Professional Documents
Culture Documents
indd 1
3/29/12 2:56 PM
APRIL 2012
Our L-4 was based in the US During WWII from 1943 to 1945. We bought
it early this year and have enjoyed every minute of it. The stearman was built
in 1942 during WWII and we have owned it since 1975.
Owning and operating antique aircraft has been a part of our family for 3
generations going back to 1963 when my father Tom bought a Piper Tripacer. Our family has owned aircraft ever since. Our aviation roots run
deep in this family, and that is why we choose AUA as our agency. They
have a long distinguished record of service with the types of aircraft we
operate, and understand our problems and concerns.
Thanks AUA
!
Mark Henley
AUA is Vintage Aircraft Association approved. To become a member of VAA call 800-843-3612.
Q
Experienced agents
Q
800-727-3823
Fly with the pros fly with AUA Inc.
www.auaonline.com
Vintage April 2012.indd 2
3/29/12 2:57 PM
A I R P L A N E
Vol. 40, No. 4
2012
A P R I L
CONTENTS
2
News
5 21,000-514-2,625
Volunteers make EAA AirVenture fun
by Steve Krog
14
On Flying an Icon
by Rich Davidson
21
29
34
36
Mystery Plane
by H.G. Frautschy
38
Classifieds
COVERS
15
STAFF
EAA Publisher
Director of EAA Publications
Executive Director/Editor
Business Manager
Senior Art Director
Rod Hightower
J. Mac McClellan
H.G. Frautschy
Kathleen Witman
Olivia P. Trabbold
Advertising:
Manager/Domestic, Sue Anderson
Tel: 920-426-6127
Fax: 920-426-4828
Partner Relationship Manager, Heidi Hamm
Tel: 920-426-6565
Email: hhamm@eaa.org
Independent Business Relationship Representative, Larry Phillip
Tel: 920-410-2916
Email: lphillip@eaa.org
Business Relations and Classified Advertising Coordinator, Trevor Janz
Tel: 920-426-6809
Email: tjanz@eaa.org
FRONT COVER: One of the most r ecognizable logos fr om the Golden Age of aviation is the
Wester n Air Expr ess ar twork as featur ed on the side of Ron Alexanders Stear man C3B.
Read mor e about the r estoration of this big biplane in Budd Davissons ar ticle star ting on
page 8. EAA photo by Chris Miller , Stear man C3B being own by Rich Davidson.
BACK COVER: From the EAA ar chives comes this illustration ar twork from the Cur tiss Aer oplane and Motor Company of Hammondspor t, New Y ork. The color ful illustration depicting a
Cur tiss Jenny in a countr y setting is par t of an br ochure about the company and its air craft.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1
3/29/12 2:59 PM
Inspection time
over time will cause serious corrosion issues on your airframe. Even
if you have never seen any mice in
your hangar, it is always a very good
idea to set traps to keep their population to a minimum. Rock that
wing and sump a little more fuel
It is a r eal
disconcer ting feeling
when one of these
critters tries to r un up
your pant leg on your
initial takeof f run.
than normal to make certain you
have no contaminants in your fuel
system. Be sure to pop open the engine baffles and check for nesting
materials. I could go on and on, but
you get the idea here. Be thorough
in your inspection prior to that first
flight, and dont get in a hurry. It is
a real disconcerting feeling when
one of these critters tries to run up
your pant leg on your initial takeoff
run. Trust me, I know the feeling!
The Monocoupe restoration continues with recent focus on stripping and refinishing the numerous
metal parts and pieces that have to
be reinstalled on the airframe. We
are on track to having the 32-foot
one-piece wing reinstalled on the
airframe in mid-April during the
first spring work party in Oshkosh.
The ominous concept of user fees
continues to haunt certain operations
within the GA community. Even if
2 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:00 PM
VAA NEWS
AD Mandates Aeronca (Rogers)
Sedan Wing Inspection
The FAA recently issued Airworthiness Directive AD 2012-04-10 requiring owners of the Aeronca 15AC
Sedan to have initial inspections of
the exposed trailing edges on both
the upper and lower main spar cap
angles on both wings. The inspections are looking for signs of cracks,
intergranular exfoliation, and corrosion. While a wing failure has not
occurred in any of the approximately
255 Sedans on the FAA registration
rolls, corrosion in the structure of
a few Sedans was discovered and
prompted the FAA to issue the AD.
The first inspection must be accomplished within 25 hours time-inservice (TIS) after April 17, 2012 (the
effective date of the AD), or within
the next six months after that date.
If the wing has been repaired within
the past 10 years, different inspection intervals come into effect.
If significant corrosion is found,
the wing must be repaired by replacement of the spar cap angles,
and no splicing of those components is allowed.
If the initial inspection does not
reveal cracks, intergranular exfoliation, and corrosion, a more in-depth
inspection must be accomplished
within 12 months after April 17,
2012. The installation of inspection
panels and associated doubler plates
is needed to accomplish a visual inspection of the entire length of the
spar. The inspection and installation of the panels and plates must
be done in accordance with Burls
Aircraft LLC Mandatory Service Bulletin No. 15AC06-08-10, dated June
8, 2010; Burls Aircraft LLC Mandatory Service Bulletin No. 15AC06-0810, Amendment A, dated June 23,
2010; or Burls Aircraft LLC Mandatory Service Bulletin No. 15AC0608-10, Amendment B, dated June
23, 2010, Rev. Original, September
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
3/29/12 3:00 PM
Beechcraft Pilot
Proficiency Program
JEANETTE MERTEN
HG FRAUTSCHY
4 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:01 PM
21,0005142,625
Volunteers make EAA AirVenture fun
BY
STEVE KROG
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
3/29/12 3:01 PM
TM
VAA Board
Appoints New Advisors
ore than 30 years ago, the Vintage Aircraft
Association (back then it was known as the
Antique/Classic Division) board of directors began a program that would have longlasting benefits for the division and its membership.
They created a management environment that fosters
a better understanding of a potential board members
capabilities and interests. The new program, dubbed
the Antique/Classic advisor, gave men and women
who were interested in serving on the board the opportunity to learn more about themselves and the
division, while giving the board the opportunity to
evaluate a potential board member over a period of
Joe Norris
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Joe grew up
on a cranberry
farm in central Wisconsin.
Several neighbors had light
a i rc r a f t , a n d
some had airstrips on their
property, so it
was always easy to be around airplanes and airplane people. A close
friend of the family was the ag pilot Jim Miles (EAA 158), who introduced Joe to EAA by taking him to
Oshkosh for the EAA convention
in 1970, where they camped under
the wing of Jims Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser. Joe joined EAA in 1976
and became a lifetime member in
2002. Joe is also a lifetime member
of VAA (VAA 5982).
Joe earned his private pilot certificate in 1978, and bought his first
airplane in 1979a 1955 Piper TriPacer. He flew it for about a year
and then converted it to the PA20 Pacer (tailwheel) configuration.
During this time Joe helped form
EAA Chapter 706 in Wisconsin
Tim Popp
Lawton, Michigan
Tim Popp
joined EAA in
1988 and is
now a lifetime
m e m b e r. H e
began taking
flying lessons
and attended
his first EAA
convention
that same year and has attended every convention since. Tim earned
his private pilot certificate in 1989
and later added a tailwheel endorsement and an instrument rating. He
joined VAA in 1994, about the same
time he began volunteering with the
VAA Contemporary Aircraft Judges.
He currently serves as the vice chair-
6 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:02 PM
Ron Alexander
Griffin, Georgia
Ron Alexander learned to
fly at age 16 in
his hometown
of Bloomington, Indiana.
He went into
the United
States Air Force
in 1964, completing pilot training in 1965. He
served a total of fi ve years in the
Air Force including a combat tour
in Vietnam. After military service,
he was hired by Delta Air Lines.
After starting his career in 1969,
he retired as a captain in 2002 after 33 years of service. Ron has
been involved with antique airplanes since 1975 when he first
b e g a n r e s t o r i n g a P T- 1 7 S t e a rman. In 1979 he founded Alexander Aeroplane Company, which
was later sold to Aircraft Spruce.
Ron also developed the SportAir
Workshops program that is currently being presented as the EAA
SportAir Workshops program. He
lives in Griffin, Georgia, where
he has several antique airplanes,
including a Stearman Model 6
and a Curtiss Jenny that is under restoration. He is developing
an antique airplane museum that
replicates the original Atlanta,
Georgia, airport.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
3/29/12 3:02 PM
C3B
Stearman
Yet another Ron Alexander project
BY
BUDD DAVISSON
PHOTOS
CHRIS MILLER
8 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:02 PM
on Alexander
doesnt believe in
leaving a lot of
white space in life:
If there is spare
time available, put it to use. He
appears to be a man who looks
back at each day and says,
Did I invest it wisely and get
something accomplished?
He could easily be selected as
the poster boy for the Get er
done generation.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
3/29/12 3:03 PM
The for ward cockpit has just enough instr umentation to give a passenger/pilot enough infor mation to keep the Stear man pointed in the right
direction.
The fuel tank for the C3B is in the center section of the upper wing, so the oat-activated fuel
gauge is mounted on the bottom of the tank, so
the pilot can see it at a glance.
10 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:04 PM
total rebuild.
The original Wright J-5 had
been replaced with a Continental
220, and the front seat had been
raised 10 inches. Dont ask why. We
dont know. Plus it had 30 pounds
of lead in front: It had a very aft
CG. But, it was flying. Sorta! In fact,
I flew it that way for several years
before I couldnt stand it anymore
and took it out to Flabob where I
turned Brian Newman, and his
helpers Hualdo and Nando Mendoza, loose on it.
All things considered, he says,
the wings werent too bad. We
didnt have to do any major woodwork, spars, etc., other than repairing a bunch of ribs and replacing
the hardware and leading edges.
The fuselage was another story.
About all we used from the fu-
selage was the tubing structure itself, and much of that had to be
replaced. The front tubing had
been cut and welded in a number
of places and had to be rearranged
to match factory drawings, a sure
sign that it had been a duster. And a
lot of it was corroded. Thats true of
all old airplanes, but dusters especially. The tail, being made of steel,
was also badly corroded, so we did
a lot of cutting and welding.
The landing gear not only wasnt
original, but also was rusted beyond saving. They would have
been welding patches to patches, so
they opted to build an entirely new
one. The major struts and leg tubing are all round but are faired either with aluminum or balsa wood
glued to the back of the tube and
wrapped in two layers of fabric and
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
3/29/12 3:04 PM
PHIL HIGH
Ron Alexander:
Aviation Entrepreneur
Born in Bloomington, Indiana,
Ron says, Ive just always been an
aviation guy. No one in my family
had the bug, but somehow I caught
it and joined the CAP when I was
14. In fact, my first airplane ride was
in the back of a C-119 on a CAP trip.
I started flying a Champ, he remembers, when I was 16 and just
kept going. By the time I got into
Air Force ROTC in college, I already
had my commercial ticket and CFI.
Then, in 64 I went into the Air
Force and completed flight training
at Reese AFB.
Ron flew C-130s for a few years
before finding himself in Vietnam
flying the de Havilland C-7 Caribou. We did a lot of mission support for the special ops guys, most
of which was pretty interesting.
He doesnt mention it, but he received a Distinguished Flying Cross
for some of the flying, which attests
to the interest level attached to it.
I came out of the Air Force and
went right to work for the airlines, retiring 33 years later, in 2002. I started
out in DC-9s and ended up in 767s.
Ron worked for the airlines, but
he flew for himself. Almost immediately upon joining the airlines, he
started looking around for a vintage
or antique airplane. I really wanted
a Stearman, and there were lots of
12 APRIL 2012
Vintage April 2012.indd 14
3/29/12 3:05 PM
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
Vintage April 2012.indd 15
3/29/12 3:05 PM
Flying
Icon
BY
CHRIS MILLER
On
an
These pedals are the most commonly asked about item in the cockpit, but they are surprisingly easy to
use, which is odd for aircraft of the
period. In the middle, a tall control
stick implies that leverage is critical
to the movement of the control surfaces. As for fuel, the selector offers
the options of off, main, and fuse to
control a supply of 72 gallons of gas.
Finally, left of the pilots seat, with
the control lever sticking forward, is
the stabilizer trim control that was
obviously sourced from or inspired
by Farmall, Oliver, or John Deere.
Taxiing the C3B requires the
same S-turn method used for most
vintage aircraft. Safely taxiing the
C3B requires it be exaggerated.
Despite having enough visibility
for takeoff and landing, the forward view, compromised by the
small cockpit opening, is restricted
enough to require extra attention.
Takeoffs in the B are fun and
easy. Push the throttle forward and
hold the stick neutral. Thanks to
the steerable tail wheel and outrigger gear, little effort is required to
keep her straight. Yet, even if she
wanted to wander, your groundspeed increases, the controls come
alive, and she lifts off so quickly
there is little time for you to screw
it up. Once in the air keep pulling back until your airspeed is stabilized at 55-60 mph and you are
on your way to vintage nirvana. A
look at your wingtips excites you.
In the B a 30-degree deck angle and
a 1,000-plus foot per minute climb
is not uncommon. Not every old
bird climbs like this, and still the
Stearman has more surprises.
Level flight is something the
C3B seems to have been made for.
Although some owners of other
RICH DAVIDSON
14 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:05 PM
BY
well-orchestrated arrivals.
The pilots of those planes have
the uncommonly delightful opportunity to touch down and roll
out on a 7,000- by 400-foot grass
airfield, and they are heartily wel-
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
3/29/12 3:24 PM
MARTIN BETTS
Myriad airplanes on the ightline, and a tether ed hot air balloon in the backgr ound.
G
LOU FURLON
16 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:06 PM
Airplanes everywhere!
PAT HARNESS
Four hundred fifty aircraft flew in for the fifth annual fly-in.
JIM MARLAR
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
3/29/12 3:06 PM
DON LOVINGOOD
JIM MARLAR
Aviators at Heart
Part of Triple Trees success is the
fact that both Pats hail from a family
background in aviation, and have
been flying for years themselves.
Hartness, who soloed a Cessna 172
when he was 18 and has been flying
for 50 years now, fondly recalls his
earliest memory of aviation. When
he was just 4, his pilot parents took
18 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:06 PM
Activities Abound!
While activities abound at this
first-class airfield and its associated facilities, there is one activity
that isnt part of this fly-inthere
isnt any aircraft judging. That, Pat
Hartness explains, is simply because We just feel like if you come,
youre a winner! And those who
do arrive at Triple Tree will very
likely feel like winners, indeed. The
scenic acreage is accentuated by a
stately pavilion and gazebos, which
provide gathering places for aviators and their friends to relax and
enjoy each others company.
An aviator who flew perhaps the
longest cross-country to arrive at
Triple Tree this past September was
Presley Melton of Little Rock, Arkansas. He reflects, Triple Tree is
the best organized regional fly-in
Ive ever attended, and its absolutely a wonderful place for a flyin. The facilities and hospitality are
over the top. From the 7,000-foot
sod runway, to the steak cookout
on the patio, to the bathhouses
with built-in hairdryers, this place
is first class all the way. Pat Hartness has done everything he can
to make Triple Tree the best fly-in
airport. He built this airfield and
all its wonderful facilities because
he wants people to have a place to
come together and enjoy aviation.
Overall, Hartness describes a visit
to Triple Tree as being different
from going and landing at an asphalt runway, where you wonder
what to do next. Theres plenty to
do here! Its set up to help entertain and give the people a unique
destination. One thing that has
helped us do that, is that weve
learned a lot from the people that
have been coming here for the 29
years that weve run the Joe Nall
Fly-inwe have lots of experience
with hosting public events, says
Hartness, elaborating, Triple Tree
is like a really fun park, but its better than a park. We have the Enoree
River running right by one end of
our property, and weve created a
grassy beach area from a sandbar,
PAT HARNESS
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
3/29/12 3:07 PM
JIM MARLAR
. . . beyond question,
engines and pistons
are nice, but the
smiling faces and
Youre Invited!
Even as the variety of activities
and attractive accommodations at
Triple Tree continues to broaden,
the Aerodromes lush, natural
beauty is perhaps the most distinctive draw for this fly-inenhanced, of course, by the contagious enthusiasm of the hosts
and volunteers. Simply stated, Pat
Hartness favorite aspects of the
fly-in revolve around the friendships and relationships it has allowed him to make:
These people are among the
finest people that I have ever met
in the world, and I look forward
to them making their pilgrimage
back to either the Nall or the Triple
Tree Fly-in. Beyond question, engines and pistons are nice, but the
smiling faces and relationships are
what its really all about.
Derrick echoes that sentiment,
adding, you would not believe
the amount of preparation for
the event in terms of the man
hours and the work involved, but
its something that we really look
forward to. We continually try
to make Triple Tree the Augusta
National [Golf Club] of airfi elds,
and we really look forward to seeing those friends that we get to
see once a year. When they leave,
we always have a tear in our eyes
when we wave them goodbye.
Pat Hartness cordially extends
an open invitation to aviators,
whatever type of aircraft they fly.
We have quite a variety, and everybody who is a pilot, a member of an aviation organization,
or a sincere aviation enthusiast
is welcome to attend. Come and
discover a different kind of flyin! And when we say different,
were not saying anybody elses
isnt good; ours is just different.
We dont want to be the biggest
fly-in; we just want it to be as
good as it can be. Thats what we
want aviation people to discover
about Triple Treeour Fun, Fellowship, and Hospitality!
Note: Triple Tree Aerodrome
(SC00) is located in Woodruff, South
Carolina (near Greenville, KGMU).
The dates for the sixth annual flyin are September 5-9, 2012. Fuel is
typically available on the field during the fly-in. For more information, visit www.TripleTreeFlyin.com
and www.Facebook.com/pages/TripleTree-Aerodrome/282990699292. To
watch some videos of Triple Tree,
tune in to www.YouTube.com/user/
TripleTreeAerodrome.
20 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:07 PM
LESSONS
FROM THE
BY
HAWKER CYGNET
BOB WHITTIER
EAA 1235
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
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
3/29/12 3:07 PM
THE AEROPLANE
Oh what fun it is to taxi thr ough the grass and dandelions in a Hawker Cygnet! Restor ed around 1950,
G-EBMB is the sole r emaining example and is on display at the R.A.F . Museum, Hendon.
owners. While war-surplus military
planes were still in good supply,
they were fitted with powerful and
very fuel-hungry engines.
So much stress was placed on
fuel economy, in fact, that the rules
specified that engines that powered
entries must have cylinder displacements of not more than 750 cubic centimeters. Thats about the
displacement found in todays intermediate-weight motorcycles, so
you can understand that such engines were quite small for aircraft
use. [Editors note: The two-cylinder
Aeronca E-107 engine of 28 hp, which
powered the Aeronca C-2, displaced
107 cubic inches, or 1753 ccthat
equates to more than twice the maximum displacement allowed by the
contest organizers!HGF]
In fact, because no aircraft engine manufacturer at that time
produced such a tiny aero engine,
those who wanted to enter this contest had to turn to the air-cooled
and therefore reasonably light motorcycle engines then being manufactured. Even the best of these, of
course, represented what was available in 1923 in the way of metals,
bearings, valves, and other things,
which means they were really not
at all the equal of todays Harleys
and Hondas.
What engines they had to choose
from they modified as well as they
could to suit themthey hoped!
for flight. But because these mills
in many cases were forced to run
at as much as 50 percent over rated
LEO KOHN
22 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:07 PM
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
3/29/12 3:08 PM
This drawing by retired Boeing engineer Geor ge Visk illustrates ef fect of air foil thickness on inter ference in air ow
between the two wings of a biplane. In Figur e 3, shaded ar ea shows air ow overlap that can pr oduce a mysterious rumbling sound. Staggering the wings or making the lower one of r educed chord as in Figur e 4 ar e some
ways to r educe inter ference. The air foil used in the wings also af fects ow.
But these box spars put the spruce
where it would handle loads to
best advantage, and so this type of
construction saved a worthwhile
amount of weight.
The wing interplane struts were
also of spruce, each being made in
two pieces, routed out, and then
glued together to create hollow struts.
Both weight and drag were reduced.
Because the stabilizer spar was
made the same way, it was strong
enough to serve its purpose without
external struts or tie rods. Throughout the plane an effort was made to
keep the number of metal fittings
to a minimum.
The vertical tail consisted of a
balanced rudder only, with no fin.
Since this rudder was able to stand
by itself, the weight of a fin and its
Early 1930s Cur tiss Condor, left, had top wing set high above fuselage to minimize squeezing of air
ow in
gap between upper and lower wing. The 1929 Boeing 80A, right, had wing attached to fuselage top. The smaller
chord of the lower wing accomplished essentially the same thing. A similar ar rangement was used on the 1924
Hawker Cygnet.
24 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:08 PM
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
3/29/12 3:08 PM
This 1924 Cygnet was power ed by a ver y unreliable inverted vee Anzani engine. While the plane was indeed a ver y
light draft, it was by no means tiny . The gure of the man helps visualize the 28-foot span of the top wing.
Visk, a retired Boeing engineer for
reply. The next several paragraphs
are based on the very informative
two-page letter he sent us.
While experimenting with gliders
in 1902, the Wright brothers built
a simple wind tunnel and from the
information it gave them concluded
that the gap between upper and
lower wings of a biplane should be
equal to the wings chord.
This proved to be an acceptable spacing for wings using the
very thin airfoils they and others
used in the 1903-1913 period. As
the dashed lines in Figure 1 show,
each thin airfoil displaces a modest
amount of air, and therefore interference between upper and lower
wings is not present.
Between 1914 and about 1924
thicker airfoils gradually came into
use. They gave much better lift-todrag ratios and also afforded the
thicker wing sections needed to
enclose deeper and stronger spars.
Their extra thickness caused them
to displace more air as shown in
Figure 2, but still not enough to
impair wing lift. The sharp leading
edges of these airfoils resulted in
sudden and vicious stall characteristics that caused many crashes.
Work done by such researchers
as Virginius E. Clark in the early
1920s resulted in the now very wellknown Clark Y and similar airfoils.
They had well-rounded leading
edges, flat or almost flat undersides,
and more efficiently curved upper
sides. Aircraft speeds and hence
When biplanes
began to use
the new, thicker
airfoils, more air
was displaced as
shown in Figure 3.
The all-metal Ford Tri-Motor also
demonstrated the monoplanes
lower drag and greater speed and
thus range. But early, lower-powered
versions could not take off with a
full load of passengers from such
transcontinental airway stops as
Cheyenne in Wyoming, which is
6,300 feet above sea level.
To provide the newly organized
Boeing Air Transport Company airline with a plane able to take off
from Cheyenne with a full passenger load aboard, the Boeing aircraft
factory developed the Model 80 trimotor. It was a biplane with lots of
wing area: 1,250 square feet compared to the Fords 785.
When biplanes began to use the
new, thicker airfoils, more air was
displaced as shown in Figure 3. If
the wings were too close together,
26 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:08 PM
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
3/29/12 4:45 PM
The A.B.C. Scorpion engine, left, was used in one of the 1925 Cygnets. It suf
fered from valve tr ouble. The much
more reliable Bristol Cher ub, right, per formed dependably in the 1924 competition. Note its similarity to the pr esent-day twin-cylinder Mosler engines of similar horsepower .
craft built to climb to great altitudes
(the U-2 spy plane) or fly long distances with modest fuel consumption (Rutans Voyager) have high
aspect ratio wings to keep induced
drag as low as possible.
Now considering the Cygnet, its
wings had a thin airfoil, there was
generous gap, and speed was modest. Therefore the narrower chord
of its lower wing could not have
had anything to do with the factors
concerned in Figures 1 to 4.
But notice that the lower wing is
shorter than the upper one for such
reasons as ground clearance during
sharp turns on a runway. If a short
lower wing had the same chord as
the longer upper one, it would have
a lower aspect ratioand low aspect
ratio is a power-stealer whenever a
wing is flying at high angle of attack, due to greater induced drag.
But by reducing the chord of a
shorter lower wing, its aspect ratio
is kept the same as that of the top
wing. When trying to coax a useful
rate of climb out of a lower-powered
plane, or getting a big plane off a
high-altitude airport with a heavy
load aboard, this is important.
Hawker built two Cygnets for the
1924 Lympne competition. One
was fitted with an inverted-vee Anzani engine, the other with a horizontally opposed A.B.C. Scorpion.
Both engines were bedeviled with
28 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:09 PM
Vintage
Mechanic
THE
BY ROBERT G. LOCK
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
3/29/12 3:09 PM
3/29/12 3:10 PM
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AERO CLASSIC
COLLECTOR SERIES
Vintage Tires
New USA Production
www.desser.com
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31
3/29/12 3:10 PM
32 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:10 PM
our lis t
Check these off yt
Whats on YOUR
AirVenture bucket list?
t concer
O Opening nigh
iller Band
with the Steve Mrd Motor Company
Presente d by the
Fo
!
O Tora! Tora! Tora
ar y of the
O 75th annivers
Piper J-3 Cub
oolittle Raiders,
O Salutes to thiremDen and all Veter ans
Tuske ge e A
July 23-29
3/29/12 3:10 PM
Vintage
Instructor
THE
Aborted takeoffs
34 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:11 PM
happened to me? With time to think through the situation, it really isnt difficult. But now, visualize this scenario. You have just finished a large stack of pancakes and
four or five link sausages, talked to at least two dozen fellow pilots, and youre now ready to head home.
The fly-in breakfast was held at a small grass-strip airport with airplanes parked right up to the edge on both
sides of the runway, and there are some very large trees
that youll need to clear at the far end. Add to this a steady
crosswind. You are number three for takeoff, and there are
four more airplanes behind you just as anxious as you are
to get going. Your mind is thinking through everything
except an aborted takeoff at this point.
Having to abort a takeoff is not a common occurrence,
but it is something that should be a part of your mental
checklist every time you align your airplane with the runway centerline.
What situations might you encounter requiring an
aborted takeoff? Certainly either a silent or very roughrunning engine is cause for abandoning the takeoff. But
there are times when a deer or other wildlife may be on
the runway. I once had to abort a takeoff early one morning in South Dakota when a herd of antelope decided to
occupy the runway ahead of me just as I added full power.
Ground vehicles and other aircraft inadvertently moving onto the runway is another potential for an aborted
takeoff, especially at the smaller airports from which we
fly, but it can happen anywhere. This situation has been
defined by the FAA as a runway incursion.
I was once a passenger on a fully loaded Boeing 747 taking off from Kennedy Airport in New York. Just as the pilot
began rotation and the nose came off the ground, the engines went to full reverse. Everything in the cabin began
to shake, overhead bins opened, and luggage was flying
everywhere. My wife grabbed my arm and asked what was
happening. I remember the incident vividly to this day.
I told her to prepare for a swim as the only place for this
airplane to go was in the water. The very seasoned captain
brought the 747 to a halt well before colliding with another aircraft that had taxied partway onto our runway.
Eight hours later we were safely aboard a second aircraft
and again on our way. I found out later the 747 had blown
14 tires, required a mandatory inspection of all engine
mounts, and needed a complete change of brakes.
The steps that I have my students follow include:
Lower the nose: It is vital that you prevent a stall.
Then level, flare, and follow through as you would a normal landing.
Move the throttle to idle: In case the engine would
cough or catch for an instant. A quick burst of power for
a second or two would add a great deal of confusion and
possible loss of control of the airplane. You are committed to
landing the airplane. Do everything in your power to make
it happen with no additional surprises.
Maintain directional control: Keep flying the airplane until it comes to a complete stop. There is no sense
in damaging the airplane after you are back on the ground.
After surprising the student with one or two simulated aborted takeoffs, it becomes second nature to anticipate experiencing another whenever they fly with me.
Anticipation followed by practice creates a positive habit.
One additional exercise I like to do with students when
working in the traffic pattern is this: Every 10-15 seconds
Ill ask what they would do and where would they go if the
engine were to quit this instant:
While on climb-out
On crosswind
While turning downwind
At midpoint on downwind
While turning to base leg
This is also a good exercise for anyone. It is quite easy to
become complacent, especially when flying from the same
airport. Take a moment or two the next time you go for a
flight and ask yourself these same questions while in the
pattern. It may prevent a nonevent from becoming an incident or even an accident!
Bobs Test Flight Conclusion
After removing and disassembling the carburetor, it
was found that the needle and jet were incorrect. It was
meant for a carburetor in conjunction with a mechanical fuel pump. The head pressure for a gravity-fed system
was not great enough to allow proper fuel flow. When
the correct needle and jet were installed, no further problems were encountered.
CONTACT US TODAY!
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RIIDEULFVWDSHVDQGQLVKHV
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 35
3/29/12 3:11 PM
by H.G. FRAUTSCHY
MYSTERY PLANE
This months Mystery Plane comes to us from the
Kinzinger collection of the EAA library.
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.
36 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:11 PM
jungles near rubber and banana plantations. The planes would also be useful for freight feeder service in smaller
U.S. and foreign communities.
Unfortunately the letter of intent
was canceled when the required materials (plywood) could not be acquired in suffi cient quantity to meet
production schedules. Both aircraft
were scrapped before the end of the
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 37
3/29/12 3:12 PM
VINTAGE
TRADER
S o m e t h i n g t o b u y,
sell, or trade?
Classi ed Word Ads: $5.50 per 10 wor ds,
180 words maximum, with boldface lead-in
on rst line.
Classi ed Display Ads: One column wide
(2.167 inches) by 1, 2, or 3 inches high at
$20 per inch. Black and white only , and no
frequency discounts.
Adver tising Closing Dates: 10th of second
month prior to desir ed issue date (i.e., Januar y
10 is the closing date for the Mar ch issue). V AA
reser ves the right to r eject any adver tising in
conict with its policies. Rates cover one inser tion
per issue. Classified ads ar e not accepted via
phone. Payment must accompany or der. Word
ads may be sent via fax (920-426-4828) or e-mail
(classads@eaa.org) using cr edit card payment
(all cards accepted). Include name on car d,
complete address, type of car d, 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.
AIRCRAFT
MISCELLANEOUS
REAL ESTATE
Florida keys Tavernaero Airpark 2/2 up and
1/1 down. CBS Construction, Central Air,
screened pool, marina, air pad. $750,000
owner/agent 305-304-8393
SERVICES
Always Flying Aircraft Restoration, LLC:
Annual Inspections, Airframe recovering,
fabric repairs and complete restorations.
Wayne A. Forshey A&P & I.A. 740-4721481 Ohio and bordering states.
Restoration, fabric, paint, fabrications,
paperwork. With 53 completed projects,
Wacos, Moths, Champs, Lakes, Pitts etc.
Test flights and delivery. Indiana 480-2092680 sales@wildcataviation.com, www.
wildcataviation.com
38 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:12 PM
Large Stain Glass Art Panel. Colorful antique airplanes in action. Brighten a room with light streaming through an aviation
theme piece. 3-feet long x 12-inches high. 5265751300000
$109.00*
sale
Womens Jacket
Wood airplanes are handcrafted in Wisconsin. Beautiful decoration yet sturdy enough
for little hands. Pilots are removable for play.
Tri-plane 5265657300000
was $34.95
$24.47*
Mens Jacket
Lightweight cotton M-65 Jacket in
Khaki. Hood zips into collar. Pockets
are plentiful!
5266177702082
SM
5266177703082
MD
5266177704082
LG
5266177705082
XL
5266177706082
2X
$59.99*
$48.93*
was $69.90
sale
Seaplane 5265657500000
$23.77*
was $32.95
Monoplane 5265657400000
$22.37*
was $31.95
www.shopeaa.com/vaa
Telephone Orders: 800-843-3612
From US and Canada (All Others Call 920-426-5912)
*Shipping and handling NOT included. Major credit cards accepted. WI residents add 5% sales tax.
3/29/12 3:12 PM
President
Geoff Robison
1521 E. MacGregor Dr.
New Haven, IN 46774
260-493-4724
chief7025@aol.com
Secretary
Steve Nesse
2009 Highland Ave.
Albert Lea, MN 56007
507-373-1674
Vice-President
George Daubner
N57W34837 Pondview Ln
Oconomowoc, WI 53066
262-560-1949
gdaubner@eaa.org
Treasurer
Dan Knutson
106 Tena Marie Circle
Lodi, WI 53555
608-592-7224
lodicub@charter.net
DIRECTORS
Steve Bender
85 Brush Hill Road
Sherborn, MA 01770
508-653-7557
aaflagship@gmail.com
John S. Copeland
1A Deacon Street
Northborough, MA 01532
508-393-4775
copeland1@juno.com
David Bennett
375 Killdeer Ct
Lincoln, CA 95648
916-952-9449
antiquer@inreach.com
Phil Coulson
28415 Springbrook Dr.
Lawton, MI 49065
269-624-6490
rcoulson516@cs.com
Steve Krog
1002 Heather Ln.
Hartford, WI 53027
262-966-7627
sskrog@gmail.com
Jerry Brown
4605 Hickory Wood Row
Greenwood, IN 46143
317-422-9366
lbrown4906@aol.com
Dale A. Gustafson
7724 Shady Hills Dr.
Indianapolis, IN 46278
317-293-4430
dalefaye@msn.com
Dave Clark
635 Vestal Lane
Plainfield, IN 46168
317-839-4500
davecpd@att.net
Jeannie Hill
P.O. Box 328
Harvard, IL 60033-0328
920-426-6110
Robert C. Brauer
9345 S. Hoyne
Chicago, IL 60643
773-779-2105
photopilot@aol.com
Gene Chase
8555 S. Lewis Ave., #32
Tulsa, OK 74137
918-298-3692
DIRECTORS EMERITUS
Ronald C. Fritz
15401 Sparta Ave.
Kent City, MI 49330
616-678-5012
rFritz@pathwaynet.com
Charles W. Harris
PO Box 470350
Tulsa, OK 74147
918-622-8400
cwh@hvsu.com
Gene Morris
5936 Steve Court
Roanoke, TX 76262
817-491-9110
genemorris@charter.net
ADVISORS
Joe Norris
tailwheelpilot@hughes.net
920-688-2977
EAA
Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association,
Inc. is $40 for one year, including 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION. Family membership is an additional $10 annually. All
major credit cards accepted for membership. (Add $16 for
International Postage.)
FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS
John Turgyan
PO Box 219
New Egypt, NJ 08533
609-752-1944
jrturgyan4@aol.com
Ron Alexander
118 Huff Daland Circle
Griffin, GA 30223-6827
ronalexander@mindspring.com
Membership Services
Directory
Tim Popp
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Lawton, MI 49065
269-624-5036
tlpopp@frontier.com
Membership Services
MondayFriday, 8:00 AM6:00 PM CST
Join/Renew800-564-6322 membership@eaa.org
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
www.airventure.org
888-322-4636
airventure@eaa.org
920-426-4843
920-426-6880/4815
airacademy@eaa.org
stc@eaa.org
EAA Scholarships
920-426-6823
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Library Services/Research
920-426-4848
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800-654-2200
membership@eaa.org
920-426-4825
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VAA Oce
920-426-6110
tbooks@eaa.org
40 APRIL 2012
3/29/12 3:13 PM
Drive one.
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improved craftsmanship and enhanced driving dynamics keeps Taurus
a rolling showcase of technology leadership. The new Taurus builds on
a legacy of safety, as the current model earned an Insurance Institute
for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick rating.
EAA members are eligible for special pricing on Ford Motor Company
vehicles through Fords Partner Recognition Program. To learn more
on this exclusive opportunity for EAA members to save on a new
Ford vehicle, please visit www.eaa.org/ford.
3/29/12 3:13 PM
3/29/12 3:13 PM