STRAIGHTAND LEVEL

In the February 1982 issue of SPORTAVIATION,Paul

Poberezny requested comments regarding the possibility
that vintage aircraft restorers be able to sign off their
restoration and maintenance work. In the March 1982
issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, we offered sugges-
tions regarding the project and its feasibility. Both articles
were meant to attract the attention of the membership of
EAA and our EAA Antique/Classic Division, to get them
to consider the idea, and to solicit comments both pro and
con regarding the suggestions. Comments were received,
several hundred in fact, from restorers of both antique and
classic aircraft.
Each letter received was acknowledged by headquar-
ters and the comments were positive enough to begin
formation of a committee to analyze the remarks contained
in those several hundred replies. The committee studied
each letter and began to formulate and categorize the
thoughts of the respondents.
Space will not permit the final tally but it became
obvious that there was a need to formulate a proposal to
establish the future for restorers of antique and classic
aircraft. Some of the comments were: "The A&P or IA
performed work on my aircraft that rendered it unairwor-
thy, and the corrective work was done by me." "The A&P
or IA would not sign off my aircraft, purely because he did
not relate to the era of antiques or classics." "Why should
I have to pay an excessive fee for an A&P or IA to sign off
my annual, when I did all of the work." "I have been unable
to get an A&P to relicense my aircraft. No one in my area
will attempt to relicense it. " And on and on.
Many comments were received from A&Ps and lAs who
understand the problems involved and fully recognize the
skills and abilities of most restorers.
In October 1982 EAA forwarded to the FAA our pro-
posal in detail. Basically it was stated that we were re-
questing an exemption to the maintenance rules ofFAR 43,
to permit certain owners of antique and classic aircraft who
have restored the aircraft to an airworthy condition, under
the supervision of an FAA Airframe and Powerplant
mechanic, to be issued by FAA an Airman's Repair Certifi-
cate (A&P) which would permit the holder to thereafter
conduct inspections, including annual inspections, and
minor repairs to his or her specific aircraft only. (Any
major alterations or repairs would still have to be au-
thorized by an IA before the aircraft could be returned to
service.) Further, EAA offered to undertake an administra-
ti ve program to handle the initial paperwork, if the FAA
so desired, to aid in getting the program started. Also, the
EAA Antique/Classic Division would assist these owner-
applicants in obtaining necessary FARs, Advisory Circu-
lars, ADs and any other technical information needed to
enable the restorer to follow good maintenance and inspec-
tion procedures while conducting wor k on their aircraft.
The only restriction would be that the aircraft would not
be permitted to be used for any commercial purposes.
Finally, the choice will be voluntary and an option, not a
requirement.
Those of us who have restored and continue to maintain
our antique and classic aircraft know very well what is
involved. For several years the builders of amateur built
2 FEBRUARY 1983
By Brad Thomas
President
Antique/Classic Division
aircraft have been allowed to maintain and annual their
own aircraft, for as long as they remain the owner. The
basic concept would apply in our proposal, for those who
completed their original restoration to the satisfaction of
an A&P.
It should be noted that when an antique or classic
aircraft as licensed in the above category, is sold, it would
have to be relicensed by an A&P and signed offby an IA.
Ninety-nine percent of the responses received by EAA
expressed approval or suggested a concept similar to that
presented to the FAA by EAA. No concept is ever 100%
accepted and we did receive about a 1 % negative response.
Some misconceptions by respondees were: the original
A.T.C. would be altered; that all antique and classic air-
craft would be licensed in the experimental category, that
many A&Ps would be out of work, etc., etc.
Our proposal was forwarded to the FAA in a letter
dated October 20, 1982 and soon thereafter the proposal
was assigned Petition Docket Number 23407 and was
printed in the Federal Register. The time frame for com-
ments was established by the FAA and was of a short
duration. Each interested party who had originally for-
warded comments to EAA were sent a summary of the
proposal and again requested to forward their support to
the FAA. We have received opposition to the proposal. The
Antique Airplane Association had requested and received
an extension of the comment period. This extension was
granted through January 20, 1983. The objections of the
AAA and its membership appear to be based on lack of
information. Be as it may, anyone has the right to oppose
any rulemaking proposal to the FAA, during the comment
period as established.
If we cross checked the membership in both the EAA
Antique/Classic Division and that of the Antique Airplane
Association, I feel we would find a great number of dupli-
cate memberships in both organizations. Fine! The purpose
of both organizations is to restore, maintain, fly and exhibit
our vintage aircraft at fly-ins, to enjoy the fellowship of a
hobby of mutual interest and to preserve the past for those
youngsters who will always be fascinated when a vintage
aircraft flies by.
To work together for a common cause and to pave the
way for the restoration and maintenance of our vintage
aircraft should be the ultimate goal of each of us. Let us
look not just to the end of our noses, but into the future
where our efforts of today will be appreciated by all .
PUBLICATION OF THE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INC.
OF THE EXPERIMENTALAIRCRAFTASSOCIATION, INC.
P.O. BOX 229. HALES CORNERS. WI 53130
COPYRIGHT 1983 EAAANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INC., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
FEBRUARY 1983 VOLUME 11 NUMBER 2
OFFICERS
President
W. Brad Thomas, Jr.
301 Dodson Mill Road
PilotMountain, NC 27041
919/368-2875 Home
919/368-2291 Office
Secretary
M. C. " Kelly" Viets
Route 2, Box 128
Lyndon, KS 66451
913/ 828-3518 Home
DIRECTORS
BACKCOVER ..Dixie Jewett approaching a
water landing at sunset in her modified Piper
PA-12. See story on page 12.
(Photo courtesyofDixieJewett)
Ronald Fritz
15401 SpartaAvenue
Kent City, MI 49330
616/678-5012
Claude L. Gray,Jr.
9635 Sylvia Avenue
Northridge,CA 91324
213/349-1338
Dale A.Gustafson
7724 Shady Hill Drive
Indianapolis,IN 46274
317/293-4430
AI Kelch
Morton W. Lester
P.O. Box 3747
Martinsville,VA 24112
703 /632-4839
ArthurR. Morgan
3744 North 51st Blvd.
Milwaukee,WI 53216
414/442-3631
John R.Turgyan
1530 Kuser Road
Trenton,NJ 08619
609/585-2747
S. J. Wittman
66 W. 622 N.MadisonAve Box 2672
Cedarburg,WI 53012 Oshkosh,WI 54901
414/377-5886 414/235-1265
Robert E. Kesel GeorgeS. York
455 Oakridge Drive 181 SlobodaAve.
Rochester,NY 14617 Mansfi eld,OH 44906
716/342-3170 419/529-4378
Vice-President
JackC. Winthrop
Route 1, Box111
Allen, TX 75002
214/727-5649
Treasurer
E. E. "Buck" Hilbert
P.O. Box 145
Union, IL60180
815/923-4591
ADVISORS
Ed Burns
1550-Mt. ProspectRoad
Des Plaines, IL60018
3121298-7811
John S.Copeland
9JoanneDrive
Westborough,MA01581
617/366-7245
Stan Gomoll
104290th Lane,NE
Minneapolis,MN 55434
6121784-1172
Espie M. Joyce,Jr.
Box468
Madison,NC 27025
919/427-0216
Gene Morris
27 ChandelleDrive
Hampshire, IL60140
3121683-3199
Roy Redman
Rt. 1, Box39
Kilkenny,MN 56052
507/334-5922
S. H. "Wes" Schmid
2359 LefeberRoad
Wauwatosa,WI 53213
414/771-1545
Robert G.Herman
Wl64N9530WaterStreet
Menomonee Falls,WI 53051
414/251-9253
PUBLICATION STAFF
PUBLISHER EDITOR
Paul H_Poberezny Gene R. Chase
ASSOC. EDITOR EDITORIALASSISTANTS
George A. Hardie, Jr. Norman Petersen Pat Etter
FRONT COVER ...Jim Younkin flying his
replica Travel Air MysteryShip at Oshkosh '79.
This is the plane that inspired the writing of
the lead story on page 6.
(Photo by Randy Bennett)
TABLEOF CONTENTS
Straightand Level ...by Brad Thomas. ........... . 2
AlCNews . . .by Gene Chase . ...................... 4
Mystery Plane ..................................... 5
The Travel Air Mystery Ship NR614K and Walter Hunter
. . .by Joe Haynes, with Pauline Winthrop
and Walter Hunter ............................. 6
A Ford Tri-Motor Limited Edition
...by George Hardie ... ... ..................... 10
The Saga of Dixie Jewett's Big Porker
...by Skeet Elpel .............................. 12
X-660-E ...An Unusual Flying Machine ............ 16
Calendar of Events .... . ........................... 16
Letterstothe Editor............................... 17
Page 6
...,.. "-

....
Page10 Page 12
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 AIR-
PLANE, P.O. Box229,Hales Corners,WI 53130.
THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is owned exclusively by EAA Antique/ Classic Division, Inc., and is published monthly at 11311 W. Forest
Home Ave., Franklin, Wisconsin 53132, P.O. Box 229, Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130. Second Class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Office.
Hales Corners. Wisconsin 53130, and additional mailing offices. Membership rates EAA Antique/ Classic Division, Inc., are $18.00 for current
EAA members per 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 advertising. We invite constructive
criticism and welcome any report of inferiormerchandise obtained through ouradvertising so that corrective measures can be taken.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE3
AIC REPAIRMAN CERTIFICATE
UPDATE
At the request of several hundred EAA Antique/Classic
Division members, EAA petitioned FAA for an exemption
to the maintenance rules of FAR 43 to permit persons who
have accomplished a complete restorat ion of an antique or
classic airplane under the supervision of a FAA Airframe
and Powerplant mechanic to thereafter do t heir own
maintenance, repairs and inspections, including annual
inspections.
EAA's petition was printed in the Federal Register on
November 18, 1982 and assigned Petition Docket Number
23407. The FAA set a deadline of December 8, 1982 for
receiving responses. The national headquarters of the An-
tique Airplane Association of Blakesburg, Iowa objects to
the issuance of Antique/Classic Repairman Certificates
and they requested an extension of the deadline for receiv-
ing responses. The FAA extended this deadline to January
20,1983.
The Antique/Classic Repairman's certificate would be
very similar in concept to that now available to homebuil-
ders in that it could be obtained only by persons who have
done a complete restoration on a particular aircraft. Re-
pairman privileges would be restricted to t hat aircraft
ONLY . .. not even others of the same type and model.
The Repairman Certificate program for homebuilders has
been highly successful with no problems being encoun-
tered.
FAA regulations currently permit the owner of an
antique or classic aircraft to fully restore his or her
machine under t he supervision of a FAA licensed A&P
mechanic. If the Antique/Classic Repairman Certificate
becomes a reality, the owner/restorer could at t hat point,
apply for his certificate for his particular aircraft only.
Once the Repairman's Certificate was obtained, the
owner could then accomplish all maintenance, repairs,
alterations and inspections on the aircraft, including an-
nual inspections. Major repairs or major alterations, as
defined by F ARs, would require LA. authorization before
the aircraft could be returned to service.
All work accomplished by the holder ofthe Repairman's
Certificate would be in accordance with F ARs, including
the requirement for appropriate record keeping.
During the time the aircraft is being maintained by
the holder of the Repairman's Certificate, it could not be
used for any commercial purpose. At any time, the owner
would have the option of returning the aircraft to normal
service by the simple expedient of having it annualled by
an A&P and signed off by an LA.
At no point would the Approved Type Certificate (ATC)
of the aircraft be altered or rescinded. The only change
would be the aforementioned operation limitation - t hat
the aircraft could not be used for commercial purposes
during the time it was being maintained by t he owner/re-
storer.
To present EAA's petition in its most elemental form,
it is simply a trade-off in which the owner/restorer of an
antique or classic airplane would accept the limitation of
strictly non-commercial use of this ATCed aircraft in re-
turn for the privilege of doing his own upkeep and annual
inspections.
In order to facilitate getting such a program in motion,
EAA has offered to assist FAA by doing some initial screen-
ing of applications, which would consist essentially of
verifying log book entries that prove the owner did indeed
restore his aircraft. FAA would still approve and issue
Repairman's Certificates.
EAA's justifications for an Antique/Classic Repair-
man's Certificate are the obvious ones:
( 1) A person who has fully restored an aircraft has
obviously acquired the knowledge to perform simple
maintenance and repairs on it.
(2) The A/C Repairman's Certificate could reduce the
cost of owning an airplane.
(3) Experience with the similar Repairman's Certifica-
tion for builders of amateur built aircraft, proves to EAA's
satisfaction that no diminution of safety will occur as a
result of the creation of an Antique/Classic Repairman's
Certificate.
(4) Finally, EAA members want the program ... and
we must respond to their desires.
FAREWELL TO TWO AVIATION
PIONEERS
Emil Matthew " Matty" Laird (EAA 10118) died on De-
cember 18, 1982 at Boca Raton, Florida at age 86. He was
a member of the Quiet Birdmen, OX-5 Aviation Pioneers,
Silver Wings, and was a past president ofthe Early Birds.
Matty has been closely associated with EAA over the
past few years in conjunction with the building of the EAA
Aviation Museum's Laird Super Solution replica, so his
passing is a personal loss to all of us here at Headquarters
and to our Florida members who initiated the project and
were, of course, Matty's neighbors.
Matty taught himself to fly in a monoplane of his own
design in 1913 and was already an internationally known
exhibition pilot by the time he was 20 years old. He suffered
severe inj uries during World War I test flying another
designer's airplane for Katherine Stinson, but recovered
and moved from his native Chicago to Wichita to design
and build the legendary Swallow biplanes. The Swallow
was billed as "America's first commercial airplane" and
Matty and his partners in t he enterprise are credited with
launching Wichita as the aviation manufacturing center
(Photo by Donna Morris)
E. M. " Matty" Laird after flying wit h AI Kelch in his 1931 American
Eaglet at the 1980 FSAACA Spri ng Fly-In, at Lakeland, FL. Matty's
smile expresses his delight with the open cockpit flight.
4 FEBRUARY 1983
it has become.
In 1923 Matty sold out, returned to Chicago and began
producing his highly prized "Commercial" series. In 1930
he stepped upon the stage of aviation immortality when
Speed Holman won the first Thompson Trophy race in the
Laird Solution. The following year, Jimmy Doolittle
streaked to victory in the first Bendix Trophy race in the
Super Solution ... and sped on to the east coast to set a
new transcontinental speed record.
Matty continued to produce his Laird Commercials
until the outbreak of World War II when he merged his
company with another to become a successful subcontrac-
tor of military aircraft. Following the war and over 30
years in aviation, he retired and moved his family to
Florida ... and later began spending the summer in the
mountains of North Carolina. A great many well deserved
honors and accolades came Matty's way in his later life;
however, two high points were the building of the Super
Solution replica and the restoration just this past year of
the Whirlwind Laird he and his wife, Elsie, used for their
honeymoon trip in the fall of 1933. Current owner Ken
Love of Chicago had the honor of taking Matty and Elsie
for a ride in the Forrest Lovley-restored biplane during
the Antique Airplane Association fly-in at Blakesburg,
Iowa last August.
Although no one realized it at the time, this ride was
MYSTERY PLANE
This month's Mystery Plane comes
from that glorious period in avia-
tion history that occurred just before
the U.S. entered World War I. These
photos were furnished by Pat Pac-
kard, Assistant Director, EAA Avia-
tion Foundation. Evidently the
"aviator" was demonstrating his
machine for the well dressed mem-
bers of some air show or fair commit-
tee. Note the "zoot suit" apparel
worn by the man on the right.
Answers will be published in the
Mystery Plane column in the April,
1983 issue.
an appropriate coming of full circle for one of aviation's
longest and most distinguished careers.
Harlan A. "Bud" Gurney, Woodland Hills, California
passed away on November 28, 1982 at the age of 77. His
aviation career spanned from Jennies to DC-8s which he
was flying when he retired as a United Airlines captain.
Bud was one of Charles Lindbergh's close friends dating
from their days together as pilots for Robertson in the
twenties flying the mail out of St. Louis. He was a member
of the QBs, OX-5s, Silver Wings, and the Angeles An-
tiquers, the latter a group ofvintage airplane enthusiasts.
Bud's ashes were scattered by his sons, John and Har-
lan flying his 1927 Gipsy Moth in the Mountains northeast
of Los Angeles along the airway route ~ had flown so
often. The Moth then joined a nine plane cross flying a
final salute over the Santa Paula Airport. This gesture
is a tradition carried out by pilots of vintage aircraft who
fly out of that field.
HAROLD BEST-DEVEREUX
HONORED
Well known EAAer, Harold Best-Devereux, 13 Stone-
hills House, Welwyn Garden City, Herts, England has
been elected chairman of the Royal Aeronautical Society's
Light Aircraft Group.
The Mystery Plane in the December 1982 issue of The VINTAGE AIR-
PLANE was no mystery to several of our experts. Two referred to the book,
Sixty-two Rare Racing Airplanes by Major Truman C. "Pappy" Weaver, now
curator of the Wedell-Williams Memorial Museum at Patterson, Louisiana.
Quoting from the book:
"The Hunt Racer was built in 1930 by the Ranger Aircraft Co. of Okla-
homa City. It was powered with a 90 horsepower Cirrus engine and may have
been built for the Cirrus Derby. However, this name appeared nowhere on
the entry lists. It carried a license number NR10421 and in later years wore
the race number 16. The racer appeared at smaller races until 1934 but was
never very impressive. Photo by Joe Durham."
Additional information comes from a newspaper clipping furnished by
George Goodhead. The designer was Billy Tipton and the pilot on a test flight
made on July 16, 1930 was Claude Seaton. The plane was damaged on a second
test flight that day when the engine cut out at a height of 200 feet. Seaton
was slightly injured. It was intended to enter the plane in the Cirrus Derby
and the article states that it was hoped to be ready for departure to Detroit
within three days. Sponsor of the airplane was Harry Houghton, President
of the National Aid Life Assn. of Oklahoma City.
The following members correctly identified the airplane: J . Willard Vaughn,
Radford, VA (he sent a reprint page of Weaver's book); H. Glenn Buffington,
Memphis, TN; Jimmy Rollison, Jr., Vacaville, CA; Robert J. Armstrong,
Bellevue, WA; Chuck Laird, Adelanto, CA; Jeff Sipes, Columbus, IN; and
Charley Hayes, Park Forest, IL.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
Walter Hunter in cockpit of NR614K at Lambert Field, SI. Louis,
MO in September, 1931. Standing in center, with back to
camera is Herbert Bud.
air races and promoters had opened the popular open
free-for-all 50-mile pylon race to all comers, military
and civilian.
At Wichita, Kansas, two young engineers in the Travel
Air company, Herb Rawdon and Walt Burnham, con-
ceived a new racer design which they felt could top the
speed of the 1928 winner by 20 mph. The design and
development would have to be done at home because
Travel Air was busy turning out the popular sport bi-
plane and developing a cabin monoplane.
Walter Beech asked Herb his opinion of a new 300 hp
engine and he commented it would be good to power
the racer he and Walt were working on. Beech was
well aware of the value of publicity to be derived from
company participation in air races, especially if you
produced a winner. According to Walt Burnham the
racer was designated as the Model R100, and was built
in secrecy behind curtains in a corner of the Travel Air
Factory. During the construction it became known as
a "Mystery Ship" by the people of Wichita.
The racer was completed 10 days before the races and
first test flights indicated the calculated performance
of 205 mph would be easily exceeded. Beech selected
Doug Davis from Atlanta to fly the sleek red and black
racer. Mter a few familarization flights, Doug and the
Model R were off to Cleveland where the airplane was
rolled into a hangar and hidden from the press and spec-
tators. Beech played the "Mystery Ship" drama to the
hilt. Nothing creates more publicity than a little bit of
mystery.
Event No. 26, the open free-for-all, was scheduled
on the last day of the races. Thompson Products had
added a trophy to go with the $400 winner's purse. On
September 2 the Travel Air crew rolled the sleek red
and black racer with race number 31 on its side out of
the hangar and to the starting line. Doug and the R were
faced with some pretty stiff competition. The Army and
Navy had entered two stripped down, souped up Curtiss
Hawks, a P-3A and F6C-6. Roscoe Turner confidently
twirled his mustache in a Lockheed Vega and the re-
mainder of the field was made up of a Cessna A, a Sim-
plex, and a modified Travel Air 4000.
When the starters flag dropped, Doug and the R
"Mystery Ship" were quickly off the ground, and the
rest of the pack saw nothing but red and black tail feathers
for the next 14 minutes and 5.9 seconds. Even though
he had to re-round a cut pylon twice on lap 2, Doug aver-
aged 194.9 mph over the 5 lap, 50 mile course and beat
Lt. Breene in the Army P-3A by 8.1 mph. One lap was
turned at a sizzling 208.69 mph and for the first time in
American air racing history, a civilian airplane beat
out the hottest pursuits of the military. With a winner
and "Mystery Ship" publicity, this meant money in the
bank for Walter Beech and Travel Air. The Travel Air
name was spread in newspapers all over the country as
the press demanded to know why a small four-year-old
company in Wichita could produce an airplane that made
a laughingstock of American air defense.
Shortly after the races Walter Beech sold the com-
pany to the Curtiss-Wright Corporation which was formed
in New York to take over the Curtiss Aeroplane & Motor
Co. , and the Wright Aeronautical Corp., as well and the
Curtiss-Caproni Corp., Curtiss-Robertson Airplane
Mfg. Co., Keystone Aircraft Corp., Moth Aircraft Corp. ,
Travel Air Co., and the Curtiss-Wright Flying Service,
which included various organizations set up to market
products, conduct schools, and operate airports. Doug
Davis flew NR614K to Atlanta, Georgia to celebrate his
victory before returning the airplane to the company.
About this time the stock market did its flip and the
airplane was pressed into service to promote Travel Air
aircraft.
During the balance of 1929 and 1930, NR614K went
on tour throughout the country with the Curtiss-Wright
Exhibition Company, appearing in many air meets
under the sponsorship of Gulf Oil Company. The air-
plane was unchanged from its race appearance except
for the addition of Curtiss-Wright and Gulf Oil insignias.
Clarence Clark, who flew the initial test flights on the
Model R, and Dale "Red" Jackson thrilled many people
at air fairs performing aerobatics and speed runs during
these demonstrations.
The airplane did not make an appearance at the 1930
National Air Races. Two of its sister ships, NR482N
flown by Jimmy Haizlip, and NR1313 flown by Frank
Hawks did race in the Thompson Trophy event. Jimmy
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
The Travel Air Mystery Ship, NR614K after it had been rebuilt
at Curtiss Steinburg Airport, East SI. Louis, IL prior to the
Haizlip finished second by 2 mph to "Speed" Holman in
the Wasp Jr. Laird and Frank Hawks dropped out in
lap 3 when he was unable to develop full power on the
engine because of tape covering the gas cap. Frank Hawks'
NR1313 was modified for that race with the short racing
wings built for NR614K.
In June 1931, NR614K was purchased by Walter
Hunter from the Curtiss-Wright Exhibition Company,
after it had been in an accident which damaged one wing
and the center section. He had the airplane moved from
Lambert Field to the Curtiss Steinburg Airport in East
St. Louis and arranged with Parks Air College for his
mechanic friend, Herbert Bud, to repair and an engineer
named Thompson to modify the airplane to Walter's
requirements.
The purse for the Bendix and Thompson races that
year was very attractive and Walter was taking a leave
of absence from his job with Universal Airlines to enter
both the Bendix and Thompson races. The Model R was
repaired by Parks and the modifications consisted of
changes to the fuselage lines, addition of a solarium
over the cockpit (hatch and clear side panels), two aux-
iliary fuel tanks, and the color changed to black with
orange wings and trim stripes. All struts and wires were
filletted and streamlined. Walt used the Wright engine
from the Hunter's endurance Stinson, "City of Chicago",
for the first test flights in August 1931. The airplane
had no engine cowl so these flights were all made with
an uncowled engine like the original test flights by
Clarence Clark in 1929.
Walt had made arrangements with Herb Rawdon and
Walt Burnham for a new NACA engine cowl and with
Wright for a new engine as they wanted the engine
from the "City of Chicago". Walt flew the airplane over
to Wichita where Rawdon and Burnham had the new
cowl ready. They fitted the cowling and Walt had the
new experience to test the airplane with the stream-
lined engine cowling. This was very pleasant and he found
that the addition of the cowl greatly improved the rudder
and elevator controls. He was really surprised when
pulling hard through a loop the airplane snapped out
on top with him. He commented, "This airplane was born
to fly rightside up. "
With the testing complete, Walt and the Travel Air
headed for Patterson, New Jersey and Teterboro airport
where Wright had the new engine ready. This was a big
R-975 which had been boosted up beneath the cowl. With
the throttle linkage and instruments hooked up Walt
tested the new engine. He recalled the airplane bounced
about three times and was airborne with the engine
over revving and him reducing throttle; the prop pitch
had not been reset for the higher hp engine! Every-
thing was hurry-up as the race was only a week away
and he had to get to Los Angeles.
8 FEBRUARY 1983
installation of the NACA cowl. Note cockpit "solarium" modi-
fication.
On the flight out, Walt stopped at his intended race
stops arranging for fuel at St. Louis' Lambert Field,
Amarillo and Albuquerque. Walt had chosen Amarillo
as the Universal Airlines crew there knew him and he
figured to get good, fast fuel service. Between Albuquer-
que and Los Angeles Walt was dodging thunderstorms
and decided to land at Winslow, Arizona to refuel before
proceeding on to Los Angeles. This was another new ex-
perience - landing at night on an unfamiliar 2800-foot
hard strip, no brakes and no steerable tail skid. Direc-
tional control came from a blast of the slipstream
across the rudder. After refueling at Winslow Walt was
off to Los Angeles and Burbank airport with just two days
remaining before the start of the Bendix. That time was
spent in a frantic series of flight tests to get the prop
pitch set for the desired engine performance. With no
sleep, Walt was on the verge of pneumonia.
This was the first year which the Bendix Aviation
Corp. sponsored the transcontinental race and first place
was a lucrative purse of $7,750 with $3,750 for second.
The winner was to be determined by his elapsed time
from Burbank to Cleveland and an additional $2,500
would be awarded to the pilot, who on the same day,
completed the flight from Cleveland eastward to Newark
to establish a true trans-continental speed record.
With this purse in sight there were eight entries on
the ramp at Burbank's Union Air Terminal on September
4,1931. Of the eight entries, six were Lockheeds (3 Altairs,
2 Orions, and 1 Vega) and the other two were special
racers, Jimmy Doolittle and the Laird Super Solution
and Walter Hunter in the modified Travel Air "Mystery
Ship". There was quite a contrast between the larger,
slower Lockheeds capable of making the distance non-
stop and the two special racers which were faster, but
must refuel along the way. The race developed many
arguments as to who would get to Cleveland first.
At 1:20 a.m. PST, Larry Therkelsen dropped the
flag on the first of the racers and Lou Reichers eased
the Altair down the foggy runway. With the field be-
coming fogged in Walter Hunter followed about fifteen
minutes later in the 600 hp special Travel Air Mystery
Ship. Walt was followed by Harold Johnson in his Con-
tinental Airlines Orion and then Beeler Blevers in Asa
Chandle's Orion. Doolittle was next in the Laird Super
Solution and the remainder of the contestants followed
within the next twenty minutes. Departure was timed
so that the arrival at Cleveland would occur at the climax
of the afternoon racing activities.
Walt Hunter recalls that the takeoff and climb out
was almost on instruments. Breaking clear of the fog,
he climbed the Travel Air to 18-19,000 feet to take ad-
vantage of the tail winds and fuel economy. Unfortunately
he was forced to land at Winslow, Arizona with mechanical
problems and a painful ear block caused by his bad head
cold. With the problems cleared and refueled he was off
for Amarillo, bypassing Albuquerque. The Universal
crew quickly refueled him and got him out heading for
St. Louis.
Over Kansas, the big Wright faltered and Walt realized
the crew at Amarillo had failed to fill the main tank.
He diverted into Ft. Riley and explained to the Army
about the race and they refueled him and got him out
for Lambert Field, St. Louis.
Pushing the Travel Air to make up time, Walt quickly
landed at Lambert, refueled and was off for Cleveland.
Over Terre Haute, Indiana, the engine faltered again
and Walt nursed the Travel Air on to a turf field south
of town.
After landing, the engine caught fire and Walt recalls
an old firetruck racing out with a fireman armed with
an axe. All he could think about was that beautiful NACA
cowl being chopped up. Fortunately they got the fire out
with no damage to the airplane, but the magnetos were
burned. Wright got a man into Terre Haute with two new
magnetos and he changed them and repaired some other
engine damage. This put Walt and the Travel Air out of
the Bendix, but he figured he could still save the day
by getting to Cleveland and racing in the Thompson.
Doolittle had checked at Albuquerque on Walt's
progress and was somewhat relieved to know he was be-
hind him as the Travel Air offered the only serious com-
petition. The Lockheeds were lumbering along with full
fuel loads and wouldn't be picking up any speed until
late in the race. Doolittle was the first into Cleveland
with an elapsed time of 9 hrs., 10 min., 21 sec., giving
him an average speed of 223.038 mph in the Laird. Doo-
little made a quick decision to refuel and proceed to
Newark as he had a good chance to break the trans-
continental speed record. When he streaked into Newark
at 3:15 p.m., his elapsed time from Burbank to Newark
was 11 hrs. , 16 min., 10 sec. at an average speed of 217
mph beating the 2,882 mile transcontinental record set
by Frank Hawks in his Travel Air Mystery Ship earlier
in the year by one hour and 8 minutes.
Only fi ve of the Lockheeds finished the race as the
sixth ran out of fuel over Beatrice, Nebraska. Harold
Johnson took second place when he landed his Orion at
Cleveland over an hour behind Doolittle. Had Walt not
had the engine problem at Terre Haute, he probably
would have taken second place, in spite of the unsche-
duled stops.
After 6:30 a.m. on the morning or-September 6, Walt
lifted the newly repaired Travel Air off the strip at Terre
Haute and an hour later he arrived over the field at Cleve-
land. He recalls he had decided to fly around the Thomp-
son course to locate all the pylons because he might not
have time to do it prior to the race. Mter a circuit around
the course, Walt came down past the grandstand for a
speed run at about 200 mph.
More bad luck dogged him as the engine caught fire
and this time it was not in just the engine bay, but the
cockpit was afire down between his feet . He banked
around steeply then climbed for a few hundred more feet
of altitude. With fire raging in the cockpit, Walt tried
to trim the airplane for landing but the fire was burning
his hand as he tried to crank the trim. He then decided
to bailout because if he did land he felt he would probably
be burned up in the airplane.
While getting the hatch off and his breast strap and
seat belt loose, the airplane pitched down past vertical
and Walt went out pulling the parachute ring. He esti-
mates this could have been at no more than 400 feet. The
chute opened and Walt immediately hit the ground only
15-20 feet from the airplane. Observers who witnessed
the accident saw the airplane, with Walt leaving it, dis-
appear behind a stand of oak trees which were 75-80 feet
high. They didn't expect him to survive as the parachute
had not yet opened.
Walt recalls his hitting the ground was soft, com-
pared to a previous practice jump he had made. He just
stood there staring at the wrecked Travel Air and noting
that it didn't even blow a tire. The airplane didn't burn
as the force of the impact probably blew out the fire. Walt
stood there in shock with blood and water dripping from
his burned hands and face. Soon the ambulance arrived
and whisked him off to the hospital. When the shock
wore off, the pain was really out of this world, and had
him climbing the walls. His successful bail-out was pro-
bably the lowest on record at that time. His bums were
treated and after about six weeks in Cleveland, his
brother, Ken Hunter, flew him back to Sparta as Walt
had to get back to work with the airline. Ken took a few
pieces of NR614K back to Sparta where they were stored
for a number of years. No one seems to remember what
happened to these parts.
Walt Hunter describes Younkin's Mystery Ship as a
very faithful reproduction and with brakes, tail wheel ,
CIS prop, and radios, it should be a joy to fly. Walt re-
tired from American Airlines in March 1966 as a senior
Boeing 707 captain and currently lives in St. L o u i ~
Walter Hunter with a turbo-supercharged D. H. 4 rigged for
high altitude flight. Dayton, Ohio, September, 1924.
The disposition of the other Travel Air Mystery Ships
is as follows: NR613K was modified with a Wright and
sold to Pancho Barnes. It was also owned for years by
Paul Mantz and used for movie work. Pancho's son, Bill
was restoring the airplane at the time of his death in
1981. It is currently in the Barnes' estate and being
restored by Phil Schultz of Lancaster, California. Frank
Hawks' NR1313 hangs in the Chicago Museum of Science
and Industry. Doolittle bailed out of the Shell Travel
Air NR482N in 1931, which is why he was flying the
Laird Super Solution in the 1931 Bendix. The fifth Mys-
tery Ship was sold to the Italian Air Force and never
seen again. These were the only five Model Rs built by
Travel Air. There is another replica under construction
by the Staggerwing Museum at Tullahoma, Tennessee.
Editor's Note: The Hunter Brothers, Walter, Ken and
John were well known barnstormers in the Midwest in
the late twenties and thirties. In June, 1930, Ken and
John set a world endurance record when they remained
aloft 553 hours and 41 minutes in their Stinson SM-1,
"City of Chicago".
Another Hunter brother, Albert, is the father ofPauline
Winthrop whose remarks inspired Joe Haynes to compile
the preceding story for the January, 1982 issue of the
Texas AAA Chapter Newsletter and subsequent publica-
tion here. Pauline's husband, Jack Winthrop is Vi ce
President of the EAA Antique/Classic Division.
We are indebted to Joe, Pauline and Walter for this
detailed account of NR614K when Walter Hunter owned
it . . . G.R.C.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
January 8, 1983 was a big day in the continuing life
By George Hardie, Jr.
of EAA's Ford Tri-Motor NC8407. The occasion was the
first official "roll-out" of the nearly-completed airplane at
EAA's Burlington, Wisconsin hangar.
A FORD TRI-MOTOR
Since our last report in the August 1982 issue of SPORT
A VIATION, much progress has been achieved. As can be
seen in the accompanying photos, our goal of final comple-
tion is now within reach. Much credit for this progress is
due to the steady competency of Tom Soerens, our sheet
metal genius. Supported by generous grants from a number
of sources plus the continuing flow of donations to the Ford
Fund, Tom has been able to work full time on the Ford
project.
We have put together an attractive package of three
rare items that will certainly be of interest to all aviation
enthusiasts and collectors of aviation memorabilia. The
first item in the package is the book "A Ford in EAA's
Future" which contains a history of Ford Tri-Motors and
a reproduction of a company brochure on the airplane. A
personal certificate is included.
The second item warrants detailed description because
of its rarity. This is a faithful reproduction of a promotional
brochure that was furnished to each purchaser of a Ford
Tri-Motor. Copyrighted in 1927, the book reflects the state
of the art as the Ford Company promoters endeavored to
convince skeptical investors of the great opportunities in
the future of air transportation. A few quotes from the
book will illustrate:
"With the practicability of commercial aviation now
definitely established, men of vision in industry and com-
merce are speculating as to the ultimate achievements of
the potentially great industry - what it will mean to civili-
zation . . .
"Although yet in its infancy, the rapid growth of com-
mercial aviation is presenting to men of vision one of the
most remarkable and one of the soundest opportunities
that the world has ever known . ..
"Much of the safety of aviation at this time rests with
the pilot. It is essential, therefore, that pilots selected
should go through a special course of training at the Ford
Airport, to prove their fitness for the work . . .
"Great care should be exercised in selecting a site for
the landing field. The surface of the landing field should
be hard enough to support the plane during all seasons
and so smooth that a motor car can be driven at fifty miles
an hour without throwing the passengers out ofthe seat . ..
"All the data pertaining to commercial aviation which
has been collected by the Ford Motor Company is available
to air line operators who purchase Ford planes. Every
valuable experience that the Ford Motor Company has on
its own air lines is immediately passed along to the air
lines using Ford equipment."
The third item in the package is a unique wall plaque
with a reduced reproduction of the 15 inch Ford emblem
that appeared on the side of every Tri-Motor, mounted
above an actual piece of corrugated aluminum from
NC8407 and an etched photo of the airplane, together wit h
a plate attesting to the authenticity of the piece of corru-
gated metal.
This attractive package is a special LIMITED EDI-
TION that should be a part of every aviation memorabilia
collection. It will be mailed postpaid to each person who
donates $100 or more to our Ford project. Send your con-
tribution to the Ford Tri-Motor Limited Edi tion, P. O. Box
469, Hales Corners, WI 53130. All donat ions are tax deduc-
tible. Checks should be made payable to t he EAA Aviation
Foundation.
10 FEBRUARY 1983
photo of Ford Tri-Motor NC8407 was taken just minutes
before a wind storm severely damaged it at Burlington, WI on
6/16/73.
Raettig Photo)
bimitetbCllitiolV
(Raettig Photo)
The dismal results of the wind damage. This was the condition
of the Ford when EAA received title to it.
The "roll out " on 1/8/83 to celebrate the Ford finally resting on
its own gear. (Gene Chase Photo)
Tom Soerens and his mammoth rebuild project at the EAA
Aviation Foundation's Burlington, WI facility. (Gene Chase Photo)
The pilots' flight controls. Note toe brakes on the left side only
replacing the original Johnson bar system. Center console con-
tains the three throttles (top) and mixture controls (below).
(Gene Chase Photo)
George Hardie, Pat Packard, AI Kelch and Gene Chase inspect
the Ford's left wing panel. (Raettfg Photo)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
The Sagaof Dixie Jewett's ~ O
Dixie Jewett (EAA 80575) and her highly modified 1947 super
Super Cruiser, N78449, SIN 12-1959.
BySkeetElpel
504 West SpringCreek Drive
Bozeman, MT59715
(Photos by Dixie Jewett except as noted)
The waves in the Tongass Narrows were mean and
choppy, visibility wasdown to minimumsandyetdozens
offloat planeskeptdoingbusinessasusualin Ketchikan
where poor flying conditions are commonplace. Sun-
shine and optimum conditions are a rarity in this land
which gets a hundred and fifty inches of rainfall per
year.
Then into this fogged-in, turbulent environment
appeared an amphibian which made even seasoned
Alaskans stop in their tracks, toss the ponchos back
from theirheads and follow itwith theireyes.
"What is it?" they said then, and other Alaskans
have asked since from Petersburg to Kotzebue when
Dixie Jewett flew her custom, souped-up Super Cruiser
on various missions around the Far North. Observers
who did not personally know the unconventional South-
east Alaska pilot were not sure what type of aircraft
they were seeing. The multi-colored amphibian stood
tall on reinforced legs like an overgrown sandpiper,
testing the water, bobbingand nodding in almost gleeful
amusement to acknowledge all the stares from store-
fronts, docks and plexiglass windows ofother seaplanes.
Dixie's artistic talent shows in this "Bitchin' Eagle" hand
Then the real surprise came when it hauled its enor- painted on Big Porker.
12 FEBRUARY 1983
Big Porker over glaciers in Alaska.
mous pair of pontoons with their extra two-hundred-
fIfty-pound payload in landing gear in what appeared
to be an almost vertical lift out of the channel. Sturdy
wheels peeked out from their retraction shelter inside
the EDO floats.
The plane which made its debut amid the tough
competition of seaplanes in the watery Alaskan pan-
handle was put in the experimental category for twenty
hours by preliminary FAA inspections. But in short
order it earned the legitimacy of normal certifIcation
and it became the commercial workhorse Dixie had strived
so hard for over a period of four years in the mid-seventies.
From the splashy "Bitchin' Eagle" and roses she hand-
painted on the fuselage to the last wire in the instru-
ment panel which was equipped to fly IFR, Dixie had
put together the kind of airplane she wanted for her
own use.
"Only ten sets of floats with wheels were made for
planes this small," Dixie said, referring to the custom
339-JHS, 2250s which were actually made for Piper
PA-18As. "Fish spotters in the Carribean were out there
circling all day at low speeds and low levels and they
thought of the floats for safety and convenience. As it
turned out, the extra weight required extra fuel and
they ended up not staying out so long. So they gave up
and the floats were sold on the used market."
Dixie purchased one set of the amphibious floats in
1972 to install on the PA-12 she was building in the
hangar at Todd's Air Service in Ketchikan where she
was air taxi pilot by day and airplane hobbyist by night
plus all her spare time. The project was termed "an odd-
ball installation" by J. Frey at EDO who communicated
with her concerning proposed extensive and heretofore
untried modifIcations to beef-up the 12 to carry the pay-
load. Frey did his best to try to persuade Dixie to stick
with a Piper PA-18 and go from there with the 180 horse-
power Lycoming engine, model 0-360, noting there was
not at that time an approved STC for installation of that
engine on a PA-12.
In addition to these apparently prohibitive factors,
Frey cited an estimated three hundred hours of engin.eer-
ing ahead on stress work and design of struts and fIttmgs
alone. Then there were steps to take for flight test certi-
fIcation and the studies of engine cooling stability, direc-
tional control and other flight test requirements. He
concluded the scope of the project was out of sight.
If there was ever a challenge to further pursue a
dream, this was it. The flak she had received from several
sources saying she would likely encounter stability
problems with floats of this size only served to defIne
the problem. The need to fully modify the plane to get
directional and lateral stability simply enlarged the
project rather than becoming a deterrent.
"When I started rebuilding planes, I didn't even know
there were two kinds of screwdrivers. All I knew was
horses," Dixie admitted in an interview recently. At
fIrst when she envisioned a powerful , versatile Super
Cruiser to conquer land and sea from the freedom of
the air, it seemed like an obvious and innocuous enough
idea. However, the total overhaul eventually led to some
creative solutions to old aerodynamics puzzles and lots
of coordination with the powers that be in the realm of
floats and custom aircraft designers. Throughout the
project, Dixie relied most heavily on "those nice pic-
tures that show you everything" in the Parts Book that
was her bible and sole source of confIdence for the job
ahead.
Idea, challenge, obsession, defIance - all became
elements in the one woman battle against man, nature
and machine.
"As far as I know, it's the first time this has been
done with a PA-12," Cal Center of Crosswinds Stol in
Anchorage said recently. Center was intrigued enough
by the undertaking and Dixie's interest in using his
wingtips that he made two trips to Ketchikan to help
her out.
"I knew it would a tough challenge to get approval
of such an aircraft," Center recalls. "There was not just
the job of building a plane, but the job of certificating
a highly modifIed aircraft which is another whole chal-
lenge. The plane had enough modifications to qualify
for homebuilt aircraft. In fact, about everything on it
was modifIed. "
Adapting design as she went along, Dixie saw the
amphib she dubbed with the curious moniker of Big
Porker emerge from a nondescript infancy to become
something like the rangy, spirited horse named Cactus
she used to ride in Montana. Long before her legs would
reach the stirrups, she would climb on the gatepost
and pull the cowhorse near enough so she could make a
flying leap onto his bare back. She says she hasn't leaped
off any gateposts yet for Big Porker, but by the time she
had fInished it she sacrifIced "a zillion hours" of work
on it.
The long hours of tedious labor on the half dozen
Super Cruisers she rebuilt were relieved by a bit of
humor and some creative offshoots. She built Little
Porker and painted it in a checkerboard pattern on nose,
tail and wingtips. And there were Porky Bean Pie I, Hot
Dang, Jack Flash and Fearless which was named after
Todd. Maybe it was the three offour winters in the hangar
with penetrating fumes of airplane dope, but Dixie, an
Super Cruiser before it was converted to an amphibian, tied
down at Annette, Alaska.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
A familiar scene in every restorer's shop . .. zillions of freshly
painted flHlngs on a drying rack of sorts.
Dixie displays her working gloves.
accomplished artist, did some of her most spectacular
oil paintings of, what else, but seaplanes with a back-
drop of magnificent Alaskan mountains and lakes. She
also illustrated and published a child's coloring book of
airplanes depicting the earliest flying machines to the
latest jets, all with humorous captions.
This eye for the line and form of aircraft has aided
Dixie in the design and building aspect of her projects.
One of the distinctive features of her planes is the long,
graceful wingspan since she opens up the wing ends to
add eighteen-inch spar extensions which give that much
more surface for lift. The larger engine meant, of course,
a corresponding beef-up: larger cowling, motor mounts
and a change in the leading edge cuff and wing tips as
well as addition of two fifteen-gallon auxiliary fuel tanks.
Dixie shows off the old fabric and the newly epoxied fuse-
lage.
The plane weighed in at 1615 pounds empty and had a
gross weight of 1935 pounds.
"Cal Center does absolutely incredible work," Dixie
said of the well known Alaskan who did the cowling
and wingtips and helped her rig the plane on the floats
to get the proper angle of struts. "He is the best designer
of custom airplane parts around. Most wingtips go either
up or down, but Cal's incorporate four different theories
of design," she laughs at what must be as much a signa-
ture design among aircraft as Calvin Klein's are in the
fashion world.
The innovations were hers, Center insists, and she was
"pretty persistent" to get the type of plane she wanted
though Crosswind's engineering consultant then, Gor-
don Mandrell, "just shook his head".
"She wanted to use my tips which had been approved
for a PA-18," Center said. "She put them on and tested
them herself. The use of the engine, wingtips and leading
edge cuff all had to get field approval. She also had to
modify the length of the struts for stability. We had to
run basic load tests, but there wasn't any doubt about
the plane being strong enough."
Much of the strength came from the extra tubing
she welded in on the left side from the front attach point
of the gear to the front wing attach points, the area she
had experienced getting broken frequently on seaplanes.
She added a seven-foot reinforcing tube inside the lower
longerons which helped to cushion the shock when the
plane lands and exerts pressure on the whole front land-
ing apparatus and puts stress on the cabin section of the
fuselage. Next, she ran reinforcements right up along the
front side of the door and up overhead in the cabin sec-
tion. Extra tubing was inserted from the attach point
Dixie and "LiHle Porker",
another of her beefed-up
Piper Super Cruisers.
14 FEBRUARY 1983
of the gear to the firewall top which she felt was essen-
tial for the larger engine installation. She said she had
$12,000 in all new construction back to the firewall,
then she reinforced the tail section which is another
weak area on seaplanes.
This approach to start from the very basics and do
the job right prompted high praise from Ed Todd who
had introduced Dixie to flying in the first place. In 1968
Dixie was a cab driver on Ketchikan's one main street
that meanders along the waterfront. Her cab passengers
who often quizzed her about the stack of self-help books
she kept on the seat beside her later became her most
loyal air taxi customers. They'd ask for "the good look-
ing pilot," Todd said, even when Dixie's 15,000 hours
logged merited a more professional title.
"She did a better job on some of the planes she's re-
built than they did at the factory," Todd claimed many
times before his death in October, 1978. "She's a per-
fectionist in everything she does."
Dixie was interested in the comfort and recreational
aspects of her plane also. She particularly liked en-
larging the baggage compartment and installing a
Cessna 150 seat in the front which folds forward and
lies flat. This, combined with a unique door that lifts
up, permits more room to load luggage, or haul her St.
Bernard, or just to make a place for sleeping when she
camped.
St. Bernard pup " Splash" grins from the enlarged baggage
compartment of Big Porker.
"The St. Bernard pup, Splash, made a nice flying
partner until she wanted to lie down and stretch out,"
Dixie said. "Then she would knock the throttle back.
I'd be there just listening to my country western music
with the headphones on when down we'd go! That sure
brought me out of it in a hurry!"
Splash, now double her weight then, retired to a royal,
if less adventureous life in Montana where she has be-
come a first-rate porcupine chaser. So probably no more
pitching, rolling airplane rides from Texas to over the
Arctic Circle are in store for her.
Other features Dixie enjoyed installing were the
round rear windows and chromed controls. Not so easy
or enjoyable was dealing with wheels and brakes, most
of which were designed to operate off hard surface strips.
These were not acclimated to life in saltwater baths
either. She found aluminum substitutes for the mag-
nesium wheels, but there don't appear to be a lot of vi-
able options for this type of amphibious landing gear.
"They're hell to maintain," Dixie says. "It sits in the
water and rusts and saltwater corrodes the metal and
ruins the brakes. They have to be worked on constantly,
but they are worth the trouble and expense if you want
the choice of landing strips."
Corrosion-proofing the rest of the plane was a must.
All the basic structure was done from sandblasting to
get rid of all the rust to priming, then it was given several
coats of epoxy and painted over all tubes, which had
been wrapped with electrical tape, with Plyobond ad-
hesive. Clusters where tubes came together were painted
with silicone seal. Linseed oil was poured inside the
tubing.
Despite painstaking requirements of building the
amphibian and troublesome upkeep, Dixie favored the
plane for its utility. It was designed for very slow land-
ing speeds and the ability to land on unimproved sur-
faces which in Alaska means wilderness beach heads,
fields or rough roads. She spent several fishing seasons
fish spotting in Bristol Bay and often camped out around
a circuit of Alaskan ports, or hired out as pilot with
plane to mining and fishing companies.
While on a job or out on a bush pilot holiday, Dixie
pursued another craft with professional acumen. Alaska's
strikingly rugged beauty and technicolors proved to
be richly rewarding for her as an aerial photographer.
From her vantage point over glaciers, the "rivers of ice",
Dixie could maneuver in for some especially exciting
shots. Once it was almost too close. When she sat down
on the water at the base of a glacier in Glacier Bay and
taxied in toward a tiny strip of beach, the mass of ice
"calved" off a chunk which crashed into the Bay creat-
ing monstrous waves.
"I nearly lost my plane," Dixie said matter-of-factly
of this and other near-misses. She always places the loss
of plane above potential loss of her life. But Big Porker
holds a favored spot in her corral of Super Cruisers and
it rode out the waves just like so many of the hurdles
imposed by the FAA. It was this amphibian that earned
the STC for the PA-12 with a 180 horsepower engine
that veteran Cal Center had worked on and was so intent
in seeing its approval.
"License Normal Category" was a particularly mean-
ingful achievement for the "oddball installation" which
became Big Porker, a one-of-its-kind flying machine.
Editor's Note: Dixie Jewett (EAA 80575J Star Route,
Virginia City, MT 59755, has been flying air taxi and
charter work in Alaska for more than 14 years, accumu-
lating some 16,000 hours of flight time. She also owns
two Cessnas, a 180 and a 185 which she leases to other
operators. Dixie flew "Big Porker" to Oshkosh '82 and
both she and her unique classic aircraft attracted a lot
of attention . .. G.R.C.
(Photo by Gene. Chase)
Big Porker stands tall at Oshkosh ' 82.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
X-660-E

An Unusual Flying Machine
Editor's Note: When this photo arrived at EAA
Headquarters I immediately wrote to the sender,
Dale Glossenger asking for additional information.
His letter follows . If any reader can supply more
details, we would greatly appreciate hearing from
them . . .G.R.C.
Dear Gene:
In answer to your letter, I'll try to fill you in on the
"unusual flying machine".
About eleven years ago, a friend and I flew a 1946
Luscombe out ofwhatwe called the "Granger Air Force
Base" which was no more than a cow pasture along-side
a railroad track. At one time there was a '41 T-craft,
a Cessna 140 and the Luscombe tied down there.
It wasononeofthoseeveningsmyfriend,BillMcComb,
showed me a small picture ofX-660-E.I took the picture
and had itenlarged to an 8 x 10justto try to figure out
how and why the aircraftwasputtogether asitwas.
Bill told me he got the original photo from someone
(whose name he couldn't remember) and the photo was
taken somewhere in California. On the first test flight,
the machine somehow got to an altitude of about fifty
feetandapparentlyoneofthecablesjumpedoffthedrum
and the "plane" subsequently crashed. Nothing was
mentioned aboutthe fate ofthe pilot.
Now about the craft itself: I don't know ifthe FAA
would have records showing who X-660-E was registered
to or not. By the looks ofthe surroundings in the photo,
and the old carsitting there, I would guess the machine
was built back in the late twenties or early thirties. If
thewing,drum,etc. did move asI guess itdoes,then the
designer mayhavebeenclose ...backthen...to VTOL
asweknowittoday.Thedrum,thepropulsivemechanism,
borders onfan.
There appears to be an absence of any type or kind
of elevator system. The winglets below the wings are a
bit puzzling . . . the vertical stabilizer section seems
to be in line with everything, but the "rudder" section
seems to be curved atthe top. The two tailwheels might
justbe steerableandfitted witholeo struts.
(Photo courtesy of Dale Glossenger)
The fuel system appears to be gravity feed as the
fuel line and shut-offvalve can be seen below the tank.
The engine looks like a five or seven cylinder radial.
Perhapsthecockpitistwoplacebutwithonlyone"wheel"
whichlooks likeanautomobilesteeringwheel. Thedrum
seems to be fabric covered.
Well , that's about all I can tell you about 01' 660-E.
Whoever designed and built it had more imagination
thanmost,andto theguythatflew it...heshouldhave
been awarded the medal for "Test Pilot of the Century"
for even getting in the machine. They did have some
ratherunique ideas inthiscontraption.
Sincerely,
Dale Glossenger
(EAA 189173)
70185 Beach Drive
Edwardsburg,MI 49112
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
We would like to list your aviation event in our calendar. Please send
information to the Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, P.O. Box 229, Hales
Corners, WI 53130. Information must bereceived at least two months in
advance of the issue in which it will appear.
MARCH 13-19 - LAKELAND. FLORIDA- 9th Annual Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In.
Plans and site improvements being made to make '83 an even greater
success than 1982. Contact Sun 'n Fun Fly-In. Box 2246. Lakeland, FL
33803 or Ann McKee. 813/688-8214 or 688-6280.
APRIL 29 - MAY 1 - ROANOKE RAPIDS, NORTH CAROLINA - EAA
Antique/Classic Chapter 3 Fly-In. Antiques, Classics and Homebuilts wel-
come. Contact Geneva McKiernan, 5301 Finsbury Place. Charlotte, NC
27211.
APRIL 30 - MAY 1 - BOLIVAR, TENNESSEE - EAA Chapter 763 Annual
Spring Fly-In and Air Show. Contact Billy Whitehurst, Hardeman County
Airport. Bolivar. TN 38008. 901 /658-6282.
MAY 1 - ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS - EAA Chapter 22 Annual Fly-In Breakfast.
Eastern Aviation, Greater Rockford Airport. 7 a.m. 'til noon. For information
call 815/332-4708.
MAY 27-29 - ATCHISON, KANSAS - Greater Kansas City Area Chapter.
Antique Airplane Association Annual Fly-In at Amelia Earhart Airport. Early
arrivals will be served supper Friday evening with awards banquet on
Saturday night. Dormitory accommodations are available and camping is
allowed. 80 and 100 octane gas is available. Contact Bill Hare. 6207 Riggs,
Mission. KS 66202 or George Hefflinger. 3510 North 99th Street. Kansas
City. KS 66109.
16 FEBRUARY 1983
JUNE 3-5 - MERCED. CALIFORNIA - 26th Annual Merced West Coast
Antique Fly-In at Merced Municipal Airport. For information contact Dee
Humann, Registration Chairman, Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In. P.O.
Box 2312, Merced. CA 95344. 209/358-3487.
JUNE 5 - DE KALB, ILLINOIS - EM Chapter 241 Annual Fly-In. Drive-In
Breakfast 7 a.m. 'til noon at DeKalb Municipal Airport. Contact Marlin
Crown, 159 Thomas Street, Sycamore, IL 60178. 815/895-6856.
JUNE 10-12 - DENTON, TEXAS - Texas Chapter Antique Airplane Associ-
ation Fly-In. For information contact Bob Landrum, Rt. 4, Box 140.
Roanoke. TX 76262, 817/430-3387 (after 6 p.m.) or Jack Winthrop. Rt. 1,
Box 111 , Allen . TX 75002. 2141727-5649.
JUNE 10-12 - MIDDLETOWN. OHIO - Aeronca Fly-In. Tour of Middletown
Aeronca Factory. banquet and tour of U.S. Air Force Museum at Dayton.
You must contact Jim Thompson. Box 102, Roberts, IL 60962, 217/395-
2522 to make arrangements to participate in this fly-in.
JULY 2-4 - BLAKESBURG. IOWA - Second Annual Aeronca Fly-In at
Antique Airfield. Aircraft judging. awards, forums and meetings of several
type clubs. For further information contact Aeronca Club. 1432 28th Ct. .
Kenosha, WI 53140. 414/522-9014 or Antique Airplane Association, Rt. 2.
Box 172, Ottumwa. IA 52501. 515/938-2773.
JULY 29-31 - COFFEYVILLE, KANSAS - 6th Annual Funk Fly-In. Antiques,
classics. homebuilts invited. Contests, trophies. dinner. Contact Ray Pahls,
454 Summitlawn, Wichita. KS 67209. 316/943-6920.
JULY 30 - AUGUST 6 - OSHKOSH. WISCONSIN - 31st Annual Fly-In
Convention. Start making your plans now to attend the World's Greatest
Aviation Event. Contact EAA, P.O. Box 229. Hales Corners, WI 53130.
OCTOBER 14-16 - CAMDEN. SOUTH CAROLINA - EAA Antique/Classic
Chapter 3 Fly-In. Antiques, Classics and Homebuilts welcome. Contact
Geneva McKiernan. 5301 Finsbury Place. Charlotte, NC 27211.
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
Paul Poberezny
President, Experimental Aircraft Association
P.O. Box 229
Hales Comers, WI 53130
Dear Paul:
Enclosed are a couple of photos from Denmark, taken
at KZ and Veteran Klubben fly-in at Stauning Luft-
haven (airfield) June 3-6, 1982 near Ringkobing, Den-
mark.
This was the greatest number of Tiger Moth aircraft
I have seen assembled at one spot.
Homebuilts and antiques had assembled from Nor-
way, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Holland, France,
England and I know, several other countries but I did
not find time to meet everyone.
Ringkobing had clear skies but unusually high tem-
peratures - so high in fact the local schools dismissed
classes due to the heat.
We were pleased to meet Charles and Janet Schuck
the official EAA visitors. EAA can be proud to have such
fine representation.
Jens Toft, his son Eric, the whole family and their
committees were very gracious hosts and loaned us a
tent and sleeping bags for our overnight stay.
Stauning Airfield is a perfect fly-in location and the
club has assembled a very interesting museum on the
field.
Aircraft in aHendance included this Piper PA-18-95 Super
Cub, OY-EFA, SIN 18-1477, from Denmark and two good
looking Jodels from Great Britain.
Two pigs were barbequed at the fly-in. The aircraft is a 1.946
Danish KZ III.
It was pleasant to make an international fly-in and
find you have the same spirit, friendship and common
interests found at Oshkosh.
Sincerely,
Waren and Clemma Wiggett
(EAA 2479)
512 W. 26 Street
Rifle, CO 81650
Editor's Note: The Annual KZ and Veteranfly Klubben
Fly-In is sponsored by EAA Chapter 655, based at Spjald,
Denmark. This event was designated the 1982 EAA Europe
Fly-In, and was held in conjunction with the Fifteenth
International KZ Rally . . . G.R.C.
Dear Mr. Chase:
As a new member of EAA and new subscriber to
The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, may I express my pleasure
with my first issue, that of December 1982.
In the "Mr. Mulligan at Oshkosh" story, mention
was made of Paul Matt's "Historical Aviation Album
Volume XIV." Is this still in print? Can you suggest
any possible source for the series . .. whether it is in
or out of print?
Your help in this matter will be sincerely appreciated.
Very truly yours,
Merle H. (Mickey) Mishne
(EAA 199661, NC 7390)
4700 Manufacturing Road
Cleveland, OH 44135
Editor's Note: The series of Paul Matt's "Historical Avia-
tion Album" which is still in print (including Volume
XIV are available from: Historic Aviation, 3850 Corona-
tion Road, Eagan, MN 55122, and Zenith Aviation Books,
P.O. Box 1, Osceola, WI 54020. Write for free catalogs.
Also, the June, July and August 1974 issues of The VIN-
TAGE AIRPLANE containing the "Howard Story" in Nick
Rezich's articles, "Reminiscing With Big Nick" are avail-
able at $1 .25 each, postpaid from : EAA Antique/Classic
Division, P.O. Box 229, Hales Corners, WI 53130.
Dear Gene:
In your "Letters to the Editor," I must respond again,
as I did in the EAA magazine to Mr. Poberezny, calling
for the elimination of Third Class Medical Certificates.
Mr. Poberezny has apparently forgotten the fact that
there is no medical certificate required for driving on
the highway and some medications that would be fine
for driving on the highway would not be the same while
flying, particularly with the added ingredient of alti-
tude. For example, being an FAA physician, I saw a
gentleman who was thirty-five years of age in my office,
with blood pressure of 170/130 and I ask you, do you
think that he should fly an airplane and not carry a Third
Class Medical Certificate if nonnal range is 120/80. The
answer is best answered "no" or "yes". No, with blood
pressure that high he would not be safe for himself or
his passengers, as pilot in command of an aircraft. But
yes if he is able to have blood pressure maintained or
appropriate medication, the FAA would allow that.
Another example would be a person who takes medi-
cine for sinus conditions, such as cold medicines, even
over-the-counter medicines. The medicine I am think-
ing of would most likely have an antihistamine and
decongestant in it. My questions is, should he fly an air-
plane while taking this medication. The answer most
assuredly is no. The side effect of the antihistamine is
drowsiness and would make him unsafe as a pilot and
that also possibly could be aggravated by altitude; the
hyposia effect of the lack of oxygen associated with an
airplane ascending in altitude.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
IRe
01

Jecket - 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 throughXL ........... $28.95ppd
Cep - pale gold mesh with contrasting blue
bill ,trimmed with gold braid.Antique/ Classic
logo patch on crown ofcap.
Sizes - M and L
(adjustable rearband) ........... $ 6.25 ppd
Antlque/Clualc Petche.
Large- 4Vi' across.............. $ 1.75 ppd
Small - 3V ..' across........ ...... $ 1.75 ppd
Antlque/ Cle.alcDecell-
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Avelleble Beck IHue.ofThe VINTAGE AIRPLANE
1973 - March through December
1974 - All are available
1975- All are available
1976- February through April ,August through December
19n- January through June,August through December
1978- January through March,August,Octoberthrough December
Send check to:
1979 - All are available
EMAntlque/ Cle.ate Division, Inc.
1980 - January,March through July,Septemberthrough December
P.O. Box 229,Hele. Comera, WI 53130
1981 - All are available
Allow4-6 Weeks forDelivery
1982 - February,May through December Wisconsin Residents Include5%Sales Tax
Per Issue ..................................................... $1.25 ppd
Lindbergh CommemorativeIssue (July19n) ... . . . . .... .... ... $ 1.50 ppd
I could give manyotherexamplesofthings thathave
happened in my office personally in regard to screening
people for FAA examinations. An accurate rating would
say thatthere is notprobably butone or two inone hun-
dred appli cants that really would be totally unsafe for
flying, but there might be fifteen or t wenty who would
have to have appropriate medication for other things
done in order to make himlegal for flying.
I am with Mr. Poberezny in bringing down the cost
of aviation and I would like to make a suggestion that
would be somewhat of a compromise and t hat would
be to let Third Class Medical Certificates last for three
years.
Ifthere are anyquestions, please address them to me
personally atthe addressbelow.
I certainly appreciate your publishing this letter.
I doso only in the interestofairsafety.
Sincerely,
Guy D.Baldwin,D.O.
(EAA 117693,AlC 6062)
11445 East20thStreet
Tulsa,OK 74128
Greetings FromThe Director!
Each year about this time, when thoughts should
beon theholidays,I startto feel anxietyoverthecoming
convention. The Board ofDirectors ofSun 'n Fun taken
on very ambitious plans for expansion and improve-
ment for the 1983 event. These include an entirely new
15 acre ultralight area, an additional shower house, a
country store, a permanent building for the news office,
a new facility for fly-in headquarters and 3000 feet of
permanent fencing.
As you can tell it will require a great deal of work
as well as many different types of tools and talent. If
18 FEBRUARY1983
youcangivea handatany time,itwouldbe appreciated.
We will be doing carpentry,electrical,plumbing,putting
up fencing,pruningtrees andshrubsand the like.
You can camp on the site to work. A numberoffolks
are already doing this on weekends.
Starting on January 1, we are working every week-
end until thegatesopen.PLEASE PITCH IN!
Billy M.Henderson
Director,Sun'n Fun'83
P.O.Box 2246
Lakeland,FL33803
DearGene:
The events of1982 have now been filed for posterity
and we now eagerly await the 1983 issues ofThe VIN-
TAGE AIRPLANE for moreexcellentphotosandarticles
by you andyourstaffandthemanycontributingwriters.
Itwould take too long to list all the names ofpeople
who I believe did an excellent job of digging into the
past so I will mention only a few and apologize to those
not mentioned. George Hardie could dig into his fil es
for many years and come up with something different
every time; keep up the good work, George. Al Kelch
has done it again with his 3-part series on the Thomas-
Morse Aircraft Corp. ... , few realize the time spent in
research to do such articles.
Last but not least, Mike Rezich has caused me to
spend many hours looking through my files to come up
with the answers (sometimes) to his "Mysery Plane"
photos.
Keep up the good work,Gene.
Yours truly,
Chuck Faber
(EAA 135542, AlC 4591)
655 PoplarCreek Drive
Waukesha, WI 53186

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MEMBERSHIPINFORMATION
EAA
ANTIQUE-
CLASSIC
lAC
WARBIRDS
U
LTRALIGHT
Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is $25.00 for one year, $48.00 for 2 years
and $69.00 for 3 years. All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year. Junior Membership (under 19
years of age) is available at $15.00 annually. Family Membership is available for an additional $10.00
annually.
EAA Member - $18.00. Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division. 12 monthly
issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card. Applicant must be a current EAA member and
must give EAA membership number.
Non-EAA Member - $28.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division. 12
monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane. one year membership in the EAA and separate membership
cards. Sport Aviationnotincluded.
Membership in the International Aerobatic Club, Inc. is $20.00 annually which includes 12 issues of
Sport Aerobatics. All lAC membersare required to be members ofEAA.
Membership in the Warbirds of America. Inc. is $20.00 per year. which includes a subscription to
Warbirds Newsletter. Warbird membersare required to be members ofEAA.
Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn. is $25.00 per year which includes the Ultralight publication
($15.0!1 additionaiforSport Aviation magazine) . For current EAA members only, $15.00, which includes
UltralIght publicatIon.
FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS: Please submit yourremittance with a check ordraft drawn on a United States
bank payable in United States dollars oran internationalpostalmoneyordersimilarly drawn.
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED.
ADDRESSALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISIONATTHE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:
P.O. BOX 229- HALES CORNERS, WI 53130- PHONE(414)425-4860
OFFICE HOURS: 8:30- 5:00MONDAY-FRIDAY
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19