AUGUST 2010
STRAIGHT & LEVEL
GEOFF ROBISON
PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
Keeping abreast of issues
tay tuned for more coverage
on EAA Oshkosh AirVenture
2010 in the October Vintage
Airplane magazine.
Heads up everyone: EAA is asking
the membership to stand down on
reacting to the FCCs controversial
announcement on June 15. As many
of you are already aware, the FCC has
a planned change to 47 CFR Part 87
to prohibit the certification, manufacture, importation, sale, or use of
any 121.5 ELT (emergency locator
transmitter) devices. (With the exception of the Breitling Emergency watch
with ELT).
This of course is in direct conflict
with FAA Rule 14 CFR Part 91.207,
which requires you to have an operational ELT on board your U.S.registered civil aircraft regardless of
the operating frequency of 121.5 or
the updated 406 MHz. Although this
new FCC ruling was written to take
effect 60 days after publication, EAA
is busy working with other aviation
associations to remedy these conflicting rules. As of July 13, the proposed
regulation had not been published in
the Federal Register, so the 60-day clock
had not begun. Because of the attention brought to bear on this proposed
rule change by industry and government agencies like the FAA and the
U.S. Small Business Administration,
publication has been delayed as the
FCC re-evaluates the situation.
In an attempt to better educate myself on the latest developments with
a non-leaded alternative to 100LL, I
have managed to learn a little about
this important issue and how the industry continues to struggle to find
that ever elusive silver bullet to resolve
this matter. Nearly all of you know
that the EPA continues to push hard
on the fuel industry for a resolution
to the formulation of a non-leaded
fuel that will perform satisfactorily
with our piston-powered aircraft. In
addition, aviation is soon to be the
only user of the lead additive, thus
making aviation subject to financial
and supply interruptions. There is
only one producer of the additive left
in the world. All it would take is one
industrial accident at that plant and
there would be no 100LL available.
While most of our lower- and middle-horsepower vintage aircraft would
actually be better off with one of the
currently available specifications for
unleaded aviation fuels, our friends
with high-horsepower engines would
be put in a difficult position, with derated engines or worse.
It appears that the struggle continues. Along the way I have become
aware of a number of relevant factors
that I was totally ignorant of that you
may find interesting. We are all aware
of the issues surrounding the need to
find an alternative fuel for our vintage flying machines, but I was totally rolled back on my heels when
I learned that 100LL makes up only
1/10 of 1 percent of all the refined fuels in this nation. So you can easily
imagine why the need for the fuel industry to heavily invest in a solution
isnt high on its radar.
The EPA has actually been successfully sued by environmentalists who
continue to demand that the EPA enforce the rules and get the lead out
of aviation fuels. The FAA has only
recently engaged itself in the fray, and
it has gotten busy with evaluating the
hundreds of alternative blends formulated to address all of the technical
and complicated issues at hand. The
goal is to find a common standard
fuel that will service the entire fleet
without any compromise to performance or engine life. Thats a huge
goal, and its not likely to be developed overnight, or any time soon for
that matter.
The industry has never had to
reverse engineer a safe alternative
fuel for the existing fleet, and it has
indeed proven to be an elusive task.
Then, mix in the fact that there
remains only one manufacturer of
tetraethyl lead fuel additive left in
the world, serving only 1/10 of 1
percent of all blended fuels in this
country, and you begin to realize
the need to move forward with this
initiative. Lets all hope for the best.
I like to think that we have not yet
found that chemical engineer with
the talent to see this issue resolved.
Industry leaders are now lamenting the fact that leadership by the
FAA is vital at this juncture in order to remove any unnecessary or
outdated hurdles, and Such hurdles could delay the development
and delivery of new products and
should be removed if they provide
no safety benefit.
For more on this subject, Id suggest reading the Advocacy Update on
page 10 of the August issue of EAA
Sport Aviation; EAA has long been active in the research related to fuels,
and it intends to continue to be proactive in helping the industry find a
solution that works. Well continue to
monitor both these situations along
with our friends at EAA, and well
keep you posted.
A I R P L A N E
Vol. 38, No. 7
2010
A U G U S T
CONTENTS
IFC Straight & Level
Keeping abreast of issues
by Geoff Robison
News
Aeromail
The Sensuously Svelte Ryan SCW
The Larson familys flying legacy
by Sparky Barnes Sargent
15
How to Tie the Seine Knot!
Dont let that pesky little knot drive you insane
by Bob Whittier
18
Life and the Zen of the Stinson
How an airplane weaves its way into many lives
by Budd Davisson
26
Light Plane Heritage
The Allen A-4 Lightplane
by Jack McRae
29
The Vintage Mechanic
Structural alignment
by Robert G. Lock
34
The Vintage Instructor
The lost art of slips
by Steve Krog, CFI
36
Mystery Plane
18
BONNIE KRATZ
by H.G. Frautschy
39
Classified Ads
40
A Different Perspective
The right seat
by S. Michelle Souder
COVERS
FRONT COVER: With the translucent turquoise waters of the Gulf of Mexico below, father/son
team Brad and Glenn Larson cruise along in Brads 1938 Ryan SCW, which he purchased in 1952.
Read Sparky Barnes Sargents stor y star ting on page 6. EAA photo by Chris Miller, photo plane
flown by Bruce Moore.
BACK COVER: The Stinson 108 series has been a favorite of generations of pilots since their
production in the 1940s. Each seems to weave in and out of peoples lives as the airplanes move
from caretaker to caretaker. NC6865M is one of those aircraft, and in Budd Davissons ar ticle
star ting on page 18 you can read more on its journey and the people who have come along for the
ride. EAA photo by Jim Koepnick, photo plane flown by Bruce Moore.
STAFF
EAA Publisher
Director of EAA Publications
Executive Director/Editor
Production/Special Project
Photography
Copy Editor
Tom Poberezny
Mary Jones
H.G. Frautschy
Kathleen Witman
Jim Koepnick
Bonnie Kratz
Colleen Walsh
Publication Advertising:
Manager/Domestic, Sue Anderson
Tel: 920-426-6127
Email: sanderson@eaa.org
Fax: 920-426-4828
Manager/European-Asian, Willi Tacke
Phone: +49(0)1716980871 Email: willi@flying-pages.com
Fax: +49(0)8841 / 496012
Coordinator/Classified, Lesley Poberezny
Tel: 920-426-6563
Email: classads@eaa.org
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1
VAA NEWS
JAY TOLBERT
Arlington Fly-In
Vintage Aircraft Online
Last year we launched the online
publication Vintage Aircraft Online,
and it immediately became popular
with thousands of our members and
enthusiasts. Like Vintage Airplane
magazine, theres always a need for
interesting material to share with the
membership. If you have something
youd like to contribute, please drop
us a line via e-mail at vintageaircraft@
eaa.org. Perhaps you have a batch of
10-15 photos of a fly-in, a project or
how-to that would be great to share
in a slideshow, or a few pictures and
a write-up about your local vintage
aircraftoriented event. If you think
it would be of interest, send it along!
Visitors to the Arlington Fly-In got a real treat Thursday, July 8, as a Boeing
787 Dreamliner made a fly-by to provide an exciting opening to the afternoon air
show. The airplane, still undergoing test flights, made two low passes before the
cheering crowd.
The fly-in star ted Wednesday, July 7, and unlike some past years, Mother
Nature was extremely cooperative. Were having a wonder ful run of incredible
weather, said fly-in Executive Director Barbara Tolber t. The fly-in, which ran
through Sunday, July 11, featured ever ything from hot-air balloons and radiocontrolled aircraft to the most modern naval jets.
One of the newest attractions on the Arlington landscape is the Antique
Airplane Barnstormers Barn in the Vintage Aircraft area. EAA Manager of Field
Relations Ron Wagner described the project as one highlighting the ingenuity
of EAAers through and through. One person cut down the trees from his land,
and a portable milling machine was brought in to cut the boards. Then they were
dried with fans. Volunteers put it together in four different sections. Since its
located on airport property, the sections make it easier to move before and after
the event. Its really neatall built by volunteers at little cost to the fly-in.
The Barnstormers Barn Red Barn is a part of the newly renovated Vintage Aircraft area, which by all accounts was very well received. Vintage Day was Friday,
July 9, where in addition to historic aircraft, there were vintage cars and livinghistory re-enactors in period costume. Featured inside the barn were items from
the Skagit Aero Education Museum of Concrete, Washington.
For more information on the fly-in and the Barnstormers Red Barn project,
visit the Arlington Fly-Ins website at www.ArlingtonFlyIn.org.
Honoring EAAs 2010
Vintage Aircraft Association Hall
of Fame Inductee: Morton Lester
EAA will welcome and honor
five new members to its Halls of
Fame on October 29, 2010. All EAA
members are invited to attend the
induction ceremony and dinner
that evening in the EAA AirVenture
Museum. For tickets, please call
800-236-1025.
The inductees in the following
areas are: Ultralights, John Ballantyne; International Aerobatic
2 AUGUST 2010
JOHN EASTEP
Club, Jimmy Franklin; Warbirds
of America, Harold D. Hal
Weekley; and Homebuilders,
Dean Wilson. These inductees
capture the spirit of EAA and its
community.
VAAs inductee is Morton Lester (VAA 14) of
Martinsville,
Virginia. Morton learned
to fly from
his father,
the owner
of his homet o w n s f i r s t
airport. Over
the years, he
Morton Lester
owned many
aircraft, ranging from modern
Bonanzas to vintage Wacos. Morton also restored many prototypes
and one-of-a-kind racing aircraft
that he later donated to museums,
including the Crosby CR-4 and
the Keith Rider Jackrabbit.
Instrumental in the creation
of the Virginia Aviation Museum,
Morton was an early member of
EAA/VAA Chapter 3 and has served
as its president several times. He
also served on the board of directors for what is now the Vintage
Aircraft Association, as well as the
board of directors of the EAA Aviation Foundation.
Enroll in an EAA Webinar!
Join the thousands of people
who have participated in free EAA
webinars (web-based seminars).
All you need is a computer and a
broadband Internet connection to
receive live streaming interactive
multimedia programs at home.
Upcoming episodes include
Airpark LivingDream or Disaster? with Ben Sclair, August
26; and Building the Buttercup,
with Earl Luce, September 14.
(All start at 7 p.m. Central and
last about an hour.) Sign up for
these and other webinars at www.
EAA.org/webinars. And view previous webinars on the EAA video
player, www.EAA.org/videojust
click on the Webinars tab.
Nominat
ions
C A L L F OR V I N TA G E A I R C R A F T A S S O C I AT IO N
.OMINATE YOUR FAVORITE AVIATOR FOR THE
%!! 6INTAGE !IRCRAFT !SSOCIATION (ALL OF
&AME ! GREAT HONOR COULD BE BESTOWED UPON
THAT MAN OR WOMAN WORKING NEXT TO YOU ON
YOUR AIRPLANE SITTING NEXT TO YOU IN THE CHAP
TER MEETING OR WALKING NEXT TO YOU AT %!!
!IR6ENTURE /SHKOSH 4HINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE
IN YOUR CIRCLE OF AVIATION FRIENDS THE MECHAN
IC PHOTOGRAPHER OR PILOT WHO HAS SHARED IN
NUMERABLE TIPS WITH YOU AND WITH MANY OTH
ERS 4HEY COULD BE THE NEXT 6!! (ALL OF &AME
INDUCTEEBUT ONLY IF THEY ARE NOMINATED
4HE PERSON YOU NOMINATE CAN BE A CITIZEN
OF ANY COUNTRY AND MAY BE LIVING OR DECEASED
HIS OR HER INVOLVEMENT IN VINTAGE AVIATION
MUST HAVE OCCURRED BETWEEN AND THE
PRESENT DAY (IS OR HER CONTRIBUTION CAN BE
IN THE AREAS OF mYING DESIGN MECHANICAL OR
AERODYNAMIC DEVELOPMENTS ADMINISTRATION
WRITING SOME OTHER VITAL AND RELEVANT lELD OR
ANY COMBINATION OF lELDS THAT SUPPORT AVIA
TION 4HE PERSON YOU NOMINATE MUST BE OR
HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE 6INTAGE !IRCRAFT
!SSOCIATION AND PREFERENCE IS GIVEN TO THOSE
WHOSE ACTIONS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE 6!! IN
SOME WAY PERHAPS AS A VOLUNTEER A RESTORER
WHO SHARES HIS EXPERTISE WITH OTHERS A WRITER
A PHOTOGRAPHER OR A PILOT SHARING STORIES PRE
SERVING AVIATION HISTORY AND ENCOURAGING NEW
PILOTS AND ENTHUSIASTS
To nominate someone is easy. It just takes a little time and a little reminiscing on your part.
s 4HINK OF A PERSON THINK OF HIS OR HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO VINTAGE AVIATION
s 7RITE THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF THE NOMINATION FORM
s 7RITE A SIMPLE LETTER HIGHLIGHTING THESE ATTRIBUTES AND CONTRIBUTIONS -AKE COPIES OF
NEWSPAPER OR MAGAZINE ARTICLES THAT MAY SUBSTANTIATE YOUR VIEW
s )F YOU CAN HAVE ANOTHER PERSON COMPLETE A FORM OR WRITE A LETTER ABOUT THIS PERSON
CONlRMING WHY THE PERSON IS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR INDUCTION
Mail nominating materials to: 6!! (ALL OF &AME
%!! 6INTAGE !IRCRAFT !SSOCIATION
0/ "OX
/SHKOSH 7)
Remember, your contemporary may be a candidate; nominate someone today!
&IND THE NOMINATION FORM AT www.VintageAircraft.org OR CALL THE 6!! OFlCE FOR A COPY
OR ON YOUR OWN SHEET OF PAPER SIMPLY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION
s $ATE SUBMITTED
s .AME OF PERSON NOMINATED
s !DDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER OF NOMINEE
s %
MAIL ADDRESS OF NOMINEE
s $ATE OF BIRTH OF NOMINEE )F DECEASED DATE OF DEATH
s .AME AND RELATIONSHIP OF NOMINEES CLOSEST LIVING RELATIVE
s !DDRESS AND PHONE OF NOMINEES CLOSEST LIVING RELATIVE
s 6!! AND %!! NUMBER IF KNOWN .OMINEE MUST HAVE BEEN OR IS A 6!! MEMBER
s 4IME SPAN DATES OF THE NOMINEES CONTRIBUTIONS TO VINTAGE AVIATION
-UST BE BETWEEN TO PRESENT DAY
s !REAS OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO AVIATION
s $ESCRIBE THE EVENTS OR NATURE OF ACTIVITIES THE NOMINEE HAS UNDERTAKEN IN AVIATION TO
BE WORTHY OF INDUCTION INTO THE 6!! (ALL OF &AME
s $ESCRIBE ACHIEVEMENTS THE NOMINEE HAS MADE IN OTHER RELATED lELDS IN AVIATION
s (AS THE NOMINEE ALREADY BEEN HONORED FOR HIS OR HER INVOLVEMENT IN AVIATION ANDOR THE
CONTRIBUTION YOU ARE STATING IN THIS PETITION )F YES PLEASE EXPLAIN THE NATURE OF THE
HONOR ANDOR AWARD THE NOMINEE HAS RECEIVED
s !NY ADDITIONAL SUPPORTING INFORMATION
s 3UBMITTERS ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER PLUS E
MAIL ADDRESS
s )NCLUDE ANY SUPPORTING MATERIAL WITH YOUR PETITION
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
Regards,
Jim Gorman
Mansfield, Ohio
AEROMAIL
Send your comments and questions to:
VAA, Letters to the Editor
P.O. Box 3086
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086
Or you can e-mail them to: vintageaircraft@eaa.org
Douglas DC-2
I was reading through the April
issue of Vintage Airplane (another
excellent issue), and the insert on
page 3 regarding the Douglas DC-2
joining the Oshkosh DC-3 celebration caught my eye. It has also
prompted this letter.
While Clay Lacy is an aviation
luminary and has made significant
contributions to the aviation industry over the years, I wish to take
exception to the statement that
he was the driving force behind
the airplanes restoration. Ive enclosed an article that appeared in
the AAHS Journal, Vol. 52, No. 4,
Winter 2007, detailing the history
of this aircraft.
The real credit for the rescue and
restoration of this aircraft should
go to the volunteers of the Douglas
Historical Foundation and many
retired McDonnell Douglas employees that brought a derelict airframe back to airworthy condition.
Mr. Lacy was never a member of
the Douglas Historical Foundation,
nor a contributor to that group to
my knowledge or that of former
members I have queried.
I have no knowledge as to the identity of the businessman who purchased
the aircraft from the Santa Monica Museum of Flying after its closure and who
donated it to the Museum of Flight.
I know that Mr. Lacy was responsible
for the refurbishment, which fundamentally involved installing certified
airworthy engines and performing an
airworthy flight inspection.
The purpose of this note is to call
4 AUGUST 2010
attention to those unnamed and unsung volunteers of the Douglas Historical Foundation that restored this
aircraft. Without their efforts, Mr.
Lacy would not have the opportunity
of bringing the last airworthy DC-2
to Oshkosh this summer.
Keep up the great work on Vintage Airplane.
Regards,
Hayden Hamilton
AAHS Managing Editor,
VAA 714656
We appreciate Hayden taking the
time to set the record straight on Captain Lacys level of involvement in the
DC-2; we look forward to publishing
more on this remarkable restoration
in a future issue of Vintage Airplane.
H.G. Frautschy
Horsa, Not a Waco
I dont want to be picky, but that
is a Horsa glider, not a CG-4 [on
page 20 of the June issue].
I remember towing both, and the
Horsa was about all a C-47 could
handle when loaded!
Jims right; I misidentified it when
writing the captionthe fault is entirely
my own, not author Henry Holdens. Jim
Gorman flew the C-47 during his military service during World War II, and
later he became very active in the preservation of the Beech Staggerwing series of aircraft. He and his wife, Marge,
have been active pilots for more than
65 years, and they were recently presented with Wright Brothers Master Pilot awards by the FAA.H.G. Frautschy
Emma Browning
Mrs. Emma Browning, former
owner and operator of Browning
Aerial Service on Robert Mueller
Airport in Austin, Texas, passed
away at the age of 99-1/2.
Born on October 26, 1910,
in Eastland, Texas, she took her
first plane ride in 1929. In 1930,
she met and later married Robert
M. Browning, an original barnstormer. She obtained her pilots
certificate in 1939. Together they
moved to Austin and opened
a school to train military pilots.
An original founding member of
NATA (National Air Transportation
Association), she operated an FBO
business for over 60 years, serving
airline, business, and private aircraft. Mrs. Browning was inducted
into the Texas Aviation
Hall of Fame in 2005.
Emma met and knew
Charles Lindbergh and
Amelia Earhart. Amelia
spent the night in the
Browning home when
her Autogiro broke
down. When Lindberghs plane broke, he
asked to borrow a plane
from the Brownings.
Mrs. Browning replied,
Charlie, we dont loan airplanes; we
rent airplanes.
A mentor to many, she will be
truly missed.
Mike Fooshee,
Capt., Southwest Airlines (Retired)
The stamp and two photos by Lassi
Tolvanen of the former Finnish Airlines DC-3/C-47.
Finnish DC-3
Much has been written about
the DC-3, and the series article of
Mr. Holden in your magazine was
very welcome.
The June issue arrived only yesterday in this corner of the world,
but already the two fi rst parts led
me into temptation to brag about
the plane we are flying here in
Finland. It must beit isthe
most beautiful example fl ying in
Europe! Picture proof enclosed!
Our ship is s/n 6346 of a batch
of 17 ordered by Pan Am. It went,
however, straight to military services as a C-52C and served eventually in the European theater of operations. After the war it was bought
by AERO Oylater Finnairand
flew there until 1966. It then flew
for 16 years in the Finnish air force
before being purchased by Airveteran Oy in 1986.
Being a retired airline pilot,
I have flown it since then as a
hobby. We operate it on club basis, i.e., membership in the club
being a requisite to board the
plane. Our purpose is to keep the
plane in airworthy condition as
a piece of Finlands aviation his-
tory and to honor those who have
fl own and maintained it since its
birth in 1942.
Sincerely,
Kari I. Heikkala
VAA 20948
P.S. It is our plane on the stamp!
Flight Comes
ALIVE!
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
the
Sensuously
Ryan
SCW
CHRIS MILLER
6 AUGUST 2010
Svelte
The
Larson
familys
flying
legacy
BY
SPARKY BARNES SARGENT
The svelte silhouette of the 1938 Ryan
SC-W145s streamlined fuselage, accentuated by its shapely rudder and finely
tapered wings, is a distinctive example
of aircraft artistry from the late 1930s.
Viewed from virtually any vantage point,
this Warner-powered Ryan Sport Coupe is
one magnificent flying machine. Its no
surprise that Brad Larson, an EAA member
since 1965, has been caretaker for NC18912
(s/n 206) for 58 years now, and counting.
He personally completed its 10-year restoration in 1962, when he was 47 years
old. Hes 95 now and still enjoys flying it
with his son, Glennespecially to a fly-in,
where other folks can enjoy it as well.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
NC18912 was originally equipped with a wooden
Hartzell propeller and a 145-hp Warner. It now has a
165-hp Warner and an Ole Fahlin propeller.
CHRIS MILLER
Ryan Aeronautical Company
The Sport Coupe, or SC, was conceived by T. Claude Ryan, founder
of Ryan Aeronautical Company
at Lindbergh Field in San Diego,
California. By the late 1930s, the
company was already known for its
tandem-seat, open-cockpit, Menasco-powered Ryan ST (Sport Trainer)
and Ryan STA (Aerobatic). In early
1937, Approved Type Certificate
(ATC) No. 651 was issued for Ryans SC-150 prototype (NX17372,
s/n 201), as powered by a 150-hp
Menasco. But after flight tests,
the Menasco was removed and a
seven-cylinder 145-hp Warner Su-
8 AUGUST 2010
per Scarab was installed. Thus the
prototype became an SC-W145
(NC17372) under ATC No. 658 on
October 31, 1937. (This airplane is
now on display at Pioneer Airport
at the EAA AirVenture Museum.)
The SC-W was revolutionary in
the era of primarily tube-and-fabric
construction methods and easily
attracted ardent admirers due to its
striking appearance, precision allmetal construction, and overall responsive performance. A full-page
ad in the March 1938 issue of Aero
Digest proclaimed the Sport Coupes
popularity at the trade show in Chicago: Crowds and More Crowds
Hailed this New Era Cabin Plane!
. . . Ryan S-C was a whole show in
itself. The air-wise flocked to the
only new design in production that
was shown. With its sleek modern
metal construction, with vision
never before obtained in a cabin
plane, the new three-place Ryan
S-C stole the show at Chicago.
Beautiful to look at, beautiful to
handle, all agreed that the S-C combines more advanced features than
any other plane in its field. The ad
further heralded the features of the
airplane by stating: Like modern
airliners, built for comfort, security
and performance, the S-C com-
CHRIS MILLER
H.G. FRAUTSCHY
Brad Larson and his son, Glenn, with Brads favorite airplane.
Brad Larson (left) and David Russell Williams stand in front of Brads
Ryan when the two SCW owners visited the Grass Roots Fly-In in 2008.
bines the advantages of low wing
design and metal construction.
Its maneuverability is amazing; its
response to the controls uncanny.
Professional and amateur pilots
alike pronounce it the easiest ship
to fly in America. Inherent stability permits protracted flying with
hands or feet off the controls.
The SC-W featured side-by-side
adjustable seating in the front,
with a third seat in the back. Pilot
and passengers entered the soundproofed cabin from the wing walk.
After effortlessly sliding the canopy
aft along its ball-bearing tracks, they
easily lowered themselves into the
SC-Ws neatly appointed cabin, with
its soft leather seats and individual
heat and ventilation ducts. If additional fresh air was desired, the canopy could be opened during flight.
Yet only 12 Ryan SC-Ws were
produced before World War II began in 1941. The company abruptly
switched its focus from the lightplane and sportsman market to
producing military primary trainers
(PT series). After the war, Ryan purchased the rights to North American Aviations Navion, re-entering
the lightplane market. Of the dozen
SC-Ws manufactured, nine are currently listed on the FAA Registry.
Specifications and Construction
The SC-Ws monocoque fuselage
is composed of formed bulkheads
and heavy aluminum sheet. The
distinctive cantilever wings span 37
feet 6 inches. Aircraft historian and
author Joseph Juptner describes the
wing construction as being a
type of monospar wing wherein the
single hollow spar beam formed
the first third of the wings front
edge as a monocoque all-metal box;
the wing ribs cantilevered from the
spars rear face to the trailing edge.
The forward third of the wing was
covered with Alclad (24ST) metal
sheet, and the rear 2/3 portion was
covered in fabric. (U.S. Civil Aircraft, Volume 7)
The chord at the wing root measures 99 inches, which dramatically
tapers down to only 26 inches at the
wingtip. The detachable, rounded
wingtips are also made of aluminum. The fabric-covered ailerons
have a static and dynamic counter
balance, and the rudder, elevators,
vertical stabilizer, and strut-braced
horizontal stabilizers are also fabric-covered. The airframe measures
25 feet 5 inches from nose to tail,
and stands 7 feet tall on its widely
spaced main gear (97-inch tread).
As powered by the 145-hp Warner, its empty weight is 1,345
pounds, and its gross weight is
2,150 pounds. With a fuel burn of
9.5 gph and a capacity of 37 gallons, the Ryan SC-W145 offers a
range of around 450 miles, while
cruising in the neighborhood of 135
to 140 mph. Its maximum speed is
150 mph. One particularly unusual
feature of the SC-W is its perforated
center-section belly flap (air brake)
with a total area of about 5 square
feet. The air brake can be extended
35 degrees while flying 108 mph
or less; landing speed with the air
brake extended is 45 mphotherwise, its 55 mph, and air-oil shock
struts facilitate soft landings.
Lifetime of Flying
When he was young, Brad Larsons interest in aviation was sparked
by a friends Jenny. He embraced his
first airplane restoration while still
in his teens; in 1931 he bought a
1925 Henderson-powered Dormoy
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
(designed and built by Etienne Dormoy, who also built the 1924 Dormoy Bathtub). Brad recalls that the
1925 model was an improved version with fabric covering, and it had
placed second and third in the 1925
National Air Races. Naturally, Brad
was excited to have the opportunity
to restore the airplane, and after
covering the fuselage and wings, he
installed a low-powered Indian motorcycle engine on it, instead of the
costlier 20-hp Henderson engine. It
was perhaps his first practical lesson
about horsepower and airplanes; the
small Indian simply didnt generate
enough power to even lift the ship
off the ground.
In 1932-1933, Brad learned to fly
in a 1931 tandem-seat, open-cockpit,
pusher airplane that few today have
seen aloft. Three of us bought a
Curtiss Junior, and I learned to fly
in that, Brad recalls. I flew an
Aeronca C-3 quite a bit, and had a
couple of Cubs. Although he has
logged numerous hours in several
aircraft logbooks, he has never to-
Glenn shows how to
activate
the perforated drag flap
mounted below the cockpit.
PHOTOS CHRIS MILLER
CHRIS MILLER
10 AUGUST 2010
PHOTOS CHRIS MILLER
The cockpit of the Ryan is best described as well-loved and careworn.
While not a showplane, its worn instrument panel paint highlights the
fact the Ryan has never been a hangar queen. Over the decades Brad Larson has flown the aircraft from coast-to-coast on numerous occasions.
taled his hours of lightplane flying.
He later began his aviation career as an aircraft mechanic. He
would go on to become a pilot for
Northwest Airlines, and eventually
he started training other pilots and
giving them their six-month check
flights and type ratings. The latter
was a challenging yet rewarding
role that he fulfilled for 15 years.
Throughout his career, Brads interest in lightplanes never wavered
hes owned a variety of airplanes,
including a Taylorcraft on floats, a
couple of Bonanzas, and another
Curtiss Junior, and he still owns an
award-winning Cessna Airmaster
on floats. When asked what his favorite airplane is, he flashes a handsome, knowing smile and happily
responds, The Ryan SC-W.
NC18912 was featured on the
cover of the March 1975 issue of Air
Progress, in which Budd Davissons
corresponding pilot report was published. Davisson was impressed with
the airplanes 800 fpm climb, the
impressive deceleration obtained by
merely half-deployment of the perforated belly flap, and the aircrafts
excellent visibility. Additionally, he
wrote, The long-span ailerons give
a quick response, but the same large
ailerons that give quick roll rates also
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
make stick forces on the heavy side.
But the airplane is nimble. (The entire pilot report is available at www.
Airbum.com.)
Photo of NC18912, with its bomb attached during its anti-submarine
patrol days.
Young Brad Larson, with his 1925 Dormoyhes re-covered the fuselage,
installed the Indian motorcycle engine, and is ready to attach the wing.
12 AUGUST 2010
PHOTOS COURTESY BRAD LARSON
Bombs Away!
This particular Ryan has some
interesting history. During World
War II, our plane was used as an antisubmarine dive bomber from the
eastern United States coastal waters
down to the Florida coast. The doctor who owned the SC-W at that
time had named it Honey Child, and
he loaned it to the Civil Air Patrol,
shares Glenn. More detail about this
facet of the Ryans history is revealed
by the aircraft records, which include
the Supplement to Aircraft Operation
Record (Form 309), dated September 12, 1941. This form states that
Ryan SC-W-145 (s/n 206), with Civil
Aeronautics Administration (CAA)
identification mark NC18912, was
authorized for the following additional operation: May carry specified bomb load, only under direct
orders of the proper military authorities. Operation Limitation No
persons other than bona fide members of the crew may be carried with
bomb installed. The new weight
schedule of the airplane accounted
for the bomb shackle and installation weight of 8 pounds and the
100-pound weight of the bomb. This
confidential paperwork was signed
by G.G. McElravy, senior aircraft inspector, and dated May 28, 1942.
The following year, a CAA Repair and
Alteration Form showed that thencurrent owner Robert Silverman of
Pennsylvania had the bomb shackle
and release removed from the aircraft as of September 1, 1943.
Glenn also shares that NC18912
was once flown by Gen. Jimmy
Doolittle, and this airplane was
featured in the Hollywood movie
Wake Island as a Japanese Zero.
[This 1942 Paramount Pictures
movie received four Oscar nominations.] Plus, the airplane is fully
aerobaticthere used to be a guy
(Dee Barnard) from Michigan who
did air shows in another SC-W
(NC18914) back in the 1960s.
Chain of Ownership
Ryan Aeronautical Companys
chief engineer, Millard C. Boyd,
signed the Manufacturers Affidavit of Conformity for s/n 206, SCW145 on April 12, 1938. Two days
later, the airplane was sold to its
first ownerWarner Aircraft Corporation of Detroit, Michigan. In
September 1940, Richard Booth
Wallace of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, sold it for $2,500 to Herman
Neuweiler of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Neuweiler sold it for $3,500
in January 1942, and Robert Silverman of Philadelphia became
the new owner. Other owners included William Cherney and Dupree Wooten of Chicago, Rex Short
of Michigan, and Gordon Haase of
Appleton, Wisconsin. Haase sold it
to Fliteways in September 1948, and
it sold it the following month to
Paper Cities Flying Service, also of
Wisconsin. In April 1949, Northern
School of Aviation of Marquette,
Michigan, bought NC18912. It sold
it in October 1951 to the Marshfield Aero Club of Wisconsin.
The following July, the Ryan
SC-W changed hands yet again
this time, it went to Brad Larson of
Minnesota. The SC-W hadnt been
advertised; in fact, it had been disassembled and was collecting dust
in storage. I found it back in a
hangar, recounts Brad, when I
was trying to sell my civilian HowardNC22424, the Shell Oil Howardto a fellow for around $2,300.
I saw this airplane all in parts in the
back, and said, Whats that? He
told me, Thats a little Ryan Sport
Coupe model. I said, Throw all
that junk in with it, and its a deal.
I had never flown a Ryan SC-W before, but I did have a ride in one.
Restoration
Delighted with his find, Brad set
about the process of personally restoring it during the next 10 years.
Prior to the Ryan project, he had
already restored a few airplanes, including the early Dormoy, a Piper
Cub, and a Rearwin Cloudster.
Glenn was a young child at the
The following is an enlightening firsthand accountt
of the manufacturing techniques used for the Ryan SC
models, as published in the
December 15, 1937, issue
of The Sportsman Pilot:
The appearance of the new metal
Ryan Warner- and Menasco-powered
cabin planes (SC-145W and SC-150
respectively) has created added
interest in the pioneering metalworking practices developed by T.
roducClaude Ryan in the interests of mass production of aircraft.
Describing the processes worked out, William Wagner, of Ryan Aeronautical Company,
reports that in making The new S-C cabin plane, a full-scale plaster model was constructed in great detail following completion of the wooden mock-up. After designers and
engineers were satisfied that desired results would be obtained, individual plaster of Paris
molds of the contours were taken from the original mock-up.
These were developed into zinc dies which were poured into sand molds whose shapes
were reproductions of the various sections of the mock-up. These dies are carefully cast
and require but little polishing and grinding to give the precision contour required. The
punch, or upper portion of the die, was then cast in lead on top of the zinc die. With the die
in place and hammer working, it has been possible to stamp into the desired forms uniform
metal sheets with precision on a quantity basis.
Before assembly, all sheets are finished and all holes drilled for rivets by the use of Ryan
nesting type steel templates. These master templates eliminate all layout work on individual
parts, several hundred being used with one for practically every part in the plane.
When all parts are thus stamped by precision metal dies and completely finished to
the same degree of accuracy, all units fit together and assembly becomes an exact and
rapid operation. So accurately do the component parts coincide that there are but ten
principal points which must be determined by jiggingthe three wing fittings at both wing
roots and the four engine mount fittings.
With the exception of the engine installation and associated equipment, there is no
structural difference between the Menasco- and Warner-powered Ryan S-C models. Thus,
both in-line and radial engine proponents have available the same production airplane.
Ryan is tooled and in production at present in moderate volume, and when a market
of large volume is developed the company is ready to turn out planes on a quantity basis.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
Sixteen-year-old Brad Larson (right) and his best friend, Karl Jessup, with
the Dormoy prior to restoration.
time, and he remembers watching
the Ryan take shape under his fathers skillful hands. It was like a
playground to me, and I used to sit
inside it. I was the only kid in town
with a real airplane in the basement, Glenn says, laughing. Later
on, I did all the riveting in the back
of the tail, because I was the smallest
and could get back in there. My dad
restored the Ryan to enjoy and fly
anywhere; not to put in a museum.
After the aircraft had been stripped
of its wing and tail fabric, and all the
metal parts were cleaned, Brad inspected the components and found
them to be in good condition and
ready for covering and assembly. He
re-covered the control surfaces, and
the wings were re-covered with Grade
A cotton and butyrate dope, installed
all new modern hardware and new
Plexiglas windows, replaced the electrical wiring, and reupholstered the
cabin interior. New tires and tubes
were installed, the gas and oil tanks
were in good condition, and the twopiece engine cowling was repaired.
Instead of going with the original
145-hp Warner, he opted to install
a 165-hp Warnera similar instal-
14 AUGUST 2010
lation had been previously accomplished for Ryan s/n 208, and that
paperwork facilitated the required
field approval for Brads installation.
He overhauled the engine himself,
and reflects that all kinds of parts
were available at that time. He
doesnt recall encountering any major challenges along the way and
completed the restoration in 1962.
A couple of years later, he modified
the instrument panel to accommodate a new radio installation and
converted the tail wheel to make it
full-swiveling and steerable. Since
NC18912s restoration was completed,
the airplane has been flown fairly regularly and has always been hangared.
Larsons Legacy
The Larson family has logged
around 1,800 hours on the SC-W
since the early 1960s, and the airplane has endeared itself to these
aviators. After all, Glenn explains,
Its the first plane I ever flew! He
got me so I could do the basics in
this; then I went to Nelson-Ryan
Flight Service in Minneapolis and
learned to fly. The SC-W has basically been our family airplane, and
my older brother, Paul, also enjoys
flying it with my dad. All three of
us flyor have flownfor Northwest Airlines. My dad went from
the Gullwing Stinson to the 747,
and I havent retired yet. Wed all
fly the Ryan to Rockford or Oshkosh, and to the Antique Airplane
Association fly-in in Ottumwa,
Iowa. My dad used to live in Santa
Paula, Californiawhere he rebuilt
the Cessna Airmasterand weve
flown all over the country.
Glenn chuckles and shares that
his most memorablebut not his
most pleasantflight in the Ryan
took place in December 2009. I
left Flying Cloud Airport in Minneapolis when it was 5 degrees below
zero, to bring it to Florida. They
had a big snowstorm up there,
and I pushed it out of the hangar
and immediately all the windows
frosted up. I took a credit card and
a rag and cleaned the windows
I had no heat in the airplane and
didnt warm up until I got down as
far as Nashville!
Brad patiently and painstakingly
hand polished the Ryan before he
and Glenn flew it over to Sun n
Fun from Sarasota. While the Larsons have attended the fly-in numerous times, this was their first
time being there with an older restoration. People still like to look at
it, says Glenn, smiling. And we
dont judge the plane by whether
it has the correct head on the screw
or the right nut; we look at the grass
thats trampled down around the
airplane, from where people have
walked all around it, looking at it!
Brad chimes in, Thats the way to
hand out the awards!
The judges were among those
who trampled a well-worn grass
outline around the 1938 Ryan
SC-W this spring; the Larsons were
presented with a well-deserved
Bronze Age Preservation Award for
their efforts in maintaining the airplane all these years. Thanks to the
Larson familys flying legacy, we
can all enjoy savoring the distinctive silhouette of this sensuously
svelte Ryan SC-W.
How to
Tie the Seine Knot!
Dont let that pesky little knot drive you insane
BY
BOB WHITTIER
You may have heard an exasperated military man exclaim, There
are three ways to do a thingthe
right way, the wrong way, and the
Army way!
And there must be truth in it, if
the seine knot is any example.
For as long as there have been
civil aviation regulations, the seine
knot has been specified by the government for securing the loops of
cord that lace wing fabric to the
ribs and keep it from fluttering and
lifting from the ribs. The FAA specified it, and before it the CAA specified it, and long before it, the early
Bureau of Air Commerce specified
it. The seine knot goes way back.
Refer now to Figure 1, which is
taken from a government manual.
Looks pretty simple, does it not?
Thats what everyone thinks. Well,
make up a small dummy wing or
take a control surface. Give this,
along with a rib-stitching needle
and cord, to some chap who has
never done rib stitching, and ask
him to teach himself to tie the
seine knot. After trying and trying
to do the seine knot from this illustration, the fellow may no longer
be sane!
I tried this myself. I put these
items into the hands of pilots who
can remember the valve tappet
clearance of the OX-5; they had
forgotten just how the seine knot
goes, and this diagram got them all
JIM KOEPNICK
published in EAA Sport Aviation August 1966
Figure 1. Official diagram of how
to tie the seine knot.
confused. I even tried it on an FAA
man, and he could not follow it!
So for the sake of EAA members
working on their projects in places
from Medford, Massachusetts, to
Medford, Oregon, I wished to secure for publication a set of stepby-step pictures showing exactly
how to do this knot. A letter to the
maintenance branch of the FAA
in Washington brought the reply
that no, it had nothing like this
available; it had never had anyone
complain that the standard seine
knot drawing was hard to follow.
Of course any grassroots mechanic
could have told the FAA that the
reason was most mechanics learned
to tie the knot from other mechanics, and anyway, a lot of them have
their own pet knots.
So, I went to the library and
looked into every book I could find
on knots, seamanship, and fishing.
Not one of them mentioned the
seine knot. I wrote to leading cordage manufacturers, and would you
believe it, their knot experts had
never heard of it either!
The only thing left to do was to
go to the wonderful aeronautical
library at Massachusetts Institute
of Technology and look through
aviation mechanical books going
back through the years. It quickly
became apparent that each and every such book back to World War
I reprinted essentially the same
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
diagram as in Figure 1! Obviously,
each author had merely taken it for
granted that the knot was easy to
tie as sketched and reprinted the
old drawing perfunctorily. I suspect
now that this evasive seine knot
might have originated among the
fishermen of the French coast; then
some early aviation pioneer found
Figure 2. After being pushed down
through the covering on one side of
the rib and pulled up on the other
side, the needle is passed under the
section of cord lying along the rib.
Figure 3: All the lacing cord on the
free end is pulled through (coiled
here for photographic clarity), and
the cord at the needle is pulled
taut, snugging the loop that has
been made around the rib.
16 AUGUST 2010
it was ideal for lacing fabric to the
ribs of Bleriots and Voisins, and it
came to the United States prior to
World War I along with the linen
then used for aircraft covering. The
Army then may have adopted it as
standard and started it on its way.
This is only conjecture of course,
but its a logical theory.
At any rate, the time-honored
drawing in Figure 1 contains two
things that are most confusing
and omits one thing that is vital,
which is why persons who have
never been shown how to tie the
seine knot can find it frustrating.
First, this diagram shows the knot
being tied from the top down,
Figure 4: The needle is run under the cord that lies along the rib
between the two knots, then over and under again.
Figure 5: One pictures worth 1,000 words. The needle now goes
under the loop around the rib. Note carefully, near the point of the
needle, how the needle goes over the cord lying on the surface.
that is, working from the top. But
a right-handed person doing rib
stitching in the normal way would
find it more natural to work up.
Figure 6: Begin to tighten the knot.
It closes down into a layout resembling a figure-eight.
Figure 9: The seine knot is snugged tight, and the
needle is going down to the next knot. The reason
for using the seine knot is that it holds tension
(Figure 7) around the rib, while your free hand
is used to lock the knot tight. Also, each knot is
locked, so if vibration breaks one loop around the
rib, the other loops will not loosen up.
Second, there is a vital
pulling motion about
two-thirds of the way
through that is not
shown at all. Third, the
sketch shows how the
cord goes, which really
isnt so easy to interpret
when you are trying to
figure out how the needle goes to make the
cord go that way!
Therefore I made
up a dummy wing and
for the sake of photographic clarity, made an
oversized needle from
a dowel and threaded
heavy black cord into
its drilled eye. Beginning with Figure 2, the
captions explain how to
do it. Good luck!
Figure 7: Again, one pictures
worth 1,000 words. The part of the
loop that goes around the rib as
shown here is pulled tight, quite
firmly and smartly. Put your thumb
on the snugged knot as shown by
dotted lines in Figure 1 to hold the
loop tight.
Figure 8: With your free hand, pull
the free end of the cord forward
smartly to close up and lock the
knot. For photographic clarity,
the models hands are posed as
shownin practice the left thumb
would be holding down the loop
and the right hand would be pulling
to tighten.
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800-362-3490
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
of the Stinson
How an airplane
weaves its way
into many lives
BY
JIM KOEPNICK
18 AUGUST 2010
BUDD DAVISSON
When the owner saw me doing my best to look at
the airplane, he said, If you boys put this airplane
ife has a way of changing, both as fate smiles
and frowns upon us and
as we progress through
the various stations of
the birth-to-death journey. For most of us, however, one
thing remains constant: the airplane. It was there at the beginning
and is usually there at the end. It
often, however, isnt the same airplane, if nothing else because our
tastes and situations change. Sometimes, however, the same airplane
affects many lives. Such is the
case with 108-3 Stinson N6865M.
It is an example of an airplane that
drifted through several lives, enhancing both along the way and
forging a relationship between people, in this case the restorers, father
and son Tom and Bill Scott, and the
current owner, Jim Gibson.
I first heard about the airplane
from someone at work, remembers Bill Scott, who now lives in
Spring Hill, Florida, with his wife
of 26 years, Michelle. At the time I
was working for Piedmont twisting
wrenches, and Dad was looking for
a four-place airplane to restore.
Bill is a second-generation aviator and airplane restorer.
Dad was a commercial pilot
and flew cargo all over the world,
including Alaska and Vietnam. He
flew a little of everything, from C46s to Argosys to DC-8s. He was
gone a lot, but when he came back
from Vietnam in 68 we moved into
a new house in Miami with a shop,
and he bought a Cessna 140 to re-
store for my older brother. From
that point on, we always had an
airplane of some kind in the shop.
Since he was brought up with his
hands constantly working on aircraft, it was a natural path for him
to follow.
My high school had a vocational program where I could spend
half-days attending George T. Baker
Aviation School. By the time I was
graduated, I had my airframe ticket.
I earned my powerplant ticket by
attending night school.
The yen for Stinsons struck early
in Bills life and had a unique kind
of luck attached to it.
I was still in high school, and
one weekend my flight instructor
and I were driving around looking at various airplane projects
that others were working on. One
was in a transmission shop, and I
spied a Stinson 10A in the rafters.
Now bear in mind, I was only 16
years old at the time. Still, when
the owner saw me doing my best to
look at the airplane, he said, If you
boys put this airplane together and
get it flying, Ill give it to you.
Bill immediately scurried home
and brought the news to his father to see if it was something they
could do. He said if it had a clean
title, it was a go.
The next morning, a Sunday,
we went back down to the transmission shop and banged on the
door, not knowing if the owner was
there or not. When he saw us at
the door, he said, I know what you
want, my airplane, so we got the
JIM KOEPNICK
together and get it flying, Ill give it to you.
Jim Gibson, the owner of Stinson
N6865M, restored by the father/
son team of Tom and Bill Scott.
airplane down and took it home.
Airplanes in the Scott household
are family affairs, so young Bill had
plenty of knowledgeable hands to
help him.
Bill says, The airplane had some
ground loop damage and a wornout 90 Franklin, but Dad and my
older brother helped me out all
along the way.
That was the first in a long line
of airplanes that Bill Scott and his
family would restore. They worked
as a team, but a few years later,
when Bill moved out of state, he
would work alone.
We did many types of airplanes.
In fact, in 89, we did a 46 Bellanca
Cruisair that Jack Cox did an article
on for Sport Aviation. Initially we
werent restoring them to sell, but
sooner or later, either someone just
had to have them or our situation
would change, making the sale of
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
JIM KOEPNICK
an airplane the sensible thing to
do. Thats exactly what happened
to the 108-3. I didnt build it to sell.
It just worked out that way.
When Bill heard about the old
108, it was described as being disassembled and in storage at a private
airfield. It was an airplane-in-a-barn
story that proved to be true.
When we first saw the airplane,
Bill says, the initial impression was
that it was pretty complete and not
in bad shape at all. Someone had
started to restore it, which turned
out not to be a good thing because
they were just trying to get it flying,
not truly restoring it.
At the time Bill looked at the airplane, 1997, Stinsons were still in
the process of coming out of the
used airplane category and into
the more treasured vintage airplane arena. A decade before that,
hundreds of them were taken apart,
the unairworthy stuff fixed, and
then tossed back out the door to
continue flying. They werent necessarily pretty, but they were safe.
This is seldom done anymore. The
trail that N6865M took is indicative
of that.
20 AUGUST 2010
First of all, when we did an inventory, we found some parts missing, including the spinner, but lots
of other parts were there, but we
werent willing to put them back on
the airplane, even though it looked
as if the previous owner was going
to. Although the bottom cowl was
good, which isnt usually the case,
most of the rest of the cowl, including the nose bowl, was either missing or in need of severe restoration.
The instrument panel had been
heavily modified, and the entire
airplane was loaded with old wiring
that had to go. The fuselage tubing hadnt been sand blasted and
repainted, so it looked pretty sorry,
plus, when they covered the wings,
they used straight-edged tapes. The
bottom line was that we wound up
taking it completely apart, right
down to the last nut and bolt. So
much stuff had been skipped that
there was no logical way you could
do it one piece at a time.
Once the airplane was apart, Bill
did what generations of restorers
have done: He took each individual
piece and made that into a restoration project all its own. Given the
amount of wood in the interior that
gave the Stinson Station Wagon its
name, this alone involved some
rather unusual work.
The rear interior side panels and
bulkhead were there, but barely.
They had started rotting from the
back where, among other things,
insulation had held moisture
against them. These panels were
steam formed and fitted in a specific
way to make sure they give plenty
of shoulder room and curve around
the seats right. These looked okay
from the front, but if you touched
them, they would crumble. They
werent even strong enough to
make patterns from. So, we first fiberglassed the back of them to give
them additional strength. In effect,
we were making a female mold
using the original parts. Then we
pulled the decorative strips off the
front and re-veneered the panels
so they looked exactly as they had
originally, but with the glass on
the back they were much stronger
and more stable.
The aluminum on the airplane
was a mixed bag. The often beatup tail surface metal was actually
JIM KOEPNICK PHOTOS
Tidy needlework is evident in the zipper installation
in the headliners access hole for the elevator trim
mechanism.
A completely custom panel was created for Jims
Stinson 108. Modern radios are so small, they hardly
take up much panel space. The properly restored
round-top control wheels replaced a pair of control
yokes that had been chopped off in the center to create a sort-of rams horn appearance.
in excellent shape, but the boot cowl and cowling
required some beating on to get it looking new again.
The nose section took a fair amount of planishing
hammer work with a weld here and there to make it
look the way it should. Wherever possible, I tried to
use the original pieces, but in some cases, they just
werent salvageable, so we made new parts.
When I first looked at the wheelpants, I assumed
they were fiberglass because they were so thick. Then
I looked at the inside and realized they were the original aluminum pants, but they had so much Bondo
on them that you couldnt tell, plus they had been
modified for Cleveland brakes. It took almost as much
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
JIM KOEPNICK
work to get all the Bondo off as
it did to hammer the pants back
straight, but the trim strips were
missing; however, I had another
pair of pants that were essentially
junk, but the trim strips could be
cleaned up and re-used.
A lot of airplanes like Stinsons have been subjected to a lot
of what wed term butchery as
generations of radios required increasingly obtrusive holes. So, the
panels are always a challenge, and
some decisions have to be made.
First of all, we were building
this airplane to use, not to show,
so although we like original panels and interiors, the truth was that
we couldnt afford to go that route.
Plus going the completely original
route wouldnt let us use the airplane the way we wanted to. So, we
smoothed and filled and generally
made the panel look professional,
but we had no intentions of making it look original.
The same thing holds for upholstery and interior. Its about original in that we mimicked the original
style but in wool and Naugahyde.
Some of the indignities vintage
22 AUGUST 2010
airplanes are subjected to over their
lives are beyond understanding,
and one of them often has to do
with the control wheels.
Someone had cut the tops off of
the wheels. I guess they were trying
to make them look more modern
or something, sort of a rams horn
look, but we couldnt leave them that
way. So, we kept our eyes open until a pair of restorable ones surfaced,
and we made them look original.
Once the basics were done, Bill
went through the airplane and
brought everything up to their standards, which include new windows,
pulleys, cables, and practically all
the hardware in the airframe.
He says, The engine was a fairly
good, mid-time 165-hp Franklin,
but it had been overhauled 30 years
ago, so we stripped it down and
made sure everything was right before completing a major overhaul.
We covered it with Stits and
painted it NASCAR red, which, coincidentally enough, is a color we use
a lot, he says, smiling. My brothers company had a lot of surplus
red, which we bought. So for quite
a while we painted everything that
color, including the family Dodge,
which was passed down through
each of my older siblings until it
eventually got handed down to me.
However, we used the last on this
airplane, so I guess our next airplane
will be blue or something!
They finished the airplane in
2000, and Jim Gibson saw it at the
Wings and Things Fly-In that year
in Lakeland. At the time he was
looking for a four-place airplane,
but the airplane wasnt for sale.
Jim came into aviation as a young
man, but the career path that took
him toward his Stinson was such
that it was anything but predictable.
I got a degree in geology, but
there werent any jobs available, so
I applied to Allison Engine, even
though I knew very little about engines. At that time they were looking for inspectors to work on the big
turbines which were being used on
Electras and in VTOL projects. Even
though I didnt have a clue what I
was doing, they hired and trained
me to inspect turbines and decide
what was or wasnt a good part.
The company was dependent
on government contracts, and
Joe Shepherd
Fayetteville, Georgia
Owner of a 1936
Lockheed 12A and
a Cessna 195
Joe piloted his beautiful Lockheed 12A in filming the movie
Amelia in 2009. Director Mira Nair and actress Hilary Swank
both left their signatures on the door what a perfect souvenir.
AUA has been very helpful meeting my Lockheed 12As
insurance needs. The entire staff has been friendly and prompt
with all of my requests.
Joe Shepherd
AUA is Vintage Aircraft Association approved. To become a member of VAA call 800-843-3612.
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JIM KOEPNICK
when they ran out, I was laid off,
and a friend suggested I sell insurance. I started doing that and
slowly that mutated into financial
planning, and before long I had
my own office and thats what I did
most of my working life.
Although he had learned to fly
in the mid 50s, he stopped flying
when he got married in 63 (he and
Kathy have been married 44 years).
Although I wasnt always flying, I had always wanted my own
runway, and that was what was in
the back of my mind when I found
a farm outside of Terre Haute, Indiana, and bought it along with a
friend, Dr. Deward Pete Peterson.
In many situations putting a
runway on a farm means nothing
more than moving a few fences and
cutting some alfalfa, but Jims runway was significantly different.
I cant explain why, he says,
but when my partner and I decided to build a runway on the
farm, we wanted it to be the best
turf airstrip in Indiana. We spent
the money required to clear trees
and level the land, which meant
clearing and leveling a 250-foot by
24 AUGUST 2010
2,400-foot strip of land by moving
a lot of dirt, bulldozing off humps,
and filling low areas. We also had
to bridge a small creek with a 3by 300-foot sewer pipe. The whole
runway was shaped with a slight
crown in the center, which allows
water to drain quickly. Finally, we
planted tall fescue grass, which is
well suited to Indiana weather and
forms a dense turf. The airstrip appears on the St. Louis sectional as
Aero Plaines-PVT. We did that in
the early 80s, and we still have it.
Itll go to the grandkids.
You cant have a runway without
an airplane, so Jim and his partner
bought a restored L-16 Aeronca,
which they flew for several years
and loved.
Jim Gibson and Bill Scott had
crossed paths many times and knew
each other from being volunteers at
Sun n Fun. In fact, Bill is proud of
the fact that he and his family have
been attending the event since the
very first days, when it was just a
local fly-in. Because of that, Jim was
continuously asking Bill if the Stinson was for sale yet.
Then, one day I asked him if it
was for sale, and he said it was.
At that point the little red airplane went to live with Jim Gibson,
but as is often the case, situations
change and little airplanes move
on to enhance others lives.
Jim explains, Ive enjoyed the
airplane for nearly four years, but
because of my age Im giving the
whole LSA thing serious consideration. Although I believe I can still
pass the upcoming physical, the
FAA has made noises about requiring additional tests the next time
around because of a comment my
AME made in my paperwork. So,
rather than failing an exam, I may
just skip it. I hate to sell the Stinson, but Ill find a little T-craft or,
better yet, an Ercoupe and keep
on flying.
You cant keep a good pilot down,
and the same thing goes for a good
airplane. As N6865M changes hands
again, even more lives are going to
be touched and improved. In the
meantime, Tom and Bill Scott are restoring yet another airplane and Jim
Gibson is searching for the perfect
airplane. After all, they cant take
away his runway.
Light Plane Heritage
published in EAA Experimenter March 1990
The Allen A-4 lightplane. The junior aviator is unidentified.
THE ALLEN A-4
BY JACK
he Allen A-4 lightplane
was designed and built
for the purpose of competing in the lightplane
events at the 1924 National Air
Races to be held in Dayton, Ohio, in
October. Its designer was Edmund T.
(Eddie) Allen, 28, an MIT engineering graduate who had learned to
fly in the U.S. Army Flight Schools
in 1917. In 1924 he was employed
as a test pilot for the U.S. Army Air
Corps and stationed in Washington,
D.C. At this time he also wrote a
column for Aviation magazine titled
Light Planes and Gliders, where
in addition to reporting on sport-
LIGHTPLANE
MCRAE
flying activities in the United States
and Europe, during the summer of
1924 he gave a detailed description
of the design and construction of
his A-4 lightplane.
Allen explained that the basic
design features decided upon were
(1) fuel economy, (2) ease of handling in the air and on landing, (3)
climb, (4) speed, and (5) simplicity
of construction with limited shop
facilities. The engine chosen was
the Harley-Davidson Sport model.
This was a two-cylinder horizontally opposed motorcycle engine of
only 37 cubic inches displacement,
and which had a rating of 7-1/2
hp and 3200 rpm. The engine was
modified considerably and was to
prove to be the biggest obstacle to
the success of the airplane.
Allen put much effort into picking what he considered the most
efficient design configuration. He
decided on a shoulder-wing monoplane with a high-aspect-ratio tapered wing, strut-braced at about
the one-third span point. The Gottingen 398 airfoil was used because
of its good maximum lift. Detailed
weight-and-balance and performance calculations were made. The
design gross weight was 380 pounds
with a 125-pound pilot, which al-
Editors Note: The Light Plane Heritage series in EAAs Experimenter magazine often touched on aircraft and concepts
related to vintage aircraft and their history. Since many of our members have not had the opportunity to read this series, we plan on publishing those LPH articles that would be of interest to VAA members. Enjoy!HGF
26 AUGUST 2010
lowed for a minimum rate of climb
of 200 feet/minute.
The fuselage was of wood construction, had a rectangular cross section,
and was unusually long to give good
control with small tail surfaces. The
four spruce longerons tapered from
3/4 inch square at the firewall to
1/2 inch square at the tail. Diagonal
members of the Warren truss were 3/4
inch square, glued and nailed with
plywood gussets of 1/16-inch mahogany. Torsional stiffness was increased
by using a 3/4-inch-square diagonal
across each station. The structural
weight of the fuselage was
stated to be 25 pounds.
The cockpit floor was
1/4-inch fir plywood with
the pilot seated directly
on the floorboard, with his
feet raised to the rudder bar,
which was slightly higher
than his hips.
The wing was of all-wood
construction, fabric-covered.
Two parallel spars per panel
were used with upper and
lower cap strips providing
equal strength for a positive
or negative load factor of
8.0. A box section spar resulted with a small interior
bulkhead at each rib station.
The weight of four spars was
21 pounds. One-half of the
ribs were plywood with extra
compression members at the
top and bottom of the spars
in addition to rib cap strips.
Alternate ribs were of a
novel construction to save
weight. They were made with
a paper web of a tough manila K&E stock and take great
shearing stress. Cap strips of
wood were glued and nailed
on each side of the web, and
there were vertical members at
intervals and at the intersection of the wing spar through
the web. Allen stated that a rib
of this type of 48-inch chord,
weighing 1.5 ounces, carried a
uniformly varying load of 100
pounds without failure. Double drag bracing was used to
provide torsional strength and consisted on 1-inch by 3/32-inch spruce
diagonals crossing alternate ribs at
both upper and lower surfaces of
the spars. All joints were glued and
nailed, thus eliminating all fittings
except those for the strut attachments and spar roots.
The leading edge was a large
strip of spruce intended to allow
for rough handling on the ground.
The wingtips were of oak bent in
the form of an ellipse. The wings
and fuselage were covered with
singe-ply balloon cloth weighing
2 ounces per square yard. The lift
struts were of 3/4-inch-diameter
steel tubing and sloped from the
spars to a single fitting at the lower
longeron, forming a vee.
The landing gear axle consisted
of 1.125-inch-diameter by 18-gauge
steel tube, heat-treated to 140,000
psi tensile strength. The axle was
attached to three smaller tubes, of
which the upper one passed through
the fuselage above the lower longerons and was fastened to the longerons with a shock cord. A drag strut
on each side was attached to the
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
fuselage at the lift strut fitting. The
wheels were the same 20x2-inch size
used on the Smith Motor Wheel.
The tail surfaces were single-piece,
all-movable rudder and elevator of
wood construction, fabric-covered.
The conversion of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle engine for aircraft
use required many changes and provided the most problems. In order
to increase the propeller efficiency
Allen decide to attach the propeller
shaft to an idler gear that ran at a
ratio of 26 to 58 with the crankshaft
and thus reduced the propeller rpm.
A set of bearings was added to take
thrust and lateral load. The gear case
part of the crankcase was removed,
saving 18 pounds, and this was
closed by welding a piece of aluminum over the opening. The cast iron
intake and exhaust manifold that
weighed 12 pounds was replaced
with a steel tube manifold. The
carburetor was moved from above
the engine to a location below the
crankcase to reduce the chance of
fire and to improve the gravity feed
for the fueled system. Ground tests
on the engine in this condition
showed that it developed 11.2 hp at
3680 rpm or 1650 propeller rpm. A
new Zenith carburetor replaced the
motorcycle unit, new valve guides
and springs were installed, and the
timing was modified for the higher
engine speed.
The airplane was taken to the Naval Air Station at Anacostia for its
first test flights and apparently created somewhat of a sensation because of its small size. The first flight
Allen A-4 Specifications
Engine
Harley-Davidson 2 cylinders, 37
cubic inches
Wingspan
27 feet
Length
18 feet, 9 inches
Wing area
76 square feet
Maximum speed
68 mph (calculated)
Rate of climb
200 fpm minimum
Design gross weight
380 pounds
Estimated Weight Distribution
Fuselage, including seat and 33 pounds
controls
65 pounds
Engine
Propeller
5 pounds
Gas tank and lines
10 pounds
Wing
64 pounds
Spars
30 pounds
Ribs and bracing
10 pounds
Covering
20 pounds
Ailerons and fittings
4 pounds
Landing gear
18 pounds
Weight empty
217 pounds
Pilot
125 pounds
Fuel
30 pounds
Gross weight
372 pounds
28 AUGUST 2010
was made September 14, 1924, and
showed that the little ship was stable
and controllable. After a series of successful flights it was decided to try a
new propeller with higher pitch and
narrower blade sections to increase
the efficiency and improve the rate
of climb. However, continuous problems with the engine prevented Allen from competing in the lightplane
events at the National Air Races. In
his column in Aviation magazine for
October 13, reporting on the races,
he lamented, The A-4 sits in Washington waiting for new pistons after
but 58 minutes in the air. He complained that he and other lightplane
builders using motorcycle engines
could get no cooperation from the
engine manufacturers.
In 1925 Allen became an air mail
pilot for the U.S. Post Office Department and was stationed in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Apparently he did
not take the A-4 with him, because
in an advertisement in Aviation for
October 12, 1925, he offered it for
sale, No reasonable offer rejected,
can be examined at Washington.
It was stated that 46 flights had
been made and that it had climbed
2,000 feet. Evidently there were no
takers, and it was advertised again
in the September 6, 1926, issue for
$50 FOB Washington, D.C. It was
mentioned that 48 flights had been
made at Bolling Field, and it was
described as A real light plane.
Eddie Allen stayed with the Air
Mail Service until 1929, and during
the 1929-39 period he became one
of the best-known engineering test
pilots in the United States, doing
test flying for nearly every major
aircraft and engine manufacturer.
In 1939 he became director of flight
test and aerodynamics at Boeing.
Allen was killed in the crash of a
Boeing B-29 while on a test flight near
Seattle on February 18, 1943. The New
York Times described him as A noted
test pilot, combining the rare qualities of daredevil and scientist.
References: Aviation magazine, issues
from 1924, 1925, and 1926. The New
York Times, February 19, 1943. Taschenbuch der Luftflotten, 1924.
Vintage
Mechanic
THE
BY ROBERT G. LOCK
Structural alignment
This issue will discuss structural alignment of fixed-wing aircraft and slant it toward the older
biplanes where one can do much
in the way of rigging for stability.
However, it wont discuss assembly
and rigging; thats for another column or two. Here I would like to
discuss some basics of alignment
checks that are made at the beginning and during restoration. Good
flight characteristics begin with
good structural alignment of subassemblies: wing, empennage, engine, and landing gear alignment,
also a symmetry check.
WING ALIGNMENT (Figure 1):
This begins when the wings are assembled or, if the wings have not
been disassembled, before applying the fabric covering. Here you
will need a set of trammel points
in order to assure the bays of each
wing are square. On the lower surface of the wings there should be
FIGURE 1
Boeing PT-13/-17/-18 Handbook
a small center point marked in
the spars. These center points are
the centerline of the compression
member and the centerline of the
spars. Wings are separated into
bays, which is a Pratt truss consisting of the front and rear spar,
two compression members, and
two drag wires (actually a drag and
anti-drag wire).
Start at the root of the wing,
place the trammel points diagonally across the spars and adjust
wires until the distance between
points is identical. Snug the wires
by tightening each wire the same
amount. Go to the next bay and
repeat the process until you have
trammed all bays. Then go back
and recheck the tram of each bay;
you may have to make some minor adjustments.
Be sure to loosen and tighten
the brace wires the same number of turns. Repeat the process at
each bay. Return to the root bay
and recheck for a third time. You
probably wont need to make any
adjustments.
Now its time to tension the
wires. I always like to tram with
the wire tension snug but not
tight. Its easier that way. You can
tension the wires by tightening
each wire the same amount; the
tram wont change but the tension
will increase.
The wires need to be tight, but
not too tight. It depends on how
structurally sound the wing design
is. Not much was recorded for the
old airplanes, so I use the chart for
the Boeing Stearman biplane. They
set the wire tension for a 3/16inch diameter tie rod from 200
pounds minimum to 400 pounds
maximum. If you have a wire tensiometer, use it. If not, strum the
wires and listen for a low to medium bass sound. If the wires
touch where they cross at the midbay point, provide an anti-chafe
means, such as Tefl on rings; then
tie the wires together with rib lacing cord. Tramming of the wings is
important to the final rigging process and should be completed before the wings are covered.
ANGLE OF INCIDENCE CHECK
(Figure 2): Check the angle of incidence by assembling the airplane
before covering with fabric. Angle of incidence at the root of the
lower wing is fixed and cannot be
changed after assembly. The angle
of incidence is that angle between
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
FIGURE 2
the chord line of the wing and the
longitudinal axis of the airplane.
Depending on the airplane, it will
be from 0 to +3 degrees.
Decalage is the difference between angles of incidence of the
wings of a biplane. If the upper
wings have more incidence than
the lower wings, then the decalage
is positive. If the lower wings have
more incidence than the upper
wings, then the decalage is negative.
Figure 2 shows the angle of incidence of the wings of a biplane.
When the ailerons are on the upper wing only, then the upper wing
will have less angle of incidence
than the lower wings, so the lower
wings will commence to stall before
the upper wings. If the ailerons are
on the lower wings, then the opposite is true. On most of the older
airfoils the angle of incidence can
be measured by placing a straight
edge from leading edge to trailing
edge on the bottom surface of the
wing. And with the fuselage leveled
longitudinally, you can read the angle with a protractor.
Read the same angle for both
the left and right wings. I also measured the angle of incidence (on
FIGURE 3
30 AUGUST 2010
my Command-Aire) before the
wings were covered by placing a
straight piece of wood between the
spars and reading the angle with
a protractor. If you dont read the
same angle, fix it before covering
or you will have a lousy-flying airplane when youre finished.
Check the angles of incidence
for both upper and lower wings
at the root. (Figure 3.) The angles
should be exactly the same for both
left and right wing roots. If they are
not the same, fix the problem before proceeding with the restoration process.
I installed a set of newly fabricated 4412 high-lift wings on an
ag Stearman biplane many years
ago. I could not rig the airplane
for level flight; the airplane always
wanted to roll to the right and was
airspeed sensitive. After much frustrating time spent trying to remedy the problem, I looked closely
at the center section. Someone had
repaired the center section by replacing the front spar; however,
the attach fi ttings were not properly located on the spar. The result
was that one upper wing had more
angle of incidence than the other
wing. There was absolutely no way
to rig the airplane to fly properly,
so I had to replace the entire center section.
EMPENNAGE ALIGNMENT: Angle of incidence setting of horizontal stabilizer. The horizontal
stabilizer provides longitudinal stability for the aircraft during flight,
so again the setting is critical. Some
horizontal stabs are fixed and some
are adjustable.
Many fi xed horizontal stabilizers have a negative angle of incidence; that is, the leading edge is
lower than the trailing edge. This
is to provide for positive longitudinal stability, as the lifting force
on most all horizontal stabilizers
is down. With the fuselage leveled
longitudinally, place a straight
edge across the stabilizer and read
the setting with a protractor. If
the stabilizer is adjustable, check
the incidence at both extremes using a straight edge and protractor.
Hopefully there is manufacturers
data to tell you what the setting
should be and where the neutral
setting is located.
Many aircraft with propellers
that turn to the right (as viewed
from the pilots seat) have the vertical stabilizer offset to the left
slightly to counteract effects of engine torque. If the vertical stabilizer is not adjustable, dont worry
about it. Youll need to rig the airplane for yaw problems with a tab
on the rudder.
ENGINE ALIGNMENT (Figure 4): An important factor when
studying engine alignment is the
thrust line. The factory determined
where the thrust line would be located on the fuselage structure, so
its best to consult drawings (if you
can find them).
Many early aircraft have been
modified over the years to a more
reliable engine. And if the modifier didnt pay attention, the
thrust line could have been inadvertently moved when a new
mount was fabricated. The thrust
FIGURE 4
line would be described as a continuation of the engine crankshaft centerline. It may or may
not be the fuselage longitudinal
axis. Some engines have a small
amount of right side thrust to
counteract torque effect. And a
few aircraft were designed with
a small amount of down thrust.
Again, check the drawings.
FUSELAGE FRAME (Figure 4). Tie
rods in a Pratt-type frame should be
adjusted carefully to assure proper
alignment of attaching surfaces.
Here, trammel points are punched
into the fuselage longerons at each
station (cluster). The fuselage is
aligned by loosening and tightening the wires in each bay until the
fuselage is straight.
LANDING GEAR ALIGNMENT
(Figures 5, 6 and 7): Two factors
are important in correct landing
gear alignment. They are toe-in
and camber. Illustrations below
show how to place the aircraft
on grease plates to allow the gear
to walk out to its position when
loaded. Gear alignment checks
should be made with the aircraft
at gross weight and in the threepoint attitude.
I s et my lan din g ge ars w it h
no toe-in or toe-out; however, a
small amount of toe-in, maybe up
to 1/8 inch, can be used. A small
amount of toe-in will relax tension on shock cords when the aircraft taxies. Toe-out would cause
the landing gear to walk out, thus
further loading the shock cords. I
also like to set a small amount of
positive camber. On many ships,
once the landing gear is welded
in place it is impossible to change
the toe-in/toe-out condition.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 6
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31
FIGURE 7
Illustrations used here are removed from a Cessna L-19 maintenance manual and are typical for
aircraft with a spring steel gear. If
no data on landing gear alignment
for a particular model aircraft can
be located, I use the above data as a
guide to setting landing gear alignment. Typical toe-in for the L-19
is from 0 to 1/16 inch (0.06 inch).
Typical camber setting is from 0 to
1 degree (1/8 inch or 0.125 inch).
These dimensions would be similar to most aircraft. I do not set
my landing gears with toe-out or
negative camber. I am aware that
some folks like a small amount
of toe-out in their landing gears.
However, with a rubber shock
FIGURE 8
32 AUGUST 2010
cord gear, the tow-out will make
the gear spread out, thus stressing
shock cords when the ship is in
motion on the ground.
Gear alignment is most important if the aircraft is to display good
ground-handling qualities. When I
fabricated the landing gear for my
Command-Aire, I spent much time
aligning the landing gear. My landing gear had too much camber, so I
eliminated the problem by cutting
two shims from heavy-wall PVC
pipe, splitting one side and sliding
it in place above the shock portion
of the gear. A hose clamp assured
the shim would stay in place.
After the shock cords were covered with a leather boot, the shims
and clamps were invisible. Another
check that should be made is tail
wheel alignment. With the rudder
pedals in neutral, lift the aft fuselage up so the tail wheel no longer
touches the ground. Note the position of the tail wheel. It should be
in the neutral position. Then move
the rudder pedals and note if tail
wheel steering is positive. The tail
wheel should move to correspond
with rudder deflection.
Finally, hold the rudder in the
neutral position and try to move
the tail wheel left and right. There
should be movement resistance. If
the tail wheel moves without rudder movement, investigate why
this is happening and fix the prob-
lem. Positive tail wheel steering is an important factor
to control the airplane on the ground. Some aircraft
are designed with a locking tail wheel; the New Standard D-25 I fly is that way.
On this aircraft, a symmetry check of the tail wheel
is made to assure the tail wheel tracks straight when
locked for takeoff and landing. Ive only flown a couple airplanes that had no steering and no locking
device on the tail wheel. The Precissi Travel Air and
Kermit Weeks Ford Tri-Motor are two examples. Here
you must rely totally on good brakes to keep the aircraft tracking straight down the runway.
Too much toe-in will cause excessive tire wear, particularly if the aircraft is operated from hard-surface
runways. Excessive positive camber will cause heavy
wear on the tires on the outer half of tread. If the
aircraft is equipped with a shock cordtype landing
gear, as the cords wear, the wheel camber will go to
the negative, and the top of the wheels will move toward the fuselage. We dont want this as it decreases
prop-to-ground clearance. If this happens, tighten or
replace the shock cords.
Landing gear alignment is always done with the airplane at gross weight and in the normal taxi position. I
used to adjust the wheel alignment every 100 hours on
Cessna L-19 airplanes when I was in the Army. I always
put two people in the airplane to get it as close to gross
weight as possible. So one should use this same technique when setting gear alignment on old aircraft.
SYMMETRY CHECK: The sketch in Figure 8 shows a
symmetry check on an Aeronca L-16. You can accomplish this on any airplanesimply use a measuring tape
and compare dimensions of hard points of the airplane.
Compare a dimension on the right side of the airplane to
the same measurement on left side of airplane. Dimensions should be close to the same, perhaps within 1/4
to 1/2 inch of each other, again depending on the type
of airplane. If the airplane does strange things on the
ground and is a handful to control, perhaps the problem
is in landing gear alignment. Measure from a fixed point
on the landing gear, say the axle to a fixed point on the
tail post. The farther apart the measurements are, the
worse the ground handling of the airplane.
CONCLUSION: Most all of the alignment checks
should be made as the airplane is being restored or
repaired, because it is impossible to change some
alignments after the aircraft is assembled. Normally
the alignments that can be altered are those used
during the rigging process. Good alignment of primary structure is important to the flying qualities
and ground handling of the airplane, so pay attention to the details. Paying attention to details will
produce the best flying aircraft after a long and expensive restoration process.
Now go out and have fun flying that old airplane!
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
Vintage
Instructor
THE
BY Steve Krog, CFI
The lost art of slips
hile recently attending the 25th Annual
Sentimental Journey
Fly-In held at Piper
Memorial Airport in Lock Haven,
Pennsylvania, my friend Mark Stewart and I were watching airplanes
and their pilots hopping rides and
demonstrating their piloting techniques doing takeoffs, landings, and
flybys. Most every airplane, when
on the approach to land, employed
a forward slip to achieve a touchdown on the numbers and make the
first turn-off comfortably and safely.
Mark turned to me and commented,
The slip really is a lost art and a maneuver many pilots really dont understand or use today. I agreed.
The slip, when implemented correctly, is a useful and safe tool for
pilots young and old, provided it is
practiced with some regularity. But
with the introduction of flaps it has
become a lost art, even though pilots flying flap-equipped airplanes
should understand the slip and be
able to perform it when needed.
Ask yourself these questions:
When was the last time I performed a slip, and how often have I
practiced slips? When conducting
flight reviews I frequently ask the
individual to demonstrate a 50-foot
obstacle short-field landing using a
slip. The pilot will often look at me
and state, I havent done a slip in
a long time!
Sure you have, Ill reply, you
just didnt realize it. How do you
set up your approach for a crosswind landing? Each time you make
34 AUGUST 2010
a crosswind landing, youre executing a side slip.
There are two types of slips: the
forward slip and the side slip. In the
simplest of definitions, the forward
slip is used to lose altitude, while the
side slip is used for runway alignment. Lets take a look at their respective similarities and differences.
The forward slip is often em-
When was the last
time I performed a
slip, and how often
have I practiced slips?
ployed when a pilot has set up for
the final approach to land and has
excess altitude, when making obstacle landings (especially at short
fields), or when making a spot landing. A forward slip allows for the
aircraft to maintain a straight-line
track over or on the runway centerline while on approach. However,
when maintaining the track, the
nose of the airplane is not aligned
with the runway and needs to be
realigned before landing.
The side slip is often employed
when making a crosswind landing or to align the airplane with
the runway centerline. The nose
of the airplane (longitudinal
axis) remains aligned with the
runway centerline.
How to Practice Forward Slips
The next time you make a pleasure flight, climb to an altitude
of about 2,500 feet above ground
level (AGL). Level off and align
your airplane with a straight road
that is also aligned with the surface
wind. If the wind is generally from
the south, fly south over a north/
south road. Reduce the power to
the setting used on final approach
to land and establish the final approach glide speed. Apply left aileron, lowering the left wing about
10-15 degrees (similar to a shallow
bank turn). The airplane will want
to turn left. Now apply opposite,
or right, rudder using just enough
rudder that the airplane continues
to track in a straight line over the
road. The airspeed will give you
erratic readings whenever doing
slips, so it is more important to
focus on maintaining the correct
descent or glide attitude. You may
need to apply very slight forward
pressure on the stick or yoke to do
so. Continue the descent and track
for 1,000 feet of descent; then return to cruise flight by slowly taking your foot off the right rudder
and bringing the left wing back
to a level-flight attitude. If you
havent done a slip in a while,
setting up for and holding the
forward-slip attitude will feel awkward at first, as will the return to
level flight. A few repetitions will
significantly increase your comfort
and coordination.
Now try executing the forward
slip with the right wing down and
applying left rudder. Hold your descent attitude and track over the
road for 1,000 feet and then return
to level-cruise flight. A forward slip
to the right will often feel more
awkward than the forward slip to
the left.
Try practicing the forward slip
from a safe altitude a few more
times, increasing the wing-down
angle a little more each time.
Youll soon find that you will reach
a point where you run out of rudder and cannot hold the straight
line track. Now you know
how far you can go with the
slip in your airplane and still
have full directional control.
Congratulations! Youve just
acted as a test pilot and
found the limits of your airplane in a slip.
If your aircraft is equipped
with a vertical speed indicator (VSI), note the rate of
descent while holding the
plane in the forward slip.
Compare it to the normal
rate of descent used when
flying your final approach.
Once comfortable entering and exiting the forward slip,
youre ready to give it a try in the
traffic pattern. Fly a normal pattern, but intentionally maintain
some excess altitude. If you normally turn final at approximately
500 feet above the ground, maintain altitude and turn final at 800
feet above the ground. Once established on final approach with
power reduced and normal glide
attitude established, enter into a
forward slip to eliminate the excess altitude. Do not hold the airplane in the forward slip all the
way to your normal level-off altitude. Rather, discontinue the slip
at about 50 feet above the ground,
giving you plenty of time to focus
on and establish the proper landing attitude.
How to Practice Side Slips
As mentioned earlier, the side
slip is generally used for a crosswind landing. Even though youve
been making crosswind landings
for a long time, you may want to
practice the side slip.
Again, climb to an altitude
about 2,500 feet above the ground.
Level off and align your airplane
with a straight road that is perpendicular to the surface wind. If the
wind is generally from the south,
fly over an east/west road. Reduce
the power to the power setting
used on final approach to land. Establish final-approach glide speed.
If the wind is from the left, apply
left aileron, lowering the left wing
about 10-15 degrees (similar to a
shallow bank turn). The airplane
will want to turn left. Now apply
just enough opposite, or right,
rudder so that the nose of the airplaneor longitudinal axisremains aligned with the road. Add
a little power, perhaps 100 rpm.
The airspeed will give you erratic
readings whenever doing slips, so
focus on maintaining the correct
descent or glide attitude. You may
need to apply very slight forward
pressure on the stick or yoke to do
so. Continue the descent for 1,000
feet, maintaining alignment with
the road; then return to cruise
flight by slowly taking your foot
off the right rudder and bringing
the left wing back to level flight.
Turn the airplane 180 degrees
and again align it with the road.
This time the crosswind is from the
right. Lower the right wing 10-15
degrees and apply just enough left
rudder to maintain alignment with
the road. Add 100 rpm and continue
with the side slip for 1,000 feet of
descent. Then level off and resume
cruise flight. If youve allowed the
airplane to drift away due to the
wind, add a bit more wing-down aileron, causing the airplane to move
back to the road. Once over and
aligned with the road, adjust the
amount of aileron and rudder to
remain over the road.
After trying the side slip both
left and right several times and
reaching your comfort
level, its time to give it a
try in the traffi c pattern. If
you are truly landing with
a crosswind, some level of
the side slip will need to
be maintained throughout
the approach and landing.
In a tailwheel airplane the
main gear wheel most into
the wind will touch down
fi rst, followed by the other
main gear. This is necessary
to maintain airplane alignment with the runway centerline. Then the tail wheel
will touch down. From this
point forward, follow through
with the normal crosswind landing inputs.
The slip is one of the basic maneuvers that, when understood
and practiced, will give the pilot
an added tool for safely putting the
airplane exactly where he or she
wants on the approach to land. A
slip can be put in, taken out, or adjusted as needed to modify the rate
of descent or runway alignment
(when landing with a crosswind).
Note:
The descriptions for establishing and practicing forward and
side slips described in this article
generally apply to fixed-gear aircraft
with no flaps. However, slips can
be used in most flap-equipped aircraft. Consult the pilots operating
handbook for flap-equipped aircraft
before practicing slips, as they may
recommend not doing slips when
flaps are extended beyond the halfflap setting.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 35
by H.G. FRAUTSCHY
MYSTERY PLANE
This months Mystery Plane comes from the EAA archives
Send your answer to EAA,
Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086,
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Your
answer needs to be in no later
than September 20 for inclusion
in the November 2010 issue
o f V i n t a g e Airplane.
You can also send your response via e-mail. Send your
answer to mysteryplane@eaa.org.
Be sure to include your name
plus your city and state in the
body of your note and put
(Month) Mystery Plane in the
subject line.
M AY S M Y S T E R Y A N S W E R
The May Mystery Plane came to
us from the EAA Archives. Heres the
scoop on that snappy-looking large
biplane:
36 AUGUST 2010
The May 2010 Mystery Plane seems
to be the International F-18 Air
Coach, c/n 12 with registration
3266, designed by Edwin M. Fisk with
his characteristic octagonal wooden
fuselage with the pilot in the rear open
cockpit, but with four passengers in
the enclosed cabin. The F-18 was
completed in early 1929 with a 220-hp
Wright J-5 (R-790) and received Group
2 Approval as No. 2-15 on March 1,
1929. It is, apparently, this specific
aircraft because your photo seems to
have been taken at the same time, but
from a different angle and without the
tripod at the tail, as it is in the photo
in Juptners U.S. Civil Aircraft, Vol. 9
for Group 2-15. Aerofiles.com aided
me greatly as well.
The International Aircraft Corp. of
Ancor, Ohio, built this aircraft as a
follow-on to their open-front-cockpit
(for two) F-17W (same Wright engine)
under ATC 154 in 5/29 and the openfront-cockpit F-17H (Hispano-Suiza
liquid-cooled V-8 of 150-180 hp)
under ATC 155 in 5/29. All F-17 and
F-18 aircraft had open rear cockpits.
International was founded in about
1927 in Long Beach, California, and
by 1930 was in Jackson, Michigan,
where it went out of business.
Jack Erickson, State College,
Pennsylvania
Other correct answers were
received from Sharon Rajnus,
Malin, Oregon; Wayne Muxlow,
M i n n e a p o l i s , M i n n e s o t a ; We s
Smith, Springfield, Illinois; and
Doug Rounds, Zebulon, Georgia,
who points out that information on
the F-18 can be found in numerous
places including T-Hangar Tales
by Joe Juptner and Juptners U.S.
Civil Aircraft, Vol. 2, ATC 154, and
its described in the 1928 edition
of Janes All the Worlds Aircraft.
Thomas Lymburn of Princeton,
Minnesota, pointed out that the
earlier three-seat F-17 Sportsman
was built in quantity (at least
176 of them were constructed),
and they even appeared in a few
movies, including 1925s The Air
Mail with Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
and Billie Dove, and the 1926 film
Corporal Kate. The last movie also
features a Thomas-Morse Scout
and a J-1 Standard.
Also, kudos to one of my fellow
modeling enthusiasts, Russ Brown
of Lyndhurst, Ohio, for correctly
identifying the Scroggs Dart from
the April issue.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 37
VINTAGE
AIRCRAFT
ASSOCIATION
OFFICERS
President
Geoff Robison
1521 E. MacGregor Dr.
New Haven, IN 46774
260-493-4724
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Vice-President
George Daubner
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Oconomowoc, WI 53066
262-560-1949
gdaubner@eaa.org
Secretary
Steve Nesse
2009 Highland Ave.
Albert Lea, MN 56007
507-373-1674
stnes2009@live.com
Treasurer
Dan Knutson
106 Tena Marie Circle
Lodi, WI 53555
608-592-7224
lodicub@charter.net
DIRECTORS
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85 Brush Hill Road
Sherborn, MA 01770
508-653-7557
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Dale A. Gustafson
7724 Shady Hills Dr.
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317-293-4430
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916-645-8370
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815-943-7205
Espie Butch Joyce
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336-668-3650
windsock@aol.com
Jerry Brown
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317-422-9366
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Steve Krog
1002 Heather Ln.
Hartford, WI 53027
262-966-7627
sskrog@aol.com
Dave Clark
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317-839-4500
davecpd@att.net
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508-393-4775
copeland1@juno.com
Robert D. Bob Lumley
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262-782-2633
lumper@execpc.com
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28415 Springbrook Dr.
Lawton, MI 49065
269-624-6490
rcoulson516@cs.com
S.H. Wes Schmid
2359 Lefeber Avenue
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414-771-1545
shschmid@gmail.com
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EMERITUS
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9345 S. Hoyne
Chicago, IL 60643
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photopilot@aol.com
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PO Box 470350
Tulsa, OK 74147
918-622-8400
cwh@hvsu.com
Gene Chase
2159 Carlton Rd.
Oshkosh, WI 54904
920-231-5002
GRCHA@charter.net
E.E. Buck Hilbert
8102 Leech Rd.
Union, IL 60180
815-923-4591
buck7ac@gmail.com
Ronald C. Fritz
15401 Sparta Ave.
Kent City, MI 49330
616-678-5012
rFritz@pathwaynet.com
Gene Morris
5936 Steve Court
Roanoke, TX 76262
817-491-9110
genemorris@charter.net
John Turgyan
PO Box 219
New Egypt, NJ 08533
609-758-2910
jrturgyan4@aol.com
TM
Membership Services Directory
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EAA Aviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd., PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086, e-mail: vintageaircraft@eaa.org. Membership to Vintage Aircraft Association, which includes 12 issues of Vintage Airplane magazine,
is $36 per year for EAA members and $46 for non-EAA members. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Vintage Airplane,
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38 AUGUST 2010
VINTAGE TRADER
S o m e t h i n g t o b u y, s e l l , o r t r a d e ?
Classified Word Ads: $5.50 per 10 words, 180 words maximum,
with boldface lead-in on first line.
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frequency discounts.
Adver tising Closing Dates: 10th of second month prior to
desired issue date (i.e., Januar y 10 is the closing date for the
March issue). VAA reser ves the right to reject any adver tising
in conflict with its policies. Rates cover one inser tion per issue.
Classified ads are not accepted via phone. Payment must
accompany order. Word ads may be sent via fax (920-426-6845)
or e-mail (classads@eaa.org) using credit card payment (all cards
accepted). Include name on card, complete address, type of card,
card number, and expiration date. Make checks payable to EAA.
Address advertising correspondence to EAA Publications Classified
Ad Manager, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.
MISCELLANEOUS
Flying wires available. 1994 pricing. Visit www.
flyingwires.com or call 800-517-9278.
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and Caps for Clubs.
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Marketplace.
Are you tired of hauling to EAA every year?
Storage units available for rent as low as $50/
month less than 1 mile from EAA grounds.
Call Todd @ (920)850-0502.
Looking for Stinson L-5, Lycoming O-435, or
other aircraft parts? Check www.StinsonL5Stuff.com
SERVICES
Always Flying Aircraft Restoration, LLC:
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fabric repairs and complete restorations.
Wayne A. Forshey A&P & I.A. 740-472-1481
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fabrications, paperwork with 53 completed
projects, Wacos, Moths, Champs, Pitts etc. Test
flights and delivery. Indiana 812-343-8879 mike@
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EAA Calendar of Aviation Events Is Now Online
EAAs online Calendar of Events is the go-to spot on the Web to list and find aviation events in your area. The user-friendly, searchable format makes it the perfect webbased tool for planning your local trips to a fly-in.
In EAAs online Calendar of Events, you can search for events at any given time within
a certain radius of any airport by entering the identifier or a ZIP code, and you can further
define your search to look for just the types of events youd like to attend.
We invite you to access the EAA online Calendar of Events at http://www.eaa.org/
calendar/
Upcom ing M ajor Fly-Ins
Colorado Sport International Air Show and Rocky Mountain Regional Fly-In
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC)
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August 28-29 2010
www.COSportAviation.org
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Grimes Field Airport (I74), Urbana, Ohio
September 11-12, 2010
www.MERFI.info
Copperstate Fly-In
Casa Grande Municipal Airport (CGZ)
Casa Grande, Arizona
October 21-23, 2010
www.COPPERSTATE.org
Southeast Regional Fly-In
Middleton Field Airport (GZH)
Evergreen, Alabama
October 22-24, 2010
www.SERFI.org
For details on hundreds of upcoming aviation happenings, including EAA chapter fly-ins,
Young Eagles rallies, and other local aviation events, visit the EAA Calendar of Events
located at www.eaa.org/calendar.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 39
A Different
Perspective
The right seat
BY
hich seat in an aircraft
is the right seat? Theres
the nonstandard pilot
in command (PIC) seat,
which can be on the right side, the
front, or back, depending on the airframe. Theres also the right seat
where right denotes correct, appropriate, or good.
Sometimes the right seat can be
the wrong seat. Ask any instructor, and she will tell you there have
S. MICHELLE SOUDER
ple refuse to get back into a little airplane because their first experiences
had them scared out of their wits?
Doesnt that defeat the purpose of
introducing someone to flight?
Of course the right seat can be
the right seat for business or travel
purposes; a good flight in the right
seat could add another aviator to
the field. One of my favorite spots is
in the right seat beside my airplanes
former owner. In the right seat
Sometimes the
left seat is the
right seat.
been times when the right seat was
not a good place to be with a particular student. Sometimes, too, a
person just isnt comfortable (or is
downright frightened) with the way
the PIC is operating the aircraft.
The right seat can be the wrong
seatespecially for someone who
hasnt flown before if the pilot wants
to impress the passenger with their
ability and the airplanes capabilities. Stalls or aerobatics (with certain
exceptions) are generally not good
ideas for first flights. How many peo-
40 AUGUST 2010
I can completely relax and let my
soul be nourished as lifes problems
are revealed in the smaller perspective only seen from the air. In the
beginning, it was this soul-refilling
joy that led me to become a pilot
and later the owner of the airplane.
It still gives me a thrill.
Sometimes the left seat is the
right seat. Sometimes a particular certification determines who
has the responsibility for the flight.
Sometimes the passengers are not
pilots. Were it not for the left seat
being the right seat, there would
be no first flights or Young Eagles
flights. Sometimes the left seat is
the right seat to spend time with
nonpilot friends or family for trips
or sightseeing flights. Sometimes
its the right seat to help someone
in needlike the treatment trips
provided by Angel Flight or trips to
take supplies for disaster relief.
Sometimesmaybe most importantlythe left seat is the right
seat to help a fellow pilot get her
feet off the ground when she is not
airworthy as a pilotwhen she is
exhausted (mentally or physically),
stressed, having medical issues, or
just needs to get away from life for
a while. Sometimes getting that different perspective from the right
seateven without wordsmakes
all the difference in the world. The
left seat, in this case, is very right.
Which seat is the right seat? It
may change each time you fly. Regardless of which aircraft position
your seat is, I hope you get some
time in the right seat very soon.
Michelle Souder bases her 1949
tailwheel Piper at 8W2 in Virginia.
The happy little airplane gets taken
on sanity flights in the Shenandoah
Valley as often as possible. She resides
in West Virginia and spends her quality hangar time with a group of folks
who enjoy airplanes for the pure joy
of flight and appreciate that the third
wheel really belongs on the aft end of
the airplane.
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environmental footprint, while leveraging its
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to help bring vehicles that
consumers want to market faster.
Enjoy the privilege
of partnership
EAA Members who are
considering the purchase
or lease of a new Ford
Motor Company vehicle
should be sure to take
advantage of the
opportunity to save with
the Ford Partner Recognition Program.
Get your personal identication
number (PIN) and learn about the
All New 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid
The most fuel efcient luxury car in America
great value of Partner Recognition/X-Plan
at www.fordpartner.com.
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