Airworthiness Directives for the Piper PA-17 Vagabond Trainer

FRONT COVER .. . The Grand Champion Antique Award went to this beautiful 1934 Stinson SR-5E, N14187, SI N 9279-A restored by Tom Laurie (EAA 93526, AlC 2219), Newport Beach, California. (Photo by Ted Koston) BACK COVER ... 1928 Swallow, NC8730 with Wright J-5. Once owned by cowboy actor Hoot Gibson who cracked it up at the Los Angeles National Air Races. With NACA cowl, wheel pants and 120 mph top speed, this was the sportiest Swallow ever built. Eat your heart out, Buck Hilbert! (Oliver R. Phillips photo via Mike Rezich) The words EAA, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM, SPORT AVIATION , and the logos of EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC., EAA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, EAA ANTIQUE & CLASSIC DIVISION INC., INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB INC., WARBIRDS OF AMERICA INC. , are registered trademarks, THE EAA SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION INC. and EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above associations is strictly prohibited. Editorial Policy: Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. Material should be sent to : Gene R. Chase, Editor. The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591 . The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091 -6943) is published and owned exclusively by EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc. of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. and is published monthly at Wittman Airfield , Oshkosh, WI 54903 2591 . Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 and additional mailing offices. Membership rates for EAA AntiquelClassic Division, Inc. are $18.00 for current EAA members for 12 month period of which $12.00 is for the publication of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE . Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation. ADVERTISING - Antique/Classic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through our advertis ing. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken . Postmaster: Send address changes to EAA Antique/Classic Division , Inc .. Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591 . VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3 (Photo by Ted Koston) . This aerial view shows a portion of the 739 antique and classic aircraft registered at Oshkosh '84. OSHKOSH '84 This 32nd annual edition of the EAA Fly-In Conven tion was a resounding success as reporte d in Jack Cox's Hotline in last month 's SPORT AVIATION. A total of 1592 show planes were registered, including 739 antique, classic and replica aircraft. A breakdown of these types is: 607 classics, 128 antiques, and 4 replicas. In addition to some outstanding new aircraft projects, the highlights included the following activities: • A porch on the Red Barn (see Lois Kelch's article on page 17). • Increased involvement by Type Clubs with ten groups represented in the large tent near the Red Barn . • Over 400 members and guests attended the Antique / Classic Division picnic. • Seven past Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion aircraft were displayed in a special area for the first reunion of these prestigious award winners. • 28 members entered the First Annual Antique/Classic Photo Contest. • 93 aircraft flew in the Annual Parade of Flight, repre senting 79 different types. • 40 aircraft and about 100 members and guests partici pated in the fly-out to Wautoma , Wisconsin (see Bob Lumely's story in the next issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE). • During the week 18 aircraft were moved into the inter view circle in front of the Red Barn where their owners were interviewed. • A total of 129 new members joined the Antique /Classic Division and 55 members renewed . Articles and photos of the above activities will appear in forthcoming issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Thanks to Jack McCarthy (EAA 87959, AlC 2698), Crestwood, Illinois, who arrived at the Convention early and staye d throughout , we have excellent photographic coverage of all activities in the Antique/Classic area. We are indebted to Jack who volunteered his time and talents so the readers of VINTAGE can enjoy a more complete coverage of Antique /Classic events at Oshkosh. Watch for Jack's photos in future issues. AWARD WINNERS AT OSHKOSH '84 CLASSICS: Grand Champion - Cessna 140, NC4135N - Rick and Kathie Paige, San Mateo , CA Reserve Grand Champion - Rawdon T-1, N5160 - Chas tain Family, Manchester, MO Class I (0-80 hp) - Piper J-3, NC87840 - Robert and Charles Parish, Tullahoma , TN Class II (81-150 hp) - Luscombe 8E, NC1524B - Scott Benger, Aurora , CA Class III (151 hp and up) - Beechcraft Bonanza, N5186C - Georgene and Don McDonough, Palos Hills , IL Custom Class A (0-80 hp) - Luscombe 8A, N45965 - T.R. Boyd, Lake Jackson , TX Custom Class B (81-150 hp) - Luscombe 8F, N1499B Jerry and Delores Adkisson, Tuscola, IL Custom Class C (151 hp and up) - Swift GClB, N80843 Jack Nagel, Athens , TN Outstanding in Type: Aeronca 7AC, N85656 - Stephen T. Pollina and Gil J. Pasquini, Westhaven, IL Aeronca ChiefllBC, N82496 - Gary Cotner , Tulsa, OK Beechcraft - Bonanza C-35, N8974A - John Howard, Sunnyvale, CA Cessna 1201140 - Cessna 140A, N9467 A - Richard L. Harris, Valley Cottage, NY Cessna 1701180 - Cessna 170B, N2681D - Dean Richardson, Madison, WI Cessna 1901195 - Cessna 190, N190BR - Dr. W. W. Rogers, Phoenix, AZ Ercoupe - N2701H - Scott Olson, So. St. Paul, MN Luscombe - Luscombe 8A, NC1174K - Tom and Carrol Woodbuin, Staunton, VA Navion N91112 - Don Cowdrey, Owasso, OK Piper J-3, N98035 - Jim Lefeure, Green Bay, WI Piper (Others) - Piper Pacer, N1580A - David Serene, Ford City, PA Stinson 108-3, N1083 - Sharron and Larry Wade, Spring, TX Swift, N8353B - Mark Holliday, Lake Elmo, MN Taylorcraft BC-12D1, NC 9809M - Robert Gehring , Rubicon, WI Limited Production - Trojan, N8345H - Nancy Grout, Waukesha, WI Best Workmanship - Stinson 108-2, N400C - Tom and Lorraine Zedaker, Las Vegas, NV ANTIQUES: Grand Champion - 1934 Stinson SR-5E, N14187 - J. Tom Laurie, Newport Beach, CA Reserve Grand Champion -1930 Stearman C3R, NC794H - Jeff Robinson, Arleta, CA Contemporary Age (1933-1945) Champion - 1941 Luscombe 8C, NC39023 - James Flager, Upland, CA Runner-up - 1943 Howard DGA-15P, NC95462 - Chub and Bette Trainor, Santa Paula , CA Outstanding Closed Cockpit Monoplane - 1935 Cessna C-34, NC15463 - Henry Geissler, Webster, MN - 1941 Porterfield LP65, N37717 - Arthur Buj nowski, Goshen, CT Outstanding Open Cockpit Monoplane - 1940 Ryan STA, N17343, Bill Rose, Barrington, IL Outstanding Open Cockpit Biplane - 1938 DeHavil land DH82A, N86TM, Jim Van Weelden, Kalama zoo, MI Silver Age (1928-1932) Champion - 1930 Savoia Marchetti S-56B, NC194M R. W. Kaplan, Owatonna, MN Runner-up - 1931 Waco QCF, NX11241 - Marion Havelaar , Rapid City, SD Outstanding - 1929 American Eagle, NC563H - Barry Johnson, Howard Fassler, Cherokee, IA Outstanding - 1929 Spartan C-3, N705N - Ed Wegner, Plymouth, WI Customized Aircraft Champion - 1939 Spartan 7W, N17659 - Dick Young, Inglewood, CA Runner-up - 1943 Beechcraft D17S, N480 - Clyde Bourgeois, Santa Ynez, CA Outstanding - 1943 Grumman G-44 Widgeon, C-FJFV - Bill Grenier, Toronto, Onto Outstanding - 1943 Howard DGA-15, N68119 - Dan Kumler, Ocala, FL WWli Military Trainer - Liaison Aircraft Champion - 1943 Fairchild PT-19B, N127MP - Mike Kelly, Coldwater, MI Runner-up - 1943 Fairchild PT-19B, N51939 - William L. Mitchell, Coudersport, PA Outstanding - 1941 Stearman, N5728N, Hugh Bikle, Mountain View, CA Replica Aircraft: Champion - Gee Bee Y, N718L, Ken Flaglor, North brook,IL SEE AND BE SEEN On August 14th the FAA Administration held a meet ing with all of the industry associations in Washington regarding ways to reduce mid-air collisions and near misses with aircraft. The comments tendered ranged from controller errors to failure to observe the "see and be seen" rule of FAR 91. The single most effective way to help the situation seemed to be "constant vigilance-looking" on the part of flight crews. Complacency in the cockpit (depending on the Air Traffic Control system to protect them) is high on the probability list of causes. Weare asking you as a pilot or crew member to be aware of this threat and to "keep your head on a swivel" when under VFR conditions. Please give this your positive attention and reduce the possibility of becoming a statistic .• ATTENTION - COLLECTORS The EAA Aviation Foundation Library has a limited supply of original editions of the following publications for sale. Each is in mint condition - they are originals, not reprints: Instruction Manual fo..!.. t~l~ Waco Custom Handbook for Young Men - Air Cadets of Amer Cabin Models ~~~~ AGC-8, DGC-8 & ica. Some of the subjects covered in the 32 chap EGC-8. 12 page~prus three fold-outs ... $10.00 ters are: History of Aviation, Aircraft Instru ments, Parachutes, Meteorology, Gliders, How Instruction Manual and Parts Price List for the to Fly, First Aid, etc. Published in 1932. 475 1934-1938 Waco Standard Cabin Models UKC, pages. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. $ 7.00 YKC, UKC-S, YKC-S, YKS-6, YKS-7 andZKS-7 . 43 pages plus four fold-outs ... . . . . .. $22.00 Order from: EAA Aviation Foundation Library, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3065. Attention: Dennis Parks. ------=====. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5 TOM LAURIE'S GRAND CHAMPION STINSON SR-SE By Gene R. Chase (Photos by Ted Koston) The 1984 Grand Champion Antique is right at home emong the clouds. The 10-year restoration effort is plainly visible in this photo, right down to the pretty bump cowl and the streamlined wheel pants. Tom Laurie's name may be new to many EAA Antique / Classic members, but certainly not to those who are also model plane enthusiasts. Tom had been buildihg and fly ing models for some six years by the time he graduated from high school. This was 1933 in Fort Wayne, IN , and jobs were not plentiful. In later years he was to have his plans for both gas-powered free flight and radio controlled scale models published in Frank Zaic's Yearbook and the currently popular MODEL BUILDER magazine. At the urging of an uncle, he opened a hobby shop which he ran for three years. Profits were meager, but he gained his first experience in the business world. He then got a job as a pattern maker and learned how to use templates. These skills would continue to serve him well 6 OCTOBER 1984 in his professional life, his hobby of building and flying models, and most recently, in the restoration of the Osh kosh '84 Grand Champion Antique Award winner ... but more about that later. In 1940 Tom moved to the west coast, going to work for Northrop Aircraft, Inc. in the following year. Most of his work at Northrop involved engineering the installa tion of powerplants. Some of the interesting aircraft he was privileged to work on were the B-35 and B-49 Flying Wing Bombers, and the F-89D Scorpion as Assistant Proj ect Engineer. After 30 years, Tom retired from Northrop and con tinued to pursue his modeling hobby, which had become almost exclusively radio-controlled scale models. Scale modelers are forever seeking out new full size subjects to model, and after obtaining permission from the owner they measure and photograph every aspect of the plane necessary for drawing a set of plans and /or docu menting their pride and joy when entered in competition. It was on such a mission in September, 1974 that Tom decided it was time to build up a full size airplane rather than another scale model. He had gained entrance through the efforts of Ed Marquart, to a hangar behind Ed's where a De Havilland Fox Moth was temporarily housed at FlaBob Airport near Riverside, California. While Tom was photographing the Fox Moth he noticed a fuselage stored in the corner of the hangar, covered with a black plastic sheet . Naturally he was inquisitive and Ed said it was a 1934 Stinson SR-5E which was for sale . The airframe was very complete including the original factory installed Lycoming R-680-4 225 hp engine and Hamilton Standard ground adjustable propeller. Wasting no time, he purchased the Stinson, NC14187, and spent the next six months disassembling the fuselage and tagging parts at FlaBob Airport. The fuselage wasn 't damaged but there was rust in some of the lower members which Ed Marquart replaced with new tubing. Tom then took the fuselage to a shop for sandblasting . This turned out to be a mistake because as he put it , "I should have known better when I saw cement mixers waiting to be cleaned. The guy literally blasted the bottom of the fuselage away!" Having learned a lesson the hard way, Tom took the fuselage home where his friend, Chris Schultz replaced nearly all the lower members and the fin spar . No longer trusting others to do the job, Tom acquired his own sandblasting equipment and used it at home in his drive way to clean the remaining pieces of the Stinson . After priming the fuselage framework, Tom began the arduous task of replacing every piece of wood, using all the original pieces as patterns . The new window and door frames fit perfectly because he made them in jigs which he had built around the original frames. Each wooden former was replaced as were each of the stringers which Tom milled himself. These were "T" section members with a rounded crown on the external edge. The wings ap peared to be in perfect shape, but when he removed the woo d spacers on the bottom of the rear spars in the area of the fuel tanks, the spar material literally fell on the floor. This necessitated splicing five feet to the inboard ends of the rear spars . He also had to rebuild all the hinge points for the ailerons and "speed arresters" (flaps) because they were out of alignment with the airfoil. Fortunately, the rest of the wing structure, In level flight over the Wisconsin country sid e, th e SR -SE dis plays some classic lines. Note the alm ost scalloped look of the fuselage sides as the fabric is pulled in between th e stringers. Editor Gene Chase is at the controls. Posing for a picture beside the taxiway, the big Stinson looks massive and rugged, even fift y years after it was built! Outside baggage door is visible just aft of the last window. ribs, ailerons and fittings were in fine shape. After six years of steady work at home, Tom reached the point where he needed help with the sheet metal work on the big Stinson. On Thanksgiving Day, 1980, he took the plane to Chris Schultz's shop in Santa Ana where Chris and other friends helped to finish the project. Chris, who is very good with sheet metal and an excel lent welder was able to save most of the original fairings by welding and grinding. The only new pieces were the cuffs on the wing strut lower ends, the removable acces sory panels behind the engine cowl, and a few fittings including the one at the stabilizer pivot point. Tom installed a new electrical system, duplicating the original 100 amp fuse and number two wiring with one exception; he added a solenoid-type master switch to in sure a positive battery cut-off. For two years Tom agonized over the interior, asking dozens of antiquers what the original looked like. Not learning the answer, he decided to go ahead and remove the yellow and red plastic interior in his plane. In doing so, he was totally unprepared for what he found ... all the original leather was in place under the plastic! Carefully removing each piece ofleather, he traced the outlines with chalk on cardboard. Tom then made arrange ments to have the Thornton Upholstery Shop in Santa Ana make up and install the interior. This shop was just a half-mile from Chris Schultz's and Tom towed his fuse lage there early one morning while traffic was light. Be cause the shop didn't open until 8:00 a.m., Tom presented an unusual sight waiting in the nearby parking lot with the plane . The Thornton shop is noted for doing the interior work on very expensive antique autos, and they were able to accurately match the original materials in NC14187. The craftsman who did the work was a 30-year-old Venezuelan whom Tom couldn't understand, but who knew exactly what was needed and did a great job. Tom admits he was reluctant to spend the money to duplicate the original, elegant interior, but now he's glad his wife, Ruth, insisted. A curious and unusual item in the Stinson SR-5E is a retractable rear view mirror in the cabin ceiling between the windshield and the elevator trim handle. The curved mirror is raised up into the slipstream by several turns of a handle, giving both front seat occupants a view of the tail surface and the area behind the plane. A seal prevents air and water leakage when the mirror is retracted flush with the fuselage top. At some earlier time the mirror in Tom's plane had been removed and a sheet metal panel riveted in its place. This posed a problem until a friend, Don Johnson of Corona, California, made the mirror available from his VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7 "It's what's up front, that counts!" The big, round Lycoming R-680-4 is a masterpiece of restoration work by Ed Marquart. The pOlished Hamilton prop adds to the beauty. SR-5 which was engineless and needing restoration . Tom and another friend (what would we do without 'em!) Harry Hubbell removed the item and meticulously cleaned it with Tom's sandblasting equipment. Friend Jack McCracken who works in a foundry, then took the original castings, sealed the holes with wax and recast and machined all the parts . The original gears were made by Boston and when Tom contacted the Boston Gear Company in Los Angeles he learned the identical items were still available. At noon when he went to Boston to pick them up the clerk said that he was the second person to order the same gears that day. Further questioning determined that Jack McCracken had already purchased the needed items! But the mirror problems weren't over yet. Curved glass matching the original couldn't be found and Tom made several unsuccessful attempts to heat and bend pieces of glass mirror. Harry Hubbell enters the picture again when he turns up with a piece of plastic mirror which Tom was able and bend to the proper shape. This looks very authen tic and does the job admirably. Another unusual feature of this Stinson is the throttle location on the control column which places it in easy reach from both the pilot and co-pilot seats . Some obser vers suggested that it be moved to a more "conventional" location, but Tom insisted on originality and is glad be cause it poses no problems in operation. All the instruments are original and were rebuilt to like-new, airworthy condition. The only radio on board is a hand-held portable communication transceiver . The SR-5E is covered and finished with Stit's materials from the D-I03 fabric through Poly-Tone. The total number of coats is about 15 with much sanding in be tween. The final sanding chore was done with an ultra -fine paper, a 3-M product used for fine automobile finishes . The next process was the use of a power buffer and McGuires Cleaner to achieve a shiny finish. Next, McGuires Glaze was applied by hand followed by a coat of wax, also hand-applied. Most of the aircraft was finished thusly before assembly, making that job "fairly easy ." A red letter day occurred in August of last year when the airframe components were moved back to FlaBob Air port for final assembly. This followed a period of many months during which Tom worked four nights per week plus every Saturday . Although the engine was complete, including all acces sories, its restoration was a sizeable chore. It had acquired a lot of rust during its idle years and was a real bear to disassemble. The only original parts in the engine today are the cylinders, crankshaft and case. Tom had the badly pitted cylinders chromed and he was extremely fortunate in locating a brand new set of over-size pistons! 8 OCTOBER 1984 The man who did the cylinder work for Tom was Ed Clark of Moth Aircraft , Hawthorne, California. Ed also installed new valves, guides, a nd seats including steel on the exhaust side to protect against the ravages of 100LL fuel in case Tom is forced to use it . Incidentally , Ed is building from scratch, five DH Tiger Moths! Final assembly of the Lycoming R-680-4 was done by Ed Marquart and it runs like the proverbial "sewing machine". The propeller was overhauled in a prop shop in Tor rance, California where they found the blades to be in good shape but not the hub . It had been chromed, includ ing the inside, but where the planting wasn't complete, corrosion had taken its toll. In tracking down a replacement hub for the ground adjustable Hamilton-Standard prop, Tom contacted another SR-5 owner, Antique /Classic member Bob Near of Hastings , Nebraska who put him in touch with a shop in Minnesota . They in turn supplied the name of a man who owned such a hub and Tom made an instant purchase. The original brakes were replaced with new expand able bladder type purchased from Blue Lightning in Fresno. They recommended the use of a silicon-base brake fluid, as did the folks at the Briggs Cunningham Antique Auto Museum . The museum displays about 100 cars which are run only about once each year. They've experienced no corrosion since switching to the silicon-based fluid . One of the cars at the Briggs Cunningham Museum is a 1929 Stutz Bearcat and when Tom and Ruth Laurie first saw it, they greatly admired its cream and orange colors. In .fact, they decided to finish the Stinson in those same colors. In comparing paint chips with the Bearcat, Stits ' Tucson Cream and Pumpkin Orange were a near perfect match . Not liking the original black, red and yellow color scheme on NC14187, and in conferring with Joe Juptner (author of the U. S. Civil Aircraft series), Tom learned that some Stinson SR-5Es were indeed delivered with custom paint jobs at the request of the purchaser. So the choice of colors would not detract from the authenticity of the restoration . The paint design on NC14187 is factory original as gleaned from old photos and a set of Wylam drawings. Earlier in this article, several references were made to Tom's active involvement with model aircraft, but none to his personal flying experience. Tom did some Cub flying in the late thirties but never received his license. So when it came time for the Stinson's first flight he called on his friend, Bill Turner , a highly experienced pilot who flew U. S. Navy PBYs during WW II. Probably one of the most immaculate interiors ever to show up at Oshkosh, Tom Laurie's SR-SE even smelled new! Note throt tle mounted on yoke with ashtray underneath. More recently, Bill's name is synonymous with flying the EAA Aviation Foundation 's Spirit of St . Louis replica and Stinson SM-8A as well as his own replica racers, the Brown B-2 and Gee Bee Model Z. One very important factor was Bill's fairly recent experience with the brake system on the SM-8A which is identical to that on the SR-5E - heel brakes incorporated on the rudder pedals. For pilots with thousands of hours in aircraft with toe brakes, the heel brake feature requires great concentra tion during all ground operations, especially landing. The big day was April 29, 1984 when Bill made a 30 minute test flight and after landing said , "Don't change a thing!" He then made two more solo take-offs and landings and proceeded to give passenger rides to excited owner, Tom and several others who were instrumental in the completion of this immaculate restoration. Bill enjoys flying the Stinson and notes it has no bad characteristics. He prefers to make tail-low wheel land ings as do most other Stinson Reliant pilots. Go-around performance with the speed-arresters (flaps) fully lowered is somewhat less than sprightly, so he uses a comfortable 15 degrees for landing approaches. The speed-arrester system is interesting in that it's Famous Stinson logo has adorned many outstanding designs of Eddie Stinson and his company since way back in the "Twen ties ". tied in mechanically with the stabilizer trim . Eighteen turns of the overhead crank are required to fully lower the speed-arresters, with the first several turns only lowering the leading edge of the stabilizer for nose-up trim. As full nose-up trim is reached, the speed-arresters begin their down travel. These early Stinsons had four different flap systems. Tom's plane has the early one, driven by an endless cable around a 5" pulley. With its roomy and elegantly appointed four-place cabin the 50-year-old Stinson cruises comfortably at 100 105 mph at 1900 rpm, burning 12 gph. The fuel system consists of two 25-gallon wing tanks which feed a small header tank (less than one gallon) located ahead of the instrument panel. Landing speed with flaps is 55-60 mph and the full swivel, non-locking or steerable tailwheel poses no prob lems other than being a size which is very hard to find . NC14187 made its first public appearance in early June at the popular Merced (California) 27th Annual West Coast Antique Fly-In where it received the top award, the prestigious Mayor's Trophy. Then in July, only five days before departing for Osh kosh, following a no-wind landing which required some braking, the brakes locked up during gas up and the plane could not be moved until the brakes cooled. Tom was heartsick because it looked like the time required to make the needed rep_airs would cancel the trip. The shine on the large tail surfaces lets a person know you are looking at a top notch finish. Note rudder lock in place. (Photo by Bill Turner) Ruth and Tom Laurie are flanked by their daughters Pat (L) and Susan. (Photo by Ruth Laurie) Bill Turner (L) and Tom Laurie are obviously pleased with the top antique honor bestowed on the Stinson. (Continued on Page 23) VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9 By Dennis Parks (EAA 115388) Purdue University Libraries Air Trails was published under various titles from February 1934 until October 1955. Street and Smith of New York was the publisher . One of the leading aviation magazines of the 30s and 40s, Air Trails was a potpourri of aviation fact , modeling, fiction and news. Air Trails began its publishing life as Bill Barnes, Air Adventurer in February 1934. The Bill Barnes novels published therein were a fanciful collection of wild aircraft and wild adventure . Fast, strange aircraft such as the "Lancer" and "Snorter" tore across the skies in pursuit of dangerous villains. The aircraft included such features as twin sets of diesel engines mounted in-line and retractable fuselage floats. Apparently reality in the pre-war years became adven turous enough as Bill Barnes' name was dropped from the title Bill Barnes Air Trails in February 1937 to become Air Trails. By later 1939 the Bill Barnes novel and other fiction faded from the magazine. Matching the fanciful fictions were the colorful covers. Full color artwork by Frank Tinsley graced the covers and highlighted his articles on new aircraft . Among the air craft on the covers in the 30s were the Pou du Ciel, the Boeing 299 and the Hughes Racer. Most of the aircraft on the covers bore a menage of colors that bordered on the gaudy. In January 1940 excellent color photos began to be reproduced on the covers. Later during the war, full color photo spreads were added to the contents of the magazine . These photos are one of the best printed collections of contemporary color photography of aircraft of the 40s. The modeling section of Air Trails provided fine draw ings for solid scale and built-up models. The scale draw ings were done by Philip Mates, G. Christy, William Winter and Nick d' Apuzzo of EAA Design College fame . During 1937 there were drawings of the Folkert's Special, Fleetwings Seabird and Lindbergh's Miles Mohawk among others . Built-up model drawings included those done by Gor don Light, Joe Ott, and Alan Booton. Plans for flying models of the Flying Flea, the Al Williams Gulfhawk and Frank Hawk's "Time Flies" are among the drawings for 1936-37. A partial list of editors and article authors looks like a who's who of book authors of aviation history . These include Arch Whitehouse, Clyde Pangborn , Alexis Dawydoff, Douglas Ingells and William Larkin. In addition to the magazine itself, a feature in Air Trails, "Air Progress" became a separate publication as a semi-annual in 1938. Later, Air Progress took on a life of its own as a monthly and it continues to be published. 10 OCTOBER 1984 After the war, Air Trails became more of a hobby magazine and in 1954 added the subtitle of Hobbies for Young Men. In 1955 the title became Young Men and in 1956 became known as American Modeler. In Jan uary 1968 the title changed to American Aircraft Modeler with William Winter as editor and publisher . The title ceased in March 1975. In 1976, Air Trails enjoyed a brief revival under the auspices of Challenge Publications . This new effort in cluded reprints from the original publication plus addi tional material by John Underwood, Jim Larsen , William Lark i ns and others . The EAA Library has a mostly complete set of Air Trails dating from 1939 . • By George Hardie, Jr. This month 's mystery plane is another example of a designer's at tempt to cash in on the boom in avia tion that followed Lindbergh's trans atlantic flight. The photo is from the Howard Tubbs collection. In 1933 Tubbs started publishing a little magazine called Sportsman Aviation and Mechanics, aimed at the sportsman pilot, the homebuilder and modelers. No identification of this airplane is given, but the engine ap pears to be a Detroit Air Cat . The license is X-lION which may be of assistance in determining the name of the manufacturer. Answers will be published in THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE for January , 1985. The July Mystery Plane was iden tified by Robert F . Pauley (EAA 1277, AlC 8685), Farmington Hills, MI who wrote: "The Mystery Plane in the July 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is the two-place tandem wing amphibian built in the Ford Air craft Shops in Dearborn, Michigan in 1927. It is mentioned on the list of Ford aircraft , from the Ford Motor Company Archives dated October 5, 1931, along with the notation " super vised by Stout". Although Bill Stout was a Director of the Stout Metal Airplane Division, Ford Motor Company, in many cases he worked independently on his own ideas and without any direction from management (Edsel Ford was presi dent of the Division and William Mayo was Chief Engineer ). Stout was responsible for several unusual proj ects while working at Ford and the tandem-wing airplane was one of them. Perhaps today we would refer to Stout's operation as the Ford Air craft Division's "Skunk Works". The tandem-airplane was an all metal design using corrugated skin as was used on the Tri-Motors, and was powered by two Bristol Cherub III engines of 32 hp each. The config uration was similar in some respects to the popular "Flying Flea " design in that longitudinal pitch was controlled by the forward wing which was piv oted at the main spar . It was completed in May, 1927 under the direction of Bill Stout , with the actual construction work being done by two sheet metal workers from (EAA Archives Photo dated 5/12/ 27 from Wally Norman Collection Bill Stout poses in this rear view photo of his one-and-only " Dragonfly". (Photo courtesy of Robert F. PMJIey) The "Dragonfly" after its high speed taxi accident. the Aircraft Division, Anthony Walek to a far corner of the Engineering and Edwin Jackson . It was unoffi Shop. Stout soon lost interest in the cially nicknamed the "Dragonfly" be project and it was event ually cause of it s dual wing arrangement . scrapped. While it never left the ground, the It never carried an official Ford des airplane was taxied at the Ford Air ignation nor a CAA registration. I am port at speeds of up to 80 mph . During enclosing a photo of the airplane one of these high speed taxi tests it after it had been damaged in the taxi was badly damaged and was relegated test but prior to being scrapped . • VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11 (Photo by Jim Thompson) Scot Decker of East Peoria, IL flew this 1941 65TL, NC31837 tandem trainer to Middletown and was awarded the Best Pre-War Tandem award. 1984 AERONCA FLY-IN AT MIDDLETOWN (Photo by Jim Thompson) For the second year, Mallory Harwell flew all the way from Memphis, TN in his 1935 C-3, N14556. It was chosen the best C-3 at the Saturday night Award's Banquet. 12 OCTOBER 1984 By Jim Thompson and Augie Wegner (EAA 107574, AlC 5759) (EAA 85671, AlC 5781) P. O. Box 102 143228th Court Roberts, IL 60962 Kenosha, WI 53140 On the weekend of June 8-10, 1984, Hook Field at Middletown, Ohio saw the Second Aeronca Factory Fly-In take place. Around 60 Aeroncas made the trek home, along with 50 other types of aircraft. The fly-in was a big success even though the attendance was down a little from 1983 because of weather problems. Inclement weather existed to the west and winds blew around 30 mph with gusts well above that for most of the weekend. Fortunately the wind dropped off somewhat on Saturday and many of the arrivals came in then. This fly-in, like Middletown '83, was chaired by or ganizers Jim and Betty Thompson of Roberts , Illinois. Assistance was provided by several people and organiza tions including John Houser and Keith Wyman of Aeronca, Dick Alkire, Wally Baldwin, Doc and Kitty Boise, J. R. Wedekind, the Middletown Aviation Club, the Aeronca Aviator's Club and the Aeronca Club. Middletown is "home" to the Aeroncas manufactured after mid-June of 1940. At that time the factory moved to Middletown from Cincinnati's " Sunken Lunken " field . Flooding was a major problem and , according to John Houser, man y valuable records were lost during the worst of these floods. The Aeronca factory today is a major aero space contractor, providing components for several of the larger civilian and military aircraft. On Friday a tour of the Air Force Museum in Dayton was arranged . Those going on the tour had an extra treat in store for them - a visit to the Museum's restoration shop. A side trip was also taken to Carillon Park where the Wright Brothers' Flyer III is housed. Also on Friday the Middletown Aviation Club hosted a steak fry and (Photo by Jim Thompson) The Militaty award winner is this nicely restored Aeronca 0-580, NC47187, owned by Grasshopper Aviation of Ha rrison, OH . social with Aeronca veterans in their hangar at Hook Field. Both the food and conversation were excellent . It was especially nice to be able to stay on the field for t he evening events . Around 250 people attended the banquet Satu rd ay evening with the Master of Ceremonies being Mr . J . R. Wedekind, manager of Hook Field. (See the April 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE for a relate d story on the Wedekinds.) The speakers were Ed na Gar d ne r Whyte of Roanoke, Texas and Captain John M. Jo nes of Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Ms. Whyte owns her own airport in Texas and runs a flying service on the field . She arrived in Middletown with a young st udent pilot on a cross-country flight. At only 82 yea rs yo un g she told some very entertaining stories about flyi ng C-2's an d C-3's when they were new, as well as other stories t h at everyone loved. Ms. Whyte also related some of t he d if (Photo by Jim Thompson) Bob Gr oss er of Cincinnati, OH is the owner of this beauti fully restored Aeronca Sedan, N1473H, which was chosen Grand Champion Cla ssic . (Photo by Jim Thompson) The Pre-War Custom award winner was t his beaui tfu l L- 3B , N333CU, owned by Robert Matlock of Prospect, KY. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13 ficulties that she has experienced as a woman in the bus iness of flying and later starting her own airport. She conquered all the problems and is an inspiration to all. Mr. Jones, a retired Captain with American Airlines, better known as "Johnny" Jones , was the other speaker. He made history in 1938 when he flew a 50-C Chief (50 hp Continental) non-stop from Los Angeles to New York and landed with around 6 hours of fuel remaining . He even made a fly-by down the runway at Lunken Field, the home of the Aeronca factory at that time. Earlier in the day we had a chance to talk with him about Aeroncas and discovered that before his flight he was a Taylorcraft dealer in California. Mr . Jones said that when Aeronca came out with the Chief with the new 50 hp Continental (Photo by Jim Thompson) The Best Custom Classic was this beautiful 1946 7BCM, N83964, owned by Steve Alcorn of Indianapolis, IN. a (Photo by Jim Thompson) The Best Sedan Award was won by this 1948 Aeronca Sedan, N1003H, owned by Conrad Jockus of Kalamazoo, MI. he switched over to selling Aeroncas. The ''jaunt'' across the country was planned shortly thereafter with executives of Aeronca. Mr. Jones discussed the extensive preparations for the flight, including mod ifying the Chief, test-flying it on long trips around the country, planning the route and checking the weather. The question we had to ask him was, "What happened to the Chief?" We had checked the registration number and found that it had been reassigned to a modern aircraft. Mr. Jones told us that a young fellow from one of the Scandinavian countries wanted to fly the Chief non-stop back to his home but couldn't get permission from the FAA so he dismantled the Chief and towed it away from the factory on a trailer. The last Mr. Jones heard the fellow's car and trailer were discovered at an airport in Vermont. Neither he nor the Chief were ever heard from 14 OCTOBER 1984 again. Not surprisingly , this was the first question asked Mr . Jones at the conclusion of his talk Saturday evening. Also at the banquet two special awards, plaque s and framed photographs of the 1983 Fly-In taken by Ed Burns from Bill Pancake's Champ were presented to Aeronca, Inc. and J. R. Wedekind for their generous support of the Aeronca Factory Fly-Ins. Similar photographs were also given to John Houser and Wally Baldwin for their efforts. At the steak fry and banquet Wally Baldwin displayed some of his photographs of Aeroncas, and the Aeronca factory had their video tape of the 1983 Factory Fly-In playing both eve nings . On Sunday a celebration of the 60th anniversary of Hook Field took place. Breakfast was served at Mr. (Photo by Jim Thompson) Three of the aircraft judges with Johnny Jones. L-R: Dale Wol ford, Johnny Jones, Dick Alkire and Bill Pancake. (Photo by Betty Thompson) Grand Champion Antique, Walt Weber's freshly restored 1931 Aeronca C-3, NC12423, being taken for a hop around the field by Jim Thompson. Wedekind's hangar on both Saturday and Sunday morn ings . A balloon fly-in was held early Sunday morning and later, airplane rides were given. Ms. Pat Jones of Cordova, Alaska traveled the greatest distance to get to Middletown. Pat arrived via the airlines , but she has a Sedan, N1315H with a 165 Franklin which she flies every chance she gets. Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Strong drove in from Shreveport, Loui siana after loading their one-of-a-kind 41-foot wingspan Champ for the flight to Middletown, only to be confronted by bad weather. Their description of the performance of this airplane is fascinat ing due not only to the wingspan but the extremely light weight . The Champ was modified by Mr. Strong. It was especially nice to have Mr . and Mrs. Charles " Charlie" Lasher, retired leaders of the Aeronca Owners Club of Florida on hand for the weekend. Other states represented at Middletown were New York, Minnesota, Missouri, Arkansas, Pennsylvania , Wisconsin, Michigan, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, California and Texas. Perhaps the most unusual arrival was that of the folks in their Cub from eastern Ohio. As they were taxiing out at their home field a cat shot past them from back in the fuselage and leaped out through the open door. They didn't think anything more about the incident, and the trip was routine until they throttled back in the pattern at Middletown and heard a frantic crying sound from the rear of the fuselage . When they got on the ground it was discovered that the plane carried 3 stowaway kittens who didn't seem at all happy to be in Middletown. Getting them out was another matter. Finally the Cub was tipped up on its nose and the kittens were more or less coaxed out . They spent the rest of the day in a box at the registra tion desk and then returned home later that afternoon in the Cub. At Middletown '83 a lost film was turned in to the folks in the registration tent. Nobody claimed it at the time so Jim and Betty Thompson had it developed later in the year in the hope that this would be a clue as to the owner , but to no avail. This year at the fly-in, Jim and Betty put up a sign at the registration tent mentioning this film and within a few minutes the owner claimed it! He was very happy to have it back. As Conrad Jockus arrived in his Sedan and was being (Photo by Dale Wolford) L-R: John Houser, Betty and Jim Thompson and Wally Baldwin. The license plate on Jim's Chevy Blazer says it all. parked by Jim, three people gathered around the plane and one of them started pulling pictures out of an envelope commenting "That's the one!". When asked what he meant, the fellow said that he used to work for Aeronca when they were building the Sedan and he had a couple of pictures of Conrad's Sedan just after it was finished and rolled out the door. The gentleman further explained that he had driven up from Cincinnati just to see if NC1003H might be at Middletown. With less than 200 Sedans regis tered in the U.S. and the fact that Conrad's NC1003H is serial number 5, the probability of this meeting taking place was not too great . Conrad was extremely pleased when the gentleman gave him the pictures. The Grand Champion Antique, Walt Weber's C-3, ar rived Saturday morning immediately after it was test flown at Hamilton, Ohio, 13 miles away. Walt trucked it from his home to Hamilton and finished the restoration there so that the first flight away from an airport would be the "coming home" flight. The very competent judges for Middletown '84 were Dick Alkire, John Houser, Bill Pancake and Dale Wolford. (Photo by Wally Baldwin) Walt Weber receiving his Grand Champion Antique award at the banquet. Helping with the presentation is John Houser, shaking Walt's hand. Behind them is Ednar Gardner Whyte and to the right are Jim Thompson and J. R. Wedekind. Awards were as follows: Greatest Distance in an Aeronca - 7EC, N9869B, Jack Bridges, Republic, Missouri Best in Class: Pre-War C-2 or C-3 - C-3, NC14556, Mallory Harwell Pre-War Tandem - 65TL, NC31837, Scot Decker Pre -War Side by Side - 50C, NC21309, Dale Gilbert Post-War Champ - 7AC, NC85656, Steve Pollina & Gil Pasquini Post-War Chief - HAC, NC86286, Ken and Jeanne Peters Post-War Sedan -15AC, NlO03H, Conrad Jockus Military - 0-58B, NC47187, Grasshopper Aviation Pre-War Custom - L-3B, N333CU, Robert Matlock Post-War Custom -7-BCM, NC83964, Steve Alcorn Best Restored 1941 ChiefCRobert L. Taylor Award) 65CA, N34526, George Rengert GRAND CHAMPIONS: Classic - 15AC, N1473H, Bob Grosser Antique - C-3, NC12423, Walt Weber. (Photo by Ed Burns) Aeroncas at the Second National Aeronca Fly-In at Hook Field, Middletown, OH. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15 CHAPTER 13'8 FIRST SHOW By Bob Lickteig (EAA 71468, Ale 2433) 1620 Bay Oaks Drive Albert Lea, MN 56007 (Photos by the author) Newly-formed Antique /Classic Chapter 13 partici pated in its first large flying event which was part of a four-day celebration in July called "My Albert Lea Days". The program included a flight breakfast sponsored by the Clover Leaf Lions Club, two days of the "Minnesota Skydivers Annual Grandpa's Jump Fest", and the Chapter 13 fly-in meeting. The flight breakfast was open to the public and over 1800 were served. The jump fest recorded 151 jumpers from eight states making 2,122 jumps, and 98 aircraft flew in for the event . The military was represented by a Minnesota Air Guard unit. They displayed a Lockheed C-130 Hercules which the public was allowed to tour. This experience is always a crowd pleaser. Thanks to excellent weather there was continuous ac tion with all the arriving and departing aircraft and the crowd turnout was excellent. What could have been quite a chore for a single group was put on with minimum effort by the three groups involved. It was a very successful first airshow endeavor for a newly-formed chapter and serves as a good example of that "can do" spirit . • One of the "Grandpa's Jumpfest" participants nears the target. Some of the visiting aircraft at "My Albert Lea Days" celebration. r, Six of the 151 jumpers who took part in the show. The C-130 displayed by the Minnesota Air Guard. The "show planes" were displayed so the public could get a good look. 16 OCTOBER 1984 you also goes to Bill and Ethel Dodd, who donated all the PRofiLES FROM TilE ANTiQUE/ClAssic PAddock Article and photos by Lois Kelch 7018 W. Bonniwell Road Mequon, WI 53092 Porch Chairman AI Kelch at the hammer. The Antique/Classic Division Headquarters building had a new look for Oshkosh '84. As people approached "the Red Bam ", they hesitated a moment as they saw the new cool and welcoming porch with its ample benches and large entrance into the headquarters building itsell You could hear the sighs of relief as people lowered themselves onto the benches and enjoyed the respite and shade . They sat, rested and visited, but still had a perfect view of the activities. The veranda at the Sun 'n Fun Antique /Classic Head ~uarters building in Lakeland, Florida gave Al Kelch the idea, and he was promptly made Chairman ofthe commit tee to build our porch, with Bob Lumley as his co-chair ~an . Many, m~ny ~an-hours went into the project, and it was accomphshed m about one month's time . The nails and sawdust were really flying. Other volunteers who gave of their spare time for the project were: Rick and Cathy Vandenburg, the Beyer family - Greg , Ron, Gary, Jeff and Arlene, Bob Brauer , Lois Kelch, Ray and Jo Olco~t, Becka Stauer , George Meade , Clarence Schriber, B~m~c~ Klees, Dave Broadfoot, Don Morrissette, Larry D .A~i~ho , Pam Ford, Norb Simonar and Bill Berg . The DiViSiOn owes these workers a big "Thank You!". A thank Porch Sitter's Paradise - Oshkosh ' 84 . lovely hanging and potted flowers which added such a homey touch . Pre s ident Bob Lickteig and Vice-President Roy Red man were constantly kept busy throughout the week keeping things running smoothly. ' Our own Dale Cr i tes had the distinct honor of being the first ptlot to take off and land at the new Pioneer A~rport in his 19.11 Curtiss Pusher. The Pioneer Airport Will store and display about 45 antique aircraft in an ori~inal sett.ing of early aviation . It has an 1800' grass stnp that Will be used by EAA pilots for special demon strations . Irene Gomoll proudly shows her airplane quilt just before the drawing. IRENE GOMOll'S aUll TS Stan and Irene Gomoll are to be congratulated for their contributions to the Antique /Classic Division to help de fray the cost of the porch materials . Irene again made two lovely airplane motif queen size quilts , and they sold chances on them throughout the week and raised $653.00. This amount , added to their last year's contribution brings over $1 ,000 towards the porch. The lucky winner~ of the quilts were Fran Adams, So. Holland, Illinois and Ray Olcott, Nakomis , Florida. The. Antique /Cla ssic "Parade of Flight" was a big suc cess With over 100 planes participating. All eyes were focused on these beautiful , historic aircraft during the Wed~esday Air Show. This salute to aviation is always a favonte of the crowd. Chairman Phil Coulson and Co Chairman Willard Benedict are to be complimented for a job well done . The Antique /Classic Division shares in the great suc cess of the Convention, due to the beautifully restored and actively flying antique and classic airplanes . It is the PEOPLE who make all this possible. In talking to some of these people, I found them to be dedicated and enthused in their goal of keeping these airplanes flying so they will ne ver be forgotten . I s hare the se stories with you now. Georgene and Donald McDonough 8121 W. 98th St. Palos Hills, Illinois 60465 I first noticed this beautiful 1950 Beechcraft Bonanza N5186C, as Dan Neuman was interviewing its owners at the AlC Interview Circle. I heard Georgene say "our friend~ and family helped us with the big polishing job we sbll have our family , but the friends are gone ". I chuc~led at this and moved in on the interview . The plane wa~ mdeed ."brand-new" shiney . To keep it that way, it is pohshed tWice a.~ear requiring 60 hours of polishing, and 10 hours of detaihng . Unfortunately , it is not in a hangar and weather in Illinois is not easy on airplanes. ' Don and Georgene purchased the plane in the fall of 1977. It was flyable but not very pretty , being faded and dull . The interior fabric was original, and after it was VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17 shampooed, it again looked like new . Don, an A & P mechanic, was pleased to find the engine in excellent condition, just needing new hoses, seals and gaskets. Don removed the N numbers from the fuselage and put them on the top of one wing and underneath the other wing. It took them approximately 11J2 years to get the plane the way they wanted it in order to take it to Oshkosh. They have been rewarded with "Best Restored Beechcraft" Class III 151 hp and up, every year they have attended including Oshkosh '84. ' Donald and Georgene McDonough, 1950 Beechcraft Bonanza N5186C. ' They enjoy the plane and fly it to the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In at Lakeland, Florida and have won the Best Restored Classic over 165 hp several times. They also won Best Classic at the recent Midwest Regional Fly-In at Lewis Univ~rsity Airport in Illinois. These awards are very re wardmg to them after all their hard work. In their resto ration, they received assistance from the Beechcraft fac tory. in Wichita, and the American Bonanza Society, and recelved a great deal of knowledge from EAA publications. Getting their pilot's licenses was a togetherness thing . In 1965, their second Christmas together, they gave each other flying lessons. They attended Ground School to gether .and got their private licenses in 1966, flying in a 1940 Plper J5. They then got their Commercial and Instru ment Ratings. For these latter ratings, they purchased a 1966 Piper Cherokee. They loved the "tail draggers" and bought a 1946 PA 12. Then they started looking for a plane that would carry four people and a nice load, so they could share their fun. They looked for two years before finding N5186C in South Carolina through an ad in Trade-A-Plane. For nostalgic reasons they also bought a 1940 Piper Cub, the same as they learned to fly in, and alternate between planes to keep their proficiency . . Georgene's . lo~e for flying started her looking for a job onented.to aVlatIon, and in 1967 she was hired by FAA as an Alr Traffic Controller at the Joliet Flight Service and currently is an Air Space Specialist in the Great Lakes Region. ,!,heir friends (fair weather ones) may be gone, but thelr family certainly isn't. They had 17 members of their family at Oshkosh this year, and all are EAA members. That is some sort of a record! Chris Bullerdick and Lynn Peel R. R. 1, Kirkfield Ontario , Canada KOM 2BO Chris' interest in flying can be traced back to the set of ency.clopedia his parents gave him at a very early age. He clalms he never got past the A's because he was so fascinated with the section on aviation and airplanes . His interest didn't diminish, and at 17 he got a job helping Liz Charles of The Charles Flying Service, going along on float plane charter trips , helping to dock, assisting passen gers and showing them the area . In exchange for his 18 OCTOBER 1984 Chris and Lynn Bullerdick, 1955 Piper PA 18A #C-FTCY. service, he received flying lessons. He soloed at 17 in a Piper ~herokee . He purchased his 1955 Piper 18A #C FTCY l~ March, 1980. The plane had been imported into Canada m 1972, but was not ITRAN (Inspect Test Repair As Necessary) within one year. The plane had been in storage during the 8 years, so it needed a very detailed inspection to get it certified. He finally received the C of A on July 30, 1980 and headed for Oshkosh on July 31 1.980 . Chris and his wife Lynn have been to every Oshkosh smce then ,. using their vacation time each year. They camp a~ thelr ~lane and love everything about the fly-in . Chns repamted the plane in March, 1984, changing colors from cream with red trim to silver with two blue col~rs . The plane has the Maple Leaf insignia on the tail, whlch commemorates the 60th anniversary of the RACF - Royal Canadian Air Force. Chris and Lynn have their own business in Canada Norland Aircraft Services Ltd. in Head Lake Ontario' which specializes in major repairs of all fabric covered aircraft from J-3 Cubs to Staggerwings . They are cur rently working on a Super Cub that was rolled into a ball on flo~ts. It is ?eing done in the Experimental category and wlll be eqUlpped with a 10-360-A2B Lycoming engine with a Hartzell constant speed propeller. As far as they know, it will be the first 200 hp Super Cub on floats. They are in a wilderness area called "Crown Land" and often see deer and other animals which have to b~ chased off their runway. They use their plane as a car and go pleasure flying on floats into little lakes in remote areas, and also attend local fly-ins during the summer months . Chris and Lynn are a delightful , friendly couple who are thoroughly dedicated and involved in aviation. Lois and Victor Fida, Mike Mihelarakis and AI Felici. Lois and Victor Fida #308 N. York St . Wheeling, West Virginia 26003 The beautiful 1944 DH82A Tiger Moth, N172-VF is owned by Lois and Victor Fida, and getting it restored and in the air was a very dedicated project. Assisting them in this task were mechanic Al Felici, and assistant mechanic Mike Mihelarakis . Lois was always interested in Tiger Moth history, liked the distinctive look of the plane , and she and Victor started looking for one. They missed out on several possibilities, however, finally finding one in Zanesville, Ohio in June 1982. It was partially restored, but still in pieces. They were able to obtain a Tiger Moth Manual from Switzerland, and started trying to figure out how to get it together again . Basically, most of the parts were there . Each piece of the aircraft is stamped with a number, which helped im mensely. The fuselage was restored, but they needed new wings. Their son-in-law, Kenneth Ginder , a carpenter, was drafted to make new wings and spars . Lois and Vic then started the job of recovering the plane. Vic learned how to rib stitch from Ray Stits during a full week of the Project Workshop during an Oshkosh fly-in . (He became so proficient that he was able to teach rib-stitching to EAA Chapter 738 of Marshall County, Moundsville, W. Va ., which helped them in their projects ). They did the doping themselves, using Randolph Butyrate and nitrate doping on Ceconite fabric. This plane once belonged to a French Flying Club, who bought it from the RAF as surplus. Through the Tiger Moth Club of England , they found that the color scheme had been maroon and gray , but could also be yellow, or camouflage. They chose the maroon and gray . The engine is a Gypsy Major lC Canadian , which they purchased from "T he Tiger Boys" of Guelph, Canada, who were also very helpful on the project, and also furnished other parts . The restoration took them about two years . Al Felici flew the test flight on June 26, 1984, with Lois as a passenger. They were all thrilled that the flight was perfect with everything right the first time . They have been enjoying flying and getting used to the plane , with Oshkosh '84 as their goal. They were a little leery of arriving at Oshkosh without a radio, but as they arrived they were the second in line, and were given the green light to land and came right on in . Al did the flying and Lois did the navigating. They have met many people at Oshkosh who share their love of Tiger Moths, including people from Australia , New Zealand, South Africa and England. Stan and Irene Gomoll, 1946 Piper Cub Special J-3-65, N70528. Stan Gomoll 1042 90 Lane N.E. Blaine, Minnesota 55434 Stan learned to fly at 16 in a J-3 Cub. He always hung out at the airports and was a lineboy at Robbinsdale Air port, Minnesota when he got his license. He has always loved Piper Cubs, and he purchased a 1946 Piper Cub Special J3-65 , N70528, which had been converted into a "clipped wing, open cockpit, single place smoke writing J-3 Cub." The front seat had been moved to the rear , the instrument panel moved aft 24", and one air and one smoke oil tank installed between the gas tank and instrument panel. All windshield structure, bird cage and fairings had been removed. The airplane never did fly in this configuration and Stan proceeded to restore it to its original configuration. Many parts were missing plus the gas tank, boot cowl, engine and prop. His search for parts began , and some came from Alaska, such as the complete front throttle assembly. The steel gas tank came from International Falls, Minnesota, along with a boot cowl and a badly damaged set of wings. The front rudder pedals, brake pedals, metal wheel pants and top and bottom door halfs were found in the Min neapolis area . The top half and nose section of cowling are original, new factory parts . A Continental A65-8 engine was installed along with a wood Sensenich propeller, model 72-C-42, the same as originally installed by the factory . The air scoops for the engine were found at a small airport in southern Minnesota, and they had never been used and still showed a factory part number and inspector seal on them . The Piper nameplate used on the side of the cowl was still in the bag with the Piper tag. The fuselage was sandblasted, painted and covered with Grade A fabric. Stan used the standard factory finish of 1 coat fungicide, 4 coats clear , 2 coats silver, 2 coats color. A set of factory metal wheel pants were installed, as this was a factory option though not many J-3 Cubs came this way as this created a problem with mud and snow, restricting the wheel from turning as well as mak ing it harder to get into the front seat . Stan did all of the restoration work himself, along with the help of Eldo Kirchner at the Anoka County Airport, Blaine , Minnesota . The job took over two years to ac complish. His goal was to have the plane as close to orig inal as possible, and the end result was 90% original parts and his satisfaction and enjoyment of the plane is well worth all the time, effort and money spent. Skeeter and Doris Carlson, 1931 DH80A Puss Moth, N223EC. Skeeter & Doris Carlson S7824 Cedar Road Spokane, WA99204 Skeeter and Doris Carlson own a very rare 1931 DH80A Puss Moth. They started their trip to Oshkosh by way of a DeHavilland Moth Fly-In at Wetaskiwan, Al berta , Canada. From Canada to Oshkosh is about 1700 miles, which took about 20 hours of flying time, and gave them plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful scenery en route. The Puss Moth, N223EC, Serial 223 was originally owned by COMICO Mining Co., Trail, B.C. and had been stored in an open shed in Mission, B.C. for years. Skeeter found it in 1959 in really bad shape. Kids had played in it, walked on the wings, and all the instruments were missing . He found a door and the rear seat buried nearby in the snow. A l-o-n-g restoration was started, and in 1969 VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19 he completed the job. The plane cruises at approximately 100, 6 1J2 hour range, holding 48 gallons of fuel. This plane is very unique in that it s wings fold . The wing span is 37', folded is 13'. They were designed to fold for easy storage - it could easily be stored in a small barn or a machine shed with s maller door openings. It is painted in the original colors as when COMICO owned it - Insignia Red and Consoli dated Blue. He changed the engine from a Moth II to a Gypsy 1C for which parts are easier to find. They were just ahead of a rain storm on their trip to Oshkosh, and it finally caught up to them in Minot, North Dakota . Skeeter stayed in the plane and slept in the cockpit that night because of the high winds. The storm passed, and the next morning was clear and sunny, and they had good weather for the rest of the trip. Skeeter and Doris camp out at their plane during Osh kosh and enjoy all of the activities and seeing all their old friends again. They own other rare antique and classic airplanes - a 1917 Jenny Canuck, a 1918 Tommy Morse Scout, a 1927 Heath Parasol, a 1927 C3B Stearman, a 1942 L5 Stinson, plus additional "basket cases" that will be restored eventually. The Stauchen family Ed, Myra and daughter Bradley, 1942 Stear man, N75848. Ed Stauchen 63 Fanton Hill Road Weston, Connecticut 06883 Ed is an ex-Navy pilot, and it seems only right that he should own a Navy plane. His beautiful 1942 Stearman, N75848 , Model E-75 was built in 1942 at the Boeing Wichita plant . It was one of about 50 used as a Navy trainer at Ottumwa , Iowa during World War II. It was sold by the Navy in 1948 to Ray Bramer of Charles City, Iowa and his partner Lyle Kyle who restored Stearmans for air shows and banner towing. It was then sold to a dusting service and used as a duster until October of 1969. In 1973 it was sold to Dan Moeller of Harrold , Texas who converted it from a restricted category to a standard cate gory. The current engine on the plane was installed at that time , a Continental W670-6N, 220 hp, serial no. 37000, a nd the log indicates it was made on April 15, 1943. The aircraft flew only 9 hours from February 1974 to March 1975. Ed and four other partners purchased the plane in April of 1977, and spent many hours restoring it . It is restored in authentic Navy colors; yellow with red bands and stars on the wings. Ed purchased the aircraft from his partners in March of 1984 and is now the proud sole owner . Ed is a pilot of American Airlines, but also has a fun business called "Wings & Wires" advertising "Classic Air craft and Experienced Pilots for T.V. Commercials, Stunts, Still Photography and Rides ." Ed and his Stearman flew UNDER the Suspension Bridge linking Cincinnati, OH and Covington, KY. Yes, it was legal! This is an interest ing story in itself. 20 OCTOBER 1984 Ed 's brother Steve, owner of an advertising agency , was approached by one of his clients, the Southern Ohio Bank, to improve their commercial image with a new media campaign. This was quite a challenge to Steve, and after a lot of brainstorming, he finally said "Let's fly a plane under the Suspension Bridge!". He found that the hardest part was getting clearance, which took over 3 months. Clearance had to be obtained from FAA, the State Highway Transportation Department of Kentucky, the cities of Cincinnati and Covington, and the U. S. Coast Guard . No easy task . Also, during the stunt all river, auto and ped~strian traffic had to be stopped and the bridge had to be insured by Lloyd's of London. There would be allowed only one " take " and there was no margin for error . Finally, all was ready and on Sunday, May 16, 1982, Ed flew his bright yellow Stearman and successfully com plet ed the challenge of flying under the bridge for the commercial. Later , PM Magazine, a national TV show, aired a special highlighting a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of the stunt. Southern Ohio Bank had a new image . Ed , with his wife Myra as a passenger and navigator, flew to Oshkosh in their Stearman, which took 4 days. They loaded their sleeping bags and tents in the plane and landed at grass strips along the way. They also did some old-fashioned barnstorming . They would fly over the town and circle several times and then land at the airport and put up a sign "Biplane Rides" . It never failed - within a short time people would appear wanting rides. The weather didn't always cooperate on the trip and rain caused them to set down in unscheduled stops period ically. Whenever this happened , they met friendly and helpful people. Their 13-year-old daughter Bradley drove to Oshkosh with friends, and she's every bit as involved in the plane and aviation as her parents are . In fact, she decided she wanted to fly back to Connecticut with her Dad, and though they again ran into rainy weather, they had a great trip home. They all decided that the trip to and from Oshkosh and their experiences there were the best vaca tion ever! Henry and Alice Strauch, 1933 Waco UBF2 on floats. Henry and Alice Strauch 29459 Culver Lane Junction City, Oregon 77448 The beautiful 1933 Waco UBF2 didn't come to Osh kosh , but its owners did. Seeing a Waco on floats is a rare sight indeed - so rare that to their knowledge it is the only open cockpit biplane on floats . It is owned by Alice and Hank Strauch who flew to Oshkosh with their good friends Jim and Dete Sorenson of Modesto, CA, in their Baron. A very informative and complete article on the Waco appeared in the January 1979 issue of THE VIN TAGE AIRPLANE. However, since that time it has be come a movie star , appearing in the award winning movie Raiders of the Lost Ark . Before telling that story, however, I will recap some of the background of the Strauchs and their Waco in case you missed the article . The Strauchs had seen the plane over the years , based at Swan Island, near Portland , Oregon, owned by Loney Aero Marine Service. Hank always coveted this plane and would go out of his way just to look at it. One day in 1951 Mr. Loney contacted Hank and asked him if he wanted to buy the Waco - really cheap. How cheap? $600.00. With his heart pumping he said "Yes, but I don't have $600.00 right now." Then , he asked "What's wrong with?" Mr . Loney said, "Nothing much - it's just at the bottom of the Willamette River ." Luckily he was able to talk his boss at Lake Union Air Service to buy the Waco and also to furnish repair materials, with the stipulation that Henry would invest his own time doing the repair work. They managed to truck the plane , the damaged floats and set of wheels back to Seattle . Unfortunately, this arrangement didn't work out, and after many weeks went by without anything happening , Hank contacted another acquaintance who was interested in airplanes and had the financial ability to start the project, and he purchased the Waco and furnished the funds for the needed materials. Henry started work on the plane , but as the months passed and the materials dwindled, the benefactor's interest cooled, and Hank could see the end of the project coming. In 1955 he managed to get enough money to buyout his friend's investment and at long last was the owner of NC13075 . He moved the Waco to his home and convinced his wife Alice to let him remove the siding from one side of their house and place the large sections into the attic . The remaining small parts were stored in every available closet. Their living room became the workshop, and Alice worked right along with Hank. Due to the fact that Hank had to earn a living and had other business ventures , the Waco, though still thoroughly loved, was set aside . In 1959, Hank and his new business partner, Ralph Williamson, who had formed a partnership in operating a flight service in Snohomish, Washington decided the only way to get the plane into the air again was to run it through their shop and do a first class job. After weeks of concentrated hard work, the plane was finally ready for its first test flight . It was a successful flight, and NC13075 was finally back in the air as ~. landplane for the first time in almost nine years . The plane and its original floats were finally reunited in 1972. However, Hank discovered some dry rot in the lower wing bays and rather than quickly patch these area s and enjoy the summer with floats, he decided to strip down the entire aircraft and do a thorough job. This restoration took him five years and in May, 1977 he test flew it, and at long last he had his beloved Waco just the way he wanted it. Now to get to its movie debut. Steven Spielberg wanted an authentic open cockpit biplane on floats for a scene in his new movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, which was being filmed in Hawaii. The movie people finally tracked down Hank and his Waco through the EDO Float magazine. When Hank was first contacted, he thought someone was playing a joke on him, but Debby Fine of Lucas Films finally convinced him it was for real, and Hank said "Sure, why not!" He took off the floats and put on the wheels for the flight to Los Angeles International Airport where the plane was disassembled, put on pallets, and loaded on a Flying Tiger DC-8 for the flight to Hawaii. Hank and Alice stayed right with the plane to be sure of its careful handling. The movie people said it would have to be repainted Silver. After it was painted, they found the silver photo graphed too bright, so they spent three days dirtying it up. On the first "take" the plane ran onto the bank and damaged the floats, which delayed another four days while Hank and Alice did the necessary repairs. The scene had actor Harrison Ford running out of the jungle being pur sued by angry natives . He swings out over the water on a vine, drops into the river and catches the airplane and climbs aboard as they quickly take off into the wild blue yonder. They successfully completed the scene - it took five weeks of preparation in Hawaii for this 45-second scene. However it was all authentic and Steven Spielberg was very satisfied. It took two years to restore the plane after the movie. They had to resand all the silver off and get the paint back the way it was. It took another month to properly restore the floats. I asked if they would ever do it again - they said in unison, "Yes, it was a fun experience." The Strauchs fly to all the seaplane "splash-ins" in Oregon, California, Nevada, Washington and Idaho and are now reaping the rewards of all their hard work and patience. Al and I had the pleasure of seeing the plane at the Lake Mead Splash-In in May and Al got a chance to fly it , and he considers that flight one of the biggest thrills of his life. Scott and Jeff Benger, 1948 Luscombe 8E, NC1524B. Scott and Jeff Benger 3638 So. Olathe Way Aurora, Colorado 80013 I first met those two handsome brothers as they were talking to Gene Chase at the Antique /Classic area. It seems they owe a lot of their interest in aviation to Gene, which goes back to the time they' were young boys. When Gene returned to his hometown of Scottsbluff, Nebraska to visit his family , he would bring airplane slides with him and the neighbor boys, Jeff and Scutt, eagerly looked forward to these slide shows which whetted their appetite for aviation history . Gene encouraged their interest . Scott soloed in 1969. He is the proud owner of the beautiful 1948 Luscombe 8E, NC1524B, which he bought in 1972. He flew it all over the country for five years until 1978 when during an annual he found a crack in the tail skin . He and Jeff thought it would be a simple job. How ever, one thing led to another, and five years later the "simple" restoration job was done. Jeff did the restoration work. He enjoys restoring almost as much as flying. They live in Aurora , Colorado, but keep the plane in Scottsbluff, Nebraska , which is a 31/2 hour drive from home. That means to fly one hour they drive three hours, and polish for six hours! This spring the weather didn't cooperate with them, as it rained 12 weekends in a row, and the only time they can fly is on weekends. They have to earn a living to support their hobby. Scott is a comptroller for a computer supply distributor company, and Jeff is a pilot for Frontier Airlines. Jeff owns the 1946 Champ that he soloed in 1964. He also owns a Pitts and his next goal is to obtain an AT-6. Scott was awarded the "Best Class II" (81-150 hp ) trophy at Oshkosh '84. They equally share in the pleasure of this award . • VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21 Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet ... AIRCRAFT: FAIRCHILD 24 Project, 245 Jake. Fuselage cov ered with Stits. Red velvet interior. One wing needs repair. $7 ,600.00. Ralph , 501 /843-2788. ( 11 -3) 1950 Pacer 135. 1682 n. Ceconite, Scott tail wheel , wide gear, Cleve lands, ';' inch valves, MK 16, Art. Horiz, Transponder, new interior, new glass, etc. August annual, complete logs. $10,300 or trade on Cessna 180. 402/466-2474. (10-2) PA-17 Vagabond . Zero hours A-75 Continental since major. Fuselage and tail assembly covered. Have complete papers, engine and airframe logs. Dual control. All materials to complete. Further details, write Jim Wentink, 904 E. Evergreen St. , Wheaton , IL 60187. (10-2) C-37 Airmaster , complete rebuild with new wing . Best restoration - Watsonville, First place - Merced. $35,000. May donate lor tax credit. Trade for motor home, 1920s basket cases or Cubs. Call 805 17 69 8380 at 7:00 P.D.T. (10-2) J-3 Cub Float Plane parts. 1320 and 1400 Edo front fuselage fitting. SAS.E. for list. R. Matt, EAA Wittman Airfield , Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591. 1946 Luscombe 8A - 504 SMOH, 324 STOH. Always hangared. Annualed May 1984. 1400 n , excellent condition. $6 ,000.00 firm. Atlanta 404/ 463-3590. (10-1) 1933 Fairchild 22, Menasco D-4 , Some extra en gine parts, picture on cover of April '82 VINTAGE AIRPLANE . $31 ,OOO /make offer. 312/358-4035 or 3121742-2041. ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unlimited aerobatics. 23 sheets of clear, easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical draw ings, photos and exploded views . Complete parts and materials list. Full size wing drawings. Plans plus 139 page Builder'S Manual - $60.00. Info Pack - $5.00. Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing $15 .00. The Technique of Aircraft Building $10.00. Send check or money order to: ACRO SPORT, INC., Box 462 , Hales Corners, WI 53130. 414/529-2609. POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol- unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying . Big, roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot. VW power insures hard to beat 3% gph at cruise setting. 15 large instruction sheets. Plans - $47.00. Info Pack - $5.00. Send check or money order to: ACRO SPORT, INC., Box 462, Hales Corners, W153130 . 414/529-2609. ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane. 20 pages of easy to follow, detailed plans. Complete with isometric drawings, photos. exploded views. Plans - $85.00. Info Pac $5.00. Send check or money order to : ACRO SPORT, INC ., P.O. Box 462, Hales Corners, WI 53130. 414/529-2609. MISCELLANEOUS: Wanted - Aviation related autographs on letters, books, photos, flight covers, scrap books. Buy or trade . Dave Jameson, 4322 Bellhaven, Oshkosh , WI 54901. (11-3) Seeking complete set of Kenny Wheel Pants for Ercoupe. Write Powell, P. O. Box 42, Lambertville, NJ. (10-2) Wanted - Warner 90 hp engine or parts. Morton Lester, P. O. Box 3747, Martinsville, VA 24115. Days 703/638-8783 , evenings, 703/632-4839. (10 2) EAGLE PROPELLERS - Superior performance. 87 type-certificated models; 60 custom models. Contemporary, homebuilts, classics, antiques, an cients. Free engineering deSign service for custom ers. EAGLE PROPELLERS, Saratoga Municipal Airport, Box 71, Saratoga, Wyoming 82331. 307/ 326-8020 . AIRPORT FOR SALE - located near Beloit, Wis consin. 90 acres total , one 2700' x 36' hard surface runway with lights and beacon. Property includes 100' x 100' steel hangar, 80' x 40' framed hangar and office building, and 3-12,000 gallon fuel tanks . Two-story brick home on airport will be sold with the property. Airport is commercially zoned and has IFR approach rating. This active operation being sold as the owners wish to retire. Terms of sales are flexible. For further details contact John M. Savot, Rt. 1, Box 500, Beloit, W153511 . (10-2) For Sale - (1) 60' x 60' x 14' Antique hangar - old drop duster, pipe structure with metal for roof. Dis mantled, $2 ,000.00. Espie Joyce, 919/427-0216 days. (10-2) 1930s Cessna - Factory ("Airmaster") logo lapel pins, cloisonne enameled, gold plated. $5.00 each or 3 for $13.00, ppd to: Jacran Aero , Dept. V, Box 2106, Downey, CA 90242. (11-2) Intercom - 2 cloth helmets, 2 headsets, 2 boom mikes, $400 value for $175, as-is, where-is. Needs work . 504/892-5756. (11-2) Need - Exhaust Collector for 145 Warner Meyers OTW installation. Will also sell or trade Stromberg NAR-5A carburetor. Downey , 312/985-9074 . (10 2) LARGE STOCK of used aircraft parts and compo nents, mostly for older aircraft. Also rebuilders, propellers, radios, instruments and some new hardware. Ron Otto's Aeroplane Store, Inc ., Box 206, Clintonville, WI 54929 , 715/823-2802 . ENGINES: C140A Engine mount, excellent condition . Gene Morris, 817/491-9110. (10-2) AIRCRAFT AND ENGINES FOR IMMEDIATE SALE - Deposit will hold. 1948 PA-15 Vagabond - hand rubbed finish, 850 SMOH . Original. $6995.00. Schreder HP -1 8 - High performance sailplane. Partially assembled with custom aluminum en closed trailer. Over $14 ,000 invested, will take $6500.00. Rare Taylorcraft Deluxe BC-12-D - Light wind damage right wing , windshield . Fabric good. In cludes mount, stacks, shrouds, less engine/prop . $1900.00. Foster Taperwing - similar to Baby Ace. 65 Lyc. $2495.00. CA-65 Cvjetkovic - Fresh fabric on wings. 65 CONT. Metal prop. $3495.00. Smith Mini -Plane - Fuel injected. 85-CONT. Metal prop. $4950.00. 1916 Halberstadt Biplane Fighter - Flying replica by Carl Swanson. Museum quality. 42 hours n . Powered by E.N. MA Tigre . Conventional and docile in all respects . Wright 975 in military container, No logs, $400.00. L YC-G-290-G - complete , runable, $800 .00. Aircraft Corvair Conversion - Excellent, $1100.00. CONT-65 - 0-STOH-255-SMOH. Complete, $1400 .00. All above items located at Burlington, Wisconsin Municipal Airport. Contact Mr. Wagner at 414-763 7692 . 22 OCTOBER 1984 VINTAGE TRADER You may have a gold mine in spare parts stored in the basement, shop or garage. Offer these items in VINTAGE TRADER. You ' ll be amazed at the response! It's profitable to advertise even if you have only one small item to sell or trade . Special offer - 25¢ per word - 20 word minimum. Take advantage of this outstanding offer. Use form below to print or type message. (Use separate sheet if more space is necessary.) Send check or money order with copy to Vintage Trader - EAA, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591. Total Words _________ Number of Issues to Run _______ _ Total $________ _ Signature _______________________________________ _ TOM LAURIE'S GRAND CHAMP (Continued from Page 9) Fortunately Tom learned in time that the minimum gap between the blocks and drum should be .007", and .010" would be even better . Tom's were much closer than this. Recalling that only about .001" were taken off the drums during clean-up, Tom and Ed Marquart removed the wheels and turned each drum .010", thus providing sufficient gap . They 've had no problems with the brakes since. The 20-hour flight to Oshkosh '84 was made over three days with overnight stops at Provo, Utah and Pierre, South Dakota . The trip was without incident except for a close call at Pierre . Twelve hours after they departed, a tornado hit the Pierre airport damaging two planes and totalling a third. Tom is justifiably proud of his Oshkosh '84 Grand Champion Antique but does have one regret about the restoration . Not being a pilot and familiar with Federal Air Regulations, he accepted as gospel, the erroneous in formation that it would not be l egal to display an "NC" registration number on his 50-year-old antique . Therefore, because of an uninformed FAA employee, this beautifully restored Stinson sports only an "N" number and at Osh kosh Tom lost track of the number of people who asked him about th is. The return flight from Oshkosh to FlaBob Airport took a little longer with overnight stops at Des Moines, Iowa, Cheyenne, Wyoming and Cedar City, Utah. And now that the plane is back home in its own hangar , Tom is giving serious consideration to refinishing the bird to add the "C" to N14187 . Those who know what a big job this would be would never criticize him ifhe chose not to tackle it . After all, he won the top award at Oshkosh and the competition does n't get any tougher than that! • THE JOURNA L OF THE EARLY AEROPLANE S.l'IMPL E ISSUE $4 15 CRESCENT RD. POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. 12601 STATEM ENT OF OWNE ~.~ .~ ~'t~ ~ ~ "tJrT AND CIR CUL ATI ON • coo. LET( • .tA'LING ... 00'1($$ O' KNOWN Of"et 0' "'-"LICATIOH IS ..... . Clry, c ..~" Jo ........ Z/"4 C_J (H§' ,,,. r,,, ! ]'()()OPob.o reznyRo.t.d, OahJo:o.h ,Wl 54903-2591 3000 Poberezny ROad, Oshkosh , WI 54903-2'>91 Gene R. Chan, W.t ~n -'.lr{uld, Qosh ko sh , WI S49C3-25'H ._ --_. __. _-- - MAry Jan .. 1'. Jonu, WHt JaMl Airheld, Osh k osh , WI 54903-2~9 1 fULl .... .. E EAA.>.nti ..... Cl" ,. sicDivi.ion Inc. - - lOOOPobereEn Rt>"d a.hkosh WI 54903-2~91 Witt ... " -'irfi e ld Ooshkoah. WI H 3-2 • "NOW>< IOHOHO LOIA S . ....:lI'IT~G([$ .... NO C rHU. U<;UR,rv ..Ol~"$ OWN,"O ()" HOLO'..ci , 'E"CU" Of! MOAt o. TOT"" .. wov .. r ()I' lO"OS. MOATOA (iU Of! OT"(" SlCURITIU ,If ........ """. '" ' " ''' ' 9 <OIl COW'llT'ON IV/OOI'OMO'IT Of!(i ..NIZATlONS .. Ul_,no,,, ..... 'L "l~EC'''" .... rn ,Sff_ HJ "D .... . "''' , ... ""'_,.oJneo""', ..... _"I ..""""~~O<_,.,_ ..... ,..... _' .. ''''''OIf_ .. _ .. "'''''_IOo.. . .... ' n ...o.sHOr<; ...... GEOOVl'l' .. G L!'I~A(CEOI .. OI1_TH$ U:U .. TA...o .... rUAEO·C'RCULU'DN /s .. , .".- ...... _" .. , .. ""./ • ~ .. 'O~.. DIOf\AEOUUlEOC'ACUlATION l~""_<IO... " ...... <.. """ . "'_, 2 ..... _, ..~"" 1~ __i"' .. q" · "<4 , C ror Al ~ .. 'O .... 0/0" "E OUU UD C,ACUl .. TlQ .. 1s.._~IOIJ ••~N.'! o FAE( OO$T""UlIOH.V ..... 'l .CA .. A'E .. 0" Ol"fA " EAP<$ ~.... llS.<;OW'll ... UtT .. AV , A .. OOT .. E.. . .. HCCW'U , CQrlU HOT O'ST " 'luHO 1 00'100_,''''_ . /11' ......... . .... -·_" .. • ... , .. _· .... ·/ <.........,.,........_"' , 3,b 4 2 4,lb6 3,172 3,68 5 3,172 J,68S 3,4)7 3,':150 3.642 4,166 VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23 OTHER VIDEO TAPES AVAILABLE Relive EAA '84 Anytime ... • A special EAA video team was on the convention site everyday, capturing all the color and excitement of EAA OSH KOSH '84. • Only EAA has the experience to produce this unique and dazzling view of the world's greatest aviation event. • The EAA OSH KOSH '84 documentary will feature the airplanes, airshows, forums, the arrival of Rutan's VOYAGER, the Johnny Rivers' concert, Theatre in the Woods, and on and on ... with exciting coverage you must have to complete your video library. EAA OSH KOSH '83 A 26 minute film produced by Cumulus Productions for EAA which covers the complete ' 83 Convention and the opening of the EAA Aviation Center. $39.00 EAA OSHKOSH '77 Covers the complete '77 Convention plus some excellent excerpts of the Spirit of St. Louis Commemorative Tour. $39.00 AERONAUTICAL ODDITIES A historical film which covers the oddities and comedies of the history of flight. Has all the newsreel footage you have always wanted for your private library, combined into one 17 minute show. WE SAW IT HAPPEN 70 minutes covering the history of flight with historical footage from the early 20's through the present. $59.00 WINGS ON DREAMS The now famous John Denver film which is an innovative in-depth look at EAA, its programs, and features the ground breaking of the new Aviation Center. $29.00 BASIC WELDING Learn the intricacies of welding with practical demonstrations on the subject. An excellent film for the builder. $39.00 ORDER YOURADD $2.50 FOR POSTAGE AND HANDLING $29.95 WISCONSIN RESIDENTS ADD 5% SALES TAX EAA OSHKOSH Video tapes may be ordered from: '84 VIDEOTAPE EAA Foundation Video Sales TODAY! $52.00 EAA - Wittman Airfield Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591 *AVAILABLE FOR INTERNATIONAL - SECAM AND PAL $25.00 EXTRA 24 OCTOBER 1984 LEITERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Gene , I notice that no one has identified the Mystery Pl ane in the April, 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRP LANE. It brought back memories of the 1936-37 period wh en my brother Nick and I were stan d ing in front of the Blu ebir d Air Service hangar at Chicago Municipal Airport one d ay . A strange looking high-wing, Kinner-powered pl ane with an NX number taxied by and stopped at t he Air Associates hangar, two hangars to the west. The pilot, wearing bib overalls an d a straw hat crawled out an d went inside. Nick and I ducked over to examine the bird and deter mined it was built up from a Fl eet fuselage an d l an d ing gear , h ad a slid ing hatch an d a peculiar manua lly-oper ated flap arrangement. In about 30 minutes the man came out of Air As sociates with a bundle of 4130 steel tubing an d two ten foot lengths of spar stock which he neatly clamped to the side of the fuselge on a fixture he had made . He told us he was from a small town in Kentucky and had rebuilt the ship himself to prove some of his co ncep ts of a safer airplane . We called t he plane the "K ent ucky Special" and wh en he took off he was climbing hig h er and faster t h an he was going forward. He must have had 1500 feet of altitude at th e end of the runway! Th e enclosed photo is one my brother took on the r amp at Chicago Municipal. Regar ds, Mike Rezich (EAA 510, AlC 2239 ) 6424 So. La Porte Avenue Chicago, IL 60638 • STITS POLY-FIBER • IS THE WORLD 'S ONLY COMPLETE FABRIC COVERING SYSTEM APPROVED BY FAA UNDER AN STC AND MANUFACTURED UNDER AN FAA - PMA . • WILL NOT SUPPORT COMBUSTION. • WITH POLY-FIBER FINISHES , WILL NEVER RINGWORM, CHECK OR PEEL. • IS THE LIGHTEST COVERING METHOD APPROVED UNDER AN FAA-STC . • IS THE MOST ECONOMICAL , CONSIDERING THE YEARS OF TROUBLE FREE SERVICE. , "TIlI'I'I~ Oil 1)1I0NI~ 1~01l1~1l1~1~ ••• • SAMPLE OF OUR NEW HIGH STRENGTH , LIGHT WEIGHT , SMOOTH FABRIC STYLES , WOVEN FROM SECOND GENERATION POLYESTER FILAMENT . • NEW 68 PAGE MANUAL #1, REVISION 13, WITH DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR FABRIC COVERING , REFINISHING FABRIC SURFACES, AND PAINTING AIRCRAFT FOR CORROSI ON CONTROL. • LATEST CATALOG AND DISTRIBUTOR LIST . MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION• Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association . Inc . is $25.00 for one year, $48.00 for 2 years a nd $69.00 for 3 years . All in clude 12 issues of Sport Avi at i on pw year. Junior Membership (u nd er 19 fAA years of age) is av ailable at $15.00 annually. Family Membership is available for an additional $10 .00 annually . • EAA Member - $18.00. Include s one year members hip in EAA Antique-Classic Division , 12 monthly issues of The Vi ntage Airp l ane and membership c ard . Applicant mu st be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number . ANTIQUf • Non ·EAA Member -$ 28. 00. Include s one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division , 12 CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane , one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards. Sport Aviati on not included . lAC • Membership in the International Aerobatic Club , In c. is $20 . 00 annually which include s 12 issues of Sport Aeroba tics . All lAC members are requi red to be members of EAA. • Membership in the Warbirds of America, Inc. is "$25 . 00 per year, which includes a subscription to WARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter. Warbird members are required to be members of EAA . • Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn . is $25. 00 per year wh ich i ncludes the Ultr alight publicat i on ULTRALIGHT ($15.00 add i tional/ or Sport Avi at i on magazine). For current EAA members only , $15 .00, which include s UltralIght publicatIOn . • FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS: Please submit your rem ittan ce with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States d o llar s or an i nternational postal money o rder similarly drawn . MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED. ADDRE SS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTI CULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRES S: WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH, WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 4141426-4800 OFFICE HOURS: 8:30 - 5:00 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25 CLASSIC WALNUT Miniature Scale Replicas of Your Fa vor ite CLASSIC or ANTIQUE Airpl ane, Meticulously Hand cra fted in American Black Walnut. A Truly Unique Desk Set with Matching Pen and Gold tone I.D _Plate for Gift, Aw ar d or Fl yi ng Eve nt Trophy. Planes can be Pedestal M ounted Depicti ng " In-Flight," or Ba se Mounted to Depict a " Landed " Attitude. For FREE Color Brochure with Price List and Full Details: WRITE or PHONE PLANE PEOPLE 2017 Fi eldcrest Court So. Salem , Oregon 97306 (503) 370-9806 Classic owners! Int.rior looking shabby? CJ Finish it right with an Girtex interior Complete in terior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation. Custom Quality at economical prices . • Cushion upholstery sets • Wall pan el sets • Head liners • Carpet sets • Baggage compartment sets • Firew all covers • Seat Slings • Rec over envelopes and dopes Free Catalog of complete product line. Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials: $3.00. · t .,?r Qlr ex products , i~c . 259 Lower Morrisville Rd ., Dept. VA Fallsington, PA 19054 (215) 295-4115 J J.cket - unlined tan poplin with gold and white braid trim. Knit waist and cuffs, zipper front and slash pockets . Antique / Classic logo patch on chest. Sizes - XS through XL . . . . .. .. .. . $28.95 ppd c.p - pale gold mesh with contrasting blue bill, trimmed with gold braid. Antique/ Classic logo patch on crown of cap. Sizes - M and L (adjustable rear band) . .......... $ 6.25 ppd AntIque/CI....c Ptltche. Large - 4W ' across ....... . .. . ... $ 1.75 ppd Small- 3W ' across ...... . ..... . . $ 1.75 ppd AntIque/CI.... c Dec.l. 4" across (shown left) .... .. . . ... $ .75 ppd Available Back Issues of The ViNTAGE AIRPLANE 1973 - March through December 1974 - February through De cember 1975 - January through April , June through December 1976 - February through May, August through De ce mb er 1977 - January through December 1978 - January through March , June, August, October, November Send check to : 1979 - February through December 1980 - January, Mar ch through October, December EAA Ant'que/ C,••• ,c D'v'.'on, Inc. Wittman Alrl~ld. O.hko.h. WI 54903-2591 1981 - January through December Allow 4-6 Weeks for Delivery 1982 - January through Mar ch , May through De ce mber Wisconsin Residents Include 5% Sales Tax 1983 - January, March through December 1984 - January through September Per Issue $1 .25 ppd 26 OCTOBER 1984 (EA~ ) ~'00","".=:::::::::::::::::::= FLYING AND GLIDER MANUALS 1929 - 1930 - 1931 - 1932 - 1933 Price: $2.85 ea. ppd. SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO: EAA AVIATION FOUNDA TION, INC. WITTMAN AIRFIELD OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3065 Allow 4·6 Weeks for Delivery Wisconsin Residents Include 5% Sales Tax AUTO FUEL STC's AVAILABLE! EAA leads the way to more affordable aviation with auto fuel STC's for: AERONCA S7EC CESSNA LUSCOMBE Including Bellanca. Champion. Trytek. Wagner. B&B Aviation . Inc. 50-TC 65-TC (L-3J) 65-TAC (Army L-3E) YO-58 0-58B 50-58B 0-58-A (Army L-3A) 7AC 7BCM (Army L-16A) 7CCM (Army L-16B) 7DC 11AC 11BC 11CC S11AC S11BC S11CC KCA 50-C 65-C 65-CA S-50-C S-65-C S-65-CA 120/140 140A 150 150A through 150H 150J through 150M A 150K through A150M 180 180A 180B 180C. D. E. F. G. H. J 182. 182A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. J. K. L. M. N. P 8. 8A. C. D. E. F. T-8F PIPER J-3C-40 J3C-50 J3C-50S J3C-65 (Army L-4) J3C-65S J4 J4A J4A-S J4E (Army L-4E) J5A (Army L-4F) 7EC 7FC 7JC 7ECA S7AC S7DC INTERSTATE (Including Artic Aircraft- Callair) S-1A J5A-80 L-4A L-4B (Navy NE-1) L-4H L-4J (Navy NE-2) PA-11 S7CCM PA-11S These STC's which permit the use of less costly, readily available unleaded auto gasoline, are now available from the EAA Aviation Foundation . Thousands of aircraft owners have already switched to auto gas to fly more often and less expensively. The STC 's cost only 50¢ per your engine horsepower - (example : 85 hp Cessna 140 = $42.50). STC 's are not available for engines only. Non-EAA members add $15.00 to total. For more information write or call. Wittman Airfield, Dept STC, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3065 Phone 414/426-4800 Another example of the EAA Aviation Foundation working for you! Join EAA - $25.00 annually - get your STC at the special member rate. Watch for more STC 's including low wing approvals in near future It's Exciting! It's for Everyone! See this priceless collection of rare, historically significant air craft, all imaginatively displayed in the world 's largest. most mod em sport aviation museum. Enjoy the many educational displays and audio-visual presentations. Stop by - here's something the entire family will enjoy. Just minutes away! HOURS 8:30 to 5:00 p.m. Monday thru Saturday 11 :00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sundays Closed Easter. Th anksgiv ing. Christmas and New Years Day (Guided group tour arrangements must be made two weeks in advance). CONVENIENT LOCATION The EM Aviation Center is located on Wittman Field. Oshkosh. Wis . - just off Highway 41. Going North Exit Hwy. 26 or 44. Going South Exit Hwy. 44 and follow signs. For fly-ins - free bus from Basler FI ight Service. EA~~ FOUNDATION Wittman Airfield Oshkosh. WI 54903-3065 414-426-4800 VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27