A _

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Restorer's
Corner
fJJ1/ .J.R. NIELAI\DER,..JFI.
As your EAA Antique/Classic Divi sion grows larger
and attracts more members in a particular area, these
members, each having a common interest in older air-
craft, naturally want to share their enthusiasm and
activities. The result is that your Division Headquarters
receives another inquiry regarding the possibility of
forming a local or regional chapter. These inquiries vary
all the way from "Is it possible toform achapter?"and
"Does the Division have chapters?" tothe more positive
approach of "We have X number of Division members
who want to form a Chapter. Please send us the neces-
sary information on how to accomplish it." In answer to
the first two questions, it most certainly is possible to
form an Antique/Classic Division Chapter, and we have
several organized, operating and going strong atthe pre-
sent time. Our oldest and largest chapter is the Florida
Sport Aviation Antiqueand Classic Association.This is a
state-wide chapter which is so active that it actually at-
tracts over ten percent of its membership from outside
the state boundaries. It is one of the sponsoring groups
of the Sun 'n Fun (Snow 'n Frost?) Fly-In at Lakeland
each January and also is the group restoring the Laird
SuperSolution for the EAA Museum.
The East Coast is represented by another Divi sion
Chapter, the North Carolina, South Carolina, and Vir-
ginia Antique Airpl ane Foundation, Inc. This isanother
very active chapter which is responsible for severalexcel-
lent East Coast fly-ins each year. Incidently, both the
Florida and Carolinas-Virginia Chapters put out excel-
lent publications, more like small magazines than news-
letters.
Down Texas way are the Houston Antiquers,
Antique/Classic Chapter 2, who sponsor a very success-
ful fly-in at Conroe each year in May. On the opposite
side of the country, just to keep things balanced, is the
Minnesota Chapter, Antique/Classic Chapter 3.
The Vintage Aircraft Section of the Sport Aircraft
Association of Australia has indicated their intention of
affiliating with the Division as a chapter. By the time
this is published thearrangementsshould be finalized, as
their president, Pat Harrington, is at Oshkosh this year.
To give a better understanding of the requirements
for forming a chapter, the Division By-Laws Article XIV
follows:
ARTICLEXIV
CHAPTERS
Chapters may beformed as follows:
SECTION I
(a) A minimum of five (5) members in good stand-
ing shall be required to form aChapter.
(b) Chapters shall have a President, Vice-Presid ent,
Secretary-TreasurerorSecretary and Treasurer.
(c) Each Chapter shall have a name. In addition to
the name chosen by theChapter members, this Corpora-
tion shall assign numbersto Chapters .
(d) The Chapters shall follow the Constitution and
By-Laws issued by the Corporation.

1. A By-Law supplement may be adopted by
Chapters to fulfill their local need, and a
copy of same shall be forwarded to the
Headquarters.
(e) Each Chapter shall incorporate itself in its own
state under a category "Education-Not for Profit" cor-
poration within six (6) monthsafterthe ChapterCharter
has been issued.
(f) Any Chapterformed on astate wide, multi-state,
or national level may by-pass the Chapter numberassign-
ment and use a designation describing its function more
exactly.
SECTION II.
The CORPORATION shall not be liable for any acti-
vities of individual Chapters of whatsoever kind of
nature, and any such activities shall be conducted solely
at the risk ofeach Chapter.
Thus your Division very definitely encourages the
formation ofchapters, and Division Headquarterswill be
happy toassist with theirformation in any way possible.
Whether the chapter is formed on a local basis, or
whether it is state-wide, regional, or national is stri ctly a
matter ofthe desires and ambitionsofthecharter mem-
bersofthe chapterand theirelected officers.
Editor's Note:
Due to a technical difficulty with the mailing of
your July issue, the mailing was delayed four weeks
after it left the printer. The problem was not called
to our attention. It is sad that you could not have
had the Lindbergh issue beforeConvention time.
AI Kelch
Editorial
Staff
Editor Assistant Editor
Paul H. Poberezny AI Kelch Lois Kelch
Associate Editor Associate Editor Associate Editor
H. Glenn Buffington Robert G. Elliott Edward D. Williams
818W. Crockett St. No. 201 1227 Oakwood Ave. 713 Eastman Dr.
Seattl e, Washington 98119 Daytona Beach, Florida 32014 Mt. Prospect, Illinois60056
Associate Editors will be identified in the table of can
tents on articles they send in and repeated on the article
if they have written it. Associate Editorships will be
assigned to those who qualify (5 articles in any calendar
year).
ANTIOUE ANDCLASSIC
DIVISION
OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
J.R. NIELANDER,JR.
P.O. BOX2464
FT. LAUDERDALE, FL33303
VICE-PRESIDENT
JACKWINTHROP
RT. 1, BOX 111
ALLEN,TX75002
SECRETARY
RICHARDWAGNER
P.O.BOX 181
LYONS,WI 53148
TREASURER
E.E."BUCK"HILBERT
8102 LEECH RD.
UNION,IL60180
Directors
Claude L. Gray, Jr. AI Kelch
9635 Sylvia Avenue 7018W. Bonniwell Road
Northridge, California91324 Mequon,Wisconsin 53092
James B. Horne Evander M. Britt
3840Coronation Road Box 1525
Eagan, Minnesota 55122 Lumberton, North Carolina 28358
George E.Stubbs M. C. "Kelly" Viets
Box 113 RR 1.Box 151
Brownsburg. Indiana 46112 Stillwell, Kansas 66085
William J. Ehlen Morton Lester
Route8. Box 506 P.O. Box3747
Tampa. Florida 33618 Martinsville, Virginia 24112
Advisors
W. Brad Thomas.Jr.
301 Dodson Mill Road
Pilot Mountain,North Carolina 27041
Robert A. White
1207 Falcon Drive
Orlando, Florida32B03
Arthur R. Morgan
513 North 91s1 Street
Milwaukee,Wisconsin 53226
Dale A. Gustafson
7724 Shady Hill Drive
Indianapolis, IN46274
Roger J . Sherron
446-C Las Casitas
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Stan Gomoll
104290th Lane, N.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55434
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
ANTIQUE / CLASSIC
DIVISION
of
THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFTASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 229Hales Corners, Wis. 53130
AUGUST1977 VOLUME 5 NUMBER 8
Restorer'sCorner ...... ..... .......,.......... ...................1
Cub Coupe ......................................,.............. 3
ICan Fly .. . ...,. . ......" .. ...................................8
Angora Sweater .... ,....................................,.......8
Vintage Album ... ....... .. .. ..,.................................9
Aeronca ,.................,..,. .. ... . .....,... ... .............11
Retrospect ....................................................16
The Restoration oftheSchweizer1- 19.. . ..... ... .. . ..... . . .. .. .....17
EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION MEMBERSHIP
oNON-EAA MEMBER - $34.00. Includes one year membership in the EM Antique/Classic Division, 12
monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; one year membership in the Experimental Aircraft Associa-
tion, 12 monthlyissuesofSPORTAVIATION and separate membership cards.
oNON-EM MEMBER - $20.00. Includes one year membership in the EMAntique/Classic Division, 12
monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; c.ne year membership in the ExperimentalAircraft Associa-
tion and separate membership cards. SPORTAVIATION notincluded.
o EAA MEMBER - $14.00. Includesone year membership in the EMAntique/Classic Division, 12 monthly
issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE and membership card. (Applicant must be current EMmemberand
must give EMmembership number.
PICTURE BOX
ONTHE COVER (bckCover)
ALAN ANDERSON'S }4A winner Where? When? This }-7 Standard
of the "Outstanding Workmanship" with a Hall-Scott Engine was surely
award Oshkosh 7976. See story on doing something right on this day.
page 3. (Photo by Author). (Photo credit by Bob McDaniels).
Copyright 1977AntiqueClassicAircraft, Inco All Rights Reserved.
THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is owned exclusively by Antique Classic Aircraft. Inc. and is published monthly at
Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130_ Second class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Office, Hales Corners,Wisconsin
53130. and additional mailing offices_ Membership rates for Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc.at $14.00per 12month
period of which $10.00 is for the public.ation of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are
interested inaviation.
2
Photos furnished by Author.
By: ALAN P. ANDERSON
28488 Swan Island Drive
Grosse lie, Michigan 48738
Prior to having entered my 1940 Piper )4A in the
1976 Oshkosh event, I had entertained thoughts ofpre-
paring an article on the trials and tribulations ofa typi-
cal antique re:;toration. After having the good fortune to
win the Outstanding Workmanship Award and after
having r'ead the exploitsofothervintage restorers whose
efforts were far more stringent than mine, I elected to
prepare this article addressing itself primarily to recon-
struction and workmanship techniques used on the Cub
Coupe. Perhaps someone may acquire some useful in-
formation for their project. At the outset, an apprecia-
tive word must be made for those people in my past
whose scrupulous attention to detail and technical gui-
dance inspired and critiqued the restoration over the ten
years ofpart time effort.
Perhaps it is worthwhile to discuss briefly the Piper
)4A series as I researched it. Evidently the )4series was
an ear ly, if notthe first, efforton their part to develop a
"Lincoln Continental" of their already successful pro-
duct line. It was introduced in or about 1939 as the )4
and is best described by the accompanying photograph.
In 1940, it was designated the "A" series and subse-
quently the "E" in 1941 and represented a virtually all
new aircraft from 1939 including such sophisticated
items as pressure cooling, an optional starter, 2 cabin
doors, hydraulic brakes (such as they are), oleo damp-
ening, etc. The original Department of Commerce CAA
specifications show exceptional variety of options that
were offered in this aircraft. For purposes of con-
venience, I will describe the restoration in terms ofsub-
assemblies similar to the original parts manual Ihad the
good fortune to obtain from a )4E owner.
FUSELAGE:
The aircraft was pmchased in a "theoretically fly-
able" condition. The owner, in fact, volunteered to fly it
to an airport closer to my home, I declined. Close in-
spection of the fuselage tubing after thorough sand-
blasting and punch testing, revealed that the lower
longerons from the number 3 bay to the tail post in-
cluding half ofthe rudder post were corroded through.
(A word to the wise on older aircraft stored for long
periods of time). As any antique restorer knows, there
are several techniquesavailable for thesplicingoftubing.
If the intent is a restoration with a high quality finish,
longerons should be repaired by the inner sleeve
method: the success of any quality final finish is the
heart oftheconstruction. Spruce stringers were removed
and used for patterns only. This aircraft had an excep-
tional number of stringers, unique to the design, re-
quir'ing the milling of special stringers for installation.
Again, distorted stringers will destroy the final appear-
ance of any fuselage and would be as unacceptable as
crooked seams on Betty Grable's famous legs. Removal
of original tubing was preceded by the following two
precautions to retain proper fuselage alignment. Critical
points on the fuselage such as gear points, wing root
brackets, were jigged with a fixture welded and fab-
ricated from electrical conduit. Additional stiffness to
this fixture was accomplished by cables and turnbuckles
ridgidly attached to the shopfloor and ceiling. This may
sound like a ludicrous amount of precautions but the
reward was afinal fuselage completely rebuilt and within
3/32" of perfect alignment in all planes. The even-
tual hands off flying properties are well worth this
preliminary effort. In my judgment, the time consumed
in this preliminary effort is inevitably offset by the time
required in trimming an airplane that insists in screwing
itself through the air. The weld techniques employed
wcr-e conventional gas welding except for the wrapping
of all tubing adjacent to a joint with asbestos to reduce
heat rejection and its accompanying problems. This was
particularly trueat a bay with five ormore intersections,
All welds were sandblasted and inspected prior to paint
application. On this particular aircraft, it was apparent
that little effort was put forth in proper door fit. Door
gap variation as I received it ran between 3/8"to 0"
clearance. Since I am particularly sensitive tothe results
of poor door fit (after having worked with Body Engi-
neering at Ford Motor Company for some time), I
elected to attack the problem in a manner familiar to the
automotive industry; i.e., doors are fitted to the basic
structure and not vice versa. This may sound like a
casual "either/or" alternative, butexperience has proven
that proper door fit is best obtained by the following
method: The basic structure is fabricated, in this case
repaired, to near original configuration. The doors, the
lower half ofwhich had been completely corroded, were
completely sandblasted and tack welded and subse-
quently fitted to the dooropenings. Shims ofthe proper
clearance dimensions in this case 3/16" front bottom
and rear, 1/8"top were attached to theopeningand the
door was modified accordingly until the fit was accept-
able. Then the doors were subsequently welded and the
outer skin attached. The overlappingdoorflange techni-
que was used for proper sealing. This was notemployed
on theoriginal aircraft butis mandatory for proper wind
noise and water leakage prevention, Corrosion im-
pedance measures were accomplished as follows: Apres-
sure can was fabricated capable of holding approxi-
mately 1/2 gallon of Par-al-keytone. This was heated on
3
an electric heater and pressurized to 5 PSI. A hose was
threaded into a 1/8" tapped hole in the tubing which
had been previously interconnected by small drilled
holes prior to welding. Pressure application of hot Par-
ai-key tone seems to be the optimum application for
complete distribution of anti-corrosion material. A final
note on simplified working techniques, a rotating "bar-
beque spit" was fabricated for sandblasting, basic weld-
ing and final zinc chromating. Proper construction
technique requires the best conditions possible, and
welding, sandblasting or painting while standing on your
head is ridiculous!
WINGS:
With the exception of improper rib repairs, a dry rot-
ted tip bow, cracked ribs, corroded reinforcements, a
cracked ai leron false spar, dented leading edges, shorted
navigational wiring, the wings appeared to be in accept-
able condition. By some miracle, the spars were in ex-
cellent condition, including a repair made on one main
spar when the aircraft was less than a year old. Even the
varnish appeared to be in good condition. Wings were
dissassembled, the spars stripped and revarnished and
new leading edges fabricated. The leading edge caps ap-
peared to be built from dead-soft aluminum which had
virtually no dent resistance. The new leading edge caps
were fabricated from 2024T3. In order to achieve uni-
formity in these new leading edge sections, in a material
such as 2024T3 required additional effort. Three pieces
of 2 inch galvinized pipe were fabricated into a set of
temporarily 15' rolls. This allowed the sections to be
built with uniformity (and much grunting and swearing).
The ribs were originally aluminum T section fabrication
and were repaired in the conventional manner of an
overlapping T section employing the excellent Avdel
rivet. The dry rotted tip bow was replaced by a tip bow
similar section fabricated from a Tri-Pacer bow. It is
interesting to note that one bow was reinforced internally
on the airplane as received, while the other was not.
Since the reinforcement appeared to be homemade,' it
was discarded. This was a mistake in that when the wing
fabric shrunk, it became apparent why the reinforce-
ments were there, in that the bow collapsed. Original
wing drawings revealed two reinforcements to the tip
bow and these were subsequently installed, after the new
tip fabric on one wing was removed and a new "mini"-
envelope sewn.
It is important to stress the need for properly aligned
aileron pivots. This was accomplished by acquiring an 8'
7939 Piper }4 - Note cowling similar to}3 Cub
and original Cub Emblem.
section of drill rod and using it as a guide for determing
proper pivot alignment. Pivot alignment was considered
acceptable when the rod could be easily rotated by
gentle thumb and index finger movement. The pay-off
came in the excellent quality and feel of the ailerons of
th is aircraft.
TAIL SURFACES:
The tai I surfaces on the Piper J 4A are conventional
Piper but larger and with no interchangeability whatso-
ever; hangar flying theories to the contrary. The hinge
pivots are smaller and, of course, the trim mechanism is
completely unique to the J4 series. It employs a trim tab
on the left elevator half in contrast to the familiar Piper
Cub jack mechanism on the stabilizer. Aerodynamic
flying wires are used on the tail surfaces and after sand-
blasting, I was fortunate to find that they were in per-
fect condition. Subsequent magnafluxing of these flying
wires proved my eyebal.l observations to be correct and
they were reused on the aircraft.
CHASSIS:
Along with the many other differences between the
J4 and J4A and E, the landing gear differences are signifi-
cant in that the A/E series is larger. The oleo strut sys-
tem required major rework of the original system in
order to get them to work properly. As received, it was
apparent that the previous owners had never accom-
4
plished proper operation, had given up and subsequently
filled the entire oleo with axle grease! Three of the four
oleo springs were broken and all seals were inoperative.
New aluminum sliding components were machined em-
ploying modern high pressure lip seals and stainless steel
drive tubes were fabricated using the original parts for
models. New springs were made with a slightly higher
rate and these modifications have subsequently proven
to be successful. The brakes were hydraulic expander
types and appeared to be in fair condition at the drum
end and completely inoperative at the master cylinder
end. A previous owner had apparently combined auto-
motive brake fluid and aircraft fluid resulting in the
complete destruction of the master cylinder seals and
pistons. 1938, 39, 40Chrysler/DeSoto automotive repair
kits were found to be similar to the original master cyl-
inder components. These were used in the rebuilding of
the master cylinders. It then remained for a fluid to be
found that was compatible with automotive master cyl-
inder components and aircraft expander tubes. As is pro-
bably known to the readers, automotive brake fluid is
one of the most excellent paint removers available. The
ultimate nightmare would be to restore a vintage aircraft
and end up with a destroyed underbelly as th e result of a
leaky master cylinder. The solution was found in a
special silicone base Dow Corning brake fluid that is
compatible with all rubber seals and components and
actually harmless to painted surfaces. Let's hear it for
modern technology I The tail wheel was relatively new
and in good condition. The original quarter eliptic
springs were magnafluxed for cracks and rei nstalled
along with the entire original system. The only recurring
problem on the tail wheel has been one of dirt and/or
grass accumulation during use. It appears that after
approximately 25 hours use, dirt and grass accumulate in
the lock pin cage and stop the lock-up of th e wheel. In
1976, this resulted in an embarrasing mom ent at Osh-
kosh in which I was only able to taxi in circles in front
of what appeared to be half the spectators in the entire
world.
COCKPIT AND CONTROLS: .
The side by side seating is truly one of the best seat-
ing packages of thi s type before or since the design of
the J4A. Approximately dimensionally equal to the
Cessna 172, it has the additional advantage of having a
good "butt-to-heel" dimension. In the automotive in-
dustry, this is a key dimension for passenger comfort.
The dual control sticks retained their excellent nickel
chrome through the years and were reused as is. The
right stick is removeable for more passenger leg room,
with a lock pin located beneath the rubber floor boot.
The rudder pedals were removed, inspected and cad
plated to provide good wear resistance. The parking
brake and all emergency components (fuel control,
master switch) were painted red to color code their
priority.
An attempt was made to uncover the original interior
color combination on trim materials. For the sake of
weight and durability, new dark brown vinyl and cloth
replaced the old leatherette-mohair materials. The origi-
nal trim tab mech anism operates from an overhead crank
in a manner similar to that carried through to the
Cherokee series; certainly a tribute to the basic concept
pioneered on the J4. Operation is silky smooth; how-
ever, the actuating mechanism itself, along with the posi-
tion indicator, is a mechanic's nightmare. Consisting of
cables, pulleys, springs, a worm gear box buried inside
the elevator and a toylike miniature block and tackle, it
requires extensive effort to fabricate and install pro-
perly. An installation drawing is a must. It was apparent
that the trim mechanism had not operated for years,
which says something about the excellent flying charac-
teristics of the J 4A. Prior to assembly all cockpit con-
trols were Mol y-coated for smoothness and shimmed for
perfect alignment. This has resulted in universall y
praised control feel, by everyone who has flown 30340.
Original door locks and window slides were found to be
in fairly good condition and required only moderate ef-
fort to rebuild. Th e door key had been lost years ago
and as a result, the lock tumbler mechanism was frozen.
Apprehensively, I began to investigate potential replace-
ment sources. As it turned out, modern steelcase office
equipment uses exactly the same part and is interchange-
able. To avoid tearing out the door inner trim or lock
handle by using them as a door slamming device, I de-
viated from original and added a grab strap at the end of
the door structure for maximum leverage. This problem
is not unique to the J4A but is still common today. The
last 1976 airplane I flew had door trim obviously loose
and damaged for the same reason. I n some areas we
haven't learned much in 36 years! Last but not least in
the cockpit/controls catagory was the instrument panel.
Again, a deviation from original seemed in order. The
panel as originally conceived can best be described
esthetically as early model "pin-ball" influence. Little or
no logic was evident in instrument placement or opera-
tion. Earlier) 3 Cub designs, Wacos, Stinso ns, "etc.",
have the beauty of simplicity about them. The ea rly )4,
)4A, )4E panel abounds in chrome, gimcracks, opposite
rotating instrument faces and peculiar lumps and bumps.
Again, safety and practicability eclipsed originality and a
new panel was mocked up, revised for logic and human
factors and fabricated. A primary des ign constraint for
the ) 4A panel is the standard 16 gallon fuel tank,
mounted 5-3/4" behind the panel. This limits pl acement
for the mod ern radio whose depth usually runs about
10" to 12". The original factory installed low frequency
radio was mounted in the glove box on the right hand
side of the panel and was approximately 4-1/2" deep,
hence no problem. Hard ware store switches and fuse
holders as originally installed are unacceptable intoday's
aircraft and were replaced in a safe logical sequence by
conventional aircraft equipment, using the proven "T"
sequence of display. Any vintage restorer is always sensi-
tive about deviation from original in reconstructing any-
thing. However, I draw my personal line when it comes
to safety related systems.
ENGINE INSTALLATION :
Although the original Continental A-65-8 engine
checked out perfectly as received (980 hours total time),
any restoration worth its salt . requires major engine
rehabilitation. Since the original CAA document in -
cludes the Continental C-85-12 series as an eligible re-
placement , an engine removed from a Swift was ob-
tained, majored and installed with no maj or difficulties,
including no mount rework. Ample amounts of room
ex ist between accessory bank and firewall to permit
accessibility and removal of any component. I strongly
recommend this swap to any would-be Cub Coupe re-
storer. It brings the old girl to life with only moderate
weight change. Onl y o ne drawback exists in thi s installa-
tion. In 1976, the aircraft was entered in 2 shows, Osh-
kosh and the EAA Midwestern Regional Fly-I n at
Marion , Ohio. In both events, point penalties were given
to 30340 for the use of the C-85-12.
Propeller selection is predeter mined by the original
CAA specifications covering C-85 use. Sensenich Cor-
poration, and specifically Mr. Kern Weinhold, graciously
provided the writer their expertise in the development of
an excellent match of prop and plane : 97 MPH cruise
and 500 FPM rate of climb has been the result. Engine
cooling warrants some discussion. Prior to this installa-
tion, "experts" had advised that cooling would be a
significant problem . To further enforce my apprehen-
5
sions, the original A-65-8 was equipped with an oil
cooler as supplied from the factory. In the interests of
weight, I elected to try the C-85 engine without a cooler.
To optimize cooling capability, careful attention was
paid to baffle seals, baffle distribution plates and fit. In
addition, an aluminum crankcase duct was fabricated
similar to the Cessna 140 with its intake face fairing into
the original J4 oil cooler inlet and with its outlet
dumping cooling air onto the oil tank. The oil tempera-
ture gauge was tested and calibrated prior to installation
to guarantee good test read-out. In addition, temporary
thermocouples were installed on the spark plug gaskets
to verify head temperatures. As of this writing, nearly
100 hours have been put on the aircraft with no cooling
problems whatsoever including flights with 97
0
ambient
temperatures. The max oil temperature ever read had
been 185
0
. I n contrast to the early "expert advice", I
Original 7940 Piper advertising photo; used for
wheel pants, rudder NC size and location and
striping derivation.
am contemplating blocking off a portion of the air inlets
to improve oil temperature.
Since a different engine was being installed and the
fuel system is gravity feed, I felt it imperative to verify
proper fuel flow in accordance with Continental engine
specifications. Continental advises 1/2 to 3/4 PSI static
pressure head. Since the C-85 and the A65 centerline of
the crankshaft to carburetor port dimension is virtually
the same, fuel flow remained the same. This may seem
like a redundant check, however peace of mind resulting
from this type of ground check is well worth the effort,
and is easily checked with a fuel flow meter and a cali-
brated pressure gauge at the carburetor.
ELECT RI CAL:
One of the inherent advantages in restoration of an
aircraft with an unusual variety of options is that con
siderable latitude is given the restorer in retaining
authenticity while making the airplane a practical
machine in today's aviation scene. "The original aircraft
was supplied from the factory/dealer with low frequency "
radio, landing light, navigation lights and wind driven
generator. Both 6 and 12 volt options were available on
this aircraft. All wiring was replaced with modern air-
craft quality wiring since the original materials left con-
siderable to be desired. The old style 12 amp gear driven
generator was used on the C-85 and has performed flaw-
lessly. The only compromises to authentic electrical
systems has been the installation of the strobe on the
fuselage turtle deck, a must for any aircraft such as "mine
flown near Lake Erie and its classic year-round haze. The
battery was installed in its original location, beneath the
6
seat along with the mandatory ELT. A Genave 200
NAV/COM mounted centrally' on th e instrument panel
rounds out the el ectrical compromises.
FAIRINGS/FINAL FINISH:
Nearly all of the fairings were in fair to impossibl e
condition. The J4A shares no commonality with the Cub
in terms of fairings nor any of the other later Piper
offerings. An exceptional number are compound curve
fairings and a challenge to the restorer. Simpl e curve
fairings were formed by taking templates off of the
original fairings and forming soft pine hammer forms.
3003H10 aluminum was then formed over these blocks.
Compound curve fairings were either reformed over
hammer forms or cut and brazed together sections with
hand finishing. It is the writer's opinion that proper
fairings are one of the most significant contributors to
the final appearance of the aircraft and its eventual per
formance. Countless hours were spent fitting and
refitting the fairings until the gap seals conformed per-
fectly to the basic structure.
As factory equipped, the aircraft came with wheel
pants. The 1939 Piper J 4 used the same wheel pants as
the J3 Cub; however, the 1940, 1941 J4A and E models
used a completely unique wheel pant and for this reason
authenticity required a sizeable number of hours spent
in researching and developing proper molds to fabricate
a replica set of wheel pants. This was accomplished as
follows: An original photo supplied by Piper and an
original reduced scale drawing were photographically
blown up and scaled using the dimensionally known 800
x 4 tires on the blowups as reference. Using the front
view, side view and 3/4 view at that scale, surface lines
were developed representing the most accurate approxi-
mation of original configuration. This was transferred
into male clay models, female molds and hence to fiber-
glass. In order to properly fair in the brake drums and
attaching bracketry for proper performance, the wheel
pants could not be made absolutely symmetrical and
therefore required 4 half molds instead of the usual two.
Again, it is the individual's decision on whether this ex-
tra effort is worth the time. There appears to be a 3 to 4
mile difference in aircraft performance with and without
wheel pants.
FINISH:
The Stits Poly Fibre Process was used throughout and
has presented no problems of any kind. It appears to be
exceptionally scratch and scuff resistant. In an effort to
properly represent the ori ginal color, original color chips
were uncovered on cer tain parts of the wings and fu se-
lage and these were duplicated as accurately as poss ibl e
by bl ending commerci al Stits products. Striping of the
fuselage and rudder number location and size was
accomplished by again bl owing up a photo obtained
from Piper and dimensionally scaling the aircraft to
proper si ze, developing templates and transferring those
to a material developed by 3M Corporation which is
normally used for accent striping on automotive bodies.
This latter approach was used rather than masking and
painting the trim in order to avoid the masking tape
ridge n,)rmally associ ated with any striping. This also
permitted the fuselage stripe to be slid around much like
a decal until the proper position was obtained. The NC
numbers on the rudder are dimensionally unique to the
J4 series and in no way similar to the Cub. Again, these
numbers were made into a set of pseudo-decals and
applied on the rudder identical to the original 1940
photo. The famous Cub decal was appl ied to the vertical
fin referencing the original photo. To the best of my
knowledge, the 1'4 Cub Coupe actually pioneered this
decal and not the J 3. It would be interesting to hear
from readers in this regard.
In order to make rib stitching as uniform as possible
with minimum protrusions, two basic steps were taken.
First, all rib stitches were exactly spaced on the
stretched fabric by pencil marks in order to obtain per-
fect dimensional spacing, top and bottom, on all ribs.
Today's popular hand calculator was an invaluable tool
in this regard. Second, in order to "soften" the sharpness
of the fabric surface around screws, stitches, etc., com-
mercial duct tape was employed instead of masking tape.
It provides an excellent abrasion resistant surface and
has the added value of having excellent contact adhesive
on the back side and can be built up in areas of particu-
lar abrasion or where it is desired to have a "soft line"
on the final finish.
In summary, it's anybody's guess whether extra effort
required in restoring an antique justifies the final pro-
duct. I ntangibles such as personal feelings towards vin-
tage aircraft, personal standards of workmanship, time
and the anxiety to make the plane airworthy all inter
face to determine the final outcome. We probably all
delude ourselves during the project into thinking th at we
will keep the airplane forever and therefore any expense
is justified. We all realize, subconsciously, that this never
happens. Someone else inevitably becomes the eventual
recipient of our efforts, good or bad, therefore work-
manship must stand by it self, and the pride of knowing
you did it a certain way. I used to ques tio n my fa ther on
wh y he would spend endl ess hours poli shing the insid e
of some mechani sm when noone would know he had
done it; hi s answer was " because I'll always know it' s
there". ! guess that says it all .
NC 30340
1940 PIPER J4A CUB COUPE
DATE OF
MANUFACTURE : JULY 18, 1940
REBUIL T: 19661976
AI RFRAME SERIAL
NUMBER: 4- 1169
ENGINE : CONT IN ENTAL C-85-12F
SERIAL NUMBER: 20971-6-12
PROPELLER: SENSENICH 74FK47
ORIGINAL
PAINT COLOR : TAKEN FROM COLOR CHIP
ORIGINAL
TRIM SCHEME : TAKEN FROM PIPER PHOTO
REPLICA
SPINNER: TAKEN FROM PIPER PHOTO
REPLICA WHEEL
PANTS, UNIQUE
FOR 1940J4A: FABRICATED FROM
ORIGINAL DRAWINGS
Editor's Note
All fuselages seem to rust from the inside. I add
AMEN to coating of the tubes internally to complete
a good restoration. An easier product to use that is
comparable to the original log oil is Val-Oil, made by
Valspar Incorporated, Rockford, Illinois and doesn't
require heating.
AI Kelch
7
I GAN FltJ
AS TOLDTO
MARYANDERSON
BY PIPERJ4A
NC30340
Potential Winner for
"Outstanding Patience"
atany Restorer's Convention
I have been sitting in this field for what seems like
years, and each passing winter brings more drafts and
more ice to this old body, and each passing summer
means another nest of birds around my engine. But what
is this I see, a gentleman with genuine interest in his eyes
as he pokes and probes about my body.
Oh joy of joy, he is taking me to his home, this kind
hearted gent leman with the concerned eyes. I t is ever so
cold and I really need a place to warm myself but what
is this; he is taking my fabric off and baring my soul to
the world. Heavens, all this talk of rotting skin and rusty
tubes; even my heart needs a thorough going over, or
better yet, according to "concerned eyes", a power
transplant. Oh, the indignity of it al l!
First, I'm stri pped to the bone and then various mem-
bers of my skeleton are dismantled . My varnish is peeled
off and I get sanded, sandblasted, new bits and pieces,
welded, varnished, painted, preserved, strung up, stuck
together, fondled, loved and finally put in a semblance
of order.
After my fuselage was fully restored to prime condi-
tion, my owner rolled me out of the garage to be painted
and some wise little kid came over and wanted to play
on the neat "jungle gym", imagine th at! But I got
clea ned off and painted and best of all, new ski n. Just
didn't realize that it required so must sanding, painting,
sand ing, painting and finally the last bright and shiny
coat of Creamy Yellow (really my best color). How nice
it would be if my owner could work faster so I could get
back together and race about the skies, but this is not to
be. It seems that my owner is a perfectionist, besides
having several different interests at the same time; one of
which was taking time out to drive his wife to the hospi-
ta l to have their first child. You'll be surpri sed to know
that that baby was five years old before I fina ll y got off
the ground. Well, I'm all painted and now my owner
wants to work on my wings so he just rolled me into the
house. After all, just about anybody can have antique
furnit ure but not everyone can have an antique airplane
in the li ving room!
The work on the wings goes slowly too; but finally I
am ready for recoveri ng and then the long process of
rib-stitching begins; helped and hindered by the owner's
wife who is pregnant agai n (has it really been four years
si nce that last baby and the early labor which was in-
duced by bucking rivets
7
Let all wives beware). For-
tunately, rib stitching complet ion precedes baby. More
painting, sanding, painting, sanding and painting. It's
amazing that my owners have any finger prints re-
maining.
The Big Day arrives, my new engine is mounted, I'm
all painted and the long, arduous moving procedure is
over and I'm at the ai rport, and I'm actually being put
together (after ten years, it sure feels great!) Wings are
attached to fuselage, wei ght and balance completed,
cabin is finished and I'm ready to go. However, I must
sit and cool my wheel pants for several days because the
darn Spring winds are here in fu ll force, very frustrating
indeed. Good news, my owner can no longer stand it,
winds or no he decides I'm go ing to fly come eve ning. I
push my nose into the wind, roar my engine, lift my
wings and I am off to fly and dip and dive in my true
element, the air. How ex hil arating to be alive and useful
again.
My new owner made countless phone calls trying to
lea rn all he could about me and he wrote numerous
letters. I just didn't realize that so manY ' people were '
interested in me, and they surely were a big help to my
restoration. All calls were answered and were usu ally
followed up with a letter. I n the ten years of my refur-
bishing, many new friends were made and I am grateful
to them all.
ANGORA SWEATERby
Angora Sweater, this is going to be a story about
airplane building in World War II.The location was Piper
Aircraft Corporation in Lock Have n, Pa. Piper Aircraft
offered anyone who worked in the factory the chance to
fly at Club Haven Airport for a very modest fee. Welding
was the only job open at the time I applied by mail, so I
acce pted, and boarded a bus from New Jersy.
There, another girl and I had the job of putting to-
gether fuselages. Working the graveyard shift, we spent
our daylight hours flying with the doze ns of other fac-
tory workers who were there to pile up hours to get into
th e WASPs.
The other gal and I selected the proper tubing, fitted
it to the jig, then tacked and welded it. The other half
of workers who weren't there to fly, were hillbilly types
fresh from a life of hunting and fishing, who thought our
$20.00 weekly salary was a princely sum. But, in order
to cover a week of flying, plus our $4.00 rent for a room
in a boarding house, I, like most of the others, lived
entirely on cold sandwiches for many months, in order
to pile up 85 flying hours during the time I was there.
Mr. Piper could frequently be seen charging about the
factory, and once he chewed me out for grinding a tube
without wearing my safety goggles. A girl, who wore an
angora sweater on her first day in the welding school,
was warned that it was unsafe - she ended up in the
hospital for months with 3rd degree burns. But, another
habit we all had, of wearing plaid flannel shirts, brought
on another weird but not really dangerous phenomenon.
A new shirt, when hit by the first spark, would burst
into flames and engulf the wearer. I t seemed and looked
frightening, but never burned and was over in a second.
It was good for a look of terror from a new worker
however.
The camaraderie among all of us led to a lot of horse-
play. My favorite trick was to snatch the welding rod out
of someone's hand while they welded. But, once a
worker latched on tightly to the rod, instead of letting
go as I expected, and burned a neat little hole down the
middle of his palm. He wasn't mad - he'd do it to me
when he got a chance.
Toward' the ' erid,\veworked on a top secret proto-
type of the first new Piper plane to be built after the
war.
Today, I've heard, that Piper is much expanded, un-
doubtedly no one wears angora sweaters to weld in. But,
I'm sure it isn't half as much fun as it was for all of us
pilots who worked there in the old days.
8
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AI, this is the picture of my Dad's ship and was taken in 7939 at Lester
Field in Martinsville, Virginia.
Aeronca Low-Wings
1935 NC14558 ser. 1000 L-W
1935 NC15292 ser. 2000 LB
1935 NC15282 ser. 2001 LA
1936 NC15294 ser. 2002 LA
1936 NC15727 ser. 2003 LA
1936 NC15728 ser. 2004 LA
1936 NC15730 ser. 2005 LB
1936 NC15735 ser. 2006 LB
1936 NC15738 ser. 2007 LA
1936 NC15741 ser. 2008 LB
1936 NC15743 ser . 2009 LA
1936 NC157 44 ser. 2010 LA
1936 NC15747 ser. 2011 LA
1936 NC16251 ser. 2012 LB
1936 NC16253 ser. 2013 LA
1936 NC16254 ser. 2014 LB
1936 NC16258 ser. 2015 LA
1936 NC16262 ser . 2016 LB
1936 NC16266 ser. 2017 LB
1936 NC16269 ser. 2018 LB
1936 NC16271 ser. 2019 LB
1936 NC16272 ser. 2020 LB
1936 NC1627 4 ser. 2021 LC
1936 NC1627 5 ser. 2022 LB
1936 NC16278 ser. 2023 LB
1936 NC16279 ser. 2024 LA
1936 NC16280 ser. 2025 LB
1936 NC16281 ser. 2026 LB
1936 NC16284 ser. 2027 LB
1936 NC16287 ser. 2028 LC
1936 NC16289 ser. 2029 LC
1936 NC16292 ser. 2030 LC
1936 NC16293 ser. 2031 LB
1936 NC16294 ser. 2032 LB
1936 NC16297 ser. 2033 LB
1936 NC16527 ser. 2034 LA
1936 NC16526 ser. 2035 LB
1936 NC16528 ser. 2036 LB
1936 NC16531 ser. 2037 LC
1936 PP-TBO ser. 2038 LB*
1936 NC16534 ser. 2039 LB
1936 NC16537 ser. 2040 LB
1936 NC16536 ser. 2041 LB
1936 NC16538 ser. 2042 LB
1936 NC16541 ser. 2043 LB
1936 NC16543 ser. 2044 LC
1936 NC16544 ser. 2045 LC
1936 NC16548 ser. 2046 LC
1936 NC16559 ser. 2047 LC
1936 NC16561 ser. 2048 LB
1936 NC16568 ser. 2049 LC
1936 NC16574 ser. 2050 LC
1936 NC17405 ser. 2051 LC
1936 NC17410 ser. 2052 LC
1936 NC17421 ser. 2053 LC
1936 NC17425 ser. 2054 LC
1937 NC17430 ser. 2055 LC
1937 NC17442 ser. 2056 LC
1936 NC17450 ser. 2057 LC
1937 NC17478 ser. 2058 LC
1937 NC17480 ser. 2059 LC
1937 NC17484 ser. 2060 LC
1937 NC17496 ser. 2061 LC
1937 NCl7787 ser. 2062 LC
1937 NC18824 ser. 2063 LC
1937 NC18880 ser. 2064 LC
*Exported to Brazil LB
Mr . and Mr s. Al Kelch
7018 W. Bonniwell Road
Mequon, Wisconsin 53092
Dear Al and Lois:
Many m06ns ago I promised you a story on the Low Wing Aeronca.
Aft e r several faint attempts at self- di scipli ne, the job has fi nally
bee n completed.
In 1937 or 1938, my Dad acquired an Aeronca LB . As a small lad,
I found it to be the most appealing and fasci nating airplane in the
world. o ~ n through the 'years it has r emai ne d as one of my warmest
memories. Recently I acquired a picture of it apparently taken about
1939 and showing my Dad on the wing. (Picture at Left, Ed.)
At any rate, about 1970 I began looking for an Aeronca L to
rebuild. I had no leads and even the written material that I found
available on the ship was very inadequate, spotty, and conflicting
with other written material. In my search, I contacted Aeronca which
is now located in Middletown, Ohio and is still a vibrant firm involved
in research and aerospace hardware work along with sub-contract work
for other aircraft firms. Upon r eaching Mr. John Houser, he very
graciously took time to talk with me on the phone and write letters
along with doing research for me, all on his own time. I learned that
Aeronca has extensive files in their archives on all of the Aeroncas
with exception of the Low Wing. John r eadily admitted that other than
some odd tracings or blueprints applying to the Model L, they did not
even know what the total production had been or how many of each model
built , or the serial numbers. This is understandable inasmuch as their
business lies in profitably surviving in today's business market, and
not in del ving into the past or what the comDany did 40 years ago.
On my own, I began a very arduous research that was to span over
six years. I ultimately was abl e to search out and identify the N
number, serial number and model number of every Aeronca produced. Such
a great amount of work went i nto the final firming up of my list of N
numbers and serial numbers that I would very much like for it to be
published in the article, and I have therefore included it in my copy .
Also, please excuse my making an editor's note for you, but ther e are
many accomplished aviation antiquers who never knew Aeronca built a
Low Wing, or they might have heard of such but have neve r seen a
picture , or others may be familiar with the ship based upon misinfor-
mation that they had heard.
I will do a later story for you concerning my quest and search
for a mod e l L which ultimately led to my locating two of these ships
and a part of a third. I will include in the story the rebuilding of
two of these ships, and I might add, we are working on them now. One
has a complete new center section and is presently on its gear. One
will go into the Museum and the second I will fly. The future story
will be an actual flight review of a little known antique.
S i ~
MWL/bh Morton W. Lester
12
N15282 was first LA off production line. Ship had 70 h.p. LeBlond engine
and was flown to Glendale, Calif. by Aeronca distributor Mr. j. B. Plosser.
Note new type long landing gear as required by larger engines and propel/ers.
The Prototype NX 14558, model LW, had it structure
and configuration modified to accept the 85 LeBlond
and it then became licensed as NC 15292, model LB,
serial No. 2000 under ATC596. This ship was then the
Prototype L, the first LB produced, and the first
licensed Low Wing Aeronca, and soon became the
darling of the sport airplane enthusiast. Aeronca had no
further interest in the designation of LW and never
sought ATC approval for that model.
The second ship off the production line was serial No.
2001 and became I icensed as NC15282. Mr. J. B. Plosser,
an Aeronca distributor in Glendale, California, acquired
this aircraft. The ensuing flight to California along with
later static displays and demonstration hops made it
possibly the most publicized and photographed of all the
Aeronca L's. It also enjoyed the distinction of being the
first of twelve LA's to be produced.
Upon first sight, one could not help but be favorably
impressed by its handsome and noble appearance, for it
was truly a package of streamlined neatness. First to
catch the eye was the beautiful tapered low wing. Next
was the nifty speed ring jauntily mounted upon the
radial engine and effectively concealed the exhaust col-
lector ring plus the offering of anti-drag benefits. One
could not help but admire the artistic design of the
greenhouse type cockpit canopy which hooded a com-
fortable and well appointed roomy cabin with a large
luggage area (114 pounds) behind the seat.
Another striking design feature was the rakishly canti-
levered landing gears which were completely enclosed in
full-skirted streamline fairings from wheel to wing with
not a bump nor strut showing. The fuselage flowed back
to blend with an aristocratic tail group. There were few
planes of this era that created the attention of pomp and
circu mstance as did the Low Wing Aeronca.
An interesting innovation that stirred much interest
was an air brake. It consisted of a large drag flap
mounted under the front spar between the landing gear
farings and extended the entire width of the fuselage .
This enabled the steepness of the glide to be increased
without increasing forward speed thus eliminating the
necessity of cross-control side sl ipping dictated by short
13
AERONCA MODEL LB
SPECI FICA TIONS
Empty weight ............ ... ....... 1011 pounds
Gross weight . . ..................... 1680 pounds
Useful load .... . . .. .... . ..... . .. .. .. 669 pounds
Engine .. .... . .... .. . . . ... . ......85 H.P. LeBlond
Cruising . ........ ... .. . .......... .... . 105 mph.
Top speed . . ... ....................... 120 mph.
Landing speed . ... . ..... . .... . . .. .. .. 42/48 mph.
Service ceiling . ................ . ... . . . 16,000 feet
Climb ............. .... .... .... . 750 feet/ minute
Fuel capacity ................... .. .... 28 gallons
Range, maximum . . ...... . ..... . . . . . . .. 500 miles
Baggage .. .. . .. ... ....... .. .. .... . .. 114 pou nds
Aircraft color: Loening ye ll ow with black trim.
Author's Note:
The writer has traced the history of virtuall y every
Low Wing Aeronca to its ultimat e demise or final
resting pl ace. To the best of hi s knowledge, there are
10 Aeronca L's still existi ng out of a total production
of 65. Of the 10 known to exist, 3 are basket cases, 1
is suffering damages of a past accident, 5 are com-
pl ete and in var ious stages of di srepair or being re-
built, and 1 is li censed and fly ing.
MORTON W. LESTER
Left: Installation of LeBlond 60 on Prototype Above: Picture taken in 7935 showing the Pro-
LW, NX7458 totype Model L fuselage to which was mated
the 40 h.p. two cylinder engine.
Good picture of 78 ' center section and outer wing panels of 9' each.
Center section featured box spar construction. Note void in front of
right wing walk which was to receive the 79 gallon gas tank. Addi-
tionally, a fuselage tank contained 9 gallons of fuel. The outer wing
panels were joined to the center section by 8 tapered bolts. The struc-
tual design criteria far exceeded that which was required making it one
of the strongest and torsionally stiff wings of that era.
14
The L series were more expensive than other planes in her class, but featured many luxury items With Lunken Field being located on the Ohio River, Aeronca
such as electric starter, opening windows on both sides, sound-proofing, rubber engine offered a seaplane version Model LCS. NC16289, serial No. 2029
mounting, leather seats, landing lights, navigation lights, and carpeting. with 90 h.p. Warner and twin Edo floats.
fields of that day. A very similar concept was later to be that the need for additional plant and production space Time was of the essence, and thus began the demise
used on the Ryan SCW. began to take precedence over the L series which by of the Low Wing Aeronca through no fault of the air-
The model C- 3 was still selling well and one model L nature of its detailed wing construction consumated a plane. In retrospect, many feel that the ship was simply
per week was being produced. Aeronca had the benefit slower production _schedule. ahead of its time. Others have expressed the thought
of an astute management team, and their interest lay in In the spring of 1937, Lunken Airport and the that the flying public of the mid 30's was simply not
aircraft that could be mass produced with greater Aeronca plant were virtually consumed by the raging ready for the concept of the low wing aircraft. This was
efficiency and acceptance in order to gain more signifi- Ohio River in a disastrous and devastating rise of water soon to be changed by the advent of World War II.
cant utilization of plant facilities, equipment and per- which became known as The Great Flood of 1937. A For those who actually flew and owned the Low
sonne!. crippling blow had been dealt Aeronca, but the victim Wing Aeroncas, the thought of that neat little ship is
Realizing that aviation was in a period of rapid who was to suffer the greatest would be the L series. indeed cherished. Murry C. Faulkner,a former Model LB
change, a decision had been reached to discontinue C- 3 The flood waters receded, clean-up was begun. Hasty owner and brother of famed author and Pulitzer prize
production at year end 1936. The design of a modern plant conferences were called as new directions must be winner William Faulkner, fondly recalled his heartfelt
replacement would evolve and become known as the taken. Evaluation figures were produced which revealed emotions so aptly when he said of his ship, "It was a
Model K, the high-wing forerunner of the Chief and that expanded production of the high wing model K was machine of rare and distinctive charm, and a solid de-
Super Chief. The K was introduced in early 1937 to most feasible and would produce the greatest profit for light to fly. Hallowed is the image and perpetual the
wide acclaim and acceptance. the firm in order to effect the quickest recovery pos- memory of my Low Wing Aeronca, for it was the most
Public demand for the new high-wing was sc great sible. beautiful thing ever set to wings."
15
Prototype L W NX74558, serial No. 7000 as flown with Le-
Blond 60 h.p. and short landing gear. Boot cowl still in na-
tural silver after conversion from Aeronca engine.
Model L outer wing pane/s, center section, and fuselage to right
of picture with left of picture area showing K Model fuselages
and wings.
Paul Poberezny wrote in 7967 for American Airman:
"So, in January 1953, the first meeting of EAA was
held here in Milwaukee attended by 32 avid enthusiasts.
A discussion as to aims and policies was had, officers
were elected, and an organization was founded - not
realizing the impetus that was to follow. As :n any
organization, a house organ was needed to keep this
small group informed,"Experimenter" was born. It was
a crude mimeographed sheet of paper, but it served its
purpose.
"Since our beginning in 1953, we have held an annual
Fly-In. Each year's event seems to out-shine the last. Our
get-togethers are an affair of real grass-roots aviation
activities ranging from plain old Hangar flying under the
wing, to technical forums by well known and qualified
aviation personnel, who deep in their hearts have faith
that American ingenuity will again win out with a little
encouragement and direction."
"No, these Fly-Ins are not just a men's affair. Whole
families participate, having planned months in advance
to attend, making this the annual family vacation."
"It's time to realize that, grass roots aviation is here.
It has always been with us, if you are willing to put forth
the effort to find it. We who have participated in it over
the years are thankful for the wonderful experience we
have enjoyed - the closeness to others of like interests
and the hours of pleasure flying together. I am pleased
to see that not only is EAA providing design improve-
ment; it is also bringing people together so that thoughts
and information can be exchanged, for how else can we
make advances in this field."
"Each year's meet has brought forth new designs, im-
provements, and innovations. We have noticeably found
that an unwritten law of competition has developed .
Gone are the slightly modified cut-up factory aircraft
and those of shoddy appearance, for unless an owner's
aircraft can maintain for the builder a position of
prestige, back to the workshop it goes."
"Space does not permit me to go into the many areas
in which we participate, into the problems we have. But
to me it is very apparent that for, as great as aviation is
in this country, so little effort or support has been given
to fostering grass roots aviation. Therefore, I feel proud
to have been able in some small way along with George
Hardie, Jr., Robert Nolinske, Ray Scholler, Val Brugger
and others, who after our normal employmen t hours have
been able to put forth our best efforts to bring about a
renewed interest in the light plane."
16
tRerestoration
o/IRe
scRweizerJ-J9
Editor's Note
The following article, submitted to our President j.
R. Nielander, was a welcome surprise. Whatcould be
more fitting than to have the earliest form offlight
active in the Antique/Classic Division?
AI Kelch
Vintage Sailplane Association
6053 25th Road, North
Arlington, Va. 22207
May 4, 1976
Mr. J.R. Nielander, Jr.
President
EAA Antique Classic Division
P.O. Box 229
Hales Corners, Wl 53130
Dear Mr. Nielander:
We recently joined the EAA as a group in hopes that we might promote
some active cross fertilization of activity among our jOint memberships .
As the Vintage Sailplane Association, we were founded in 1973 as sort of
an ad hoc group of pil ots ; ntet"es ted in fi nd; n9. acqu; ri n9, res tori n9 and
flying older gliders. both for personal use and for contribution to the
new National Soaring Museum in Elmira. N.Y.
Interest in our group has grown appreciably. The original 10 pilots
who indicated an interest ;n joining up have grown to more than 70 indi-
vidual and family members. We now have a newsletter -- albeit quarterly
ca 11 ed BUNGEE CORD (I've enclosed a copy for your interest). Our members
own and fly more than a score of beautifully restored and ma intained ships
including 2 Baby Bowlus', a Kirby Gull, a Scheibe MU-13d, two LK-10s, a
Wolf, a Grunau Baby and others.
I'm sure that a membership for us in your division of EAA would be
valuable for our members as well. SPORT AVIATION, in the April issue,
has already carried a story about our group that has resulted in our gaining
se veral new members. I'm hopeful that we might provide material for THE
VINTAGE AIRPLANE as well in an effort to keep in touch with those of your
division people who might be interested in the glider spectrum of antique
operations.
Looking forward to being with you, and to reading your magazine.

Geoff Steele - President
Vintage Sailplane Association
Upperleft: Builtin june, 7946, the 7 - 79 was awreck in abarnin Mass. by7950. Sad ...
Upper right: Aftersome VERYCAREFUL measuring andwindowchiseling, Gus andArtZimmermanslip
the fuse/age into Gus'sbasementworkshop...
Center left: Amazing what some tender loving care, some zinc chromate, andanewcanopy can do for a
lady. Gusgets theship ready for somenewclothes ...
Centerright: Nowain'tthatsimple?Anybodyfor aSilver C?
Bottom left: Even the Schweizers would be proudofthis paperjob. Now, howdo wegetitback OUTof
thebasement withouttearingsomething? VERYCAREFULLY!!
Bottom right: With anew UN" numberand acoat ofwhite paint, ship looks as fresh as factory new.Gus
did equally spiffy job with wings, which were badly damaged when hegot possession ofthe ship. NICE
JOB, Gus.. .
17
By: Gustav A. Scheurer
73C Cedar St. Cedar Glen
Toms River, NJ 08753
S.G.U. 1- 19 Serial No. 14 was manufactured June
19,1946 and was assigned F .A.A. No. 91806. The ship
had on ly 17 hours logged when it was damaged.
I t was bought in 1950 at the Worcester Airport by a
young neighbor of mine. I t was a wreck and was consid-
ered a complete loss to be used only for spare parts.
Therefore, a small price was paid. The young man was a
student in M.I.T. and did some flying with the M.I.T.
group. He felt in buying this mess he might be able to
rebuild it and eventually fly his own glider.
The question was where to store it? First he stored it
in a barn near the campus. Then one day the fuselage
arrived in front of my house in Maplewood, N.J. It was
on top of his car. Can you picture that? At that time,
the Aero Club Albatross was flying with the Philadelphia
Glider Council and to help him out, I asked permission
to store the fuselage and wings in their hangar. When our
hangar was completed at Somerset Airport and the
A.C.A. was established, there the fuselage and wings
were moved to our new location where they were stored
on the rafters. The P.G .c. was happy to see it go. No
club likes to see a wreck on its fie ld .
You wonder what happened to the poor thing? Well ,
it was flown into a stone wall hitting, fortunately for the
pilot, just below the main horizontal fuselage members
which, as you know, are very husky. The pilot's legs
were above the impact point and so were safe. The lower
str ucture was wiped out to the wheel and some of the
upper str ucture was torn and bent which had to be
sp li ced and replaced. What happened to the wings? That
was quite clear. They resembled one of those forward
sweep designs. Of course, the wings were in bad shape.
The Schweizers no longer manufactured the glider, but
did have a number of wings stored, first in the rafters of
the factory and later in a small barn next to Paul
Schweizer's home. This was a great help to me later.
I was in Europe in 1955 for the first time in 30 years.
I spent most of my visit with my long time friend, Wolf
Hirth. We went to the German Nationals in Oerling-
hausen and toured various glider schools. When I return-
ed home, I was told my dear young neighbor had passed
away in an operation in Boston. The family wanted to
dispose of the glid er elevator, stab ili zer, rudder, fin and
struts plus small er parts that cluttered their attic. The
fuselage and broken wings were in our hangar in
Somerset. Who would buy a thing like t hat? The family
thought it would be worth a fortune. However, they
accepted my offer of the same price their so n had paid
for it. So I owned the 1- 19 in 1956.
I had a workshop in my cellar big enough to work on
a fuselage or on a wing but unfortunately the builder of
my home did not follow the specifications regarding the
size of the window opening that I wanted. So the first
thing was to chi sel a groove in th e cement si ll and the
window frame to make room for the strut fittings on the
fuselage to pass through. Work began with the cleaning
of the structure and the removal of the damaged mem-
bers. Steel tubing and part assemblies were bought from
Schweizer. They also furnished all necessary drawings.
While rebuilding the front end, I stream lined the fuselage
a little more to accommodate an enclosure similar to the
2- 22 design. Our deceased fr iend , Art Zimmermann of
"C70" fame, did all the welding. Art was an excellent
welder. He grew up in his father's shop making fittings
and metal parts for various sailplane manufacturers in
Germany. The old paint was removed down to the bare
metal. But before I had finished, the structure started a
rust film aga in. A dehumidifier did the trick of drying
out the cellar air. The fuselage was primed and painted. I
made a new instrument panel with a winter vario, air-
speed, sensitive altimeter, bank indicator and compass.
All the wires, push rod and wheel were installed again. I
added a wheel housing and a support platform for the
thermos bottle and a barograph behind the pilot seat.
The board seat and back rest were replaced with a com-
fortable plastic body form seat.
Rather than repair the badly damaged wings I decided
to buy a set of wings from the Schweizers in Elmira.
They were sold "as is" minus leading edge and ai lerons.
In order to move them from Elmira to Maplewood, I
made a carr ier for the top of my car, full length . Beside
the regular roof top support, I added a frame from front
and rear bu mpers so as to rest the wings in a horizontal
position, supporting them on the spars with necessary
spacers between them. On my way home, I noticed a
spinning tag attached to one of the wing roots. I stop ped
and read the tag which said "Rejected." What lu ck . But
upon further examination at home, I found it was only
the fittings that were misdrilled and would not line up
with the spar holes. So a call to Paul and a new set of
fittings took care of that. As usual , the cooperation of
the Schweizer brothers was tops.
I utilized the old ai lerons that needed some wood-
work repair. For the leading edge, I used 1/ 16 plywood
instead of the usual aluminum. The front spars had to be
built up to the rib level on top and bottom. Another
support strip of wood was added well beyond the high
arc of the airfoil. The plywood covered the leading edge
from the bottom of the spar to the added support on the
top of the wing. This improved the upper wing surface.
Th e wood frames of the wings were varnished twice and
then covered with light aircraft fabric. Four brush coats
of clear and two coats of aluminum dope were applied.
The dope job was done in the ce ll ar during the winter
months with the gas furnace operating, of course, and
with two window fans working to exhaust the fumes and
still I had a close call with a fire. Some spilled thinner
ignited . Fortunately, I was able to ext inguish it before
it reached the newly doped wings. So this should be a
warning not to do any doping in your house. One finish
spray coat and the color scheme finished the job . The
tail assemblies were in good shape. They were stripped,
repainted and recovered.
The F.A.A. was so pleased with the workmanship
that they gave me a full license despite the modifica-
tions. In November 1960, the F.A.A. witnessed the test
fl ight to their satisfactio n. Th e 1- 19 is a very safe and
satisfying training and thermal flyer. Several "C" al-
titude requirements were made in it. In 1963, Walker
Trussell bought the 1-19. He mad e his com plete Silver
C badge fli ghts in it.
Following is a list of some of the flights made:
27 flights over 1 hour
9 fl ights over 2 hours
10 flights over 3 hours
3 flights over 5 hours
30 flights above 5,000 ft. height
13 fl ights above 6,000 ft. height
6 flights above 7,000 ft. height
2 flights above 8,000 ft. height
Walk er became sick in 1971 and is unable to fly
again. The 1- 19 had at that time, 377 flights with a
total time of 290 hours. I bought the ship again in 1973,
cleaned it up and made it ready for the First Vintage
Meet in Elmira in 1973. The Aero Club Albatross bought
it from me in 1974 and it is now being flown by the
members at Blairstown Airport, the new base for the
Aero Club Albatross.
18