STRAIGHT AND LEVEL

by Bob Lickteig
Another Milestone for Sun 'n Fun
I received an invitation to attend the
ground breaking ceremonies for the new Sun
'n Fun headquarters and exhibition building
on January 4, 1986. Following a phone call
to Billy Henderson to congratulate him, I
made the short trip to Lakeland, Florida. Ar-
riving at the old headquarters building, I was
met by Billy and his staff with a warm wel-
come, and a guided tour around the area to
see the improvements and changes made
this past year. The Antique/Classic head-
quarters building has been moved to the
west for better exposure to the general fly-in
area, and an increase in space for commer-
cial exhibits. The type club headquarters tent
may now be located next to the Antique/
Classic building, and aircraft parking has
been expanded around the area.
The new Sun 'n Fun headquarters and
exhibition building will be located west of the
old office and with a generous view of the
Fly-In side of the airport.
The groundbreaking ceremonies were
handled by Billy Henderson, Executive Di-
rector, and Bill Eickhoff, President of Sun 'n
Fun. Dignitaries included State Senator Cur-
tis Peterson; the Mayor of Lakeland, Larry
Durrence; Lakeland City Manager, Gene
Strickland; City Commissioner, Peggy
Brown; Executive Director of the Chamber
of Commerce, Duffy Thompson; Chairman
of the Board of the Chamber of Commerce,
Gene Engle; and Lakeland Airport Manager,
Gary Quill, along with Alan Duncan, Lyle
Flagg, Marty Faux, Gordon Knapp, all offic-
ers of Sun 'n Fun plus Dale Faux, Fly-In
Chairman, Sun 'n Fun '86. All the speakers
in their own way congratulated the Sun 'n
Ground breaking with Bill Eickhoff handling the shovel; plus other dignitaries present.
Fun officers and directors for their ac-
complishments and the prestige they have
brought to Lakeland.
With the depressed condition of the gen-
eral aviation industry (new figures just re-
leased show another 16.4 percent decline in
unit sales), it is refreshing and encouraging
to see the growth, progress and enthusiasm
made by our segment of aviation. This is
another example of people with diverse in-
terests from ultralights to warbirds working
together, volunteering their time and talent
not only to keep our dream alive but to make
it grow and pre-:;erve it for future generations.
Now isn't tli.:!! what EAA is all about?
The EAA Sun 'n Fun Fly-In, now twelve
years old, has a record of continual growth
each year. For a little background on this
popular event I quote from one of Billy Hen-
derson's articles.
''The fly-in was originally conceived by the
host EAA Chapter 454 of Lakeland. They felt
that an EAA fly-in should contain such ingre-
dients as southern hospitality, education,
fun , safety and a family vacation all harmoni-
ously blended together. This concept was so
appealing that almost overnight it became a
combined effort of many central Florida EAA
Chapters along with the help of dedicated
members from almost the entire nation.
"In the fall of 1975 organizers felt thail the
fly-in should be incorporated to assure its
continuation and perpetuation in the manner
it was conceived. Its purpose is to provide a
suitable location, environment and physical
arrangement for an EAA fly-in Convention.
Additionally, its purpose was, and is, to sup-
port and promote EAA in all of its endeavors.
All officers and directors must be members
of EAA in good standing and agree to accept
no payor compensation for their services.
"The fly-in is a volunteer organization. It is
not a commercial venture. It was decided by
our founders that if the fly-in were to survive,
it would have to be patterned after our big
annual event at Oshkosh. All of our volun-
teers pay registration fees and camping fees
the same as any other guests. All sport and
recreational flyers are welcome at Sun 'n
Fun, however we strongly encourage that
ihey support EAA by becoming members.
We also welcome and encourage participa-
tion by all EAA divisions."
Through the efforts of this group of dedi-
cated people, the EAA Sun 'n Fun spring
festival of flight has attained international
recognition and has established Lakeland,
Florida as the winter capital of sport aviation.
This year's event runs from March 16-22,
and if the early winter is any sign of Jhe
weather to come, they will be able to serve
up plenty of sunshine for all the visitors.
Once again I would like to congratulate
Billy Henderson and his entire staff on
another milestone for Sun 'n Fun.
We all owe them our support - see you
at Sun 'n Fun '86.
Welcome aboard, join us and you have it
all.
Bob Lickteig, President, Antique/Classic Division; Bill Eickhoff, President, Sun 'n Fun
and Billy Henderson, Executive Director, Sun 'n Fun.
2 MARCH 1986

MARCH 1986 Vol. 14, NO.3
PUBLICATION STAFF
PUBLISHER
TomPoberezny
DIRECTOR
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
DickMatt
EDITOR
GeneR. Chase
CREATIVE ARTDIRECTOR
MikeDrucks
MANAGING EDITOR/ADVERTISING
MaryJones
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
NormanPetersen
FEATURE WRITERS
DickCavin
GeorgeA. Hardie,Jr.
DennisParks
EAAANTIQUE/CLASSIC
DIVISION, INC.
OFFICERS
President VicePresident
R.J.Lickteig M.C."Kelly"Viets
3100PruittRoad RI.2,Box128
PortSI.lucie,Fl33452 lyndon,KS66451
305/3357051 913/8283518
Secretary Treasurer
RonaldFritz E.E."Buck"Hilbert
15401 SpartaAvenue P.O.Box145
KentCity,MI49330 Union,ll60180
616/6785012 815/9234591
DIRECTORS
JohnS.Copeland StanGomoll
9JoanneDrive 104290thlane,NE
Westborough,MA01581 Minneapolis,MN55434
617/3667245 61217841172
DaleA.Gustafson EspleM.Joyce,Jr.
7724ShadyHillDrive Box468
Indianapolis,IN46278 Madison,NC27025
31712934430 919/4270216
MortonW.Lester ArthurR.Morgan
P.O.Box3747 3744North51stBlvd.
Martinsville,VA24112 Milwaukee,WI53216
703/632-4839 414/442-3631
GeneMorris DanielNeuman
115CSteveCourt,R.R.2 1521 BerneCircleW.
Roanoke,TX76262 Minneapolis,MN55421
817/491-9110 61215710893
RayOlcott JohnR.Turgyan
1500KingsWay Box229,R.F.D.2
Nokomis,Fl33555 Wrightstown,NJ08562
813/485-8139 6091758-2910
S.J.Wittman GeorgeS.York
Box2672 181 SlobodaAve.
Oshkosh,WI54903 Mansfield,OH44906
414/235-1265 419/529-4378
ADVISORS
TimothyV.Bowers PhilipCoulson
729-2ndSI. 28415SpringbrookDr.
Woodland,CA95695 Law1on,MI49065
916/666-1875 616/624-6490
S.H." Wes"Schmid W.S."Jerry"Wallin
2359LefeberAvenue 29804- 17,9PI.SE
Wauwatosa,WI53213 Kent,WA98031
4141771 -1545 206/631-9644
Copyright" 1986bythe EAAAntique/Classic Division, Inc.All rights reserved.
Contents
2 StraightandLevel
byBobLickteig
4 AlCNews
byGeneChase
5 WelcomeNewMembers
6 TypeClubsatOshkosh'85
byGeneChase
Page16
8 TedBusinger- AviationHistorian
byDaleGlossenger
10 RestorationCorner/Selecting,Buying
andRetrievingYourTreasure
by"Buck"HilbertandRonFritz
15 TypeClubActivities
byGeneChase
16 HowardandJerry'sMagicJ-3
byDickCavin
18 1985MeyersFly-In
byTedBusinger
Page18
20 ViaVintageBirdandRV
byLilyDudicz
23 VintageSeaplane
23 CalendarofEvents
24 Member'sProjects
byGeneChase
25 TaleofaGrummanWidgeon
byCol.LesterHopper
26 MysteryPlane
byGeorgeA. Hardie,Jr.
28 LetterstotheEditor
Page25
29 VintageTrader
FRONT COVER ...EAA recreates "from Here to There". A
session hadjustconcluded at theEAAAviation Foundation's Pioneer
Airport atOshkosh, Wisconsin. (Photo byDick Matt)
BACKCOVER ...1953Meyers 145, N551,SI N 216owned by Carl
R. Schwarz, (EAA 753), 17603 S.E. 292nd Place, Kent, WA 98031.
Photographed at Jim Gaston's White River Resort near Mountain
HomeArkansasduringthe1985MeyersFly-In.Seestoryonpage18.
(Photo byTed Businger)
ThewordsEAA,ULTRALIGHT,FLYWITHTHEFIRSTTEAM,SPORTAVIATION,andthelogosofEXPERIMENTAL
AIRCRAFTASSOCIATION INC. ,EAAINTERNATIONALCONVENTION,EAAANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION INC.,
INTERNATIONALAEROBATIC CLUB INC. , WARBIRDS OFAMERICA INC.,are registered trademarks.THE EAA
SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION INC. and EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are
trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above associations is strictly
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: Gene R. Chase, Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.
Phone:414/4264800.
The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 00916943) is published and owned exclusivelybyEAAAntique/Classic Division,
Inc. ofthe ExperimentalAircraftAssociation, Inc.and ispublished monthlyatWittman Airfield, Oshkosh,WI 54903-
3086. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 and additional mailing offices. Membership rates for
EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc. are $18.00 for current EAA members for 12 month period of which $12.00 is
forthepublication ofTheVINTAGEAIRPLANE. Membership isopen to all who areinterested in aviation.
ADVERTISING- Antique/ClassicDivisiondoesnotguaranteeorendorseanyproductofferedthroughour-advertis-
ing. Weinviteconstructivecriticism andwelcomeanyreportofinferiormerchandiseobtainedthroughouradvertising
sothat corrective measurescan betaken.
Postmaster:SendaddresschangestoEAAAntique/ClassicDivision,Inc.,WittmanAirfield,Oshkosh,WI549033086.
VINTAGEAIRPLANE 3
Compiled by Gene Chase
SUN 'N FUN PARKING
Aircraft arriving at Lakeland,FL to at-
tend the Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In this
March are in for a pleasant surprise.
They will all be parked on the same side
of the airport as the Convention.
In previous years, aircraft other than
showplanes were parked across the
field and the passengers were provided
bus transportation to the Convention
site. Expansion of suitable aircraft park-
ing areas nearer the site has made th is
change possible.
Officials recommend that pilots plan-
ning to fly to Sun 'n Fun please read the
NOT AMS for information on the special
arrival procedures that will be in effect
during the Convention. The 1986 dates
are March 16-22.
ULTRALIGHT ASSOCIATION AB-
SORBED BY EAA
EM President Paul Poberezny has
announced that the EM Ultralight As-
sociation is being absorbed into the par-
ent organization. The move is being
made in response to the growing trans-
ition in interest from Part 103 ultralights
to very light aircraft licensed in the ex-
perimental amateur-built category . . .
which is the mainstream of EM itself.
The separate administrative and ac-
counting functions of the Ultralight As-
sociation have been merged into the
appropriate departments within EAA;
however, little else will change. LIGHT
PLANE WORLD, the Ultralight group's
official publication, will continue to pro-
vide Part 103 vehicle coverage, along
with expanding coverage on very light
airplanes and homebuilding skills and
techniques; the EM Ultralight Chapters
will still function as special interest
units; and the ultralgihtllight plane dis-
play area and flying activities at Osh-
kosh will continue as before.
EAA TECHNICAL COUNSELOR
NEWS
A publication which for many years
was sent to several hundred EM De-
signees and a host of subscribers has
had a name change. The "EM Techni-
cal Counselor News" (formerly the "De-
signee Newsletter") contains technical
information for the aircraft builder and
restorer. Six newsletters per year are
available for $12.00. Write to: Technical
Counselor News, EAA Wittman Airfield,
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.
A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY
This well publicized event is shaping
up to be the largest gathering ever of a
single family of aircraft. Originally
planned as a fly-in to honor the con-
tribution the Piper Cub has made to avi-
ation history, now everyone is invited
who is, or ever was a Cub enthusiast.
The dates are July 13-19, 1986 at the
William T. Piper Memorial Airport , Lock
Haven, Pennsylvania. Ragwing Pipers
from the E-2 Cub through the Tri-Pacer
and Colt will be judged for several pre-
stigious awards.
Accommodations are available at
Lock Haven University and at several
motels and hotels in the area. Also,
camping is available at the airport. The
awards banquet will be held Friday, July
18.
For more information on "A Senti -
mental Journey to Cub Haven", contact
Irving L. Perry, President, P.O. Box J-3,
Lock Haven, PA 17745.
WORTHY PROJECT
EM Antique/Classic Chapter 18's re-
cent newsletter, "The Arizona Vintage
Flyers," mentions a worthy project of the
Arizona Council of EAA chapters. They
are considering spending the profits
from the annual Copperstate Fly-In by
assisting children of chapter members
with expenses at aviation-related
schools, such as buying books, etc.
This is a commendable idea which
should be considered by other groups
(non-profit) who find themselves with
extra cash on hand.
Chapter 18's December meeting in-
cluded a tour through the Champlin
Fighter Museum located on Falcon
Field, Mesa, Arizona followed by a ham-
burger cookout in an adjacent park at
the airport.
"The Arizona Vintage Flyers" is edited
by Janna Larson of Scottsdale, Arizona.
DC-2 FLIGHT ON TAPE
One of the features of the EM An-
tique/Classic Chapter 3's annual Spring
Fly-In will be the viewing of a 45-minute
tape of the highlights of member Coke
Darden's Douglas DC-2 when it was
flown by KLM Airlines in 1984 com-
memorating the 50th anniversary of the
1934 London-Melbourne race. The tape
was prepared by a video firm in Amster-
dam, Holland, in color and in English.
This popular fly-in will be at Bur-
lington, North Carolina, May 2-4, 1986.
For details contact Chapter 3 newsletter
editor, Ray Bottom, 103 Powhatan
Parkway, Hampton, VA 23661 , phone
804/722-5056.
Also from Chapter 3's newsletter,
"Antique Airways" was the following
item: "Among the several world-wide
celebrations of the DC-23's 50th birth-
day in December was this odd activity
in Holland. According to Harry Gann,
probably America's best historian of the
DC-3 and many other planes of the
past, the Dutch Dakota Association ob-
tained an ex-Finish Air Force C-47 and
a strange plan was agreed on to pre-
serve the plane. It was preapred for
long-term storage in a weatherproof
and fireproof hangar, where it will be
stored for the next 25 years.
"In 2010, it will be removed and flown
for the 75th anniversary of the type.
Then, after European flights to mark
that observance, the plane will be re-
turned to that hangar in Holland, not to
be removed until 2035, when, again, it
will be flown for the 100th anniversary
of the DC-3. Plans are to repeat the
same procedure, but only every 25
years, as long as the plane will fly! That,
according to Gann, could be forever!
EAA SCHOLARSHIP SUCCESS
Chad Ahrens (EAA 237223) recipient
of the inaugural EANSpartan Pow-
erplant Technician Scholarship award
has completed the Powerplant Program
at SPARTAN SCHOOL OF AERONAU-
TICS in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After main-
taining a 95 percent average throughout
the program, he scored 96 percent on
his licensing exam .. . a strong endorse-
ment for both student and school. He
will continue his SPARTAN education
by completing the Airframe Program.
A SPARTAN Education is not limited
to the mechanical. Broad based cur-
riculum offerings will bring Chad to com-
plete an Associate Degree in Aeronau-
tics in May. Congratulations, Chad, for
what you have and will accomplish in
the field of aviation.
Our thanks to Marvin Miller, President
of EM Chapter 770 of Riverton, Illinois
for providing this information and sup-
porting Chad in these endeavors.
For more information on this scholar-
ship program contact Chuck Larsen,
Education Director, EM Aviation Foun-
dation, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI
54903-3065, telephone 414/426-4800 .
4 MARCH 1986
WELCOMENEWMEMBERS
by Gene Chase
The following is apartial listing ofnewmemberswho havejoinedthe EAAAntique/Classic Division (through early
September, 1985).Wearehonoredtowelcomethemintotheorganizationwhosemembers'commoninterestisvintage
aircraft. Succeeding issuesof THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE will contain additional listingsof new members.
Thomas, RobertScott
Greenville, Texas
Driscoll,MichaelC.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Benefiel,Calvin R.
Morro Bay, California
Grube, David E.
Montoursville, Pennsylvania
Brebner, RobertS.
Marquette, Michigan
VanderLugt,Tunis
Kentwood, Michigan
BlazerIII, H. C.
Overland Park, Kansas
Dudicz,Leonard
Hayward, California
Moore, Arlen
Sweet Home, Oregon
Franklin, HaroldE.
Potsdam, New York
Glomb,R.M.
Laramie, Wyoming
MaxwellIII, LeonD.
Calvary, Georgia
Rydholm, Rudy
Dassel, Minnesota
Garramone, Mike
Albany, New York
Schumate, Allen L
Ottawa, Kansas
Poor, RobertL.
Cloverdale, Indiana
Bohlmann,Dennis
Capitola, California
Roberts,JackM.
Lake Orion, Michigan
Kemp, R. J.
Centerburg, Ohio
McCaffrey,William K. Schroeder, Andrew
Farmingdale, NewYork Salem, Connecticut
Zonnefeld, M. J. French, Glenn
Wichita, Kansas Middletown, NewYork
BairdJr.,H. H. Donaldson, Orville
Winston-Salem, North Carolina New Holstein, Wisconsin
Keaton, Sr., JamesW.
Glendale, Arizona
Herr, Paul S.
Dublin, Indiana
Wilson, Lee R.
Milford, New Hampshire
Fry, Don
McKeesport, Pennsylvania
Fotchman,L.B.
Novato, California
Biros,DennisG.
LaCrosse, Wisconsin
Valley, FrankP.
Harahan, Louisiana
Nisbet,JamesKenneth
Clarksville, Indiana
Powell,Jim
ROiling Meadows, Illinois
Brown,Jeff
St. Cloud, Minnesota
Bull,StevenW.
Valencia, California
Boulais, Richard A.
Glendale, Arizona
Lillieskold,Jan
Lidingo, Sweden
Stevens, Richard A.
Tucson, Arizona
Porter, David R.
Dunwoody, Georgia
Lofshult,Gordon
Memphis, Tennessee
Smith, ChristopherZ.
Tacoma, Washington
Allison,JamesR.
Yellow Springs, Ohio
Baxter, Don
Marietta, Georgia
Hebert, L. C.
Sunset, Louisiana
Jones,CharlesB.
SulphurSprings, Texas
Downey, CharlesS.
DownersGrove, Illinois
Wilkerson,James
Baltimore, Maryland
Raburn, Vern L.
Atherton, California
Beltrone,Michael
Vernon, NewJersey
Canham, Paul H.
Norfolk, Virginia
Niemark, Henry
NewYork, NewYork
Smart, SteveG.
Port Mansfield, Texas
Gwozdz,William R.
Berwyn, Illinois
Shaub, RobertL.
Kennewick, Washington
Reeves, B. R.
College Park, Georgia
Palmer, Dave
Craig, Arkansas
Williams, Luke
Deland, Florida
Hopkins,David
Rocky River, Ohio
Yoakum,Joe
Ft. Worth, Texas
Colmer,T. F.
Benicia, California
Carey, Don W.
Lompoc, California
Kruppenbach,H. W.
Laurinburg, North Carolina
Iseman,RobertC.
Clearwater, Florida
Hume,Rex
Williams, Oregon
CallahanJr.,J.Fred
Cincinnati, Ohio
Kannenberg,Jim
Jackson, Wisconsin
Olsen, Ryder
Burnham, Illinois
Ihle,GaryL.
Odessa, Texas
Marinucci,SalvatoreR.
Dover, Delaware
Cross, FrankJ.
Dennisport, Massachusetts
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
Type Clubs At
by Gene Chase
(Photos by Jack McCarthy, except as
noted)
Convention Chairman Tom Poberezny,
addresses the Type Club representatives
and welcomes them to Oshkosh '85.
The various Type Club activities have
become very popular at Oshkosh each
year since having assigned locations to
set up their individual "headquarters".
EM provides a Type Club Tent in the
Antique/Classic area for Type Clubs
and other aviation organizations which
wish to be represented at the Conven-
tion.
This facility affords each group the
opportunity to set up headquarters, to
meet with their members and promote
their own organizations. The following
groups were represented in the Type
Club Tent at Oshkosh '85: Aeronca Av-
iators Club, Aeronca Lovers Club,
Bucker Club, Cub Club, Ercoupe Own-
ers Club, Fairchild Club, International
Cessna 120/140 Club, Luscombe As-
sociation, National Stinson Club, Na-
tional Waco Club, Pea Patch Airlines
and the Staggerwing Club.
Other groups at the Convention
hosted their members and guests in
separate hospitality tents, including the
OX-5 Aviation Pioneers in the Antique/
Classic area, the Quiet Birdman, Ameri-
can Bonanza Society and Cessna Pilots
Association in the Commercial Aircraft
6 MARCH 1986
Founder and president of the National Waco Club, Ray Brandly (right) and Club Secre-
tary, Bonnie Borisch, discuss Wacos with two guests.
Julie Dickey discusses club benefits with a member. She and husband, Joe, founded
and operate the Aeronca Aviators Club and Pea Patch Airlines.
Display area.
Over 600 members and guests were
hosted by the American Bonanza Soci-
ety while over 500 members plus their
families visited the Cessna Pilot's As-
.sociation Tent. The C.P.A. signed up
175 new members at Oshkosh '85.
Several of the groups provide snacks
and/or ice tea, lemonade or soft drinks
and all provide chairs and a place to
relax out of the sun.
All the Type Club facilities will again
be available at Oshkosh '86 scheduled
for August 1-8 .
Oshkosh
Buzz Wagner (left) founded and runs the Aeronca Lover' s Club.
He holds several STCs for Aeronca aircraft.
John Bergeson (left) is co-chairperson of the Cub Club.
Photo by Jack Cox
A model of the Beechcraft Starship I is displayed in the
Beechcraft Hospitality Tent as visitors relax and watch a video
display.
Carol Rhoades and "crew" promote Cessna 120/140s at that
club's booth.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
Ted
Businger-
by Dale Glossenger
(EAA 189173, AlC 9467)
70185 Beach Drive
Edwardsburg, MI 49112
As most of us know, some men and
women were born and fated to become
pilots; others, the good people who re-
ligiously tend the winged machines, and
some, bless their hearts and souls, are
dedicated to recording the facts, feats
and follies of the aforementioned
people. One such gentleman is Ted
Businger (EAA 93833,AlC 2333), Rt. 2,
Box 280, Willow Springs, MO 65793,
now retired but still active in his role as
a self-taught historian of sorts.
I recently had the privilege of spend-
ing a couple of days with Ted and his
wife at their modest home. Willow
Springs is deep in the Mark Twain
Forest in the Ozarks and boasts many,
many beautiful natural points of interest.
Ted, born in 1923 in Wichita, KS, at-
tended several grade schools before his
family settled down in Solon, Ohio Gust
southeast of Cleveland) , and it was
here Ted became interested in photo-
graphy and recording flying machines
Photo by Dale Glossenger
Ted Businger, holding one of the hun-
dreds of items he had collected and pre-
served relating to aircraft and flying. The
book shelves behind Ted are lined with
photo albums full of aircraft photos.
Aviation
Historian
and flying events on film. Not on a grand
scale at the outset, but a beginning. He
first attended a National Air Race at
Cleveland in 1929 and later at the 1932
Cleveland Air Races he took photos of
Jim Haizlip's Wedell-Williams racer with
a camera he had borrowed from his
grandfather.
A few years later and with little fan-
fare, Ted started taking flying lessons
from a friend, Lou Melter, at the Solon
airport. Ted learned quickly and was
well on his way in his efforts to master
the art of flying. However, with the
grand total of 10 hours of dual under his
belt, Ted 's family learned of his flying
and immediately an aunt put her foot
down and demanded that Ted continue
his flying career under the auspices of
her husband who was also a flight in-
structor.
Now up to this point things seemed
to be going well for Ted but that was
short-lived. About two dual hours later
under the tutorship of the uncle, Ted
was primed, ready and officially named
a candidate for solo flight and was cere-
moniously introduced to a Monocoupe
110 Special as the ship he was to solo
in.
Ted Buslnger Collection
The Hopkins & Meade Sport; San Diego circa 1928. Hopkins and Meade were Navy people and apparently were trying to get Into the
Naval aircraft business. Note the holes in the lower part of the fuselage; these were for the pilot to reach the rudder pedals.
8 MARCH 1986
Ted Buslnge, Collection
Valentine Neubaur's "Hummingbird", photographed at Monterey Park, California (Los Angeles) around 1929. The machine sports two
gyro discs on top, a 'prop in front, wings of the ornithopter-type, and the vanes in the wings are adjustable to produce a "parachute"
effect. Powered by a four-cylinder motorcyle engine, but not enough hp to fly.
Knowing a good deal about the short-
fuselaged 110 and its performance, Ted
did the next best thing, wisely and with
great haste; he departed the field and
the field of pilotage. That, in a nutshell,
ended Ted's career of flying, but not his
interest in aviation.
After attending and graduating from
Solon High School in 1941 , the next few
months saw the growing shadows of
conflict and Ted, as many young men
did, entered the United States Marine
Corps on 6 February 1942. He saw
overseas duty and action on such is-
lands as Okinawa, Saipan, the Sol-
Ted Buslnge, Collection
Front view of Valentine Neubaur's "Hum-
mingbird"; note the complicated landing
gear and the excellent visibility. The
omons, Gilberts and Peleliu. It was dur-
ing his stint on Peleliu he was wounded
in hand-to-hand combat, and later dis-
charged in 1945.
One interesting part of Ted's tour on
Saipan was while his unit; the 5th
JASCO, was attached to the 2nd
Marine Division. Rumor flourished on
the island that Amelia Earhart's Lock-
heed Electra had been at Aslito Field
and just one month later, there was no
sign of the aircraft, except a few, unmis-
takable physical signs that the Electra
had been there. For whatever reasons,
there never was an official explanation
of this oddity.
Another highlight in his tour on
Okinawa was during July, 1945 when a
Marine Major gave Ted a ride in a
Grumman F7FN nightfighter. Ted re-
calls it was one of the most exhilarating
events in his military career: the twin
P&W R-2800 radial engines pulled the
under-publicized Tigercat nearly
straight up to an altitude of nearly
21,000 feet before leveling off. His com-
ment was: "Talk about a wild ride! "
After discharge, Ted's civilian life
consisted of attending several colleges
(Continued on Page 14)
Photo by Dale Glossenge,
holes around the fuselage are interesting. All aircraft books!
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
Restoration Corner
Editor's Note: This is the second in
a series of articles pertaining to the re-
storation of antique and classic
airplanes. The subject matter will range
from selecting a project to test flying the
finished product.
Officers and directors of the Antique/
Classic Division have accepted the re-
sponsibility for many of the articles, but
contributions will be provided by others
as well. As the series progresses, if
readers wish to share their ideas,
techniques, etc., they are encouraged
to do so. Just because a subject has
been presented doesn't mean the mat-
ter is closed. We plan to publish supple-
mental information on the various sub-
jects and we look forward to reader
input.
Some of the material present may be
"old hat" to those who have been in the
vintage airplane hobby or business for
many years, but newcomers have to
start at ground zero and this information
could be the basis for a manual of sorts
which could be referred to for years to
come.
Even with the years of experience
and tremendous amount of talent of
many members, it's most likely that
everyone will learn something new from
each article. Please let us hear from you
... write to Gene R. Chase, Editor, THE
VINTAGE AIRPLANE, Wittman Airfield,
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.
Selecting And Buying
by E. E. "Buck" Hilbert
(EAA 21 , NC 5)
P. O. Box 145
Union, IL 60180
See it? It's the ragged lookin' blue
one with all the patches and multi-color
paint splotches! Yeah! That's the one!
How many times have you heard
those words or similar ones when a fel -
low aficionado or "Mania" as they call
them in Japan, points out an airplane
that has been sitting at the local airport
for years, in an obviously neglected
condition. This could be a "perfect proj-
ect" for a potential restoration. It might
be a ragwing Luscombe, aT-craft,
Champ an Ercoupe, Cessna 170 or
whatever. There it sits - an example
of decaying aeronautica, just begging
to be taken into your family. If adopted
and started on the road to recovery it
could be made useful and grand again,
to make someone happy. It could teach
one of the kids "how to do it" and maybe
learn to fly, and to spark the "airplane
disease bug" in the old man.
First, let's look at the plane's registra-
tion. It indicates the registered owner is
William G. Pilot and he lives right near
here in Whyville on Dollar Street. Let's
go home, look him up in the phone book
and see if we can possibly talk him out
of it.
Mr. Pilot's wife says she's sorry, but
Mr. Pilot isn't in. She suggests you
leave your name and number and she
will have him call when he comes in.
You oblige and sure enough, after
you've nearly forgotten about acquiring
this project you get the call. Mr. Pilot's
story is a familiar one. Either his wife
objected to his flying because it made
her a nervous wreck, or he lost his med-
ical, or he couldn't afford the annual, or
whatever, but he is will ing to sell for a
price! Lo and behold that price is equit-
able to what you had in mind. So the
next move is up to you. Now where do
you begin. First you tell Mr. Pilot that
you want to look a little more before you
jump, and he agrees to meet you at the
airplane on Tuesday.
Great! Next we line up our friendly
mechanic to inspect the plane on Tues-
day to tell us whether we have a good
deal or not. A slight problem arises
when we learn our mechanic and his
frau are off to Cancun for a little frolic
in the sun and surf and won't be back
until a week from Saturday. Oh well , Bill
Bangup is a mechanic and he'll help me
with this. Ouch! ... for fifty bucks plus
expenses he will! The heck with him, I'll
look it over myself. I can tell whether it's
a good deal or not. After all , I've been
flyin' these things for better than six
years now. What more experience do I
need?
This tale could become a horror story
illustrating how a guy can really get him-
self into a trap by using the above ap-
proach. Or he could approach this in a
rational manner and come out ahead
on the deal.
One of the greatest traps the potential
restoration candidate should be made
aware of is the "Love Affair". Love is
blind! Most of us know that from first
hand experience. Love can cause one
to overlook faults and problems that
could be seen instantly if one wasn't in
a fog. So, if you have my problem, a
love affair for every airplane I see, you
can really get yourself into a pickle bar-
rel.
Your best bet is to pay Mechanic
Bangup who at least has enough sense
to try to make his business pay. If you
have a hang-up on a particular airplane
because it's pretty, or you 've conjured
up an image in your mind that it's the
perfect airplane for you even though
you've never flown, ridden in, or worked
on one, maybe you'd better see your
analyst and take his advice. You should
at least investigate the characteristics
of the machine, talk to knowledgeable
people who have had experience with
one, before you delve any further into
your pocketbook.
If you'd decided you can't live without
it and you 've convinced your family and
they're as enthused as you are, and the
kids think its gonna be neat to have an
airplane in the garage, and everybody
you know is pushin' you into going for
it, then do it!
Before Tuesday, ask Mr. Pilot to bring
all the paperwork with him. This should
include the registration and airworthi-
ness certificates, the engine logs, the
propeller and aircraft logs, the FAA
Form 337s showing any major repair or
alterations, the weight and balance pa-
pers, Owner's and Operator's Manuals,
the equipment list and anything else he
has, too. He should have a pretty good
file on hand. Be sure the chain of own-
ership is complete, and if possible, be-
fore you strike the deal get somebody
in the FAA Aircraft Records Section at
Oklahoma to check the files and make
sure there are no liens on the machine.
This is doubly important because you
might be well along with the restoration
before learning that a bank in Arkansas
holds a lien against the plane. Make
real certain it's going to be your airplane
and nobody else's.
After you're sure that Mr. Pilot isn't
sellin' you a "pig in a poke", then look
the plane over very carefully. To really
get to know an airplane takes more than
just a good pre-flight. Important factors
are the length of time the machine has
been sitting, how long it's been since
the last annual, Mr. Pilot's attitude and
10 MARCH 1986
manner and how complete his paper-
work is. There may be an underlying
motive for his wanting to sell. Maybe
there is an AD note of major conse-
quence that is overdue, like a spar mod
with a time limit on it; or an engine mod
that requires splitting the case to pin the
bearings, or a major aircraft or engine
bulletin that could be very costly and
time consuming.
If obvious repairs to the structure are
noted, such as spar splices, tubing
welds, etc., be sure these are covered
by one of the Form 337s that are a part
of the records file. If no record exists,
you'll have to convince the IA who's
going to sign off your rebuild job to as-
sume responsibility for someone else's
repairs. This may be difficult to do even
if it looks good on the surface. Have I
convinced you yet that you need a
knowledgeable person to fall back on at
this point?
When you've decided that Mr. Pilot is
honest, straightforward and isn't going
to swindle you, then proceed with your
self-inspection routine to assure your-
self this project is as represented.
Check again on the AD notes. Allow
yourself at least twice as much time as
would seem logical for the AD check.
Many otherwise competent mechanics
have severe writer's cramp and a typi-
cal log entry will read, "All ADs complied
with through 75-21 " (or some such
date). You would assume from that
statement that you needn't concern
yourself with anything earlier than that
date. Unfortunately, many ADs pre-
scribe an inspection of a specific part or
area at hourly or calendar intervals until
said part is replaced or permanently
reinforced. If the compliance statement
doesn't specifically state that the per-
manent fix was performed, you'd better
count the cost of having this done as
part of the purchase price.
Call you local GADO office and ask
them to look up the ADs for you . Better
yet, take a trip out there and have them
make copies for you, in chronological
order and then compare the list with
what is in the log books. Satisfied?
Then you can proceed, knowing the
ownership is free and clear, you have
all the paperwork, you know the ADs
are up to date as to the last annual and
you're satisfied there aren't any major
structural or engine ADs outstanding.
You haven't got the mechanic with
you, so let's assume you are on your
own. You plan to do a complete rebuild
on this thing so are only interested in
the down-to-earth basic pieces. At this
point you don't care about the rag and
the upholstery, or the glass, side panels
or the windshield. What you really want
to know is if the weather and age has
been kind to the old bird. Get yourself
a note pad, screwdriver and flashlight.
The cabin/cockpit area comes first.
Have raccoons built a home in the fuse-
lage? Have the mice eaten all the insu-
lation out of the side panels or off the
wiring? Are the control cables all rusted
out? Is the hardware in some
semblance of recognition or is it gone?
Is the instrument panel complete or re-
buildable?
What does the tach read? If it has a
primer, does it leak? Does the engine
turn over and are the controls free? Are
the radios over age and beyond the
pOint of no return? Pull down the back
partition and look back towards the tail
post. A flashlight will be real handy
here. How does it look? Does the bat-
tery compartment ooze corrosion? Are
the control cables intact? Make a note
on your pad for future reference. Satis-
fied? Then look under the cowling.
Look for birds, bird dirt, oil , seepage,
fuel stains, frayed hoses and wires.
Check the oil. If there is fuel, drain
some. Is there any water in the gas?
Are any oil change service stickers to
be found? How do their numbers com-
pare with the logbook and tachometer
hour readings? Can you see the engine
mount well enough to determine if there
are cracks or deformities? Is the
hardware rusted or corroded? Do you
like what you see?
That's the real clue. If you don't like
what you see on any of this then pick
up your marbles and walk away. They
can't make you buy it! And if you feel
deep down there is just too much
wrong, then take a hike. This goes for
any part or piece of the airplane. Sure,
money can rectify a lot of wrongs, but
you should have made up your mind
long before this how much you are will-
ing to shell out.
An important consideration at this
point is the dollar value of the finished
product. How much will you have to
spend to get it into salable condition?
How much labor will it take? Does the
simple arithmetic compute? Use your
common sense. It may be better to find
a plane in license and flying and spend
a couple extra bucks to assure yourself
you have what you want. It's up to you .
Next crawl under the belly and check
for old oil streaks and/or accumulated
crud. Look at the tires while you're down
there. How about the brakes? Tires tell
tales if they are worn uneven. Are there
any suspicious wrinkles, rips or big
dents under there? A runaway light can
wreck havoc! How about the undersides
of the elevator? Does the tail wheel
have a tire on it? Is it or the nose wheel
tire worn uneven?
Look at the doors. How do they fit?
Examine the gear attach fittings and the
area around them for any distortion or
wrinkles. Look at the horizontal tail sur-
faces. Are there big dents in the leading
edges? Are the fairings in good shape?
Shake the elevator and rudder to see if
the hinges are secure and snug . Are
the bearings or bushings intact? You
should really be getting into this now,
and making more notes on your pad.
Do you still like what you see?
Stand a few feet behind the plane and
examine the symmetry of the wings and
tail surfaces to the fuselage. Do the
pieces look like they belong? Great!
Come back up the other side of the fu-
selage and look over the upper surfaces
of the wing as you walk up to the trailing
edges. Sight down to check for warps.
Inspect the ailerons and flaps. Work
them! Are they full of hangar rash? Do
they move freely? Shake them! Are the
tracks, bearings and bushings worn?
Don't forget to check the other side
when you get there.
Check the wing tip for hangar rash.
Sight down the wing leading edges. Will
they have to be replaced or require
cosmetic treatment? Keep on going and
look at the wing attach hardware and
the struts. Always check for evidence of
repairs.
As you pass in front of the propeller,
look for obvious signs of distress, corro-
sion, knicks and gouges. Did you look
at the air filter and the cowling when
you went over the engine? Determine
that the mag switch is "off" then pull the
prop through. Do each of the cylinders
have compression? Continue your in-
spection on the other side of the
airplane.
I have neglected to emphasize the
importance of looking for corrosion. In
an aluminum airplane look for that frosty
appearance, or if it's painted pay par-
ticular attention to the seam overlaps
where blistering paint will clue you in.
Look really hard at the control surfaces
and see if they are pock-marked or if
the paint is frosting off. You can't really
get inside the structures until you disas-
semble the parts, but a good look at it
externally will often give you a pretty
good idea of what is inside.
Don't fail to remove the wing root fair-
ings to check wing attach fittings and
the associated hardware. Do-it-your-
seifers are prone to stuff this area with
insulating material in an effort to reduce
drafts and wind noise. While this is often
quite effective it also may have ab-
sorbed a lot of water and provided an
ideal atmosphere for rust and corrosion.
Spar carry through channels on Lus-
combes and Cessnas are difficult to in-
spect properly without removing the
wings and can be a real budget buster
to repair if corrosion has progressed far.
You may find what the mice did with
the upholstery material that was mis-
sing from the cabin , too. Mice seldom
get out of bed to go to the bathroom
when they hibernate in these cozy nests
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
Restoration Corner
and the resultant soggy material will do
more damage than an equal amount of
battery acid.
If it's a rag covered taildragger, pay
very strict attention to the lower longe-
rons in the area of the tail post. Is there
any rust showing around the attach fit-
tings at the stabilizer? Take your pocket
knife or a pick and try to penetrate the
areas that are suspicious. If the probe
goes into the metal longeron there is a
major problem.
On tricycle geared planes, check
carefully for rust and corrosion in the
lowest area of the fuselage. Piper Tri-
Pacers have a habit of accumulating
moisture behind the landing gear sup-
port structure tubing which can promote
corrosion.
All the discrepancies you've noted on
your pad should be totaled up. Do you
still like what you see? If so, then go
after that airplane. Use a little more
leverage on Mr. Pilot and take it from
there.
Purchase Price
by "Buck" Hilbert
Let's assume you've already ac-
complished the selection of the aircraft
you want as your project. You've hur-
dled all the obstacles, and you've lo-
cated the ship of your dreams. Now
comes stark reality. What is the price?
"Give me some guidelines. How
much should I shell out?" is the most
often asked question. You ask anyone
who will listen and you'll hear as many
answers as there are people to ask.
The broker who is in this only to make
a living and who treats these airplanes
only as potential revenue garners will
have one price. It usually includes a
mark-up to cover his commissions, ad-
vertising, phone bills and whatever
other overhead he may anticipate. He
does have one advantage though. He
may have a listing and know exactly
where the merchandise is. That is espe-
cially true in today's computerized mar-
ket. So the extra bucks, in this case,
may be a worthwhile layout.
If in the process of selecting your pro-
ject and locating it, you have found a
private owner who is willing to dicker or
bargain, then you have it made. I had
to wait almost eight years before the
previous owner of my Swallow was will-
ing to part with it. I used that time to get
better acquainted with the man and to
form a friendship that triggered a feeling
that he was passing his beloved pos-
session on to someone who cares, and
I did!
When the opportune time came, the
price was high, much higher than my
original offer, which in the light of sub-
sequent events turned out to be a
giveaway. But at the time I felt that he
had violated our friendship and I almost
didn't take the deal.
Often, the end value of an airplane is
its present market value, be it aT-craft,
Ercoupe, Mooney, Ryan or what have
you. A good place to find a starting price
is in the want ads in EAA publications,
Trade-A-Plane, The Controller, Air
Show Journal, General Aviation News,
etc., and they will give you a good idea
as to the current market value of your
specific machine.
There is an Airplane Pricing
Guidebook, too, which most insurance
adjusters carry. This book is often up-
dated. In it the values are broken down
as to makes and models, engine times,
accessories and radios. If there is dam-
age history, the cost to repair and/or re-
place parts is listed. Call your aviation
insurance person who will be happy to
quote from the book. After all, this is his
basis for accepting or denying the insur-
ance coverage you pay so dearly for.
One disadvantage is that your airplane
may not be listed if it is an antique, or
it may be lumped into a category if it's
outside the approved insurability tables.
Take the numbers you get, average
them out if they are from several
sources (and they should be), temper
them with your feelings, desirability and
airplane availability. Then you'll have
your own personal appraisal.
What you are willing to pay for the
airplane of your choice with the equip-
ment you desire now becomes the final
factor. Next subtract what has to be
done to put the plane into the condition
you desire and you'll know what you
want to pay.
If it needs restoration, price out the
Mcessary supplies, such as paint, up-
holstery and whatever, and then double
that figure to cover labor. Don't forget
that you have an investment, too, in
your workshop, utility bills, tools, and
that you might have to hire an IA or an
A&P to assist and to sign off the final
product.
Do the arithmetic, total the plusses
and minuses and then you can make
your own decision. Don't become dis-
couraged. Sometimes it takes a cold
shower to make a person think clearly.
A person can get pretty hot over a par-
ticular airplane, so much so that he or
she loses all sense of reason. Then
they suffer afterward by winding up with
an unsalable item because it's now
overpriced.
Retrieving Your
Treasure
by Ron Fritz
(EAA 9448, NC 337)
15401 Sparta Avenue
Kent City, Michigan 49330
After making the decision to purchase
a plane, the next step is getting it home.
This mayor may not be a task depend-
ing on its condition, the distance to bring
it home, and the necessary equipment
to transport it if it cannot be flown. Re-
trieving a newly acquired airplane is a
great adventure and will provide you
with storytelling material for years to
come.
Since retrieving a plane can be an
involved process it is a good idea to
draw from the experiences of others
who have done this. If the distance to
bring it home is significant, it might be
a good family adventure as it is very
difficult for one person to attempt it on
his or her own. It can be a very trying
and tiring experience also, so use dis-
cretion if the spouse is less than en-
thusiastic about the whole matter.
If the airplane is airworthy and cur-
rently in license, the simplest and
cheapest way to get it home is to fly it.
This is only true, of course, if you have
the time to spare as well as the skill
needed to fly it. Sometimes it will be
more prudent to have someone else do
the flying and pay their expenses. Find-
ing someone to fly your new plane isn't
usually a problem as there is generally
a pilot hanging around the local airport
with the time and inclination to do this
for you. Be careful , though, as there is
the occasional pilot whose ego far ex-
ceeds his/her flying ability.
If someone else is going to do the
flying, make sure he or she is qualified
to fly the plane and don't hesitate to
check their qualifications. A lot of log-
ged flying time doesn't necessarily
mean a pilot would be qualified to fly
your new plane. Use caution here as it
could save you a lot of money and heart-
ache.
If the plane is not in license, but is
flyable, it can still be flown provided a
ferry permit is obtained from the FAA.
This will involve an inspection by a
licensed mechanic with a logbook nota-
tion stating that the airplane is safe to
make this one trip. It might be a good
bargaining point to insist the seller
guarantee a ferry permit with the sale
of the plane. Purchasing a "ferryable"
airplane sight unseen can be risky as
the seller's idea of ferryable might differ
drastically from yours or the mechanic's
who ultimately must make the determi-
nation.
12 MARCH 1986
Photo by Ron Fritz
A cartop carrier on a Pinto was used successfully to transport this uncovered Aeronca
KCA fuselage, wing spars, ailerons and cowling across two states.
fAA Antique/Classic Chapter 1 members in the Lakeland, FL area built this A-frame to
safely carry this French-built M.S. 181 from Florida to Jackson, Michigan where EAA
Chapter 304 members restored it for the EAA Aviation Museum. The frame consisting
of 1 x 4s, 2 x 4s and 4 x 4s was carried on a flatbed trailer.
The cabane struts of the parasol wing
M.S. 181 are bolted to the A-frame to
stabilize the load.
if the airplane cannot be flown or you
don't care to take a chance on flying it,
then the only other alternative is to
transport it home in a disassembled
state. If miracle of miracles happens
and the seller agrees to deliver for a
reasonable price, take him up on this.
You cannot go wrong. If you must re-
trieve the plane yourself, make
adequate preparations. Make sure your
equipment is adequate for the job and
take plenty of padding and rope to lash
the plane securely. As mentioned be-
fore, draw from the experiences of
others if possible.
The ideal vehicle to do the job is a
pickup truck with a long bed trailer. By
using this set up you will most likely be
able to get the whole plane in one trip.
If the plane is only a short distance
away and several trips are possible, a
truck or trailer alone may be adequate.
The landing gear/motor mount fittings on
the fuselage rest in notched 2 x 4s.
If the plane must be transported a
long distance, a truck or trailer alone
can be adequate providing you make
good preparations and construct racks,
etc., to carry all the components. In-
terestingly, a lot can be carried on car-
top carriers. For example, several years
ago an enterprising EAA'er transported
a complete, uncovered Aeronca KCA
fuselage, wing spars, ailerons, and
cowling from Western Michigan to East-
ern Ohio atop a Ford Pinto. The trip was
uneventful , trouble free and provided
him with stories to tell for years.
Should an adequate trailer not be
available, a suitable trailer can be made
out of a snowmobile or boat trailer by
constructing a wooden bed using
lumber and plywood. A word of caution
here: don't exceed the weight limits of
the trailer.
Loading the plane is going to be a
formidable challenge and much caution
must be used. Every1hing must be
lashed down or confined so it won't fall
off and be damaged or endanger other
persons. Use good, strong rope or
straps and make sure the ends are fas-
tened securely. Check the load fre-
quently while traveling to make sure the
lashings haven't loosened. Make sure
your outside mirrors allow you to keep
an eye on the load.
If the airplane is purchased in an as-
sembled state, so much the better as
you will gain valuable experience if you
disassemble it yourself. You will also
have the assurance that you have all
the parts. Purchasing a basket case is
risky as there always seems to be a
piece or two missing.
It's important to know that it isn't
necessary to completely disassemble
the plane to transport it. The tail sur-
faces may be left on as long as they are
immobilized and don't exceed the width
limits in the state(s) you will be traveling
through. Moveable surfaces should be
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
removed iftheplanewill beloadedwith
thetailfacingforward.Leavetheengine
and cowling attached if possible.
Ifaroughorbumpytripisanticipated,
it might be a good idea to support the
front ofthe engine to relieve stress on
theenginemountandforwardfuselage.
The landing gear may be left attached
as long as they don't protrude too far
and aren'tadanger. The axles provide
an excellent place to lash the fuselage
down. By leaving the landing gear on,
Plentyofroom isavailableattheaftend
ofthefuselageforlandinggearsandtail
surfaces.NotepaddingonA-framewhere
wingsweremounted.
An example ofhow not to transport a disassembled aircraft. Strong crosswinds can
makealightvehicleortrailerverydifficulttohandlewhenthewingsarecarriedinthis
fashion.
you have an excellent place to store
other components beneath the fuse-
lage. Two wings, padded and lashed
securely,usuallywill fit underthe fuse-
lage very well.
When the wings are still covered,
theyshouldbelaidflatandlasheddown
securely. If mountedvertically,the side
area is too greatand will probably lead
to an uncontrollabletrailer ortruckin a
strongcrosswind. Ifthefuselagehangs
overtheendofthetrailerortruck,make
sureyouhaveadequatepaddingtopre-
vent damage to the longerons or
monocoque structure.When loading a
trailer, distribute the weight properly.
Maintain weight on the hitch as an
evenlybalancedtrailerortrailerwithex-
cess weight behind the axles will give
you real problems unless the vehicle
pulling it is exceptionally heavy. The
success of your trip will be enhanced
by planning ahead and trying to antici-
pate problems. Larger planes demand
heavier and stronger equipment. Low
wing planes require the fuselage to be
placed in a special cradle or rack. Bi-
planes have extra wings to concern
yourselfwith.Eachairplanehasitsown
peculiarities, and measures that work
with one won't necessarily work with
another. When transporting airplanes,
certain basics should be remembered.
Use common sense, don't allow your-
self to be rushed, have someone look
overyourworkanddon'ttakechances.
TED BUSINGER
AVIATION HISTORIAN ...
(Continuedfrom Page9)
studying mechanical engineering and
later working at the Rohr Aircraft plant
in Riverside, California as a Tech
Writer/ Estimator and later working at
Hunter Engineering in Riverside.
Ted nowenjoys his retirement years
with hislovelywifeCatherine,writesar-
ticles on aviation and aviation greats
(primarily for EM) and also has com-
piled dozens of photo albums jam-
packed with one-of-a-kind aircraft
photos. He also has amassed
thousands of slides and various and
sundryitems relatingto aircraft,aircraft
manufacturers and suppliers.
It was nearly mind-boggling to see
and lookthrough thetremendousarray
of priceless material Ted has, and all
neatlycataloguedandfiledforeasyref-
erence.Infact,we spentoneafternoon
(nearly four hours) looking at nothing
but sl ides. Ted is a gentleman to be
commended for his straightforward
sense of commitment to preserving a
part of the history of aviation. And for
hisefforts,weshallallbealittlericher.
14 MARCH 1986
Ted BusingerCollection
A "canard" atthe National Air Races, Chicago, 1930. It' s hard to discern the plane in
thisphoto, butit'sahigh-wing, single-enginecraft. Ashorttimelater,theaircraftwas
involved inafatal crash.Detailsofthecrash are notavailable.
, I y p ClubActivities
Compiled by Gene Chase
INTERNATIONAL CESSNA 120/140
ASSOCIATION
Special 40th Anniversary Celebra-
tion
The 2nd Annual International Cessna
120/140 Association Regional Spring
Fly-In is scheduled for Saturday, April
19, 1986, at the Compton Airport, Com-
pton, CA. The main feature of the event
will be a 40th Anniversary Celebration
marking the start of production of the
Cessna 120/140 which began in May,
1946.
As a part of the celebration, all at-
tending Cessna 120/140s will be invited
to participate in a special "Glory Days
of Flight" which will be approximately
30 minutes in duration. Also included
will be a full schedule of activities both
in the air and on the ground. For further
details contact J. R. (Jack) Rhines,
California State Representative at 2131
869-1662.
Fountainhead '85
The 10th Annual International
Cessna 120/140 Association Conven-
tion was held October 3-6 at Foun-
tainhead Lodge on picturesque Eufala
Reservoir located 22 miles east of Hen-
ryetta, Oklahoma. The event was a
great success thanks to cooperative
weather. Activities included a 40-mile
fly-out to McAlester for lunch and a tour
through a new automated Flight Service
Station, a maintenance forum, flight
contests and an awards banquet. 169
people were registered along with 59
120/140s and 15 other aircraft.
For information on the International
Cessna 120/140 Association, write to
them at Box 830092, Richardson, TX
75083-0092.
The International Bird Dog Associa-
tion has recently been formed to pre-
serve and promote the heritage of the
Cessna 305/ L-19/0-1 aircraft, and to
reunite as many veteran pilots who
have flown it as possible.
The Bird Dog is directly related to the
Cessna 170. It is also known as the 305,
L-19 (L for Liaison) and 0-1 (0 for Ob-
servation). There are only about 300
Bird Dogs left flying in the United States
and Canada.
The Bird Dog is also a warbird. It has
served diligently in Korea, Vietnam,
Europe and in other parts of the world.
The U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine
Corps have used the Bird Dog in vari-
ous training and combat roles. In addi-
tion, the Bird Dog has been utilized by
the Civil Air Patrol , U.S. Forest Service,
foreign governments and in a variety of
other "bush" type capacities.
For additional information on the In-
ternational Bird Dog Association, con-
tact Phil Phillips, 3939-C8 San Pedro
NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110, phone
505/881-7555.
Inexpensive Intercom
The following item about Terry March
(EAA 256794, AlC 9676), 4344 Liberty
Road, Delaware, OH 43015 appeared
in a recent issue of "Cub Clues", the
newsletter of the Cub Club.
At the First Annual Cub Fly-In, Terry
demonstrated some really nifty inter-
coms which are actually little wireless
radios combined with a headset. They
can be used in a voice-activated or
push-to-talk mode. They can also be
used outside the aircraft because they
have a range of 114 mile. The cost is
$30 per set and, of course, two sets are
needed. The $30 includes the headset.
Go to your GE dealer and ask for Voice
I, Model no. 35959A.
Post-War Cub Details (From Clyde
Smith, Jr.)
1. Should a '46 Cub have the metal
"Piper" on either side of the cowl? Yes,
all postwar Cubs had the metal
emblem.
2. Is there any form of carpeting or
rubber mat on the floorboard? No, all
Cubs had black enamel over plywood
floorboards.
3. Should the instruments have the
Cub bear on them? Yes, the airspeed
and altimeter had the bear emblem in
black.
4. Should the instruments have
cream-colored faces? Yes, all postwar
Cubs had cream-faced instruments ex-
cept the compass.
For information on the Cub Club, con-
tact John B. Bergeson, Chairperson,
Newsletter, 6438 West Millbrook Road,
Remus, MI 49340, phone 517/561-
2393 .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Jerry's
1946 Piper J-3 Cub, N3239N, SIN 22430 owned by Howard Fassler and Jerry Staver, Cherokee, IA. When they purchased the plane
in 19n its total time was just 500 hours.
Story and photos by Dick Cavin
Ever wonder just what it is that makes
a J-3 such a magnet for so many avia-
tion people? If its lure was strictly for us
oldsters we could probably say it was
case of mass nostalgia, but it isn't just
the retirement home refugees that in-
dulge in this adulation. It's the young
ones, too. They get that wistful look in
their eyes when a J-3 gets in their field
of view.
Many of those young ones have
never been in a Cub, yet they have al-
most a reverent attitude as they get
close enough to study its cockpit in-
nards. Perhaps the fold down door and
stark simplicity of the interior holds
some special magic. This isn't just a
contemporary phenomenon either. I've
seen this since the 'thirties. Nor is it
some sort of a rejection of today's tech-
nical complexity. All I know for sure is
that the venerable J-3 has some magic
appeal to both neophyte and veteran
pilots. "Magic," it truly seems to be.
How else would you explain the
meteoric price rise of used J-3 Cubs
that began about 10 years ago? Prices
of used T -crafts and Aeroncas lagged
far behind the J-3's even though many
were in much better condition mechan-
ically. Now it's not uncommon to find
newly re-covered J-3's priced well
above the 10K mark.
16 MARCH 1986
There's no doubt that the winners at
Oshkosh '85 of the title of Outstanding
in Type (J-3) freely admit that nostalgia
has been the motivation factor for them.
Actually, N3239N is owned by two EAA
types from Cherokee, Iowa - Howard
Fassler (EM NC 8688) and
Jerry Staver (EAA 71165). Howard
brought the J-3 to Oshkosh this year
and during the course of our interview
he told me he and Jerry learned to fly
in a J-3 in 1955 and that J-3s have been
their bag ever since.
When they decided they wanted to
learn to fly they saw a J-3 at the
Cherokee airport and bought it for -
believe this - $375. They both learned
to fly in it and kept it for four years be-
fore they sold it.
In 1977 they found their present Cub
sitting in a farmer's hangar. It had been
bought new in 1946 and hadn't flown in
20 years. In the 19 years the farmer
flew it he only put 500 hours on it. This
alone makes it outstanding. Most Cubs
have many, many thousands of hours
on them, most of them the hard way in
student instruction. When they found it,
everything was original on this airplane
except the tires.
They started flying the airplane al-
most immediately, first unpickling the
engine, which had been perfectly pro-
tected. After flying it for a while it began
leaking oil around the push rod tubes,
so they decided to pull it down for in-
spection. They wound up replacing the
bearings and rings and grinding the val -
ves of the trustly Iii 01' Continental 65.
Since then it has purred like a sewing
machine, as those faithful little engines
do.
I did a little reminiscing at that point.
I had put in nearly 2500 hours instruct-
ing in Cubs in the '30s, running those
engines almost continuously from
morning's first light until dark, with never
enough time available to give them first
class maintenance. About all I ever did
was add gas, change oil and maybe
change plugs every 2 or 3 hundred
hours, and I don't recall one of those
Continentals ever missing a beat. What
wonderful engines they were (and still
are). It's almost criminal that they are
no longer in production. If they were,
can you imagine what they probably
would cost with product liability insur-
ance premiums tacked on top?
The original Sensenich prop is still on
the airplane. Howard said it had a little
dry rot on it when they got it, but with a
little light sanding and some modern
urethane varnish it passed inspection. I
looked it over, too, and as far as I could
tell it was quite serviceable. Obviously,
the airplane had been well protected
from the elements all those years.
The condition of the fabric after all
those years echoes that same thought.
Many people today look down their
noses at Grade A cotton fabric, but
since Howard and Jerry flew the
airplane until 1980 before it was neces-
sary to recover it, one can't escape the
fact that a 34-year service life for the
fabric isn't too bad. Also, consider that
Piper had the reputation of putting the
absolute minimum number of coats of
dope on new airplanes then and the 34-
year life is even more impressive. When
other makes of airplanes that had
many, many coats of dope were kept
hangared the fabric has been found to
be good after 40-45 years.
Not many people these days have
much confidence in today's Grade A,
though, and have gone to the synthetic
fabrics. The necessity of outside tie
downs has dictated this choice in many
instances.
Howard and Jerry started the re-
cover of the J-3 in 1980 and this took
the best part of two years, although they
didn't work on it any during the winter
months. They used Ceconite and buty-
rate dope (a lot of it) so maybe the J-3
will still be flyable another umpteen
dozen years from now, who knows?
During re-cover is when one finds all
those little (?) things that need to be
replaced. In the wings they found that
mice had had a few rib stitch cords for
dessert and that the settling roof of the
farmer's hangar had deformed the top
of a few ribs, but these were easily re-
paired and it wasn't necessary to re-
place anything in the wings. Even the
cables and pulleys were A-OK.
The fuselage was a little different ,
though. All the cables to the tail group
were replaced, since they weren 't stain-
less like the ones in the wing. They put
in new flooboards and installed a new
aluminum fuel tank. The original tank
was made from terne plate. They al-
ways developed rust inside where water
settled out in the sump and stopping
their leaks was only a temporary meas-
ure. They also complied with an AD for
a tank drain at that time.
They replaced the seat upholstery
with new ones from Wag Aero, along
with all new glass. The old glass wasn't
badly crazed, but had become yellow
and brittle, Howard said. Nothing else
in the fuselage really needed replacing ,
although they did refinish the instrument
panel. All instruments are the original
ones and are still in good condition.
Even the switch was still good, but they
did put new wiring on it.
As Howard and I walked around the
airplane we checked all the control
hinges for tightness and I found practi-
cally no wear on any of them. Even the
stabilizer jack showed very little play.
The original Scott tailwheel was still on
it, too, although Howard said they had
replaced the tire. They had also com-
plied with ADs on the struts that require
larger forks and threads rolled instead
of cut. I commented on how smooth the
former stringer contours were and How-
ard said they, too, were original and
only required a little straightening.
Howard is a mechanic for a John
Deere dealership in Cherokee and Jerry
is an auto salvage yard operator. Their
work doesn't leave much time for flying
except on weekends, so since finishing
the re-cover they've only put 300 (very
gentle) hours on the little bird, about 25
hours per year each. Most of their flying
is to fly-ins, fly-in breakfasts, etc. How-
ard said it "only" took him six hours from
Cherokee (north central Iowa) to Osh-
kosh . He offered the opinion that it
might take him all day to get back if he
had the usual west winds.
One thing I do know, though. It won't
be 7 or 8 hours of boredom. There's
something extra special about puttering
along in nap of the earth flying in a Cub
with the door down and every detail of
the world laid out before you for your
personal inspection and enjoyment. Sit-
ting there in that gentle and forgiving
little bird is an experience that isn't ex-
celled by any other type of flying. You
are secure in the knowledge that you
can put it in anyone's football field and
have half of it left over if need be, so
what the heck? Enjoy! After all , isn't that
what sport flying is all about?
Howard Fassler and the "Magic" J-3.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
R. R. Crawford,Whitesburg,NY, ownsthisattractivewhitewithorangeandyellowtrim
Meyers 145, N34371, SIN 214.
Storyand photos by Ted Businger
(EAA93833, Ale 2333)
Rt. 2, Box 280
Willow Springs, MO 65793
Mrs. Allen H. Meyers flew this beautiful Meyers 2008, N34383, SIN 265 to the Meyers
Fly-Infrom herhomein Tecumseh, MI.
Sometimeswhenwethinkofsummer
"fly-ins" we draw a mental picture of
open treeless areas with heat waves
shimmering from the runway, meetings
in drafty hangars, minimum refresh-
ments and accommodations which are
miles away.
TheMeyersAircraftOwnersAssocia-
tion decided to breakthattradition and
Bob Stickle was assigned the task of
locatingasuitableplacefortheirannual
meeting"somewherein the mid-U.S. "It
isdoubtfulthatanicerplacecouldhave
been selected. He located agrassstrip
with adequateaircraftparkingandtree-
shaded lodgesimmediatelyadjacentto
Arkansas' beautiful White River. Just
beyond the north end of the runway is
a flower bedecked park with a tennis
court, swimming pool, picnic facilities,
kids play equipment, etc.
Between the park and the lodges is
a restaurant which partially extends
over the river. The varied menu in-
cludes steak and lobster plus cham-
pagne, forthose so inclined.Thisplace
is aerobatic pilot Jim Gaston's White
River Resort, considered by many as
the most beautiful location in the
Ozarks. Located 10 miles west of
Mountain Home, Arkansas it is within a
few minutes stroll of Bull Shoals Lake
and its popular recreation area. Even
theweatherman blessedthisgathering
onJune27-30withcomfortabledaytime
highsof 75-80 degrees.
Les Tar hosted an informal BBQ at
hiscottageatGaston'sonthefirstnight
for a friendly get-acquainted evening.
Les's 2000, N5SE, was ferried to the
U.S. from England. Bill Nagle, Gary
Merrihew,Bill Perryand Bud Youngdid
some nice formation flying.
PerkyMrs.Allen H. (Pop) Meyersar-
rived in aModel200andwasjoined by
designer Ray Betzoldt and inspector
Keith Diver in describingvariousfacets
of building these superb aircraft.
Meyers 145, N343E, SIN 210 with a Continental E-185 engine, owned by Robert More,
JunctionCity, KS.
18 MARCH 1986
Marion Wright'sMeyers 200B, N34397, SIN 279. Marion isfrom Ft. Worth,Texas.
Dick Martin and Charlie Botts spent
considerabletimeeducatingthisauthor
on everything built by Meyers. Viva-
cious Jacque Merrihew, secretary and
newsletter editor of the Meyers Club,
coordinated all activities to assure that
things meshed in an orderly fashion.
Several friendly folks spent considera-
bletime visiting with my wife Catherine
and converted herto an avid supporter
of the Meyersgroup.
TheMeyersAircraftOwnersAssocia-
tion welcomesownersofall Meyersair-
craftincludingtheModelOTW, 145and
200.This year's event drew six model
145s and nineteen 200s. In 1984 one
OTWshowedupinadditiontotheother
models.With such agrandturnout ,the
groupis alreadylookingforwardtotheir
1986 fly-in which will be held over the
July 4th weekend at Tecumseh,Michi-
gan to coincide with Mrs. Meyers'
planned tributeto AI MeyersatTecum-
seh on July4.The details of the event The beautiful setting of Jim Gaston' s White River Resort makes a great location for
will be announced soon. fly-ins.ThisMeyers 2000, N2977T, SIN 350 isowned by Bob Clark, Yuba City, CA.
Thisred andyellowMeyers 200, N200AW, SIN 383 IsownedbyDickMartin, Green Bay,WI.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
Via Vintage BirdAndRV
by Lily Dudicz
P.O. Box4142
Hayward, CA 94540
My husband's and my vacation was
a fabulous mixture of fun, adventure,
somescarymoments,talkingwithother
pilots, rounding upcattle, strangeland-
ings, making new friends and, above
all, magnificent scenery. By this brief
account of our travels we hope to en-
courage othersto get into their planes
and/orRVs and gooffthebeatentrack
as we did.
We tookthe Aeronca L-3B because,
at 59.6 miles per hour, it is one of the
slowest flying aeroplanes in the U.S.,
and this would enable us to locate
pioneer wagon tracks and other points
of interest from the air. Also, because
L-3Bs can't hold much gas, Len (EM
240518, AlC 9749) would haveto land
somewhere everytwo hours orless, in
between majorairports, and thiswould
give us an opportunity to see parts of
Nevada few other people have seen,
and which we hadn't seen yet either.
The RV carried autogas for the plane.
I piloted the "chase" vehicle for the
Aeronca- our1963Corvair Van, fully
equipped for living on the road, so we
had the best of both worlds, and used
whichevervehiclebestsuitedourplans.
Silver Springs, Nevada was our first
stop. Its "airport"is notmaintained and
hasnoservices.It isjustastripofcon-
cretewithweedsgrowingthroughsome
areas. There was plenty of space to
parkthevanand,bestofall,itwasquiet
andpeaceful.Therewere"NoTrespas-
sing"signshereandtherewithaname,
butnotelephonenumber.WemetJohn
20MARCH 1986
Flying the L-3 over Nevada rangeland.
and Adele Binkley of Del's Motel and
learned that they are members of a
grouptrying to restoretheairport.John
hadjustsold hisplanebecausehewas
havingeye problems, buthefell in love
withourAeroncaandhadtohavearide
in it. Len took him up for agood view
of his place and the surrounding area,
and when they landed, John invited us
tohishomeandwefoursatandchatted
for afew hours. We spentthat night in
our RV on the field alongside the
Aeronca and went to sleep looking at
the stars. In Nevada, the elevation be-
gins at four thousand feet. We were
closerto the stars than at home.
Before leaving the Silver Springs
area, we flew to Fallon just to see the
airport and chat with anyone around.
ThenearbyAirForceBasehadjetsfly-
ing "lowand slow", which was interest-
ing to us. On ourwaybackto the van,
wedecidedtoflyacrosstheLahotinRe-
servoir. We flew lowand "shotdown"a
couple of mallards with our pretend
machine gun. What fun! Then alas, it
wastime to be on ourway.
I always waited for Len to take off
.and be on his way, before getting into
the van and following. First,because I
hadtoholdtheplaneasLenhandprop-
ped it, so itwouldn'ttake offand fly by
itself and, second (or was it first?) I
wanted to make sure he was safe. In
case Lenhadtoreturn, Iwouldn'tbeon
my way to the next checkpoint/airstrip.
If Ididn't show up within a reasonable
time, Len would fly back to see what
happened. Although the RV was in
goodshape, Len hadto watchthe pilot
bearing, and add oil as needed.
Afterafewlandingsandmeetingson
the ground, Len teased me with, "We
have to stop meeting like this, people
aretalking!"Therewere always people
on thegroundwatching Lenflyaround,
into and out of airports, and along the
highway. It was 1943 all over again.
People could see, first hand, how the
sky must have looked manyyears ago
when these antique warbirds were fly-
ing. We think we may have brought
back lots of memories for many men
andwomenwhofleworrepairedplanes
similar in age to ours, and we often
heard ''There I was . . ." stories, and
theywere interesting.
We had to deliver a personal mes-
sage to a man in a bank in Elko, and
that is how we found out about one of
the most beautiful canyons we have
seen.Wedecidedtotiedowntheplane,
take the RV and visit it. Itwas October
and, of course, all the fall colors ran
rampant along thefoothillsofthe Ruby
MountainRange.Aspenswereinabun-
dance. We planned to stay there for a
few days, but it grew very cold as the
sun set. Ruby had asprinkling ofsnow
across hershoulders.The canyon was
named Lamoille.
Wells, Nevadahasaveryniceairport
owned and operated by a couple
named Dan and Karen Wines. Wells
hasn't changed a whole lot over the
years. Another casino-restaurant-
motel, that's about all. Karen Wines
suggested to Len that if he wanted to
trythethermalsthissideofRubyMoun-
tainshemightbesurprised.Thehighest
we had flown the L-3B was when we
flew across the Sierra Nevada Moun-
Our next planned stop would be one
hour from Ely as Len would not be able
to fly all the way to Caliente without re-
fueling. Finding Geyser Ranch was one
of the great adventures on this vacation.
There is no record of this ranch on
either the aeronautical chart or the road
map I was using. If you want to step into
a John Wayne movie setting, this is the
place to visit. Len would have to get
permission to stay, once he landed, be-
cause it is a private airstrip. Even
though the strip was rough, with weeds
and gravel strewn about, Len, who won
his wings as an Army Air Force pilot
during World War II and has logged
over 4,000 hours of flying, had no prob-
lem landing there.
Len was greeted by Gordon King and
told we would be welcome to stay on
Lily & Len prepare to gas the L-3 from a supply carried in the van.
the Ranch for two or three days. After
tains in July, and caught a thermal that Our next stop would be Ely. It was a short chat, Gordon asked Len if he
took us up to 9300 feet. At that altitude time to shower, shave and shampoo would fly up to the foothills of the moun-
we cleared Donner Pass by 400 feet. and I wanted to see the largest open pit tain and see if he could find some stray
What an experieince, what a thrill. The mine in the world. It produced copper cattle. Len was thrilled. As Gordon top-
ceiling for the L-38 is 9000 feet. before shutting down in 1978. A hill with ped the plane' gas tank he invited us to
While I gambled in Wells, Len flew Garnet rocks is worth looking for in Ely. stay for dinner. A dream of mine was to
the plane towards the Ruby Mountains We stayed overnight at the White Pine be on a working ranch with cowboys,
looking for thermals. He returned happy Motel , and it was a good thing because horses and bunkhouses, and while Len
and excited as a kid at Christmastime. it snowed during the night. We enjoyed flew to the hills "rounding up cattle", I
He had flown the L-38 to a record our stay there because one of the man- hung on a fence and made friends with
11 ,800 feet! agers had been an aircraft inspector the horses. After dinner, Len and I fell
I should have mentioned earlier that when she was seventeen years of age. asleep watching the stars and talking
Len often had difficulty finding airstrips We sat and chatted about aeroplanes about our day's activities.
for landing on our off-the-beaten-path for a couple of hours. After departing Geyser Ranch we had
route. Aeronautical charts were not too We reluctantly left Ely, but were an x- to stop at Pioche as the van needed
dependable; frequently strips were de- ious to find the sun again. After taking servicing. There is no airport at Pioche,
funct , and the places he did find and a couple of pictures of the Aeronca's but Len flew ahead and scouted around
land on were not recorded anywhere. baptism in "first snow", we cleaned her to see where he could land. About three
Fortunately, if it were absolutely neces- off. I held the plane while Len hand miles out of town, a road led to some
sary, sheriffs or highway patrol officers propped it, warmed the engine and flew piles of gravel. It was rough, but Len
would rope off the main highway for off. I waited til Len and the plane were landed and waited for me. Pioche is a
take off. out of sight then got into the van and lovely little town, with no activity. We
Even though an airport may have followed. The roads were clear as it only ate breakfast at a cafe, visited the
been abandoned, if Len can see any snowed for a couple of hours during the Chamber of Commerce run by a gra-
way to land on it, he will . . . for example, night. Ely's nice, well-maintained airport cious elderly lady (who also sold ore
as he did at Currie. We had planned to is located about ten miles from down- samples of silver, lead and zinc). She
meet there, but weren't sure where it town. told us where the service station was
was. I was dawdling down the road, as
it would take me longer to get to our
designated spot, so why rush. I was en-
joying the distant mountain ranges,
some with snow, and tumbleweeds and
the desert in general. Len was seeing
all that beauty from the air.
I had driven a long way, with no other
car or RV in sight when I spotted a
gravel road and decided to stop. I got
on the transceiver and tried to call Len.
I could hear him but he couldn't under-
stand me. I decided to relax there for a
while until Len flew overhead. Sud-
denly, there was Len walking towards
me. There was no airport in sight and
the plane was parked near the same
gravel road where I had parked the van.
Len told me about the ragged windsock
he saw, and he landed nearby in the
weeds. We stuck around Currie for a
few hours, enjoying the sunshine and
the silence. There are five buildings in
Currie located a mere fifteen feet off the
main highway. Lily holds the tail while Len props the Aeronca L-3.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
located and the retired gentleman there
was a great help, and we were soon on
our way back to the plane.
On the next leg of the trip I found Len
waiting for me beside the road, ten
miles outside of Caliente. It is a tiny
town with an historical railroad station.
The weather on this October day was
perfect. Len found the Air Force's
emergency landing strip, as indicated
on both our maps. It is almost two miles
long, and not maintained. We relaxed
there and soaked up the sun for four
hours.
Our next stop was the North Las
Vegas airport where we spent only one
night as we wanted to spend a few days
in Beatty, Nevada. This is a town that
has not changed in about 50 years.
We were there a couple of times during
the 1970s and nothing had changed,
except the addition of a casino and
motel.
Len's incredible serendipitous land-
ing in Pahrump got us a mention in the
local paper. I was looking for a pen pal
named Ruth Jurkas who lived in that
town but I had no idea how to get to her
house. We had reached the area during
a severe windstorm and the plane was
running out of gas. Len pulled an old
army pilot stunt and landed on a gravel
road near some mobile homes. A lady
came out and asked "Who are you look-
ing for?". He said, "Ruth Jurkas". The
lady said, "She is up there in her trailer
having a cup of coffee." Len had acci-
dentally landed in Ruth Jurkas' back
yard - a million to one shot
While we were grounded by weather
in Pahrump, we met Ruth's brother
Roger and his family; they owned the
Mobile Homes Sales, and an RV and
Camperland down the road. We helped
Roger paint signs for three days. We
also met Bill and Ruth Suiter and during
dinner we chatted about flying and giv-
ing rides in the L-3.
The next day after a few passenger
hops around Pahrump, Len topped the
Aeronca's gas tank, we bade our new
friends goodbye and headed for Beatty
and the hot mineral baths. We enjoyed
seven days there taking hot mineral
baths every evening and sleeping under
the stars. Len and I flew around the
area, seeing our favorite spot from the
air, for a change of scenery. Soon it was
time to be on our way and we reluctantly
departed.
Going through Death Valley was in-
teresting as there were two main roads
closed because of earlier flooding .
Roads and bridges throughout the de-
sert were washed away. Driving the van
down Black Mountain, part of Panamint
Range, was a thrill I could have done
without. But our next meeting place
would be the Inyokern airport, and this
was the only way to get there. The road
seemed to drop 5,000 feet almost
straight down. I happened to notice the
brakes weren't holding too well , and
had to stop a couple of times. When I
finally reached the bottom, I was shak-
ing like a leaf.
When I arrived at the Inyokern airport,
I was about an hour overdue. Len was
frantic but glad to see me. We hugged
each other, then we rented a motel
room for the night and got something to
eat. The next day we left Inyokern for
Mojave, California.
This part of the flight was no picnic
for Len. He fought updrafts and down
drafts with twenty to thirty-five mile per
hour winds. I, too, felt the winds across
the desert, blowing sand and
tumbleweed across the road.
Len had problems landing the
Aeronca in the strong, gusty wind, but
he finally managed and a couple of on-
lookers helped him tie the plane down.
I fought the winds, too, all the way from
Inyokern airport, but the scenery along
the highway was beautiful.
We knew the Rutan Voyager was in
a hangar on the field and we got to see
it before getting a motel room and some
dinner. The Voyager is a beautifully de-
signed plane, and well worth the visit.
We chatted with Burt Rutan's parents
for a few minutes and then went about
our business. Before leaving the field,
Len asked one of the secretaries in
Burt's office when the windstorm would
stop. It seems that Mojave always has
windstorms, but sometimes in the early
morning the winds die down.
At the crack of dawn the next day, we
were on the field. The wind was still
blowing at the same speed, but we
noticed there was a "lull" now and then.
We ate a cold breakfast , then Len
started the engine and jumped into the
plane as I held the tail down. When he
felt the wind was right , he waved to me
and I stepped away from the plane. He
was off! I watched until he was near the
Tehachapi Mountains, then got into the
van and followed. It was no ''tiptoe
through the tulips" for me in this
windstorm as I had to fight the buffeting
winds, too.
After a touch down in Tehachapi to
gas the plane from the van, we were on
our way home with only one more over-
night stop at a place along Highway 5
near Coalinga. Harris Ranch Restau-
rant is well worth the stop, with a conve-
nient landing strip, (bring your own
tiedowns) . After four hours travel time
the next day we arrived home rested
and relaxed and began thinking about
our next year's adventure .
Lily stands by the 1963 Corvair van while Len preflights the L-3. Note metal wheel covers for protection on ground.
22 MARCH 1986
VINTAGE SEAPLANES
Export Aircraft Circa 1935 - Bel-
lanca77-140 on EDO 15750floats
Courtesy Edo Seaplane Division
Despitearms-control laws,whichfor-
badetheexportofaircraftfittedwithmil-
itaryhardware,manyaircraft were sold
to overseas buyers as "convertible" to
militarypurposes.TheBellanca77-140,
shown here taxiing on the Delaware
River near its New Castle, Delaware
production site,wasan exampleofthis
equivocal policy.The steel tube,fabric
(and wood) aircraft was built in both
landplane and seaplane versions, the
latterwithEDO15750floats.Max(over-
load) grossweightoftheseaplanewas
17,749 lb. ;cruisespeed 165mph.; and
maximum range,1500mi. Powerplants
were 715 hp Wright R1820-F-3 Cyc-
lones with Curtiss electric propellers.
These pseudo-reconnaissance aircraft
firstflewin1934;feweversawcombat..
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MARCH 16-22- LAKELAND, FLORIDA- Sun
'n Fun '86.Contact Sun 'n Fun Headquarters
813/644-2431.
APRIL 5-6 - WASHINGTON, DC - 6th Annual
TourofNationalAir&SpaceMuseumandPaul
E. Garber facility. Dinner with a speaker of
note.Limited to 200.ContactMargaretScesa,
96"-5'st Place, College Park, MD 20740,
phone301 /345-3164.
APRIL19- COMPTON,CALIFORNIA- 2ndAn-
nuallnternationalCessna120/140Association
Regional Spring Fly-In and 40th Anniversary
celebration at Compton Airport.Contact:J.R.
(Jack)Rhines,CaliforniaStateRepresentative,
2131869-1662.
APRIL 25-27 - KITIY HAWK, NORTH
CAROLINA- 4thAnnualWilburWrightFly-In
at WrightBrothers'NationalMemorial.Gather-
ingof antiqueandclassicairplanesalongwith
vintageautomobiles.ContactGeneO'Bleness,
First FlightSociety,919/441-3761.
MAY2-4- COLUMBUS,INDIANA- Annual In-
'diana EAA Convention.Come to Hoosierland
and celebrateSpringwithforums, commercial
displays, banquet, entertainment and good
food. Contact: Julia Edwards Dickey, Presi-
dent, Indiana EAACouncil, 511 Terrace Lake
Road,Columbus,IN47201 ,8121342-6878.
MAY 2-4 - BURLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA
- EAA Antique/Classic Chapter 3 Annual
Spring Fly-In. Contact: Ray Bottom, 103
Powhatan Parkway, Hampton, VA 23661,
phone804n22-5056.
MAY16-18- COLUMBIA,CALIFORNIA- 18th
Annual Continental LuscombeAssociationfly-
in, ColumbiaAirport- FFI.ContactContinental
Luscombe Association, 5736 Esmar Road,
Ceres,CA95307,phone 209/537-9934.
MAY23-25
- ATCHISON,KANSAS- 20thAnnual Fly-In
ofGreater Kansas City Area Chapterof AAA.
Amelia Earhart Memorial Field. Contact: Lynn
Wendl, Fly-In Chairman. 8902 Pflumm,
Lenexa,KS 66215,phone913/888-7544.
MAY 24-25 - ANDERSON, INDIANA- Taylor-
craft Fly-in at Ace Airport. All light plane en-
thusiasts invited. Camping on field. Contact:
317/378-3673.
MAY24-26- LAMPASAS,TEXAS- 7thAnnual
Deer Pasture Fly-In, Memorial Day Weekend.
Contact: John Bowden, Rt 2, Box 137, Lam-
pasas, TX 76550,phone5121556-6873.
June 13-15 - MIDDLETOWN, OH - Aeronca
Fly-In including tours of the Aeronca factory
and the U.S.A.F.Museum.Banqueton Satur-
day night with speakers and judged aircraft
awards. Contact: Jim Thompson, Box 102,
Roberts, IL60962, telephone,217/395-2522.
JUNE 14-15- HERMISTON, OREGON - EAA
Chapter219AnnualFly-In.Awardsforhornebuill,
kitbuill, classic and antique. 20th Anniversary
Fly-In Contact Douglas Ankney,Jr., 503/567-
3964or503/567-7531,orwrite:L. W.Amacker,
4529N.w.A Ave., Pendleton, OR 97801.
JUNE 15-17 - WACO, TEXAS - 5th Annual
Short Wing Piper Convention. Contact: Jerry
Knapp, President - Southwest Chapter Short
Wing Piper Owners or Dan Nicholson,Chair-
man - SouthTexasChapterShort Wing Piper
Owners.
JUNE 20-21 - TULSA, OKLAHOMA - Annual
EAAChapter 10Fly-InatRiverside/JonesAir-
port.Contact LeRoyOpdyke, 13535N. 155th
E.Ave.,Collinsville,OK918/371-5770.
JUNE26-29- HAMILTON,OHIO- 27thAnnua
National Waco Reunion. Contact NC\,tional
Waco Club, 700 Hill Avenue, Hamilton, OH
45015.
JULY 3-5 - TECUMSEH, MICHIGAN - AI
Meyers Airport Fly-In. 50th Anniversary cele
bration.Contact: 517/423-7629.
JULY4-6- BLAKESBURG, IOWA- TypeClub
Fly-In at Antique Field. Aeronca, Pietenpol,
Corben, Fairchild, Hatz, Great Lakes and
others.Fly-outs, awards.Contact:AAA, Route
2,Box172,Ottumwa,IA52501,telephone515
938-2773.
JULY 28-AUGUST 1 - MANASSAS, VIRGINIA
- 18th Annual International Cessna 170 As-
sociation Convention. Contact: Byrd Raby,
301n43-7623.
AUGUST 1-8 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN -
World's Greatest Aviation Event. 34th Annual
EAAInternationalFly-InConventionand Sport
Aviation Exhibition. Contact EAA Headquar-
ters, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903
3086,phone414/426-4800.
AUGUST 10-15- FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
- InternationalAerobaticClubCompetition at
Fond du Lac Skyport. Contact: lAC, Wittman
Airfield, Oshkosh,WI54903-3086,phone414/1
426-4800.
OCTOBER 2-5 - PITTSBURGH, PENNSYL-
VANIA - 11th Annual International Cessna
120/140AssociationConventionatBullerFarm
Show - Roe, 4 miles west of city on Detroit
sectional. Contact: International Cessna 120/
140Association, Box830092,Richardson, TX
75083-0092.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
MEMBER'SPROJECTS...
by Gene Chase
Above, J. L. Peace (EM 237013,
AlC 9838), 70 Eugenia Rise, Manukau
Central, Aukland, New Zealand owns
this sporty looking Piper J-3, ZK-AHC,
powered with an 85 Continental. He
flies it out of Ardmore Field where sev-
eral Tiger Moths, Cubs and an Auster
are based.
Shown below are before and after
shots of the 1943 Stearman E75N1I
N2S-3, N66306, SIN 75-8103 owned
and restored by 75-year-old Harold W.
"Joe" Brown (EAA 88137), 2715 Jade,
Hobbs, NM 88240. The metal covered
fuselage and P&W R-985 engine are
evidence of its previous duty as an ag
plane.
The project required extensive re-
building due to corrosion, crushed ribs,
damage from at least five different
bouts with highlines, etc. Joe was
pleased that "with advice from good
friends, a lot of work and a bunch of
money, the plane flew hands off after
the initial rigging."
24 MARCH 1986
TaleOfAGrummanWidgeon
by Colonel Lester E. Hopper
3530 Mimosa Court
New Orleans, LA 70114
Still in the air after nearly six
thousand flying hours since its birth in
1941 at the Grumman Aircraft En-
gineering Company in Bethpage, New
York as Widgeon (G-44) serial number
1213 is an aircraft with significant Civil
Air Patrol history behind it. Subsequent
to its manufacture, the aircraft was pur-
chased by Hayes Aircraft Accessories
Corporation of New York City and regis-
tered as NC28674. Early records of air-
craft used by Civil Air Patrol on coastal
Patrol Base 1 out of Atlantic City, New
Jersey reflect its use while owned by
Hayes and after by Felix W. Zelcer, also
of New York City.
Zelcer, himself a coastal patrol pilot,
was also the step-father of fellow pilot
John B. Haggin. It was Haggin, who in
the company of Base 1 's Commander
Wynant Farr piloted the Grumman Wid-
geon into perhaps one of the most un- crew was apprehensive about a prema- titude surrounded by an ever widening
usual exploits of its highly colorful ture bombing. Thus began the deadly oil slick made it an easy target. With
career. Called upon to investigate a game of stalking the enemy in search new found confidence, Haggin and Farr
submarine contact report, Base 1 of an opportunity for a sure ~ i l l This closed in for the kill. Again Haggin
launched aircraft in search of the elu- Haggin and Farr did from 11 a.m. to swooped low and poured on the coal to
sive enemy on a warm sunny day early 3:30 pm. when at last the sub's com- avoid the resulting concussion as Farr
in July 1942. Among those launched mander made his fatal mistake when released the remaining depth charge.
was Widgeon NC28674. he rose closer to the surface. Again, they were right on target, result-
Flying at 300 feet above the waves Now was the time! Haggin dove the ing in pieces of wood floating to the sur-
some 24 miles off the Absecom, New Widgeon to a scant 100 feet above the face which were later identified as wood
Jersey Lighthouse, Observer Farr surface with Farr sighting through the from the submarine's gun deck. Al-
sighted globs of oil on the surface of the crude bombsight. Finally things were though this incident and a later one are
water. Close investigation revealed a right and Farr pulled the rope to make not listed as confirmed sinkings in the
long ghostly shape moving underwater the makeshift bomb rack release to records of the U.S. Navy, there is very
at two knots. As one of the only recently send the "ash can" on its explosive way. little doubt in the writer's mind that the
armed civilian aircraft, the Widgeon was And explode it did, striking only a few Widgeon should be so credited.
equipped with two aerial depth charges feet off the submarine's bow. It sent its Shortly after closure of Base 1 , along
each of which was reported to be filled shock wave high into the air making the with other such bases, the Widgeon
with 300 pounds of TNT. Lacking ex- Widgeon shake violently. As the result was sold to Republic Aviation Corpora-
perience in the art of warfare the air- of the first attack the sub's bow-high at- tion of Bethpage, New York. After five
intervening ownerhips the Widgeon
was purchased by Link Aeronautic Cor-
poration of Endicott, New York in 1955.
Under Link ownership, its outmoded
Ranger engines were replaced with
Lycoming model GO-480 engines with
Hartzell three-bladed propellers. In
September of 1956 it was sold to the
Terry Machine Company and registered
in Canada as CF-WHT.
Log books indicate much travel to
such exotic places as Nassau and the
Virgin Islands. Although ownership is
unknown for a brief period of time it was
registered in the United States as
N5560A on August 21 , 1957. Later, in
November of 1960, owned by Trans Air
Corporation of New Orleans, it was re-
designated as N199TA. In 1971 the
Widgeon was totally reconditioned after
4731 hours of service with its registra-
(Continued on Page 27)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
Photo courtesy 01 CAP
NC28674 during its famous bomb run as depicted by well-known aviation artist Keith
Ferris.
Photo courtesy 01 CAP
Grumman Widgeon NC28674 and its sister ship NC28671 at CAP Coastal Patrol Base
1 in 1942.
by George A. Hardie, Jr.
This neat little monoplane was
another failed effort to take advantage
of the surge in aviation interest that took
place in the late 1920s and early 1930s
after the record flights by Lindbergh, et
al. The photo was submitted by Pat
Packard of Burlington, Wisconsin, re-
tired Exhibits Designer at the EAA Avi -
ation Museum. Date and place of the
photo is unknown. Answers will be pub-
lished in the June 1986 issue of THE
VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for the
issue is April 15, 1986.
A very complete answer for the De-
cember, 1985 Mystery Plane was re-
ceived from J. D. Stewart of Flint, Michi-
gan who writes:
"The airplane is the Stewart M-2. The
collapse of the Flint Aviation Co., in
1919 did not dim S. S. Stewart's views
on the future of aviation. In 1927 he
brought Lt. John L. Hunt here to design
a plane. Lt. Hunt, or Jack as he was
known, was a World War I aviator and
had taught Sid to fly. Earlier, Hunt had
run a flying school out of Detroit.
"All of the planning and construction
of the M-2 was done at the old W. F
Stewart Mfg. Co. on Harriet Street
where wooden bodies for automobiles
were made. The engineering was car-
ried out by Lionel Kitchen, a most able
and dedicated man.
"The plane was to be a six-passenger
twin engined high wing monoplane with
mail carrying capabilities. Near the end
of 1930 construction was completed.
The next step was to arrange for an en-
gineering inspection and test flight.
Throughout the winter Hunt took the
ship up many times, all from Bishop Air-
port. Every test was met with ease. With
one engine shut down the plane
climbed as high as 9,000 feet , once
while overloaded 300 Ibs.
"There was considerable secrecy
concerning the details of the plane dur-
ing tests. Final approval by the
Aeronautics Branch of the Department
of Commerce was announced to the
public on June 11 , 1931 and a license
was granted.
"Being twin engined, the plane of-
fered better visibility. Stewart was sure
a three-engined configuration would not
suit his needs, for should the center en-
gine fail , the plane would not be able to
climb, thus endangering the passen-
gers.
"The nose was made available as a
mail compartment in place of an engine,
26 MARCH 1986
a feature which added to the speed with
which mail could be transferred.
"Perhaps the most outstanding fea-
ture was the abundance of power built
into the plane. The fully loaded plane
could take off, fly and maneuver on one
engine. A side benefit of two engines
was lower power settings which meant
less noise and vibration . The large
roomy cabin boasted the most comfort-
able seats obtainable.
"The design, safety and performance
features melded well with the intent of
X-943 M-2 to be a 'feeder' from national
air terminals to smaller communities.
The roaring '20s screeched to a halt
and money was scarce. When the W.
F. Stewart Company's appropriation for
this venture was exhausted, Sid de-
cided against manufacturing the plane
- he was unable to locate any market.
The M-2 cost around $40,000 to build
and if it had been produced in greater
quantity, the forecast was $27,000
each.
"Many associates wanted the owner
to form a corporation and sell stock, but
Stewart would not do it, for while he had
confidence in the future of the plane, he
also realized the gamble and refused to
risk other peoples' money. The dream
was dropped and the plane was sold. It
was used for aerial photography by Ab-
rams and dismantled in 1940. Although
a few years ahead of its time, the M-2
was a unique contribution to the ad-
vancement of aviation."
Robert Pauley of Farmington Hills,
Michigan adds some more to the mys-
tery. He writes: ''There is some confu-
sion about the fact that the M-2 carries
Serial No.2, implying that there was a
Serial NO. 1. However, there is another
Stewart listed on the 1935 Register, a
four-place OX-5 powered airplane car-
rying Serial No. X-1 . I believe that is
why the M-2 carries Serial No. 2 and
that only one was built. "
Answers were also received from
Charley Hayes, Park Forest, IL; LeRoy
Falk, Carpentersville, IL; Lynn Towns,
Eaton Rapids, MI ; John and Tony
Morozowsky, Zanesville, OH; Ray Ol-
cott, Nokomis, FL; Dan Cullman, Lewis-
ton, ID; Jack Lengenfelder, Lawrence-
ville, NJ; Doug Rounds, Zebulon, GA;
and Stan Piteau, Holland, MI ;
More on the November, 1985 Mystery
Plane
From Robert Pauley, Farmington
Hills, Michigan . . . "I noticed that you
printed a Carr racer photo in THE VIN-
TAGE AIRPLANE for November.
Here's a side view photo of it with a
Warner engine installed, which I think
should be printed since it is a rare view.
The photo was taken by James Dolin at
Pontiac Airport in 1936.
"I would like to comment on the infor-
mation that p p ~ r e d in Pappy
Weaver's book Sixty-Two Rare Racing
Airplanes. Since it is the source most
likely to be quoted. I hate to disagree
with Pappy, but the U.S.Civil Register
does not agree with his either!In 1934
the ownerof NR12844is listed as Mrs.
Edith D. Carr of Saginaw, Michigan.
Then for 1936 and 1937 the Register
lists Eugene LaVigne of Detroit as the
owner, now powered with a 125 hp
Warner. As you will see, the owner's
name is listed as 'Lavigne', not 'Levin'
as given in Pappy'sbook.
Incidentally, the color scheme with
the radial enginewasyellowand black,
andanunusualfeatureoftheplanewas
that the cockpit frame and windshield
slid forward for access to the cockpit.
Finally, my sources tell me the plane
crashed in 1937, not 1936, although I
have not been able to confirm that."
Tale Of AGrumman Widgeon
(Continuedfrom Page 25)
tion being changed to N199T. After
three more intervening owners the air-
craftwas purchased by Neal and Com-
pany of Homer, Alaska in February of
1977.
UnderNeal'sownershiptheWidgeon
still lives an adventuresome life. Neal
and Companydoesgeneralcontracting
throughout Alaska but specializes in
"bush"projectsalong thecoast of Cen-
tral and Western Alaska including the
Aleutian Chain.Tony Neal of the Neal
Company reports: "I was flying to
Kodiak Island in 1978and out oftouch
with navigation aids when Iwasforced
to makeaprecautionarylandingon the
ocean because of some dense fog. I
was lucky enough to locate a large
CoastGuard buoy and taxied around it
for some time with the waves breaking
right over the nose and washing right
overthe airplane.Luckilyformeacrab
boatcame by and Ifollowed right in its
wake.MorethantwohourslaterItaxied
into the Kodiak boat harbor, much to
my relief. Three weeks later I had my
instrument rating."
After recently undergoing extensive
rebuildingthishistoricaircraftcontinues
to serve with distinction as it did in the
beginning.
PhotocourtesyofCAP
VINTAGE AIRPLANE27
Grumman Widgeon NC28674re-registered as N199Tcurrentlyinservicein Alaska.
establish a new endurance record and I'm
enclosing photographs taken at Glendale,
California at thattime. Letters To Editor
Dear Editors,
Regarding the "modified DH-4" on page
27 of the January, 1986 issue of THE VIN-
TAGE AIRPLANE, the airplane is in fact a
Bristol Tourer, one of seven imported in
1919. TheTourerwasa2and 3-passenger
commercialspinoffofthefamousF.2Fighter
of 1917-1918.
This particular aircraft was operated ini-
tially by Southwest Airplane Co. of Tulsa,
Oklahoma,whichhadtwo,plusasingle-seat
Bristol Scoutmonoplane.It wasacquired by
Billy Parker in 1923and he revised the rear
cockpit to accommodate four passengers.
Parker also made the cockpit enclosure,
which was along the lines of enclosures
some Tourers were being filted with at the
factory.
The registration, R826Y, was applied in
1930, at which time the Tourer had been
furthermodifiedby PeterAllinioofEI Cerrito,
California. It was involved in an altempt ,
sponsored by the Gilmore Oil Company, to
R826Y was subsequently sold to R.K.O.
for motion picture work. It was deliberately
crashed to getfilm footage.
Cordially,
John Underwood
(EAA 1989, NC 1653)
2054 W.Mountain
Glendale,CA 91201
John is one of several readers who noted
the goof in the photo caption of the Bristol
Tourer. We are indebted to him for supplying
the accompanying photo . ...G.R.C.
BristolTourer, R826Y, outfittedforin-flightrefueling, December, 1930. JohnUnderwood collection
DearGene,
The September 1985 issue of THE VIN-
TAGE AIRPLANE contains an article, ''The
Women's Class A Pacific Derby"with infor-
mationon aTaperwingWaco,NC21Mflown
by Gladys O'Donnell.
Bellsstartedto ring and Ikeptthinking I'd
heardorseenthisaircraftwhenIwasateen-
agerin Atlanta,Georgia.Afteraweekortwo
Icould stand it no longerand startedto look
through myphotos, takenwith an old Kodak
Box Brownie in the late '30s.
Well Ifound it and it is the same aircraft!
The photo was taken between August and
December, 1941. NC21M was flown to At-
lanta'sthenCandlerFieldbyAlbertP."A.P'"
Dodd for Clay Baggley who purchased it in
NashvilleorMemphis,TN. Datesandplaces
could be wrong aftersuch alongtime,but I
believethis iscorrect.
The aircraft at that time was white,
trimrr. ,1d in green with a red pin stripe.The
hangar in the background is Gate City
Aero's.
Back in thosedays,when an aircrafttook
up residence at a field like Atlanta, it didn't
take the CAA rep but a few minutes to be
right there.And this was no exception. Ire-
member he started probing here and there
for problems! After testing the fabric,which
wasn'tthatgood,he wentto the lowermain
wing spar and found wood rot in that area.
Zap, and the airplane was grounded! The
aircraft wasstill in Atlantawhen IleftinJan-
uary,1942fortheCAPat St. SimonsIsland,
GA.
IseeintheNovember1985issuethatRon
Frank,BloomfieldHills,MI nowhasNC21M.
28 MARCH 1986
Iam sending him aphoto ofthe Waco as it
looked in 1947. I am interested in where it
has been since Atlanta.
Sincerely,
BrooksW.Lovelace,Jr.
Major(Ret.), USAF
(EAA135595,NC4613)
2801 Whispering Pines Road
Albany,Georgia 31707
Dear Gene,
I'm back in the Stinson business afterac-
quiringaStinsonJR-S- it'sflying!TheBTB
Airlines will ride again.
Ourson,Nathan,nowhashiscommercial ,
instrument, multi-engine and CFI plus ajob
as areserveco-piloton aDC-3- all at age
19!He is asophomore in collegeand works
for Ron Alexander at Alexander Aeroplane
Company. The DC-3, N133D, is the oldest
(no.6)flyingandisbasedatGriffin,Georgia.
Nathan isalso rebuilding a Luscombe for
his final A&P approval leiter. He is the only
one ofourkids who is airplane crazy.
Take care,
Doug Rounds
(EAA78381, NC 532)
Rt. 1,Box 200-A
Zebulon, GA30295
WacoTaperwing, NC21M photographed in late1941 by BrooksW. Lovelace,Jr.
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet...
25f: perword, 20 word minimum.Sendyoureel to
TheVintageTreder,WIttman Airfield
Oshkosh,WI 54903-2591.
AIRCRAFT:
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check or money order to: ACRO SPORT, INC.,
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hp,goodsolidaircraft.All A.D.S.done(stick,etc.).
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ACRO SPORT- Singleplacebiplanecapableof
unlimited aerobatics. 23 sheets of clear, easy to
follow plansincludesnearly 100 isometricaldraw-
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.SuperAcroSportWing Drawing-
$15.00. The Technique of Aircraft Building -
$10.00 plus $2.00postage.Sendcheckormoney
orderto:ACROSPORT,INC.,Box462,HalesCor
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ACRO II- Thenew2placeaerobatictrainerand
sportbiplane.20 pages of easy to follow,detailed
plans. Complete with isometric drawings, photos,
exploded views. Plans - $85.00. Info Pac -
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SPORT, INC" P.O. Box 462, Hales Corners, WI
53130. 414/5292609.
MISCELLANEOUS:
BACKISSUES...BackissuesofTHE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE (and other EAA Division publ ications)
are available at $1.25 per issue.Send your list of
issuesdesiredalongwithpaymentto:BackIssues,
EAAWittman Airfield,Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591.
REFERENCEGUIDEFOREAAJOURNALS.This
publicationallowstheusertolocate(bytopic) ,any
article oritem ofinformationthat hasbeen written
in any issue of SPORT AVIATION, VINTAGE
AIRPLANE, LIGHT PLANE WORLD, SPORT
AEROBATICS or WARBIRDS. It is logically or-
ganized and simpleto use.1953-59,$5.00;1960
69,$5.00;1970-74,$5.00; 1975-79,$5.00;1980-
84,$5.00;1985,$4.00.SPECIAL- ALLSIX FOR
$25.00. Copy service available for 25 per page,
$3.00 minimum.Can makecopiesfrom anyissue.
John Bergeson,6438 W.Millbrook Road,Remus,
M149340.
"GRANDCANYON", 2-hourspectacularhelicopter
exploration VIDEO. Breathtaking music. Cri tically
acclaimed. Details FREE. Beerger Productions,
327V12, Arville,Las Vegas, NV 89102, 702/876-
2328.(C-l0/86)
Howard DGA-15 PARTS - Rudders, fi n,
elevators,frontgastank,someaccessorycowl ,tail
gear,etc.Call after5p.m. 513/868-0084. (4-2)
VULTEE BT-13 PARTS- Rudder,elevators,ai-
lerons, flaps, windshields, left gear,complete tail
gear,cone, enginecowl ,etc.Callafter5p.m.5131
868-0084.(4-2)
SAGA - Historical airmail treasure long out-of-
print. Accurate research, AMP data, photos,
stori es. Quality reproduction. $15 bound copy,
includes mailing. Gerry Casey, 945-104 Ward
Drive,Santa Barbara,CA 93111.(5-3)
WANTED:
Wanted: An STC for aJ-3 Cub to install a90 hp
ContinentalusingaPiperPAllPressureCowli ng.
Butch Joyce,P.O. Box 88,Madison,NC 27025.
30 x5DISCWHEELSwithoutbrakes,28 x5wire
wheels, good condition only. New day standard
parts,manuals,basketcase.Lindberghitems,any-
thing.autographs,lettersartifacts. Lou Lufker,184
DorothyRd.,WestIslip,NY11795,phone516/661
1422.(5-3)
65hpMCCAULEYKLIP-TIPPROPELLER.Have
a65hpcrankshaftandsomeChamppartsforpos-
sible trade. 218/894-2092, Mike Gregg, 311 6th
StreetN., Staples,MN 56479.(3-1)
VINTAGE TRADER AD fORM
Send check or moneyorderwith copy to VintageTrader- EAA,Wittman Airfield,Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.
TotalWords___ _ Numberof Issuesto Run _________ _ _ ____________
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Address
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

C31-I....&.ZEI
For the
products.
1cnMIII

Uecl lINs.i........-
CAUTION
0, $1Ii""'"
:.'ti 'l.... 1 rud'lot

P<lf1.c
STITSPOLY-FIBER
Classic owners!
Interiorlookingahabbyf
COVERINGMATERIALS
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FABRIC DEVELOPED ESPECIALLY FOR AIRCRAFTCOVERING.
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*NEW 68 PAGE MANUAL #1, REVISION 13, WITH DETAILED IN-
Recover envelopesand dopes
STRUCTIONS FOR FABRIC COVERING, REFINISHING FABRIC
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FreeCatalogofcompleteproductline.FabricSelectionGuide
showingactual sampl ecolors and styles of materials: $3.00.
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*LATEST CATALOG AND DISTRIBUTOR LIST.
STITSPOLY-FIBER
AIRCRAFTCOATINGS
P. o. BOX3084-V RIVERSIDE, CA92519
PHONE (714) 684-4280
.,:;r
Qlr
t
exproducts,inc.
259LowerMorrisvilleRd.,Dept. VA
Fallsington, PA 19054 (215) 295-4115
pO\\/h&
seo\Ont
The EAA Aviation
Center' sstaff
uses RACE GLAZE
to preserve and
protect the
museum's price-
less collection of
aircraft.
List: $12.00 per bottle
EAA Price: $9.95 per bottle
EAA Case Price (12):$72.00
Above prices include shipping forContinental U.S.A. Only.
Send $9.95 for each 16 oz.bottle orsave an extra$3.95 per bottle and send $72.00
foreach case of 12 - 16 oz.bottlesto:
EAA Wittman Airfield.Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086
Wisconsin Residents Add 5% Sales Tax
CLEAN
SHINE
PROTECT
discriminating Pilot and F.B.D.
who demand excellence in performance
RACE GLAZE Polish and
Sealant is EAA'schoice.
Easy ToUse
Reduces Drag
Removes ExhaustStains
Protect Leading Edge
Removes Oxidation
Resists UV Fading
CannotYellow
Unbelievable" Gloss"
30MARCH 1986
THEJOURNALOF
THEEARLYAEROPLANE
Themost authoritative
journalon1llose Ybnderful
hying Machines 1900-1919
g ~ ~ 1
LOG BOOKS
NEWAND REVISED FOR ...
Pilots: EMPilot Log Book $2.35 ppd.
AircraftOwnersandBuilders:
EMAmateur Built Aircraft
Log Book ........ ....... $2.35 ppd.
EMPropeller (or Rotor)
Log Book ............... $2.35 ppd.
EMEngine and Reduction Drive
Log Book .... . ... .. .. . .. $2.35 ppd.
UltralightOwnersandOperators:
EMUltralight Pilot's Log and
Achievement Record ...... $2.35 ppd.
EMUltralight Engine and
Aircraft Log . ... ... ..... .. $2.35 ppd.
AlsoNowAvailable:
CAM-18 (Reprintofearly
CMManual) ...... ... ... $6.25 ppd.
Amateur-Built AircraftServiceand
MaintenanceManual ...... $4.40 ppd.
OrderFrom:
EAA
Wittman Airfield Oshkosh,WI 54903-3086
Phone 414/426-4800
Includepaymentwith order- Wise.residentsadd5%salestax
Allow4-6 weeks fordelivery
WORLD WAR I ~ INC.
15CrescentRoad. Poughkeepsie. NY 12601. USA
]
FLYINGANDGLIDERMANUALS
1929 - 1930 - 1931 - 1932
Price:$3.50ea. ppd.
SENDCHECKORMONEYORDER TO:
EAA AVIATIONFOUNDATION, INC.
WITTMANAIRFIELD-
OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3065
Allow4-6Weeks forDelivery
Wisconsin Residents Include 5%Sales Tax
The fabulous times of T umer, Doolittle, Wedell
and Wittman recreated as never before in this
6OO-page two volume series. Printed on high
grade paper with sharp, clear photo reproduction.
Offical 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.
TI'-. RE-UVE ITI
\.blume 1 and 2 @ $14.95 each - add
$l.5O for postage and handling. Special -
both volumes $28.50 postage free. Sendcheck
or money order to: EAA Aviation Foundation.
Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 549033065.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31