Restorer's

Corner
flJJ/ .J.R. NIELANCER, .JR.
CONVENTION MANPOWER
We have again come to that time of the year when all
of our aviation thoughts, like th e navigation receivers in
our aircraft when tuned to 111 .8mc and reading --- ...
.... , are homing in on Oshkosh. For many of us and our
friends this means burning some midnight oil to com-
plete that beautiful restoration, or running that periodic
inspection early enough so that we have plenty of time
to correct any descrepancies, or, if we have all of the
hard work behind us, just polishing up the old bircJ and
changing her oil. For others of us whose projects aren't
far enough along to con sider bringing them this year it
means thinking about wh ether or not the old car will
make the trip, ancj, if so, will it need new tires first.
Also, many of us have to check over our camping equip-
ment to make sure that it is still in condition to ward off
the elements during our stay in Camp Scholler.
All of these tasks are a small part of the convention
planning which is being done by your Division con-
vention chairmen and co-chairmen. They have been
working steadily for mont hs preparing for their jobs,
acqui ring new equipment for the use of their com-
mittees, and reconditioning old equipment to give it new
life. They have also been busy orga ni zing a nucleus of
volunteers to aid them wi t h their commi ttee tasks.
However, many, many more volunteers are needed to
make yo ur Division's convention effort run smoothly, so
that you may enjoy it to the fullest. For example, your
Division parking committee, as well as your Di vis ion
convention headquart ers barn, are operated on four
committ ees on which you would like to serve and drop a
line to its chairman volunteering your services. He will
be very happy to hear from you, and you will get much
sat isfact ion from knowing that you have "joined the
team".
Those of you who ca n't plan far eno ugh ahead to be
sure that yo u are going to be ab le to make it to Oshkosh
this year, will still have plenty of opportunities to vo lun-
teer yo ur services after you arrive at the co nvention .
There wi ll be sign-up sheets in the Antique/ Classic con-
5iif6..q-fil.,; _,iL.."
'" t.ail [ vention headquarters barn, so pl ease come down to the
- pT7

\
three-hour shifts per pay. Your Divi sion parking commit-
tee operates ten posts which must be manned during the
day, and your Divi sion conve nti on headquMters barn has
four positi ons. This works out to be 320 th ree- hour
shifts for the parking committee and 128 three-hour
shi fts for the headq uar ter s staff during the eight conven-
tion days. In additi on to these two most important com-
mittees, we have found it necessary to establish a
securit y committee for the purpose of patrolling the
Antique/ Cl ass ic di spl ay aircraft parki ng areas to protect
the aircraft from overl y enthusiastic spectators. The
securit y committ ee will also aid the unifor med auxi liary
police volunteers in guarding the gat es to, and in
patrolling the fence lines. of, the Antique/Classic area.
Thi s effort will consist of fo ur three-hour shift s. Also,
the security committee will be operating a couple of
night patrol s. Again thi s year your Divi sion will be
operating a displ ay booth in the commercial display
building. This will require two persons on duty fo r two
three-and-one-half-hour shifts per day, a total of 32
shifts during the conventi on. Usually the men work on
the parking and security committ ees whil e their wives,
daughters, or girlfriends work in th e headq uarters barn
or in the display booth, but this is not necessar ily the
situation. Last year we had some women working on the
parking and security committees and some men working
in the headquarter s barn. The important thing is that we
need your help in whatever capaci t y you are willing and
able to serve.
These committees ment ioned above, al though they
are the ones requiring the greatest number of volunteers
to help them do their jobs successfully, are only a small
part of the total number of Antique/Class ic Divi sion
convention committ ees. Elsewhere in this issue you will
find a complete li st of the Division convention commit-
tees along with the names and addr esses of their chair-
men and co-chairmen. Pl ease pick out a committee or
littl e red barn with the wind sock on the top, located
south of the control tower, and sign up for the time slots
of your choice as soon as you arrive. In this way, yo ur
chairman will be able to help you pick times which will
not interfere with ot her activities which might interest
you. Your officers and chairmen look fo rward to the
pl easure of meet ing you at Oshkosh. They also look for-
ward to the op portun it y of working with you.
CONVENTION EQUIPMENT
I n add iti on to the convention manpower needs as
outlined above, we st ill need several items of equipment
to facil itate the smooth operation of our Di vision con-
vention effort. I ncluded amongst these needs are a 40" x
40" Dalite beaded projection screen, a dual 8 millimeter
movi e projector, a 16 millimeter sound movie proj ecto r,
an opaque projecto r, and a 35 millimeter slide proj ector,
all for use in the Di vision forums tent. If you have any
of thi s equipment in good used wor king condition and
you would be willing to donate it to the Division or to
the Air Museum Foundat ion for use by the Divi sion,
please let us hear from you. Your forums chairmen
would be extremely pleased. The projection equipment
does not have to be the newest or the most moder n. In
fact, it only needs to be good qualit y standard equip-
ment in good working condition. For exampl e, the
movi e proj ectors should be the standard reel type, and
the slide proj ectors cou ld be either the type which feeds
slides individuall y or a carousel type.
Besides the proj ecti on equipment needed for the
foru ms, the Di vis io n parking com mittee needs
mechanized two wheel vehic les, namely, mini-bikes,
motor scooters, or trail bikes. They have a lot of acreage
to cover, and quite a few of the posts can not be ade-
quate ly manned on foot. If you have one of these vehi-
cles whi ch you are willing to donate or if you are willing
to lend it to th e parking com mittee for th e period of the
convention, please let us hear from yo u.
Paul H. Poberezny
Editor
H.Glenn Bu!.ti ngton
W.CrockettSt. No. 201
Se,attl e,Washington 98119
ANTIQUE ANDCLASSIC
DIVISION
OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
J.R.NIELANDER.JR.
P.O.BOX 2464
FT. LAUDERDALE, FL33303
VICEPRESIDENT
JACKWINTHROP
RT.1. BOX 111
ALLEN,TX75002
'SECRETARY
RICHARDWAGNER
P.O.BOX 181
LYONS,WI 53148
TREASURER
E.E. "BUCK" HILBERT
8102LEECH RD.
UNI ON, IL60180
Associat eEditor
RobertG. Elliott
1227Oakwood Ave.
Daytona Beach, Florida 32014
Editorial
Staff
Editor
AI Kelch
Assistant Editor
Lois Kelch
AssociateEditor
Edward D. Williams
713Eastman Dr.
Mt. Prospect, Illinois60056
Assoc iate Edi tors will be identified in th e table ofcon-
tent son articlesthey send inand repeated on the articl e
if they have written it. Associate Editorships will be
assigned to those who qualify (5 articles in any calendar
year).
Directors
Claude L. Gray. Jr.
9635Sylvia Avenue
Northridge. California91324
J ames B. Horne
3840Coronation Road
Eagan, Minnesot a55122
George E. Stubbs
Box 11 3
Brownsburg, Indiana 46112
William J. Ehlen
RouteB. Box 506
Tampa, Florida 33618
AI Kelch
7018W. Bonniwelt Road
Mequon,Wi sconsin 53092
Evander M. Britt
Box 1525
Lumberton. North Carolina 28358
M. C. "Kelly" Viets
RR 1. Box 151
Stillwell. Ka nsas 66085
Morton Lester
P.O. Box 3747
Martinsville. Virginia 24112
Advisors
W. 8rad Thomas, Jr.
301 Dodson Mill Road
Pilot Mountain , Nor th Carolina 27041
Robert A. White
1207 Falcon Drive
Orl ando. Florida 32803
MaUrice "Sonny " Clavel
Box 98
Wauchula. FL 33875
Dale A, Gustafson
7724 Shady Hill Dri ve
Indi anapo lis, IN46274
Roger J.Sherron
446 C Las Casitas
Sanl. Rosa. CA95401
Stan Gomoll
104290th Lane, N.E,
Minneapolis, MN 55434
THE VI NTAGE AIRPLANE is owned exclusively by Antique Classic Aircraft, Inc. and is published monthly at
Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130. Second class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Office. Hales Corners.Wisconsin
53130. and additional maili ng offices. Membershi p rates for Antique Classic Aircraft . Inc.at 514.00per 12month
period of which $10.00 is for the pub lication 01 THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to atl whoare
interes ted inaviation.
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE
ANTIQUE / CLASSIC
DIVISION
of
THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFTASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 229Hales Corners, Wis. 53130
MAY1977 VOLUME 5 NUMBER5
Restorer'sCorner ....... .. ... .... .... . .. . .... . ...... ... . ... . ... ..1
Miller FlyingService ........ . .. ... . ...... . ... ... ... . .... ... .......3
"Confessio nsofa Pi lot" . . . . ....... ... .. .. . ... . .. . ... . .. . .. ... ... ..4
The Li ght Pl ane . .. ... ... . . . .... . ... . ..... . .. ... .. ... . .. . . . . .... .9
Vi ntage Album ....... .. . ... . . .... .. .... ...... . ... ... . .. ... . . . . .11
1930FranklinSport "A" ..... . . .......... ... ........ ..... ....... . 14
Cont inental A40 .... . .. .... ... ... ...... .. . ....... . .... . . ........15
Fi rst Flighter (by Glenn Buffi ngton, Assoc. Editor) ..... . ... . .... . .. . ...19
Antique/Classic Convention Management ..... . .. .. ...... . . . . .... . . . . .21
LindberghCommemorat ive Tour ....... . ... ... . .. ........ ... .. . ....22
EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION MEMBERSHIP
oNON-EAA MEMBER - $34.00. Includes one year membership in the EM Antique/Classic Division, 12
monthly i ssues ofTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; one year membership in the Experimental Aircraft Associa-
ti on.12monthlyissues ofSPORTAVIATION and separate membershipcards.
oNON-EM MEMBER - $20.00. Includes one year membership in the EMAntique/Classic Division, 12
monthly i ssues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; c;ne year membership in the ExperimentalAircraft Associa-
tion and separate membership cards.SPORTAVIATION notincluded.
oEAA MEMBER - $14.00. Includes one year membership in the EMAntique/Classic Division. 12 monthly
i ssues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE and membership card. (Appl icant must be current EAA member and
must give EMmembershipnumber.
PICTURE BOX
ONTHE COVER (Back Cover)
Travelair 76 formerly owned by
j oy in 7932. Owned by AI Kelch.
Franklin Sport 90 manufactured by
Weldon and Ruth Ropp, donated to
the E.A.A. Museum.
Copyright 1977AntiqueCl assic Aircraft , Inc. All Rights Reser ved.
By R.A. Miller
North Benton, Ohio
44449
(Photos courtesy of the Author)
"CONFESSIONS OF A PILOT". Fly boys are a pecu-
liar lot, some nurtured by fond and loving care and
others just hom e-grown . This pilot is probably most
easily identified as belonging to the latter group.
It seems as far back as I can remember, I was fasci-
nated by things that flew. In my make-believe world, I
flew like a bird and though t up all kinds of contraptions
that made noises and took me up and away through all
kinds of imaginary maneuvers and situations.
I n the late 1920's, while I was in my teens, came the
era of oceanic crossings. The adventures of these brave
pioneers: Nungesser, Cole, Kingsford Smith, Chamberlin,
Byrd and others, and my hero - Charles Lindbergh,
made headlines. I shared this admiration with many
other boys my age, I am sure. One will never know how
many young minds were influenced by this man. The
seeds sown by "Lucky Lindy" in 1927 produced
bumper crops of pilots for years to follow.
Born and raised on the farm and the oldest of five,
from May to September we were the barefoot kids. An
expression of old, and made many times in the privacy
of our family, was, "I'll try to put you all through high
school and then it's root hog or die."
We had to walk one mile to the railroad station and
then to the Alliance High School by train. It was here
that two men, Mr. Pfouts, the Manual Training teacher
(now called Industrial Arts), and the school superintend-
ent, Mr. Stanton, by encouraging me to become a school
teacher, afforded me the opportunity to earn enough
money above that wh ich was needed for necessities, to
allow me to indulge and experience for real, the thrills of
flying.
On flying-weather Sundays, with the help of second-
hand automobiles from Model T's to Rickenbachers, I
traveled 30 miles to Mid City Airport near Akron, Ohio,
and started flying lessons.
Two things were considered of prime importance,
how many hours to solo and what kind of landings were
made. My budget allowed me 15 minutes a week, at 30
dollars per hour, in a Kinner Bird. In due time, I man-
aged my 10 hours solo, 10 questions on C.A.R. (civil air
regulations), 3 landings in the presence of a C.A.A. In-
spector, and a private license.
In the early 1930's, I had survived the then limited
commercial and transport. The mastery of a transport
license became a status symbol and transformed one into
a self-styled super individual , complete with helmet and
goggles, and this is where my story begins.
I think if the truth were known, every pilot who has
flown for a while has had experiences which he does not
find comforting to talk about, particularly if he has been
involved in one or more accidents. How desperately he
tried, but how futile it was to find a logical excuse that
was not pilot-related.
If, after an accident, and the pilot is lucky, he extri-
cates himself from the wreckage, the first question
bound to come is, "What happened?". The response will
probably begin with, "The engine lost power," or "The
engine quit," or "The mechanic ...," "The Brakes ...,"
but seldom if ever, "The pilot ... "
It is amazing how humble one can get after 18,000+
hours, 45 years experience teaching, 40+ years a flight
instructor, and a pilot examiner ever since they have
had them. I t is a very stupid pilot, who after all
these years, cannot feel that accidents are caused by
pilots, not airplanes. Furthermore, it is also a very stupid
pilot who cannot learn and profit from the experiences
of others. It is with the foregoing format that I offer
these experiences.
I. FI RST TEST FLIGHT
It was two days before Thanksgiving, 1933. I could
hardly wait to test fly the two cylinder airplane I had
built from two wrecked airplanes. One was the remains
of a C-3 Aeronca, owned by a local flying club. Some of
the members dared to do some night flying and hit the
trees on the approach, and totaled the airplane. I bought
the pile for $25.00. Some time prior to this, I had
learned of a C-2 Aeronca wh ich had been a collapsed
hangar casualty. I bought it also for $25.00. From these
two airplanes, I was able to get fittings, landing gear,
engine, and the essentials. What was needed from there
on, I made.
In those days, an airplane only needed to be re-
qistered and given a number. An airworthiness certificate
was not required. I rebuilt it in mother's old barn, and
covered it with unbleached muslin (Penney's best) in the
front room.
The test flight was planned for the next morning be- Above: "I built it in my mother's barn!"
4
Franklin Sport "90", made by joy Manu-
facturing Franklin P.A. Purchased unassembled
from the factory for $600.
fore school. I had opened up the fence just west of the
North Benton Presbyterian Church. Early that morning,
I taxied the little, all-white jewel through the church-
yard, up the hill to where the old Indi an mount used to
be, and chose to make a down-hill run to the north for
take off. I had made the propeller, my first attempt at
such a project, and I had some doubts about the proper
pitch. The down-hill take-off was to favor my chances of
at least becoming airborne on the first attempt.
Much to my surprise, the take-off was short and she
climbed well so I decided to circle over Ray Henry 's
house at the Sebring Country Club to prove to him that
his misgivings and advice were all unnecessary. Just
about the time I had reached cloud nine and was re-
turning to the field, extremely pleased with myself, the
My first attempt. Indian motorcycle engine, buggy wheels and springs, a poplar
propel/or, custom made by "boots" Mil/er, 74 yrs. old, 7978.
engine began losing power. I saw I was unable to reach
the field from which I had moments before departed. I
chose to land over some small undergrowth, briars, etc.
uphill , and aimed for an open spot in the meadow. The
rail fence was one rail too hi gh which shortened my
landing roll considerably, and I came to rest minus one
undercarriage, one propeller and one wing. I had the
Edinger boys take it apart, and I went on to school.
I later figured out what had happened. The night be-
fore I had shellacked the cork float on the combined gas
cap and fuel quantity gauge. The shellac remained tacky
the following morning. I did not want to emmerse the
tacky float in the gas tank, so instead, I put a rag around
a much too small cork and stuffed it in the fi ll er neck.
Lesson No. 1 - Don't underestimate the importance of a
properly vented gas cap. Check and test it often.
II. SPIN PRACTICE
In one of the first Alliance-built Taylorcrafts, com-
plete with tail skid, I got lesson No.2.
In those days I had all it took to run a "one man"
fli ght operation.
While giving stall and spin instruction to a tall, eager
and capable student, things went something like this:
By this time the experience and demonstrated sk ill
requirements for a private license had expanded some-
what from the three spot landings to include, among
other things, two turn precision spins.
We were practicing spins at a vCl'y comfortable alti -
tude near the field, when on one recovery I heard so me-
5
thing snap, and the rudder went limp and the airplane
kept on spinning. Itook the control sand the stablelittl e
T- craft came outby just holding full down elevator and
a steep dive. I was unable to keep the airpl ane fro m
turning after spin recovery. After a seri es ofskids and
slips, we came to rest in the ce nter of the field, off the
runway. This student was George Henderson, who has
si nce put in 20 years as pil otwith United Airlines.
Wh at caused this experience? Whil e wearing the
mechani c's hat in this one-man operat ion, themechani c
had failed to detec t a frayed cabl e at a pull ey junction,
and George, with his long legs and eagerness to stopthe
spin on its mark, had stomped on the rudder and sep-
arated the few remaining strands. Lesson No. 2 -
Thoroughly inspectall control linkages often.
III. FLIGHT EMERGENCIES
The next two lessons are especiall y for flight instruc-
tions :
My next airplane was a Franklin Sport, a biplane -
the last one built by the Joy Manufact uring Company,
Fr anklin, Pennsylvania. This was a new machine, but
never assembl ed. Joy ManufacturingCompany builtcoal

I
mining machinery and dec id ed in 1931 or thereabout,
after building some 20 or 30 airpl anes, that theairpl ane
business and the machinery business were not com-
pat ibl e, and quit the airpl ane business. I paid $600 for
the airpl ane, NC-10792. Born in the depression, this air-
pl ane like many ot her things in those difficult times, is
remembered only by afew.
After trucking home, assembling and rigging, Ibegan
to do some ser ious inst ructing in this littl e jewel. One of
my earli est st udent s was Walter Pash. Walt was an easy-
goi ng, unexcitabl e guy. Walt was so casual, that when I
would close the throttle and indicateasimulated forced
landing, whether he did or didn't make thechosen field
made littledifference.
On this occasion, I had resolved to let him go down
to an extremely low altitude to show him how im-
possible hi s choice was. Thi s took pl ace onl y about a
mile from the field and over terrain which Iknow almost
with my eyes closed. I let Walt come down, and down
when suddenly I felt a jolt and theairplane pitched for-
ward and down. Instantl y I knew we had hit a power
line, Ipushed the throttle open wide. The airplane al-
most hit the ground, then began to pick up speed and
climb, when it aga in lurched and al most went out of
control. We came on back to thefield and found 110ft.
ofwire, oneend ofwhich had wrappedaround and snap-
ped into sortofa knotaround the landinggear, with the
rest of the wire trailing. Lesson No.3 - The instructor
canlearn more than thestudent.
IV. FLIGHT EMERGENCIES CONTINUED
I Got my next lesson in simulated forced landings
when Reuben Edinger, "Boob" we called him instead of
"Rub", caught me by surprise. He was right up on his
toes. He had received enough instruction, and I had
overly impressed upon him the importance of maneu-
veri ng into the wind as soon as possibl e, should an
emergency arise. I pull ed the throttle shortly after take
off while on the down wind leg and at a very low alti-
tude. "Boob" hit the controls so abr uptl y to turn the
air pl ane 180 degrees into thewind, that theairplane did
a half snap and started to spin. Igrabbed thecontrolsand
stopped the spin but did not have room to completely
recover from the dive, and we hit theground atpossible
a 10 or 15 degree angle and bruised the airplane badly.
Mr. Miller after alifetime ofexperience is still
First AirMail from Sebring, BentonandBelOit, carried bymein myFranklin Sport
a boy, doing the same things he did then. Be-
hindhimis his current project. (See pictureon
May 79, 7938.
page 8).
6
"Millers Brainstorm" under construction. Note the good looking
Franklin Sport 90 NC-l 0792 after one of many rebuildings. Born in the depression,
hand hammered wheel parts. This plane is a completely Miller crea-
this plane like many others is remembered by only a few.
tion built in the late 40's. Fuselage is metalized oller tube truss. Sold
25 years ago, it is still flying.
The first thing I remember was that I could feel some-
thing warm and wet on my legs. I thought I was
bleeding. As I began to get my senses, I realized it was
not blood on my legs, but warm gasoline. I could hear
"Boob" moaning in the back when I suddenly realized
the possibility of fire, and that I would have to get Boob
out.
After pulling him out and away from the airplane, we
were relieved to find that he had only the wind knocked
out of him when he hit the control stick on impact. I
had a sore head and was soon to have one of the finest
shiners you ever saw.
For a very hot shot pilot, this was at the time very
hard to explain. Comments are not solicited. Lesson No.
4 - Initiate your first similated forced landing at alti-
tude.
V. TRICKED BY A FIRE EXTINGUISHER
This airplane gave me one more thrill . I shared this
experience with Bob Hendricks from Salem:
The strip in use was E- W with a corn field to the
south, and some tall scrubby and dead trees to the west.
It was in the fall, and the corn was in shocks. We were
practicing take off and landing to the west.
On one such take off we had ju.st become air-borne,
when the left wing began getting lower and lower and we
began to turn. I sat there a few seconds and wondered
why Bob didn't stop the turn. With some impatience I
grabbed the stick and gave it a jerk to the right and it
wouldn't move.
By this time, the airplane was in a steep bank, and I
had to hold a lot of right rudder to keep the airplane
from over-banking. This caused severe slipping. I could
not keep it from turning to the left.
By this time those dead trees looked like a picket
fence, and we were headed right for them with little or
no directional control. You can say, as have I many
times, "How lucky can you get?" Here we are, going
between trees in a big, uncontrollable circle. We came on
around and I hoped I could get back into the field, and
perhaps get down without hitting anything. We got
around into the direction of take off, but instead of
being on the landing strip, we were among a bunch of
corn shocks. We had been using full power to hold the
airplane in this crazy attitude. I began to ease back on
the throttle and about 15 or 20 feet above the ground, I
kicked full right rudder which threw the airplane into a
severe skid, and we plopped on the ground, between
corn shocks, and never scratched the airplane. I was so
weak and shaky I could hardly get out of the airplane.
Right after take off, Bob felt the stiffness on the stick
and let go of the controls, thinking I was on them. He
soon was to learn that something was wrong. It certainly
was not intentional. The cause? The fire extinguisher
(then a required item of equipment) had become dis-
lodged, rolled down between the tube leading from the
front to the rear control stick and the floor boards.
Which hat was I wearing this time? It was the mecha-
nic's hat - the bracket should have been safetied. Les-
son No.5 - perform a thorough pre-flight, anything that
can happen, will eventually.
My apologies to the many students, who over the
years have been made to believe their teacher can do no
wrong. Apologies also to the pilot applicants who nerv-
ously and thoughtfully take their seats beside the master
pilot who knows all, sees all, and may bust them any
minute. And finally, apoligies to the F.A.A. whose con-
tinued confidence in his judgment and experience has
renewed his pilot examiner designation repeatedly.
After this writing, if I am lucky, they may take the
position suggested by a friend of mine, who had been
asked by an agent in the Cleveland Office to come be-
fore him and explain two successive gear-up accidents.
After administering admonishment, the agent was asked
in the victim's Tennessee drawl, "Sir, have you ever had
an accident?" "No, sir!" was the reply. "Then instead of
giving me hell, you should be asking me questions. I have
had experience and you haven't."
7
"
Above: Old timers never qUit. This is thelatestMiller
creation. It is undergoing flight tests now. Designed
and built by Miller you can readily see he is still
lookingto the future ofaviation.
I am glad to have lived and been a part of this era.
Who knows, it has been perhaps the most significant in
aviation history. Most of our acquaintances became
friends because of a common interest in aviation. Next
to health, friends are the biggest asset one can have.
I take perhaps selfish pride in thinking I had a very
small part in shaping some successful careers in aviation;
some with Hughes, Lockheed, United, TW.A., Pan
American, corporation pilots, and others. I only wound
them up, and they kept on running.
Perhaps one of the most rewarding experiences of all
is to have some one, out of the blue, come up smiling
with nand extended, and say, "Hello, Mr. Miller, you
don't remember me, do you?" "You gave me my first
airplane ride when I was seven years old."
The act of giving kids an airplane ride is like putting
money in the bank. The more you put in and the longer
it's there, the greater the reward.
I think flying can be pleasurable, profitable and safe.
We must, like everything else, work at it. It is a game at
which no one can win by cheating.
A step in the right direction might be to stop blaming
the poor, defenseless airplane, and assume a more honest
and helpful approach to our safety problems.
Above: Picture was takenafterIhadsoldthe "Brainstorm".
How I wish Ihaditnow. The ownerwillnotpartwithit. I
did notattachmuchimportancetoit- ithaddoneallIex-
pected ofit, and crowded for hangar space. I sold it for
$400.00,25yrs. ago. How Iwish Ihaditnow.
Right: 2 photosofMiller Brainstorm underconstruction.
eneLiane
DLone
Photos by: Robert Hegge
This is a start of what I hope can be a regular feature.
Light aircraft and super light aircraft, have a distinc-
tive appeal all their own. The Franklin Sport falls in this
class, as one of the smallest of two-place biplanes. There
were other small two-place biplanes, such as the Bell-
anca, with a Salmson engine, however it had a long
slender configuration giving it greater dimensions than
the Sport. The Sport has a span of only 26' on the upper
wing, and 24' on the lower wing. The Lambert 226R of
90 hp is a very adequate power plant for the airp lane.
Both cockpits will accommodate a large six footer with
ease, which is a very unusual thing for such a small air-
plane. Looking at the configuration you'll see that the
fuselage is quite deep, making the seats very comfort-
able, in that you are not sitting on the floor but in an
almost chair position. The front seat is a little difficult
to get into, but can be managed by threading through
the half circle cut-out in the back of the center section.
The weight is a light 845 Ibs., scarcely more than the
Piper Cub. The square foot wing area is almost the same,
however, it differs greatly in flying characteristics. It will
stay with a Cub on climb, and land at a slower speed. If
goes faster in cruise, however, being a biplane of short
span, it operates completely differently.
By AI Kelch
The flying speed in the specifications was stated at
105 mph cruise. After getting my plane restored, the
best I could get out of it was 90 mph cruise, with a top
speed of about 100. Landing speed, however, matches or
betters the specs. The curved air foil, similar to that of a
Waco 10, makes it a good barnstorming machine. It has
that "hang-on /I characteristic and then a sharp stall. I
would guess that the 27 mph stall speed is on the high
side, however, I haven't had the time to leisurely watch
the airspeed on landing. It requires your undivided atten-
tion in this department. Cross winds are very bad with
such a low stall. Ground handling on the other hand is
more than adequate, and it steers like a kiddie car on the
ground. Since far the great majority of my time in flying
has been spent in Cubs, I am comparing it to the Cub,
which' is not a fair comparison, and my lack of high
performance experience will somewhat shade this article.
In the air the controls are quite sensitive. A moderate
pressure places it into a steep bank turn, which took
some getting used to on my part. Once I was used to it,
it was great sport. A I ittle pressure, then neutral stick,
and a 180 takes only seconds. The only flight charac-
teristic of the airplane that I do not like may be due to
the rigging, and that is a tendency to wander on altitude.
The only other airplane that I have flown that gave me
this feeling was the Lambert 90 Monocoupe. For some
reason or other, it's very easy to lose altitude if you are
unattentative, and a gradual climb doesn't seem to be
possible. On the other hand, in a steep climb it is like a
Fokker DVI I - it just hangs on and goes almost straight
up. The roll rate is fairly fast, but not being an aerobatic
pilot, I can't compare it. All in all, it is a good flying
machine that is tough as whang leather in construction.
It was truly built for abuse. The landing gear is ex-
tremely sturdy and the fuselage is heavily built. The
wings are so well braced that there is no way in the air
that they could be removed from the airplane.
Going back to the cross wind characteristics and
landing, it does take attention, as does any good air-
plane. I n a moderate to strong wind, it can be a tremen-
dous handful. With such a low stall, the only way you
can get it down is to fly it right on. The gusts slosh it
around to where the ground becomes a moving target,
and landing is sort of like shooting skeet. Now we come
to the old subject of ground looping. I don't think any
airplane is a ground looper - only the pilot. This one
deserves every split second of attention, and should you
let it get started, it will naturally go .around fast, being so
short coupled. I have only ground loo'ped it once, and
after having the experience, I know what to expect and
am always ahead of it. It is very easy to hit hard and be
airborne quickly with the sharp stall. Still air is a com-
plete reverse in personality. The airplane in the air nor-
mally will not fly hands off, being a neutrally stable
airplane. It requ ires flying every minute. Th is charac-
teristic does change in still air, and it is possible to take
your hands off for a couple seconds on a still evening
flight. In still air it lands like a pigeon, and would cer-
tainly take short field landing if they measured from
touch down to roll out, as they used to.
As with many other airplanes, it is a shame that the
depression cut its life short, with only six Model 90s
being built. There is not a true record that I can find, on
how many A models were built, or how many A models
were converted to 90s at a later date, so the total num-
ber is a great question mark. It has been said, anywhere
from 20 to 40 airplanes.
It is easy to move by one person on the ground, easy
on gas, carries two large people with 24 gallons of gas,
and a good long range of nearly 450 miles, if you stretch
9
it. The plane is smal l, antique look ing, and has somewhat
the appea l of a WWl fighter.
I have heard of a few repli cas be ing built, and have
located three other owners. One has hi s pl ane almost
ready to fly, after eight years of effort, and the other
two are di sassembl ed and unrestored . There were two
models of the Franklin, t he A model with the Veli e
engine, and the 90 model, named after the 90 hp Lam-
bert, which powered it. The primary difference in the A
model and the later 90, was merely fair ing on the fuse-
lage, to create a different look and shape. The A model
was a rat her simpl e fairing, with just a gent le curve for
the top of the fuselage, and the sides being completely
flat. The 90 had quite compli cated fairings, and the
headrest is built into the turtle deck, starting at the tail
surface and going all t he way forward. The deck is much
higher, sea ting you deeper down in the cock pit. An addi-
tional change was dropping t he rigid gear with Goodyear
air wheels and tires as its only cushion, in favor of a gear
The double cockpits were deep
and very comfortable allowing
the crew ample protection from
the winds. Standard aircraft in-
struments are used in the rear
only butdualcontrolsare fitted.
RestoredbyAIKelch.
identi ca l to the Great Lakes with oi l filled shocks, oleos
and a variety of wheels. Evidently they were usi ng what-
ever wheels they could find as they built them. Some
90s had the Goodyear air wheels, others had the small
26" Bendix disc wheel, and mine came out with a set of
Goodyear 8 x 4 Cub wheels. For those who are unin-
for med, this wheel was manufactured by Goodyear and
used on many airpl anes, since the Cub used them
throughou t their total product ion, it has become known
as a Cub wheel. The far most attrac ti ve wheel was the
26" Bend ix, givi ng it a further look of the ear ly WWl
planes, the long legs contributing to the effect. It's a
great pl ane for forced landings, with low stall speed, as I
have fou nd out by having to make two of them. The last
was caused by a parted valve at the keeper. I t is possibl e
to get the pl ane in a very small pl ot, however pick it
soon, as the glide angle is steep. For those who are
interested in what it is mad e of, we are reproducing a set
of pl ates fro m an ear ly modeler's magazi ne, elsewhere in
th is issue.
Editor's Note:
Anyone having a desire to write a simil ar pilot
report of this sort on a light air plane, we would wel-
come it and keep this feat ure going.
For those of you who are not up on li ght aircraft,
and are interested, I would recommend a book titled
"The Li ght Plane", by John Underwood, publi shed
by Heritage Press. Jack Cox introduced me to it, and
I am on my second copy (wore the first one out) .
It would be particularly interesting to have so me
informat ion on some of the "one of" pl anes, that
were built in the attics or garages all over the country,
such as "Schneider Baby Bomber", Bitty Buddy Bi -
pl a ne ", "Bebe Avroe", " Bell anca Dri ggs Dart",
"Wiley Post", etc. Let's hear fro m you li ght plane
fans.
AI Kelch
4
Vintag(
Men and Thei
.-
Pictures 7, 2, 3, 4: NC 73739 was last serial No. and last
to be assembled by joy Mfg. Now restored and flying.
Owned by your Editor "AI" Kelch shown beside friend
"FRANKIE" Picture No.3.
Picture No.5: NC 687 W. One of first "A" models.
Franklin Aircraft shows on vertical stabalizer, was later
moved to center of trade mark.
Picture No.6: Serial No. 5 of "A" Model, M5A Velie
engine. Manufactured in 7930. Sat in an open barn for 30
years till joe Arnold of Ft. Worth Tex. found it. 8 years
of restoring and it is almost ready to fly.
Picture No.7. This is the Model "A" from which
Richard Anderson drew the plates featured on page
7 3-7 4. Last report it is in Ohio needing restoration.
8 11
Album
Vintage Machines
Pictures 8 and 77: NC 27 D Customized
for aerobatics by Denny Sherman of
Florida. Subsequent owners, Dr. Gerber
who sold it to John Donahue. Present
owner unknown!
Picture No.9: NC 70792. A Model 90
much modified b'y William Grahill of
Springfield Ohio. Lycoming 725 and
landing gear changed. It was reported that
he had approval on the modifications.
"Good Looking!"
Pictures No. 70 and 72: NC 70779 and
NC 77607 both of these pictures were
kindly given to me at Oshkosh. I was too
occupied to get more information or the
donor's name. I would appreciate hearing
from them.
'II TIJIfI
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19.30 FRANKLIN SPORr ' A ' :;ci "
ew;L___! Ll f i " - 1 f AND DR""'t.,,/N 4 ",
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SCAJ.' i" ' :' 0"
7470BrookdaleDr.
Norman, Oklahoma
The development of the horizontally opposed, air
cooled aircraft engine, was perhaps the single most
important factor in the growth of our modern private
aircraft industry. During the '20s and early '30s the
structural designs of small planes were refined from the
"stick and wire" of World War 1 to the use of steel and
aluminum components we still see today. But perhaps
due to the abundance of surplus OX-5's, light engine
development lagged. The few "new Production" engines
were generally radials, both expensive and, if not unreli-
able, at best had short service lives.
THE ANNOUNCEMENT:
Then came the Continental A-40. The following story
appeared in the April 1931 "AVIATION" magazine.
With the introduction of the model A-40 engine, the
Continental Aircraft Engine Company, Detroit, Mich.,
has entered the light aircraft field. The engine is a four
cylinder, horizontal opposed, air-cooled, L-head, four-
cycle design, developing 35 hp. at 2500 r.p.m., designed
around the requirements of the private plane owner. The
horizontal opposed arrangement of the two pairs of cyl-
inders makes for simplicity of cowling arrangement, and
affords practically unobstructed vision from a cockpit
behind the engine. The total weight is 138 Ibs.
All component parts of the assembly are mounted on
or contained in, a heavily ribbed, one-piece, heat-treated
aluminum alloy crankcase. Four engine supporting lugs
are case integral with the rear of the case, and the oil
reservoir is located in the bottom. A heat-treated alu-
minum alloy cover which carries the magneto and
tachometer drive is bolted to the rear end of the case. A
single carburetor is attached directly to the bottom of
the crankcase. The riser from the carburetor goes up
through the oil reservoir, and branches right and left
inside the case, connecting with the external intake pipe
to the cylinder at flanged connections located near the
bottom on each side.
The cylinders are nickel iron cast in pairs, and suit-
ably finned for cooling. The heads are heat-treated alu-
minum alloy cast in pairs, and the pistons are heat-
treated aluminum alloy die castings. Three compression
and one oil control rings are provided above the wrist pin.
The latter is secured in place by the use of snap rings.
Connecting rods are high carbon steel forgings.
The crankshaft is a one-piece, three-throw, high
carbon steel forging, heat-treated and completely
machined. Int egral counter weights are provided. The
shaft is drilled throughout for lightness and is plugged to
form an oil passage. The shaft is supported in two
bronze backed babbitt-lined bearing design to take
thrust in both directions. The camshaft is a carbon steel
forging.
The cyl inders are of the L-head type and are each
provided with one intake and one exhaust valve. The
latter are of chrome steel and are operated by adjustable
round nose steel tappets.
Lubricating oil is circulated by a vane-type oil pump
driven by the camshaft, and located on the front of the
crankcase. Full pressure lubrication is supplied to the
main bearings and the crank pins. The crankshaft bear-
ings are lubricated through drilled passages in the crank-
case. Cylinder walls and piston pins are oiled by spray
from the crankcase. Pressure release valves and oil pres-
sure gauge connections are provided. The normal oil
pressure at 2500 r.p.m. is 35 Ibs. Additional specifica-
tions of the manufacturer are:
Bore ............ .. .... 3118 in . (79.4 millimeters)
Stroke ................ 3 3/4 in. (95.2 millimeters)
Piston displacement ............ 28.7 cu.in. per cyl.
Total piston displacement ............. 114.8 cu.in.
At last the light aircraft manufacturers had available
an engine that was cheap, light, simple, and went 500
hours between overhauls. Sensing a demand for a reliable
powerplant, Continental Motors, a major supplier to the
auto industry, had started the development of th is small
four-cylinderengine in 1930 and introduced it in 1931.
It was certificated under ATC No. 72 on May 19, 1931,
with production models being shipped immediately
thereafter. The specifications listed above reflect the use
of many standard automotive components and design
concepts of that day. Some say that the valves, pistons,
rings, rods, etc., were standard parts from other
Continental models.
ACCEPTANCE:
A number of small aircraft manufacturers were imme-
diately interested. Perhaps the most famous was the
Taylor (Piper) organization of Bradford, Penn. They hild
designed the E-2 Cub, originally for the Brownback
"Tiger Kitten", but the twenty or so horses put out by
that little engine just would not fly the Cub. C. G.
Taylor says -
"We fin ished the airplane but we had no engine. Piper
and I chased around for a long time looking for a suit-
able one. We tried one that didn't have enough power,
then heard of the Continental engine up in Detroit, so
Piper and I drove up there. About that time Bud Haven
joined the firm at Bradford, and when we finally got a
Continental engine installed in the Cub, he and I had 26
forced landings between us in the first 30 days. It kept
blowing gaskets,. and the single magneto would quit.
Gradually Continental got the thing refined and more
reliable".
According to records I examined at the Piper factory,
this plane was Taylor SIN 12, (the first E-2), N-10594
built on 4-9-31 and had A-40 SIN 132 installed. Taylor
SIN 14 was Canadian CF- ARA and had engine No. 150.
These were the earliest Cubs, built under Group 2
(2-358) authorization. ATC No. 455 for the Cub with
the A-40-2 engine was not issued until 11-7-31.
Actually the fi rst airpl ane ATC'd with an A-40 was
the Alexander Flyabout, built by the makers of the fa-
mous Eaglerock series. ATC No. 439 was authorized on
7-31-31, but due to the poor performance in the high
Colorado altitudes, only four or five were built.
Other manufacturers adopted the A-40 over the next
six years, but with the exception of Taylorcraft, none
attained substantial production. Listed below are the
planes known to have been certified with the A-40; there
may have been others.
AIRCRAFT HAVING A40 ENGINE
Taylor E-2
Taylor (Piper) )-2
Piper) -3
Alexander Flyabout
Heath LNA-40
Heath CNA-40
Taylorcraft A
Welch OTW07
Porterfield 40
Aeronca KCA
Rose Parrakeet
PRODUCTION AND DESIGN EVOLUTION
It is estimated that approximately 3000 A-40 engines
were built. This figure comes from two sources; serial
numbers and aircraft production.
I t appears that A-40 serial numbers started at No.
100. The - 2 series ran to about 450, according to notes
in the parts book. -3's and -4's were evidently mixed
together, but all numbers above 1000 seem to be -4's
and I've never seen one above 3000. My highest is SIN
2538. The -5 twin ignition models started at SIN 3000,
but not too many were built. (I have SINs 3002 and
3075). From this evidence, a total production of about
3000 could be estimated.
16
Records show -4 engin es were shipped as late as 12-37
to Taylorcraft, and the 1938 Piper literature shows
planes avail able with the single ignition A-40. The twin
ignition option cost an additional $125. But for prac-
tically the same price you could get one of the new 50
HP Franklins, so it is easy to see why not many A-40' s
were sold in 1938.
If you add up the known aircraft production it comes
out something like thi s:
E-2 Cub ........ ...... . ..... . .. .. .. ... .. . 350
J-2 Cub ................. . .............. 1195
J-3 Cub .... ........ . ... ...... ...... .. ... 200
Taylorcraft A . ............................ 350
Others ....... . ......................... . 300
Total 2395
If 25% or about 600 were used as replacements, we
come up with a total production of 3000. Consider ing
that so few were made, there still seems to be quite a
number of these littl e engines around. I still get a chance
to pick one up every once in a whil e, but have quit
collecting them. With 11 in the shed, I'm running out of
room!
The design of the A-40 was basically sound, so there
were few modifications as production continued. I know
of no "bul let ins" ever issued for this engine. The early
development troubles, referred to by Taylor above, were
quickly solved. A change was made to the Bendix mag,
and thin copper gaskets were installed on each side of
the soft aluminum head gaskets. One serious defec t
appeared later, however. The crankshaft wou ld break in
the rear rod journal at almost exactly the 100 hour
mark! Bill Jones, a fe ll ow antiquer here in Oklahoma
City told me-
"We continually broke crankshafts in our earl y
A-40's. But we were near Detroit, so we' d just load the
engine in the car, take it to their service shop, and in
three hours, they'd have a new crankshaft installed.
It wasn't a particularly dangerous problem, since the
engine would run for several hours with the shaft
broken. The back rod bearing held the parts in pl ace."
Bob Thompson notes this probl em in his correspond-
ence, and Walt Jamouneau mentioned it during my inter-
view with him at Lock Haven . It seems it got so bad that
Taylor act ually designed and built his own engine,
expecting to drop the Continental. However, a new
thrust bearing, or perhaps a redesigned crankshaft was
installed, and the happy marriage of Cub and Continen-
tal continued.
The cause of thi s bl'eakage cou ld have been a mis-
desi gn of the thrust bearing. Old timers say the first
engines had a thrust bearing at the rear instead of the
hont. This would let the little crankshaft ac t as a spring
in tension, and after flexing 5000 times a minute for 100
hours, it would give way .. However, nothing in the en-
gines I've seen indi ca tes this design. The rear bearing
carrier doesn't look as though it is designed to take any
thrust load, and the original specs menti on bearings that
would "take thrust in both directions. Perhaps the ear ly
crankshafts were deficient in some other way. As shown
in the photo, th e -2 crank is co nsid erab ly different than
the -4. It is machined all over, has a small er hub nut, is
counterbalanced, and weighs two pound s more. Perhaps
some reader can help so lve this mystery.
With a minor timing change made when the -3 models
appeared, the A-40' s remained essentially the sa me
throughout the remaining production life. Rod bearings
were changed from poured babbit to steel backed in serts
in 1935, and the twin ignition feature was offered as an
option in 1937.
It seems doubtful, however, that the A-40 proved to
be a financia l success for Continental. Early Piper
records show the cost of an engine to be $400. Thi s
would mea n a total reve nu e of on ly a little over one
million for the total production of 3000 engines. Of
course those were" real" 1935 doll ars!
FLYING THE A-40:
The first remark you alwa ys hear abo ut the A-40 is
"but you only have one mag !" Looki ng back through
my logs since 1939 I see that I' ve had other, bi gge r
engines quit, but never an A-40. The fact that they are
so simple seems to work in favor of al most zero
complete failures. I've always felt that if yo u kept the
magneto in top shape, no ot her part will let you down.
So with that off my chest,let's talk about how the litt le
engine operates.
First starting. If you handl e them right they are easy
to start, even without impulse mag and primer. Leave
the throttle almost closed and pull the prop through 5 or
6 times. You will hear a fairly loud suck ing noise whi ch
means the idle jets are feeding gas into the cylinders.
Open the thrott le a bit more, turn on the mag and give
the prop a qu ick fli p. Itwill al most always start. Don' t
grasp the prop out ncar the tip, you wo n't get enough
speed on that non-impuse mag. Lay yo ur hands on the
Above: "Fire Wall forward" the A-40 is ready to bolt
on and go fly ing. There will be a lot ofgreen eyed -2
owners drooling at the sight of this. (Including me
"AI" Kelch.)
blade about 12 inch es from the prop hub and you'll get
a good snap. Since my pla ne has no brakes, I use a
"behind the prop" stance with my left foot ac ting as a
chock. (see pic) This lets yo u hold onto the airplane and
get to the thrott le quicker.
After the engine starts let it idle at 6-800 rpm and
wat ch the oil pressure. It should come up to over 25
pounds in about 30 seconds. Sometimes though, after
long periods of storage, you won't get any pressure. Shu t
down immedi ately, and li ft the tai l of the plane as hi gh
as you can. This al lows the o il to run to the fro nt part of
the engine and prime the pump.
The run up, if you want to do one, is a little difficult
si nce most A-40 powered planeb have no brakes, I
usuall y warm the engine up with chocks in front of the
wh ee ls at about 1200 rpm. The only way to ge t a safe
fu ll throttle check is to tie the plane to something, so
you get used to making this check during take-off.
Watch for 2250 to 2300 rpm as you start to ro ll; if yo u
get thi s much, the pl ane wil l take-off OK and will prob-
ably turn 2400 to 2500 as you go over the fence. Max-
17
imum is 2575 but you will seldom see that.
Frankly you mu st run these little engines nearly wide
open to keep most planes in th e air. Some old timers
have to ld me they always tlew with a wide open throttle
on the theory that the coo ling was better. I try to cruise
mine at 2300 with one person aboard, but have to raise
it to 2400 when I have a passenger. Of course various
prop pitches can make a great difference here.
The littl e engines are very smooth to fly, but will give
an occasional "skip", especially in wet weather. I'm told
thi s is due to carburetor ice, but I'm not sure it is. I have
two almost zero time engines that I have changed back
and forth in my Cub, one skips and the other doesn't.
Usually, when the oi l temp is over 150, the skips stop.
Ted Wells, the Piper General Manager in the '30's
used to re-assure his customers with this advice, "It will
spit, but won't quit" .
There is no problem with the engine stopping in a
glide, since they windmill so easily, but just to be sure I
set the idl e to 550+ rpm. Let it run for a few minutes
before you shut it down, lets things cool off evenly.
That's about al l you can say about f lying the A-40,
you just start them and fly them, it's as simple as that.
All that fun on 2Y2 gallons of gas per houri
CARE AND FEEDING:
These little engines are particular about three things,
gas, oil and valve lubrication.
The nameplates say you should use 67 (later 73) oc-
tane aviation gas. They will run fine on the modern 80
octane and also on most all car gas. But I don't believe in
using car gas if you can avoid it, since there is a possibil-
ity of cutting the life of a rare and valuable antique
engine. They will NOT run on 100 octane avgas. The
plugs foul in a matter of minutes and you're looking for
a place to land, I know! M-41-E plugs seem to work best
with the 80 octane.
The correct oil to us e is a matter of some con-
troversy. The Continental Owners Manual says to use
SAE 30, 40, or 50, depend ing on the oil temp. Bob
Thompson, and some of the other old timers say to
never use heavier than SAE 20. Bob tell s this story:
"I very well remember the first A40-3 that I saw, Mr.
Ted Wells (Now Mrs. Walter Beeches' right hand man)
had flown a E2 in to East Dayton Airport, was
remaining overnight, and ordered a oil change, so I look-
ed on the Standard Oil Chart for the Littl e Continental
and it said SAE-30-weight, so I put a gallon in, cow led
the li tt le engine back up and went home for the day.
Mr. Wells came out the next AM, paid his bill, got a tank
of gas and a prop and was on hi s merry way, but about
15 miles out the engine suddenly fro ze up, and down
came Mr. Wells. He call ed up the Airport Mgr, and had
him bring out a gallon of 20-weight auto oi l, they dump-
ed the 30-weigh t, and put in the 20-weight. He apo l-
igized for forgetting to tell me about The Little Engines'
Queer Whims about what oi l it liked. They are pretty
much the same today, slight ly better with the new pis-
tons, but the long stroke, small bore, makes it hard to get
lubrication up to the top of the bore, and 30-weight is
still out except where it is very hot, lik e some parts of
Texas, I believe you get away with 30-weight, where you
have 90 to 105 degrees, day after day."
I compromise and use SAE 20 in the winter and SAE
30 in the summer. This has worked so far, the engi nes
run cool and don't use oil. For breaking in after an over-
haul, use a nondetergent oil for the first five to seven
hours, then change to a dispersant type.
The valve action of the A-40 is simple, but it is also
out in the open with no provision for lubrication. You
should squirt the valves with penetrating oil at least
every hour or so to keep them both clean and lubricated.
Normally they won 't stick when new, but after the
guides get worn, smal l flakes of carbon stick to the stems
and they will hang up. I' ve seen them stuck so tight that
you had to take out a plug and pound the valve down so
as to close it and get oil back into the gu ides.
Overhauling the A-40 is not hard, in fact the four
pages devoted to it in the service manual make it sou nd
deceptively si mple. There are several points to watch,
mainly involving the careful grinding and matching of
the metal surfaces. For more information on this, refer
to the article Bob Whittier wrote some years ago in the
Experimental magazine entitled "Keeping the A-40
Going", and Bob Thompson of Dayton has helped out
many people with their A-40 rebuilds. Parts and gaskets
used to be a problem but I've coralled a fair stock over
the years, and would share them if there is a real need.
POSTSCRIPT
I fee l obliged to say that many of the "facts" in the
above article were obtained from sources that cannot be
completely authenticated. Much has been deduced from
my own experiences, and they may not have been
typical. If your readers can offer additiona l information,
I'd be happy to hear fro m them.
Above and Be/ow: With this starting stance it a/-
ways starts, SEE!
18
'Fi,..,'Fligh's,.
By: Glen Buffington, Assoc. Editor
818 W. CrockettSt.
Seattle, WA 98119
In every era there are the first-timers; armed with a letter of introduction to Dr.
first aboard the Mayflower, first to climb Hugo von Eckener, given her by General
into the early wagon train heading West, Paul von Hindenburg, she was given the
those with the initial automobile in the privilege of being a passenger aboard one
local area and first in the airlanes. Clara of the test fl ights of the ZR- I" . The d ir-
Adams was such a person and chose the igible later was known as the USS Los
hobby of being a first fl ighter as pas- Angeles when it was delivered to the
senger aboard some of the historic flights United States under the terms of the
of the past. .Versailles Treaty.
Mrs. Adams, a native of Cincinnati, In 1928, when the Graf Zeppelin made
developed a love for flight early in life its pioneer round trip from Europe to the
and made her first flight in March, 1914 Un ited States, it was Clara's honor to buy
at Lake Eustis, Florida. The flight was in the first ticket ever sold to a woman to
a Thomas flying boat, constructed by fly across the Atlantic. With 64 men and
Walter E. Johnson and Charles Herrman, one woman aboard, the flight lasted 71
and Clara reported they went up only hours on the one-way excursion west-
about seven hundred feet. In 1924 she bound from Friedrichshafen to Lake-
was in F riedrichshafen, Germany and hurst, N. J.
Aboveleft: Westward HoI Hono- Above: Clara Adams deplanes
lulu, Midway, Wake, Guam and after another domestic first-
Manila -- 7,988 miles. The Paci- flight aboard United Airlines,
fic Clipper over The Golden first DC-3.
Gate.
In 1931, she flew from New York to
Rio de Janeiro in order to fly on the
Dornier DO-X on its flight from Rio to
New York, where it landed August 27th,
with Clara as the only woman paying pas-
senger. A huge flying boat for that era, it
had a span of 157 feet and grossed
106,000 Ibs. fully loaded. It was powered
by twelve 600 h.p. liquid-cooled Curtiss
Conqueror engines {back-to-back} and
carried 170 persons on one of its early
test flights from Lake Constance in
Switzerland.
Clara was fortunate in having a hus-
band, George L. Adams, Pennsylvania
tanner, who sympathized with her love of
flying and with his passing, "was good
enough to leave her with enough money
so that she could continue flying". She
followed the expanding airlines closely
and as new segments and equipment were
added, she made it a point to be present
for the inaugurals on both domestic and
overseas fl ights. As her reputation grew,
the PR groups were pleased to keep her
informed of up-coming flights.
1936 was a big year for Mrs. Adams.
I n May she was one of eleven women on
the flight of the Hindenburg, across the
Atlantic on its maiden flight to America,
which flew with 51 passengers and a crew
of 56. In October of that year she board-
ed the Ch ina CI ipper wh ich made the
inaugural commercial passenger fl ight
across the Pacific; she reported having
covered 27,000 miles by air that year.
19
"
The following year she made the round
trip between New York and Bermuda on
the inauguration of that service.
Back in 1931 she had reserved a ticket
on th e first scheduled PAA trip to fly the
Atlantic; an eight-year reservation in
advance which must have delighted Pan-
American passenger agents. This Atl antic
hop, in June of 1939, was the first leg of
her trip around-the-world on which she
used only the existing and regular pas-
senger services and set an enviable record.
She returned to New York after covering
24,609 miles, using five airlines, in 16
days, 19 hours and 4 minutes. The rout-
ing was: New York, Marseille, Leipzig,
Athens, Basra, Jodhpur, Rangoon, Bang-
kok, Manil a, Guam, Wake, Midway, Ho n-
olulu, San Francisco and New York. On
the way home, she engaged in a broadcast
whil e in the air approaching Midway,
talking to Mexico City in Spanish and
then in English to Honolulu and San
Francisco.
Cl ara's favorite descriptions of herself
wer e "Historic First Flighter" and
"Persi stent First Flighter", and she invest-
ed thousands of dollars in her hobby.
Because of the frequency of fl ights and
the publicity given them, Clara felt her
acceptance of air travel might be conta-
gious to others. No doubt they did serve
somewhat in promoting travel by air dur-
ing the formative years.
Another of Clara 's hobbies or avoca-
tion, when not airborne, was the design-
ing and making of unusual settings for
gems. Many of her friends are blessed
with beautiful pins, earrings and rings,
designed by Clara. She also had a flair for
the theatrical and would sometimes
entertain her guests facing them on the
piano bench and playing tunes with her
hands behind her back.
Viola Gentry, veteran pilot and a close
friend of Clara, advises that "Clara was a
great gal and continued her first flights
whenever the airlines called her regarding
their first flights. She 'folded her wings'
on February 10, 1971 after only a short
illness and being in th e hospital about a
week".
Viola saluted Clara Adams and Arnold
Bayley, two of her devoted aviation
booster friends, in memorial, by teaming
with Ruth Johnson of Chino, CA., and
flying the 1972 Powder Puff Derby. The
2,616 mi. race was flown from San
Carlos, CA., to Toms River, NJ that year,
and the girls turned in a good perform-
ance with a +23.46 score overall, an av-
erage ground speed of 201.46 mph.
John Heinmuller, in his "Man's Fight
to Fly", wrote "During the many discus-
sions I had with Clara Adams, who care-
fully analyzed all existing records and
statistics on the round-th e-world flights, I
had occasion to appreciate her deep
Above: 407. Even bigger than the Sarafand,
Germany's Dornier Do-X needed twelve en-
gines to li ft it off the water. Powered ini-
tially by 550-h.p. Siemens radials, it was
later re-engined with 675-h.p. Curtiss Con-
querors, which gave it a top speed of 730
m.p.h. Th e Do-X weighed 55 tons and could
carry 769 passengers. During a visit to En-
gland in 7930 it was piloted fo r 70 minutes
by the Prince of Wales. Later, it flew to New
York and back.
knowledge of aeronautical subjects and
her great loyalty to the cause".
In the summation of her autobiog-
raphy, "Wings for Life", Ruth Nichol s
wrote, "I consider it quite possible that
during my lifetime interplanetary travel
will become an accepted fact, and that
ord inary citizens may plan vacations on
the moon instead of Miami Beach. Of one
thing I am certain -- when space ships
takeoff, I shall be flying them , whether in
my present bodily form or another".
Somehow or other, Clara Adams will
not be far behind making reservations!
References:
"Hangar Flying" Viola Gentry
"Women with Wings" Charles Pl anck
"Man's Fight to Fly" John Heinmuller
"Wings for Life" Ruth Nichols
Below: Pioneer pilot Viola Gentry, license
No. 7822, in the cockpit of the Curtiss
Thrush "Outdoor Girl", assisting in the
checking of radio gear used during and in-air
refueling record flight. Originally, Viola and
Mary Moore Sansom planned. to make the
flight, however it was subsequently made by
Frances Marsalis and Helen Richey who
stayed aloft 237 hours 42 minutes, Dec.
20-30, 7933over Miami, Florida.
Above and Below: Ruth Johnson and Viola
Gentry by the Piper Comanche in which
they flew the 7972 Powder Puff Derby and
carried the names of Clara Adams and
Arnold Bayley into the air once again as a
memorial.
Antique/ClassicConventionManagement
Antique/Classic Convention Chairman
J. R. Ni elander, Jr .
Box 2464
Fort Lauderdale, FL. 33303
Antique/ Classic Convention Co-Chairman
Jack C. Winthrop
Route 1 Box 111
Allen TX. 75002
Antique/CLassic Forums
Antique/Classic Forums Chairman
Willi am J. Ehlen
Route 8 Box 506
Tampa, FL. 33618
Antique/Classic Forums Co-Chairman
Allen D. Henninger
936 McKellar Drive
Tullahoma, TN. 37388
Antique/Classic Parking & Flight Line Safety
Antique/Classic Parking Chairman
Arthur R. Morgan
513 N. 91 st Street
Milwaukee, WI. 53226
Antique/Classic Parking Co-Chairman
John J. Kalas
2603 S. Superior Street
Milwaukee, WI. 53207
Antique Parking Chairman
Robert E. Kesel
455 Oakridge Drive
Roc hester, NY. 14617
Antique Parking Co-Chairman
Dutch Brafford
735 Weadock Street
Lima, OH. 45804
Classic Parking Chairman
Leonard McGinty
Route 2 Box 878
Thonotosassa, FL. 33592
Classic Parking Co-Chairman
John S. Copeland
1089 Beec hwood Road
Buffa lo Grove, I L. 60090
Antique/Classic Fly-By Schedule Coordination
Antique/Classic Fly-By Schedule Chairman
Eduardo C. Escal lon
335 Milford Drive
Merritt Island, FL. 32952
Antique/ Classic Fly-By Schedule Co-Chairman
Roger J. Sherron
446-C Las Casitas
Santa Rosa, CA. 95401
Antique/ Classic Judging & Awards
Antique Awards Chairman & Chief Judge
Claude L. Gray, Jr.
9635 Sylvia Avenue
Northridge, CA. 91324
Classic Awards Chairman & Chief Judge
W. Brad Thomas, Jr .
301 Dodson Mill Road
Pil ot Mountain, NC. 27041
Classic Awards Co-Chairman & Co-Chief Judge
George S. York
181 Sloboda Avenue
Mansfie ld , OH. 44906
Antique/ Classic Headquarters Staff
Antique/Classic Headquarters Staff Chairman
Kate Morgan
513 N. 91 st Street
Milwaukee, WI. 53226
Antique/Classic Headquarters Staff Co-Chairman
Do nna Bartlet
Box 5156
Lake land, FL. 33803
Antique/ Classic Security
Antique/Classic Security Chairman
Billy Henderso n
502 Norfolk Circle
Lakeland, FL. 33801
Antique/ Classic Security Co-Chairman
Matt Woer ner
Box 117
Hi ghlands, TX. 77562
Antique/ Classic Pavilion Programs
Antique/Classic Pavilion Programs Chairman
Dale A. Gustafson
7724 Shady Hill Drive
Indi anapolis, IN. 46274
Antique/Classic Display Booth
Antique/Classic Display Booth Chairman
Alicia Smith
7930 Biscayne Point Circle
Mi ami Beach, FL. 33141
Antique/ Classic Di splay Booth Co-Chairman
Phyllis Hamilton
905 Slack Drive
Anderson, IN . 46013
Antique/Classic Displ ay Booth Co-Chairman
Jackie House
Route 1 Box 104
Sanger, TX. 76266
Antique/Classic Press Coverage
Antique/Classic Press Chairman
AI. H. Kelch
7018 W. Bonniwel l Road
Mequon, WI. 53092
Antique/Classic Press Co-Chairman
Lois Kelch
7018 W. Bonniwell Road
Meq uon, WI. 53092
Antique/Classic Photo Airplane Pilot
Ed uardo C. Escallon
335 Milford Dri ve
Merritt Island, FL. 32952
Antique/ Classic Booth & Barn Decorations
Antique/Classic Decoration Chairman
Stan Gomol l
1042 90th Lane, N.E.
Minneapolis, MN. 55434
Antique/Classic Equipment & Supply
Antique/Classic Equipment & Supply Chairman
Ri chard H. Wagner
Box 181
Lyons, WI. 53148
Antique/ Classic Equipment & Supply Co-Chairman
Arthur R. Morgan
513 N. 91 st Street
Milwaukee, WI. 53226
Antique/ Classic Restoration Workshop
Antique/Classic Restoration Chairman
Ronald Fritz
1989 Wilson NW
Grand Rapids, MI . 49504
Antique/ Classic Restoration Co-Chairman
Wayne C. Fredline
362 Broman Road
Sparta, M I. 49345
21
Lindbergh Commemorative Tour
This map, which appeared in the March 1928 issue of Aero Digest, illustrates the four
historic flights of the Spirit of St. Louis. EAA 's Commemorative flight will closely
follow Lindbergh's Round the United States Flight (solid line).
It is onl y fitting that in thi s, t he 50th anni-
versary year of the Lindbergh flight and nat ional tour,
EAA and the EAA Ai r Museum Foundati on honor the
man who more than any ot her inspi red us to fly. The
pl an, as announced last month, isfo rt he Foundat ionto
const ruct a full size replicaoftheSpi rit ofSt. Loui sand
in mid June of 1977 se nd it ona touroftheconti guous
48 st ates . ..fo ll owing closely Lindbergh's original
route. The itinerary will be such that t he aircraft will
arrive at Oshkoshonopeningday and will remain du ring
most of the wee k, participat ing in f ly-in acti vities. Ap-
propri ate ceremoni es and an official send off for the
re mainder oft he tour are pl anned.
In 1927 Charl es Lindberghsought tocall atte nti onto
and foster the growth ofcommercialaviati on. In 1977
EAA will uti li ze its commemorative fli ght to spotl ight
the worl d ofsportavi ati on. EAA membersand Chapters
will be call ed upon to assist in preparing fo r and wel-
coming the Spi rit ofSt. Loui swhen it land sin their city.
In the course of publi cizing the Spirit 's visit, at tenti on
will be drawn to the loca l Chapter, local bu ilding pro-
jects and interesting members as well as EAA, t he Air
Museum Foundat ion and the sport avi ati on movement,
in general.
The Lindbergh commemorat ive tour fli ght is very
li kely the last such event. Fi fty yearsfro m now... in
the year 2027 ...it isdoubt ful thatsuchanaircraft as a
Spirit of St. Loui s will becompat ible wi thTwenty- fir st
Cent ury ATC procedures. All of us, however, hope
...and confidentlyexpect...thatspor t flyingwil lstill
thrive in 2027 . Ifourcommemorati ve tour helpsin some
small way to awaken aga in the publi c in terest in the
adventure of fl ying. . .fl ying fo r the sheer love of it
. . .and thusins ure that ourtypeofacti vit y will endure,
then t he inspirat ion of Charl es Lindbergh will have lived
onto serve futuregenerati ons.
EVENTS 1977
May 28- 29
WATSONVILLE, CALI FORNIA - 13th Annual
West Coast Ant ique Aircraft Fl y- In and Air Show.
Co-sponsored by the Nort hern Cali forni a Chapter
Ant ique Airpl ane Assn., and theWatsonvill eChamber
ofCommerce.
Contact Earl W.Swaney
525Saratoga Ave., No.3
SantaClara, CA 95050
June 12
ALLENTOWN, PA.- 5th AnnualEAA Chapter70
Fly-In. Queen City Airport . Warbirds, Homebuilts,
Antiques and Cl assics. Rain date June19.
Contact Joe Tarafas
215-865-9478
June 24- 26
HAMILTON,OHIO - Waco Reuni on Fly-In.
Contact Ray Brandl y
2650W.Al ex Bellbrook Rd.
Dayton,OH 45459
June 26thru July 4
Antique Airf ield, Bl akesburg, Iowa, 50th Anniver-
sary Commemorative Fl y- In of Lindberg's Trans-
At lanticfI ight.
July 30 - August6
OSHKOSH, WISCONS IN - 25th Annual EAA
Fl y- In. Start making your plansnow- it'sgoingt o be
abigone.
August 21
WEE DSPORT, NEW YORK - Antique,Cl assic and
Homebui lt Fly-In . Trophies- Air Show. Fi eld cl osed
1:00 P.M. until 5:00 P.M. Intermi ssion for earl y de-
partures. Pancakebreakfast8:00 A.M. - 12:00noon.
Sponsored by EAA 486.
Contact Herb Livingston
1257 Gall agher Rd.
Baldwinsvill e, NY 13027
August 28thru September5
7th Annual AAA- ADM Fly-In , Anti que Airfield ,
Bl akesburg, Iowa. The Nati onal AAA Conve nt ion,
opento membersand guestsonl y. No publi cday.
22