STRAIGHT ANDLEVEL

byEspie"Butch" Joyce
With this issue of VINTAGE
AIRPLANE EAA Oshkosh '90 will be
history. The Antique/Classic Division
will have hosted more than 800 classics
and 120 antiques. All of this activity
will have been administered by volun-
teer help. It's a monumental undertak-
ing that gets bigger every year.
Your Division of EAA now stands at
almost 7,000 members, making us close
to being the largest organization in the
world devoted to vintage airplanes. We
have one of the finest monthly publica-
tions covering these airplanes and this
era of aviation.
We spend a good deal of our time and
energy managing the area of the EAA
Convention devoted to our aircraft and
the aviation pioneers who flew them,
not to mention those who restore and
maintain these fine aircraft today.
Throughout the year we also handl e a
great deal of correspondence relating to
these aircraft and their maintenance.
People write from all over the world to
me and other members of the Board of
Directors with their needs and concerns.
One example of this is a gentleman from
Australia who was having a problem
getting his prop overhauled .
Boardmember, John Berendt took care
2 AUGUST 1990
>-

8 of the problem and solved the man's
o
:::; dilemma.
'"
Q I've had calls from people on cross-
co untri es who have deve loped
problems with unusual engines such as,
for instance, a Warner and asked if I
might know a mechanic in the area
familiar with the type. Sometimes I can
help, sometimes I can refer them to
another member who can. It's another
example of how we at the A/C Di vision
are better off as a group rather than as
individuals.
A viation people are unique. They
trot off to the airport at every oppor-
tunity while their friends are going to
the golf course. Aviation people would
rather work on an airplane than mow the
yard. Have you ever noticed that these
people also have other interests in
similar areas? A number of pilots I
know, for example, are also ham radio
operators, fly model airplanes, are inter-
ested in antique autos or hot rods. These
are the people I have come to know, and
love to be associated with.
I know that the friendships I make in
aviation will be enduring. I know these
people will work tirelessly to help with
a project and contribute labor and
materials, while never keeping score.
What I mean by this is that they also
know the help of others is available to
them without their having to ask. This
is what goes on all the time among avia-
tion people.
Oshkosh is a big event and we all
enjoy the experience. When we return,
our flying buddies who stayed home
will all want to know how it was. We
will all do our best to pass along the
excitement and satisfaction of coming
to Oshkosh, helping out where we could
and learning the many lessons to be
learned abou t peo ple as well as
airplanes. They will all say how hard it
is to believe everything and that they
simply must get to Oshkosh next year.
We need to continue to tell everyone
how fantastic the EAA Oshkosh ex-
perience is and tell everyone to ex-
perience it for themselves. If we
continue to pass the word and unite our-
selves, we stand a better chance of
retaining the freedoms we now enjoy in
personal flight.
Ask a friend to join the Antique/Clas-
sic Division. While we have a large
organization with close to 7,000 mem-
bers, there are 35,000 aircraft regi stered
that do not have electrical systems.
That represents a large number of pilots
and owners who could benefit from
membership in the Division, and could
help the Division to help others.
As not ed las t month, the A/C
Division voted to continue to give out
participant plaques thi s year. This is
now solely an Antique/Classic Di vision
activity. We are endebted to Bob Lick-
teig and Jack Copeland for their efforts
on thi s project. We were also fortunat e
to have the Polaroi d Co. donate the
cameras and film to photograph our fine
antique and classic aircraft for the pla-
ques. Thanks Polaroid!
As I have said in the past, let's all pull
in the same direction for the good of
aviation.
Join us and have it all.
PUBLICATION STAFF
PUBLISHER
TomPoberezny
VICE-PRESIDENT
MARKETING&COMMUNICATIONS
DickMalt
EDITOR
August 1990 Vo1.18, No.8
MarkPhelps
MANAGINGEDITOR
GoldaCox
ART DIRECTOR
MikeDrucks
ADVERTISING
MaryJones
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
NormanPetersen DickCavi n
FEATURE WRITERS
GeorgeA. Hardie,Jr. DennisParks
EDITORIALASSISTANT
IsabelleWiske
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS
JimKoepnlck CarlSchuppel
Jefflsom
EAAANTIQUE/CLASSIC
DIVISION,INC_
OFFICERS
President Vice-President
Esple" Butch"Joyce ArthurR.Morgan
604 HighwaySt. 3744North51stBlvd.
Madison.NC27025 Milwaukee.WI53216
919/427-0216 414/442-3631
Secretary Treasurer
GeorgeS. York E.E. " Buck" Hilbert
181 SlobodaAve. P.O.Box424
Mansfield.OH44906 Unlon.IL60180
419/529-4378 815/923-4591
DIRECTORS
RobertC." Bob" Brauer JohnS. Copeland
9345S.Hoyne 9JoanneDrive
Chicago.IL60620 Westborough.MA01581
312/779-2105 ffJ8/366-7245
PhilipCoulson WilliamA.Eickhoff
28415SpringbrookDr. 415 15thAve.. N.E.
Lawton.MI49065 St. Petersburg.FL 33704
616/624-6490 813/823-2339
CharlesHarri s StanGomoll
3933SouthPeoria 104290thLane.NE
P.O.Box904038 Minneapolis.MN55434
Tusla. OK 74105 612/784-1172
918/742-7311
DaleA.Gustafson RobertD." Bob" Lumley
7724ShadyHill Drive 1265South 124thSt.
Indianapolis.IN46278 Brookfield.WI 53005
317/293-4430 414/782-2633
GeneMorris StevenC.Nesse
115CSteveCourt.R.R.2 2009HighlandAve.
Roanoke.TX 76262 AlbertLea.MN56007
817/491-9110 ffJ7/373-1674
S.H."Wes" Schmid
2359LefeberAvenue
Wauwatasa.WI 53213
414/771-1545
DIRECTOR ENERITUS
S.J. Wlffman
7200S.E. 85thLane
Ocala.FL 32672
904/245-7768
CopyrightI!;) 1990 bytheEAAAntique/ClassicDivision,Inc.All rightsreserved.
Contents
2 Str aight & Levelfby Espie "Butch" Joyce
4 Letter s to the Editor
7 Calendar
Page 12
8 Vintage Literaturefby Dennis Parks
12 Vintage Seaplanes/by Nonn Petersen
14 Member s' Projectsfby Nonn Petersen
16 AIC Half A World Away/by Jim Haynes
20 Ragwing Warbirdfby Gerard Pahl
Page22
22 Coon Bottom Monster/by John Larson
24 Interesting Member/by Bob Bauer
27 Pass ItTo Buckfby E.E. "Buck" Hilbert
30 Vintage Tr ader
34 Mystery Planefby George Hardie Jr.
Page24
FRONTCOVER...JerryandNancyGroatIromMesa.Arizona
rellecta leweveningsunbeamsintheirpolishedEmighTrojan
duringEMSun 'nFun '90.TheTrojan'sexternallyribbedwings
combinedgreatstrengthwithease01 manulacture(Photoby
JimKoepnick.photoplaneIlownbyJimDorman).
REARCOVER...AnotherroremagazinecoverIromthecollec-
tion01 TedBusinger.
ADVISORS
JohnBerendt
7645EchoPointRd.
CannonFalls. MN55009
507/263-2414
GeorgeDaubner
2448LoughLane
Hortford.WI 53027
414/673-5885
JeannieHill
P.O.Box328
Harvard.IL60033
815/943-7205
GeneChase
2159CarltonRd.
Oshkosh.WI54904
414/231-5002
JohnA Fogerty
479Highway65
Roberts.WI54023
715/425-2455
DeanRichardson
6701 ColonyDrive
Madison.WI 53717
608/833-1291
The wordsEM, ULTRAUGHT,FLYWITHTHEFIRSTTEAM,SPORTAVIATION,andthelogosof EXPERIMENTALAIRCRAFTASSOCI ATIONINC.,EM
INTERNATIONALCONVENTION, EMANTIOUEJCLASSIC DIV1SION INC.,INTERNATIONALAEROBATICCLUBINC.,WARBIRDSOFAMERICAINC.,
are registered trademarks. THE EMSKY SHOPPE and logos of the EMAVIATION FOUNDATION INC. and EMULTRAUGHT CONVENTION are
trademarksofthe aboveassociationsand theirusebyanypersonotherthan theaboveassociationsisstrictlyprohibited.
EditorialPolicy:Readersareencouragedtosubmitstoriesandphotographs. Policyopinionsexpressedinarticlesare sofefythoseoftheauthors.Responsibility
for aocuracy in reporting restsentirelywith the oontributor. Material should be sentto: Editor,TheVINTAGE AIRPLANE, Wittman Regional Airport. 3000
PobefeznyRd.,Oshkosh,WI Phone: 414/426-4800.
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POSTMASTER:Send eddresschangestoEMAntique/ClassicDivision,Inc.P.O. Box3006,Oshkosh,WI 54903-3086.
Dear Mark,
Thank you very much for the copy
of the June issue of VINTAGE
AIRPLANE. You have a nice way of
wording things in the rear cover
credit and both of us appreciate that.
The story of Franny Rourke's career
(Interesting Member) by Charlie
Harris was very illuminating. I've
known Fran for about 10 years and
learned a lot from Charlie's story.
Mr. Rourke is a super nice guy, too.
Do you think we can encourage
Charlie to write about some of the
other good guys in the Tulsa Chap-
ter? It's a nice picture by Ted Kos-
ton of Ed Marquart at the Jenny on
page 22.
Try to take it easy during the Con-
vention week. Say hi to Jack Cox
and Mary Jones for me. Our best to
all the other nice people at EAA
Headquarters.
Cordially,
Ted Businger
Evening Shade, Arkansas
4 AUGUST 1990
Kadiak Speedster
Dear Norm Petersen,
On page 90 of the May 1990 issue of
SPORT A VIA TlON is a photograph of
Everett David's Kadiak Speedster. I
purchased the airplane in 1942 from
someone in Benton Harbor, Michigan.
I kept it at the old Hoosier Airport while
I was teaching flying during World War
II. As the war drew to a close in 1944,
I advertised it in Trade-A-Plane and
sold it to someone in Texas. He didn't
pick up the plane for quite a while so I
stored it in an old barn at the airport until
it was picked up, several years later. A
few years after that I saw it in
Huntsville, Alabama. Several changes
had been made on the plane. Solid gear
had been replaced by a spring gear and
the Lambert engine and cowling by a
four-cylinder opposed engine. Some
time later I saw an article about the
plane at which time it was based in
Sacramento, California. I thought
this information might be of interest.
Thank you,
Robert H. Young
Martinsville, Indiana
Stearman, south of the border
Dear Mark,
I am enclosing a picture of my Stear-
man PT-13D, Mexican registered XB-
PGS, serial number 75-5729 with a
Lycoming 300-hp engine. The project
started two years ago in three 50-gallon
drums full of parts and a mover with the
airframe coming from Torreon, Mexico
to Monterrey in deplorable conditions.
It is flying now and exceeding all expec-
tations. I hope that this may be interest-
ing for your nice publication that I
always wait for at the beginning of
every month.
Truly yours,
Pablo Gonzalez Sada
Monterrey, Mexico
Scooter pie
Dear Mark,
Just a note to thank you once again
for your interest and the terrific article
on the 120 (Father & Son - Cessna,
June). My Dad and I both have received
numerous comments on the story and
pictures and I've received a couple of
out-of-state calls from members with
similar projects underway. We've real-
ly enjoyed the notoriety. Also, if you
have the opportunity, please thank Jim
Koepnick for the great job he did on the
photos. I look forward to seeing you
next year.
Sincerely,
Leon "Scooter" Seale, III
Lakeland, Florida
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
Dear Mr. Phelps,
In answer to Mr. Richard Danio's
mystery cowl, I believe it is used on
large round engines such as the Wright
R-3350 to direct air into the 18
cylinders. This small cowl is located
behind the propeller spinner (thus the
three sets of clamps to surround the
three prop blades) for cooling purposes.
We have four such small cowls for our
Connie's engines for cooling. Visit our
Connie at EAA Oshkosh and see them
in place.
John B. McMaster,
Save-A-Connie mechanic
Kansas City, Missouri
6 AUGUST 1990
August 18-19 - Schenectady, New
York. Northeast Flight '90 Airshow,
Schenecdady County Airport. Contact
John Panoski, Northeast Flight '90,
419 Mohawk Mall, Schenectady, New
York 12309, Tel. 518/382-0041.
August 19 - Brookfield, Wisconsin.
5th Annual Ice Cream Social spon-
sored by EAA Antique/Classic Chapter
II at Capitol Drive Airport. Contact
George Meade, 5514 N. Navajo Av-
enue, Glendale, Wisconsin 53217.
Tel. 414/962-2428.
August 24-26 - Sussex, New Jersey.
18th Annual Sussex Air Show. Sussex
Airport. Call 201/875-7337 or 702-
9719.
September 1-2 - Prosser, Washing-
ton. Seventh Annual Air Fair and fly-in
sponsored by EAA Chapter 391. Call
5091786-1034.
September 1-3 - Blakesburg, Iowa.
Culver Cadet 50th Anniversary Cele-
bration, Antique Field. Copntact
Burke Bell, 3795 Smuggler PI., Boul-
der, Colorado 80303 Tel. 303/494-
0108 or Dan Nicholson 713/351-0114.
September 8 - Chico, California.
Chico Antique Airshow. Chico Air-
port . Contact Chico Antique Airshow
Committee, 6 St. Helens Lane, Chico,
California 95926. Tel 916/342-3730.
September 14-16 - Tahlequah, Ok-
lahoma (50 miles east/southeast of
Tulsa). 33rd Annual Tulsa Fly-in and
10th Annual Bucker Fly-in. Contact
Charlie Harris, 3933 South Peoria,
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74105, Tel. 918/
742-7311. Bucker fans contact Frank
Price, Route I, Box 419, Moody,
Texas 76557, Tel. 8171772-3897 or
853-2008.
September 14-16 (note date cor-
rected from last issue) - Jackson-
ville, Illinois. Sixth Annual Byron
Smith Memorial Stinson Fly-in and
Reunion at the Jacksonville Airport.
Contact Loran Nordgren, 4 West Neb-
raska, Frankfort, Illinois 60423.
September 15-16 - Rock Falls, Il-
linois. Fourth Annual North Central
EAA "Old Fashioned" Fly-in. Pancake
breakfast Sunday. Contact Dave Chris-
tansen at 815/625-6556.
September 23 - Rockford, Illinois.
EAA Chapter 22 Annual Fly-in Steak
and Brat Lunch. Cottonwood Airport
11:00 am to 3:00 pm . Call Tom
J anusevic at 815/397-4995.
September 29-30 - Lexington, Ten-
nessee. Sixth annual Tennessee Tail-
draggers Fly-in. Call 901/968-8641
days or 968-2864 eves.
October 6-7 - Sussex, New Jersey
Airport. Fly-In sponsored by EAA A/C
Chapter 7 and EAA Chapters 238, 73
and 891. Info: Bill Tuchler, 2011797-
3835; Konrad Kundig, 201/361-8789/
FAX 2011361-5760; or Paul Steiger,
Sussex Airport, 2011702-9719.
October 13 - Dayton, Ohio. Annual
EAA Chapter 610 Wright-Patterson
AFB and USAF Museum tour. Contact
Jim Hammond at 5131767-8751 .
October 13-14 - Hickory, North
Carolina Municipal Airport. EAA
Chapter 731 5th Annual Fly-In. Con-
tact Norman Rainwater, 1415 Linwood
Place, Lenoir, NC 28645 ; evenings
704/578-1919, or Lynn Crowell, 113
Auld Farm Road, Lenoir, NC 28645,
7041754-2723.
October 27-28 - Winchester, Vir-
ginia. Winchester Regional Fall Fly-in
at the Winchester airport . Pancake
breakfast Sunday. Call George Lutz,
EAA Chapter 186, 703/256-7873.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
THEDAYSOFFUTUREPAST
AVIATIONARTICLESSIX
DECADES AGO
Not all aviation news and speculation
was covered by the aviation magazines.
The mass market magazines devoted to
home mechanics, how-to and technol-
ogy also focused on aviation events.
Publications such as MODERN
MECHANICS and POPULAR
SCIENCE paid a lot of attention to avia-
tion and related activities. The editor of
POPULAR SCIENCE reported his feel-
ings on covering aviation in comments
in the December 1930 issue.
"Aviation claws at the mainspring of
popular interest because, to the greatest
possible degree, it combines the features
most stimulating to the human imagina-
tion. Deeds of daring, danger, success in
the face of apparently insuperable
obstacles, hair-raising stunts, all unite in
a heart throbbing appeal to people im-
mersed in the humdrum of everyday
modern life."
by f)enni Va..-k.
Lib..-al'Y/An:hives
f)i..-ec::tf)"-
Though the editors did not always pay
careful attention to sources of authen-
ticity, these magazines provided some
exaggerated but exciting coverage of
aviation. Some examples from 1930 fol-
low.
POPULARMECHANICS -
July1930
"Zepps Defy Lightning"
In this article the author, Henry Hoyle
reports the lightning research done by
Arthur Austin at the outdoor high-volt-
age laboratory in Barberton, Ohio. Mr.
Austin was studying the subject of the
lightning hazard in flying. Some of the
questions he was investigating were: "Is
a lightning discharge likely to fire the
fuel tanks in an airplane? Will the fabric
of a plane or dirigible be ignited? Will a
bolt of lightning damage sheet
Duralumin sufficiently to cause trouble
to the plane?"
Mr. Austin received a model of a
commercial airship from the nearby
Goodyear-Zeppelin factory. The model
was subjected to two kinds of manmade
lightning. It was first bombarded with
a stream of giant sparks. Then it was
subjected to single impact discharges of
great power. According to Dr. Arnstein
of the Goodyear-Zeppelin Company,
the ship came through none the worse
for wear except for a few scars in the
fabric covering where the electrical dis-
charges had entered or left.
A Barling NB-3 was also used in
tests. The plane had a Duralumin
fuselage over which doped fabric was
placed, very similar to the Zeppelin
model. The Barling was struck by the
artificial lightning while its engine was
running. The results were also good for
the airplane with neither the fabric nor
any other part of the ship set on fire. The
fabric would show a small hole where
the bolt of lightning entered the plane at
some point in the metal structure.
"An Outboard Leaping Lena"
On the how to do it side, there was an
AnOutboard"LeapingLena"
8 AUGUST 1990
article in the August 1930 issue on
building a waterborne aircraft powered
by an outboard motor. The craft was
guaranteed to give a "Tingling thrill to
the most bored of outboard racers." The
design called a "Pegasus" consisted of
a light racing boat fitted with airplane
wings and powered with an outboard
motor. The contraption would fly for
short distances, after the style ofa flying
fish. When driven into a fairly fresh
breeze, it played hop, skip and jump
over the waves, the pilot experiencing,
"A series of thrills that cannot be dupli-
cated by any amusement park thriller."
MODERN MECHANICS
- September 1930
"Dummy Motors Dress Up Small
Plane to Resemble Gotha in Crackup"
In an article on using models in
movies, a section was devoted to the
making of the movie "Hell's Angels."
The centerpiece of the movie was a
Sikorsky S-29 converted to look like a
Gotha bomber. For the scene in the
movie where the Gotha was to, "Fall to
its Doom," a flying model was made of
the plane from a Jenny. The Jenny was
converted with dummy motors on each
side of the fuselage to look like a twin-
engined bomber. Checking in an article
on the making of the movie, it was dis-
covered that the Jenny burned in a han-
gar fire and was not used in the film.
The article also reported that many of
the airplane crackups were done with
The "Hell's Angels" Jenny "hi-motor".
full-size aircraft that were launched off
of rails on hillsides. The planes were
loaded with a stick of dynamite sur-
rounded by lots of lamp black. This
made for a spectacular crash when the
plane hit the ground.
"Denmark's Amazing Submarine
Plane"
"Amazing in the daringness of con-
ception and expected to be far-rearching
in strategic value from a military
standpoint, is the remarkable new sub-
marine-amphibion airplane secretly
tested by Denmark."
MODERN MECHANICS reported
that the Danish Navy recently secretly
tested a successful plane which not only
flew, but could fold its wings and travel
under the sea - a perfect submarine.
"At last the flying submarine has
been invented. This hybrid craft which
has already undergone successful tests
off the Danish coast will travel over
land, run down a beach and launch itself
into the sea, and then it is able to turn
itself into a submarine and continue to
travel underwater."
The craft supposedly had a tapering
metal hull resembling the well-known
Dornier flying boat hull and on each
side were telescoping metal wings that
shortened when the craft was under
water. After landing in the sea and clos-
ing watertight compartments, the crew
could submerge the plane and operate it
like a submarine by flooding the tanks
provided. The reporter stated that it
sounded like a Jules Verne dream, but
said the device was a reality. A search
I nstalla tion or
smoke pot to show
'----...!.><..----'-.::......--'---'----' wind direction.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
Drawings Below Show Three-Function Plane in Action
10 AUGUST 1990
of JANE'S for 1930 and 1931 showed
no evidence of the craft. It was ap-
parently a well kept secret for the report
in MODERN MECHANICS.
"Smoke Pots Are New Substitute for
Airfield Wind Sock"
Not all inventions reported in 1930
were as high tech as the flying sub-
marine. In the column called "Plane
Talk" edited by Major H. H. Arnold,
there was a report on a new landing aid
for pilots.
"One of the first things a pilot does
when he approaches a strange field is
to look for the wind indicator. This is
very important, for practically every
maneuver which he makes with his
plane from that time on until it stops
rolling on the ground hinges on the
direction of the wind. "
The article reported that though most
airports placed wind cones on elevated
objects around the airport, they are dif-
ficult to see. So, to secure all the ad-
vantages of the wind cone and
eliminate all of the disadvantages,
some airports were installing smoke
pots. These pots were buried in the
center of the landing circle which was
supposed to be the first part of the air-
port to attract the pilot's eyes. The pilot
would see the circle and then the smoke
streaming from the circle. The smoke
would immediately tell the direction of
the wind and its velocity. The smoke
pots were placed in concrete recesses in
the ground and covered by a strong
grating with the bars close enough
together to permit the tail skids of
planes to pass over without damage.
NEW WORDS FOR TODAY:
Landing Circle and Tail Skid.
"Clocks, Ash Trays, Fans Can Be
Made From Old Props"
For those of you who need some
helpful hints on what to do with those
old propellers, MODERN
MECHANICS had some suggestions.
"On visits to aviation fields and
airdromes (Another New Word for
Today), one sees many odd [no doubt]
and useful [doubtful] things which
have been made from old wooden
propellers . There are many old
propellers lying around every aviation
field which can be used to make all
sorts of useful articles."
"The drawing shows a wooden
propeller with cuts made to secure parts
for ash trays and a clock. The average
prop is long enough to secure sufficient
slices for about a dozen ash trays and still
have the hub remaining for a clock."
POPULAR SCIENCE - December
1930
"New Thrills From Winged Bicycle"
It seems that wings were being
placed on everything in 1930.
POPULAR MECHANICS put wings
on an outboard motorboat and
POPULAR SCIENCE put them on a
bicycle.
"Part, at least, of the thrill of gliding
Clocks, Ash Trays, Fans
Can Be Made From Old Props

Sl.I C[S
P RO P. MAKe
ASH
Two types of clock.
and ash trays made
from old propellers.
can be had by bicycle riders whose
machines are equipped with wings and
tailpiece." The winged bicycle was the
invention of Harry T. Nelson of Dallas,
Texas, former World War flyer. Mr.
Nelson reported that the wings and the
tail feathers could be readily attached to
any bicycle.
"As the speed of the bicycle in-
creases, the wings are elevated and the
front wheel leaves the ground. The rear
wheel, remaining on the ground,
provides the traction. As long as suffi-
cient speed is maintained, the front
wheel of the bicycle remains in the air."
It was not claimed that greater speed
was obtained by the device, but that it
added a thrill to the ordinary bicycle
ride.
"How Errors Crash the Stoutest
Planes"
In a major, four-page article on avia-
tion, POPULAR SCIENCE reported on
aircraft crashes.
"Aircraft built for sane flying seldom
fail, but this article tells how stunts
strain ships and cause wrecks that help
[other] flyers."
The article begins with a description
of the death of Capt. Arthur Page at the
National Air Races at Chicago. "One
more name has been added to the list of
those who have 'gone west' by 'crash-
ing in'. Why is this list so long? Why
do planes crash? The author reported
that Department of Commerce statis-
tics showed that in six out of 10 cases,
the reason was "Pilot Trouble." That
errors of judgment or handling the
plane accounted for most bad crashes.
After discussing downwind landings
and turbulence, the author covered
stunting.
"Stunting is part of the tests through
which a modem machine must pass
before it is accepted. Present-day
planes are stronger and safer than ever
before. But all planes have limits
which must be recognized. A pilot can
'dive the wings off his ship' as surely
as an automobile driver can skin into a
ditch."
The article concluded that in the
early days of prewar daredevils, the
pilots who flew to thrill the mob took
chances without understanding the
strength or weaknesses of the planes
they piloted.
"From that type of reckless flying,
the advance is being made to piloting
that is based on a clear conception of
the capabilities and limitations of the
craft being flown. The pilot of tomor-
row will be trained to know his ship."
Many large public libraries have
these magazines in their collections.
Besides providing for fascinating
reading, these magazines provide a
view of what general readers with a
technical interest were reading about
aviation .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
by Norm Petersen
This month we present four photos
taken during the 1989 EAA Oshkosh
Splash-In at Brennand's Seaplane
Base by noted photo-
grapher, Bill McCarrel
(EAA 76612) of White
Pigeon, Michigan. Bill is
an ardent seaplance fan and
his photograhic artistry reveals his consid-
erable talent along this line. We look
forward to displaying more of Bill
McCarrel's efforts in future issues.
- Norm Petersen
Climbing on the step under full power (P & W 450) is deHavilland Beaver DHC-2, N90YC,
SIN 1338, flown by George Cayness of Houston, Texas. Winner of the "Best Amphibian"
trophy at the EAA Oshkosh '89 Seaplane Fly-In, the Beaver is mounted on Wipline
amphibs and is in absolutely pristine condition. Carefully note how the ailerons "droop"
with the extended flaps for maximum lift on takeoff.
With water and spray churning from the huge propellers and Wright Cyclone engines, a Grumman HU- 16
"Albatross", N9722B, SIN 137927, climbs on the step at the EAA Oshkosh '89 Splash-In. Flown by Dennis Buehn
(EAA 168777) of Reno, Nevada, the huge amphibian is a popular favorite with its Navy paint schmeme as used
at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
12 AUGUST 1990
A nicely painted Piper J-3 Cub mounted on Edo 1400 floats and sporting an 0-200 Continental engine is pictured
at rest during the EAA Oshkosh '89 Splash-In. Registered C-FKZK, the Cub was flown to Oshkosh by owner Jack
Hatkoski (EAA 158801) of Dwight, Ontario. Note how the reflection is almost complete on the water's surface.
With a matching white, red & gold paint scheme on the aircraft and floats, this pretty Piper Pacer PA-22/20,
NI7PC, S/N 22-5931, was flown to EAA Oshkosh '89 by Perry Clark (EAA 219474) of Crosslake, Minnesota. Rebuilt
over three years by Perry and his father, Vernon (EAA 44085), the 160 hp Pacer features Edo 2000 floats, Demers
drooped wingtips and a Stits finish. Perry, who is a PanAm 727 co-pilot, reports the Pacer will haul four people
on floats if the breeze is right and the people are not too large!
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
Standing by his favorite airplane is Dave
Schommer (EAA 341279) of Little Suamico,
Wisconsin. The object of his attention is a
1946 Ercoupe 415-C, N99256, SIN 1879,
whichDaveflewhomefromFloridaandhas
beenslowlyimprovingeversince.Powered
with a ContinentalC75- 12 engine,the little
two-placeris reallya joytoflyaccordingto
Dave.
Withthewindowpartlydown(alaopencock-
pit), DaveSchommertools byin his Ercoupe.
Notethelandinglightintheleadingedgeofthe
wingandtheoriginalGrimesnavigationlights.
(Ed. note: If you have neverexperiencedthe
feather-softtouchofanErcoupelandinggear,
youarein fora treat!)
You are invited
to lookatthis aircraft
asmuch asyou likebut ..
PLEASE DO NOTTOUCH
Thisbiplane is a 1930CONSOLIDATED FLEET poweredbya125Horseoower
KinnerB54 engine. GallonsperHour(Cruising):8oal. Cruise Speed: 105m.o.h.
Landing Speed:48 m.o.h. Gross Weight: 1950Ibs. Empty Weight: 1065Ibs.
Wi ngspan:28' Restoration was compl eted in 1975 by Baron Bob Von Willerof
Gillespie Field in EI Cajon, CA. This fabriccovered, orange andivorybeautyhas
won numerousawards throughout California, Arizona and the midwest. Initially
used as amilitaryfighter/trainer, it now sports original wheel pants and speed ring.
14AUGUST1990
VINTAGE AIRP LANE 15
ANTIQUES AND
CLASSICS
HALFAWORLD
AWAY
EAA'sdown-undertour,hostedbySteveandDorothy
Wittmanwasaglowingsuccess.
byJimHaynes
Steve WiHman with a " Down Under" Tailwind.
THERE ARE ANTIQUES AND
CLASSICS DOWN UNDER
For several years now, the EAA has
sponsored International Tours that have
been designed with the aviation en-
thusiast in mind. Aside from the usual
attractions, the EAA tours include ac-
tivities that involve aircraft museums,
air shows, personal contact with local
aviation people and actual flying in
aircraft that belong to them.
My wife and I, both having recently
retired from school teaching, decided to
take advantage of the Australian/New
Zealand Tour offered this past April.
We had always talked about going there
someday, but had always put it off.
After reading the brochure describing
the activities offered in the tour, our
plans were set.
The tour was managed by Peter
Strombom, EAA Tours Director, and
accompanying the group were Steve
Wittman and his wife, Dorothy. Under
their leadership, the 22-day tour was a
fun-filled, relaxing and educational ex-
perience.
I would like to stress that there were
ample activities for the Antique/Classic
Division members. Just being around
Steve Wittman and sharing his ex-
periences in aviation would have been
adequate, but there were surprises along
the way.
One of the highlights was being
flown in a DC-3 from Sydney to Mait-
land, about a 50-minute flight and
spending the day with the Australian
New Zealand Tiger Moth
Tiger Moth Club which has its own air
strip at a place called Luskintyre. There
the group, both husbands and wives,
were treated to rides and actually flying
a Tiger Moth. Some had the added ex-
perience of being given a ride in a
Stampe while performing aerobatics.
The group enjoyed a barbecue lunch
and when the day's flying activities
ended, there was a liquid social hour in
the Tiger Moth Clubhouse. It was well
into the evening upon returning to Syd-
ney in the DC-3.
There was enough flying experience
on the tour. For Anne and me, including
our domestic flights to join the tour at
LAX, I counted a total of 18 takeoffs
and landings during the entire trip. The
aircraft - Bonanza, 737, 747-400, 767,
A320 (Airbus), 727, Tiger Moth,
Stampe and a Cherokee 140. In most
cases, we were invited to the flight deck.
At the Sport Aviation Association of
Australia annual fly-in, where the group
spent two days, there was much to offer.
Some of our group happened to be in the
right place at the right time and were
offered a ride in an old DR Drover Tri-
motor. I wasn't one of them. Arrange-
ments were made with several pilots to
fly us to nearby Kyabram where the
Antique Airplane Association of
Australia was having its get-together.
Several Austers, Chipmunks, Winjeels,
Tiger Moths, a Stearman, Stinson
Reliant and a Rallye were seen. Back at
Mangalore we were invited to the ban-
quet that evening where there was a
combination of revelry, awards-giving
and a very historic event took place. It
seems that the CAA (equivalent to our
FAA) had handed over the authority of
inspection of amateur built aircraft to
the SAAA. I tried to imagine the FAA
granting such authority to the EAA.
Somehow, I couldn't. It was an almost
two-hour bus ride back to Melbourne
from the Mangalore Aerodrome and
there were some tired pups hitting the
sack well after midnight. Back to Man-
L-4
galore the next day and more airplane
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
looking, forums and an air show in the
afternoon. The Australians put on a
good fly-in and it's growing. The one
thing that could make it better would be
for the various divisions to have their
fly-ins at the same field instead of all at
nearby fields.
The War Memorial Museum in Can-
berra contained a number of World War
I and World War II aircraft as well as an
A vro 504, the first I had ever seen. The
group was treated to a special tour of the
Museum Annex, a place the general
public are not allowed. There also were
a variety of warbirds, including an Me
262 and Me 163. The guide told us a lot
about the history of each artifact.
In New Zealand were visits to
Ardmore and Rotorua Aerodromes. At
Ardmore, the group met with the Auk-
land Aero Club in its clubhouse, enjoy-
ing a light lunch prepared for the
occasion. Several of us were
transported across the field and met with
a group of the New Zealand Amateur
Aircraft Constructors Assn. who were
busy in their own hangar working on
various projects. Noteworthy were the
small quonset-like hangars in which
builders housed their projects. After
looking over the page after page of
checklists that had to be signed off by
the government officials, I developed a
healthy respect for these guys and their
work. Before dark, one of them took to
the air and gave us a demonstration of
light aerobatics in his Starlet. (The
tower closed at 6 p.m.) There were
several warbirds housed in the hangars
Auster
at the field - the only T-28 and P-51D
liTHE FLY BY
WAS
PERFORMED
FOR OUR
BENEFIT"
in New Zealand and three Harvards.
At Rotorua we were again enter-
tained by the Rotoiua Aero Club. Upon
arrival, there were skydiving operations
taking place, a rotorcraft taking to the
air, a lodel following, and a Quicksilver
Ultralite chasing the rotorcraft. Top-
ping it off was a flyby of three New
Zealand Air Force jets which were there
for an encampment. When I asked one
of the Club members if they did this
often, he assured me that the flyby was
Ian Dickso - President of the Chipmunk
18 AUGUST 1990
deHaviliand Rallye
perfonned for our benefit with the spe-
cial pennission of the tower. To round
out the evening, the Aero Club had
cooked steaks on the grill and the wives
had provided ample food to go along
with them. No one went away hungry.
The next day, after a morning tour of
the sulphur springs area, some of the
group were picked up at the hotel by
four members of the Aero Club and
driven around to their homes to look at
projects under construction, and com-
pleted. I was especially interested in the
"THE PILOT
WANTED
TO SHOW
US HIS NEW
HOUSE."
restoration of an Auster. It did have the
fuselage of a Taylorcraft.
Again, as in Australia, we were
transported to the Museum of Transpor-
tat ion and Technology to look at the
artifacts of New Zealand's aviation
past. Here were Richard Pearse's first
and third airplanes. For those who do
not know, this contraption lays claim to
the first flight before the Wrights. Ap-
parently, in the Spring of 1903, Pearse
got the thing airborne on a downhill
incline, thus the substance of the claim.
As mentioned previously, even
without all of these aviation activities
there were sights to see, tours to t k ~
and people to meet. What made this
tour special were the many wonderful
people who decided to go too, and the
events that were not planned pre-
viously. For instance, we had the op-
portunity to help Steve Wittman
celebrate his 86th birthday while cross-
ing the International Dateline, and later
at Mangalore Aerodrome celebrated
Dorothy's as well. By chance, we spent
a delightful evening with the parents of
an Australian exchange student living in
our town back home. I also was
surprised by a landing on a fann air strip
while being flown to Kyabram. The
pilot wanted to show us his new house.
None of these events were on the trip
itinerary, but they served to make the
tour something special to us.
If you have never been on an EAA
International Tour and are considering
a trip abroad, it is well worth your con-
sideration.
ort Aviation Association ot Australia.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
RAGWING
WARBIRD
Aveteranofthe CPTprogram, thisAeroncaChiefhelped
teachhundredsto fly.
by Gerard Pahl
Director of Education, Kalamazoo Air Museum
There is a little red Aeronca Chief years, faithfully serving her country in was sold to Irving and Dorothy Wood-
that keeps plugging away through the times of war and her civilian owners in hams along with at least two other
skies of southwestern Michigan and times of peace. Chiefs that still remain in southwest
she's ajoy for any vintage airplane buff Though the Chief's history is probab- Michigan. Irv is one of Michigan's real
to see. When not flying, the honey of a ly not too different from that of many aviation pioneers. In fact, his pilot's
ragwing shares hangar space with the other low-powered taildraggers of the license was signed by Orville Wright.
big warbirds of the Kalamazoo Aviation 1940s, it has its own little twists and He holds FAA ticket number 790 and he
History Museum, otherwise known as turns that add a lot of charisma to the old carries aircraft mechanic card number
the "Air Zoo". This dutiful bird (N gal. Aeronca NC 31948 rolled out of 654.
31948, sin CA12231) has been pulling the factory at Middletown, Ohio on Irv founded Austin Lake Airport &
her weight and more for almost 50 January 28, 1941 and on February 11 it Seaplane Base on the southern edge of
20 AUGU
that lake in the mid-1930s. During
World War II the airport was utilized as
a Civilian Pilot Training (CPT) facility
and Irving used the Chief to train stu-
dent pilots. By the end of 1943 the
airplane had logged more than 2,000
hours of flight time.
During this time, Sue (DeLano) Parish,
current president of the Kalamazoo A via-
tion History Museum, developed her
skills, receiving her primary training in
the Chief. Sue later went on to become a
WASP (Woman's Army Service Pilot)
during the war and presently flies the
museum's desert pink Curtiss P-40 War-
hawk.
In order to use the Aeronca to its max-
imum potential, Irv flew the Chief with
wheels, floats and skis. During 1943
alone, the landing gear was changed at
least 10 times according to the aircraft
logs. While the little Chief was training
future fighter, bomber and transport
pilots, its parent company, Aeronca
Manufacturing Corporation was trying to
obtain military contracts. It built a
"Midget Cargo Plane" which was a Chief
with a large door behind the cockpit for
carrying packages (the maximum
payload is not known). The company
also removed the engine from its
"Champ" model and added a "bird cage"
The Chief will soon return to its CPT livery.
nose, converting the little plane into a
three-seat training glider, the TG-5. In
1942, 19 Aeronca 65 CA Chiefs were
commandeered for use by the Army Air
Forces and designated L 3Fs.
Following World War II, Chief 31948
was still used to train pilots. However, the
airplane was also used extensively for
pleasure flying and was flown to Canada
several times. Some flights ended up
being not so pleasant. In the past 49 years,
the Aeronca has been damaged three
times. In 1949 it was tumed on its back
in the St. Mary's River - the left wingtip
was the only major component damaged,
but both wings were re-skinned. In 1960
a wing was likewise damaged and in 1961
the plane again turned over in a lake
southeast of Big Rapids, Michigan.
On August 15, 1953 Chief 31948 was
upgraded with an 85-hp Continental en-
gine replacing the original -65. The
switch was made to improve its perfor-
mance on floats. Through the middle
1970s, the little Aeronca was owned by
Jerry Cole of Dearborn Heights,
Michigan. However, it returned to the
Woodham's hangar in the spring of 1977.
Irv moved to Florida in the early 1980s
and the Chief was hangared at Robert
Carpenter's air strip in Vicksburg where
it was flown by several local people.
In 1981, Irv sold the Chief to his son,
Don who in turn sold it to the museum
in 1987. Generally, the Chief is used to
represent the museum at dawn patrols
and breakfasts so it is not on display in
the main museum building. However,
from May to September, the museum's
tour program takes patrons through the
Restoration Center where thy can see,
not only this gritty little airplane but
aircraft that are in the process of being
restored. Currently the museum is
fmishing the preservation of a B-25J
Mitchell bomber, continuing work on a
Fairchild PT-23 Cornell and has a BT-
13 Valiant and a CG-4A Flying Jeep
waiting in the wings.
Since its acquisition by the museum,
the Chief continues to do what it does
best, adding to the 6,300 flight hours in
its logs. When the "little red airplane"
is due for a re-covering, a new CPT
paint scheme will be applied. Those
interested in seeing the Chief and 25
other fantastic warbirds, including six
National Grand Champions, can visit
the Kalamazoo "Air Zoo" by land or by
air at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek Inter-
national Airport. For more informa-
tion, write the museum at 3101 E.
Milham Road, Kalamazoo, Michigan
49002 or call 616/382-6555 .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
COONBOTTOM
MONSTER
An 82-year-old Florida airstrip owner and his highly
modified Stearman.
LastyearIretiredandmovedfrom
northeast Wisconsin to Tallahassee,
Florida. OneofthefirstthingsIdidwas
join the local radio-control airplane
club. I overheard the fellows talking
about an old-timer who had anairstrip
by John Larson north ofthecity where they wouldoc-
22 AUGUST 1990
casionally fly their models. I thought it
would be interesting to see if I could
fmd it. After traveling up and down the
country roads I fmally located it near the
Georgia border.
I stopped at a nearby house and
asked where I could fmd the owner of
the airstrip over yonder. The fellow
told me I would fmd Lou Rutten at a
hangar on the far end of the field. The
strip was level at first, but near the west
end it sloped down and at the bottom of
the hill I found two large rustic hangars.
Standing near a strange-looking
biplane was a short slim man taking a
break from washing the biplane and
sipping a can of beer. "Are you Mr.
Rutten?" I asked. "That's what they
call me," he said.
I found Lou Rutten to be a living,
breathing 82-year-old history book. In
1925 he paid two dollars for a "Learn
to Fly" correspondence course. He
bought a World War I surplus Jenny in
parts , put it together and started
barnstorming. Neither a pilot's license
nor numbers on the ariplane were re-
quired at the time. Then he bought one
of Ed Heath's kit airplanes and started
modifying, even way back then. He
changed the parasol design to a mid-
wing like Jim Church did to create the
Church Mid-wing racer. In 1932, he
decided to get educated and took a
course in aeronautical engineering in
Marshall, Missouri. He designed and
built his own airplane in 1934, the Rut-
ten Special. In 1936 he worked for
Eastern Airlines as a maintenance flight
inspector on DC-3s. The following
year he got his A&E license, number
15619. During World War II he flew
cargo planes all over the world for the
government as a civilian. In 1945 he got
his commercial pilot's license and was
flight engineer on a DC-4 for a while.
He also got a job flying a DC-3 for
Caribbean Airlines from Miami to the
Canal Zone, mostly carrying leather
goods but on his last trip he was carrying
13,000 baby chicks when one of the
engines ran away due the prop governor
failure. It was in 1947 he bought a
Stearman and started dusting in Marian-
na, Florida. The next year he bought 75
acres where he built the Coon Bottom
Airport as a base for dusting tobacco.
He designed and built his own dusting
equipment and even holds a patent on
one of his designs.
I asked what kind of plane he was
washing there and he said, "That's the
'Coon Bottom Monster ... ' It was a
highly modified Stearman he had
changed into a truly one-of-a-kind fun
machine. When he retired from dusting
he took one of his Stearmans and rebuilt
it to eliminate all the undesireable fea-
tures. He took off the heavy gear and
rebuilt it lighter, moving it forward at
the same time so the aircraft was less
prone to nosing over in soft ground. He
eliminated the forward visibility prob-
lem by raising the top wing and building
up the fuselage so the cockpit is higher.
This created lots of room for storing
baggage and camping gear under the
seats. He also changed the ailerons to
flaperons. On final approach he can
crank the ailerons down for slower land-
ing speeds. He added servo tabs to the
ailerons to lower stick forces, and to
increase range he added a streamlined
drop tank between the main wheels.
For fun, he mounted some rocket-
launching tubes on the wings.
Lou showed me around the hangars
and I have never seen so many parts and
pieces of airplanes in my life. He must
have bought new airplanes and engines
every year and never parted with any-
thing. They're all still there, in pieces.
Lou admits that, at 82, his flying days
are over but as I found out to my
delight, his hangar-flying days are still
going strong .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
For more than 50 years, Jim Martin
of Beecher, Illinois has been maintain-
ing and repairing aircraft. I first met
him five years ago when he joined EAA
Chapter 260, and during these years he
has regularly presented programs about
aircraft maintenance at Chapter 260's
meetings. In addition to being a chapter
designee, he is always willing to take
time to help anyone who comes to him
with an engine or airframe problem. It
does not seem to matter whether the
plane is a late model, custom built or
antique/classic. Jim's dedication to the
24 AUGUST 1990
private pilot has earned him Chapter
260's "Devotion to Aviation" award in
recognition of his unselfish support of
private and sport aviation. This chapter
can attest that many plane owners
around south suburban Chicago have
benefited from his vast reservoir of ex-
perience and knowledge.
Jim was born and raised in Toronto,
Canada and prepared for his career at
Central Technical School there. At the
time, the aviation department was new
and in 1936 Jim was one of its first three
graduates. He explained that in addi-
tion to drafting, math and aVIatIOn
theory classes, he learned aircraft con-
struction. The aspects of plane-build-
ing included woodworking, sheet metal,
machine shop and fabric.
Since opportunities in aviation were
limited in Canada at the time, Jim
moved to Chicago in 1939 and began
working at B&F Aviation, a repair sta-
tion at Harlem Airport near what is now
Midway Airport. He started as a shop
welder and worked up to mechanic by
1940. A year later he had earned his
A&E (Airframe and Engine, now
known as A&P for Airframe and
Powerplant) license.
Jim related that during the "good old
days" (the 1940s), "Our winter schedule
consisted of re-cover jobs and a busy
complement of maintenance and in-
spections. I liked to do repair work
rather than inspections, where I special-
ized in woodwork - specifically wing
spars." On the subject of the quality of
workmanship, Jim said proudly, "We
did a lot of re-covering in those days
which compared favorably with today's
restoration. "
While at Harlem, Jim worked on
some interesting and famous aircraft.
Quite an unusual one was a Laird-type
design. Not only was it difficult to fly,
it also suffered frequent taxiing acci-
dents on the ground which kept Jim
busy in the repair shop.
American Airlines nevertheless ac-
counted for most of Jim's career. He
started work there in 1942 and remained
until he "retired" 34 years later. During
much of this time he was a maintenance
crew chief in a support shop doing
sheet-metal work, welding and a variety
of other kinds of repairs. He serviced
DC-3s and more, up through DC-6s and
-7s, Boeing 707s and even the last Ford
Trimotor to fly from Midway. The
Convair 240, though, was his favorite
because he knew it so well. He had
attended a special Convair school on
this aircraft involving emergency
A Travel Air at the Toronto Flying Club, 1934 or 35 with the future Mrs. Jim Martin.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
II
:/
II
W
:/
.L
G
:/
S
S
E
p
T
E
' M
' B
i
\
Jim (lett) and a friend with a J-3 Cub at B& F Aviation,
Oaklawn, Illinois
A brand-new Convair 240 at the Ardmore, Oklahoma training facility.
26 AUGUST 1990
damage repair.
Jim said that he frequently wound up
with what he termed "garbage work"
such as repair of baggage pods, coffee
makers and tire and battery changes.
However, much of his repair work
would require special tools. Any time a
special tool was required, he made
whatever was necessary to do the job.
Furthermore, when there was no section
in a manual covering a particular repair,
he would come up with a way to do it.
Often he was called upon to do "odd-
ball" jobs nobody wanted, such as
removing broken studs or screws that
were difficult to extract.
Jim recalled that there were times he
had to endure, "smart-alecs who knew
everything." One of his favorite ways
of dealing with them was when they
came to him to borrow a tool. For
instance he would give the person a
5Jl6-inch drill with a left-hand twist
just to see how long it would take him
to figure it out. Another variation of
this was to hand the victim a left-hand
tap-and-die.
While still working at American, Jim
opened his own shop across from Ash-
burn Field, a small airfield south of
Midway Airport. There he did extra
work as a mechanic which meant just
about anything. He operated this shop
until Ashburn Field closed in the 1960s.
It was at Ashburn that Jim rebuilt
many old airplanes. Over the years he
has reworked E-2s, J-2s and J-3s on up
to current Pipers, Buhl Pups and an
American Eaglet, a Fairchild Cabin and
just about anything that we now call an
antique or classic. He also built a Pitts
Special in his shop but it was only flown
once. The owner wrecked it the first
time out, had it rebuilt and then sold it.
That was in 1969. Shortly thereafter the
airport closed and Jim flew the last
aircraft out of Ashburn, a Swift.
Jim has owned a Cessna 140 for the
past eight years and has been an AI for
the past 30 years. His first flying was
dual time in a deHaviliand Gypsy Moth
in 1934, but he did not solo until 1943
at Ashburn in a J-3. His most recent
projects have been supervision of the
rebuilding of an Aeronca Chief and
Sedan, a Mustang II, a 2J3-scale Haw-
ker Hurricane and a Christen Eagle.
When Jim puts his hands on an
aircraft to perform maintenance or to
advise its pilot, he draws from many
years' experience. A lot of affordable
flying has resulted from Jim's dedica-
tion to the private pilot..
PASS II IQ
--1]
An information exchange column with input from readers.
by Buck Hilbert
(EAA 21, Ale 5)
P.O. Box 424
Union, IL 60180
Prop and Circumstance
Dear Buck,
I enjoyed your series on propping and
appreciate the mention of those immor-
tal words. It also brought back some
memories and some well taught and
well-learned lessons about "clubs."
When I was growing up I thought all
airplanes had to be propped to get
started. Only "real airplanes" like John
Louck's Ford Trimotor had starters. I
was taught the "prop-er" commands at
nine years old when I was in the cockpit
of Travel Air NC 606K executing them.
One rule was never, never touch the
mag switch, unless instructed, and then
always shout back the position of the
switch. Another rule was to always
know the airplane and the pilot, or else
let someone else do it. I saw one good
example of this at an AAA fly-in at
Ottumwa, Iowa. It seems the guy in the
driver's seat got the mixture and throttle
reversed and the machine started on the
fIrst pull, proceeded to rear up and over
and made toothpicks out of Sensenich
lumber.
I also remember a certain airplane
that had a booster in the cockpit that had
to be cranked by hand when starting the
engine. I recall how the pilot was afraid
to crank the booster before the prop man
was clear, and this usually resulted in
the engine running backwards for
several cycles before it finally got
going. If the booster was cranked while
the propeller was spun, it started every
time.
But the most important rule was,
"Never step into the prop arc." Dad
considered it a cardinal sin and sure to
result in an injury. The most graphic
tale of this happened to the old man,
himself at an airshow at Joe Halsmer's
airport in Lafayette, Indiana. As usual,
Dad was announcing as well as flying in
the show. When his turn to perform
came, he jumped off the announcer's
trailer and dashed to his Travel Air.
Also as usual, Dad propped the Travel
Air himself. Since the Wright was still
warm from the opening of the show, on
the fIrst pull it "sneezed" and spun back
a couple of turns, ending up with the
prop straight vertical. Being a little
rushed, Dad stepped into the prop arc
and started to pull the prop down when
the big Wright kicked back. The other
blade hit him on the inside of his left
knee and threw him out to the wingtip.
Luckily, Mrs. Halsmer was on the spot
for fIrst aid, and quickly taped and
bandaged his leg. The skin was not
broken but it did swell quite badly. She
also applied some other "pain killer."
Well, he was still able to announce
the rest of Saturday's show and got a
new "kid" to fly in his place on Sunday
- Gene Soucy! The Travel Air rested
in Lafayette for a couple weeks until
Dad was able to bend his knee again.
He said he knew he was in trouble as
soon as he reached for the prop, but it
was too late. He was damned lucky.
I had my J-3 for six years and my
Culver Cadet for 12 years. Neither one
had a starter and by following these
rules, I never had an incident. Now
I've got a Navion and it has a starter,
but if it ever quits, I think I will be able
to start it safely using the same rules.
Keep up the good work.
James Rezich
Winnebago, Illinois
Defender re-bender
Dear Mr. Hilbert,
I enjoy reading your column every
month and see from the January issue
that you prefer letters to phone calls. So
even though I live in the next town east
of Union, I fIgured what the heck!
The reason I'm writing is I'm restor-
ing an Aeronca 0 -58B to original
military confIguration and want to make
some contacts in EAA as I'm sure I'll
be needing a little good council from
time to time as work progresses. I'm a
member ot the new EAA Chapter in
Galt, Illinois. I have an A&P from 1965
but little practical experience since then
so I may not know what to do but I've
got a pretty good idea what not to do.
One of the fIrst things I've got to decide
is on the IA I will work with so I can get
him in on it from the beginning (I just
disassembled the airplane and brought
it home on April 12.). I thought you
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
DataPlates: "U.S. ArmyAirCorpsTypeL-3B, Ser.#92-36317Order#24584"
"AeroncaModel0-58B,Ser. #058B3432. Built6-13-42"
Engine: ContinentalA-65-8#14193228
mighthavesomesuggestionsonthis.
I'll give you a little background on
the airplane. The enclosed photo is
recentandtheinformationfromthedata
platesis ontheback. Itwasconverted
tothe"Defender"configurationbyBer-
nardPietenpolin 1945. IthasaStand-
ard Airworthiness Certificate which I
naturally want to retain. Pietenpol's
Form 337 doesn't indicate any struc-
turalalterationsothismaynotbeabig
problem.
Theairplaneis inprettygoodshape.
Itspentmostof itslifeinstoragebutwas
protectedfrom rodents,birdsandmois-
ture. Ididn'thaveanyproblemgetting
itreadytoferrytoGaltthoughitwasout
oflicense. Itdoeshavethewoodribs.
Thepaperworkappearstobecomplete
andtherearen'tanygapsinthelogs. I
don'thaveanythingonitsmilitaryhis-
toryfrom1942to1945andhavewritten
severalletterstryingtogetsomehelpon
that. There are no ADs on it but I
suspect that's just because nobody
cares! I'm wondering ifold Aeronca
ServiceBulletins couldbeofany help
- and where to fmd them. I'vebeen
abletoturnupverylittleinfoon0-58/L-
3s. TheArmyonlyboughtabout1,300
ofthemandthey didn'tseemtoattract
a lot ofattention. I've written to Mr
SilbermanattheNationalAirandSpace
Museumarchivesupportcenterandam
waitingtohearfromhimre:availability
specs, etc. I'dlike to meet yousome-
time and hear your thoughts on this
project or maybe you'd like to take a
lookat thepieces. Ifso,dropanoteor
givemeacallandperhapswecouldget
togetheronedaysoon.
Thanks for taking the time to read
this.
Sincerely,
JeffHill
Woodstock,Illinois
Sensenichitch
HiBuck,
Hereistheprophubinfoyourfriend
canuse. If youknowofanyonewhois
doing a plane with a Tank engine, I
have a Sensenich 96T69 prop that is
good.
Thebestforyouandyours,
RalphDriscoll
RuralRoute2
MountVernon,Iowa52314
Fuelingaround,militarystyle
DearBuck,
Hereis whatthe military had to say
about"fuelingaround,"accordingtothe
WarDepartmentFieldManual#FM20-
100, September 1947, "Army Ground
Forces...LightAviation."
"Refueling The aircraft should be
electrically grounded in accordance
with appropriate Army Air Forces
Technical Orders before and during
refueling(Seefigure7)."
Keep 'emFlying!!
BillDavis
MarineCity,Michigan
of engineering drawings, contract Figure 7. Grollnding during re/lteiillg.
28AUGUST1990
Sensenich Corporation August 1955 No. 203
SENSENICH MODEL NUMBERS
AND THEIR MEANINCS
In devising a system of identificationfor fixed 3. It gives a complete description of the con-
pitch propellers, Sensenich Corporation worked
struction and dimensions of the propeller.
outa codesystem which not only identifies the
propellers, but also describes them.
The model number used as an illustration is
I. It is easyto rememberandunderstand.
an example of the complete description of a
2. It readily identifies the propeller from all
propeller that is possible with our system and
other designs. codeof marking.
FOREXAMPLE: 90CASPL86A
DWIVt" BLADE DESIGNS
A B c o
First two numbers always indicate propeller
90 diameter in inches. C FirBt letteralwayBindicateB thebaBicbladedeBign.
HUI DIMINSIOHS
lOUD CI't PL"fWOCO
Always indicates integral Bolid wood Bpinner un-
s Ie..followed by the letter P.
The second letter indicates hub dimensions for Following the letter S indicates integral plywood
A a particular metal hub. P Bhell Bpinner.
ROTATION
Geometric pitch in inches measured at 75% of
the radius.
ILlU" ~ H T
VI[WED FROII SUP STREAM.
Preceded by two or more letters always indicates
L 86 left hand rotation.
Any letter following the geometric pitch designation indicates a material modification
A of a standard design.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet...
25 perword,$5.00 minimumcharge. Send yourad to
The VintageTrader,EAAAviation Center
Oshkosh,WI 54903-2591.
AIRCRAFT:
Yes, a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old
aircraft $9,500.00 (Canadian). Springhouse
Aviation, Box 38, A.R. 1, Widgeon Drive,
WilliamsLake, B.C.V2G2P1,604/392-2186.
(9-5)
FairchildF24W-41 - Aircraftiscompleteless
FWFforWarnerengine.Haveenginemount
and cowling for Ranger conversion, also
Rangerengine. 507/263-2414. (9-2)
ENGINES:
Engine Parts- forContinentalA50, 65, 75,
80 and their accessories - cylinder cases,
cams, rods, gears, everything but
crankshafts. Sendwantlistto:AirSalvageof
Arkansas, Rt. 1, Box 8020, Mena, Arkansas
71953, call 501/394-1022(-5/91)
Good Used Ignition Harnesses - tested
okay. Fuel pumps in boxes. Rod bolts in
plastic bags. All properly identified as
removed from enginesgoing in foroverhaul.
Air Salvage of Arkansas, Rt. 1, Box 8020,
Mena, Arkansas 71953, 501/394-1022. (-
5/91)
MISCELLANEOUS:
NEW EAAREFERENCE GUIDE - Nowin
onevolume! CoveringallEAAjournals1953
through 1989. Newly organized, easier to
read. MUCH REDUCED PRICE! Past pur-
chasers : $7.50 USD plus $1 . 50
UPS/postage, $3.00Canadian, $7.00 other.
new purchasers: $15 USD plus $1.50
UPS/postage, $3.00Canadian, $7.00 other.
VISA/MASTERCARDaccepted.JohnB. Ber-
geson, 6438W.Millbrook Road, Remus, MI
49340. 517/561-2393. Note: Have all jour-
nals.Willmakecopyofanyarticle(s)fromany
issueat25 perpage.($3.00minimum).
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items
- Buy- sell- trade.44-pagecatalogover350
30 AUGUST 1990
items available, $5.00. Airmailed. John
Aldrich, POB-706- Airport, Groveland, CA
95321, 209/962-6121.(9-6)
Super Cub PA18 fuselages repaired or
rebuilt - in precision master fixtures. All
makes of tube assemblies or fuselages
repaired orfabricated new.J.E. Soares Inc.,
7093 Dry Creek Road, Belgrade, Montana
59714, 406/388-6069. Repair Station D65-
21.(UFN)
CURTISS JN4-D MEMORABILIA - You
can now own memorabilia from the famous
"Jenny," as seen on "TREASURES FROM
THE PAST". We have posters, postcards,
videos, pins, airmail cachets, etc. We also
have R/C documentation exclusive to this
historic aircraft. Sale of these items support
operatingexpensetokeepthis"Jenny"flying
for the aviation public. We appreciate your
help. Write for your free price list. Virginia
AviationCo.,RDv-5,Box294,Warrenton,VA
22186. (c/11-90)
NostalgiC Airline Poster Art - Colorful
publicity of the Airlines of the World! FREE
DETAILSGerard,3668-VAHilaire, Seaford,
NY 11783. (12-4)
HANGARS:
QuonsetStyleSteel Buildings- Idealfor
airplane hangars, equipment, and
workshops. Easyto erect and disassemble.
Buyfactorydirectandsaveupto40percent.
U.S. ARCH BUILDINGS CORPORATION,
National 1-800-527-4044.(-5/91)
WANTED:
Wanted- The VintageAirplaneBackIssue
- September1986- No reprints.Mintcon-
dition only, $50.00. Mail to, Iwill acceptthe
firstoneIreceive; all otherswill be returned.
RobertV. Beal, EAA220499, 825W. Broad-
way, Madisonville, Kentucky42431. (8-1)
MEMBERSHIP
INFORMATION
EAA
Membership in the Experimental
AircraftAssociation, Inc. is $35.00 for
one year, including 12issues ofSport
Aviation.JuniorMembership(under19
yearsofage)is availableat$20.00an-
nually.FamilyMembershipisavailable
for an additional $10.00 annually. All
major credit cards accepted for mem-
bership.FAX (414) 426-4873.
ANTIQUE/CLASSICS
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yearmembershipinEAA Antique-Clas-
sic Division. 12 monthlyissues ofThe
Vintage Airplane and membership
card.Applicantmustbe a currentEAA
memberandmustgive EAA member-
shipnumber.
Non-EAAMember- $28.00.Includes
one yearmembershipin the EAA Anti-
que-ClassicDivision. 12monthlyissues
of The Vintage Airplane, one year
membership in the EAA and separate
membershipcards. SportAviationQQ/.
included.
lAC
Membership in the International
Aerobatic Club, Inc. is $30.00annually
which includes 12 issues of Sport
Aerobatics. All lAC members are re-
quiredto bemembersofEAA.
WARBIRDS
Membership in the Warbirds of
America, Inc.is $30.00peryear, which
includes a subscription to Warbirds.
Warbird members are required to be
membersofEAA.
EAAEXPERIMENTER
EAA membership and EAA EX-
PERIMENTER magazine is available
for$28.00peryear(SportAviationnot
included). Current EAA members may
receive EAA EXPERIMENTER for
$18.00peryear.
FOREIGN
MEMBERSHIPS
Please submit your remittance with a
checkordraftdrawnonaUnitedStates
bankpayablein UnitedStatesdollars.
Make checks payable to EAA or the
divisioninwhichmembershipisdesired.
Address all letters to EAA orthe par-
ticulardivisionatthefollowingaddress:
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Antiques&Classics-
You'reWelcomeHere!
I s there a pilot among us whose
heart doesn't swell when a WACO,
Stearman or a pretty little Jenny
flies overhead? On the wings of
these airplanes, we all experience
the leather helmet days before
radios, nosewheels and controlled
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heritage alive.
Keeping antique and classic
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AVEMCO's antique and classic air-
craft coverage provides protection
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you can be compensated for your
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Your antique and classic air-
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CALL DIRECTTODA Y FOR AN
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This is intended as a brief descri ption of the coverage
rHE SPORr AVIATION ASSOClAfION
INSURANCE COMPANY
offered. Certain exclusions and li mitations apply. We
will be glad to send you a sample policy for your review.
By Aviation People ...For Aviation People
AAA04-0 (6/90)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31
MANUFACTURER DIRECT
HANGARS
BUILDING MATERIAL
LessThan 112 PriceSale
Example:42'widex36'long- Frames, Sheeting,
and Hardware, Inc.40'x12' Bi-fold Door,with
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P.O. Box3084-V,Riverside,CA92519
Phone(714) 684-4280
WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII,1
p.o. box 88
madison, north carolina 27025
(919) 427-0216
AWWA
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TANK PAINTiNb AND REPAIRING
SANOIlASTING. TANK LINERS AND COATINGS
PREVENTIVE TANK MAINTENANCE INSPECTION SERVICE
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RESERvOIR liNERS AND ROOFS
DISMANTlING AND MOVING TANKS
NEW, USED AND lleONDIT/ONEO TANKS
VINTAGEAIRPLANE 33
The designer and builder of this
neat biplane was well-known at the
time it was produced. The photo is
from the Hardie collection. Answers
will be published in the October issue
of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Deadline
for that issue is September 10, 1990.
Dick Hill identified John Denny's
"Speed Bird" from the May issue. John
has the aircraft in the process of restora-
tion and as you can tell by Dick's
lengthy answer he has himself a rare
piece of aviation history. Dick and his
wife, Jeannie, an Antique/Classic
Division Advisor, preside over the Bird
type club and are writing a book on the
company, so Dick's answer carries the
weight of authority.
"The Mystery Plane is the 1935
prototype Speed Bird A with an 85-hp
LeBlond engine. Its tail number was
34 AUGUST 1990
X15641 and it was serial number 1000.
"The design of the Speed Bird began
at the Bird Airplane Company in New
Jersey. It was a scaled down, single-
cockpit, side-by-side version of the
Bird. Before tests and paperwork for
certification could be completed on the
Speed Bird, the Bird company was
wiped out by the Depression.
"The 'Speed Bird Co.' was formed
from the remains of the old Bird com-
pany in 1933. It was to use up the stock
of parts that were left over from produc-
tion, and to supply the owners of Bird
airplanes with parts. The new com-
pany was located in the factory build-
ings that belonged to the old
Aeromarine Airplane and Motor Com-
pany located at a small New Jersey
airfield and had been used for the
production of airplanes as early as
World War I. Many of the US Navy's
large flying boats from that era were
built on this site. In the mid-1920s they
were building metal-hull flying boats on
the site.
"The address for the Speed Bird Co.
in the 1937 Federal Register was
Church and Front Streets, Key Port,
New Jersey. Another address that we
found listed the company at Locust
Street. Key Port is just a small village
located on the swampy shoreline of
Raritan Bay, opposite Staten Island,
New York. Researcher and aircraft
historian, John Barberry visited the site
in 1960 and found that the factory
buildings had been torn down and the
area was returning to nature.
"On April 20, 1937 the Speed Bird
Company was re-formed in San Jose,
California. A corporation was formed
with Mr. Fred J. Anderson as president
and Francis Schmidt as secretary
treasurer. The only Speed Bird
airplane that had been built was ferried
to California from ~ w Jersey by the
chief mechanic and the designer. Soon
after forming the corporation, Mr.
Anderson passed away and when the
corporation and its future dissolved, the
aircraft was stored outside and left to
deteriorate.
"The plane was later damaged when
the pilot of a Travel Air lost control
while taxiing and hit it. Mrs. Anderson
who owned the assets of the Speed Bird
Co. well into the 1950s donated the
wrecked plane to the San Jose College
Aeronautics Department. At one point
the plane was assembled and flown by
John Reid and his father, "Pop" Reid
who had started and operated the Reid
Hillview Airport in San Jose.
"In a telephone interview with John
Reid in 1986, he reported that it flew
very nicely and was very stable.
During hands-off flight, the pilot could
make turns by flexing the long Pyralin
windshield one way and the other.
Spin recoveries were another matter,
and the plane did not respond too well.
The men decided that it needed more
rudder so they cut a pattern from sheet
metal and fastened it to the trailing edge
of the rudder with screws. The shape of
this rudder extension still remains as the
basis for an improved rudder-fin com-
bination that will be used on John
Denny's current restoration.
"In another transaction, Captain
Ralph McPhee, an interim owner did
not have the plane fully paid for when
he passed away so the plane was repos-
sessed by the college. When the
college's aeronautical program closed,
the plane became the property of a local
aircraft restorer, Jim Nissen. Jim was
commissioned to clean out the school
and was given the remains of the Speed
Bird for his efforts. Along with his
other aircraft, Jim currently owns one of
the few remaining airworthy Curtiss
Jennys.
"In 1968, the Speed Bird was sold to
John Denny who lived near San Jose.
He has completely rebuilt the plane with
all new wood. The fuselage is shaped
with several bridges and an array of
stringers. This has all been replaced
and the woodwork has been protected
with several coats of urethane varnish.
He has built new landing gear and new
wings. Mr. Nissen had removed the
90-hp LeBlond engine with intentions
of using it on a Bleriot restoration. Mr.
Denny will use a 125-hp Warner Scarab
that he has completely overhauled. The
valves and pistons caused some delay
but now the engine is complete.
"In 1973, he wrote to EAA asking
the membership for help in finding the
valves for his engine. A photo of the
Speed Bird was included and it was
published on page 12 of the March
1973 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE.
We were treated to a complete tour of
the project during a visit with the Den-
nys several years ago and can attest to
the quality of this restoration.
"Blueprints of the design are
needed for the plane to become
eligible for an Experimental Aircraft
certificate and Mr. Denny has worked
backwards, from plane to paper,
producing the needed blueprints. In
1988 the Dennys moved to
Springfield, Oregon and completion
of the Speed Bird project has been
consigned to Tim Talon's Aircraft
Restoration Shop at the Springfield
Airport.
"For now, that is the story on the
Speed Bird, the last of the line."
- Dick Hill
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 35
May
I929
2Jc nts
tonlobil
ti >n'" 111