Issuu

STRAIGHT

AND

LEVEL

by Espie "Butch" Joyce

This month I would like to address the subject of jUdging aircraft at the EAA Oshkosh Convention. The sys tem is well known to some but others have little knowledge of how the judg ing is actually accomplished . Also, some people are not in favor of judging and feel that aircraft should not be put into competition with one another. On the other hand, we have people who are very active in pursuing awards for their aircraft. Therefore, at the Con vention you can choose whether you would like your aircraft judged or not. You decide opon registration when you arrive at the Convention. For example, we had approximately 817 classics registered and only 214 own ers chose to have their aircraft judged . Along the same line, we had approxi mately 132 antiques and only 66 own ers chose to have their aircraft judged. We have two completely separate teams of judges in the Antique/Classic area; one team for the classic aircraft and one team for the antiques. The chief judge for the classic cate gory is George York and the chief judge for the antiques is Dale Gustaf son. Both have been in charge of this area of reponsibility for a number of years and both are very well qualified. Some of the judges who work under them are past Grand Champion award winners at Oshkosh. Most judges are assigned to the category of aircraft they are best acquainted with. My hat is off

2 NOVEMBER 1988

to all the people who judge at the Con vention. It can be a hot and thankless job. The system used at the Convention is what we call the point system. Each judge has a judging sheet and a guideline . This sheet has a checklist of items with points of value for each item. On one side of the sheet, points are added to give a positive score . On the other side of the sheet are items that are subtracted from the positive points . Contenders in different categories are evaluated by several judges to determine the winners. The totals are added and averaged. Then the airplanes with the highest points are given recognition in different categories. Top contenders for Reserve Grand Champion and Grand Champion are generally reviewed by all judges so the best possible choice can be made. By using this system, we have elimi nated personalities in choosing a win ner. The EAA has a publication entitled The EAA National Judging Manual. This publication is available at head quarters and gives you, in detail, all the guidelines that are used in judging of aircraft to EAA standards. Competition among the aircraft judged at Oshkosh is stiff. It was my pleasure to judge for several years in the classic category, and I have seen the judging between two aircraft be come as detailed as whether or not the

aircraft has Phillips screws or slotted screws . Also, such details as stainless steel safety wire versus brass safety wire have been the determining factor in who might win an award. [ have seen aircraft owners come to Oshkosh expecting to win an award and be dis appointed . They would go to the judges to find out what the discrepen cies were and return the next four or five years correcting one item before each Convention, eventually winning an award. The judging system is valuable in that it has elevated the quality of resto rations considerably over the past years. Restorations today are far superior to those of five to 10 years ago. At the awards program, all the judges are introduced and the winners in each category are called out. This program takes place the last Thursday night of the Convention each year at the Theater in the Woods . This year, Thursday will be a special day for the Convention as the awards will be made a more meaningful part of the Conven tion '89. You will read more on the finale of EAA Oshkosh '89 in future issues. This improvement in the quality of aircraft at Oshkosh each year proves once again that having a direction and a goal pays off. Let's all pull in one direction for the good of aviation . Join us and have it all . •

PUBLICATION STAFF PUBLISHER

Tom Poberezny

VICE-PRESIDENT

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Dick Matt

Tt1~

EDITOR

Mark Phelps

NOVEMBER 1988. Vol. 16, No. 11

ART DIRECTOR

Mike Drucks

ADVERTISING

Mary Jones

ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Norman Petersen

Dick Cavin

FEATURE WRITERS

George A_ Hardie, Jr_

Dennis Parks

Contents 2

Straight and Level/by Espie "Butch" Joyce

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Carol Krone

A/C News/by Mark Phelps

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jim Koepnick

Carl Schuppel

Jeff Isom

Members' Projects/by Norm Petersen

Planes and People

Vintage Literature/by Dennis Parks

Letters to the Editor

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC

DIVISION, INC.

OFFICERS

President Espie "Butch" Joyce 604 - Hwy. Street Madison, NC 27025

Vice President M.C. " Kelly" Viets Rt. 2, Box 128 Lyndon, KS 66451

Pass It To Buck/by E.E. "Buck" Hilbert

919/427-0216

913/828 -3518

Oshkosh Shots/by Norm Petersen

Secretary George S. York 181 Sloboda Ave . Mansfield, OH 44906

Treasurer E.E. " Buck" Hilbert P.O. Box 145 Union, IL 60180

Phantom Dreams/by Mark Phelps

419/529-4378

815/923-4591

Ups and Downs of a J-2/ Interview by Gene Chase

Welcome New Members

Vintage Trader

Mystery Plane/by George Hardie Jr.

DIRECTORS Robert C. "Bob" Brauer 9345 S. Hoyne Chicago , IL 60620 312/779-2105

John S. Copeland 9 Joanne Drive Westborough , MA 01581 508/366-7245

Philip Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawton , MI 49065 616/624-6490

William A. Eickhoff 415 15thAve. , N.E. St. PeterSburg , FL 33704 813/823-2339

Charles Harris 3933 South Peoria P.O. Box 904038 Tu lsa, OK 74105 918/742-7311

Stan Gomoll 1042 90th Lane , N E Minneapolis, MN 55434

Dale A. Gustafson 7724 Shady Hill Drive Indianapolis, IN 46278 317/293-4430 Arthur R. Morgan 3744 North 51st Blvd. Milwaukee, WI 53216 414/442-3631

Gene Morris 115C Steve Court , R.R. 2 Roanoke, TX 76262 817/491-9110

Daniel Neuman 1521 Berne Circle W. Minneapolis, MN 55421 612/571-0893

S.H. " Wes" Schmid 2359 Lefeber Avenue Wauwatosa , WI 53213 414/771-1545

DIRECTOR EMERITUS S.J. Wittman

7200 S.E. 85th Lane

Ocala, FL 32672

904/245-7768

ADVISORS

715 /425-2455

Page 22

6121784 -1172

Robert D. " Bob" Lumley N104 W20387 Willow Creek Rd . Colgate , WI53107 414/255-6832

John A. Fogerty RR 2, Box 70 Roberts , WI 54023

Page 16

Steven C. Neese 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Lea, MN 56007 507/373-1674

Peter Hawks

Sky Way Bid., Suite 204

655 Sky Way

San Carlos Airport

San Carlos , CA 94070

415/591 -7191

FRONT COVER .. . Doug Combs flies his Luscombe Phantom over the Nevada landscape. If it hadn't been so dry at Oshkosh for this year's Convention , this air-to-air photo would have had a unique back drop. As it was , it looks like it could have been over southern Wiscon sin. (Photo by Randall Hoopingarner) REAR COVER .. . This is a Howard Levy photo of a Pitcairn PA-7 Mailwing. The aircraft is currently registered to Stephen Pitcairn , a member of the Board of Directors of EAA.

The words EM, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM, SPORT AVIATION , and the logos of EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC., EM INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, EM ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION INC. , INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB INC., WARBIRDS OF AMERICA INC., are registered trademarks. THE EAA SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EM AVIATION FOUNDATION INC. and EM ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above associations is strictly prohibited . 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 : Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, Wittman Airfield, 3000 Poberezny Rd. , Oshkosh , WI 54903-3086. Phone: 414/426-4800. The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by EAA AntiquelClassic Division , Inc., of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. and is published monthly at Wittman Airfield, 3000 Poberezny Rd ., Oshkosh , WI 54903-3086. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh , WI 54901 and additional mailing offices. Member ship rates for EM Antique/Classic Division , Inc. are $18.00 for current EAA members for 12 month period of which $12.00 is for the publication of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation . ADVERTISING - Antique/Classic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through our advertis ing. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective mmeasures can be taken. Postmaster: Send address changes to EM Antique/Classic Division , Inc., Wittman Airfield , 3000 Poberezny Rd. , Wittman Airfield , Oshkosh , WI 54903-3086. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

Compiled by Mark Phelps

The Stearman "open for business".

NEW YORKER IN AIC PA RADISE

Doc Duff, Nino and Boeing Stearman.

Doc Duff and Nino (notice smile).

4 NOVEMBER 1988

Nino Lama of Ithaca, New York, president of the new Straight-Tail Cessna Club attended the EAA Chap足 ter One Fly-in at Gilbert Field in Win足 terhaven, Florida. Chapter President Rod Spanier greeted Nino and made sure he met all the folks he had been reading about for years in SPORT AVI足 and THE VINTAGE ATION AIRPLANE. Nino got busy with his camera and recorded the following shots . He also invites interested parties to join his Straight-Tail Cessna Club at 28 Forest Acre Drive, Ithaca , New York 14850 . Tel. 607/273-4184. Dues are $)5.00 a year and there is a quar足 terly newsletter. He says that since the club was formed, he's averaging a member a day and currently has 110 happy Cessna owners signed up .

Lyle Flagg, Nino and the Corben Baby Ace.

Merle Lilly and his Emeraude.

Bill Doty, Jr., and fiancee Cindy Choate. Bill is a captain for Northwest Airlines. Cindy is a private pilot. He proposed in the Vultee at 12,000 feet!

FLYING BOBCATS TYPE CLUB Jon Larson called to point out that not only did we spell his name wrong but neglected to mention his FL YING BOBCA TS in our annual type club list. Those interested in the club for owners and enthusiasts of the Cessna T-50 twin, officially named the Bobcat and often called the "Bamboo Bomber" can contact Jon at 3821 53rd Street South足 east, Auburn , Washington 98002 . Tel. 206/833-1068. There is a quarterly newsletter and dues are by voluntary donation . Bill Doty, Jr., Cindy Choate, Bill Doty, Sr. and Pat Doty with the Vultee. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

MEMBER'S PROTECTS ...

by Norm Petersen

Brand new Antique/Classic member Frank Ament (EAA 308832, AlC 12877), P.O. Box 66, Sandwich, IL 60548 sent in the photos of his totally restored Piper J-3 " Cub", NC92396, SIN 16858, on which he spent "hundreds and hundreds of ten足 der, loving hours" during the rebuild. He was even able to persuade Sensenich to build an original five-lamination wood prop for the J-3! Equipped with a Scott 3200 tailwheel, the Cub is especially nice on rough sod.

Frank has owned and operated the Sandwich Airport for 30 years, at one time he had seven J-3 Cubs on the line at $7.50 per hour - wet! He now has two J-3s which he enjoys in retirement along with two sons who are also pilots. We look forward to seeing '396 at EAA Oshkosh '89.

.....

Below: This very pretty 1946 Globe Swift, N78120, SIN 2120, is owned by Ed Davis (EAA 319926) of 1135 Lakeside Court, Naperville, IL 60565. Purchased in Tulsa, OK in 1987, the Swift has been completely refurbished with new glass, new Airtex interior, ELT, Narco Escort II and strobes. The aircraft was completely disassem足 bled, stripped, primed and painted with Imron. The colors are white with bur足 gundy/grey stripes. The landing gear overhaul included retractor/down lock actuators and struts. Ed reports the Swift has 1700 hours total time with 900 hours SMOH on the 125 hp Continental engine. The all-metal, two-place Swift is based at Clow Airport.

Above: Busy recovering his Stinson 10, N26279, SIN 7560, is Ron Ferrara (EAA 299659, AlC 11862) of 683 Rampart Lane, Murfreesboro, TN 37130. The rebuild in足 cludes all new wood, cables and Stits covering. Ron, who is President of EAA Chapter 419, says the Stinson has a C-85 Continental engine with an 8-quart oil sump and has 40 gallons of fuel on board. The status of the rebuild is at the six month mark! 6 NOVEMBER 1988

Planes & People

Stewart Wescott and his 1952 D35 Bonanza By volunteers of the Antique/Classic Press Committee Larry O'Attilio and Pamela Foard, Co-Chairmen (EAA 150262, A/C 8265) 1820 N. 166th St. Brokfield, WI 53005

It is not surprising to find that many pilots developed their interest in airplanes at an early age. Stewart Wes cott saw his first plane when he was four and wanted one for Christmas. He was obliged with a low-wing toy airplane that he kept for years. That toy led to some bigger airplanes in adult life including a Cherokee 180 , Cessna 172 and 150 and the Bonanza pictured here . Stewart is also working on a Glasair that is 40 percent com

pleted. He lives right on an airport and can taxi to his house. We are reminded of the sunny times in which the federal government envisioned this situation for most Americans. That was when some dreamers on the Potomac thought a roadable plane shou ld be developed so we cou ld commute by air. Well let us not drool, but compliment Stewart for making that idea a personal reality . The Bonanza really is pretty the way Stewart has it painted - beige with orange and dark brown trim. Notable additions to this 1952 airplane include; tip tanks, Clevelands, Beech tail im provements , 20 gallon fuselage tank, one-piece windshield, and a Continen tal E225 . The upholstery has sheepskin covers and the IFR panel includes

KXJ55s and a Northstar loran . Inci dentally , Stewart reports no mid-conti nent gap with hi s Northstar when crossing the U.S. from his home base in Washington state . This is an airplane that likes the long trips so Stewart is able to talk of hi s experiences flying to Alaska north of the Arctic Circle . That trip took him up the "Trench," (Watson Lake to McKenzie) , and over the fie lds of the great Gold Rush. When he got to Eagle the locals thought he was the mail plane . Though he stayed with the townspeople it wasn't at the " Plaza" meaning no running water or any con veniences . Well it sti ll sounds interest ing and we bet it is an experience we should all have sometime, Hmmmmm? • VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

()enni~ Vark~

EAST HAMPTON, N. Y., FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1919

Civil Flying 1919 With the end of the war in Europe the growth and development of civil aviation began for earnest in America. Though the most representative feature of the era was barnstorming and the air mail era, there were also efforts at commercial passenger service . One of these efforts was the estab lishment of a passenger service based in Manhattan to ferry Wall Street brok ers from Long Island . The service was started by Lawrence Sperry and How ard Heindel!. This service kept a small fleet of seaplanes busy picking up pa trons in the morning and landing them in Manhattan in time for the start of the business day. The planes were also used to give joy rides around the area. The follow ing newspaper accounts give some idea of the public reaction to the flights which were given from the Cliffton Hotel at Patchogue , Long Island and East Hampton , New York in the sum mer of 1919. The aircraft used was a Curtiss Type F Flying Boat. The Sperry flying boat became one of the first to be adapted to amphibious operation by the instal lation of a retractable landing gear in 1915. The clippings below came from ma terials in the library that belonged to Howard Heindell who later developed the Argonaut Pilgrim amphibian.

AEROPLANE HERE SUNDAY Everyone Will Have Oppor

tunity to Fly WILL LAND ON DAVIDS LAN

Sperrr Corp. SeDdin. Out FlriD' Machine to Demonltr.te Sal. and San. Flrln.

Howard Heindell, formerly pro duction manar:er at Gard@n City, of the Curtirs Co. wall in town on Weci· nesday of thi. week making arrange ments fOT 8 landing place fot his fly-

An Electrifying Novelty

SEE --

Commencing FRIDAY, JULY 25th

---'THE--

Sperry

THRILLS-SenSatiOnal/ and a Physical Benefit

AERO FLYING BOAT Take-Off Daily-Beach Front-HOTEL CLIFFTON

Will male revuJar Siahl-Sccini Trip' Over &lid abolll Palc;hoaue Ba1.

aerial divcnUcmeol .ia ofcrccf Ihe amUHmCllI lovini public at Ih. Domioal coet of

$15.00 PER ROUND TRIP.

_ _ 2 and 4 Passenger

(S'lli~~-:::oa)

still flying

SPECIAL NOTICE- OwiDa

to lisnilccf CIIf'tCmClll • 10 mue early appoiDlment. with ow pilot, Lieut. WIWAM W ALTON. HQU) ClidCoA, PhoD. 38.

thi. city, we advise

YOII

Safctt PlaDct-Saf«, Devica-Safety Pilob. Th. mOIl weaaive lAd lompl.teI, o...uiz~OQ iu America.

funaiahed lliaht

SPERRY FLYING CORPORATION

F~e Curtiss Type F Flying Boat.

III FARMINGDAL£. L J. ' N. Y. 04Ice Iry... 783S

Lawredc41 Sperry. Pret. William SlotrDler, Maallu.t Piredot.

B 8 NOVEMBER 1988

ing machine, which he is brin~illt. down frC'nl Southampton on Sund8}~ He ha~ w ith him Lieut. I:dward Frost, of the British Royal Flyinjr Corps. Lieut. Fro!\t hu Rown planes iR Cnn ad., Fnnre and En~IRnd and Ilt the ti~e of the . ~igning of the armistic. was on the French front. Bofh of these pilots are coming to Eallt Hamp ton in the interests of th4! Sperry Flyinll Cor!loration, which believes that the quickest. ,vay to Rcquaint the ~eopl(' with flying is to give them an opportun ity to finrl Ollt how lale lind sat,e it i ~. They fly 8 Curti!lll 100 horllc power biplane, the same is Uged by the U. S. Government. While at Southampton these two pilots carr :cd 214 personB Rnd t:\·erj. o~ of them _WIIS jrreatly pleased with the-sensation and excitement of the trial. - Several ot the passeng('rll shewed ,their interest In flying by c;.om ing to the fiel.! daily for a ride th,ouj(-h the "ir. Irving Terry, pro prietor of the Irving Houlle, has heeon.. ,p every day since the pilots hay, lIeen in Southampton. Howard Heinrlell has had seYell yesrII experienc~ tn the fl ying gamc: ~d a18<1 had , charj1.'c of the prolit1e-- tioll ' of ' the !luccc~s{ul N-C fly ing boata, which madc the cross-AtlanU~ flight. ' ' It i!1 the intention of the Sperry Flying Corporation te con tinue ' this pa~genl!'er air scrvice of\' Um~ bland tbrougl!out the mOJIt.b ctI'I

J{~ ' h~t_ .:f .~ . , p~o"fe. ih~",: . t~~ t\;.'- . 1. ,L'I 1j1llt.. rertnflr.

u ..:

will 'have

plenty 'of 1\J1P\i~ catldl!'! for 'ridell dariqg theil' lIt,ay 1ft Ea.qt l-lampton. )._ 1"he flying machine will ~ IImli....o.. Davids Inne allrl will IIlske tlJilt . . helt(lquarters while in East l.~a."f.t~ f . they

"'1"

vl~lled ull dllY by hundl"J:ds ot 1I0jo urncu who cum., In l\ulomol ' ~~8 . About tlfty ",pre IlcCol11mc.dntctl )· f'~fI'rday .

"ATCHoaUE'S AERIAL TAXI

Airplane Trips

Prove Popular at Patchogue

It"CIAI. n ~~rATCH TO THPI IIKft .'Ln.)

PATClluOL: r·:. ~pel'l"l

I..

Pal c ho'::IIE' . L . 1..•1111)' 25 -· - \Y IIII :l 11I ''" " It n ll or R !' IIport, L . I.. f o rrn ~ rl y a JiE'llt r nant. In Ih e LT . H, A ir ,,('rvl ee. nl' rlv E' d hl're ThllrsilllY oflern on n with n N o de! I'" 1 no hOr/Hl pnw !' r n y ln~ h oa t ir o m the Sperry C orporation ',. pl a nt Itt J\milyvi1\c with which h e will. hegln 11 1n,::- thill Rft!'rnoon. make dnlly p~ ,,('n/:, e l' !'arrylng flights over tho Great t;oul h

U a ~·.

ThE' hoat I" moort'd In front of t1: c CIIITt o n Hotel n ear the ro o t o r Ray a\·o. IIIIf\ thE' adut or will mako tho C llfUdn

III!' hea ilquul'tcl'''. 'fhlR 1M p a rt of the I'I"'I- r), c Onlp a n y' " plan to QC'lualnt th.! J>ohllt' with fl}lnl; b y I;lvln~ 1'1 an op portunity 10 1'0 up In 1\ !laCe machlno 'wlth n. "klllcd pilot {or A. f c c . The J.I>t n has bcen worked out with !!ueec~ " III ROllthampton nnd EaRt H a mpton. At fi('OuthllOlpton . al o ne. tho I'Ipcrry avlll

I..

Mnn<lAl'.-Th~

1'C'lI l l1rc of Intt'r~~t Yt'stl'n.hty wa3

tile fIIlhlll In front uf tile Clltrlon Holel o f A Cu r t1~~ 1\'0. ~ f1~lnA' bORt of the S perry Fl r ln/.: Corpornllon. ot "'Armln,, II .. ",. L. I. I'tlot W . P . W"lton and Allflllt AIIII PlIot 1-:. J'. lIrenn"n wt'rfl kE'pt !JUIII AU day tul(lnlf up va~8ellger~ at onf'

Letters TO The

1('01'11 ha\'e tnken up nertrly 250 pass CIl J:'!'rs.

l rvln/:'

Jnlng Tp.rry . p r oprlE'tor ot the liked It !l0 \\' ell he went

1I0u~c

~p IICVCTRI da')'8 In lIucccslllon. Th~ f'nt erprtsc Is In eha..,~e or " ' II ,Iam Rtot'rmcr. mana/:'In¢ director of 1he ~perry Flying Corporation. aoll

}lo\\'ard Helndell, formerly production ,nanRl;'et of the Curtllll! pl&nt at Gar. aen City• •

Edito~

TAYLORCRAFTER

BUT IT HAD A BIG SINK. ..

Dear Mark, My apologies to yo u for taki ng so long to get a letter off to you. I enjoyed the article on my Taylorcraft (Taylor craft smanship , June) ve ry much. I can ' t tell yo u what a thrill it was to see my airplane on the cover. That was an unexpected surpri se. Thanks too fo r the extra copies. We have had one framed and it is hangi ng in our famil y room . I look forward to see ing yo u agai n sometime. I am continu ing the restoration of my C ul ver Cadet and am looking for a Fairc hild 24 to fl y now and restore later. If you know of any, please let me know Thanks again ,

Dear Mr. Phelps, Reference is made on page 3 of the June issue of THE VINTA GE AIRPLANE wherein is fo und the legend fo r yo ur bac k cover picture of the Boe ing 80- B trimotor. I quote thi s in part: "There was also a bathroom with hot and cold running water. .. " The italics are mine. Now , I was in the airline industry for many years and not once did [ ever hear o f anyo ne taking a bath on an a irpl a n e~ r o f any airplane which was equipped for such an ac t of personal hygiene. S ure ly your reference is to what is properl y called a lavatory or, just as acc urately but less de licately perhaps, the to ilet. Most av i ation fo lk s are fine, upstanding, friendl y and intell ige nt people, but fo r some reason an aw ful lot of them seem to have dozed-off during their gram

A.C. Hutson 104 Woolman Lane Griffin , Georgia 30223

dollar 1\ mInute fare. The hydoa.lrplan~ whI ch hall he!'n lIamad ,he Cliff ton ,

ma r classes. Even the leading aviation magazines often pl ace more emphasis on slang and trade jargo n than on sim pie, straightforward and prec ise En g li sh, [s there some immutable law which pre vents us fro m being literate? Since rely, Edward Peck Waddy , Kentucky

VINTAG E AIRPLANE 9

PASS II 10

--1] An information exchange column with input from readers.

by Buck Hilbert (EAA 21 , AIC 5) P.O. Box 145 Union, IL 60180 E. E. "Buck" Hilbert

"Wow! A 35-70 Porterfield'" And the person I said it to was looking all around for a rifle , not an aeroplane. This was his first exposure to the Por terfield Flyabout of the mid-1930s. We were at the Waco Fly-in at Hamilton , Ohio and the year was either 1973 or '74 . This poor little machine was set ting in a hangar looking just about as shabby as 30 years of neglect could make it. I was drawn to it as were a few other people and eventually Bill Hogan gave me the owner's phone number. I called the fella only to find out there was no way he was going to sell it , especially to me! I guess I came on kind of strong with my remarks as to how could he do that to the poor airplane and if he left it that way much longer it'd be nothing but scrap rather than junk like it was now. I guess I woke him up though, because from the

10 NOVEMBER 1988

records I see that he had the Hogans recover it for him and then overhaul the engine as well. This was all done in 1974, the Hogans flew the airplane a couple of hours and then put it back in the hangar again. With about 130 hours total time on the airframe and almost a zero-time engine SMOH! Again I was down at the Waco reun ion-this time in 1982. In talking to Bill I learned that the airplane was still there and still just "setting." Again I called the man, and this time he was no more happy to hear from me than he was the last time . "This was my father's airplane, and I'm not about to sell it!" Well again I took him to task about it just setting and deteriorating and insisted that he do something with it. He did! He sold it to Dick Simpson, a friend of a friend who had grown up with the Hogans and had known about this airplane from the very first time it

landed at Hamilton. This was okay with me . Even though I was disap pointed that I didn't get the machine I knew that Dick would really take care of it. Now the real attraction I had to this machine is that I could remember when I was a budding Iineboy at the old Elm hurst Airport outside Chicago. This was a new airplane then . A racy-sporty performance machine in comparison to the "Cubs," Taylorcrafts and Aeroncas of that day. This even had a round en gine on it with 70 horsepower. It would race along at 95 mph indicated! That was a flat 25 big ones better than your average "Cub." Of course the stall speed was also 20 mph faster, but it sure was a good cross-country airplane! I would add here, that some day I hoped I could handle one of those hot little airplanes. Now here it is fifty years later and I have just come in from the hangar where one of these little jewels is ensconced . I flew it home, here in Union, Illinois all the way from Birmingham , Alabama. When Dick finally was able to pur chase the Porterfield a couple of things came to light. The total time on the airplane was "estimated" to be less than 140 hours. It had been delivered from the Porterfield factory at Kansas City to Hamilton, Ohio in 1936, a new airplane. It never left Hamilton until Dick came and picked it up and flew it home to Birmingham, Alabama . From what I have been able to learn, the original owner had "gone West" several years before I came on the scene. The estate proceedings just

The Porterfield as it appeared on its "For Sale" post-up.

caused the poor little machine to lie idle for so long that even the original "N" Number was given away when it was dropped from the register. It was NC 16490 . The Hogans got the number NC 17490 issued to the airplane when it was re-registered and put back on the books. New logs were made up to replace the originals that had somehow disappeared into the past as things sometimes do, and the total times shown in these log books are backed up by the Hogans ' testimony . They had known the machine since it arrived there. Dick Simpson took some dual in the airplane, and then enough practice solo to assure himself that he could handle this hot machine . After all , most of his flying experience has been in " Cubs" and then for the past 20-or-so years in his Cesna 182 with a training wheel up front. He just needed a little practice, is all. Well, he made it to Birmingham , and flew it a little around home only to have the front main bearing in the LeBlond eat itself up . Guess what!? Overhaul time! And that he did . The whole bottom came out of the engine and was re-done. Then the top as well, and for the next two years he had a hobby. He cleaned and he lightened, he reworked and he lightened, he re moved about sixty-five pounds of bat tery-box and wiring, and heavyweight plywood floorboards and baggage compartment door, and side windows and extras that had been added to this airplane to help it along, only it made it heavier than it really needed to be . In the meantime Dick acquired an E-2, a J-2, a J-3 and still had his 182. Then he came across a Fleet Two. And that was the camel that fell through the straw . He suddenly realized there was

no way he could ever finish all these projects . This is where I came in . I had looked at the airplane when he had it stuffed in his hangar all di s asssembled, with the engine all apart, and listened to what he was doing de spite the difficulty of locating parts and such . I expressed a more-than-idle in terest in hi s final result. He got it all back together after EAA Oshkosh ' 85 , and I went down to look at it. I was enthused , but not enough to spend any money. I had three kids in college and had just retired from UAL so I wasn ' t in any shape to let go of my left hip pocket flap . Then again in '86 Dick offered me the airplane, and again in '87. He knew I secretly wanted it , and that it was just a matter of time . Well , the time was NOW! I went down there and flew the machine August 25th, bought it and started home with it Friday the 26th. Bingo! Right? The realization of a boy

hood dream. I got another dream airplane! Wow! How lucky can you get? Well , 48 minutes after I took off for Union from Talledega , Alabama , I was sitting on the airport at Guntersville, Alabama with a three cylinder LeB lond engine . " What?" Yes! I had stuck exhaust valves on both the lower cy lin ders! Dick Lu sk from Guntersv ille , a retired Air Force mechanic , jumped in an gave me hi s full attention. We diag nosed the problem and got with it. Marvel Mystery Oil and a little exer c ise got them working again, and two and a half hours later I was on my way again. I was headed for Tullahoma , Tennessee, but circumnavigated the new ARSA at Huntsville, Alabama. I widened my circle of uncertainty when I cut across those big green hill s. When I found the road northeast of Huntsville it was the wrong one and the town I thought was Tullahoma was Shel byville. I decided to press on. I got as far as Murfreesboro about another 25 miles north when I had a valve stick aga in. Thi s time I knew what to do . I borrowed a car, buzzed into town, picked up a couple cans of leaded reg ular , some 50-to-one outboard motor oil and a quart of Marvel Mystery into the gas tank along with the leaded reg ular and I liberally saturated the valve stems, guides, springs and half the rest of the airplane with the same stuff. After half an hour all was working again and after being pleasantly sur prised that the lineman knew how to prop an airplane , I was on my way . Another detour around the east side of Nashville and then westward to wards Harrisburg , Illinois, my planned

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

An interior shot of the Porterfield's cockpit.

RON spot. I didn ' t get there! As I was approaching Hopkinsville , Kentucky just north of Fort Campbell, the LeB lond let me know it had had enough for the day. I looked at my watch, decided to humor the engine and landed . I couldn't have picked a better place or better time. The people there were super! Absolutely SUPER! They gave me a courtesy car and offered me all kinds of help. I met one of our EAA types there. Wish I knew his name for sure, but Bill showed me his Bellanca Cruisair, and then offered to drive me into town or help me anyway that he could. When I found out that he had been working all day after putting in a full night shift out at Fort Campbell in their simulator program, I suggested he go on home and get some sleep. He promised that if I was there the next morning and needed help he:d be more than happy to assist. I drove into town , got a motel, called ~ick Simpson and let him off the hook for the night, and after a bowl of soup I bought some Lemon Pledge polish, some more oil (Mystery and outboard) and went back out to the airplane. I liberally doused all the val ves, added a little more to the gas, ro tated the engine 50 or 60 times, and cleaned up the whole airplane before I went back to town and sacked out. I was up at oh dark thirty and actu ally lifted off at 6:55 the next morning . The engine was running great! So great that I made it all the way to Effingham, Illinois where I had planned to stop 12 NOVEMBER 1988

because I knew they had auto gas. Here again I was made as welcome as a warm rain in summer. Courtesy car, a friendly smile, and a pat on the back side, and after breakfast I was on my way again toward home . I had a dozen or more alternates picked out in case the LeBlond acted up again, but I threatened to call home for a trailer if it did it again and firmly " told" that engine it was replaceable with an 0 290-0 if it didn ' t want to do the job . The bluff worked and it ran like a jewel the rest of the way. A little light rain started about

Champaign, Illinois and persisted all the way to Joliet , which was where I had planned my next Mogas fuel stop. A happy tailwind was pushing pretty good and the fuel gauge said there was plenty of reserve so I continued on to the Funny Farm . I landed with six and a half gallons still in the 17-gallon tank . I guess the reason I'm telling all of you about this is because in my " Pass it to Buck" column of last month , I advocated the YFR direct type of fly ing I have just completed. Well , maybe it wasn't all that direct, but it was YFR , and it was all done about 1,200 to I ,500 feet above ground level , and it was very scenic and without radios , loran, or federal assistance. I saw only ONE airplane the entire way. (So much for our crowded skies.) And 1 never had less than eight or ten miles visibil ity all the way home. I also have a tremendous sense of personal ac complishment and a really nice looking airplane in my hangar to boot! A look at Juptner's Yol. 6 will tell you all the technical detail about the little beast. You won't find thi s par ticular airplane listed though because it was dropped from the register, as I said, but it is serial number 190 man ufactured May 19, 1936. Its Orangish Red with irridescent blue trim about as original as you can get. It 's perhaps the world's lowest-time antique with less then 160 hours total time. No dings & cracks in the cowling or metal work , and although it isn ' t a super sanitary trophy winner, it is all original and it's MINE! •

Oshkosh Shots

With the 145 Warner fired up, Gene Chase prepares to taxi his 1933 Davis D-1-W to the Antique/Classic area for the Parade of Flight on Tuesday afternoon. Passenger in front cockpit is Lars Svarre of Nykobing (F), Denmark.

"The smaller the plane, the bigger the crew!" Bill Schlapman holds the tailskld of his Heath Parasol N752Y, while Munsil Williams drives the "tow truck" and pilot, Jack Wojahn, watches for traffic. Note unusual amount of "up" elevator travel. 14 NOVEMBER 1988

...

Heading out for West Chester, PA are AlC members Tom & Eileen Macario in their 160hp Kinner powered Starduster Too N14MM. Note uN" struts, Great Lakes type landing gear and hand-made aluminum wheelpants! Look for Tom & Eileen next year in their newly restored PA-12, whose rebuild story has been featured in The VINTAGE AIRPLANE.

-------------.~-------------

A real eye-catcher was Dick Grigsby's 1932 WACO UEC NC18613with its brilliant orange paint scheme. From Pacific Palisades, CA, the preHy cabin WACO won the Outstanding Award in the Silver Age competition. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

The First Airplane To Bear Don Luscombe's Name

One of the best ways to track avia tion history is to read about its people. Human triumphs, tragedies and foibles are much more dynamic barometers of progress than engineering equations or corporate balance sheets. It ' s the airplanes themselves that remain, how ever, to remind us of the dreams of the people we read about. Don Luscombe's career straddled the formative years of lightplane de 16 NOVEMBER 1988

by Mark Phelps velopment. With the Monocoupe, he brought pilots in out of cold, open cockpits to cabin comfort. He also ad vanced aluminum monococque pro duction technique to a practical level,

opening the door for light aircraft as we know them today. Doug Combs and Linda Gamble of Incline Village, Nevada own a gener ous slice of that history . Doug calls it , "the first and the last," of 22 Luscombe Phantoms built between 1934 and 1941. He says that reliable sources who worked in the Luscombe factory indicate that the cannibalized fuselage of the prototype was modified and used

to complete the last Phantom, serial number 13 1, from "parts in stock" in 194 1. Doug brought his airplane to EAA Oshkosh '88 and flew home to Nevada with the Contemporary Age Champion Trophy. The story of this airplane incl udes facts about the men, the metal and the organization that built it. Don Luscombe drove ambulances in Paris duri ng World War I and cadged airplane rides with French pilots in ex change for cigarettes . When he re turned from Europe , he studied mer chand ising at Iowa State University and opened a small advertising agency in Davenport. His taste for flying re

turned when he visited the local airport and he bought a crated, surplus Jenny for $850 and learned to fly. The Jenny and even its replacement, a Swallow, were too drafty and cumbersome for Luscombe's taste . He yearned for a two-seat airplane that he could easily trundle out of the hangar by its tail wheel-and not have to gird himse lf in leather to fly. Inspiration came in the form of a Belgian design known as the Demonty Ponce let that first flew in 1924. It was a cabin two-place that looked more like a fish than a bird, but its cabin kept the occupants warm and unfettered by the slipstream. Contrary to popular opin-

The Phantom featured a tunnel cowl-shown here with the Red Barn in the background.

ion of the time, the pilot was able to control the little ship without the wind in his face to guide him. Luscombe was serious enough to build a cardboard mock-up of his ideal airplane but needed more expert help to build a prototype . He formed the Central States Aero Company and hired a Dubuque, Iowa farmboy named Clayton Folkerts who showed a natural talent for turning cardboard concepts into nuts and bolts. Thus was born the Monocoupe , the airplane that brought personal flight out of the age of the open cockpit and allowed pilots to dress in shirtsleeves rather than leather armor and goggles. A succession of engines, airframe improvements, management changes and sales rollercoasters followed in the years leading to the Great Depression. Late in 1932, sales trends looked par ticularly disastrous. Fewer than 35 airplanes had been delivered over the course of the year and the outlook for 1933 was even more bleak. At the time, the company was known as the Monocoupe Corporation and was owned by Phil Ball. When he died in October 1933 after a series of heart at tacks, Don Luscombe left the company he had started and moved into the old Butler Blackhawk factory in Kansas City with yet another fresh idea. The Monocoupe had been a tube and fabric airplane, like almost all airplanes of the day . Sheet aluminum was used to form cowls, wheel pants, fairings and some wing leading edges but the structural construction of choice was a steel tube skeleton co-

Flying wires were added to tame ground handling to a workable level. VINTAGE AI RPLANE 17

vered with grade-A cotton. Aluminum alloy was first produced with an electrolytic process in 1885. The first published article on its use in aircraft appeared in Flight magazine in 1910 . The German firm Durener Metallwerke developed the all oy known as duralumin for use on derigi bles and later on aircraft such as the Junkers transports. Pure aluminum is next only to gold in maleability and when joined with copper and mag nesium in varying combinations pro duces the ideal light , corros ion-resis tant alloy. Aluminum used in the monococque form at is called "stressed skin " construction because the sk in it self takes on some of the structural load . Monococque fusel ages were intro duced in 1912 with the French Deper dussin wood monopl ane . Wood for mers were wrapped with thin plywood sheets. German transports built by Jun kers had been using metal since 1915 and aluminum since 19 I 7 starting with the J.4 . As early as 1920 the British used stressed-skin construction on the Short Silver Streak but early alloys showed a tendency toward excessive corrosion , especially when they came in contact with salt water as in seaplane applica tions . Alloys containing zinc were par ticularly susceptible. Anodizing the metal with aluminum oxide was a way to combat corrosion. When Luscombe moved to Kansas City from Saint Louis, he brought hi s chief engineer Ivan Driggs and A .K . Longren, a vigorous proponent of metal monococque fuselages . Longren had built a small monococque biplane and developed a hydraulic stretch press to form its aluminum panels . Previ ously , all curves had to be hammered out or bent on a sheet metal brake. Lus combe saw the stretch press as the key to low-cost, high-volume production. Longren's business venture had gone bankrupt and Luscombe purchased the press and its rights , believing that he had discovered the route to inexpen sive aircraft production . Using that method, he thought he could build a two-place, all metal airplane to sell for less than $4,000. Driggs and Lyle Farver designed the first airplane to bear the Luscombe name. The Luscombe Phantom was really an extensively updated Mono 18 NOVEMBER 1988

co upe 0-145 powered by the Warner 145-hp Super Scarab engine . It had an all-metal fuselage and aluminum spars and ribs. The 150-pound fuse lage shell could support nine ton s of weight and the wings had strength in excess of any government stan dard. T o be practical for production, the de sig n relied heavily on Lon gren's stretch press and it soon became clear that the machine wasn't up to the task . Ultimately , Luscombe ' s Dutch metalsmith, Nick Nordyke hand formed the panels on each Phantom built. He used a power ham mer to beat the metal into shape but it took far too much time to produce each panel and Nordyke ' s skill was irreplacea ble . In

\.\m II ~\ ~l

that se nse the Pbantom was failure. In stead of an inex pensi ve airplane built by machines , it became a costl y hand made work of craftsmanship . Producti on woes weren't the onl y drawback to the Phantom design . The prototype was completed in May 1934 and flown by company test pilot , Bar ton Stevenson. He reported that the airplane flew just fine but became a snarling ti ger when its wheels came in contact with the earth . The cantilever landing gear blended beautifully into the sleek lines of the fuselage, but as sy metrical compress ion of e ither shock absorber almost guaranteed a groundloop . Simply going over a bump could cause an irreversibl e

t ~~flO?~t ~ CO.

~ ~OO.RJ

The compound curves of the fuselage were hand-formed by Nick Nordyke.

Phantom 272Y has a vintage OF loop an足 tenna mounted on the roof.

The early Phantoms had the tailwheel mounted in this aft position, although the Scott 3200 is a concession to modern times. Later redesign of the landing-gear geometry moved the tailwheel to mid足 fuselage.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

swerve. Luscombe himself said, "You could master the violin easier than the fancy footwork needed to avoid groundlooping." Even after extensive modification of the landing gear in cluding the addition of a supplemental flying wires between the fuselage and each gear leg, the Phantom was, and is, a handful on the ground. In addition to the prototype, 272Y, seven airplanes were produced at the Kansas City facility before January 1935. In February the company moved lock, stock and barrel to Trenton, New

Jersey and the Mercer Airport. Lus combe lived in an old inn on the north end of the field. The building also served as the company's offices. His workers lived with him in the inn or on cots in the factory. Salaries often went unpaid but the company provided groceries from the meager cash flow . Life wasn't easy, but in the Depres sion-hardened 1930s, just having a job was more than most people could claim. The Mercer Airport was also the site of Luscombe's fixed base opera tion that cared for a Staggerwing, two Stinsons and a Waco. The Luscombe Airplane Corporation reorganized as the Luscombe Airplane Development Co. Most of 1935 was spent building

The Phantom's panel, with its rounded top, typifies 1930s styling. 20 NOVEMBER 1988

Phantoms and rebuilding those that had rolled themselves up. One airplane that had been damaged in a hard forced landing was the only one available for a demonstration flight when the wife of a Dr. Tschudi from Switzerland walked in the door shopping for an airplane. Don promptly took her up for a demonstration flight and nosed the Phantom over on landing, flipping it on its back. Nevertheless, the woman wrote a check for $6,000 and took a Phantom home to Europe. The airplane, HB-EXE, subsequently toured the couple throughout the conti nent as well as the Middle East. 1936 saw Luscombe produce about a half dozen Phantoms and open its School of Aeronautics. The School was originally introduced as an appren tice training program and later became a division of the parent company . Work began on a simple-to-produce, two-place companion model of the Phantom and Frank Speckles won the Los Angeles based, Ruth Chatterton Sportsman pilot trophy race with a Phantom. Stockholder Hal Hiramson bought a Phantom in 1937 and had it painted the shade of bronze that matched his favor ite can of beer. If that leads to any conclusions about his attitude and lifestyle, they are probably accurate. He cracked up his Phantom on his first landing after mistaking the brake han dle for the trim actuator. The young Philadelphian became enthralled with the company enough to become a director and took a personal interest in aircraft sales, much to the consternation of Luscombe. Hiram son's first customer was his brother-in law and he insisted on delivering the airplane to upstate New York person ally. En route, he decided to see how high the Phantom would fly and blacked out somewhere above 20,000 feet. He awoke in a screaming power dive at over 300 mph. He managed to pull out and force-land the airplane near New Brunswick, New Jersey about fifty miles from Trenton . The airplane sustained substantial damage to its leading edge on the pull-out. Hiramson, uninjured, was shipped off to investigate the possibility of Euro pean production under license. Clearly, the Phantom was a transi tional airplane. It had been developed in the hopes of producing an affordable craft and wound up competing with Wacos, Stinsons and Fairchilds for the dollars of wealthy sportspeople with a sense of adventure--especially on landing. Between 1934 and 1938 or so

the apple in the eye of Don Luscombe was still a simple airplane. His ener gies were directed at the design of just such a craft. The Model 90 followed using a flat-wrap metal construction technique that wasn't as pretty as the Phantom's hand-formed compound curves, but much more practical. With the advent of the Continental 50-hp flat engine at a low price, the Model 8 evolved from that design . In 1938, an Austrian industrialist named Leopold Klotz who had fled Hi tler's Europe bought a large amount of Luscombe stock and hired a production manager who alienated the work force at the factory . When Luscombe was unable to fire the man, he decided to sell out. In April 1939 he left the com

pany that bore his name. Luscombe spent the rest of his life in Ambler, Pennsylvania and worked on a four place airplane that was eventually known as the Colt , but never went into production . He died in 1965. Serial number 131 Phantom, Doug and Linda's airplane, was completed and test flown in 1941. The original owners rarely flew the airplane and Doug writes that it traveled, " from one garage and accident site to another." It was returned to the factory in 1944 after suffering extensive damage. One year later it returned to service, four years after production with a little over I I hours per year registered on the tach. From 1947 to 1952, the airplane went through three owners and a series

Bona fide "Luscombe lover" Doug Combs with his rare Phantom.

of minor accidents resulting in several repairs. In 1952, a Mr. Hayduck bought the Phantom and flew it for 58 hours before wrecking it and rebuild ing it again. His efforts to metalize the wings were thwarted by the FAA as the molasses speed of the bureaucratic process worked in favor of historic preservation. Two other owners intervened from 1965 to 1982 and a great deal of val u able information was procured but lit tle work was done . Yet another owner then trucked the airplane to Texas where six years of metalwork, engine overhauling and wing fabric work began. In the course of these efforts , some historical artifacts were literally, uncovered. Under the primer on the in side of the fuselage, several production directions signed "D.L." were discov ered. Also, a 1930s wrench was found inside a wing fairing. It had generated di-electric corrosion of the metal skin that needed to be repaired. At the "90-percent-complete" stage, Doug and Linda bought the project when the owner became disillusioned and discouraged. A friend of the pair had spotted an ad in Trade-A-Plane. They finished the detail and rigging work and in May 1988, accidently per formed the first test flight while en gaged in a high-speed taxi test. The pair flew the airplane to its current base at Chandler, Arizona where re-rigging, re-aligning and about 500 hours of ad ditional detail work were completed. Repairs were also required on the en gine, electrical system and control ca bles. Doug flew the airplane to EAA Oshkosh '88 for fellow Luscombe lov ers to admire and enjoy. He says everything you read about difficult ground handling is true, al though he moved the tailwheel from the forward position on the fuselage that was favored in later serial num bers, back to the rear of the tailcone where it was on the prototype. Nevertheless, he finds this the ultimate Luscombe. True, the Phantom can be classified as a failure, or more charita bly , a transitional design. But it repre sents a significant milestone in the lineage of today's aluminum airplanes. When the Phantom was on the drawing boards, aluminum airplanes were at the stage of composites today-advanced curiosities that were just too radical to be successful consumer products. It's easy to look at the Phantom as a mile stone in aviation-but looking back is always easier than looking forward. Phantom 272Y flies as a tribute to Don Luscombe's ability to mold the future . • VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

THE UPS AND DOWNS OF A J-2

by Gene Chase

John Hartman's J-2 Taylor Cub

Everyone who was at EAA Oshkosh '88 remembers the great storm that hit on Thursday. Antique/Classic mem bers who were near the Red Bam recall the Taylor Cub that was uprooted and heavily damaged when it struck a tele phone pole . Only heroic action by sev eral volunteers and others saved the Cub and other nearby airplanes from further damage. In 1987 , Gene Chase interviewed John Hartman of Mack, Colorado, rebuilder of the Cub . John subsequently sold the airplane and it was the new owner who suffered the loss . In Gene ' s 1987 photos , it' s in teresting to note the double tiedowns , a precaution that would have saved the airplane on that fateful Thursday last summer:

Q. (John, what can you tell me about your airplane? Can you give me a little of the background of it and when you got it and things like that?) A. Okay I got it probably six years ago. I had a Vagabond, a PA 15 that I traded for it and a 46 T Craft and a 22 NOVEMBER 1988

Volkswagen bus. The wind had blown the Cub over on its back and so I had to completely rebuild it.

Q. (Where did you get it?) A. It was in Oklahoma City, the young fellow there was going to college and he didn't tie it down very good out at Cole's Hole where Chester Peak and Harold Malloy live and the wind blew it over. Of course, I've known the kid for a long time and he'd been after my Vagabond and I finally traded him. Q. (Good) A. And then I restored it over, oh, took me about three years to restore it. Q. (What fabric is on the airplane?) A. It's Stits J.7 and it ' s all Stits pro cess. It's the poly fiber, poly brush, poly spray and then the poly tone. That's speed ray dope isn't it mostly?

Q . (Yes . What are the colors and are they authentic?) A. As near as I can tell they are. It ' s got the three black stripes and yellow, Cub yellow, Stits Cub yellow. The only thing that isn't authentic on it is the tail wheel and it had a skid and that don't work very good on our blacktop. It was on there when I got it.

Q. (Tell me about the instruments .) A. Well, four instruments. Q . (Are they original?) A. They ' re original, uh , the oil temper ature and oil pressure's new, rebuilt but everything else is the Cub instru ments. As near as I know it's original everything.

Q. (Good . What is the gas capacity?) A. Nine gallons .

Q. (That' s that little round tank isn 't it?) A . Little round tank, yes , bums three an hour. Gives you three hours at about 58 mph. You don't go very far. Q. (Well, how does it fly up at your elevation? ) A . Well, it's a good one-place. Well , not really good but it's real fun to fly early in the mornings and it performs real good. One of the young fellows had it up to 16,000 feet one day but he got into thermals . Q . (Saved some gas, didn 't he? ) A. Yes he did . Most generally about 7,500 is about all we can get on a sum mer day.

Q. (What's the elevation of your air port?)

Q. (Good for you. Did this airplane originally come with that size wheel and tire?) A. No, it came with airwheels and I couldn't get any so I put an adapter on so I use 8.00 X 4s now . I hunted everywhere for those airwheel tires.

Q. (They're hard to find.) A. Oh, I would have loved to found a pair. But very few people know that, know that and can tell. Course it doesn't have any brakes.

Q. (Have you flown it without the tail足 wheel? Do you have any grass any place you canfly it with just the skid?)

Multiple tiedowns in this 1987 photo are an ironic detail.

A. It's 5,000 feet, Mack Mesa Airport, it's just 20 miles west of Grand Junc足 tion. It's just a dirt strip 2,600 feet long with a bunch of antiques there . We've got about 30 antiques on the field . People just come out and work on their airplanes. I quit farming in 1980 and I kept that 80 acres where the landing field was. That ' s all I've got now. Just kept the landing field and built a house right there. So I live right on the field. Q. (Where is that from Grand Junc足 tion ?)

A. It's 20 miles west toward Utah, just off 1-70.

Q. (J' II bet you need that high rpm though to climb with it, don't you? To get it up there ?)

A . No. Well our runway's gravel and no, I haven't. I've got the little shoe that fit on the spring but I never have tried it.

Q. (How did you duplicate the artwork on the fin?)

A. Oh yes , yes. The lowest pass that we can get out of there is 9 ,000 feet so we have to go at least 10 to get out of the valley there.

A. I took a picture of the data plate and had it enlarged 30 times and then took a razor blade and cut it out and glued it on and marked it with a pencil and then hand painted it freehand.

Q. (That's a far piece for a 40 horse

Q. (You did that yourself?)

airplane .)

A. Well, the wife, I got her to do the painting.

A. Yes it is.

Q. (Do you use Marvel Mystery Oil?) A . In the oil and in the gas and I squirt it on the valve stems before each flight.

Q. (Oh good, goodfor her. Yes it looks real good. How did you determine the three black stripes and locate them and everything? )

Q. (How many hours have you flown the Cub ?) A. I've been putting on about 25 , 30 hours for the last two years .

Q. (Have you had any problems with the Continental?) A . No, not a bit.

Q. (Good. What fuel do you burn?) A. Car gas .

Q. (Good, J do to. What prop is on it, John?) A. 69128 Flotorp. Q. (Okay .)

A. It could have about a 28 pitch it should have about two more because it'll red line even climbing out, it'll run 2,700 climbing out at our altitude .

Secure again ... but after the damage had been done. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

----------------------------

-----

A. Well, I got pictures of it when it was fairly a new airplane and that's what I went by. I've got all the records since it was brand new. I don't know if it's really authentic but it's from a long time back .

Q. (It sure looks authentic. Did you have any problems getting it licensed?) A. No. Not a bit. The airworthiness certificate was still good and my son足 in-law is an AI.

Q. (Oh, that helps.) A. And so I had to twist his arm and let him fly it a little.

Q. (Sure.) A . But he licenses it for me each year. The Cub suffered heavy aileron and rear spar damage of the left wing.

Q. (Well good. What's your flying background, fohn ?) A . Well, I joined the Aviation Cadets in 1943 but I got washed out before I got my wings. I was taking basic at Johnson 's Flying Service in Missoula, Montana. They washed out 63,000 one day and sent us all to the infantry. But I told them when they did that I was still going to have my license some day and then when I got home I didn't get my license until ' 58. 'Cause I bought a farm when I got home and I went to farming but I got my private in '58 and my commercial in '60 and I was spray足 ing just a little bit and then I went to hauling crew to the gas wells in my spare time.

Q. (What in?) A. In a 206, turbo 206, but I found out that wasn ' t fun. I raised alfalfa seed and we had to spray it for onion thrip and to get it to set seed. I just did my own .

'2. (What kind of plane did you use for that? ) A. J-3 .

Q. (Goodfor you. What engine in it?) A. It had a 65 converted to a 75 .

Q. (What load could you carry at that elevation? )

The right main wheel was cracked. 24 NOVEMBER 1988

A. It seemed like about 25 gallons but we only put on two gallons to the acre so you covered quite a few acres, spray early in the morning or late at night.

and the Mack Postmistress , she was still in bed, and she thought "Oh my God, I'm late for work." But I was an hour early because I had to go some place . Some of the guys say that they can set their watch by me.

Q. (Well that's interesting. Do you ever stop and give them a ride ?) A. Oh, yes, I've given them all rides . I tell them that I go by myself to meet me there at seven and all of them that I go over they've come out and went one day or another with me.

Q. (They meet you at your strip.) A . Up at my strip and J then I take them on the route. 1987 photo of the 40-hp Continental.

Q. (Tell me about some of the airplanes you've built, John.) A. Well I've built a Woody Pusher, a Smith Miniplane , and I've restored four T Crafts, a Vagabond, a Clipper, a Tripacer, how many others?

Q. (How' d you have time to farm ?) A. This is in the winter. I restore airplanes in the winter like the Woody Pusher took me two winters to build and the Smith Miniplane took three winters. And of course, I could rebuild a T Craft each winter after I got them others rebu i It.

Q. (John, how much flying do you do these days ?)

A . At 7:30 every morning I go. I kind of got a route down there in the valley and I take off and it takes about 20 minutes and I fly every morning . Last year I missed about six mornings that I never went on account of weather or if I wasn't at home. But that's just one of them things that if I didn't do it the neighbors would think I was sick or something.

Q. (What all do you look at during that flight?) A. Seems like everday I see something else to look at. I go over , well I kind of got a route, I go over different people's houses, wave at them . One morning I went about an hour early

Q. (Is your strip marked on the section als? ) A. Yes, it's Mack Mesa Airport. It's 20 miles west of Grand Junction, in fact , we're right on the Grand Junction ILS . Of course they're 6,000 feet above us when they go over. We're in the procedure tum.

Q. (I see.) A . We were going to try to get a black top but our local taxes would cost us too much so we just graveled it and it's packed real tight, just like cement so we don't ding any props. It's an all weather strip .

Q. (Do you ever fly on skis in the winter?) A. Never have .

Q. (Could you

if you wanted to ?)

A . Well, we don't have much snow down in the valley. Last year we had four inches once and it lasted two days . One winter we had two foot and it lasted all winter but that was kind of unusual. We have lots of snow in the mountains around us but none down in the valley. We call this the banana belt of Colorado, it's such nice weath er.

Q. (You said that's what makes it so nice to live there.) A. Yes, of course I was born and raised there. I've been all over the United States but I wouldn't trade that valley for anyplace . Unless it was Wisconsin in the summer. • NC 16769 may fly again after an auction sale by AVEMCO. It was totalled in the storm. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

The following is a partial listing of new members who have joined the EAA Antique/Classic Division (through September 18, 1988). We are honored to welcome them into the organization whose members' common interest is vintage aircraft. Succeeding issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE will contain additional listings of new members.

Albright, Robert Streetsboro, Ohio

Brandt, Roger Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Confer, Ronald Morrison, Colorado

Finan, James Indialantic, Florida

Allan, Jan Lidingo, Sweden

Breand, Andre Thiais, France

Conwell, William Burlingame, California

Forrester, James Carraopolis, Pennsylvania

Allenspach, Heinz Planken, Lichtenstein

Brooks, Elger Manton, Michigan

Cooley, Robert Michigan City, Indiana

Francis, Dan Wappingers Falls, New York

Ament, Frank Sandwich, Illinois

Brusilow, Michael Albany, New York

Cornwell, Paul Littleton, Colorado

French, F. Lynn Crawford, Colorado

Anderson, Michael Cedar Hill, Texas

Burnidge, Scott Elgin, Illinois

Craig, Greer EI Paso, Texas

Frysinger, Earl Portland, Oregon

Armbrust, Douglas Greensburg, Pennsylvania

Butler, Manley Jr. California City, California

Cudd, David Charlotte, North Carolina

Galway, David Port Credit, Ontario

Babaganian, Arthur Michigan City, Indiana

Calvert, Ian Alexandria, Virginia

Davideit, Dennis Plymouth, Minnesota

Gambrell, Robert Columbia, South Carolina

Bailey, Robert Shoreview, Minnesota

Calvo, Tony Anchorage, Alaska

DeVreis, Robert Jamaica, New York

Goranson, Ronald Bartlett, Illinois

Baird, Henry Talbott, Tennessee

Capps,Ron Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

DeYoung, Roger Tucson, Arizona

Baker, James Colorado Springs, Colorado

Carothers, Rhonda Freemont, California

Durr, Robert Escondido, California

Ballantyne, John Nashville, Illinois

Carr, Donald Saratoga, California

Egbert, Frank Los Altos, California

Beaulieu, Ronald Fall River, Massachusetts

Carvlho, Jose Porto Alegre, Brazil

Ehrenstrom, Ingemar Osterskar, Sweden

Begley, Paul Victoria, Australia

Case, James Indian River, Michigan

Elbel, George Cincinnati, Ohio

Bennett,John Arcata, California

Cheslack, Patricia Aurora, Colorado

Elsing, Myles Corona Del Mar, California

Binns, John Walled Lake, Michigan

Cisre Reynes, Miguel Mallorea, Spain

Elton, Ronald Platte City, Missouri

Blackner, John Winnipeg, Manitoba

Clason, Roy Zephyr Cove, Nevada

Esch, Martha Fairview Park, Ohio

Bodin, Clifford Eden Prairie, Minnesota

Coates, Samuel Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

Farinha, Christopher Auburn, California

Bodinar, John Victoria, Australia

Cochrane, James Crystal Lake, Illinois

Farmer, Robert APO New York

Boettcher, James Enon. Ohio

Coddington, Ken Thousand Oaks, California

Fehling, Richard Columbia City, Indiana

Hower, Linn Idaho Falls, Idaho

Boyce, Gerald Lynn Camden. South Carolina

Combs, P. Douglas Incline Village. Nevada

Fein, Edythe Gordon Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Opdycke, Leonard Poughkeepsie, New York.

26 NOVEMBER 1988

Green, Francis III Frankfort, New York Gygax, Larry Waukesha, Wisconsin Hansen, Harry Hamilton, Texas Haskell, Curt Davison, Michigan Hatten, Tom Spokane, Washington Hayes, Larry Thousand Oaks, California Hayes, Robert Mogadore, Ohio Headley, Thomas Madison, Alabama Hollister, Ashley New York, New York Honigford, Eugene Delphos, Ohio Hooper, Clint Wichitaw Falls, Texas

WITNESS TO THE EXECUTION

The Odyssey of Amelia Earhart Amelia Earhart, founder and first President of the Ninety-Nines and aviator of worldwide reputation, was lost at sea in 1937 on the last leg of a sensational round-the-world flight. Her mysterious disappearance has haunted historians ever since. Now, author Ie. "Buddy" Brennan reveals his startling conclusions on what really happened to Amelia Earhart following her disappearance somewhere in the Pacific.

The author holds an artifact recovered at his dig site on the island of Saipan. Could it be the blindfold worn by Amelia Earhart just prior to her execution?

IC. "Buddy" Brennan's painstakingly researched book - and the dynamic high-quality videotape that includes eyewitnesses! - are now available from the EAA Audio Visual Communications Group. Video Tape $19.95 (please specify VHS, Beta or 8mm) Hardcover book only $19.95 Softcover Book $11.95 Book Pack including both the Video Tape and Softcover Book $34.00

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"Buddy brings the whole adven足 ture into your home as if you were personally discussing the trip. The story rings so true, you have the itch to go with him on his next journey to Saipan in the hope of being there when the mystery is brought to its ultimate conclusion:' Hazel H. Jones Past International President, The Ninety-Nines

Don't miss this opportunity to own WITNESS TO THE EXECUTION,

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FOR IMMEDIATE ORDERS CALL 1-800-843-3612 (Wisconsin Residents Call 1-800-236-4800)

EM AudioNideo Attn: MOV DEPT, Wittman Airfield Oshkosh, WI 54903-3065

MEMBERSHIP

INFORMATION

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Leo Opdycke , Editor

W. W.1 AERO (1900·1 919), and SKYWAYS (1 920·1940):

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our two Journals, which contain:

Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is $30.00 for one year, including 12 issues of Sport Aviation. Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $18.00 annually. Family Member ship is available for an additional $10.00 annually.

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information on current projects news of museums and airshow5 techn ical drawings, data photographs scale modelling material news of current publications of all kinds

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historica l research workshop notes information on paint and color aeroplanes, engines , parts for sale PLUS: your wants and disposals PLUS more ..

Sample copies $4 each.

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ANTIQUE/CLASSICS EAA Member - $18.00. Includes one year membership in EAA An tique-Classic Division, 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card. Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number. Non-EAA Member - $28.00. In cludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division, 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Air plane, one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards. Sport Aviation not included.

Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet. ..

25e per word, 20 word minimum. Send your ad to

The Vintage Trader, Wittman Ai rtield

Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591.

lAC

Membership in the International

Aerobatic Club, Inc. is $25.00 an

AIRCRAFT: nually which includes 12 issues of

Sport Aerobatics. All lAC members

Chester's GOON, GEE BEE's, " BULLDOG," are required to be members of EAA.

WARBIRDS Membership in the Warbirds of America, Inc. is $25.00 per year, which includes a subscription to Warblrds. Warbird members are required to be members of EAA.

MONOCOUPE " 110", Culver " Cadet ", etc. Plans catalog $3.00, REFUNDABLE: Vern Clements, AI C 5989, 308 Palo Alto Drive, Caldwell , 10 82605. (11·2)

Complete J-3 tail group - covered with Stits Poly-Fiber through silver - professional quality also PA-18 rudder and fin - must sell. Call 5071 437-3534. (11-1)

EAA EXPERIMENTER 1931 Heath Parasol - Model V, with Heath B-4 EAA membership and EAA EXPERI engine. Spare Heath-Henderson engine. Restored , MENTER magazine is available for ready for assembly. Also have very nice Continen $28.00 per year (Sport Aviation not tal A·40·4, and complete set of Cub J·3 service included). Current EAA members letters. Make offers. 312/742-2041, Illinois. (11-1) may receive EAA EXPERIMENTER for $18.00 per year.

PLANS:

FOREIGN

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Please submit your remittance with

a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable States dollars.

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POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol- unlimited in low·cost pleasu re 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.

Make checks payable to EAA or the division in which membership is ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of desired. Address all letters to EAA unlimited aerobatics. 23 sheets of clear, easy to or the particular division at the fol follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical draw lowing address:

WITTMAN AIRFIELD

OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086

PHONE (414) 426-4800

OFFICE HOURS:

8:15-5:00 MON.-FRI.

28 NOVEMBER 1988

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.

ENGINES & ACCESSORIES: Bendix DR4N-2021 Dual magneto - New with Dura-Blue harnesses. Save weight and a drive. Make offer (no collect). 214/248-4104. (11-2)

MISCELLANEOUS: Have We Got A Part for You! 20 years accumula tion of parts for all types of aircraft - antiques . classics, homebuilts, warbirds. Everything from the spinner to the tail wheel. Air Salvage of Arkansas, Rt. 1, Box 8020, Mena, AR 71953 , phone 501 /394· 1022 or 501 /394-2342. (3-2/579111) CUSTOM EMBROIDERED PATCHES. Made to suit your design, any size, shape, colors. Five patch minimum. Free random sample and brochure. Hein Specialties, 4202P North Drake, Chicago, IL 60618·1113. (c·2/89) AN OPEN COCKPIT VOX INTERCOM THAT WORKS! A two-squelch electronic system guaranteed to eliminate open mics and STILL be voice activated I Interfaces with handheld com radios. Record and self·muting music inputs. ATC override. All kits include assembled PC board. Up to 50 hrs. with 9VDC battery or power with 8 . 32VDC. FIVE YEAR WARRANTY. Two place kit $75.00. AAMWELL TECHNOLOGY, 2744 E. Glen rosa, Phoenix, AZ 85016, 602/955·8857 evenings. (11·89 /3) 1910-1950 Aviation items for sale - helmets, goggles. instruments, manuals. everything original and old. 44·page catalog available, $5.00. Air· mailed. Jon Aldrich, POB-706, Airport, Groveland, CA 95321 . (1·89 /5)

TOOLS: Tools, hand & power for all aircraft work. Rivet· ers - Drills· Fasteners - Accessories - Tool Kits. Everything for the kit builder - 96-page catalog available. $2.00 (refundable with first order). U. S. Industrial Tool & Supply Company. 15159 Cleat Street, Plymouth, MI 48170. Call toll·free 1·800· 521·4800. (4 /89·6)

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The fabulous times of Turner, Doolittle, Wedell and Wittman recreated as never before in this 600-page two-volume series. Printed on high grade paper with sharp, clear photo reproduction. Official race results 1927 through 1939 - more than 1,000 photos - 3-view drawings - scores of articles about people and planes that recapture the glory, the drama, the excitement of air racing during the golden years. Vol. I (no. 21 -14452) and Vol. II (no. 21 -14451) are sold for $14.95 each, with postage charges of $2.40 for one volume and $3.65 for two volumes. Send your check or money order to: EAA Aviation Foundation, Attn: Dept. MO, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086,414/426-4800. Outside Wisconsin, phone 1-800-843-3612.

THE BUILDING OF THE

AVIATION HISTORY AS IT HAPPENED!

CALL TOLL FREE: 1路800路843路3612 AVAILABLE ATEAA OSHKOSH '88 or SHIPPED AFTER AUG. 7, 1988 'plus $3 shipping/handling (WI residents add 5% sales tax)

by George A. Hardie, Jr

This high-wing cabin monoplane bore the name of an early airplane de signer. The photo is from the collection fo the late Burton Kemp of Chicago , an early EAA member. The date and location are unknown . Answers will be published in the February, 1989 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE . Deadline for that issue is December 10 , 1988 . The Mystery Plane for August is a Thomas seaplane . There seems to be a question as to which model seaplane it is. Quoting form the aritcle on the Thomas Aeroplane Company in the 1919 Aircraft Yearbook: 'Thomas engines began now to be used regularly by the Thomas Aerop lane Company in its flying craft. Two seaplanes were constructed for the naval department in 1915 with 140-hp power plane , and justified the intro duction of the new engines by attaining a speed of 82 mph and mounting to 2,700 feet in 10 minutes, with passen ger, pilot , and fuel for four hours. Soon after their completion, model 05 was built for the Signal Corps. Its 135

hp engine drove it at a speed of 86 mph and permitted a climb of 3,600 feet in 10 minutes with a full load ." A photo of the 05 , a landplane , re sembles the seaplane shown in the Mystery photo . Quoting again from the Yearbook article: "The government was now reo[

ganizing its small flying sections, and came to the Thomas Aeroplane Com pany for machines . In August , 1916 a two-seater training hydro-airplane was ready . . . " Only one answer was received . Charley Hayes of Park Forest , Illinoi s correctly identified the aircraft.

Thomas Seaplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31