P&W Twin Wasp R-
1830-900 engines.
From April 1945 to February 1946, it
served with 330 Squadron. In
November 1946 it was placed in long
term storage, ending in May 1952 when
it was again returned to Short for mod-
ification to New Zealand standards. In
May 1953 it was delivered to the Royal
New Zealand Air Force as SIN NZ -4108
and flew with NO. 5 Squadron (M.R.).
In 1963 it was acquired by Ansett Fly-
ing Boat Services in Australia and con-
verted to passenger configuration. The
front gun turret was removed and the
resulting "nose job" left a more promi-
nent bulge than a Belfast-built Sandrin-
gham resulting in the converted aircraft
being referred to as a Sunderingham!
Up to this time the aircraft had only
flown a total of 1085 hours. From De-
cember 1964 until the termination of An-
sett's flying boat services in September,
1974, it operated on the company's
route from Rose Bay, Sydney to Lord
Howe Island, a distance of about 400
miles, registered VH-BRF in Australia
under the name of "Islander".
Bought in September 1974 for Antil-
les Air Boats in the Virgin Islands by
Capt. Charles Blair and re-named "Ex-
calibur VIII, " it was flown to Puerto Rico
via Pago Pago, Honolulu, Long Beach,
Eagle Mountain Lake, Washington,
New York, Boston and St. Croix (a total
of about 9,900 miles).
After its arrival in Puerto Rico the air-
craft was stored at Isla Grande Airport,
San Juan until May 1979. After the
death of Charles Blair the flying boat
was saved from certain destruction by
the millionaire, Edward Hulton. Hulton
spent more than $1,000,000 in making
the boat airworthy, and on November
12, 1980, Blair's widow, actress Mau-
reen O'Hara christened the aircraft
"Juliet" and it was registered N158J.
The Sunderland is now in England,
arriving there on May 19, 1981 flying
from Puerto Rico via St. Croix, Ber-
muda, Gander, Shannon and Calshot.
Recently, "Juliet" has acquired British
registry, G-BJHS.
British Short Sunderlands were origi-
nally passenger-carrying flying boats,
converted during WW II to reconnais-
sance service including maritime con-
voy escort and anti-submarine warfare.
Sunderland production continued until
1945 reaching a total of 741 .
The accompanying photos are of the
last two flyable Sunderlands. VP-L VE
is in a Museum and N158J (now G-
BJHS) is flying in England.
Short Sunderland specifications:
wing span 112' 9", length 86' 3", height
32' 10-1 /2" , max. take off weight 59,000
Ibs. , cruising speed 140 knots, max.
passenger seating 42 and crew 5 .
Photo by J. Suarez
Sandringham IV, VP-LVE "Southern Cross" operated by Antilles Air Boats at Christian-
sted, St. Croix, Virgin Islands on May 10, 1975.
Photo by J. Suarez
Short Sunderland Mk.V, N158J (now G-BJHS) moored at Isla Grande, San Juan, P.R. on
November 15, 1980.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
Cavalcade ofWiV\9I--s_
Thesizeoftheunidentifiedaircraftcan be judged bythemen inthe photo.
by Gene Chase
(Photos courtesy Museum of New
Mexico)
The Cavalcade of Wings isacollec-
tionofscalemodelsoftheaircraftwhich
havebeenofsignificancetotheaviation
history of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Over 500 models are currently on per-
manent display while the master list
contains 790 names.
This collection is in effectaminiature
museum. Each model has the livery,
numbers,etc.of an actualaircraftused
inAlbuquerque.
The accompanying photos are three
of seven donated to the Museum of
New Mexicocirca 1950by someone in
Albuquerque. The folks at the Caval-
cade of Wings are attempting to deter-
mine if the aircraft was actually built in
that city. Inscribed on the back of two
of the prints is "Albuquerque 1910-
1912".To date no one has been able
to identifythe people orthe buildings.
A long time resident and historian
once said that he remembered a
strangeaircraftbeing builtbytwo black
draymen. The people in the photo do
not appear to be black. Mr. Harry M.
Davidson of the Cavalcade of Wings
26 AUGUST 1986
feels that if the statement is true and craft,peopleorlocationtheyare asked
this is the machine,it could be the first to contact Mr. Harry M. Davidson,
aircraft built by ablack man. Cavalcade of Wings, 1408 Jefferson,
If any members can identify the air- N.E. Albuquerque,NM 87110.
Three-quarterfrontviewshowsthe forward elevatorapparentlypositioneddownward
bymovingthepilot'scontrolwheel upward.Thefivecylinderradial(rotary?)engineis
behindthepilot'sseat.Theaftrudderwaspossiblycontrolledbyrotatingthecontrolwheel.
This rear view gives an idea of the planform of the machine.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
AUGUST 8-15- BLAKESBURG, IOWA - Annual
AAA National Fly-In for members only. Antique
Airfield. Contact: AAA, Rt. 2, Box 172, Ot-
tumwa, IA 52501, phone 515/938-2n3.
AUGUST 11-15 - FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
- International Aerobatic Club Competition at
Fond du Lac Skyport. Contact: Clisten Murray,
302 S. Railway, Mascoutah, IL 62258, phone
618/566-8601.
AUGUST 17 - CLARENCE, NEW YORK - EAA
Chapter 656 "Generic" Taildragger Fly-In at
Clarence Aerodrome, located six miles south
of Lockport, NY. Contact: Miss Sterling Das.
chler, 142 Curtis Parkway, Buffalo, NY 14223.
AUGUST 22-24 - SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY -
14th Annual Air Show at Sussex Airport, Inc.
Contact: 201 /875-7337 or 201 /875-9919.
AUGUST 23-24 - SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK
- Flight '86 Airshow sponsored by the Amer-
ican Red Cross and Empire State Aero Sci-
ences Museum at Schenectady County Airport,
featuring Blue Angels. Contact Steve Israel, Di-
rector, 19 Airport Road, Scotia, New York
12302, phone 518/399-5217.
AUGUST 24 - BROOKFIELD, WISCONSIN -
3rd Annual Ice Cream Social and Fly-In at
Capitol Airport. Sponsored by AlC CHapter 11 .
Contact: George Meade, 414/962-2428.
AUGUST 24 - MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA -
Michigan City Aviators Club annual fly-in/drive-
in pancake breakfast, serving 7 a.m. to noon,
at Michigan City Municipal Airport. Contact:
Tom Robbins, 219/924-0207 (days) or 2191
926-1921 (evenings).
AUGUST 29-SEPTEMBER 1 - STANLEY AIR-
PORT, NOVA SCOTIA - 16th Annual Fly-In
sponsored by EAA Chapter 305 and the Stan-
ley Sport Aviation group. Special invitation to
Cessna 18011 85 members. Breakfast, chicken
barbeque, contests, etc. Contact: Brian Chap-
pell, Site 30, Box 23, R.R. 2, Windsor Jct., Nova
Scotia, Canada BON 2VO.
AUGUST 29-SEPT. 1 - ELMIRA, NEW YORK!
TEHACHAPI, CALIFORNIA - Sailplane
Homebuilders Assn., Soaring Society of
America Annual Homebuilders workshops, de-
sign competition. Contact: Lew Johnson,
10312 Rockville Pike, #402, Rockville, MD
20852 or Howie Burr, 1426 Hillcrest Ave., Glen-
dale, CA 91202.
AUGUST 29-SEPT. 2 - ROME, GEORGIA - 5th
Annual Ole South Fly-In sponsored by Tennes-
see Valley Sport Aviation ASSOCiation, Inc.
Camping available. Nearby motels. Parade of
flight featuring antiques, classics, warbirds,
homebuilts, ultralights and rotorcraft. Contact:
Jimmy Snyder, 5315 Ringgold Road, Chat-
tanooga, TN 37412, phone 615/894-7957.
SEPTEMBER 6-7 - MARION, OHIO - 21st An-
nual "MERFI" EAA Fly-In. Camping on airport
grounds. Contact: Lou Lindeman, 3840 Clover-
dale Road, Medway, OH, phone 513/849-9455
after 6:00 p.m.
SEPTEMBER 20-21 - KERRVILLE, TEXAS -
22nd Annual Kerrville Fly-In. StatiC displays,
daily aerobatic shows, forums, judging and
awards. All aircraft types welcome. Contact:
Kerrville Area Chamber of Commerce, Con-
vention and Visitor's Bureau, P. O. Box 790,
Kerrville, TX 78028, phone 5121896-1 155.
SEPTEMBER 26-28 - BANDERA, TEXAS - 2nd
Annual Continental Luscombe Association,
Texas Chapter Fly-In at Flying "L" Ranch. Con-
tests, awards, family style meals. Contact: Ron
Carson, 5121493-1031 .
SEPTEMBER 27-28 - BINGHAM, MAINE - 17th
Annual Gadabout Gaddis Fly-In at Gadabout
Gaddis Airport. Contact: 207/672-4100 or 2071
672-5511 .
OCTOBER 2-5 - PITTSBURGH, PENNSYL-
VANIA - 11th Annual International Cessna
120/140 Association Convention at Butler Farm
Show Airport - Roe, 4 miles west of city on
DetrOit sectional. Contact: Mike Quinlan, Con-
vention Chairman, 224 Lehr Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15223, phone 4121781 -4435.
OCTOBER 3-5 - TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA -
29th Annual Tulsa Fly-In sponsored by AlC
Chapter 10, lAC Chapter 10, AAA Chapter 2
and Green Country Ultralight Flyers, Inc. Con-
tact: Charles W. Harris, 119 East Fourth Street,
Tulsa, OK 74103, phone 918/585-1591.
OCTOBER 3-5 - TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA -
National Bucker Club 6th Annual Fly-In, in con-
junction with the 29th Annual Tulsa Fly-In. Con-
tact: Frank G. Price, Rt. 1, Box 419, Moody, TX
76557, phone 817/853-2008.
OCTOBER 11-12 - SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY-
EAA Tri-Chapter Liberty Year Fly-in sponsored
by Chapters 73 and 238 and AlC Chapter 7 at
Sussex Airport. Static display only (this is not
the annual air show). Awards for outstanding
aircraft. Everyone welcome. Contact: Vearl
Lack, 20 Gervic, Flanders, NJ 07836, phone
201/584-9553 (after 6 p.m.)
MARCH 15-21 - LAKELAND, FLORIDA-
13th Annual Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In. Contact:
Bor.mie Higbie, P. O. Box 6750, Lakeland, FL
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
MEMBER'S PROJECTS...
by Gene R. Chase
This Laird LCR-W450, SIN 162 (shown
at right) is being restored to original
configuration by a father and son team
in Zanesville, Ohio. In the rear cockpit
is the father, John Morozowsky (EAA
79439, AlC 2221). Son Anthony (EAA
246668) is in the front 'pit.
Anthony says that E. M. "Matty" Laird
made only two of this model. It is pow-
ered with a 450 hp P&W Wasp and was
issued a Group 2 approval number 346
on 5-19-31 (see Joseph Juptner's U.S.
Civil Aircraft, Volume 9, page 161).
Matty claimed the plane could attain
200 mph with the front cockpit covered.
The Morozowsky's are also restoring
a 1928 Laird LC-1B-200, SIN 161 pow-
ered with a 9-cylinder Wright J-5.
The only full-size example of a Bristol
Scout in the world is this replica built by
Leonard E. Opdycke (EAA 1076, AlC some damage but fortunately the pilot Leonard built the Scout from draw-
6933), 15 Crescent Road, Poughkeep- was not injured. ings he obtained from the Bristol Aero-
sie, NY 12601-4490. The accompany- This past April Leonard received what plane Company and powered it with a
ing photo shows the plane at Cole probably is the highest amount of praise nine-cylinder LeRhone rotary engine of
Palen's Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome near an airplane builder and enthusiast can 80 hp. Because the museum in London
Rhinebeck, New York. receive. Representatives from Britain's has several examples of the engine,
Leonard began cutting pieces of the Royal Air Force Museum took his disas- they took only the airframe.
Scout about 20 years ago, but the ac- sembled Scout to London. It has a place Although Leonard Opdycke no longer
tual construction took about five years. in their history because it was one of has his Bristol Scout, he is still deeply
The first flight of the 1914 Bristol Scout the first British armed airplanes. involved in aviation as publisher and
o took place in July 1984 and lasted About 374 Bristol Scouts were built editor of World War I Aero, a magazine
about 25 minutes until the magneto between 1914 and 1916. Many were for early airplane enthusiasts. This ex-
failed. Leonard was unable to glide used as sport planes, but the British cellent publication has a world-wide cir-
back to Old Rhinebeck and was forced Royal Flying Corps mounted guns and culation and each issue is truly a collec-
to land in the trees. The Scout suffered used them in combat during WW I. tor's item .
28 AUGUST 1986
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rial for Birdcage Standoff Channels, Yoke, F.O.B.
Pennsylvania. Best offer over $1,650.00. Bargain
for someone who wants to build a J-3. 215/326-
9592. (71)
PLANS:
POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol- unlimited
in low-cost pleasure flying. Big, roomy cockpit for
the over six foot pilot. VW power insures hard to
beat 3'12 gph at cruise setting. 15 large instruction
sheets. Plans - $60.00. Info Pack - $5.00. Send
check or money order to: ACRO SPORT, INC.,
Box 462, Hales Corners, WI 53130. 414/529-2609.
ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of
unlimited aerobatics. 23 sheets of clear, easy to
follOW plans includes nearly 100 isometrical draw-
ings, photos and exploded views. Complete parts
and materials list. Full size wing drawings. Plans
plus 139 page Builder's Manual - $60.00. Info
Pack - $5.00. Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing -
$15.00. The Technique of Aircraft BUilding -
$10.00 plus $2.00 postage. Send check or money
order to: ACRO SPORT, INC., Box 462, Hales
Corners, WI 53130. 414/529-2609.
ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and
sport biplane. 20 pages of easy to follow, detailed
plans. Complete with isometric drawings, photos,
exploded views. Plans - $85.00. Info Pac -
$5.00. Send check or money order to: ACRO
SPORT, INC., P.O. Box 462, Hales Corners, WI
53130. 414/529-2609.
MISCELLANEOUS:
BACK ISSUES ... Back issues of THE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE (and other EM Division publications)
are available at $1.25 per issue. Send your list of
issues desired along with payment to: Back Issues,
EM-Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591.
LITERATURE FOR RESTORERS/BUILDERS -
Out-of-print, current. State specific needs. 700 +
title list, $2.00. JOHN ROBY, 3703Y Nassau, San
Diego, California 92115. (8/10)
"GRAND CANYON", 2-hour spectacular helicopter
exploration VIDEO. Breathtaking music. Critically
acclaimed. Details FREE. Beerger Productions,
327-V12, Arville, Las Vegas, NV 89102, 7021876-
2328. (C-10/86)
FUEL CELLS - TOP QUALITY - Custom made
bladder-type fuel tanks and auxiliary cells, any
shape or capacity for Warbirds, Experimental, Vin-
tage, Sport and Acrobatic aircraft. Lightweight,
crashworthy, baffled and collapsible for installation.
Typical delivery 2-3 weeks. Call or write for details:
1-800-526-5330, Aero Tec Labs, Inc. (ATL), Spear
Road Industrial Park, Ramsey, NJ 07446. (C5/87)
For Sale - Aeronca C-3 tailfeathers - also
Aeronca E-113 engine, less crankshaft, carb and
mag. 608/222-8489. (71)
NEW MEMBERS! Complete set of THE VINTAG E
AIRPLANE magazines for sale. $225.00 608/222-
8489 - no collect calls. (71)
WANTED:
Wanted: Any parts regardless of condition for Con-
solidated PR-3/NY-2 Aircraft. Also any detail
photos, drawings, etc. Bill Hodson, 1042 Hacienda
Drive, Simi Valley, CA 93065, phone 805/522-
5239. (92)
Wanted: Heads-up display panel and CRT. Used
& obsolete okay. Call with specs and prices. John
McCoy, 6041732-0909. (71)
VINTAGE TRADER AD fORM
Send check or money order with copy to Vintage Trader - EAA, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.
Total Words ____ Number of Issues to Run _ ______________________
Total $,____
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MEMBERSHIP
INFORMATION
EAA
Membership in the Experimental
Aircraft Association, Inc. is $30.00
for one year, $58.00 for 2years and
$84.00 for 3 years.Allinclude 12is-
sues of Sport Aviation per year.
Junior Membership (under 19years
of age) is available at $18.00 an-
nualfy. Family Membership is avail-
able for an additional $10.00
annually.
ANTIQUE/CLASSIC
EAA Member - $18.00. Includes
one year membership in EAA An-
tique-Classic Division, 12 monthly
issuesofThe VintageAirplaneand
membership card. Applicant must
beaGurrentEAA memberandmust
give EAA membershipnumber.
NonEAA Member - $28.00. In-
cludes oneyearmembershipin the
EAA Antique-Classic Divison, 12
monthlyissues ofThe Vintage Air-
plane, oneyearmembership in the
EAA and separate memberShip
cards. Sport Aviation notincluded.
lAC
Membership in the International
Aerobatic Club, Inc. is $25.00 an-
nually which includes 12 issues of
Sport Aerobatics_ AlllACmembers
arerequiredto be membersofEAA.
WARBIRDS
Membership in the Warbirds of
America, Inc. is $25.00 per year,
which includes a subscription to
WarbirdsNewsletter. Warbirdmem-
bersarerequiredtobemembersof
EAA.
LIGHT PLANEWORLD
EAA membershipandLIGHTPLANE
WORLD magazine is available for
$25.00 peryear(SPORTAVIATlON
notincluded). CurrentEAA members
mayreceive LIGHTPLANEWORLD
for$15.00 peryear.
FOREIGN
MEMBERSHIPS
Pleasesubmityourremittancewith
a check ordraftdrawn on a United
States bank payable in United
States dol/ars or an international
postalmoneyordersimilarlydrawn.
Makecheckspayableto EAA orthe
division in which membership is
desired.Address aI/letters to EAA
orthe particulardivisionatthe fol-
lowingaddress:
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THEJOURNALOF
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Themostauthoritative
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WORLDWARI
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ATTENTION
AIRCRAFTOWNERS
SAVE MONEY...FLYAUTOGAS
If you use 80 octane avgas now, you could be using less
expensive autogas with an EAA-STC.
Get your STC from EAA - the organization that pioneered
thefirstFAAapprovalforanalternativetoexpensiveavgas.
CALLTODAY FOR MORE INFORMATION-
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For faster service, have your airplane's "N" number and serial number;your en-
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414-426-4800 Oshkosh.WI 54903-3065
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Classic owners!
Intarlor looking shabby?
Finish itrightwithan
Girtex interior
Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation.
Custom Quality at economical p-ices.
Cushion upholsterysets
Wall panel sets
Headliners
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Officalraceresults1927through1939- more
than1,000photos - 3viewdrawings- scoresof
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31