May1993 Vol.21,No.

5
CONTENTS
1 Straight& Level/
Espie"Butch"Joyce
2 AlCNews/
compi ledby H.G.Frautschy
4 AeroMail
5 CheckThatFuse/
Cy Galley
6 RampCheckMan/DickStarks
8 Speedbird- TheLast"Bird"/
H.G.Frautschy
12 CubThrottleFailure/
BobHunt
13 ATaylorcraftStory/
RobertG. RaySr.
18 WhatOurMembersAreRestoring/
NormPetersen
20 Antique/ClassicBooks/
H.G. Frautschy
22 PassittoBuck/
E.E."Buck" Hilbert
24 MysteryPlane/
GeorgeHardie
26 WelcomeNewMembers
27 Calendar
30 VintageTrader
Page6
EDITORIALSTAFF
Publisher
TomPoberezny
Vice-President,
MarketingandCommunications
DickMatt
Editor-in-Chief
JackCox
Editor
HenryG,Frautschy
ManagingEditor
GoldaCox
ArtDirector
MikeDrucks
ComputerGraphicSpeCialists
OliviaL Phillip
SaraHansen JenniferLarsen
Advertising
Mary Jones
AssociateEditor
NormPetersen
FeatureWriters
GeorgeHardie.Jr, DennisParks
Statt Photographers
JimKoepnick MikeStei neke
CarlSchuppel DonnaBushman
EditorialAssistant
IsabelleWiske
EAAANTIQUE/ CLASSIC DIVISION,INC.
OFFICERS
President Vice-President
Espie'Sutch'Joyce ArthurMorgan
604 HighwaySt. 3744North51stBlvd.
Madison.NC27025 Milwaukee,WI 53216
919/427-0216 414/442-3631
Secretary Treasurer
StevenC. Nesse E.E. 'Buck'Hilbert
2009HighlandAve. P.O. Box424
AlbertLeo.MN56007 Union.IL60180
flJ7/373-1674 815/923-4591
DIRECTORS
JohnBerendt RobertC.' Bob' Brauer
7645EchoPointRd. 9345S. Hoyne
ConnonFoils, MN55009
ChicaWll6062O
flJ7/263-2414 312/ 79-2105
GeneChase JohnS.Copeland
2159CarltonRd.
28-3Williamsbur8Ct.
Oshkosh.WI 54904 Shrewsbury,MA 1545
414/231-5002 508/842-7867
Phil Coulson GeorgeDaubner
28415SpringbrookDr. 2448loughlone
lawton.MI49065 Hartford,WI53027
616/624-6490 414/673-5885
CharlesHarris StanGomoll
3933SouthPeoria 1042 90th lone,NE
P.O. Box904038 Minneapolis,MN55434
Tulsa.OK 74105 612/784-1172
918/742-7311
DaleA.Gustafson JeannieHill
7724ShadyHill Dr. P.O, Box 328
Indionopolis,IN 46278 HaNard.Il60033
317/293-4430 815/943-7205
RobertLickteig RobertD. 'Bob'Lumley
1708BoyOaks r. 1265South 124thSt.
Albertleo,MN 56007 Brookfield.WI 53005
flJ7/373-2922 414/782-2633
GeneMorris GeorgeYork
115CSteveCourt,R.R. 2 181 SlobodaAv.
Roanoke,TX 76262 Mansfield,OH 44906
817/491-9110 419/529-4378
S.H.'Wes' Schmid
2359LefeberAvenue
Wauwatosa.WI53213
414/771-1545
DIRECTOR EMERITUS
S.J,WiHman
7200S.E. 85thLone
Ocala,FL 32672
904/245-7768
ADVISORS
JoeDickey JimmyRollison
511 TerraceLakeRd. 823CarrionCircle
Columbus.IN47201 Winters,CA95694-1665
812/342-6878 916/795-4334
DeanRichardson GeoffRobison
6701 ColonyDr. 1521 E. MacGregorDr.
Madison.WI 53717 NewHaven.IN46774
608/833-1291 219/493-4724
Page8
Page 13
FRONT COVER . . . If Bob Lock'sContemporary closs Piper Comancheis any
indicati on, we are in for a treat when the Contemporary closs is judged for
the first time at this year's EAA Convention. See the A/C News sect ion for
moreon this nicelooking4-placePiper. EMphoto byCarlSchuppel. Shot
with a Canon EOS-1 equipped with on 80-200mm lens. 1/ 500 sec. atf8.0 on
KodakEktachrome64.
BACK COVER . . Here'swhat the EAA Young Eagles program is all about!
Steve Krog , Hartford, WI shows Young Eagle Paul Szmanski, of Westfield,WI
the engine comportmentofhis PA-12 Super Cruiser during theYoung Eagles
FlightRollyatOshkosh lostAugust . For moreinformationontheYoungEagles
program, call the EMYoung Eagles office at414/ 426-4831. The weather is
gettingwarm- let'sallgivesomerides!
Copyright 1993 bytheEMAntique/Classic Division Inc,All rightsreserved.
VINTAGEAIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-69431 is published and owned exclusively by the EMAntique/Classic Division,Inc.of the Experimental
Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EMAviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd., P.O,Box 3086, Oshkosh,Wisconsin 54903-3086.
Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices.The membership rate for EM Antique/Classic
Division,Inc.is$20.00forcurrent EMmembersfor 12monthperiod ofwhich$12.00isforthepublicationofVINTAGEAIRPLANE. Membership
isopentoallwhoareinterestedin aviation.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EMAntique/Classic Division, Inc.,P.O. Sox 3086, Oshkosh,WI 54903-3086. FOREIGN AND APO
ADDRESSES- PleaseallowatleasttwomonthsfordeliveryofVINTAGEAIRPLANEtoforeignandAPOaddressesviasuriacemail.
ADVERTISING - Antique/Classic Division doesnotguarantee orendorse any productoffered through the advertising, We inviteconstructive
criticism andwelcomeanyreportofinferiormerchandiseobtained through ouradvertising sothat correctivemeasurescanbetaken.
EDITORIALPOLICY:Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policyopinionsexpressed in articlesaresolelythose ofthe
authors. Responsibilityforaccuracyinreporting restsentirelywiththecontributor.Norenumerationismade,
Material shouldbesentto: Editor,VINTAGEAIRPLANE,P.O. Sox 3086, Oshkosh,WI54903-3086. Phone414/426-4800.
The words EAA,ULTRALIGHT,FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM,SPORT AVIATION and the logos of EAA,EAA INTERNATIONAL
CONVENTION,EM ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION,INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUBS,WARBIRDS OF AMERICA are registered
trademarks.THE EAA SKY SHOPPE and logos ofthe EMAVIATION FOUNDATION and EMULTRALIGHTCONVENTION are trademarks
oftheaboveassociationsandtheirusebyanypersonotherthantheaboveassociationisstrictlyprohibited.
by Espie "Butch" Joyce
I just returned from the Sun 'n Fun
Fly-in in Lakeland, Florida. They had a
very successful event down there, with
somewhere in the neighborhood of 445
Antique, Classic and Contemporary
aircraft. The new parking area had some
wet areas in it, but in talking to Bill
Eickhoff at the Fly-In, he assured me
that by next year those areas would be
much drier than they were this year.
People were able to stay around their
aircraft most all of the day and did not
have to leave them during the air show.
This year at there were a number of
Contemporary aircraft, including the
airplane on this month's cover, Bob
Lock's Piper Comanche. Besides Bob's
airplane, there were a number of very
nice Contemporary aircraft at Lakeland,
one of which was a turquoise and white
1959 Cessna 172 that was in mint con-
dition, sporting a new paint job. It still
had the original interior and instrument
panel. I am pleased to see that people are
starting to fix up aircraft of this era (the
Contemporary class covers aircraft
from January 1, 1956 through Decem-
ber 31, 1960.) Contemporary aircraft
were judged at Lakeland this year and
will also be judged at Oshkosh.
Dr. Roy Wicker showed up at
Lakeland with the newly restored
Davis, a very beautiful aircraft. I have
known "Doc" for a number of years. He
is from the Atlanta, Georgia area. He
has, through the years, had quite a few
very nice restorations to his credit. I
also came upon an old friend, Staggerw-
ing N165. Back in the early 1970s, it
was my pleasure to have flown this
aircraft almost 350 hours. I really did
STRAIGHT & LEVEL
not know where it had gotten off to. It
left the Madison, NC area and went to
Rockford, Illinois and stayed there for
several years. It's now is located in
Arizona. The new owners said they
werejust before starting a complete new
restoration on this airplane. It still
looked very good to me.
Also on the field was an aircraft I
have not seen since the early 1970s,
back when I owned my Monocoupe; it
was the one and only Waco D, out of
New Hampshire. That aircraft is
probably one of the most beautiful
biplanes ever built. Restored over 20
years ago, it is still being kept in very
good condition.
On the back of your VINTAGE
AIRPLANE magazine this month is a
photo of a young man, Paul Szmanski,
being shown an aircraft by pilot Steve
Krog, through the auspices of the
Young Eagles Program. For those of
you who have not yet participated in this
program, you may want to consider
giving it a try. It is a very interesting
experience. It's unbelievable how ap-
preciative these young kids are to be
introduced to flight. At Sun 'n Fun they
had a Young Eagles Program going on
the entire week. The kids (and the
pilots!) really enjoyed it.
The Alexander Aeroplane
Company's DC-3 is starting to become
a familiar sight around large air shows.
They are constantly upgrading this
aircraft. It is nice to have a friendly
aviation supply company in the
southeast. Ron Alexander and his fme
company are avid supporters of Anti-
que, Classic and Contemporary aircraft.
The only time the Alexander DC-3
didn't look very good was when it was
taxiing out, and you were looking at the
tail of the aircraft from Antique/Classic
Headquarters. It was somewhat dusty
during that period of time!
It is time for us to start looking toward
the Oshkosh Convention, July 29 -
August 4. Bob Lumley, who is the
Chairman for the Antique/Classic Fly-
out, wanted me to remind everybody
that it will be on Tuesday, August 3.
Those who want to participate can look
forward to that day. The fly-out
provides a break from the Convention.
Next month I will try to list all the
Chairmen and their telephone numbers
- then you can get in touch with them for
any needed information.
Ken Morris, Co-Chairman of the An-
tique Classic Parade of Flight, has asked
for a bit ofspace to fill us in on this years
Parade during EAA OSHKOSH.
Here's what he has to say:
It's hard to believe that another year
hasjlown by, so to speak. For me per-
sonally it's been a busy year. I have a
new son and two aluminum projects
combining for very few dull moments,
not to mention a disconcerting lack of
sleep. In addition to my changes, the
evolution of the Parade of Flight con-
tinues with exciting new possibilities.
This year, for the first time, there will
be two parades. We will, as always,
have the Antiques on Monday, but this
year, to pay tribute to all ofyou Classics
and Contemporaries, you will have a
Parade ofFlight ofyour own. It will be
on Thursday, the first day of the Con-
vention!
Since we won't have time to pound
the runway looking at all ofyour pride
andjoys, we will needto pre-approve 20
to 25 pristine examples to show off.
Ifyou have an excellent example ofa
Classic or Contemporary and would
like to be a part of the first annual
"Classic/Contemporary Parade of
Flight" send us a picture and some tid-
bits ofinformation about the airplane in
general (history) and/or about you and
your airplane specifically. The Parade
group will be picked by committee
(what else?) from your pictures and
notes.
So get those cameras flashing and
pens scribbling. Don't delay! Send
your note and picture to: Steve Nesse,
Chairman AIC Parade of Flight, 2009
Highland A v., Albert Lea, MN 56007.
Olivia Phillip of the EAA Editorial
staff has been working on the redesign
of your membership card. I think you'll
fmd your new card very attractive and
something of which to be proud. As
soon as the old cards are used up, we
will start issuing the new cards.
As I have reminded everyone before,
just be careful out there. Let's all pull in
the same direction for the good of avia-
tion. Remember, we are better together.
Join us and have it all! ....
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1
compiledbyH.G.Frautschy
Cr:W.l
Onourcover...TheContemporary
Class includes many ofthe most popular
airplanes everbuilt, from theearlyCessna
172 to the first low-wing Pipers. We will
soon be seeingmore ofthese beauties on
the flight line. One ofthe first we saw at
EAA OSHKOSH ' 92 was Robert L.
Lock, Jr. ' s 1959 180 Comanche. Parked
way down in row 124 (the second to the
last row to the south in A/C Parking),
Bob's Comanche didn't get a lot of
visitors , but those who did venture that
farsouthfound avisual treat!
Bob's airplane, and the Comanche in
general, were the subjects ofan extensive
article in the November 1992 issue of
SPORTAVIATION by EditorJack Cox
(anunabashedComanchecheerIeader!).
Bob's Piper has been completely
refurbished, with a new paint job on the
exteriorthatkeeps theoriginal1959 Piper
scheme, with a few additional touches,
like the goldchevronson the rudder. The
interior has also been redone, and all
major mechanical systems have been
reworked, including a major done on the
180 hp Lycoming 0-360A1A. Bob keeps
the Comanche in his own hangar at
Guntersville, AL. We look forward to
seeing more Contemporary Class
airplanes on the flight line, all gussied up
forjudging,atEAAOSHKOSH'93. See
youthere!
NEWENVELOPESFORYOUR
FAVORITEMAGAZINE
You probably noticed somet hing
differentin yourmailboxwhen you pulled
outthis copy ofVINTAGE AIRPLANE
- it wasenclosedin aplasticbagto protect
it during mailing. With any luck at all,
your issue arrived as clean and un-
wrinkled as it was when it was mailed.
Unfortunately, with the method used by
the Postal Service to bundle second class
mail, the issue on the top and bottom of
the stack could be subjected to damage
from handling. (I know from personal
experience - my issue ofVINTAGEmust
be on the top of a sort stack, since it is
invariably wrinkled and torn when it
finally arrives!) Toinsulate the magazine
from this type ofdamage,we' ve started to
mail VINTAGEAIRPLANEenclosed in
the same type of packaging used to mail
SPORT AVIATION. For those ofyou
who have had problems receiving your
maga zine undamaged, we hope this
proves to be an acceptable solution. If,
2 MAY 1993
after this change, you are still having
problems with your delivery, please
contact Membership Services at EAA
Headquarters at 1-800/843-3612. By the
way, this change is not expected to result
in an increase in your dues for the
Antique/Classic Division, even though a
few ofyou offered to pay a little extra to
get your magazines in bettershape - with
our increase in membership, the cost per
copy of the "polybag" has been brought
down toanacceptable level.
FOREIGNAleMEMBERSHIP
A second mailing item concerns the
mailingofissuestointernationalmembers
ofthe Division. Making up almost 10%
of the Antique/Classic Division, the
international membership is very
important to us in the Antique/Classic
community, and to that end the staff at
EAA HQ has been working with the
Postal Service arranging for more timely
international delivery of VINTAGE
AIRPLANE. These arrangements were
completed this past spring, with issues of
VINTAGE AIRPLANE being shipped
airmail starting with the April issue.
There will be an additional cost for
international members o ut side of the
United States and North America - $6.00
per year, making your dues for
international membership a total of
$26.00. The additional charge will
become applicable only when you renew
your current membership - no additional
charges will be made for the balance of
your membership in 1993. We hope this
changein themailingofthemagazinewill
prove to bebeneficial toourinternational
members.
HAPPENINGSAROUNDOSH...
The 1993 Grand Opening of Pioneer
Airport will be help the weekend ofMay
15-16. The dedication of the new Ryan
and Pitcairn Hangars at Pioneer will be
held in conjunction with the spring EAA
Board of Directors meeting on Friday,
May 14. After a year's layoff, flying at
Pioneer will commence with gusto during
the weekend, with the EAA Aviations
Foundation' s Ford Tri-Motor, Meyers
OTW, Stinson SM-8 Junior, Spirit ofSt.
Louis replica, Piper Cub Coupe and the
newly restored Travel Air take to the
skies over the EAA Air Adventure
Museum. The runway at Pioneer was
regraded and seeded last year, making a
smooth and well drained runway ready
forafull seasonofflying.
In addition to flying, the Ford Tri-
Motorwill be displayed in it's new home,
the Pitcairn Hangar, alongwith a Pitcairn
PA-7 Mailwing and the Pitcairn PA-39
Autogyro. Both the hangar, with it's
extensive displays highlighting the history
of Pitcairn, and the Pitcairn aircraft on
loan are made available for display
through the generosity of Stephen
Pitcairn, the son of Pitcairn Aircraft
founderHaroldPitcairn.
The Spirit ofSt. Louis replica will also
have a new home starting this summer,
with the completion of the Ryan Hangar
at Pioneer Airport. Made possible with a
donation from the T. Claude Ryan
Foundation, the Ryan hangar will feature
displays detailing the history of Ryan
Aircraft,includingtheRyan NYP.
Parachute jumpers, antique cars, and
live entertainment are just a few of the
things you can enjoyduringthe weekend.
Seeyouthere!
OKLAHOMAAVIATOR
OFTHEYEAR
Congrat ul ations are in order for
Antique/Classic member Bill Watson
(A/C 10286) who was named the
Oklahoma Aviator of the year this past
December. The award, presented by the
Oklahoma Aviator newspaper , was
bestowed on Bill for his activities in
Oklahoma aviation. His Kreider-Reisner
KR-31, featured in the February 1992
issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE, is one
of the finest and most active antique
airplane in the air today. Congratulations
to Bill Watson for this special
achievement!
WASPSATEAAOSHKOSH'93
Nowdon'tgetoutthebugspray- these
are good WASPs - the Women Airforce
Service Pilots, who fought to use their
considerable aviation abilities during
World War II. These ladies eventually
ferried hundreds ofairplanes all over the
United States and abroad, making a
legendary contribution to the war effort.
Established in 1942, the WASPs flew
everything in the U.S. military inventory.
Their flying tasks covered a wide
spectrum, from the ferrying of military
aircraft to the towing ofgunnery targets.
EAA'S AERONCA C-2N
The Aeronca C-2N on display at EAA's Pioneer Airport has had a long and illustrious career - delivered on Edo floats, it set five
international light seaplane record while being guided by the capable hands of Benjamin King of Miami, FL (above, right). Later, the C-
2N was converted to a land plane, and on Labor Day, 1936, pilot Howard G. Mayes flew the 36 hp Aeronca to an altitude of 19,997 feet, a
new world's record for an aircraft weighing less than 200 kilograms (440 Ibs.). Howard's altimeter read 20,300 ft.!
Howard visited Pioneer Airport during EAA OSHKOSH '92, and is shown (above, left) in front of NC 13089 with Pioneer Airport manager
George Blechel and EAA Volunteer Harley Dahler (AiC 4775) of Nokomis, IL. Harley spent a large portion of the summer helping the EAA
Museum staff inventory the artifacts of the museum collection.
To honor the WASPs , a special tent
pavilion, located on the "West Ramp,"
will bethefocal point for activitiesduring
the week. Airplanesofthe type flown by
the WASPs will be ondisplay next to the
pavilion. In addition, seminars detailing
the history of the WASPs will be
presented, and a special evening program
will be presented at the Theater in the
WoodsonMonday,August2.
EAASWEEPSTAKESTICKETS
One of the most important EAA
Aviation Foundation fund raising
activities is the annual Sweepstakes
Program. Sweepstakes proceeds are
placed into the Foundations endowment.
Interest accumulated from the endow-
ment fund helps to take care ofthe ever
growing facilities and programs of the
Foundation.
This year's Grand Prize is a Cessna
150. Other outstanding prizes include a
1993 Harley- Davidson Softail Classic
motorcycle, a BOSE Aviation Headset
and a Slick Aircraft Engine ignition
system. Sweepstakes tickets were
included with the February issue of
SPORT AVIATION, or you can obtain
tickets by sending a self-addressed,
stamped envelope to P.O. Box 738,
Rockford,IL61105.
L-BIRDSGATHERING
If you're headed towards Oshkosh '93
in a Liaison airplane, you may want to
leave a few days early and stop by the
"Third Annual Gathering ofL-Birds" at
Keokuk,lA,July26-28. A fun filled three
days will beenjoyedby L-Birdenthusiasts
as they feast atthepigroast,dinnerdance
and Fish Fry/ Barbecue. For more
information, contact the "Gathering
Boss" lrv Linder, Route 1, Keokuk, IA
52632orcall319/524-6203.
BONANZACLINIC
For owners of Beechcraft Bonanzas,
the American Bonanza Society will be
holding one of their famous Bonanza
Service Clinics at Signature Flight
Support in Cedar Rapids, IA. This is an
excellent opportunity to have your
Bonanza looked at by an expert
mechanic. Youwill befurnished awritten
report on the condition ofyour airplane.
An added service is available - you can
have a complete AD search run for your
airplane. For fee information and a
registration form, contact the American
Bonanza Society, P.O. Box 12888,
Wichita, KS 67277, phone 316/945-6913,
orFax316/9450-6990.
ALEXANDERAEROPLANE
CATALOG
The new 1993 Alexander Aeroplane
catalog is available now, simply for the
asking. Over 8,700 items are listed in
their 104 page catalog. If you'd like to
have a copy, call 1-800/831-2949 and ask
themtosendyou afreecopy.
VINTAGECARSANDPLANES
The Blackhawk Classic Vintage Auto
and Airplane Tour will take place June
18-20. This will be a jointevent, with the
highlight being a 400 mile round trip tour
of west central Wisconsin and Northern
Illinois. Proceeds are expected to benefit
severalchildren'scharities.
Veteran race car driver Sterling Moss
will be the Grand Marshall ofthe event,
which will bring vintage automobiles and
airplanes together for a flightlroad tour.
Approximately200 carswill beondisplay
at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in
Rockton, IL. Seventyfive ofthecarswill
join with about 20 vintage airplanes on a
tour that will pass through (and over!)
Beloitand Lone Rock, and will overnight
in LaCrosse,WI with a banquet on
Saturday night. A number ofairplanes
have volunteered for the event, and if
you'd like to volunteer your airplane or
just know more about displaying your
airplane, contact Gene Popma, 9 S. 215
Aero Dr. , Naperville, IL 60564 or phone
him at 708/420-0997. Be sure to contact
Genebeforeheadingofftothisevent.
OLDRHINEBECK
AERODROME
One ofmy favorite places on the East
coast is the Old Rhinebeck Aerodromein
Rhinebeck,NY. A bitoffun andsilliness
mixed with castor oi l and the sounds of
early aviation make up a great day in the
Hudson Valley north ofNew York City.
Antique airshows begin at Rhinebeck the
weekend ofJune 19-20, and continue
through October 9-10. A variety of
airplanes from 1909 through 1937 will be
flying, including a 1909 Bleriot, a 1913
Caudron,an Albatros OVa and, with any
luck, their "new" Fokker 0-VII will be
flying. Eighteen airplanes are on the
scheduletofly duringthisyear's airshows.
Needless to say, the weather will have a
lot to say as to which type ofairplane is
flying on any given day, but Cole Palen
and hi s merry band of aviators and
volunteers endeavor to put on an
entertaining and informative show every
weekend. Go visit them! For more
information, call 914/758-8610 or write to
them at Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome,
Stone Church Road, Rhinebeck, NY
12572. 1Ir
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
MAIL
Dear Mr. Frautschy,
I must reply to the owner of the
Aeronca Champ in the March issue of
Vintage Airplane, page 17 of "What
Our Members Are Restoring" who es-
timates that it costs him $350 per hour
to fly his Aeronca Champ. I wish to
reply because it may scare some
prospective light plane owner away
from purchasing one.
I have owned a 1940 Aeronca 65-
TL (Tandem Trainer) for 12 years and
here is one of my more expensive
years. I fly it about 50 hours per year
and the annual expenses are these -
hangar rent - $300, liability insurance -
$300, fuel ("mogas") - $275, oil - $25,
annual inspection - $75, and with an
annual treadmill stress test and nu-
clear scan for a special issuance 1 year
medical, the medical alone adds an-
other $250 - $300 to the cost of flying.
All that adds up to $1,225. Divide that
by the 50 hours flying time and the
hourly cost comes out to $24.50. I also
owned a 160 hp Ryan PT-22 for about
three years and even that airplane
never came close to $350 per hour. Its
fuel consumption was three times that
of the Aeronca, its insurance was
higher and the annual inspections
were higher.
Mr. Carmen must have divided the
purchase price of his airplane by his
annual flying hours to get $350 an
hour for flying expenses.
Sincerely,
Walter Konantz
EAA 186402
AIC 7714
I'm sure that Chris Carmen's
tongue-in-cheek quip about his cost per
hour was due to only having a few
hours on the airplane, coupled with a
few expensive annuals. Mr. Konantz's
cost per hour on his Aeronca are very
typical for many of us, even with his
low priced hangar ($25 per month!)
and a remarkably low cost for his an-
nual ($75). I'll wager that most of us
who fly light two-place airplanes have
costs per hour in the neighborhood of
$23 - 35 per hour, based on flying 50
hours per year. - H.G. Frautschy
The drawing you see at the very top
of the Aero Mail page is from a 1937
book titled "Couriers Of The Clouds,"
written and illustrated by Edward
Shenton. The book is filled with these
neat line drawings, and recently, while
reviewing the photos in the EAA col-
lection of the early days of National
Air Transport (NAT), I was struck by
one of the photos (left) - hadn't I seen
that picture before? Then I realized
the 55 year old photo was the exact
same picture (above) used by Ed
Shenton while illustrating his book. A
number of the photos in the collection
exactly matched the drawings in the
book. Here is one of the photos and
its corresponding drawing. It shows
an NAT Douglas M-4 (SIN 609)(the
differences were minor from the ear-
lier model M-2 and M-3 - a five foot
increase in wingspan for the M-4, plus
other equipment changes) loading up
with mail at Hadley Airport, New
Bruswick, NJ. The photos in this col-
lection were all donated by Robert
Grospitch, a United Airlines dis-
patcher in Chicago. ...
4 MAY 1993
Have you ever been flying when you
check the ammeter and it shows dis-
charge? I have; fortunately both times
were during day VFR. Now, a battery
will last a long time if you don't run
lights, electric flaps and don't transmit a
lot. You can even start the engine
(when it's warm) several times. Also,
with modern radios, receiving and navi-
gation draw very little current. At
Oshkosh, I know that we change many
batteries just so the return flight can be
made home when the charging system
of the plane is kaput. On my Bellanca,
however, you need to know that your
battery will work, as there is an AD that
prohibits flying with even the master
off. It has something to do with the gear
warning system, as the "doorbell" warn-
ing device is electrical.
The other day I was just doing touch
and bounces. I looked over and the am-
meter showed discharge. I cycled the
master hoping that the surge might pull
HOW A "GLASS FUSE" CAN FAIL . ..
MOISTUREWILL
COLLECTIN
THE BOTTOM
END CAP
by Cy Galley
EAA71015,AlC11805
in the reverse current relay. It didn't. I
probably was fortunate that it didn't as I
had my radio on. The resultant surge
might have done in my one and only.
As I toured the circuit a couple more
times, I had my mind more on why the
generator failed than setting up great
landings. So I quit and taxied back to
the hangar.
As with many old planes , my Bel-
lanca has the old generator-regulator
setup rather than an alternator. It
doesn't have circuit breakers either, but
glass tube fuses. So I was remembering
the days when I had a 1948 Buick. It
had the same setup by Delco. Same
identical brushes, same regulator, even
the same wimpy 25 amp generator. The
only real change for the plane is the ball
bearing at the brush end instead of the
sleeve bearing of the car. Was the regu-
lator bad? Bad brushes? Maybe the
rubber puck drive, which I hadn't re-
placed at overhaul, had sheared. I had
COLLECTEDMOISTUREWILL
CORRODETHEENDOFFUSE
ELEMENT,CAUSING ITTO FAIL
all kinds of expensive thoughts. I know
I didn't want to pull the generator. It is
harder to remove than the old Bui ck
generator, as the four attaching studs
are almost inaccessible. If I even loosen
the generator, it breaks the gasket seal
into the engine accessory case, creating
an oil leak.
Fortunately, just before I started
work, Dave Johnson came by and said,
"Check the fuses. " They looked good
at first glance. All the fuse links were
unbroken. I mean they even glistened
in the light of my flashlight. I the n
checked the "BAT" terminal on the
regulator-no voltage, even when the
master was on. Strange! Back to the
fuse block. All fuses would light my test
bulb from either e nd of the fuses to
ground, except one fuse. I pulled that
fuse , and looked at it closely. A quick
continuity check confirmed my suspi-
cion. Its link had corroded off the end
cap so that it looked good, but it wasn't.
Then I remembered- the end caps on
glass tube fuses are not sealed. Mois-
ture can and does condense in these
fuses. Since my fuses are mounted ver-
tically, moisture obviously ran to the
bottom cap where it did the dirty work.
As soon as I snapped a new fuse in the
fuse holder, the ammeter showed a good
charge on run up.
So if something electrical stops work-
ing on your plane, check the glass fuses
for continuity. They can look good, but
they can and do corrode inside the end
cap. Oh, you have a modern plane-a
plane with circuit breakers-and you
don't have to worry about tubular glass
fuses. Wrong! When Tom Henry was
helping install my transponder , he
showed me the internal glass tube fuse
on the board of my NEW 1991 King
76A transponder. So even if you do
have circuit breakers , which I hope to
have someday, there still might be a
glass fuse in your plane. It won't be the
master generator fuse like my Bellanca.
But it will be just as baffling if it lets go
from corrosion and not from melting.
And before I forget, thanks, Dave.
You saved me a lot of time, grief and
probably money by telling me-"Check
the fuses. " ...
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
Editor's note: Elsewhere in this issue you'll find reviews on a variety of aviation books
that have recently become available. As an added treat, we are pleased to present an ex-
cerpt from Dick Starks' book "You Want To Build And Fly A What?" through the courtesy
of Keith Connes' Butterfield Press, the publisher of this uproariously funny book. The rest
of the book will tickle your funnybone as well, (and maybe even give you a new perspective
on aviation) but I warn you - don't try and read this one as a lunchtime project! Thefirst
time you pick up the book to read it, your schedule is certain to be destroyed for the rest of
the afternoon! So, without further ado, I give you . . .
I turned my new gift over and over
in my shaking hands, staring at it with
a mixture of incredulity and cunning.
It was the answer to a practical joker's
wildest dreams. Immediately, all
kinds of nefarious plans started to gal-
lop through my mind!
One of the things we did in the air
traffic control class was award the stu-
dents trophies and certificates of train-
ing. This year, there was a special sur-
prise award. Steve Baker, one
of the controllers who trained
the students, reached in a large
box and gave each student a
By Dick Starks
what I was planning. I wanted the an-
t icipation to build. I whistled cheer-
fully as I schemed.
Finall y she snapped. "What the
devil are you doing?" she demanded.
I told her about my plan and showed
her the hat with pride. "You idiot,"
she gloomily predicted, " you'll never
come back alive from this one." I ig-
nored her. There's a spoilsport in
every crowd.
or four more generally doing what pi-
lots like to do best-pleasure flying.
Instead of parking down near my
hangar, I drove to the remote Visitors
parking area. As usual , when a strange
car pulls into the airport, everyone on
the ground craned their necks to see
who it was.
In many of our hangar flying bull
sessions at the airport we had won-
dered what we would do if the FAA
suddenly drove up and
started snap inspections and
weigh-ins of planes. We all
knew that if a hard-nosed
inspector showed up, he hat. It wasn't just any hat. It
"Itwaslikeexploding
was a dark military blue hat
with three large golden letters
printed on the front. The let-
ters were " FAA. " Did it ever
look impressive! I would have
killed for one of those hats.
Then they called me up front
and gave me one, too. Oh Boy!
I felt drunk with power. This was
just great! I started to plan my assault
on the poor unsuspecting individuals
at the little airports I frequent.
That night, I carefully laid out my
wearing apparel. I wanted to look real
intimidating; I mean, we' re talking se-
rious bureaucracy here. My wardrobe
was ready: dark pants, white shirt, thin
black tie, dark glasses, black shoes,
white socks, and of course, the piece
de resistance: The Hat. It lay on the
bed like a sleeping cobra, exuding an
aura of latent malevolence that was al-
most visible. Sharon watched me go
through my preparations silently for as
long as she could. I didn't te ll her
6 MAY 1993
a firecrackerin
an anthill."
I borrowed my daughter's car ,
which no one at the airport had ever
seen, and loaded it with my supplies. I
was ready. Sharon kissed me goodbye
and watched me drive off. She thought
she would never see me again.
I knew that if I was going to pull off
a stunt like this , 1 had to choose the
right time of day to make my move.
I'd selected a balmy Saturday after-
noon; the air was calm and I could be
sure the action at the airport was going
to be intense. On nice days at our lit-
tle fie ld, you can usually find at least
seven ultralight pilots in the pattern
honing t he ir ski ll s doing touch-and-
goes. There would probably be three
could-and would- find
something in our logs or pa-
pers that was wrong.
I got out of the car wear-
ing my dark glasses and
FAA hat. The lowering sun
reflected off the glistening
golden letters like they were
on fire. I reached in the car and pulled
out the FAA equivalent of a pair of
pearl-handled Colt 45s: a ball-point
pen and a clipboard. Yessirree Bob,
the transformation had been made.
was no longer a simple mortal man ,
burdened with his worries and faults.
I was reincarnated as RAMP CHECK
MAN, He Who Fears No One.
I walked around the rear of the car
and started slowly walking toward the
hangars. The watching throng finally
saw the letters on my hat. It was like
exploding a firecracker in an anthill.
The next two minutes were a classic
study in how fast the human animal
can react to imminent disaster. All I
I
could hear were shouts of warning and
slamming hangar doors. It took me
about two minutes to saunter up to the
row of hangars. In that time, two cars
drove across a recently harvested, rut-
ted bean field in a cloud of dust, mak-
ing their own roads to the airport exit.
Another gaggle of panicked individu-
als was observed stampeding into the
six-foot-tall cornfield and disappearing
from view just like the baseball team
in Field of Dreams. This was working
great. I started to swagger a little.
By the time I got to the hangars,
not a creature was stirring, not even a
hangar mouse. It was a ghost airport.
Strutting along the silent row of sheet
metal buildings, my only accompani-
ment the crunching gravel beneath my
feet and the hum of insects in the
fields, I could feel hidden eyes from
the cornfield watching me with burn-
ing intensity. I strode up to a hangar
where I knew some pilots were hiding
and beat on the door.
" Open up, " I growled in a deep,
menacing voice. FAA!" Silence reined
supreme. I smothered a snicker.
"COME ON, OPEN UP!" I yelled,
"I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!" I
waited, giggling crazily inside . Oh
boy, this was going even better than I
had imagined in my wildest dreams.
A timid, tremulous voice finally
came from the other side of the door.
"Who's there?"
I couldn't maintain the facade any
more. "GET OUT YOUR PAPER-
WORK, BECAUSE IT IS I, RAMP
CHECK MAN, DEFENDER OF
STUPID RULES AND MESSEN-
GER OF DOOM." I laughed evilly.
An enraged scream came from the
other side of the door. "IT'S
STARKS! GET HIM, GUYS!" They
started to feverishly unlock and un-
chain the door, accompanied by some
of the most astounding cursing I have
ever heard.
It seemed like a good time to leave.
I started my retreat. By the time they
had finally torn the door open, I had a
good 50-yard lead and thought I was
safe. I ran down the road, laughing
like a loon, with the baying, slavering
herd thundering along behind me in
hot pursuit.
I almost made it to the car. I would
have, too, except two guys jumped out
of the corn and tackled me twenty feet
from safety. They delayed me enough
for the lynch mob to catch up and lay
rude hands on my person. In the ensu-
ing dusty, swearing, sweaty skirmish I
darn near lost my pants and the rain
barrel was dumped over me. Verbal
abuse like I had never heard was
heaped on my head. I laughed through
it all. They finally started to grin and
laugh, too. (Thank God!)
i
I
I
I
I
n
. ,
I
I I
III
C
~
(/)
L-__________________________________________________________~
.0
o
"Open Up," I growled in a deep, menacing voice. " FAA! "
Then, as is usual after a successful
practical joke has been pulled, the vic-
tims began their own devious planning.
Someone asked me what other airports
I had visited while wearing the hat.
When I told t hem they were my first
victims, the scheming started. I had
several offers of rather substantial
amounts of money for the hat. I turned
them all down but did allow certain se-
lected individuals to check out the hat
for visits to other places of interest.
The reign of terror that summer
was short but intense. One good thing
did result from this episode. Everyone
at our airport was scared enough that
the paperwork in their planes is now
up to date and complete.
"Ramp Check Man " is one of28
chapters from the book "You Want
to Build a nd Fly a WHAT?" by
Dick Starks, with illustrations by
Bob Stevens. The book is available
at aviation book and pilot supply
outlets, or you can order from the
publisher by sending $12.95 plus
$2.00 shipping to Butterfield Press,
990 Winery Canyon Road, Temple-
ton, CA 93465. California residents
add 94 cents tax. For VISA or Mas-
terCard phone orders, call 800-648-
6601.
"You Want to Build and Fly a
What?" is also available from EAA.
Call 1-800-843 -3612 for ordering in-
formation. '*
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

If I can be excused for a statement of
obvious fact to an entire generation, the
Great Depression had a profound effect
on the aviation industry. To those of us
who are younger, the depth of that effect
has been insulated from us by the passing
of time.
It seemed that just as the aviation com-
munity was getting support from the gen-
eral public, and new airplanes and their
designers were being given recognition
beyond just being foolhardy daredevils,
the industry was caught in the grips of a fi-
nancial stranglehold. With little money
coming in for new orders, it was hard to
keep a company afloat. It didn' t seem to
matter if you were small or large, if you
were well known or a newcomer - the dol-
lars had to keep coming, or you would
find yourself out of business fast. The
businesses just had not had enough time
to build up any kind of reserves, and were
quite often surviving " hand to mouth. "
These words are not meant to portray the
time as being devoid of any activity - on
the contrary, av iation continued to
progress in both technology and as a busi-
8 MAY 1993
The Last "Bird"
by H.G. Frautschy
ness venture, but it was a time that tested
even the best businessman. You had to be
good (and perhaps a bit lucky) to survive!
Bird Aircraft was one of those compa-
nies trying hard to survive. By 1932, new
models were introduced, but orders just
did not come in. As 1932 drew to a close,
Bird Aircraft had to close their doors. On
the drawing board at Bird was a small
two-place open cockpit biplane powered
by an 85 hp LeBlond. Featuring side-by-
side seating, the airplane was oriented to-
wards the sportsman pilot. Whil e devel-
opment work had been done, the airplane,
dubbed the "Speedbird," had not yet been
issued its type cert ificate when bankruptcy
forced Bird into receivership.
The mid 1930's saw the organization of
the Speed Bird Corporation from the re-
mains of the Bird Aircraft Co. Incorpo-
rated as a company to dispose of the re-
maining Bird airplane parts, as well as
supply parts to Bird owners, the company
also had another purpose. Development
and testing of X-15641, the small two-
place biplane continued at Keyport , New
Jersey. The little biplane was built in the
Aeromarine Airplane and Motor factory
building.
For Anderson and his company, the fi-
nancial sledding was still tough, and a
search was constantly o n for financial
backing to push the Speedbird over the
edge and get it into production. Finally,
backing was found in California, and the
small airplane company was reformed in
San Jose on April 20, 1937. According to
research done by Dick Hill, who along
with his wife Jeannie run the Bird Air-
plane Club, the "Speedbird" was flown
out to Los Angeles by its chief mechanic,
Ray Norby, and its designer, Lee Wallace.
The Speed bird was put on display during
the National Air Races held in Los Ange-
les, CA. After the NAR, the airplane was
trucked to San Jose, the new home of the
Speed Bird Corp. (Members may recall
that the Speedbird was the Mystery Plane
for the May 1990 issue of VINTAGE
AIRPLANE. Dick's answer identifying
the airplane was published in the August
1990 edi tion.)
Misfortune overtook the project once
again. Not long after moving to California
(Top photos) The Speedbird as it appeared shortly before being damaged by a Travel
Air. You can plainly see the large addition of sheet metal to the rudder, added during
flight testing.
(Right) January 1960 - Jim Nissen rescued the Speedbird from a defunct college aero-
nautical program. The remains of the airplane can be seen in the foreground. Jim is
working on his T -M Scout.
and setting up the new company, Fred
Anderson passed away. With his passing,
the project came to a grinding halt. The
Speedbird was left to sit outside, where
what could have been its death blow was
struck. During August 1937, as the air-
plane sat on the flight line, a Travel Air
biplane taxied into it, chewing up the left
side. The Speed bird was hauled off to the
back of a hangar, where it lay gathering
dust.
There it sat until the 1950's, when Fred
Anderson's widow donated the remains of
the airplane to the San Jose City College
for their aviation program. The students
used it for practical repair experience: in-
cluding baseball stitching tears in the fab-
ric, and learning the ins and outs of air-
craft structures , as well as skillfully
misplacing essential rigging items, includ-
ing the "N" struts and factory plans.
When the college decided to close
down the aviation program, antique air-
plane restorer and manager of the San
Jose Municipal Airport Jim Nissen was
hired to take an inventory and dismantle
the Aeronautics department of the school.
His "payment" for the work was the re-
mains of the Speedbird, which still had the
85 hp LeBlond. There were many pieces
of the puzzle missing, and information was
tough to come by.
Jim Nissen had a number of projects he
was working on, and after he had moved
to a private airstrip in Livermore, CA he
was introduced to John Denny. In 1967,
John had come to visit Jim's hangarmate,
Walt Adams, who had built up a full size
Nieuport 11. While visiting with Jim and
Walt , Jim Nissen showed John Denny his
Fokker D-7 project. John noticed that the
Fokker had only one machine gun
mounted, and asked where the other was.
Jim responded that he had not yet been
able to find one. A coincidence would
soon set John Denny' s course for many
years.
Later in 1967, John and his family went
to Phoenix, AZ to visit relatives for the
holidays. His young nephew, Dennis
"Buck" Dodson, excitedly dragged his un-
cle John out to the back yard, where he
showed off his latest project. There,
mounted "Rat Patrol " style on a off-road
Jeep that the Dodson's used to explore
the Arizona wilderness, was a genuine
German 1917 Spa ndau machine gun .
Buck had found it in the desert during one
of his off-road trips, and dragged it home
as a souvenir. John told Buck about the
Fokker D-7 Jim Ni ssen was building, ex-
plaining that it only had one gun so far.
14-year old Buck told his uncle he could
have the gun to give to Jim Nissen to use
on the Fokker.
John Denny took the Spandau back to
California, and gave the gun to a grateful
Jim Nissen. John explained how Buck
had found the gun, and offered to give it
to Jim for his project. John also told Jim
he would like to restore a biplane, and af-
ter a bit of cajoling, Jim Nissen sold John
Denny the remains of the Speedbird, with-
out the LeBlond engine. (Jim planned to
use it on a Bleriot project he was working
on.)
In February 1968 John loaded up the
pieces and brought them home. It was the
beginning of a 25-year-long restoration ef-
fort!
After putting all the pieces in the
garage, the enormity of the project began
to sink in. With no plans available, and
scanty photo documentation, the going
would be tough. One of John's first steps
was to join the EAA, and buy every "How
To" book they had. One of the first pro-
jects was to find a replacement engine.
Chuck Fleming had a rough 125 Warner
that was missing a few items , but John
bought it. He didn' t know that those few
items (a few push rod tubes, as well as ex-
haust valves), were practically non-exis-
tent. John had no experience with aircraft
engines, so he signed up for an A&P class
taught by Maynard Brown at Palo Alto
night school. He began to major the
Warner. The exhaust valves were the
hardest part to find , and it wasn't solved
until Hollis Burton was able to modify
some other valves to fit. The engine pro-
ject was helped along by many people, in-
cluding Ken Ruth, Ken Williams and Ted
Hendrickson. Ted also would build up the
propeller for the Warner.
After the engine work had progressed,
the airframe work began, with the wood-
work getting its share of attention. New
wing ribs were made, and each part of the
airplane was rebuilt, or, as was the case of
the new engine mount, built anew. The
well rounded contours of the Speedbird
>-
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fuselage only happen with a number of
stringers and formers. 26 stringers would
be needed for the fuselage sides and tur-
tledeck, with more needed on the bottom
between the two lower wings.
The new engine installation need a bit
of engineering work - the old LeBlond
was lighter than the 125 hp Warner, and
so the engine had to be moved aft 4.5
inches. John was helped on the engineer-
ing work by Jack Bauman and Leo
Howard. Often during the project, John
would turn to his friends in EAA Chapter
338 for encouragement and assistance.
A lot had been accomplished during
the early days of the restoration , and as
the project neared its 20th anniversary, it
was moved to Tim Talen's " Ragwood
Refactory" in Springfield, Oregon. The
Dennys also moved north from San Jose,
and the next four years saw John heading
over in his recreational vehicle to Tim' s
shop to work on the project day after day,
and often into the night. He'd come home
to refill the refrigerator and stock up on
clean clothes, and then head right on back
to work on the Speedbird.
At Tim Talen's, as John was remodel-
ing the Denny's new home in Springfield,
Tim welded up the new rudder, using the
old rudder as a guide. At first , John had
planned to use an aerodynamically bal-
anced rudder on the Speedbird, but this
idea was dropped, since it would not be
authentic. A new drawing was prepared
taking the dimensions from the old rud-
der. A while later, an interesting develop-
ment would come to light concerning the
rudder configuration.
The Denny's Springfield home was not
immune to invasion by the Speedbird pro-
ject, even as it was taking shape at the
" Ragwing Refactory. " Bits and pieces
went home for work, including a session
where John stitched the tail surfaces in the
living room.
Since the original firewall was dam-
aged in the Travel Air taxiing accident , a
new one was built that would fair in the
Warner installation better. Doing so also
required a slight redesign of the stringer
installation as well.
The entire Denny family was involved
in the project. Son Neil had literally
grown up with the Speedbird proj ect, and
took time out during a leave from Guan-
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
tanimo Naval Base in Cuba, where he was
stationed. Later, he was stationed as an
A.T. 2C at NAS China Lake, CA. When-
ever possible, John's wife Jean, daughter
Nancy, and son Neil and his wife Susan
would help out on the project ribstiching,
cutting fabric and doing whatever it took
to move the Speed bird closer to comple-
tion.
John's nephew, Buck, who had found
the Spandau machine gun that led to John
buying the Speedbird, had stayed an air-
plane enthusiast since he was a youngster.
Now all grown up, Buck also was involved
in the restoration. Buck was living in
Chico, CA at the time, and offered to be a
partner in the restoration. John agreed.
Late r, after the Denny's had moved to
New Mexico, another ownership change
was made. With the airplane at the "90%
done, 50% to go" stage, it became appar-
ent to John that one of the two partners
should own the Speedbird outright. Since
John did not hold a va lid medical any-
more he decided to sell the Speedbird to
hi s nephew. Needless to say, it was a
tough decision - even though it was going
to a family member , it was still hard to
part with something that had been a part
of the family for nearly 25 years. The air-
plane was to remain at Tim Talen's shop
until it was completed, so Buck and John
trave led back a nd forth to finish the
Speedbird.
It turns out th at adding an "elephant
ear" balance to the rudder would have
been "sorta authentic." During Decem-
ber 1991, as the Denny's moved from
Springfield, OR to Albuquerque, NM,
John had visited with his old friend Jim
Nissen, and Jim told him that the original
test pilot of the Speedbird, Norm Bree-
den, lived in Los Altos Hills, CA. After
returning home, John call ed Mr. Breeden
and asked him about the flying character-
istics of the Speedbird. He said that as the
flight tests progressed, it became apparent
that more rudder was needed to pick up a
wing during low speed flight , so he kept
adding area to the rudder using s heet
metal until he was satisfied with the han-
dling. Norm Breede n also sai d that he
had tried to get Mr. Anderson to add a
balance like the "elephant ears" on his
Trave l Air , but that Mr. Anderson had
nixed the idea, wanting to keep the profile
of the rudder the same as the trademark
rudder/fin combination on the other Bird
designs. So you can see, the balance would
have been right to Mr. Breeden' s line of
thinking, but the decision to keep the out-
line the same was made over 50 years ago!
Buck brought the pieces of the Warner
home to Chico, CA, where he was living
at the time. He went to Aero Union, the
repair and modification faci lity known for
their work doing fire bomber conversions.
He me t J ohn Harri son, the manager of
Aero Union' s engine shop. John would
come over to Buck's house, where they
completed the major overhaul. Buck
brought it back up to Springfield, where it
was hung in July 1992, Tim, John Denny
and Buck took turns wearing out their
arms trying to get it started. The engine
would run briefly, and then die. It would
not be the last time they would encounter
that problem.
With the airframe work nearing com-
pletion, and the engine work down to trou-
bleshooting, Buck made plans to truck the
Speed bird to Oshkosh for the EAA Con-
vention. A " dress rehearsal" was done,
with the entire ai rplane assembled and
rigged just the way it would appear on the
flight line. To trailer the Speedbird, more
of the Denny extended fami ly and friends
came to the rescue. John's son-in-law, Bill
"Tripp" Callery put his contractors exper-
tise to work des igning the trail er. Bill 's
son Jeremy and Buck's son Robert, as well
as Bill ' s wife Nancy, all helped to load up
the Speedbird for the big trip. Buck's
frie nd Karl Klemm worked like a beaver
to make sure the trip would go smoothly -
he donated the use of his Chevrolet Subur-
ban to tow the trai ler, and he designed a
set of precut plywood frames to hold the
Speedbird gent ly but securely on the for
the long haul to and from Oshkosh.
Even John's son Neil was able to make
the trip to OSH - he asked his C.O. at
China Lake if he could have a special leave
to accompany his father to Oshkosh to dis-
play an airplane he had been working on
No, nothing is broken here in the emergency aircraft repair
area - The Speedbird is being put together at EAA OSHKOSH
'92 after the long ride from California. In the foreground, Karl
Klemm and Buck's son Robert get one of the wings ready to
mount, while Buck (background, right) talks with an inter-
ested EAA'er.
10 MAY 1993
The side-by-side cockpit of the Speedbird features stick con-
trols. The cockpit coaming was neatly done by John and his
John Denny shows the origi nal rudder modified to make the wife Jean. Tom Talen put his knowledge to work compl eting
Speedbird' s low speed handling acceptable. The new rudder the instrument panel , including the handy gloveboxes on each
on the airplane has the area needed to do the job. side of t he panel.
for 25 years, his C.O., a Naval Aviator,
replied "I'll drive you to the airport!"
Off to Oshkosh they went - Karl
Klemm, Buck Dodson, and John and
Neil Denny. They arrived and started to
assemble the Speedbird. It looked like a
large model airplane spread about the
Aircraft Repair area on the south end of
the flight line. After the Speedbird had
been completely assembled, it was rolled
over to the Antique/Classic flight line.
The Speedbird crew waited patiently for
the judges to show up. The A/C judges
reminded John and the crew that to be
eligible for an award, the rules state that
the airplane must fly at the Convention -
it can fly in, or it can be assembled at the
Convention and flown, but it must fly be-
fore the judging deadline. It was time
for fast but accurate action. The flying
wires needed to be rigged and tightened,
bolts torqued and safetied, and all the
control cables rigged and safetied. The
engine still had to be sorted out, since it
had only run 20 seconds since being over-
hauled.
The end of the next day had the air-
plane rigged and safetied, and ready for
the engine runs. The frustrations experi-
enced in Springfield during early July
were again repeated, along with a few
new twist s. The antique primer leaked
badly and the gascolator also has a
leak. The Fly Market at Oshkosh
yie lded a replacement for the
primer, and the gascolator was
fixed, but the crew could get no im-
provement in the e ngi ne as they
worked until midnight.
The next day showed the Speed-
bird crew the EAA spirit. They had
been helped along the way at
Oshkosh by the emergency repair
barn crew, and now they would also
get some help from other complete
strangers. Bill Watson, of Collins-
crew during their stay at Oshkosh, found a
replacement carb for the 125 hp Warner.
It was a Marvel carburetor, but even after
it was installed, the engine just did not
seem to want to continue running. Valve
clearances were reset, mag timing checked
- but nothing seemed to work.
The dawning of the third day found
Neil Denny field stripping the Stromberg
carburetor, and finding that the float pin
was so worn that the float and needle
could not seat properly. A little machine
work at a local shop remedied that prob-
lem, but the sand was quickly running out
of the hourglass. Working as fast as they
could, and still making sure they were do-
ing everything safely, they finally finished
the installation. With Dick Hill in the
cockpit and Buck at the prop, it was time
to call contact and give the prop a flip .
Hooray! It started, and kept on running.
After little carb linkage adjustment, it was
time to head out to the grass runway and
do a short test flight.
With fingers mentally crossed and a
look of determination on their face, they
crossed runway 18/36 and got ready for
Dick Hill to fly the Speedbird on a hop
down the length of the runway.
With the clock ticking away much too
quickly, the Warner decided to be balky
again. After wearing out Buck's arm, Neil
gave it one more pull. Success! It ran and
kept on running, and with Dick at the con-
trols, the Speedbird was run up and down
the grass runway at OSHKOSH on a se-
ries of high speed tests. Breathless with
anticipation (or was it exhaustion?) the
Speedbird crew watched as Dick headed
her into the wind and gave her the gun.
Finally, after 25 years of work, and a tiring
3 day marathon maintenance session,
John Denny and the rest of the Speedbird
crew got to see their handiwork fly at
11:58 a.m., two short minutes prior to the
judging deadline. Dick hopped the Speed-
bird into the air and leveled off at 8-12
feet , carefully flying down the length of
the Oshkosh grass runway. I'll bet you
could hear the whooping and hollering all
the way over to the airshow line!
Phew!
Was the effort worth it? You bet, as
an exhausted but smiling Speedbird crew
Buck Dodson and his son Robert, Neil
Denny, Karl Klemm and finally, John
Denny were thrill ed to hear they had
won the "Outstanding Open Cockpit Bi-
plane " antique award at EAA
OSHKOSH '92.
John Denny is philosophical about the
past 25 years, and the effort he put into
the restoration of Speedbird X-15641. He
says at the end of his picture album docu-
menting the project, "Whatever I've
done, I couldn' t have done, without
my wife, my family, the EAA and
the Ragwood Refactory."
Epilogue: Buck Dodson advised
me just prior to going to press with
this issue that the Speedbird actually
needed a different model Stromberg
carb to run correctly, and it has taken
a number of months to find the right
carb with the correct size venturi.
Buck says the engine now purrs like
a kitten, and starting is no longer an
endurance test. Test flights were ex
ville, OK lent his expertise to the
troubleshooting, and Dick Hill , who
EAA OSHKOSH '92 - The moment of truth - Captain
Dick Hill, propritor of the Bird Club, starts his takeoff
pected to commence in late April,
and Buck hopes to have the Speed
had been helping the Speedbird run with the Speedbird. bird at the Watsonville Flyln. ....
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
CUB
THROTTLE
FAILURE
byBob Hunt
(EAA165963,Ale6123)
It was a day that seemed to be made
for a Cub. I know, we say that about a
lot of days , but this was one beautiful
day; no wind, unlimited visibility and
those big puffy clouds floating around at
about 5,000 feet. My freshly restored
Cub was showing just a bit more than six
hours on the tach since an 11 month
restoration, and I was anxious to get it
airborne. My friend Steve and I decided
to fly our planes to a nearby airport so
we could give another friend his first
Cub ride. The plan was to fly low over
his farm so he would then drive over to
the airport.
Although I took off first , it wasn't
long before the beautiful red and cream
colors of my Super Cruiser with Steve at
the controls overtook me. It was a
unique view - since I am normally the
only one who flies my Super Cruiser, I
never get to see it fly and I enjoyed get-
ting this "birds eye view."
In all too short a time we reached the
farm and Steve started to descend. I
thought I would follow him as closely as
I could and I too started to throttle back,
except nothing happened. No engine
rpm change! I pulled the throttle back a
little more, but still, nothing happened.
Then I pushed the throttle forward and
the rpm increased, but when I pulled it
back to the stop, nothing happened - I
still had full power! It didn' t take me
long to realize what had happened. The
end of the throttle cable had come out of
its holding clamp on the carburetor.
Now, with nothing holding the cable, the
throttle arm was all the way out at the
forward stop. Thankfully, the tach
showed I was still under redline, proba-
bly because of the high pitch of the prop,
but it was close. Right then and there, I
realized that my next landing would be
different than anyone I had ever made.
As Steve flew off toward the destina-
tion, I made a 180 and headed home. I
still had some altitude to lose, so I ran on
one mag and pulled on the carb heat.
That seemed to drop the rpm enough so
I could do a moderate let down without
going over red line. With several miles
to go before the airport I knew that I re-
12 MAY 1993
ally wasn't in too much trouble. I mean,
at least the engine was still running! I al-
ways did landings with idle power, so
that was normal for me. I guess the only
difference was that I knew that on final I
would have to kill the engine and dead
stick it in. My plan was simple ... try to
land exactly half way down the runway
instead of just over the numbers like I
usually (try!) to do. That way, if I am
too high I could slip it, and if I misjudge
it, I still would have runway under me to
land on. So I made sure I was very high
on final and even a bit fast.
What happened next is the reason I
decided to write this story. When I was
sure that the field was made, I nervously
reached up and shut off the other mag. I
must admit it did get very quiet up there!
Even at the slow speed I was flying in the
pattern the prop continued to windmill,
which was good, just in case I really
foul ed things up. At least the engine
would restart. As the field got bigger
and bigger in the windshield I knew
something was wrong. I was descending
too fast. Much too fast! The airspeed
was good, but the sink rate was really
high. I knew that the mid-field target
was a rapidly fading dream. As I crossed
the fence I noticed I was at the same spot
I usually am in during a "normal" land-
ing. The rest of the landing went
smoothly, and I quietly rolled off the
runway to the stares of some fellow pi-
lots. It wasn' t until I got the Cub back to
the hangar that I realized what had hap-
pened.
My flight instructor really seemed to
enjoy reaching over and pulling the
throttl e on me during my student flying
days; definitely more times than I liked.
But those were simulated engine outs
and not the real thing.
The difference, as I found out, is the
extra drag caused by the wind milling
prop. This increased drag forces a much
steeper rate of descent. Obviously you
can't practice this because it would be
unsafe to kill the engine (and maybe
more than just the engine) on simulated
engine outs. I found out in actual prac-
tice what happens. It is something that
fortunately I got away with because I
had planned on being high and hot. I
don't know if it would have been any dif-
ferent if I had gotten the prop to stop; I
really didn't want to in case I needed to
go around. Perhaps there wouldn' t have
been as much drag, I don' t know.
Editor's note: I asked a local CFI with
decades of experience in his logbook to
help me out with an explanation of Bob's
experience. We both agree that the drag
of a rotating prop windmilling in the slip-
stream, with the ignition off, is higher
than if the prop were stopped. Stopping
the prop (a wooden one in thi s case)
would normally require the airplane be
slowed close to the stall, with the ignition
off, a situation that may not be desirable
at low altitude. If the prop is metal in-
stead of wood, the prop may not be able
to be stopped without an airspeed at or
lower than the stall speed. (Metal props
have more inertia.) Any prop driven air-
plane with a windmilling prop will have a
higher sink rate than one with the throttle
closed and the engine running at idle
while gliding. The stopped prop has only
the drag of the actual size of the prop, but
a windmilling propeller is effectively a
disc, with a much larger drag profile to
present to the oncoming air. A good thing
to keep in mind if you ever have a situa-
tion like Bob's. We recommend that the
next time you see your CFI, ask him about
this effect - a little extra dual instruction
would be an excellent idea for all of us.
Learning something new or just reinforc-
ing prior training may just save you and
your airplane!
After re-attaching the throttle cable I
have enjoyed many hours of flying in the
old Cub, and J guess it does indeed take a
few hours before you understand that
Cub "magic." It is indeed a special plane.
Maybe it is because you sense not really
flying it but being a part of it. You learn
it fast and it seems to learn you too. Fly-
ing feels much more natural in the Cub,
more so than in my Super Cruiser or other
planes I've flown. It returns you to the
roots of flying; the nostalgia is built in.
The open door, the smell of 80 octane, ex-
haust, dope, and fresh air all combine to
invite you to remember what flying was
and still is. To me, flying is not Lorans,
transponders, power and aluminum. The
smell of leaves burning that hits you at
1500 feet. And the noise the tall grass
makes when it hits those big, fat 800 x 4
tires as you taxi back in. Flying is indeed
a special, special thing. *'
By Robert G. Ray Sr.
It was one of those crystal days that
are common to north Florida in Octo-
ber and November. The towering cu-
mulus floated like huge puffs of smoke
against the clear blue sky, and the scene
was certain to warm the heart of an old
pilot.
As I watched the little red and white
Taylorcraft high above the peaceful
grass strip at McCutchan, I could almost
feel the joy the young pilot felt as he
rolled his craft through a gentle
wingover and hung lazily for a moment,
then drifted into a gentle dive silhouet-
ted against a distant towering cumulus
cloud. It had been thirteen years since I
had seen N43002 in the air, and what a
beautiful sight it was! I think the lump
in my throat and the
mist in my eyes said
it all: there is no joy
in flying that can
compare with the joy
of flying the old
birds.
There is a story
behind old N43002,
and as any ai rplane
lover will tell you, the
nostalgia of owning
one of the old origi-
nals never leaves
you. Every time you
see one, the feeling
comes back.
just after Christmas, 1971, when my
fourteen-year-old son and I drove onto
the tiedown area at a little airport south
of Atlanta called Bear Creek. Located
outside the Atlanta metropolitan area,
it was a haven for all sorts of light
planes. I had seen an advertisement in a
local newspaper that a 1946 Taylorcraft
BC-12D was for sale and having owned
one for many years a while ago, I could
hardly resist the urge to check it out.
The least I could do was go take a look
at the old bird, I told myself; I don' t
have to buy it. Well, it wasn't hard to
find, since there was only one Taylor-
craft on the field. It seemed oddly out
of place sitting between a late model
Piper and a shiny Cessna, but to me it
had a stately look about it that said,
"When you've been around as long as I
have, you will look different too. " I
pointed out N43002 to my young son
and I suspected from the look in his
eyes that it was going to be difficult to
leave this place without that airplane.
The owner showed up a few minutes
later and gave me a rundown on the air-
plane, after which we went through the
logbooks and, try as I might, I could
find no excuse for not buying her. Who-
ever had owned her in the past had
taken very good care of her. I also heard
more reasons than I could count from
my son assuring me that buying this air-
plane was the only thing to do. So buy
her we did. I gave the owner a deposit
and told him to deliver her as soon as
my certified check reached his door. Of
course, my son was all
for flying her home
right then, but I fi-
nally convinced him
that a few days wait
wouldn ' t be the end
of the world . We
drove home and
talked about air-
planes the entire trip.
A week later we
were standing by the
runway at our local
grass strip airport
nervously waiting for
N43002 to arrive.
The weather was gor-
geous with unlimit ed
The story began Col. Robert Ray, Sr., USAF, (Ret) with 43002 in north Florida at a local fly-in.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
Homewardbound- Taylorcraft43002isloadedupandreadyto ThefuselageoftheTaylorcraftdidn'thavemuchcorrosionat
headhomeforherlatestrestoration.
visibility,so we couldseethelittleTay-
lorcraftthe minuteshecameon the
horizon. Wewatchedwithoutawordas
thepilotflew aslowandeasy pattern
and touched down like a feather.
N43002 hadfoundanew home.
Forthe nexttwoyears,N43002 be-
cameapartofthe family. Thecountry-
sidearoundWarnerRobins,Georgia
cameto knowN43002 as afamiliarsight
in theskyas the littleredandwhitetail-
draggersoaredand danced overthe
fields andwoods. Therewasn' tagrass
striporpavedrunwaywithinfifty miles
thatwas noton afirst namebasiswith
theTaylorcraft. Thebright-eyed kid
and his Dadwhoflew herwereready to
tell tall flying taleswith thebestofthem
any time,anywhere. Likethe timewe
met the Goodyearblimpcruisingat500
feet above1-75, anduponpullingalong-
sideherforagood lookand awave,the
blimppilotslowed toastopin mid-air
all- itjustrequiredanoverallgeneralsandblasting.
andwatchedourlittleTaylorcraftsink
slowlyoutofsight. Orthetimeswe
would fly overa farmer's houseand
slow down intothewind andslowly
back upwhile thefolks ontheground
staredup in disbelief. Although too
youngtosolo, my son becamequite
proficient at the controls of43002.
Landingsand takeoffsbecameroutine,
andstalls ,spinsandslowflight were
standardfare. Itwas plainthatTaylor-
craftN43002 hadevokedan enthusiasm
in this youngflyer thatwouldshapehis
future, andin meanostalgiathatwould
notsoonbe lost. Whocould forget
those memorableflights, thetimespent
recoveringthewingswith hoursofrib
stitching,and neighbors and friends
wonderingwhatwe weredoingwith air-
planewings in thecarport.
Thencamethedaywhenwordwas
receivedthatthefamilywouldbemoved
toCalifornia,and adecision hadtobe
madeas tothefate of43002. Couldwe
take herwith us,ornot? Itwasoneof
the mostdifficultdecisionswe everhad
tomaketogether. Thelittle birdhad
brought us close as onlya fatherand
soncan be, andwe hadsharedmemo-
ries thatwould lasta lifetime. Should
we try to fly her across the United
States,orsell herandbuyanotheratthe
otherendofthecountry? Therewas no
easysolution. Itwas an agonizingtime,
andonlyaftereverysinglefactorhad
beenconsideredand reconsideredwas
the decision made that43002 would
have tobesold. A saddayindeed,and
onethatwe wisheddidn'thavetobe.
Astheyoungmanfrom aneighbor-
ingtownlookedoverthe littleTaylor-
craft,it wasobviousthathe was newat
theflyinggame, butheseemeddeter-
minedtohavean airplane. Whenhe
hadsatisfiedhimselfthatall theparts
were there andsecurelyfastened to-
gether,hewasreadyfor acheckout. He
hadlearnedto fly in a CuborAeronca
Champand therewasjustenoughdif-
ference in theflight characteristicsto
give him someproblems. Itwasthebet-
terpartofan hourbeforehewasableto
makeapresentableapproachand land-
ing. Afteraboutsix oreighttouchand
goes,withinnumerablebounces,he was
able tomake three fairly consistent
landings,soIsignedhis logbook and
cautionedhim to fly onlyoncalmdays
until he had afew hoursunderhis belt.
Ihoped hewould heedmy advice as I
watchedhim climbconfidentlyaboard.
ThenI proppedold43002 forwhat I
thoughtwas tobethe lasttime. Ididn't
have thehearttostayandwatchhergo
overthe horizon,and Icouldsee that
my sonwas in no moodtosaygoodbye
toafaithfuloldbirdthathadgiven usso
much pleasure,and neveroncehadshe
letus down. Therewerefew wordsspo-
kenon theway homethatday, andthe
tripsomehowseemedlongerthan usual.
We moved toCaliforniaforacouple
TheinterioroftheT-Craftwasrestoredascloseaspossibletooriginal,includingthe ofyearsin thehighdesertcountry. It
Deckercontrolwheelsandthoseitty-bittybrakepedals. was not thebestplacein theworldfor
14MAY1993
You can bet this shot wasn't taken in Florida after 43002 was restored! Captain Rob Ray flies his favorite Taylorcraft over the har-
vested and frozen fields of South Dakota.
light plane flying, with the daily wind
and blowing dust , so we never really
were enthusiastic about looking for a re-
placement for 43002, besides, we knew
our stay would be limited so we didn't
bother. We flew some rented planes
and NASA employed my son to fly ra-
dio controlled models, but flying as we
had known it was in remission.
The years have a way of slipping by
almost too fast to notice, so it was sev-
eral years later in Florida when N43002
entered our lives again. I had soloed my
son in a Cessna 172 with only a few
hours of refresher training, thanks to his
Taylorcraft experience, and he had gone
on to get his private and commercial li-
cense over the next few years. He had
accumulated over 1000 hours in Bel-
lanca Scouts and Citabrias for a banner
tow outfit while attending Florida State
in the winter season. It was on one of
these banner tow excursions to an
Auburn University football game that
brought 43002 back in focus. He had
written AOPA to find out if the tail
number was still registered, and to his
joy and amazement found out that not
only was it still registered, but the owner
lived less than two hours away, which
happened to be next door to Auburn
University. After completing his ban-
ner towing he had hitched a ride to the
owner's home in search of his old friend.
I was not aware of all these events
until his return late that night. We were
watching the late night news on TV
when he came in and wearily sat his fly-
ing gear down. "Dad, you will never
guess what I saw today sitting in a guy's
garage - Taylorcraft N43002! " He ex-
plained how he had gone to the owner's
home and inquired about the location of
the aircraft, and the owner had opened
the door to his garage and said, "There
she is." I could only imagine the excite-
ment he must have felt after such a long
time. Here was the first airplane he had
ever flown, the one he had really
learned to fly in, sitting right before his
eyes. He had looked her over carefully,
remembered things I had long since for-
gotten, such as the homemade door
latch he had made to keep the passen-
ger door locked in flight, and the safety
latch we had made for the fuel shutoff
valve . The fabric had been stripped
from the fuselage with intentions of
restoring her, but the owner had not
had the time to get started. She had
been in this condition over three years,
and my son's question as to whether the
owner would consider selling her was
answered with a positive and discourag-
ing, " NO. " He had left happy in the
knowledge that he had found his old
friend, but sad at her unavailability. I
felt his disappointment as well , but
could not see much hope under the cir-
cumstances.
About a year later my son was home
on vacation from Florida State. We
were talking over old times when he
suggested we drive up the next day and
see N43002. I had no plans , and the
thought of seeing the little Taylorcraft
again whetted my curiosity. I agreed
and we got an early start the next morn-
ing. We arrived about noon and the
owner was happy to show us his trea-
sured aircraft. Looking at the logbooks
revealed that the aircraft had flown less
than fifty hours since I had sold her
twelve years ago. Parts were scattered
everywhere, and only an antique air-
craft lover could have seen a restored
aircraft through this maze of apparent
junk. My experience in restorations
consisted of complete rebuilds of a cou-
ple of Cessna 140s and assisting on sev-
eral other aircraft, so I was able to de-
termine with some accuracy that the
essential parts were there and generally
serviceable. I could appreciate the
amount of work that would be involved
in the restoration, but this one had a dif-
ferent attraction, and I wanted the chal-
lenge. To my dismay, the owner seemed
genuinely determined to restore the air-
craft, so his response to my offer to buy
her was the expected "not for sale." We
talked about our past experiences with
N43002, and my son's enthusiasm obvi-
ously impressed the man. I left my card
and he agreed that if he should ever de-
cide to part with 43002, he would call
me first. The drive home seemed a bit
longer and quieter than the trip out.
In the year following, my son contin-
ued pulling banners in the summer and
fall while completing his college educa-
tion. He had applied for Air Force pilot
training and received his class assign-
ment, so other events had left thoughts
of 43002 in remission once more. The
ensuing months were filled with stories
of new places, a first jet ride, and a
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
weekly update from Texas on events oc-
curring in the jet age. N43002 was al-
most history agai n as other thoughts
and projects occupied my time. Just af-
ter Christmas I received a letter from
the owner of 43002 stating that he had
some problems which were forcing him
to liquidate some of his assets, one of
them being N43002. Was I still inter-
ested in buying the aircraft? Ordinarily,
there would have been no hesitation,
but at this time I already owned a
Cessna 140 and had recently bought an
Ercoupe to restore, so I was grossed out
on projects and my shop would not hold
another one. I agonized over it for a
day, but the thoughts of old 43002 just
would not let me pass up this opportu-
nity. I left three days later with a trailer
to retrieve my purchase. The sight of a
once proud bird in a dilapidated, disas-
sembled and generally scattered condi-
tion is almost always depressing, and the
sight of 43002 scattered over that garage
made me wonder if I would ever find
enough parts to assemble an airplane.
The tail feat hers stood bare in a corner
next to the naked fuselage, like the
skeletal remains of some prehistoric
monster. The wings had somehow sur-
vived without losing their skin, but a
practiced eye cou ld see t hey would
never pass the punch test. The faithful
littl e A-65 Contine nt al engi ne hung
from a rafter by a rusty chain, dust caked
and coated with a layer of oil which
thankfull y had not been removed prior
to storage. The tires were flat and dry
rotted, and the windows and windshield
were hopeless, but I could see th at
enough parts were there to at least have
a starting point. It was like finding an
old friend who was down and out and
rescuing her from some di smal fate in
hopes of rehabilitation. Old 43002 was
pretty far down , but still a long way
from being out. I gently loaded her on
my trailer, cinched the engine down in
the back of my pickup, and filled the
rest of the bed with miscellaneous parts,
ever careful not to add to the hangar
rash that already existed. It looked like
any junk man on his way to the junk-
yard. Doors, elevators, ailerons, fair-
ings, inspection plates - you name it, it
was the re. This time the trip home
seemed a lot shorter, and I found myself
humming along with the music on the
radio.
I stored 43002 in my friend Jim Mc-
Cutchan's hangar until I could get ready
to begin the long restoration process. I
needed to get my Ercoupe finished and
sold and get my shop reorganized to
give my full attention to a project as im-
portant as this one. Three months later
I was ready to start moving parts again.
I decided that the fuselage would re-
quire the most work so I brought it
home first and parked it in my oversized
16 MAY 1993
garage. It was such a good feeling to see
her sitting there, even in her sad state of
repair, knowing that she was finally
home again. I started with a thorough
inspection and found no serious corro-
sion or rotten tubing. This was already
more than I had ever hoped for, but I
could see a definite need for abrasive
blasting of the entire structure. I started
disassembling the fuselage, removing
every part that was not welded - includ-
ing windshield, instrument panel, rud-
der pedals, pulleys, cables, controls,
landing gear and anything else that
would unbolt, unscrew, or otherwise de-
tach. I was soon down to a state where I
could easily lift the entire fuselage struc-
ture by myself, so the abrasive blasting
was a little easier to manage.
Early in the process I became aware
of the fact that restorations depend
heavily on originality, and I could see
that this airplane was very close to being
in original condition, except for a few
items like the instrument panel which
had been modified. I had a Taylorcraft
service manual which depicted the lay-
out of the original panel so I had a good
reference, and after a lot of sheet metal
work and cosmetic surgery, the panel
looked like it did when it left the fac-
tory. I was now ready to start putting
things back together and get this pile of
parts to look like an airpl ane. Things
were a little simpler when they put these
birds together back in Decembe r of
1945. Lots of bushings but not many
bearings. Rudder pedals made of steel
tubing like the rest of the fuselage and
floor boards made of plywood for easy
repl acement. Only five instruments in
the instrument panel to worry about,
and a fuel system that was either on or
off. The rest of the fuselage compo-
nents went together slowly and with
great care, taking time to replace pul-
leys and rusty cables, as well as wooden
parts which were the worse for wear.
New control cables and hardware re-
moved the appearance of neglect and
some of the indignities of long storage.
Surprisingly, most of the parts were still
available from the Taylorcraft company
- after 38 years!
The next eight months were spent
carefully restoring worn and rusted
parts. Everything had to be put back to
factory original if at all possible, and
that meant many hours of cleaning and
meticulous attention to detail. There is
a certain feeling of accomplishment that
comes from turning an old part into one
that looks like new, especially if it is go-
ing on your airplane. I did not realize
how many parts there were, even on an
old airplane.
Then came the day when she sat on
my shop floor on her wheels, glistening
and proud, patiently waiting for her new
skin. I knew now why I had gone to all
the trouble - she was beautiful! I almost
hated to cover up all the work that had
gone into her up to now, but the desire
to see her in the air put that thought to
rest at once. The fuselage and tail feath-
ers were completed first. The Dacron
polyesters are fai rly easy to work with
and they heat shrink to a nice taut fin-
ished product. N43002 was now begin-
ning to look like a real airplane. I
sprayed on the finish and striped her to
duplicate the design she had carried
when I had first owned her. I had an A-
65 in my shop already overhauled, so I
mounted it in the waiting engine mount.
It cranked on the second pull! The body
was finished , and now for the wings
which would carry her aloft.
I moved the fuselage to Jim's hangar
and returned with the wings to begin the
recovering process. The rib stitching
was the most monotonous part of the
whole process. It seemed like an endless
routine of passing the needle through to
my wife, and having her return it and tie
another knot. I figured there were over
600 separate stitches, each one carefully
knotted and cinched. By the time we
finished the wings and tail fe athers, I
could see rib stitches in my sleep.
I finally managed to get everything
painted, reassembled and rigged exactly
13 months from the time I hauled
N43002 home. She sat glistening in the
Captain Rob Ray with his two favorite airplanes - his F-16C and the Taylorcraft BC-65 that his father, Col. Robert E. Ray, Sr.,
USAF (Ret) restored for him as his graduation gift when he earned his Air Force wings.
spring sunlight like a rare painting with
the red trim contrasting the white base
color. The work was finished, and I felt
a tinge of sadness knowi ng t hat t he
happy days spent restoring her were
over. She sat t here ready to be fl own,
and after such a long time I cert ainl y
was not going to keep her waiting. The
event I had planned for long ago would
soon be at hand, so I had to ge t pre-
pared for it.
The test flight went off witho ut a
hitch. I put her through her paces and
she responded with grace and perfec-
tion, as if she were telling me she was
ready for the future. There was nothing
left to do now, except to put her in the
hangar and wait.
It was several weeks later when my
wife and I drove to Texas to attend the
graduation ceremonies at the Air Force
training base in Lubbock, Texas. 1 could
see the pride in my son as his Mom did
the traditi onal honors and pinned on
t he bright new silver wings. I remem-
bered that same look when he sat beside
me in t he old Taylorcraft back there
when it all began. It seemed so many
things had changed, but there are some
things that never change, and that 's
what old pilot 's dreams are made of.
The ceremonies finall y e nded and the
time ca me t o head fo r ho me . A few
weeks leave and my son woul d be off to
hi s first assignment and things would be
back to normal at t he old home place.
There were things to be done and not
much time to do them. It was di fficult
to keep my secret, but a plan is a plan,
and I couldn' t blow it at this late date.
We arrived home and the next day I
cas uall y sugges ted that we vi sit our
fr iends at McCut chan airport. It was
such a beautiful day that it would have
been hard to refuse an opportunity to
do some li ght plane fl ying, especially
since he had done very little of it in the
last year. My trusty little Cessna 140 was
waiting for us at our nearby grass strip,
so we mount ed up and headed off for
McCutchan, my anxiety growing by the
minute. I could only imagine what my
son's reaction would be, so I sat back
and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and
perfect flying weathe r. We touched
down gently on the grass and taxied to
where our fri ends were waiting to greet
us. Since they had not seen my son for
several months some time was spent
catching up on past events, telling flying
stori es, and congratul ations on hi s re-
cent accomplishment. When the time fi-
nally came to go check out the hangar, 1
suggested he check out the new addition
that had been added while he had been
away. If I had eve r t hought that he
would not recognize 43002 at first sight,
that myth was dissolved in a heartbeat.
He took one look and said, "That's
N43002, Dad, how did she get here?"
So I told him the story as he lovingly
looked her over, and finally added, "I
figured that 43002 would be an appro-
priate graduation present for you, so
take good care of her. " At last, N43002
had completed her long trip home.
As I watched her the re in her ele-
ment being flown by someone who ap-
preciated her for the classic she is, 1
knew that all the work I had put into
her had been worth it, and 1 wondered if
anyone heard me whisper " welcome
home."
Postscript: Captain Rob Ray is
presently an Air Force advisor to the
South Dakota Air National Guard, fly-
ing F-16 aircraft and, of course, Taylor-
craft N43002.
About the author: Robert G. Ray, Sr.
is a retired USAF Colonel. He is rated
Commercial SE, MEL, A TP, lA, CFI,
CFII and restores antique and classic air-
craft ..
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
WHATOURMEMBERSARERESTORING
-----------------------------by NormPetersen
Bob Hitchcock's Waco UPF-7
While returning from Sun 'N Fun '92,
we stopped to visit A/C Board Member
Dale Gustafson at his Citra, Florida win-
ter home. One of his good neighbors
turned out to be Robert N. (Bob) Hitch-
cock (EAA 133843, A/C 5450) who owns
the very nice 1941 Waco UPF-7,
NC32024, SIN 5648, in this photo. Pow-
ered with a (clean) Continental 220
housed in a full metal cowl and swinging
a polished Curtiss-Reed propell er, the
cream and blue Waco is a dream ma-
chine from the word "go." The best part
was when Bob volunteered to take us for
a ride in the Waco! With wide, comfort-
able cockpits, the UPF-7 is a pleasure to
ride in and enjoy the feeling of a genuine
Waco airplane (Ask Any Pilot).
Bob Hitchcock is an aircraft engine
rebuilder of considerable experience
with shops in Sargentville, Maine and
Citra, Florida. He not only builds up
engines, he can fly the old airplanes
with the very best. In addi tion to the
UPF-7, Bob has a mint J-3 Cub to play
with when he feels the urge. Many
thanks again, Bob, for a most enjoyable
open cockpit ride.
18 MAY 1993
Mike Butler's Serial No.1 KR-21
Rolled out into the bright winter sun-
shine is the fuselage and vertical tail feath-
ers of Fairchild KR-21, NC207V, SIN 1,
being restored by Mike Butler (EAA
126172, A/C 9070) of Oshkosh, WI. Pur-
chased as a project several years ago, the
KR-21 (which stands for Kreider-Reis-
ner) is powered by a five-cylinder Kinner
K-5 of 100 hp and features biplane wings
that are tapered, much akin to a small
Waco "Taperwing, " and employing four
ailerons. Mike's workmanship is most im-
pressive and a visit to his shop is quite a
treat. We look forward to seeing this rare
(Serial No.1, folks) biplane in the air over
Oshkosh. IncidentaJ!y, Mike has added
skiplane fittings for those cool winter
jaunts! Mike' s NC207V is one of 14 KR-
21 aircraft remaining on the FAA register
including EAA' s KR-21B, NC954V, SIN
1502, which was restored and donated by
Robert J. (Dobbe) Lickteig of Albert
Lea, Minnesota.
Don Hansen's 1940 Aeronca Chief 6SLB
Standing beside his nicely restored Aeronca
Chief 65LB, NC31488, SIN Ll0960, is owner,
Don Hansen (EAA 410802) of Mukwonago,
WI. The credit for the fine restoration goes to
previous owner, Bill Rosman (EAA 56565) of
Palmyra, WI who owned the Lycoming pow-
ered Chief from 1979 to 1988.
Don Hansen bas been able to trace the air-
plane from when it left the factory in Decem-
ber, 1940, and flew to Huron, SD. The Chief
bounced around both North and South Dakota
before moving to Wisconsin in 1943 and Illinois
in 1944. The next twenty years were spent in
the Chicago area before the Chief moved to
Wisconsin and then to Iowa in 1969. From
there it moved to Wisconsin once again, where
it now resides. Don has owned the airplane for
the past four years. Total time on the aircraft
is approximately 2400 hours since new. With its
pretty red and yellow paint scheme accented by
a wooden propeller and wheel pants, the ' 40
model Aeronca makes a very nice antique air-
plane for Don Hansen to enjoy. NC31488 is
one of 43 Aeronca 65LB's remaining on the U.
S. register.
Piper PA-18 from Iceland
This nicely restored Piper PA-18-90
(L-18-C) is the pride and joy of Haral-
dur Karlsson (EAA 323563, AlC 13464)
of Vikurbraut 25, 240 Grindavik, Ice-
land. Purchased as a basket case from
Jens Toft (Toft Air Force) in Denmark,
the PA-18 was restored over a three
year span by Haraldur and Gudmundur
George King's Fleet Model 2
This photo of Fleet Model 2, NC678M,
SIN 226, was sent in by owner, George W.
King (EAA 418206, AIC 19702) of Stryk-
ersville, NY. George bought the Fleet from
Mac Dufton, Clearfield, PAin 1990. It had
been pretty much all over the country in its
travels including Hawaii , where it was used
as a trainer for a short period before being
flown into a house! The Fleet is currently
powered with a Kinner R55 of 160 hp and
has lO-inch PT-l9 wheels and brakes.
George says he flies the Fleet from the rear
seat only because of weight and balance dic-
tates. It is one of 36 Fleet 2's remaining on
the FAA register.
Asgeirsson (EAA 324953) of Stekk-
jarhv 30, 220 Iceland. Powered with a
Continental C90-14, the "Cub" is cov-
ered in Ceconite and finished in
Ranthane AN yellow and features a B
& C Specialty Products alternator and
"Armstrong" starter. Haraldur reports
the P A-18 has flown about thirty flaw-
less hours since completion and per-
forms especially well with its McCauley
CM7146 climb prop.
Iceland has an area of 39,800 sq.
miles (about the same as the state of
Kentucky), a population of about
190,000 people, and a very active civil-
ian aviation organization. The country
registration is "TF" under the ICAO
listing. There is no military aviation in
Iceland, so all airline pilots and crews
must come from civilian ranks - of
which there is a very active group with a
rather surprising number of airplanes.
In short - these people love to fly! '*
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
Books
by H.G. Frautschy
A viation related books have come a
long way in the past few years. Not so
very long ago it seemed the number of
new books that were aviation related
could be counted on one hand each
month. Nowadays, it seems we hear
about a new release just about every day.
What's going on here? Advances in
printing technologies have made it possi-
ble to keep publishing costs down, result-
ing in the proliferation of a number of
excellent smaller publishers - Butterfield
Press, Sunshine House, Tab Books, and
many others. These publishers are al-
ways on the lookout for good subjects to
publish, and with the outstanding re-
search being done by contemporary au-
thors such as John Underwood, Peter
Bowers and the gentlemen you see on
these two pages, we can look forward to
many new and interesting books on our
favorite subject - aviation!
Here are a few of the books that we
have seen in the last few months:
mE LORAN, GPS & NAV COMM
GUIDE, by Keith Coones. Published by
Butterfield Press, 990 Winery Canyon
Rd., Templeton, CA 93465. Phone 1-
800-648-6601 for ordering information.
Also available from EAA - call 1-
800/843-3612 for ordering information.
First published in 1986, Keith Connes'
book has been continuously updated to
reflect the latest in avionics technology.
This latest edition, published late last
year, features an extensive section on the
wonder of satellite technology, the
20 MAY 1993
Global Positioning System. Author
Keith Connes helps us wade through
what can be a confusing morass of
"techno-babble," explaining in normal
english how the black boxes "do that
voodoo that they do." The GPS and lo-
ran explanations were particularly help-
ful since all of my flying is done YFR,
and I wish to incorporate one of these
systems into my airplane when I finish
the restoration of my Super Chief.
(When is that ? Don't ask. Let's just say,
in the future ...) Most of my flying done
navigating using pilotage, but being one
of the television generation, I have a cer-
tain fascination with electronic gadgets.
Connes' evauluations of various manu-
facturer's units proved to be enlightening
as well, helping narrow down the type of
unit I'm looking for. At least now I'm
half smart enough to know the questions
to ask when I go shopping. As Richard
Weeghman, the Editor of The Aviation
Consumer so aptly put in when closing
the forward of the book, "Thi s book
should help in the search for the right
equipment, so you can select, not settle."
I couldn't have said it better myself.
Mon Reve, The Story of Wilfred J.
Berube and hi s airport at Chatham on
Cape Cod. Written by Bob Whittier ,
published by Seamaster Company,
Drawer T, Duxbury, MA 02331. Also
available from EAA - call 1-800/843-
3612 for ordering information.
"Mon Reve" or "My Dream" tells the
tale of Wilfred J. Berube, an energetic im-
migrant who, after becoming an excellent
overall mechanic, learned to fly. His en-
thusiasm for flight would last a lifetime,
with the result that he left the Cape Cod
community with a lasting legacy that sur-
vives to this day - Chatham airport. Bob
carefully weaves the facts of Berube's life
with a fascinating series of photos, some
from Berube's personal scrapbook, and
others from newspaper clippings of the
period. It tells of the days when you could
still land on a Cape Cod beach to do a lit-
tle fishing, or sightsee with Wilfred in his
first airplane, a 1929 Aeromarine-Klemm,
powered by a 65 hp LeBlond. Also in-
cluded at the end of the 34 page book is a
section on the Aeromarine-Klemm, com-
plete with a 3-view and perspective draw-
ings of the airplane by long time An-
tique/Classic member Owen Billman.
Bob Whitter's professional treatment
(both as author and publisher - the book
is nicely laid out and reproduced) of a lo-
cal story helps make it appealing to every-
one interested in the early days of avia-
tion. It's especially insightful in helping
one understand what it takes to be a suc-
cessful fixed base operator, a difficult en-
terprise both now and "way back when. "
~ J m h n l nf ([nuruB
altO
'l!ix.c.elluc
oy
Fred O. Kobc.n:lu.\.<!
Volume I
Waco - Symbol of Courage and Excel-
lence, by Fred O. Kobernuss. One of the
Aviation Heritage books published by
Sunshine House, Destin, FL. Everyone
has a favorite airplane or airplane manu-
facturer. After reading the lat e Fred
Kobernuss ' extensive book on the early
years of Waco, it 's obvious that he had a
strong affection for the company that was
started by Elwood "Sam" Junkin, Clayton
Brukner, and George Weaver. Re-
searched and written over a 10 year pe-
riod, "Waco Symbol of Courage and Ex-
cellence" is an intriguing history of the
early, tough days at Waco, as well as the
days when Waco became the standard for
excellence throughout the aviation world.
Illustrated with over 150 photos, this book
is a treasure trove of early Waco history.
Paul Matt's Scale Airplane Drawings,
Vols.1 and 2, published by SunShine
House, Destin, FL. Oh boy, if you like
airplane drawings, these two books are
for you! As an avid reader of the late
Paul Matt's Historical Aviation series of
books, I enjoyed his research and photo
collection, as well as appreciating his tal-
ent with a drafting pen. Now, all of the
hol es in your Paul Matt drawing collec-
tions can be filled , just by buying these
two volumes. Wisely set up in alphabet i-
World'sPremierAirport
by
JoshUa Stoff
&
WllJiamCamp
cal order,thefirst volumecoversPaul ' s
drawingsfrom theAeromarine39B to
the GrummanJ2F-5 Duck,andthesec-
ondvolumecontainsthedrawingsfrom
theHealthLNB-4ParasoltotheWright-
MartinV. Bestofall,if youneedalarger
copyofoneofthedrawings,youcan or-
deritfromSunShineHouse- in asense,
bothbookscouldbeviewedas illus-
tratedcatalogsfor the full sizedrawings,
which aresizedat17x22". Ofcourse,if
you'realsoamodelbuilderaswell asan
Antique/Classicenthusiast,you'll posi-
tivelydroolovertheselectionofsub-
jects. Thisis oneseriesthevintageair-
planeworldhasbeenwaitingfor,andthe
waitwasworthit. Whatagreatidea!
The

Story
TheTaylorcraftStory,by ChetPeek.
PublishedbySunShineHouse,Destin,
FL. Alsoavailablefrom EAA- cal1l-
800/843-3612fororderinginformation.
Anotherin thefine "AviationHeritage
LibrarySeries"ofbooksfrom SunShine
House,ChetPeek'sTaylorcraftbookwill
no doubtbe rememberedas oneofthe
mostcomprehensivehistoriesofthe air-
planeandthe peoplethathave madeit
oneofthedarlingsofthe aviationworld.
FromtheearlydayswiththecolorfulCG.
Taylor,to the presentdayactivities,it'sa
compellingstorytoldwithgreatenthusi-
asm, butnotseen through rose colored
glasses. Chethascollectedabumpercrop
ofphotographsfrom a diversegroupof
people,andthephotosanddrawingsmake
thebookavisual treatfor theTaylorcraft
buff. Includedareshotsoftheairplanes
producedbytheEnglish Taylorcraftcom-
pany,and theAusterAutocratsproduced
underlicense. Thebook,well writtenand
researched,is apleasuretoread. Withit's
extensivetextand photos,it shouldbeof
greatinteresttoanyonewho hasflown or
owneda"T-Craft." Whilenotwrittenasa
technicalmanual, theTaylorcraftrestorer
will find thephotosawealthofinforma-
tionon howtheydid certain things atthe
Taylorcraftfactory. All in all, amostin-
formativeand interestingbook.
ForTheGreatestAchievement,by
Bill Robiepublishedby theSmithsonian
InstitutionPress. Theyear1905sawthe
birthofa remarkableorganization,the
AeroClubofAmerica. TheAeroClub,
anditssuccessortheNationalAeronautic
Assocication,is theoldestaviationorga-
nizationin theUnitedStates,andassuch,
you canwell imaginethatthereis agreat
dealofhistorythathasoccuredsince
1905. BillRobiehasgiven life towhat
couldhavebeena dryrecitationofthe
facts. Hisbookcoveringthehistoryof
thesetwoorganizationsis chockfull of
the eventsofthis pastcentury,all ofit
fascinatingfor anyoneinterestedin the
innerworkingsofearlyaviation. Alsoin-
cludedin thebookis acompletecompila-
tion oftherecordsandawardsbestowed
uponAmericanaviatorsthroughthe aus-
picesofthe AeroCluband the NAA,
such as thewell known Colliertrophy,
andtheBrewertrophy,givenforsignifi-
cantcontributionsofenduringvaluein
the fields ofaviation and aerospaceedu-
cationactivitiesin theUnitedStates.
Bill Robie,a historyteacheratthe
UniversityofBaltimore,hasdoneanex-
cellentjobofdocumentingthis book,in-
cludingextensivefootnotes. Foracata-
log of titles available from the
SmithsonianInstitution Press,writeto
them at MarketingDepartment,470
L' EnfantPlaza,Suite7100, Washington,
D.C 20560.
Visions of Luscombe - The Early
Years,byJamesB. Zazas.Publishedby
SunShineHouse,Destin,FL. Alsoavail-
ablefrom EAA- call1-800/843-3612for
orderinginformation.
Thisis awhopper! Over300pagesare
usedbyJim Zazasas hedetails theLus-
combestoryfrom beginningtoDonLus-
combe'spassingin 1965. Anextensive
work from beginningtoend,itchronicles
DonLuscombe'sinvolvementin Mono-
coupe,andthen theLuscombeAirplane
DevelopmentCo.Leadinga life thatwas
difficult byanystandards,Luscombeis
thedriving force throughouthis career,
neveracceptingcircumstancesthatwere
tryingtodestroyall thatheworked for.
The triumphs,heartbreaks,successand
bankruptcyareall here. Thefirst full
workdetailingthissegmentofaviation
history,Jim'sworkis smoothlywritten
andeasyto read. It, likeFredKobernuss'
Wacobook,hasan extensive footnote
section to documentthe many,many
sourcesquotedduringthebook'sre-
search. Anadded bonusis the6page
full colorsection in thecenterofthe
book,includingaseriesoffine illustra-
tionsbyFredJungclausthatculminatein
acolor3-viewofthefamousSTANAVO
LuscombePhantom. "VisionsofLus-
combe- TheEarlyYears"isa workof
passion byauthorJim Zazas. A Lus-
combeenthusiastfrom thewordgo,Jim
worked to makethis historyasfactual as
possible. It wasamammothundertaking,
andonethatisneatlydocumented. Well
done,Jim!
RooseveltField- World'sPremier
Airport,byJoshuaStoffandWilliam
Camp. PublishedbySunShineHouse,
Destin,FL. It wastheplacewherehis-
torywas made,and sometimeswhereit
ended. RooseveltField,onNewYork's
LongIsland,wasoneofthehotbedsof
the aviationworldduringthe'20sand
'30s,aspilotssuchas Wiley Post,Jimmie
Doolittle,AmeliaEarhartand,orcourse,
CharlesLindberghallflew from the field
intothepagesofhistory. AuthorsStoff
andCamp,curatorsattheCradleof Avi-
ationMuseumin GardenCity,NYshow
us thehappeningsatRooseveltfromits
beginningsin theearly1900stotheclos-
ingofthefield atthedawnofthejetage,
asdevelopmentfrom NewYorkCity
slowly butsteadilyforces uplandvalues
in western LongIsland. Itsdemiseasan
airport,while lamentable,is notthefocus
ofthisbook. StoffandCampshowus the
glorydaysofRooseveltwith over300
photographsoftheplanesandaviators
thatmadethefield "theplacetobe"dur-
ingthe'20sand'30s. Allofit makesfor
interestingreading.
ROOSEVELTFIELD
SunShine House/Aviation Heritage
Books has recently moved from Terre
Haute, IN to Destin, FL. Their phone
number is still the same - 1-800/999-0141.
If you prefer to write them, the address is
P.O. Box 665, Destin, FL 32540. The
above titles from SunShine House all ex-
hibit an excellent attention to detail regard-
ing the layout and reproduction quality.
The photos are as sharp and clear as the
originals, and the layout of the pages has a
clear and uncluttered look. It 's clear that
Drina Welch Abel and her son, Alan Abel
take their time to publish a quality item. 1
look forward to their next publishing en-
deavors. - H.G. Frautschy ...
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
for two strokes and he did not want to
prop it.
I ran a FBO during the 1950s and had
a PT-22 based there which I carefully
propped for the owner many times. Your
explanation of walking by as you pull is so
true! And then that wonderful "John
Deere" tractor sound.
Keep up the interesting articles.
Sincerely,
Paul Rathje
AIC 9836
Peotone, IL 60468
Dear Buck,
Thanks much for including my request
for a Haywood check valve in your infor-
mation exchange column. Seems like this
valve is truly a hard item to locate. The
"Hemmingway" was only meant to induce
a little levity. I too have been easing
wooden props through their compression
strokes for many years, and, no, I don't
prop it with vigor, nor do I ever swing my
leg in the air. And before shutdown I al-
ways check the integrity of the P-l eads.
So far I have not been smitten. We will
discuss your comments in your last para-
graph over coffee sometime at Oshkosh. I
really would find the ability to start up
this Kinner at a remot e airport with thi s
system a big help and unass isted. It is
next to impossible to locate a suitable per-
son to hold the brakes in the front pit, and
expect them to make sure the forward
mag switch is placed on the left mag for
start andlor in the OFF position for a
prime pull through.
I am the only one who will ever pull
that prop. through! Some time ago I found
published in an old "Sport Aviation" mag-
azine a drawing of a simple way to effect a
start, by hand propping and not allowing
the airplane to get away from you. I use
this method quite often when I am as-
sured, before I shut down of course, that
there will be a tie down ring within an ac-
cessible distance of the ramp on which I
will park. I know you've heard of, it's
called the ROPE TRICK. Enclosed is a
rudimentary drawing.
My what a bea utiful cross section of
that Kinner cylinder with that elusive
check valve!
Regards,
Dick Cutler
AIC 17289
Dublin, PA
by Buck Hilbert
(EAA 21 , Ale 5)
P.O. Box 424
Union, IL 60180
Egads! Seems like the snow has hardly
gone and here it is May already! How easy
it is to forget that long dreary winter and
get back into the air again! I did enjoy the
ski flying where every field with enough
snow on it becomes an airfield, and I could
terrorize all my neighbors, but like flying
on these nice balmy days even better.
I'm beginning to think of Oshkosh,
now that Sun ' n Fun is over. Watching
our Photo crew at work there in Florida,
and thinking of what we will be doing at
Oshkosh, brings to mind that we have a
recently produced EAA Video titled
"Aviation Photography Made Easy" avail-
able for any and all who might have an in-
terest in aviation photography. The two
crews, Photo a nd Video, have put to-
gether a real good instrument here. I play
a short part in it , too, and with the help of
these superbly experienced EAA people I
look pretty good. We have needed some-
thing like this for a long time. This Video
puts together the ideas and techniques
that would take years to learn. For them
to put all thi s on tape in an attempt to
An information exchange column with input from our readers.
help anyone who would really like to be
an aviation photographer just illustrates
how interested and dedicated they are to
EAA and their job. Of course I don't
have to tell anyone this, just look at your
SPORT AVIATION, VINTAGE AIR-
PLANE or any of EAA's publications
and you'll see what a wonderful job they
do. It gets better and better.
The Antique & Classic Photo Contest
Judging Committee, comprised of profes-
sional aviation photographers, reviewed
this video. These old pros, who have been
at it for many years, had some very com-
plimentary remarks to make. If you have
any interest at all, dial up that EAA video
sales 800 number (1-800/843-3612) and get
yourself a copy. Then drop out to the
flight line at Oshkosh and see the photo
ships, watch the people work and say
Hello to all of us.
Dear Buck,
I always enjoy your articles and can
usually relate to most items discussed hav-
ing been in and out of private aviation
since early 1940s. I traveled extensively
from the 1950s through the 1980s and
probably "flew with you up front" many
times.
Anyhow, the column on the air starter
for Kinner brought back memories . I
soloed in a Kinner Sport in 1942 while a
student at Parks Air College. I remember
the instructor telling me to prime it cor-
rectly because the air tank would only last
Val and Tom Trainor of Troy, MI sent in this photo of their 1937 Aeronca K, Serial No.
244. This UK" was last flown on March 25, 1945, and remained in storage until Tom
finished the restoration and flew the airplane on August 3, 1992. The Aeronca K is
powered by an Aeronca E-113C engine. Looks pretty neat, Tom and Val!
22 MAY 1993
HOW NOT TO GET RUN OVER BY YOUR AIRPLANE
ALLSIZES IN INCHES THE BASICMECHANISM 8'TO12'OFGOOD1/4"ROPE
UNLESSOTHERWISE \ /"
THISENDAROUNDTAILWHEEL
NOTED.
I
\)) STEERINGARMON PILOT'SSIDE

FROM PINTO ROPE
JI
'"/"" II ---
THIS END AROUND
TREE, FENCE POST,
CAR BUMPER,ETC.
U, STRINGTOCOCKPIT
THIS LOOP ISJUSTBI TAPEREDWOODEN PIN
ENOUGH TO PASSTHE
OTHER LOOPTHROUGH LOOP ISSNUG FITON PIN
STURDY
SCREW-EYE:
SQUEEZE
,3/8DIA. t /LOSED ,.
PIN DETAIL- CARVEORTURN FROM
HARDWOOD. SANDSMOOTH. _ ....
PASTEWAXFINISH OVERVARNISH.
r- 7fflDlfo-
.. 5/16
3-1/2
"GildingThe Lily"forsafety
WING NUT -
andconvienence...
LOOSEN FOR
PAYOUT
EPOXYBOLTHEAD
ADD BUSHINGS
DRAWER PULLFOR
INTOCHANNEL
ANDSPACERS
WIND ' EM UP KNOB
AS NEEDED.
8mmPLASTIC FILM REEL, PLASTICIS FINE.
KODAK884,7" O.D.
______________________________________________________________________________________
DickCutlersentin adrawingofthe
old ropetrick, asimpleandhandywayto
makesureyourhand-proppedairplane
does notbecomean insurancestatistic. It
reminded meofasimilarinstallationon
JoeDickey'SChamp. Joe,ourlatestAn-
tique/ClassicAdvisor,drew it up andpub-
lished it in his Aeronca AviatorsClub
newsletter. We ' ve includedan updated
drawingbased onJoe'soriginal. Theba-
sicelementsoftheropetrick, the rope,
pin andstri ng areall thatis necessary. If
youwantto"gild thelily" asJoecalls the
additionoftherecoveryreel ,thenhave at
it. What everyou do, tyingtheairplane
duringsolo hand proppingjustmakes
sense. Ifyou'redoingthepropping,and
you don'tknow thattheperson in the
cockpitis experienced,tie the tail!
TheNutsand BoltsofHow NotToGet
RunOverByYourAirplane
byJoeDickey
Thehandproppingissuehasall sortsof
sideissues. Chancesareyourinsurance
0.030STEEL
hasaspecificexclusion ofcoveragefor
anythingrelatedtohandpropping. Do
youacceptastranger'soffertogiveyou a
prop? Iseldomdoanymore. Seentoo
many trywhodon ' tknowhow. Atbest,
you haveaflooded engine. Atworst ,you
arefaced with payingoffthewidow. I
avoid the problemwith a methodsoan-
cientit mayhavebeeninventedby Wilbur
andOrville,butitworks. Seethe doodles.
A thin,strongstringanda brightyel-
low ropesetsthestagefor fun whenaway
from home. Folksseeyou tie the tail,so
theydon'tgettoonervouswhenyou prop
heroffsolo. Fence-leanersgrinandelbow
eachotheras youclimbaboardwith the
tail still secure. They are sure to be
treatedtothespectacleofmy Aeronca
tryingto tow a telephone pole. Iftheau-
dienceis attentive,Ioftenclose thedoor
andgun theengineabittogetthem laugh-
ingand backslappingbeforeI " remem-
ber"therope. I then openthedoor,lean
outand "beckon" therope inside, pulling
thestringwith thebeckoni ng hand whi le
windi ngli ke madwiththeother. A loud

f5/32
"Here,Doggy!"whistleaddsafinal touch
as the ropeobedientlysnakesacrossthe
apronandleapsinto thecockpit. The
hardpartis keepingastraightface while
taxiingpast the slackjawsand bulging
eyeballs.
Likeall things,the rig is notperfect. It
will wear,and mustbe inspectedcarefully
ateveryuse. Itmaysometimessnagon
thetailwheelortail bracewires. Shouldit
doso,SHUTDOWNbeforegettingout
toclearit. Resetthe rigandstartover.
Alwayspull theairplaneforwardafterfas-
teningtherope,so theropehassometen-
siononit. Chockbehind thewheels,if
needed,to keeptheropetaut. Thestring
tothecockpitshouldalways haveplenty
ofslack,so thepin isn'tpulledacciden-
tally. A heavy papercliporsomethingis
niceto keepthestringclippedtothedoor-
sill,soyou don'tsnagthestringwhile
boarding,
Whateveritsshortcomings,Isti ll find
thi ssystem to bethesimplest,safestway
tohandprop. Havefun...andTIE that
airplanewhen hand propping! ...
VINTAGEAIRPLANE23

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MYSTERY PLANE
This airplane probably is not a Mys-
tery to many of our readers, but its un-
usual design warrants inclusion in this
series. The photo is from Art and Rita
Lotten of Salinas, California, sent in by
Paul Kauffman of Traverse City, Michi-
gan. Answers will be published in the
August 1993 issue of Vintage Airplane.
Deadline for that issue is June 20.
Ralph Olsen of San Diego, Califor-
nia sent in a complete answer for the
byGeorgeHardie
February Mystery Plane. He writes:
" It is a Cycloplane Ground Trainer.
1 lea rned to fly in a Cycloplane during
the summer of 1931 at a field between
the American airport and the Lincoln
airport on Crenshaw Blvd., Los Ange-
les, California.
" After racing the Ground Trainer
around until I handled it to the instruc-
tor's satisfaction, 1 tackled the airplane.
There was a set screw on the throttl e
First flights with prospective students were made in the two-place Cycloplane.
24 MAY 1993
stop. At first it was adjusted so that you
could only open the throttl e enough to
taxi. Then enough throttl e so you had
enough speed to bounce off the ground
when the wheels hit bumps. Then a lit-
tle more throttle so you could coax it off
and se ttle back down aga in. A littl e
more and you could take off and hold it
off, mushing along five feet or so above
the ground. After practicing landings
with that throttl e setting for awhile, the
set screw was removed, allowing the en-
gine to develop full rpm. You were
then told to take her up to about 20 feet
and practice shallow turns and land be-
fore reaching the end of the field. The
next step was to climb to the altitude of
the power lines, make a 180 degree turn
before reaching the field boundary and
land. You were then told to take off,
keep going and fly around outside the
airport pattern. That was the gradua-
tion flight!
"I started logging flight time when 1
could take off and hold her off at will,
even though the airplane was just mush-
ing along on ground effect about five
feet up. 1 hear how thrilled people are
by their first solo after eight or so hours
of dual instruction. Believe me, soloi ng
wit h any dual gives one a little extra
kick!
c
~ ~ ~
~
.<::
a.
~
(5
.<::
a.
m
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After the st udent mastered the ground trainer (above left) he was turned loose in the Cycloplane C-1 flying plane (above right).
managed to get the wings level just as the lot Bert Eckstein, let me solo after only 40
wheels touched the turf. The next student minutes dual. The Fleet was quite a change
to have a take off problem wasn't as lucky. from the Cycloplane and I didn't feel quite
He stalled and the plane fell off to the left. competent. But when Bert crawled out of
However, he was lucky in that his only in- the front cockpit, there wasn' t anything to
jury was a broken leg! At the time, I was do but go for it. After flying the Fleet solo
waiting my turn to fly. Since the cracked a few times, Bert gave me 1:30 more dual
"The Cycloplane had an Approved up Cycloplane wasn' t available, I went to and with a grand total of 14:25 hours I
Type Certificate. If you look closely at the American airport side of the field and passed the Private Pilot flight test. How
one of the photos, you can see the ' NC' got checked out in an early model Warner different things are nowadays! "
preceding the registration number on the Fleet (a surplus Consolidated Husky Ju- Other answers were received from
tail. It was powered by a 25 hp, two cylin- nior) , operated by Bill Schoenfeldt who Charlie Hayes, Park Forest , IL; Steven
der, two stroke Cyclomotor manufactured later acquired Keith Rider' s R-4 ' Fire- McNiccoll, De Pere, WI; Ed Garber ,
by the same company. cracker' flown by Gus Gotch and Tony Fayetteville, NC; Lynn Towns, Brooklyn,
"I had an engine failure on take off LeVier in the National Air Races. MI; Marty Eisenmann, Garrettsville, OH;
when I'd logged about six or seven hours. "By this time I had only 8:50 in the Cy- Glenn Buffington, EI Dorado, AR; Ralph
Not knowing any better, I made a 180 and c10plane but Bill's instructor, ex-Navy pi- Nortell, Spokane, W A.
We have more on the Pierce Sporting
Tractor, Vintage Airplane' s first Mystery
Plane. Notes were received from Jack
McRae, Huntington Station, NY; Steve
Green, Lakewood, CO; and Peter Bow-
ers, Seattle, W A. Pete writes:
" . . . It is the Pierce Sporting Tractor
of 1917, built by Samuel Stillman Pierce.
Engine is Pierce' s own 40 hp three-cylin-
der radial. Some references call the en-
gine a Lawrance, but not so. (Pete en-
closed a photocopied page detailing the
Pierce engine from " Aerosphere 1939,"
the best old engine directory around.)
"Pierce was an quite a guy. He built
his own powerplane and two gliders 1908-
o
~
o
<.)
~
~
o
In
*
09, did a lot of overseas organization and
training work early in WW I, then worked
for Curtiss. He was President and Chief
Engineer of S.S. Pierce Aeroplane Corp.,
Southhampton, Long Island, NY, 1915-
17. Pierce got into the Navy in 1917 and
worked up in Naval Aircraft construction
and at the Naval Aircraft Factory for sev-
eral years after the war."
The Pierce three cylinder radial was
rated at 35 hp, with a bore of 4 inches and
a 6 inch stroke. It displaced 226.19 cu. in.
There is a slight discrepancy in the horse-
power of the engine between the Febru-
ary 19, 1917 issue of Aerial Age Weekly
and Aerosphere - the Aerial Age article
The Pierce Sporting Tractor as it appeared on display at the first American
Exposition, Grand Central Palace, New York City, February 1917.
lists the hp as 40 at 1,400 rpm. It also
mentions the weight of the engine - 163
Ibs., complete. The description of the
Pierce, as it was displayed at the 1st
American Exposition, February 8-15,
1917 at Grand Central Palace, New York
City. The description in Aerial Age read:
"The little tractor exhibited by Samuel
S. Pierce attracted admirers by reason of
its neat design and the fact that it is adapt-
able for use by the sportsman. The fuse-
lage is of smooth circular streamlined
form, located above the lower main
plane, and as the motor was made espe-
cially for the machine, the streamline ef-
fect is completely carried out." ...
VINTAGE AI RPLANE 25
c
WELCOMENEWMEMBERS
On this page you'll see the latest additions to the ranks of the EAA Antique/Classic Division. Whether
you're joining for the first time, or are coming back, we welcome you, and we'd especially like to welcome
those ofyou who arejoining us with your interest in Contemporary class aircraft. Welcome one and all!
James F. Adams Flagstaff, AZ Noel C. Friday Osceola, fA James McKinney Cave Creek, AZ
Richard A. Adank Winona, MN John Gantt Marietta, GA Walter S. Meng Mays Lick, KY
Timothy R. Allen Clemmons, NC Joe Gargiulo Milford, OH Alan W. Michalski Greenfield, WI
Harvey W. Alley Grand Rapids, MI Roger R. Gebhart Waldenburg, AR Bruce Miller Beaverton, OR
Robert M. Almes II Dallas, TX Philip Gentile Farmers Branch, TX Robert Mitchell Rye, NH
John Amendola Bellevue, WA Will Goble Swanton, OH Ronald F. Moses Mebane, NC
Richard B. Arnold Graham Equipment Co. Bill Nash Fort Wayne, IN
Fort Lauderdale, FL Adams Mills, OH John J. Parent Chelmsford, MA
Stephen Avery Manchester, NH William D. Green Fairbanks, AK Hal Parker Fawnskin, CA
Dwight G. Baasch Everett, WA Arlan K. Grover Elizabeth, CO Roger D. Parsons Frankfort,OH
Eddie G. Baird Morganfield, KY George Grubich Buhl, MN Wallace C. Peterson Lincoln, NE
Ken Barnard Hope, KS Dan Gui llory, Jr. Eunice, LA Roger F. Phillips Wausau, WI
Mike Beach Twickenham, Middlese Bill R. Hall Huntsville, AL Guy Pontifex
England Lawrence O. Hamblen N. Vancouver, BC, Canada
Ed E. Benguiat Melbourne Beach, FL John D. Prather Columbus, IN
Hasbroock Heights, NJ Karl D. Hamelmann League City, TX Spencer Puskas
Ted Bernart Vancouver, WA Daniel F. Hansen Cypress, CA Rancho Palos Verde, CA
Robert G. Biester Flourtown, PA Russell J. Hardy Eggertsville, NY Robert W. Ray Payson, AZ
Bryan Blazie Belair, MD Jerry R. Hawkins Oshkosh, WI Bruce E. Rex Columbia City, IN
James H. Bohlander Marengo, IL M. Hayles Renhold, England Doneta Reynolds Rochelle, IL
David Brizzee Wanyesboro, PA Bob Heer Corona, CA Dennis E. Richey Ashland, OR
Carl Broderson Vancouver, WA Dale Hiatt Thomasville, NC Paul E. Rossier Santa Barbara, CA
Brian S. Buxton Greensboro, NC George B. Holstead Ruston, LA Ken Ruhnke Beatrice, NE
Tracy J. Call Carmel Valley, CA Daniel L. Hopkins Sarasota, FL Ted Sacher Wilmington, DE
William J. Campbell Jerry R. Houts Petoskey, MI Gloria Santucci Marcy, NY
Lindsay, Ont, Canada Warwick P. Howard Lawrence C. Scalbom Glenview, IL
Arthur Carlson Crows Nest, NSW, Australia Carl E. Schultz Franklin, WI
Red Lake, Ont, Canada Peter Huneau Jake Schultz Issaquah, WA
David Carpenter Berea, KY Thunder Bay, Ont, Canada Dale Senn Cocoa, FL
Francisco P. Casillas Madrid, Spain Robert Jacks Riverwoods,IL Edward Shaffer Saluda, NC
R. F. Champlin San Francisco, CA Darrell R. James Niceville, FL Tim C. Sheridan
Kent G. Christman Charlestown, MA Gregory Paul Jannakos Columbia, SC Chingford Green, England
John Clare Wayne, NJ Jim R. Jarvis Newcastle, OK Gregory J. Siemann Carroll, IA
Jeff Clausen Lincoln, NE Dan B Jensen Downey, ID James W. Smith, Jr. Tifton, GA
Scott A. Clausen Nevato, CA Willi Johnk Piedmont, SC David Smith
Dean E. Clinard Mt Juliet, TN Lennart Johnsson Alingsas, Sweden Maidenhead, Berks, England
James A. Cone Petoskey, MI Donald Johnston Singapore Ray M. Smith Seneca, SC
Martyn Cook John Edwin Jones, Jr. Metter, GA Willie T. Sorrell III
Pukerua Bay, Wellington, New Zealand Robert B. Kemper Kingfisher, OK Rutherford Coll ege, NC
Ira E. Coward II Aiken, SC Darryl J. King Kansas City, MO Jerry L. Sparks Sherman, TX
David B. Crawford Traverse City, MI Edward Klotzbach Crane Lake, MN Fred P. Spec Bradford Woods, PA
Rich Crosley Lancaster, CA John L. Konneker Lawton, OK David C. Squier New Lebanon, NY
Clint Dalton Norfolk, V A Anthony J. Lamontia Bath, OH Stanley Stepp Athens, TN
Robert G. Dart Mayville, NY Frederick M. Lane Perry Point, MD Emerson C. Stewart, Jr.
Edward Del Rosso Matawan, NJ Marc P. Lapinel Long Beach, NY Waynesville, OH
Donald E. Dietz Sun City, CA Keith R. Larson Louisville, KY Charles W. Stimson Waterloo, IA
Bruce C. Douglas Augusta, GA Benjamin E. LeFever Fayetteville, NC W. R. Stokes Austin, TX
Michael A. Dunne Rochester, P A Patricia A. Lee White Bear Lake, MN Robert C. Sweitzer Hillsboro, OR
Marlene Sue Dusz Rockledge, FL Robert Leighton Smithtown, NY Robert G. Troxel Parma,ID
Henry A. Dybowski Hamburg, NY Ceci l G. Livengood Greensboro, NC Rick Vanderloop Kaukauna, WI
Frank Englert Miami, FL William A. Muller Wood Ridge, NJ Rick Verity
Neal Epstein Medway, MA Raymond Macaro Brandon, MS Saxonwold, South Africa
Robert C. Etheridge Atlanta, GA Gordon A. Marker Lexington, MA Jerome A. Wagner Waukesha, WI
Robert L. Evans Jr. Midland, TX Glenn Martin S. W. Watkins
J. Christian Fenger Easton, MD South Woodslee, Ont, Canada Llangarren, NR, England
J. Fitzgerald Peter L. Martin Rochester, MN Stuart P. Weckerly Dearborn, MI
Stratheden Heights, England Jon M. Mason Mt Vernon, MO K. Wines Littlemoor, England
David Fogwill Jerry W. Mays West Liberty, KY Bryon C. Woodside Manassas, VA
Kimerwoth, Rotherham, England Richard L. McBride Webster, NY Carlton R. Worster New Durham, NH
Lisa Fox West Palm Beach, FL Ron McCoUey Wellford, SC Jack W. Wright Walterboro, SC
Carl Fratus Joshua, TX William McFarland Waunakee, WI William E. Yadlosky, Jr.
Varel D. Freeman Bethesda, MD Kenneth E. McKinley Eldon, MO Eagle River, AK
26 MAY 1993
Merced Municipal Airport, Merced,CA. JULY2427.WAUSAU,WIErcoupe
Contact:DonNolte209/384-1144. OwnersClubNationalConvention.Con-
JUNE56.VALPARAISO,IN- Porter tact:Syd Cohen,715/842-7814.
CountyMunicpalAirport. NW IndianaEAA JULY24AND25- SHIOCTON,WI-
Chapter104PancakeBreakfastandSandwich Annual Fly-In. Contact:JoyceBaggot,
Lunch. Contact:BobCollins219/884-1619. 414/986-3547.
JUNE6TUNKHANNOCK,PA- Sky- JULY 27 AUGUST 7 . VAL
haven Airport. Fly-In breakfast ,comefor the PARAISO, (VPZ) IN Food and Fuel
The following list of coming events is
weekendandenjoygreatcampingfacilities. booth. Stopby andseeusonyourwayto
furnished to our readers as a matter of
Call717/836-4800for moreinformation. andfrom Oshkosh. Wearefamous forour
information only and does not constitute
JUNE1113. DENTON,TX- Denton hospit ality! Sponsoredby EAAChapter
approval, sponsorship, involvement,
Municipal Airport. AAA (TexasChapter) 104. Contact: 219/884-1619.
control or direction of any event (fly-in,
30t hAnnual Fly-In. Contact:JohnorNancy THURSDAY JULY29 WEDNES
seminars, fly market, etc.) listed. Please
Whatley 214/517-1981 or Bert Mahon, DAYAUGUST4,1993OSHKOSH,WI
send the information to EAA, Att: Golda
817/387-2620. 41st Annual EAAFly-InandSportAvia-
Cox, P. O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI
JUNEU . GADSDEN,AL.J-3 andPiper tion Convention. WittmanRegionalAir-
54903-3086. Information should be
high wingAnnualFly-In. Ca mping,Bomb port. ContactJohnBurton,P.O.Box3086,
received four months prior to the event
Drop,SpotLandings, Hangardance. Contact: Oshkosh,WI 54904-3086. Call414/426-
date.
FayeBryant,Gadsden Pilot'sAssoc., 196 Ira 4800 for moreinformation. ITS NEVER
GrayDr. ,Gadsden,AL35901 205/442-3313. TOOEARLYTOMAKEPLANSTOAT-
MAY15-16 HAMPTON,NH- Hamp- JUNE12NEWPORTNEWS,VA21st TEND!
ton Field -17thAnnualAviationFlea Mar- Annual Colonia l Fly-In, Newport AUGUST68STILLWATER,OK
ket. Fly-In,Drive-In,Campingon field - no News/WilliamsburgIntI. Airport. Sponsored Lake ElmoAirport. SesquicentennialAvi-
fees. Contact:Mike Hart,603/964-6749. byEAAChapter156. Contactofrinformation ationDays. Fly-In breakfast,balloonrally,
MAY1516JEFFERSONCOUNTY and NORDO entry: Charles Collier, 620 otherevents. 612/430-1200for moreinfor-
AIRPORT,TX - BetweenBeaumontand Hilton Rd. , Newport News , VA 23605 mation.
Port Arthur,TX. First Annual Apprecia- 804/247-5844. AUGUSTU-15 - LOCKHAVEN,PA
tion Day. Contact: Lonnie Hood,409/838- JUNE13AURORA,ILAuroraMunic- - WilliamT.PiperMemorialAirport.Senti-
6973 (W)or409/892-6418. ipal Airport.EAAChapter579Fly-In/Drive- mentalJourney'93. "Aerial MailToLock
MAY16BENTONHARBOR,MI-
In breakfastandairportlFBOopen house.7am Haven" isthisyearstheme. All makesand
Rossfield, 7thannual EAA585 pancake - 3pm. ContactAlan Shackleton,708/466-4193 modelswelcome,especiallyAntiqueand
breakfast ,aviationandlocal exhibits,clas- orBob Rieser, Airport Manager,708/466- classicairplanes.Call717/893-4200(9am 'til
siccars, Lunchavailablefor noonarrivals.
7000. 5pm) ,Fax717/893-4218orwriteP.O. Box
Contact: Al Todd,616/429-8518orwrite JUNE19WILD ROSE,WI - Idl ewild J-3,Lock Haven,PA17745-0496.
Dawn Patrol, 4217 Red Arrow Hwy, Airport- PancakeBreakfast/Fly-In. Idlewild- AUGUST15BROOKFIELD,WI-
Stevensville,MI 49127. Wild RoseAirportAssoc.,P.O. Box296, Wild CapitolAirport. 8thAnnualVintageAir-
MAY21 .23COLUMBIA,CA- Lus- Rose,WI 54984. Call414/622-4020 craftDisplayand IceCreamSocial. Mid-
combe/MonocoupeFly-In. Co-Sponsored JUNE2427MT. VERNON,OH- 34th west AntiqueAirplaneClubwill alsohold
by the Don Luscombe Aviation History AnnualNational Waco Reunion. "Greatest itsmonthlyfly-In meeting. Formoreinfor-
Foundation. Contact: ArtMoxley,23331 WACOShowOnEARTH." Formoreinfor- mation,callGeorgeMeadeat414/962-2428.
SE 267 PI. , Mapl e Valley, WA 98038. mation,call513/868-0084. AUGUST2729SUSSEX,NJ- Sussex
206/432-4865. JUNE2627ORANGE,MA- Orange Airport.Sussex Airshow.Formoreinfor-
MAY2223WADSWORTH,OH- Municipal Airport. 17thAnnualNewEng- mationcall 2011875-0783.
Wadsworth Municipal Airport (3G3). land Regional Fly-In, sponsored by the SEPT.8U GALESBURG,IL- Gales-
EAAChapter846 Fly-Inforexperimental, FriendsoftheOrange Airport. Contact:Bob burgMunicipal Airport. 22ndNational
antique/classicandwarbird airplanes. Con- McKenney,508/544-8762orLen Bedaw(Or- Stearman Fly-In. ContactTomLowe,823
tact :216/334-3699. ange Airport)508/544-8189orFax508/249- Kingston Ln., Crystal Lake, IL60014,
MAY28 30WATSONVILLE,CA- 5940. 815/459-6873 or Harold Canada, 370
29th AnnualWest CoastAntique Fly-In JUNE2627GREELEY,CO - EAA Hawkinson, Av., Galesburg, IL61401,
and Airshow. Fridayis "Family Day," 112 Rocky Mountain Fly-In. Antiques,Classics, 309/343-9850.
price admission for adults, Seniorsandchil- homebuilts,warbirds,ultralights. Noregistra- SEPT.1112MARION,OH- EAA
dren under12 free. Aerobaticsanddemon- tion fee, free camping,transportationto local Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-In(MERFI).
strations onSat. and Sun. Formoreinfo, motels.303/798-6086or353-5514. 513/849-9455.
call Fly-Inofficeat408/496-9559. JULY4 WISCONSIN RAPIDS,WI- SEPT.1819.ROCKFALLS,IL- EAA
MAY 29 DECATUR, AL - EAA WI RapidsAirport. EAAChapter706 Fly- NorthCentralFly-In. 708/513-0642
Chapter941lDecatur-AthensAero5th An- In / Drive In Pancake Breakfast. 7:30- SEPT.20ROCKFALLS,IL- Pancake
nual Fly-In. Experimentals,Warbirds,and 1130am. Call715/435-3644forinformation. Breakfastin ConjuctionwiththeNorth
AntiquesandClassics. Awardsfor planes JULY711ARLINGTON,WANorth- CentralFly-In.
andpilots. Campingavailable. Call for west EAAFly-In. 206/435-5857. SEPT.2426CAMDEN,SC.52nd re-
moreinformation:205/355-5770. JULY1011DELAWARE,OH12th unionofSouthernAviationSchool,pilot ,
MAY2931 MAYVILLE,NY - Dart Annual EAAChapter9 Fly-In. Delaware PrimaryFlightTraining1941-1944. Forall
Airportand Aviation Museum. Sportand Airport. ContactAlan Harding,614/442- Alumni ,employeesandall personel. Con-
VintageGlider/SailplaneMeet. Contact 0024. tact: Bill Hawkins,P.O.Box789,Camden,
Dart Airport, P.O. Box211, Mayvill e,NY JULY10- 11EMMETSBURG,IA- SC29020. Phone803/432-9595.
14757. Phone716/753-2160 5thAnnualAeroncaFly-Insponsoredby the SEPT.2526- WILMINGTON,DE-
JUNE45. BARTLESVILLE,OK- "TaildraggerClub". Contact: Keith Harn- EAAEastCoastRegionalFly-In. 301/933-
FrankPhillipsField. BIPLANEEXPO' 93, den,Box285,Emmetsburg, IA50536. 0314.
the7thannualNational BiplaneConven- JULY11MICHIGANCITY,IN- EAA SEPT.30OCT.3- OWENSBORO,
tionand Exposition. Biplaneairshow,fo- Chapter966 PancakeBreakfast. Contacts: KY. OwensboroDaviesCountyAirport.
rums,seminars,workshops. Biplanesand TheDees- 219/324-6060orthe Hugley's AnnualConventionofInternationalCessna
NBAmembersfree,for all othersan admis- 219/325-0133. 1201140 Assoc. Contact:DavidLoweorGil
sion fee is required. ContactCharlesW. JULY 23 24COFFEYVILLE, KS Pounds. 502/736-5392orFax736-2403.
Harris,Chairman,918/742-7311 orVirgil Funk AircraftOwnersAssoc.Reunion. Con- OCT.13 PRESCOTT,AZ- EAA
Gaede,ExpoDirector,918/336-3976. tact :GeneVentress ,10215S. Monticello, CopperstateFly-In. 6021750-5480.
JUNE4.5. MERCED,CA- 36th An- ShawneeMission,KS 66227. Phone913/782- OCT.1517. KERRVILLE,TX- EAA
nual Merced West CoastAntiqueFly-In. 1483. SouthwestRegionalFly-In. 915/658-4194.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
"OUT OF THE CLEAR BLUE OF
THEWESTERN
SKY, IT'S . ..
Hundredsofthousandsofpilotsandaviationen-
thusiastsgrewupknowingthatfamouslinemeantit
wastimeforSKY KING! Everyweek,SkyKing,
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Collect all 11 volumes! Watch for more as they are discovered!
TOORDER
SKY KING
(orforafree EAAVideoCatalog)
Volumes1- 11
Call 1-800-843-3612
$24.95*each
orwrite
EAAVideoSales
OR Save $30!
P.O. Box3065
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Orderall11 volumesforonelowpriceof$244.45*
Oshkosh,WI 54903-3065
plusshipping (Wisconsinresi dentspleaseadd 5% salestax.)
AskabouttheEAAVideoClubandhowyoucansaveanadditional15%oneveryvideopurchase.
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