STRAIGHT AND LEVEL

STATE OF THE EAA ANTIQUE/

CLASSIC DIVISION
We can all remember the adverse
press coverage and alarming editorials
regarding aviation during the year 1985.
All of the reports and commentaries
stated it was the worst year for airline
accidents and I recall the general avia-
tion community also contributed its
share. One year later we look back on
1986 and again remember the head-
lines from the shuttle tragedy to the Los
Angeles mid-air, with lots of problems
in between. It seems the little black
cloud is hovering over us, continuing to
douse us with problems we don't need.
The product liability insurance prob-
lem has a death grip on general aviation
manufacturers and suppliers. The in-
surance problem associated with local
and area flying events have nearly
eliminated these activities, and the new
proposed FAA regulations referred to
as the "40 point proposal" appears to
tighten the noose around the neck of all
general aviation flying .
I am sure many of us are beginning
to think "Why continue to fight for our
rights, when it appears we occasionally
win a battle but eventually we will lose
the war." A good thought? No! When
we look around and see what we have
and how we got it, we are ready to fight
again to keep it ... and fight we will.
We can all remember a few years ago
when big brother, the FAA, tried to
lower the floor of positive control to
10,000 feet. Once again EAA and its
divisions plus the general aviation com-
munity rallied to the cause and said no.
This resulted in the FAA Administrator,
Mr. Langhorne Bond, appearing before
the National Press Club in Washington,
D.C. waving a white handkerchief. This
is what we can do and we will do it
again .
In 1986 your EAA Antique/Classic Di-
vision again experienced growth in all
areas. Our membership continued to
grow and another record was set for
new members gained in one year. We
thank and welcome the new members
and will continue to publish their names
in our magazine, THE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE. We are the largest organi-
zation in the world devoted to antique
and classic aircraft owners, pilots and
enthusiasts, and with this leadership,
we become the spokesman for this
large segment of aviation. We accept
2 FEBRUARY 1987
by Bob Lickteig
the responsibility that goes with leader-
ship and will continue to do everything
in our power to warrant your support,
trust and vote of confidence.
Our chapters are working to comply
with all the requirements necessary for
current status and future recognition. I
can understand and appreciate these
problems as I have been there myself.
We will, however, show 100 percent
compliance in the near future. Your
EAA Antique/Classic Division participa-
tion in local and regional flying events
was again active and visible, even with
the decline in these activities due to
cost and procurement of necessary in-
surance by the sponsoring groups. This
is a must as it is at these grass roots
events we have an opportunity to reach
the young people who must be encour-
aged to take over from us.
Our restoration and preservation pro-
gram for antique and classic aircraft
continues throughout the country and
the numbers of these wonderful flying
machines are growing every year.
The Antique/Classic Library main-
tained by our EAA headquarters staff
has again added and catalogued an-
tique and classic reference materials
available no other place in the world.
Our support and cooperation with the
Type Clubs again showed a marked in-
crease. The "Type Club Activities" sec-
tion published monthly in THE VIN-
TAGE AIRPLANE will continue so we
can be a part of this ever-growing group
of owners of special type aircraft.
In 1986 THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE
again set new journalistic standards.
Our thanks go to the publishing and
editorial staff for this largest publication
devoted to antique and classic aircraft
and membership services.
Oshkosh '86 was covered by the
world news media in print and video
making it the biggest aviation event
story of the year. Your EAA Antique/
Classic Division played a major role in
staging this, the world's largest aviation
convention. The number of registered
show planes, both antique and classic,
was the largest in the history of the divi-
sion. Our members and guests enjoyed
the new porch on the Red Barn and the
new addition to the building which re-
sulted in an enlarged merchandising
area. The participation in our organized
group activities made each of our con-
vention programs successful and we
will again organize and present these
and additional events for Oshkosh '87.
We have already ordered a larger
Type Club Headquarters Tent to house
these activities at Oshkosh '87.
Your division is gaining financial
strength which will allow us to launch
new programs and offer additional
membership services.
I wish to thank the officers, directors,
and advisors for their support, hard
work and dedication to the objectives of
our division. It is a pleasure to work with
them.
Once again in 1986, the EAA An-
tique/Classic Division completed
another successful year and we look
forward to the challenges that face us
in 1987. It now appears that we will face
the biggest survival test in our history
and to succeed through these turbulent
times, we have no choice but to work
and fight together ... or in the future
there will be no reason to do so.
I am sorry that my report to you on
the state of your EAA Antique/Classic
Division has to start off with a call to
arms, but that's the way it is. This battle
and future battles will make your mem-
bership and support more meaningful
and rewarding, because together we
are the only hope to preserve our avia-
tion heritage as we know it today.
When the FAA's "40 point proposal"
is refined and published, we will advise
you of the details and at that time ask
you to comment. When this time comes,
let's all stand and be counted one more
time.
Welcome aboard, join us and you
have it aiL.
Till:
FEBRUARY1987 Vol. 15, No.2
PUBLICATION STAFF
PUBLISHER
Tom Poberezny
DIRECTOR
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
DickMatt
EDITOR
Gene R. Chase
CREATIVE ART DIRECTOR
Mike Drucks
MANAGING EDITOR'ADVERTISING
MaryJones
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Norman Petersen
DickCavin
FEATURE WRITERS
George A. Hardie, Jr.
Dennis Parks
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS
JimKoepnick
Carl Schuppel
EAAANTIQUE/CLASSIC
DIVISION, INC.
OFFICERS
President VicePresident
R.J.Lickteig M.C."Kelly"Viets
3100PruittRoad RI. 2, Box128
PortSI. Lucie, FL33452 Lyndon,KS66451
305/3357051 913/8283518
Secretary Treasurer
RonaldFritz E.E."Buck"Hilbert
15401 SpartaAvenue P.O.Box145
KentCity,MI49330 Union,IL60180
616/6785012 815/9234591
DIRECTORS
JohnS.Copeland StanGomoll
9JoanneDrive 104290thLane,NE
Westborough,MA01581 Minneapolis,MN55434
617/3667245 612/784-1172
DaleA.Gustafson EspieM.Joyce,Jr.
7724ShadyHillDrive Box468
Indianapolis,IN46278 Madison,NC27025
317/2934430 919/427-0216
ArthurR. Morgan GeneMorris
3744North51stBlvd. 115CSteveCourt,R. R. 2
Milwaukee,WI53216 Roanoke,TX76262
414/4423631 8171491-9110
DanielNeuman RayOlcott
1521 BerneCircleW. 1500KingsWay
Minneapolis,MN55421 Nokomis,FL33555
612/5710893 813/485-8139
JohnR.Turgyan S.J.Wittman
Box229, R.F.D.2 Box2672
Wrightstown,NJ08562 Oshkosh,Wl54903
6091758-2910 414/235-1265
GeorgeS. York
181 Sloboda Ave.
Mansfield, OH 44906
419/529-4378
ADVISORS
TimothyV.Bowers RobertC. "Bob"Brauer
729-2ndSI. 9345S.Hoyne
Woodland,CA95695 Chicago,IL60620
916/666-1875 312/779-2105
PhilipCoulson RobertD. "Bob"Lumley
28415SpringbrookDr. N104W20387
Lawton,MI49065 WillowCreekRoad
616/624-6490 Colgate,WI53017
414/255-6832
S.H." Wes"Schmid W.S."Jerry"Wallin
2359LefeberAvenue 29804- 179PI. SE
Wauwatosa,WI53213 Kent,WA98031
4141771-1545 206/631-9644
Copyright' 1987bytheEAAAntique/ClassicDivision,Inc.Allrightsreserved.
Contents
2 StraightandLevel
byBobLickteig
4 AlCNews
byGeneChase
5 WelcomeNewMembers
6 ClassicAward Winner- ClassII ...
Tom'sCessna170B
by Norm Petersen
9 VintageSeaplanes
byNormPetersen
10 HowtoRebuildaWacoin
FiveEasySteps
byDonnaandPhilMichmerhuizen
15 TypeClubActivities
byGeneChase
16 TheKeyBrothers
byStephenOwen
21 Volunteers
byArtMorganandBillBrauer
Page10
22 VintageLiterature
byDennisParks
23 MysteryPlane
byGeorgeA. Hardie,Jr.
24 AFreeRideBacktoYesterday
byJerryLeach
25 TheTechnicalSide- ServiceNotes
forCessna120/140
byG. E. Malonf
27 LetterstotheEditor
27 CalendarofEvents
Page16
28 Sun'nFun'87Update
FRONT COVER ...The award-winning Cessna 170B flown by Tom
SchoettmernuzzlesuptothephotoplaneduringOshkosh'86. Forthe
full story on this pretty restoration,see page 6.
(Photo by Carl Schuppel)
BACKCOVER ...1929Paramount"Cabinaire" 165with aWrightJ6
engine. The designer, Walter Carr, flew the aircraft to a 15th place
finish in the 1930National AirTour.
(EAA Photo Archives- Allen H. Meyers Collection)
ThewordsEAA,ULTRALIGHT,FLYWITHTHEFIRSTTEAM,SPORTAVIATION,andthelogosofEXPERIMENTAL
AIRCRAFTASSOCIATION INC., EAA INTERNATIONALCONVENTION, EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSICDIVISION INC.,
INTERNATIONALAEROBATIC CLUB INC., WARBIRDS OFAMERICA INC., are registered trademarks.THE EAA
SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION INC. and EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are
trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above associations is strictly
prohibited.
Editorial Policy: Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles
are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. Material
should be sent to: Gene R. Chase, Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh,WI 54903-3086.
Phone: 414/426-4800.
The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusivelyby EAA Antique/Classic Division,
Inc. ofthe Experimental AircraftAssociation, Inc. and ispublished monthlyat Wittman Airfield,Oshkosh,WI 54903-
3086. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 and additional mailing oHices. Membership rates for
EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc. are $18.00 for current EAA members for 12 month period of which $12.00 is
forthepublication of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation.
ADVERTISING- Antique/ClassicDivisiondoesnotguaranteeorendorseanyproductoHeredthroughouradvertis-
ing.We inviteconstructivecriticism andwelcomeanyreportofinferiormerchandiseobtainedthroughouradvertising
so that corrective measurescan be taken.
Postmaster:SendaddresschangestoEAAAntique/ClassicDivision,Inc.,WittmanAirfield,Oshkosh,WI54903-3086.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
Compiled by Gene Chase
NEW STINSON MODEL 10 CLUB
FORMING
A new type club for the "littlest Stin-
sons" is being formed for aficionados of
Stinson Model 10, 10A and 1 OB aircraft
(also HW-75/105?). These planes were
powered with engines of 75 to 90 hp
and manufactured from 1939 until the
intervention of World War Two. The
group's communication media is titled,
"Swept S Newsletter."
The organizer of this new club is Bob
Hupp, (EM 227032, AlC 10183), 3058
Atherton Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95052,
phone 408/246-1508.
HEATH PARASOL IS CHAPTER
PROJECT
EAA Antique/Classic Division Chap-
ter 7 of Flanders, New Jersey is restor-
ing a Heath Parasol as a chapter pro-
ject. The group has a set of plans and
is dividing the job among its members.
According to a recent newsletter, one
wheel and tire were completed; the sec-
ond wheel was completed and the tread
was being removed from it ; the horizon-
tal stabilizer was about 60% finished.
Projects needing sponsors are the
building of new wing ribs, fuselage for-
mers, rudder and elevators, rudder bar
assembly and throttle assembly. The
group hopes to have the Heath on its
gear in time for the Chapter fly-in later
this year.
The President of Chapter 7 is Robert
Kroll (EAA 63735, AlC 5246), 90 Cedar
Street, Millburn, NJ 07041 .
SUPER MARINE S.5 REPLICA IS FLY-
ING AG AI N
The beautiful replica of the Super-
marine S.5 N220 seaplane owned by
Bill Hosie of Cornwall, England is flying
again after a lengthy rebuild. After
winter storage there are plans for its ap-
pearance at various air shows this year.
Designed by R. J. Mitchell (who ~ t e r
designed the Spitfire) the original N220
was one of three S.5s built in 1926-27
by Supermarine Aviation Works Ltd. of
Southampton, England. The sleek blue
and silver seaplane was powered by an
875 hp Napier Lion VII B twelve-cylinder
water-cooled, geared engine. Its top
speed was 319.57 mph and it won the
1927 Schneider Trophy Race.
Wouldn't it be great to see the replica
fly at Oshkosh this year. Nearby Lake
Winnebago is approximately 50 miles
long and 10 miles wide, which should
be plenty of water surface to fly from.
Incidentally, the original touched down
at 85 mph and had a 28 Ib./sq. ft. wing
loading.
" L'OISEAU BLANC" UPDATE
As reported in the August 1986 issue
of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE The Inter-
national Group for Historic Aircraft Re-
covery (TIGHAR) had planned an ex-
tensive search in the wilderness of
northeastern Maine for evidence of the
crash of I'Oiseau Blank (the White Bird).
This was the name given the chalky
white Levasseur PL8 in which Fren-
chmen Charles Nungesser and Fran-
cois Coli departed Le Bourget Field
near Paris on May 8, 1927 and disap-
peared on a flight to New York. Had
they succeeded they would have been
the first to fly non-stop from Europe to
North America.
Unconfirmed reports indicate that the
two Frenchmen may very well have
crossed the Atlantic and crashed in the
Maine woods after running out of fuel
attempting to land on a lake in fog .
TIGHAR's research and on-site opera-
tions during last year include determin-
ing and gridding the search area by
conventional surveying methods, and
searching 80% of that area; interview-
ing a witness and recording testimony
on video tape; archival photo research
in Washington, DC and aerial photo-
graphy of the search area.
In September the searchers were vi-
sited by Roland Nungesser (Charles'
nephew) and assistant Francoise Millet
from Paris, escorted by Nicolas Durieux
of the French Embassy for a diplomatic
tour of the camp.
An intensive effort is being planned
for late April/early May, with the objec-
tive of bringing the project to a success-
ful conclusion in time for the 60th an-
niversary of the flight. Anyone in-
terested in joining the group or support-
ing their efforts is invited to contact The
International Group for Historic Aircraft
Recovery (TIGHAR - a non-profit
foundation) at P.O. Box 424,
Middletown, DE 19709, phone 302/378-
8700.
Other projects which T1GHAR is in-
volved with are the recovery of the
world's oldest complete and original
Flying Fortress, a 8-17E 41-2446 from
the Agaiamabo Swamp in Papua, New
Guinea, and the investigation of World
War 1/ German underground hangars
and the recovery of aircraft they may
still contain . ... G.R.C .
L' Oiseau Blanc (The White Bird).
4 FEBRUARY 1987
WELCOMENEWMEMBERS
The following is alistingofnewmemberswhohavejoinedthe EMAntique/ClassicDivision (throughOctober14,
1986).We are honored to welcome them into the organization whose members'common interestisvintage aircraft.
Succeeding issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE will contain additional listingsofnew members.
Meiser, Vernon M. Meer, RobertJ.
Reno,North Carolina Cincinnati ,Ohio
Whyte, Douglas Smith,William D.
Lakeside,California Maxwell AFB,Alabama
Borri,Alessandro Kissick, RobertR.
Ventimigli, Italy Rockford,Illinois
Gorski,Tim Bertelson,Bryan
Neenah, Wisconsin Hurst,Texas
Callahan, . Joseph Hroch,JosephV.
Highland, Michigan Munster,Indiana
Huber,Corvin Scott,MerrittBradley
Glonn, WestGermany Shawano,Wisconsin
Lautour, Bernard Frazier, Robert E.
Ezanville, France Pasadena,Texas
Jackson,David Brent Nowak, StanleyJ.
Arlington,Texas Barrington,Rhode Island
Otis, RogerW. Barber,JohnR.
Sacramento,California Manhatten Beach,California
Kelly, Michael P. McClureJr.,WilburnF.
Coldwater, Michigan Camarillo,California
Henkel, Richard Ferrell,J. Braden
Winnipeg,Manitoba Annandale,Minnesota
Slabaugh, Kenneth Roche,Tom
Adrian, Michigan Naperville,Illinois
Kor, Richard Kersey, Elizabeth A.
White,South Dakota Tulsa, Oklahoma
Calia, Joseph F. Hines,Joseph
Cleveland, Tennessee Elmhurst, Illinois
Briere, Mark Garrity,Arden
Pascoag, Rhode Island Mt. Hope,Ontario,Canada
Ridenour, John Helmer, David R.
Cameron, Oklahoma Eagle,Arkansas
Baumann, Richard N. Sherman, Harry
Onchiota, New York Newport,Rhode Island
Spivey,JayA Andresen, Doug
Smyrna, Georgia Owasso, Oklahoma
Stanton, David R. Eaves, ChristopherW.
Washougal ,Washington Dorchester, Ontario,Canada
Melville, Brian E. Anderson,JohnW
Denver,Colorado St. Louis,Missouri
Strain, LarryL. Christiansen,JohanH.
Bedford, Texas Tananger,Norway
PeloquinJr., Albert
North Scituate,Rhode Island
David Jr., Lloyd Lee
Bracketville,Texas
Mosbey,JamesS.
Sumter, South Carolina
Knapp, CharlesW.
Los Angeles,California
Edwards,Jerry
South Fork,Colorado
Owens,John R.
Lexington,Kentucky
Sotak, RobertP.
Chicago,Illinois
Balogh,Julius
Herron,Michigan
Schaffner,HerbertA.
Hummelstown,Pennsylvania
Petrosky, Phil
Hubbard,Ohio
Neubauer,Ricahrd L.
Miami ,Florida
Brower, Richard L.
Royal ,Iowa
Rourke,Tim
Owensboro,Kentucky
Newark,JohnA.
Wantagh,New York
Schleimer, Roger
Middle Village,New York
Raney, StephenK.
O'Fallon, Illinois
Rebbetoy, Patrick
Port Credit,Ontario,Canada
Bowden,RobertD.
Lewisville,Texas
Casale, Larry
Tavernier, Florida
Brown,HarveyA.
Lake Elmo, Minnesota
Caillat,Gerald R.
Jamaica,New York
BainSr., RobertE.
Boaz,Alabama
Terrana, Carl J.
Seattle, Washington
Greene, Ronald
FPO,Miami, Florida
Lemon,Troy
San Antonio,Texas
Heroux, Henri
5t. Mathieu Du Pa,Canada
Welch, Phillip
Big Spring, Texas
Klintworth,PhilipW.
Fairfield Glade, Tennessee
Winder,Glenn
Fremont,Wisconsin
Nichols,Mike
Greeley,Colorado
Brainerd,C.H.
Shawnee Mission, Kansas
BainJr.,SterlingC.
Bunkie, Lousiana
Gall,Richard F.
Plantation, Florida
Hayes,Charles
Elba, Alabama
Garner, Allen
Highpoint, North Carolina
Scheght,Arnold
Stephenville, Texas
Risoldi,Shirley
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Fox,Jr., Lawrence
Clyde, New York
Wynkoop,BrianK.
MountVernon, Ohio
Cedwall, Lars
Bromma, Sweden
Stabler,Edmund
Baltimore, Maryland
Pearce, David E.
Leesburg, Virginia
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
Carl Schuppel Photo
An award-winning smile on Tom Schoettmer's face is caught by the photographer. This dedicated pilot must be one of Indiana's
most eligible bachelors. Windshield was fitted at least six times before final installation!
by Norm Petersen
Immediately following the Grand
Champion and Reserve Grand Cham-
pion awards at Oshkosh are the Class
I, II and III winners in the Classic cate-
gory. 1986 saw the Class II (81 - 150
hpj award go to a beautiful 1952
Cessna 170B, N8236A, SIN 25088, re-
stored by its youthful owner, Tom
Schoettmer (EAA 219068, AlC 8012) of
R. R. 10, Box 92, Greensburg, IN
47240.
Born and raised in Greensburg
(population 8,620), a typical midwest
town midway between Indianapolis and
Cincinnati, OH, Tom grew up watching
every airplane that flew over the house
and building model airplanes. This led
to control line models which only ac-
cented his desire to learn to fly.
At age 18, Tom acquired a job in a
bowling alley located next to the
Greensburg Decatur airport. Before
long, his minutes of extra time off were
spent getting acquainted with the airport
people, including a flight j nstructor. Fly-
ing lessons soon followed with a ses-
sion every Sunday morning at 10 a.m.
In eighteen months, Tom had soloed
and earned his Private license.
Purchasing a 1967 Cessna 150 in
patnership with two relatives, Tom con-
tinued to build flying time (and experi-
ence) when a friend suggested the trio
should trade up to a "170." Tom admits
he didn't even know what a 170 was!
CLASSIC AWARD WINNER ...
CLASS II ...TOM'SCESSNA 1708
Carl Schuppel Photo
Tom's 170B shows its underside profile to the photographer. The familiar shape of this
wing has been a Cessna trademark for many years. Dual landing lights in the leading
edge are controlled by a single on-off switch.
6 FEBRUARY 1987
Digging into the old books and
magazines he soon discovered the attri-
butes of the Cessna four-seater.
On a bright Sunday morning, Tom
and his friend flew north to a small grass
strip to look at a Cessna 1708 that was
for sale. After looking the aircraft over
and going for a ride with the owner, they
bought it on the spot for $7,000 -
$3,500 each! In just a few months, the
friend wanted to sell out, so in May,
1976, Tom became the sole owner of
N8236A - complete with a Narco VHT-
3 "Superhomer" radio! (Some of us
older pilots can remember when this
radio was the "cat's meow"!)
Having had 3-112 hours instruction in
a Taylorcraft and more tailwheel time in
a Piper J-5 Cruiser and Aeronca
Champ, Tom was soon enjoying the
170 and feeling comfortable flying the
airplane. He put some 300 hours on the
plane during the ensuing three years.
His work at the bowling alley included
automatic pinsetter maintenance and
repair. His improving mechanical skills
and love for flying brought forth a deci-
sion to gradually upgrade and restore
old N8236A.
Wingtip strobe lights were the first im-
provement followed by a conversion to
Cleveland wheels and brakes. A set of
fiberglass wheel fairings (copies of the
original) was obtained from Wag Aero
and mounting brackets were fabricated
from scratch using the Cessna parts
book drawings as a guide. Once they
were installed, the 170 began to take
on a saucy look and Tom's pride in the
bird began to swell.
The 28-year-old interior was next on
Tom's improvement list, so the instru-
ment panel was totally dismantled and
the metal panels were stripped to bare
metal. Discovering that the paint com-
panies have come a long way with
paints, Tom took a liking to the DuPont
Imron paint system and commenced
using his Sharp Model 75 paint gun and
portable air compressor. Each part of
the instrument panel was etched and
primed with an epoxy primer before the
final color coat of Imron was applied.
The "medium fawn metallic"'really made
the panels look new when installed in
the plane.
The aft portion of the fuselage was
thoroughly cleaned and epoxy primed
from the baggage compartment to the
tail. Luckily, no corrosion was found. All
glass was removed along with the doors
and the tough job of carpet removal was
undertaken, consuming a full gallon of
lacquer thinner to loosen up the glue!
The aluminum floor underneath was like
new.
A call was made to the FAA GADO
office to locate approved materials to
redo the cabin interior. They directed
Tom to Joyce Newman in Indianapolis
who specializes in corporate aircraft in-
teriors. Her help and assistance in
Carl Schuppel Photo
Head on view of the 170B shows polished
propeller and spinner. Tom lost one of the
McCauley decals on the way to Oshkosh.
Note extremely sanitary workmanship.
Norm Petersen Photo
This is not a decal! Tom made the masks
and sprayed the entire "One Seventy Bee"
logo over a period of twenty hours of deli-
cate work!
Norm Petersen Photo
Tom Schoettmer fires up the 145 hp Continental prior to going up for air-to-air photos.
Large venturi provides vacuum for DG and artificial horizon.
locating proper materials was the key
to success as Tom was able to dupli-
cate the original interior - "And she
wouldn't accept one penny for her as-
sistance," says Tom.
The headliner had tiny "boot hangers"
sewn in for support and these were
transferred to the new headliner, mak-
ing the final appearance exactly origi-
nal. Wherever insulation could be put
in, 1-112" thick yellow insulation from
Airtex was compressed into the space.
This makes the job look nicer and it
should be warmer in cold weather. Tom
has been unable so far to detect a re-
duction in noise. "The 170 is still loud!"
The seats were dismantled to the
bare frame and carefully cleaned and
painted before being reassembled .
New upholstery was completed at . the
same time and the new seats literally
"sparkle." Interior mouldings were
stripped bare and numerous dents were
"rolled" out before repainting began.
Tom feels it is much easier to "roll " the
dents with a wood or metal roller than
to beat them out with a hammer and
end up with a rough finish. The final
finish surely presents a strong argu-
ment in Tom's favor!
Reinstalling new windows presented
a problem in locating the proper rubber
channels. After many tries, Tom con-
tacted David Nation at Rhoades Avia-
tion in Columbus, Indiana, a Cessna
dealer. In no time, Dave had located
the proper rubber channels along with
numerous other needed parts and
pieces, including a new set of interior
decals. A new windshield was installed
in the original two-piece style, as Tom
feels it is authentic. As usual, all new
stainless screws and fasteners were
used (courtesy of Gartmann As-
sociates)
With the interior of the 1708 gleaming
like new, attention was diverted to the
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
exterior of the airplane. Numerous
dents and "hangar rash" required new
"skin" on the left flap, elevator and rud-
der. Purchasing new materials from
Cessna, Tom had Mike Jones at Louis-
ville Aircraft Specialists rebuild the sur-
faces. Mike's beautiful riveting and
metal work displays the "touch of the
artist."
Critical to a nice looking airplane is a
nice looking cowl. Noting a rather crude
patch on the nosebowl , Tom checked
with Cessna and found they had one
left at $80.00. This was purchased and
installed - bringing a smile of satisfac-
tion to Tom's face. The smile disap-
peared when new front cowl latches
were needed! Noting a price of $75
each several years ago, Tom called
Cessna to learn they were now $135
each! (Bottom price - $250 for two.) Cal-
ling Univair, who had them in last year's
catalog at $112, Tom learned they now
were $135! Tom quietly returned to
Cessna and bought the two for $250!
Ouch!
With warmer temperatures approach-
ing, Tom took two weeks of vacation in
April to strip the paint on the 170. Using
a stiff bristle brush and 13 gallons
(that's thirteen gallons', folks) of paint
stripper, Tom was able to get down to
bare metal. An added assist came from
a hot water pressure sprayer. The result
Carl Schuppel Photo
Outstanding instrument panel with its well-known "piano" keyboard looks like factory
new! Electric turn-and-bank is not original. Decals add a fine touch to a fine piece 6f
work. That' s Tom at the controls.
was a super clean airplane ready for
painting.
Tom's first spray session put the base
(off white) coat on the tail surfaces
which were hung in the back of the
bowling alley for storage until needed.
Back in the hangar, the fuselage re-
ceived coatings of Imron and finally the
wings were sprayed, one at a time.
Needless to say, Tom became quite
adept at handling a spray gun!
Now the fun began. Tom spent nearly
a full month masking the first trim color
- a deep yellow Imron. Here again, pa-
tience and skill paid off as the pleasing
paint scheme caught the eyes of the
judges. The plane was remasked again
for the dark brown Imron which was ac-
curately measured before the tapes
were put down. A close inspection of
the finish on N8236A reveals what a
true perfectionist Tom Schoettmer is. It
is beautiful!
As the plane was reassembled, all
new bolts were installed along with
proper nuts and cotters. Close attention
was directed at the installation of the
proper rubber edging where required for
the proper look and long lasting effect.
Attention to detail is Tom's forte!
Once assembled, the 170 looked like
a new airplane and Tom enjoyed flying
it for the balance of the year. However,
with the advent of winter, the engine
was removed and placed on a stand.
The oil pan was sloshed out to remove
accumulated sludge. After two days,
Tom noted a small stain on the pan.
Close inspection revealed a tiny
pinhole! Tom touched the pinhole with
a screwdriver - and punched right
through the pan! By attention to detail ,
Tom had prevented a future serious
situation. A serviceable pan was lo-
cated in Texas and carefully installed
along with all new gaskets on the ac-
cessory case. Each part was polished
or painted before re-assembly.
A complete new set of engine baffles
was fabricated using wooden block pat-
terns to avoid scratch marks in the
aluminum. New inter-cylinder baffles
Norm Petersen Photo
Nicely finished tail feathers include genuine Cessna rubber abrasion boots on the
stabilizer. These were installed with contact cement and a wooden roller to smooth
them out.
8 FEBRUARY 1987
Carl Schuppel Photo
One of the perks of this job - the author rides right seat with Tom Schoettmer as we
pull in close to the EAA photo plane. Note both cabin ventilators are pulled open in the
warm weather.
were made using the old ones for pat-
terns. Supporting wires were made from
stainless piano wires that will not rust.
The exhaust pipes were sent to Aero
Fabricators for overhaul- they needed
it!
Metallic silver Imron was sprayed on
the firewall and the newly painted en-
gine mount was installed. The engine,
smelling of. new paint, was hoisted into
position and bolted down with new Lord
mounts. Before long, the entire front
end of the airplane returned to normal ,
including the highly polished metal prop
and original polished metal spinner.
By now, the 170B was really sparkl-
ing and Tom was anxious to fly the
"new" aircraft. He was impressed with
the way it sounded and_ handled in the
air - on the ground was a bit worse.
The tailwheel shimmied on landing and
no amount of re-work seemed to help.
A new Scott 3200 tailwheel proved to
be the answer and now the bird with the
pretty paint job had everything - well
almost.
A check of the belly for signs of prob-
lems revealed dark splotches around
the rivets under the landing gear. The
rivets were loose! Carefully jacking uP .
one side at a time, Tom drilled out the
rivets and carefully replaced each one
with a larger size. When all was
finished, a new coat of Imron was
sprayed on and the restoration was
complete.
Climaxing this entire six-year episode
was the trip up the stairs of the Theater-
in-the-Woods at Oshkosh '86 to accept
the Class II award for the outstanding
classic aircraft in the 81 to 150 hp
group. Tom Schoettmer was one happy
man on that day - a feeling well
earned.
VINTAGE
SEAPLANES
by Norm Petersen
This photo of a Republic Seabee was
provided by Capt. Richard W. Sanders,
(EAA 74952, AlC 5208), Pres., Seabee
Club Int'l, 4734 NW 49 Court, Ft.
Lauderdale, FL 33319, who wrote:
The Seabee photo is of my
NC6458K, SIN 709 built in April 1947.
It was taken by Capt. Marion Wright
(Delta Airlines) in his NC6048K on our
way back to Ft. Worth from performing
in the 1973 Rosser (Capt. Dick Rosser,
TWA) Ranch Airshow. We 'loosened
up' the formation for the photo. The
'Bees are standard, powered ' by the
Franklin '500' , 215 hp with Hartzell con-
trollable and reversible props.".
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
Phil Michmerhuizen and hisbeautiful 1942Waco UPF-7. Colorsare standard Stits'Waco Vermillion andTucson Cream.
HOWTOREBUILDAWACO
byDonnaand Phil Michmerhuizen
(EAA33782, Ale581)
186SunsetDrive
Holland,MI 49423
(Photos by the authors)
More than 15years agowe weresit-
ting on the grass at Oshkosh watching
abigStearmanland.Iremembersaying
to Donna, "Maybe someday we can
- In Five Easy Steps-
have an open cockpit, round-engine
biplane."
In 1976IjoinedtheStearmanRestor-
ers Association (SRA) and started con-
tacting memberswho had airplanesfor
sale to getthe "feel" ofthings.We flew
to Southern Indianato look at a Stear-
manandevenwentforaride.Wemade
about ten phone calls to Phoenix,
Arizonaand located aniceplane, butit
was so far away . . . and fuel prices
were steadily increasing.
ThisisthesightthatgreetedPhilwhenheremovedthefabricfromthelowerrightwing.
In additiontobirdnests,thewingscontainedacrescentwrench,twoclothespinsand
manymuddaubernests.
10 FEBRUARY 1987
Then onedayIhappenedtotalkwith
someone who owned a Waco UPF-7.
He sold rides carrying two passengers
at a time in the front cockpit. That put
the biplane situation in a different light
forus. Holland, Michiganwherewelive
is seven miles from Lake Michigan.
Nearby Ottawa Beach is the busiest
placeinthestateinthesummer.Ninety
percent ofthe traffic going to and from
the beach passes by Holland's Park
Township Airport. Would people stop
and goforaride in an old biplane?We
thoughttheywould.
We started looking for a UPF-7 and
found out they aren't as plentiful as
Stearmans.We finally located one and
it was even in Michigan! Donna and I
flewtheHollandFlyingClub'sCherokee
tolookatourfind.Itwasdirtyanddusty
and tucked back in the corner of a
hangar nearOxford Michigan, north of
Detroit. Itspaintwaspeeling and itcar-
ried lotsof"100mph tape."
We learned the plane was to be an-
nualled in about a month and we told
the ownerto give us acall atthattime.
We needed more time to think about
that deal.
Iflewbackthereduringtheinspection
and saw grass (read nests) in the
wings, and dirt, oil and grime
everywhere. Ithen listed the pros and
cons thusly:
Plusses:
1) It was acomplete flying airplane.
2) The engine had 40 hours SMOH
byPage Industries,Inc.atYukon,
Oklahoma.(I checked this out.)
3) Itwas in Michigan.
4) The airframe had relatively low
time and was undamaged???
5) Thesellerwouldcheckmeoutinit.
6) Anew loweraileron and ceconite
envelopes for the entire plane
were included.
Minuses:
1) It was aflying basketcase.
2) It had never been totally rebuilt
and it needed it, soon.
3) They wouldn't accept my offer.
Ididn'twant to buy ashiny prop and
anew paintjob, but afteratrouble-free
title search, we bought the plane any-
way. My friend Ken Dannenberg, one
of many EAAers who would be of im-
mensehelp,flewmeoverinhisCougar
to pick up the Waco.
There was quite a crosswind on the
hard surface runway that day and the
seller kept making excuses for not
checking me out. To make along story
short, in looking back, I can now see
thatnoonewasqualified,willingorable
to handle the big biplane in that cross-
wind.
Ihadtogoitaloneso Itaxiedaround,
locking and unlockingthetailwheel and
generally getting the feel of the Waco.
Boy, what a big engine up front! I
couldn'tsee anything ahead.Timewas
fleeting and Itaxied some more.It was
getting late and I faced a 1-1 /2 hour
flight back home to Holland. Then Idid
avery dumb thing - Itook off.
Idon't recommend that anyone fly a
strangeairplanewithoutapropercheck
out. Even though my log book shows
900 hours in tailwheel types including
Cub,Champ,Citabria,Cessna180and
Stinson, I still went against my better
judgement.
Fortunately my take off was okay (I
tookoffon thetaxiway, directlyintothe
wind). I immediately began to think
about my landing back home. Enroute
to Holland Idid some slow flight ,turns,
glidesandstallsandacquiredsomefeel
for the big old biplane. My landing at
ParkTownshipAirportwasnotthebest,
but Ihad no big problem.
Iwent out to fly some morethe next
day and found the battery was dead.
After installing a new one Ibegan my
"get acquainted" sessionsin theWaco.
After some ten hours offlying Istarted
to feel at home in NC39738.
We sold ridesthatsummerthen Ide-
cided to start restoring the plane in
steps. On October 24, 1981 I cut into
the wing fabric and knew I'd made the
right decision. Friends helped me re-
move the wings and center section so
Icould take them home.
Insidethe wings we found three bird
nests with eggs and/or dead birds, a
crescent wrench, two clothes pins and
many mud dauber nests made of clay,
red from Georgia and white from Ok-
An example ofplywood separation inone ofthewings.Thethreecrush bushingsare
among.the20 thathadtobe replaced becauseofintergranular
Jason Petroelje fits a new plywood leading edge to the newcenter section he made.
Jason isan ex-boatbuilderandexcellentwoodcraftsman.
Phil Michmerhuizenappliesvarnishtooneofthewingpanels.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
The fuselage was towed to the Michmerhuizen home for restoration on 10/28/83.
Phil removing parts off the fuselage. They contained a 41-year collection of oil , dirt and
grime.
12 FEBRUARY 1987
lahoma.
The lower right wing panel obviously
had been dragged on the ground but
there was no such entry in the log book.
It had been repaired with common
plywood, formica and adhesive tape! It
also contained some wood rot. The glue
had failed on the plywood plates at the
N-strut attach points, and also in the
center section.
Jason Petroelje did an excellent job
on wing repairs, including the building
of a new center section. I had to replace
20 of the crush bushings in the wings
because of intergranular corrosion.
After much scraping, sanding, cleaning,
vacuuming and varnishing the wood,
then sandblasting priming and reinstal-
ling the metal fittings, the wings were
ready to cover and Gary Van Farowe
signed them off. We had installed new
leading edges and bolts. Donna did 80
percent of the rib stitching and I did the
painting. We both did the sanding and
masking.
Rebuilding the wing was a full winter
project. I had help putting them back on
the airframe, then flew the Waco from
June to October 1982, selling rides
again. I nearly ground looped in Sep-
tember when the brake went out on the
right side,
During the winter of 1982-83 we re-
moved the tail group and took them
home for restoration. Except for the left
elevator these pieces just needed the
normal clean-up, sand blasting, priming
and plywood replacement before re-
covering. The left elevator had to be dis-
assembled because of excessive rust
in areas I couldn't sandblast. We also
rebuilt the master brake cylinders and
made up new steel brake lines for the
landing gear.
We were back in the air again in June
1983 and sold rides until September.
We knew we had a lot of work ahead
for the next winter. Oh, how I hated to
shut off the engine and take out the
knife.
Friends helped with removal of the
wings, engine and tail group and I
towed the fuselage home on October
28, 1983. We had to take the wheels
and windshield off to get the Waco into
our basement garage which serves as
the shop.
A word of advice is in order here. As
noted in earlier restoration articles in
THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE, get all the
service letters, A.D.s and as much his-
tory on your aircraft as you possibly can
before starting a restoration project.
Also take many pictures and make lots
of notes and drawings. I did and it
helped a lot.
I took EVERYTHING off the fuselage.
Our basement was a mess and full of
old Waco parts with a 41-year collection
of oil , dirt and grime. My son Randy
helped strip paint off some of the
aluminum parts before the weather got
too cold to work outside.
On December 27, 1983 we carried
the bare fuselage through two feet of
snow, loaded it on the pickup and took
it to Kalkman Redi-Mix where Randy
and I sandblasted it. The temperature
was five degrees above zero on a dry
and cold day.
After returning the fuselage to our
warm basement, Gary Van Farowe, our
resident AI and also an Antique/Classic
Division member, inspected the struc-
ture and finding no cracks, dents or bro-
ken welds, proclaimed it ready for prim-
ing. We applied two coats of epoxy
primer and it looked very good.
We have a small sandblasting unit in
our garage and it handled the myriad of
small metal parts beautifulry. They were
all cleaned and primed. The rest of the
project was a typical "ground-up" resto-
ration with new control cables, fuel and
oil lines, and plywood floor installed.
Master Craftsman Gord Meeuwsen
made new cockpit fairings plus the bag-
gage compartment floor and door. New
electrical wiring was installed by Ken
Dannenberg. Bob and Joan Harderwijk
made a new seat cushion for the back
cockpit. I cut new plywood formers and
wood stringers then Jake Steenwyk
built up a new turtle deck after re-glue-
ing the old one together for use as a
pattern . All the new wood was given
three coats of varnish.
Finally on April 21, 1984 the airframe
was ready for a pre-cover inspection.
This was accomplished by Gary Van
Farowe and he Signed it off on that day.
On April 28 we slid on the ceconite
cover.
I was well pleased with the way the
plane turned out. Except for the Ceco-
nite fabric which came with the plane, I
used Stits products up through color.
The only problems were caused by me,
such as the air hose touching wet paint
and dope creeping under tapes not put
down tightly. Also, I learned that paint
runs uphill!
The fuselage came out of the base-
ment at 6:00 a.m. on July 3, 1984. We
installed the wheels and towed it to the
airport. Would I fly it yet that summer?
Vainly we tried. Jack Elenbaas, Gary
and I installed the wings and new stain-
less steel wires by July 10.
The Waco came with a Stearman
exhaust manifold on the 220 hp Conti-
nental and a "Mickey Mouse" carburetor
heat system. I wanted to replace these
with original items and started making
many phone calls.
I finally contacted Antique/Classic Di-
vision member Tom Flock of Rockville,
Indiana who was preparing to make up
some new exhaust manifolds out of
stainless steel. Lucky me - he prom-
ised me the first one!
After receiving and installing it I
phoned Tom to tell him how well it fit.
"Good," he said and added,"We buffed
Phil and son, Randy, sandblasted the fuselage frame on 12/27/83. Temperature was
plus five degrees!
It's build up time. Phil re-assembles the myriad of parts on the fuselage frame.
The turtle deck with all new wood.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
the next set and does it ever shine and
look nice!" The following Saturday we
removed ours and had it buffed. It's not
original , but it looks great.
Oshkosh time came and went and the
Curtiss-Reed prop was sent to the prop
shop for rebuild and polish. The new oil
and fuel lines were connected and Paul
Dannenberg rebuilt the carb heat box.
We installed the rebuilt brake cylinder,
new brake lines and linings, tires and
tubes.
The engine was run on December 1,
1984 for the first time in 1-112 years.
There was oil all over and the generator
didn't charge (loose wire inside) but the
Continental made a wonderful sound .
During that winter I finished up the
detail work such as installing all new
Dzus fasteners in the engine cowl ,
welding shut extra holes in fairings,
sanding, bumping them out and paint-
ing. I also installed new leather around
the cockpits.
The first flight was on June 12, 1985
and I sold rides from July 4 to October
26 putting in nearly 75 hours of trouble-
free flying.
Looking ahead on this restoration
project I realize how good it was that
we did it in "steps. " In the winter I have
more time as my concrete business is
slow that time of year. Never having re-
stored anything larger than a Cub I think
I might have become discouraged if the
antique plane had been disassembled
all at once. The total rebuild time was
approximately 3,500 hours, yet I had
the pleasure of flying in the summer to
keep my interest up.
I certainly want to thank the many
friends who gave of their skills and time
to help on this project. Also, my wife
Donna for rib stitching, masking, var-
nishing and always being ready to lend
a hand.
It's a real joy to sit in the back cockpit
and watch the excited and wide-eyed
passengers (oldest 78, youngest 2-1 /2
years). Have you had a little girl say, "I
want to kiss the pilot!" Or a little boy
say,"1 never touched a real airplane be-
fore?" Such experiences make those
many days of working on the plane from
5:00 a.m. to midnight all worthwhile .
The Waco
Model UPF-7
NC39738
SIN 5871
Mfd. 9/16/42 (Only 21 were built after
this one. Production stopped on 11 /71
42)
Delivered to first owner on 9/20/42, Tur-
geon Flying Service, Northbrook, Illinois
(Lewis School of Aeronautics, Lewis-
Lockport Airport.) The aircraft was sub-
sequently based in Goshen, IN;
Peotone, IL; Coloma, MI ; Chicago, IL
(hail damage, 1961); Stone Mountain,
GA; Lawton, OK (engine overhaul by
Page) ; Oxford, MI and then Holland, MI.
Phil sprays a coat of Stits Waco Vermillion on the fuselage.
Jack Elenbaas (L) and Gary Van Farowe rig the center section. Gary is the AI who
supervised the entire restoration.
The first engine run after being mounted in newly restored airframe on 12/1/84.
14 FEBRUARY 1987
~ I ~ y p ClubActivities
Compiled by Gene Chase
AERONCA CLUB
11 AC Prototype
Aeronca Club member Myrl S. Morris,
306 Hiatt Avenue, Willmington, OH
45177, is the owner of Aeronca Chief
NX39634, SI N 11AC-2 (11AC-1 was
static tested to destruction at the fac-
tory). Here is Myrl's description of his
Chief:
"My airplane was built sometime prior
to 7/2/45. It was test flown on that date
and Lou Wehring, L.H. Noonan, Ray
Hermes, R.L. Davidson and Jim Rosing
flew off the first 100 hours. According
to the logs, no problems were encoun-
tered during this time.
"At 100 hours the wings were re-
moved and new wings with experimen-
tal Lips ailerons were installed along
with a crude radio (receiver only). Spin
recovery and stability tests were con-
ducted during the next 15 hours by Lou
Wehring and Jim Rosing. During these
tests, three different props were used
- McCauley, Flottorp and Sensenich.
"Hours 115 through 137 were flown
at Denver, Colorado executing high al-
titude take offs and landings I'm told,
but I can't verify that. However, take offs
and landings at elevations between
4000' and 8000' were logged by Wehr-
ing. The aircraft made local test hops
during the next 40 hours at Cincinnati
and Middletown, Ohio.
"On 9/6/46 the radio was removed, a
new windshield, new doors and new
wings with standard ailerons were in-
stalled. The plane was then sold to the
Aeronca X-County Flying Club at
Middletown. This was a factory sup-
ported club. After three years it was sold
to Paul Mee, an airframe welder at
Aeronca. Paul kept the plane until his
death in 1982. I bought it from his estate
in October of that year and have en-
joyed it immensely.
"Some of the differences between SI
N 2 and other Chiefs are: 1-piece instru-
ment panel , cast aluminum control
wheels, axlel struts are built up in sec-
tions rather than one piece, front and
rear wing struts are both built of large
size, streamline tubing. Also, it has no
glove boxes, ash trays or 'Chief' logo
on the instrument panel. It has no sub-
panel and the fuel valve and mag switch
are located in the middle of the instru-
ment panel."
Myrl says his Chief will need to be
restored eventually and he hopes the
original configuration of the registration
number (NX39634) can be placed on
the plane. (It can - see F.A.R. Part 45,
Subpart C . .. G. R. C.)
For information on the AERONCA
CLUB, contact Augie and Pat Wegner,
1432 28th Court, Kenosha, WI 53140,
phone 414/552-9014.
CUB CLUB
The following appeared in "Cub
Clues" No. 16, the newsletter of the
CUB CLUB.
"SPIN INFO: J. Arlington Myers, P.O.
Box 153, Cape Vincent, NY 13618
(summer address) was a test pilot for
Piper and tested J-3s up to the PA-31 .
He liked the spinning characteristics of
a J-3 but was not enamoured with those
of the PA-22. He indicated the PA-22
would go flat after three turns or so with
full fuel and three passengers. This was
the main reason, according to Mr.
Myers, that the PA-22 was not certified
in the utility category.
Mr. Myers also indicated that in a flat
spin (however, not all flat spins) with
the PA-12, PA-18, PA-20 and PA-22 the
nose will initially pitch up. However,
after each rotation the nose will drop a
little lower. If you have enough altitude,
it will eventually come out of the spin,
providing you do not move the controls
from full down elevator and full rudderl
ful l aileron against the spin. He said that
if you move the controls, you are back
where you started."
For information on the CUB CLUB,
contact John Bergeson, 6438 W.
Millbrook Road, Remus, MI 49340,
phone 517/561-2393.
NATIONAL STINSON CLUB - 108
SECTION
National Stinson Fly-In
The 1986 National Stinson Fly-In at
Minden, Nebraska featured some 30
Stinsons plus a Waco Cabin and Beech
Staggerwing. The organizers and chair-
persons were Richard and Julie Klep-
perich of Webster, Minnesota. The
event has the support of the Minden
Chamber of Commerce and, of course,
the good folks at the airport.
During the business meeting at the
fly-in it was decided to raise the annual
dues to $15 to keep up with rising costs
of publishing and mailing the newslet-
ter. The term "newsletter" is a misnomer
in this case as the quarterly publication
is a 24-page booklet with full size 8-1 /2
x 11 inch pages, complete with photos,
editorial comments, interesting articles,
a technical section, classified ads, etc.
For information on the NATIONAL
STINSON CLUB - 108 SECTION,.con-
tact George and Linda Leamy, 117 Lan-
ford Road, Spartanburg, SO 29301,
phone 803/576-9698 .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
THEI{EYBROTHERS
FAR MORE TitAN MONkEY TRicks/
ENduRANCE FLiGItTs AdvANCEd AviATioN
National Air and Space Museum
AI Key as student at Nicholas-Beasley
Flying School, Marshall, Missouri.
16 FEBRUARY 1987
Part 1
by Stephen Owen
English Department
Meridian Junior College
Meridian, Mississippi 39301
In the summer of 1935, Fats Waller's
throaty saxophone rendition of "South"
wailed from nickel jukeboxes, and
"Begin the Beguine" crackled over living
room Philcos. Ohio State track star
Jesse Owens broke five world records
within 45 minutes, insuring himself a
place in Chancellor Hitler's Berlin Olym-
pics. Mussolini fanned the winds of war
by invading Ethiopia. And down at the
Bijou, W. C. Fields, Bing Crosby and
Joan Bennett performed riverboat
antics in the movie Mississippi.
Before the main feature, very non-
stereotypical pictures of Mississippi en-
durance flyer Fred Key flickered across
the silver screen in a Movietone News
short. He looked deceptively like a stunt
man; after all , he was straddling an
airplane engine 3,000 feet in the air
without a parachute. As the camera
plane zoomed past, he nonchalantly
waved, grinned, and then cupped his
hands inwards towards his sides, mak-
ing ape-like gestures barely two feet
from the whirling propeller!
Fred and his brother AI's dramatic
flight ended when their Curtiss Robin
highwing monoplane called "Ole Miss"
touched down precisely at 6:06 p.m. on
July 1, 1935, at a remote airport in Meri-
dian, Mississippi. As the tiny plane wob-
bled to a halt with a flat right tire, a mob
reminiscent of Lindbergh's landing at Le
Bourget Field rushed past police and
national guardsmen. The two pilots .
managed to crawl from the plane and
stand on shaky legs as they stared with
bloodshot eyes into a sea of 30,000 ad-
miring faces. In a black and white
photograph snapped that summer
evening nearly a half century ago, the
slightly chubby and balding AI and his
wiry younger brother Fred with his un-
ruly shock of black hair, portray a
paradox. Their baggy overalls give
them a pitiful, Grapes of Wrath dirt
farmer look. Yet, to the contrary, there
is no appearance of despair on their
faces. Though AI is 30 and Fred 26,
none-the-Iess their boyish smiles have
a typically American air of hope and
triumph .
. Justifiably, they had a right to be
proud. Thirty-two years after the
Wright's twelve-second flight at Kitty
Hawk, the Keys circled their hometown
for 653 hours and 34 minutes. They ac-
complished their aviation miracle by
using down-home ingenuity with a local
support crew and nickel-and-dime com-
munity contributions during the height
of the Great Depression in the poorest
state in the Union. Had they traveled in
a straight line, they would have circum-
navigated the globe more than twice.
Not until a 1973 multi-billion dollar
Skylab II mission would man stay above
the earth longer. And for the class of
aircraft they flew, their record has never
been broken.
"Up front ," to use an ad man's cliche,
endurance pilots might have performed
monkey shines to gain public support
for aviation. But behind the scenes of
these strange and delightful diversions
from everyday Depression woes, the
seemingly comical endurance flyers
had dead serious motives. They wanted
to prove their stamina and their plane's
endurance. By doing so, they made val-
uable aeronautical experiments during
the period between the two world wars
when government aid for aviation was
minimal.
The Keys' story begins in Mississippi
on a Kemper County farm. AI was born
in 1905. Little brother Fred followed in
1910. The sons of a country doctor
quickly gained a reputation for what the
country people called "having wheels in
their heads." The boys spent their spare
time tinkering with machinery in their
grandfather's gristmill , cotton gin and
blacksmith shop. By 1918 when three
Curtiss Jennies strayed from a World
War I training base and landed in the
Keys' pasture, AI Key proclaimed,
"From that day on I wanted to fly."
And fly he did. Like so many youths
of the 1920s he was restless. After
finishing high school , going to college
one semester, marrying Evelyn Rogers,
and working several years in a music
store, in 1926 he struck out with his
bride for Nicholas-Beazley Flying
School in Marshall, Missouri. There he
earned his pilot's license. Little brother
Fred tagged along the next year.
By the middle of 1928, the Key
brothers opened their own training
school in Sedalia, - Missouri. Nine
months and 36 students later, they
closed the school to become barnstor-
mers. Their mother called this period in
their lives the time when they attended
" 'the University of Hard Knocks and
Poverty' where they took many post-
graduate courses - many times sleep-
ing in the plane, not having money to
National Air and Space Museum
AI and Fred Key and their 1931 Curtiss Wright Junior.
go to a hotel. " Even in those rollicking,
carefree wing-walking and loop-the-
'Ioop days, they were offered excellent
opportunities to prepare for future en-
durance flights. As they tinkered with
planes, they earned the equivalent of a
diploma in the "bailing-wire-and-chew-
ing-gum" school of airplane repair.
By 1930 they returned to Meridian
and became co-managers of the city's
brand-new Municipal Airport. For two
men who loved aviation, the setting was
ideal. AI , Evelyn, Fred and his new
bride, Louise, liveq in an upstairs apart-
ment in the airport terminal building. Not
100 yards from their doorstep was the
traditional white wind sock flapping in
front of a large hangar where they
housed their two fl ight school planes.
Unfortunately, the city fathers began
feeling the full impact of the Depression.
If the airport continued to drain city
taxes, it would have to be sold and
plowed back into its original state - a
cotton field. Ironically, as Robert Penn
Warren and the Fugitive Agrarians at
Vanderbilt University publ ished /'1/ Take
My Stand, a collection of essays urging
Southerners to return to their agrarian
traditions, the Keys "took their stand" .
for the advancement of technology. De-
sperately they began seeking ways to
draw attention to aviation to prevent the
closing of the airport.
At first they planned to challenge
Wiley Post's 1931 eight-day around-
the-world record. They reasoned that if
refueling planes were placed at
strategic locations along the flight route,
they could rotate flying duties and never
have to land. Lack of funds nixed these
plans. Eventually they settled on stag-
ing an endurance flight at the airport. All
attention would be drawn directly to the
Meridian Municipal Airport in hopes that
the city fathers would think twice about
shutting it down.
By the summer of 1932 reporter A.
G. Weems decided the Keys had per-
fected mid-air refueling to the extent
that it was time to announce their inten-
tions to make an endurance flight. The
first public statement in the Meridian
Star quite literally didn't get off the
ground. A photographer showed up at
the airport but flatly refused to go up in
an airplane to snap a picture of a mid-air
refueling operation. Unflappable AI and
Fred worked out a compromise. Weems
confessed in an article years later: "We
rolled the two planes out on a field and
(the photographer) shot pictures of
each of them, then a third of the sky.
So help me, when he had finished the
composite, with the hose drawn and the
planes sailing smoothly against a cloud-
fleeced sky, he had one of the prettiest
pictures of a 'refueling' operation you
ever saw. The Meridian Star carried it
the next Sunday without a question
asked."
AI and Fred had a knack for attracting
just the right people to work on their
project. Refueling pilot James Keeton
recalls, "Those who liked aviation
formed a sort of club . .. to be aro und
airplanes and talk about them. At night
my sister and I would go to the terminal
rotunda. AI' s wife, Evelyn, would sit and
play the piano for us to dance literally
by the hour. " During the bleak winter
evenings, especially in 1934, the little
group bonded together and resolved to
begin an endurance flight by late June.
For two pilots with the lofty notion to
break a world's endurance record of
553 hours held by the Hunter brothers
of Chicago, the Keys had two major
drawbacks: They had neither a suitable
refueling p l n ~ nor an endurance plane.
To the rescue came two former stu-
dents and fellow barnstormers. Bill
Ward loaned them his Curtiss Robin,
the "Ole Miss," for the endurance ship,
and James Keeton offered to serve as
a refueling pilot of his Curtiss Robin
while Ward manned the fuel hose and
supply sack.
Today the Curtiss Robin is best
known by aviation buffs as the plane
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
Meridian Public Library
New instrument panel in "Ole Miss". Note earphones at upper right.
that took Douglas "Wrong-Way" Corri-
gan in 1938 (due to a "slight" miscalcu-
lation in directions) from New York to
Dublin, Ireland, when he was supposed
to be making a New York to California
flight. Indeed, the tiny plane with its 41
foot wing-span, 25-1 12 foot fuselage,
and a fabric skin was a hardy little craft
even though it would look like a Texas-
sized mosquito when placed next to a
present day jumbo jet.
In earlier days, Robins were thE? fa-
vorite plane of numerous endurance
flyers. Aircraft historian Joseph Juptner
says, "The Robin was an easy airplane
to maintain and fly; basically forgiving
in nature, it was very friendly and ex-
ceptionally dependable in everyday ser-
vice." Of particular importance was its
Wright Whirlwind engine. Built by the
Wright Aeronautical Company that built
the Spirit of St. Louis' motor, this amaz-
ingly small engine had five cylinders
protruding from its aluminum crank-
case. Not much larger than a washing
machine, the entire powerplant could
easily be lifted by two strong men. At full
throttle, it produced a mere 165 horse-
power - the average horses under
the hood of a mid-sized car. Yet, de-
mands upon this engine would be
phenomenal. It would be expected to
haul twice the weight it was designed
to carry when "Ole Miss" was fully
loaded.
Preparations for endurance flights re-
quired speculation because flyers in
these highly competitive contests were
very secretive about their methods of
operation. Relying on scant newspaper
accounts of other flights, the Keys had
only general ideas to guide their prepa-
rations. Thus, the skills of highly
talented and imaginative machinists,
mechanics and welders were needed
to modify the planes. James Keeton ex-
plains, "Almost none of the things that
were accomplished were the product of
one individual's input. The result was a
group input and a single output." How-
ever, certain individual 's abilities did
emerge in specialty areas to perform a
series of brilliant innovations which
eventually helped the effort succeed.
No one in Meridian today says A.D.
Hunter's name without attaching the
word "genius." Though the machinist
and inventor had only a ninth grade
education, nothing stopped him from
engineering dozens of complex adjust-
ments to the endurance plane's engine.
Hunter says he has always gone by the
simple philosophy, "If you take a notion
to do something, you go ahead and do
it." And as for his feelings about volun-
teering hundreds of free hours for the
flight, he simply grins and says, "You
have to understand attitudes were dif-
ferent back then. We just didn't mind
helping another fellow out. For exam-
ple, if several friends among them had
the money for one ticket to the picture
show, one would be elected to go from
the group and then come back and tell
the others about it. "
Hunter tackled major problems as
though they were child's play. Because
the engines of previous endurance flight
planes had stalled from lack of lubrica-
tion, he developed quick-drain oil fit-
tings so oil could actually be changed
in mid-air! When fuel was to be shifted
from the "Ole Miss" belly tank to the
wing tanks, he constructed a wobble
pump and placed it beside the pilot so
he could pump gas and exercise his
arms at the same time.
Previously used refuel ing hose noz-
zles were extremely dangerous. A pilot
in Minnesota, using a filling station type
nozzle, had caught his hand in the
handgrip and was dragged through the
propeller. Other nozzles spilled gas
dangerously close to the hot engine.
Hunter invented a nozzle that didn't spill
a drop of gas or use a handgrip. He
explains, "The valve was a sort of
'gizmo' stuck in the neck of the hose. It
would open and close automatically just
like the valve in an air hose at a service
station. " The modest account fails to re-
veal the true impact of the invention.
Today, with only slight modifications,
every three minutes Strategic Air Com-
mand bombers use Hunter's nozzle for
mid-air refueling.
If one thinks giving the family auto a
lube and oil change on terra firma is a
difficult task, one should consider dOing
the job 3,000 feet in the air within inches
of a whirling propeller while the engine
is running at cruising rpm. To ac- National Air and Space Museum
Top of the gas tank in "Ole Miss". complish this feat, first the crew re-
18 FEBRUARY 1987
moved the engine cowling. Then, ac-
cording to retired welder Dave Stephen-
son, "One ev.ening Fred called me out
to the hangar . . . and he told me he
needed something on which he could
crawl out to the engine so he could
change the oil and work on the pow-
erplant. After he explained the details,
we took a piece of chalk and tape meas-
ure and laid it out on t ~ hangar floor.
I asked him just how big he wanted it
and he said, "Just big enough so my
foot won't fall through. " From such hum-
ble origins came the catwalk - the
"running board" that clamped to each
side of the cabin and extended to the
nose of the plane within inches of the
propeller.
Fred became the in-flight mainte-
nance man because he was small and
wind resistance gave him the least
problem. His special work clothes in-
cluded a leather aviation skull cap, a
pair of goggles, coveralls and a power
lineman's harness. Before the the first
flight he perfected the delicate art of
strapping a halter-belt around his mid-
dle, reaching out and fastening a safety
line to the catwalk and then climbing
out of the right door of the plane.
There he practiced working .on the ex-
posed engine by changing oil , greasing
the rocker arms, lubricating the mag-
netos, and inspecting for metal fatigue.
This inspection was of major impor-
tance because vibration weakens metal
and should the engine mounts weaken,
the engine with its whirling prop could
dislodge and slice through the
airplane's cabin, possibly killing the
pilots. The best position for inspecting
the mounts was to literally straddle the
fuselage immediately behind the en-
gine. As he experimented with the pro-
cedure, Fred soon discovered that
working so near the propeller wasn't as
bad as it seemed because the propeller
drove air downwards and not directly
against him.
Eventually he grew so comforatable
with the position that according to a
newspaper report, he was observed
"sitting astride the motor mount on the
exposed,point of the plane, cleaning the
windshield with one hand and hold a
cold drink in the other. " Once he spotted
the observation plane, he "proceeded
to jump about like a monkey on the ex-
posed nose of the ship as it traveled at
80 miles an hour."
Since a night refueling operation was
too dangerous, an extra large fuel tank
was needed to carry the ship from late
evening to early morning. Local sheet
metal worker Frank Covert constructed
tanks for both planes. For the refueler,
he welded a larger tank to hold fuel to
transfer to the endurance ship. But the
150 gallon tank in the Keys' plane was
his true work of art. It replaced all three
seats in "Ole Miss", and essentially be-
came a central piece of "furniture." The
pilot sat on its seat-shaped front ; the
middle was used as a table; and the
back part that extended into the lug-
gage compartment served to support
the legs of the man lying in the narrow
sleeping quarters.
The Keys realized they could easily
be chased from the area by one of the
violent thunderstorms that frequently
struck during the summer months. With
a strong radio in the endurance ship,
they could advise the ground crew of
their location to facilitate refueling. How-
ever, unlike small modern day citizen
band radios, the sets in 1934 were
large, bulky devices without much
range. In addition, they were not easily
fitted in small aircraft. Only the large,
commercial airliners had radio systems.
After scouting for local talent, the
Keys discovered big, burly Ben Wood-
ruff, owner of a radio repair shop and a
part-time inventor. Woodruff had some
theories about the use of VHF transmis-
sion from a relatively small set - some-
thing not used in aviation at the time.
By trial and error, James Keeton ex-
plains, "Ben Woodruff built us a com-
plete air-to-ground and ground-to-air
radio outfit. That was, to my knowledge,
the very first use of a VHF band for avi-
ation communication and navigation."
After Woodruff installed his ingenious
set, vacuum tubes filled empty spaces
on the tiny endurance ship, earphones
and microphones dangled from the
cabin ceiling and when in flight , a 100-
foot antenna trailed behind the plane.
In essence, Woodruff developed a fly-
ing broadcasting and receiving station.
With a flare for the dramatic, he even
patched into a public address
loudspeaker so crowds visiting the air-
Meridian Public Library
The refueling team, James Keeton (left) and Bill Ward.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
Mrs. Fred Key Collection
AI and Fred Key in Key Brothers Flying Service uniforms.
port could hear the communications
first-hand.
Since the radio required considerably
more electricity, the crew clamped an
oversized air-driven generator to the
catwalk. This produced ample energy
for the radio, running lights and other
added navigational instruments.
With radar unheard of and no plane-
to-plane radio communication, the mid-
air contacts were very hazardous. Re-
fueling pilot James Keeton recalls that
even finding "Ole Miss" was difficult.
"This may have seemed simple to any-
body on the ground," he explained, "but
there was a lot of space up there, and
that plane off in the distance was aw-
fully small."
He solved the problem with old-
fashioned horse sense. The endurance
plane radioed its altitude to the ground
station. Then the refueling plane would
take off and climb to that altitude.
Below, Ed McKellar, the official National
Aeronautics Association spotter who re-
corded hourly passovers, would wear a
white shirt and stand in the middle of
the grassy strip beside the runway.
From his vantage point he could easily
see the endurance ship when the re-
fueler couldn't. By waving a long cane
pole with a white flag attached, McKel-
lar pointed out the direction for Keeton
to find the endurance ship. As AI and
Fred flew in a large circle, Keeton would
cut into the circle and get in proper pos-
ition for Bill Ward to lower the refueling
hose or supply sack.
Of course, ground fog compounded
the problem and made the pole pointing
method of no use. When visibility was
poor, Keeton relied mainly on sound to
locate the endurance ship. Once the
contact had been made, he says,
"When we wanted to locate Meridian,
we had to keep in mind that the fog hid
everything. Luckily people in those days
used coal for fuel in many homes and
factories, so we knew we were over the
city when we spotted dark curls of coal
smoke that rose higher than the fog
blanket. When we saw a heavy concen-
tration of those curls, we'd get our bear-
ings and fly in the direction of the airport
for our landing." Though it was quite
primitive by today's standards, it proved
to be very effective.
Also, refueling contacts were difficult.
The 40-foot hose kept twisting in the
wind and the ships kept pulling apart.
As they practiced before the first flight ,
they discovered that wrapping 50
pounds of molten lead around the noz-
zle Hunter invented, the hose could be
lowered directly to "Ole Miss." As they
experimented further with the
aerodynamics of close proximity flight,
they discovered contacts were
smoother when AI climbed within 8 to .
10 feet of Keeton 's plane. At this close
range, Keeton's expert skills were truly
put to the test. He had no visual con-
20 FEBRUARY 1987
Mrs. Fred Key Collection
Louise (left) and Evelyn Key loading supply sack.
tacat with "Ole Miss" whatsoever. All he
had to rely on were Ward's directions
and the sound of the endurance plane's
motor.
There were great complexities in
something seemingly as simple as low-
ering a rope with a supply sack or fuel
hose attached. Because it flew between
65 and 80 miles per hour, precise de-
tails had to be worked out. Bill Ward's
widow remembers, "The rope had to be
knotted exactly to his reach so it would
not slip as he pulled it up or let it down."
She further explained that at first the
supply sack wouldn't lower properly be-
cause it contained a square can. The
wind buffeted it so badly that it beat the
sides of the plane and bashed Fred's
nose several times as he reached
through the opening in the plane's cabin
top. Finally, a crew member suggested
that they use a round five-gallon ice
cream can from a local dairy. With a
couple handfuls of lead buckshot
tossed in the bottom, it lowered per-
fectly into Fred's waiting hands.
As cool spring days melted into warm
summer days, activity at the airport in-
creased. Men came day and night,
weekday and weeknight to the big
hangar at the airport. Like a lady in wait-
ing, "Ole Miss" sat with her new silver
catwalk fully adapted for her first endur-
ance flight.
Word about the first flight spread like
wildfire through the depression-ridden
communities in the east Mississippi
area. Overnight the Keys' name be-
came synonymous with bravery and the
American spirit. Thousands of people
began to place their hopes in the two
brothers who had the potential to take
their minds off their miseries.
The first flight began June 21, 1934.
Car horns tooted and dust rose on jam-
med country roads. Lines stretched
from the ticket stand at the local fair-
ground where area residents gathered
to see two important events; a basebal l
game and tne christening of "Ole Miss."
Between the fourth and fifth innings,
teams left the field, a ground crew
member spun the prop, and the motor
coughed to life. With dust flying, the
plane taxied toward the pitcher's mound
and stopped.
AI and Fred, trying not to look overly
eager, casually leaned on the wing
struts as aviatrix Genevieve Lynn, their
former student, christened "Ole Miss. "
Dressed in a white jumpsuit with white
shoes and close-bobbed brunette hair
in the style of the day, the pretty 18-
year-old announced, "I christen thee
'Ole Miss' in honor of the state of Missis-
Sippi ." With these words she pursed her
lips and smashed the bottle of cham-
pagne against the catwalk. A roar
10,000 voices strong filled the air. The
Meridian Boys' Band played "Flying
Keys," a syncopated ragtime song writ-
ten especially for the occasion by local
songwriter, Lula White.
Then the Keys started the engine and
took off. Little did the innocent citizens
know at the time, but the distinct sound
of the loud plane would become a part
-of upcoming days and nights as it cir-
cled the city.
At long last the aspiring endurance
pilots were airborne. The June sunset
glowed with a faint red haze. Twinkling
lights of the city blinked on. Lines of
autos crawled slowly home, looking like
strings of fireflies in the muggy Missis-
sippi twilight Since farm homes did not
have electricity yet, faint lonely lights
occasionally flickered . from kerosene
lamps through broad loblolly oaks and
pines. The reflection of a lonely moon
glided upon the glassy surface of lakes
and rivers .
(To be continued next month)
OLUtiWEERS
-:. ..
A
by Art Morgan and Bob Brauer
He who does nothing for others does
nothing for himself. . . . Johann
Wolfgang von Goethe
Doggone it. I just heard it again.
"Oshkosh is too big. I don't know any-
one there. It's too impersonaL" Well , I'll
tell ya. The big "0 " is not a local fly-in.
In fact , it isn't a fly-in at all. It is an inter-
national convention. And, yes, it is big
but were it not for the size of EAA and
the Convention, most if not all of us
would not be flying today. Without going
into detail , we all know that some
people in Washington would have seen
to that a long time ago. And brother,
they're still trying.
By the same token, you wouldn't
have all the sights to see, noise to hear
and advances to take advantage of
today. You go to Oshkosh today and
see miles and miles of "how to" work
shops, fly markets, commercial dis-
plays, as well as homebuilt, warbird, an-
tique/classic, ultralight and rotary wing
aircraft just sitting there, waiting to be
drooled over.
But all of that doesn't mean a thing
by itself. You can have all the airplanes,
spare parts, displays and how-to work-
shops in the world, but if you don't have
people looking at them, they don't mean
a thing.
The people who come to Oshkosh
represent all walks of life. And as sure
as sunrise, you aren't going to see eye
to eye with all of them. But, there are
literally thousands of folks on that air-
port with the same love of things that fly
that you have.
OK, so what does all that mean? You
either make new friends and renew old
acquaintances or you are going to walk
around all during your stay and be
mighty lonesome.
Do you ever wonder why a lot of
those people are there in the first place?
Oh, sure, they like airplanes, books,
parts, and flip-flop aerobatics. And you
can bet they like those old flying
machines and soft ice cream and don't
mind tired spouses, wet socks, crying
little people and the other normal things
like that. Let me ask you, who among
us could live and be happy without all
of that? Other minor annoyances are
red noses, mud in the tent and those
wonderful little black bugs in your salad.
Oh what fun we mortals have. Just one
thing, though, and perhaps most impor-
tantly, those people are there because
they like people.
So please don't tell me, or a couple
thousand volunteers that Oshkosh is
too big and impersonal , because it just
isn't so. If you attend our annual pilgrim-
mage to Oshkosh, walking around for
one day or eight and you're all alone,
it's either because you want to be alone
or you are somewhat shy.
I want you to think about this for a
moment. The same people, or the same
type of people from the "good old days"
are still there. Friendly, outgoing, talking
about flyin', airplanes, fun, folks,
weather, what have you. All you have
to do is walk up to them and say, "Hi,
I'm so and so from such and such and
I sure do like airplanes." I promise you,
in the blink of an eye you are going to
have more new friends than Richie
Cunningham has freckles.
Possibly you think all that sounds well
and good. And sitting there in the com-
fort of your home you think to yourself,
"Well , the old boy does have some good
points there. The Sights and smells of
Oshkosh '86 are long gone, but the
memories are still sharp in my mind. It
sure was fun and I am looking forward
to '87, but what willi do there this year?
I've seen it all. I've walked from here to
Katmandu and back. Twice. Now
what?"
You actually consider staying home
this year and think to yourself, 'Why
not? Who'll miss me?" We all will friend,
we all will. We sure would hate to see
you do that. Here's a better idea. Why
not do something different this year and
get involved.
If you volunteer, my friend, you will
have more fun than you ever thought
possible. And at the end of the Conven-
tion, as you are heading home, you'll
feel it. Deep down inside you realize
that by gork, EM and the Convention
aren't too big. You will have been a part
of it, seen it from the inside so to speak,
and you know. So, please, "join us, and
you'll have it all. n
This month's "Tip of the Oshkosh
Kepe" goes to Dick Doughty (EM
49286, AlC 9526) of Ogdensburg, Wis-
consin. The dedication of all our volun-
teers is exemplified by the work he has
done over the past several years. Last
year, Dick received the Antique/Classic
Division's 1986 'Volunteer of the Year'"
award for the great job he has done.
Dick Doughty actually became in-
terested in vintage aircraft shortly after
he soloed in an Aeronca Defender in
1946. During his military service in the
early 1950s with the U.S. Air Force Re-
scue and Recovery operations in
Alaska, he became familiar with many
types of bush planes. His favorites and
the ones he preferred to fly were Waco
Cabins and UPF-7s.
Dick's desire to remain involved in
aviation led to his interest in EM. He
attended the early EAA Conventions in
Rockford, Illinois and enjoyed the
camaraderie of folks and, of course, the
airplanes. He decided that EM was the
best organization of its kind and joined
at Rockford.
He began volunteering after EM
moved its Convention to Oshkosh,
working at a variety of jobs on Satur-
days during the summers. This led to
focusing his efforts in the Antique/
Classic area of the Convention as that's
where his favorite airplane types were
and he found it easy to make new
friends.
During the Convention, Dick can usu-
ally be found with new volunteers at the
"drainage ditch taxiway" between 7:00
a. m. and 4:00 p.m. He describes his
feelings toward his volunteer job thusly,
"I enjoy greeting the pilots on the taxi-
way after they have gone through all
the arrival procedures, landed and have
been directed to our area. It's great fun
to see their faces and watch them relax
and settle down a bit when we turn them
over to the volunteers who will escort
them to their parking spots." It's through
this activity that Dick enjoys renewing
old acquaintances met at previous Osh-
kosh Conventions.
During each Convention, Dick com-
mutes from his home in Ogdensburg to
Oshkosh and describes the trip as a
pleasant one hour drive. When the pace
slows down after the first weekend, his
wife Peggy joins him.
Dick recently underwent treatment for
cancer and during his recovery period,
he and his family toured the EM Air
Museum. It's a favorite place to visit and
they had nothing but praise for the hos-
pitality displayed by the museum per-
sonnel.
Whether a volunteer simply flags a
taxiing aircraft to the parking area or
greets and briefs the pilot on his arrival
at Oshkosh, all the jobs are important
and can only be done by people. Dick
Doughty is living proof that volunteering
is fun!
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
YOU MAKE OVER 7500 NEW FRIENDS
when you get your new PIPER CUB
Piper Cub ad from Flying, November 1946.
by Dennis Parks
Personal Flight -
Two Generations
Examining Popular Aviation for 1936
and its successor, Flying in 1946 gives
insight to the similiarities and differ-
ences between a decade of change in
private aviation.
Born on the crest of Lindbergh's suc-
cess in 1927, Popular Aviation had re-
corded the rapid growth in aviation till
the crash of 1929. The end of 1930 had
seen the production of aircraft cut in half
and positive signs of growth didn't start
to appear till 1933.
Though the depression was hard on
manufacturers, technical development
and innovations continued and military
and airline orders kept the industry
going. At the other end of the spectrum
the latter half of the 1930s saw the
emergence of a viable lightplane market
that nurtured personal flight.
The first quarter of 1936 saw an in-
crease in production of 35% over 1935.
The most notable increase was in the
building of lightplanes. The first quarter
of 1936 saw 100 lightplanes built, and
soon 75 to 100 were being built
monthly. One of the notable signs of the
times was the order by Taylor Aircraft
in 1936 for 1,050 37 horsepower Conti-
nental A-40 engines.
Lightplanes certified during 1936 in-
cluded the Taylor J-2; the Aeronca Low-
Wing; the Arrow Sport F; the Porterfield
35 and the Kinner Sport.
The year of 1946 had many
Get into ATION
Tit. /1(_ CU., ..... 20 .oJer I.pr......,,". II All_nco.', SAra
'['he N ) ~ I "CUB"
FLEET ew
TAYLOR AIRCRAFT CO.
No. 7 Avi.tion St., BRADFORD, Ponn.ylvui.
Taylor Cub ad from Popular Aviation, Au-
gust 1936.
22 FEBRUARY 1987
similarities with 1936 for the lightplane
industry. The industry was starting to
recover from the demands of the war
and beginning to produce aircraft again;
and there were tens of thousands of
new pilots. The outlook was one of
great growth for the personal plane
market.
The large expectations of the post-
war market was witnessed by the spec-
ial "National Aircraft Show" section of
the December 1946 issue of Flying.
This 32-page section highlighted the
new personal aircraft and was filled with
photos and statistics of the planes exhi-
bited at the November show in Cleve-
land.
Illustrated were 46 different models
from 34 manufacturers. The vast major-
ity of the aircraft were brand new post-
war designs. Sixteen of them hadn't yet
received type certificates.
The least expensive of the lot was
the Ross Sport Plane, reminiscent of
the Pietenpol Aircamper, at $1,500; the
most expensive was the Beech G 17S
Staggerwing at $29,000. Among the
new two place low-wings were the
Aeronca Chum; All American Ensign
and the Eshelman Winglet. Also dis-
played were 25 engines in production
producing 200 hp or less. Try to imagine
such a thing in today's market.
Though the post-war years seemed
filled with promise for the private av-
iator, few were in a position to buy plan-
es. In the short span of four years, gen-
eral aviation went from a booming in-
dustry to an industry of basically three
manufacturers.
The first post-war year of 1946 saw
over 35,000 aircraft produced, this was
almost cut in half the next year, and by
1949 it had shrunken to 3,500. By con-
trast after 1936 the industry continued
to grow and had expanded almost four-
fold by the start of World War II.
Popular Aviation in 1936 was still
being published and 'edited by its foun-
ders, William Ziff and B. G. Davis. Pub-
lished monthly, each issue had 70 to 80
pages. The front covers consisted of
color artwork of current aircraft. Some
of the cover subjects in 1936 were the
Aeronca Low-wing; Hughes Racer and
the Cessna C-34.
In 1946 Flying still listed Ziff and
Davis on the masthead, but the position
of managing editor had been created.
This was held in 1946 by Max Karant,
who had been a writer for Popular Avi-
ation in the 1930s. Each issue averaged
130 pages. The covers were color
photographs of current aircraft. Among
planes on the covers were a Stinson
Voyager, Navion, Ercoupe and a Miles
Gemini.
The May 1936 issue of Popular Avia-
tion had 16 advertisers with full-page
ads. Five of the full-page ads were from
aviation schools. Among these were
(Continued on Page 26)
by George A. Hardie, Jr.
This month's Mystery Plane was a
product of one of the leading aircraft
manufacturers of the period. Readers
with a sharp eye will probably note a
couple of clues which will aid in identify-
ing the company. The photo was sub-
mitted by Jim Barton, EAA Foundation
Director. The date and location of the
photo are unknown. Answers will be
published in the May, 1987 issue of
THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Deadline
for that issue is March 10, 1987.
Responses to the Mystery Plane in
the November, 1986 issue of THE VIN-
TAGE AIRPLANE probably set a record
many responded immediately.
Among the first was Johr Carter of
Bradenton, Florida whose articles on
the airplane were published in THE
VINTAGE AIRPLANE in September,
1973 and April, 1976. He writes:
"The Mystery Plane looked very
familiar. The biplane is the Crosley
Moonbeam, Serial No. 4, NX-174N,
manufactured in December, 1929 by
the Crosley Aircraft Co. , a Division of
Crosley Radio and Electronics Co. of
Cincinnati, Ohio. The aircraft was de-
signed by Harold Hoekstra and first flew
in December, 1929. It was originally
used as a test plane by Crosley.
"In the mid-1930s it was acquired by
John Richardson of Nicholasville, Ken-
tucky, then by James D. Goodrich of
Frankfort, Kentucky who flew the air-
craft for about 200 hours - 75 with the
original Crosley engine of 90 hp being
replaced by a Menasco Super Pirate
(both inverted in-line 4 cylinder en-
gines).
"Under Mr. Goodrich's ownership the
ship was fitted with hydraulic brakes
from a PT-19 replacing the original
mechanical units. X-147N was then pur-
chased by David M. Trapp of LeXington ,
Kentucky in the mid-1960s. The next
owner was Ernie Moser of St. Augus-
tine, Florida, who purchased it in 1969
or 1970.
"The next owner was David D. Allyn
of Sarasota, Florida who purchased the
aircraft for his proposed museum. I was
Chief of the Research ' Department and
spent many hours polishing and waxing
the old girl. To my regret, I never re-
ceived a ride in the bird. In late 1972-
early 1973 Dave moved the museum
lock, stock and aircraft to Santa Fe,
New Mexico. From all indications re-
ceived, the whereabouts of the aircraft
is unknown."
Pete Bowers of Seattle, Washington,
well-known author and early EAA
member, added these comments:
"November's Mystery Plane is a
Crosley C-3 'Moonbeam', the survivor
of five built in 1929 by the Crosley Air-
craft Co. of Sharonville, Ohio near Cin-
cinnati. The C-3 was a break from the
existing big three-seat biplane tradition
of the time, but apparently had too
much competition from the very similar
Fleet and Great Lakes two-seaters to
be a commercial success.
''The rare feature of the C-3 was the
engine, a Crosley 300. This was an in-
(Continued on Page 26)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
next to the door. She wore a stunning
blackoutfit.MyfacereddenedasIawk-
wardlysteppedon hertoes. Imovedup
between the bucket seats and sank in
AFREERIDEBACK the right one. Talk about comfort and
leg room!
TOYESTERDAY
CharlieGibbs' Howard DGA-15Pthat"makesamostwonderful sound. "
byJerryLeach
Rt. 2, Box550
Kamiah, 10 83536
Saturday,November1,wasasunny,
beautiful day! Iwas sitting on my back
porch soaking up the afternoon sun
when amost wonderful sound touched
my ears. Ijumpedto my feet and inno
time Iwas sitting on one of the several
picnic tables near'the hangar ramp of
the Kamiah Airport. Asmall crowd had
gathered as word had it our trusty air-
port mechanic,one Charlie Gibbs,had
gone off to some forgotten place in the
far reaches of Kansas and purchase a
1941 vintage Howard!
Now, a Howard is one of those air-
ships they built just before and during
World War II. It's a massive ship with
wheel covers that remind me of Volks-
wagens and almostas large.(Its cabin
isalmostthesizeofasmall camper.)It
had taxiedtothefarendofthe runway,
swung about in a360,and then it hap-
pened! That massive big round engine
reallybarkedto life. As it rumbled past,
Icould feel those nine big piStOIlS,the
size of three-gallon buckets, pumping
fire,churning outthe brute horsepower
neededto liftsuchaluxuriousoldplane
aloft.
As itvanishedoverthefoothillstothe
north, I drifted back to my childhood
days near Yakima, Washington; back
24 FEBRUARY 1987
whencropdustersdonnedgogglesand
flew Stearmans. They used a pasture
in front of our house for an air strip. I
can still remembermymother'sred hair
flashing in the sunl ight as she re-
peatedly warned me to say awayfrom
those terrible machines and those
quick-tempered men who flew them. It
did no good.
Charlieeasedthe Howardbackupto
the cement ramp. All four passengers
turned outto be veteran pilots.One by
one they stepped down from the beau-
tiful ship. All had the strangest smiles
on their faces. It reminded me of that
songtheJuddssing,''Takeme Backto
Yesterday. "
Iswaggered off toward the Howard.
Charlie Gibbs, the proud owner, is a
robust man inhis50's,softspoken and
meticulous.Hetipped his baseball cap
backon his headandsmiledat me. He
knows me well enough to sense Iwas
alittlenervous. "There'saseatrightup
front for you,"he grinned.
As Iclimbed the ladder Iglanced at
thepassengerswhowerealreadybuck-
led in, three abreast, in the rear. The
fellow near the far window was well-
dressed, refined and quiet,the kind of
fellowwho mightliketo auditmytaxes.
The man in the center was small and
wiry- Iknewhewasapilot- I'dseen
him around at local air shows. He had
this kind ofcockysmileon hisface,like
JimmyCagney.Ablondinherteenssat
Charl ie began pull ing and cranking
levers. The Pratt & Whitney goes ker-
chunk, rattles and snorts to life. The
nose sits terriblyhigh - there'sno for-
ward view.We taxied to the end of the
runway;hebroughttheshiparoundand
eased the throttle in. The old girl lum-
bered along and in no time we were
airborne.Shecl imbedoutwithease;felt
big and solid. Why not? She was bui lt
back when guys were guys and dolls
were dolls.Herplush interiorreeked of
the early '40s.
Charlie pulled the bill of his cap low
against the setting sun. He swung her
aboutand tucked herintothe shadows
of the steep foothills. He cranked the
nose down and hunkered down in his
seat. You see,he wasn'tjustflying this
bigbird,hewashavingaloveaffairwith
that big engine which was now purring
like afat kitten.
My imagination ran rampant. I was
hearing big band music inthe back of
my mind - Glenn Miller. I turned my
head.TheguywiththeCagneygrinwas
leaningforward nowwith aglazed look
inhiseyes. Ikeptwaitingforhimto bolt
uptheaisleyelling,"0.K. , you dirtyrat !
You'vewaltzedtheoldgirlaround. Now
it's my turn, pal!"
By now we were headed south.Per-
fect ,Iwanted to say,"Let's keep going
Charlie;thisold bird will move.Let'sgo
to some exoticplacelike Pango Pango
or Bora Bora."
Backattheramp, thecrowdwasmil-
ling around the planeagain.Iwas hav-
ing trouble 'cause now I was grinning
justliketherestofthem.Icouldn'tstop.
Two pilots were discussing howthey
would go about landingaHoward.Rex
Yates,aseasoned veteran pilot,pulled
his nose from Miss Howard's exhaust
stack and set them straight. "No, no,"
he snapped, "you don'tland aHoward,
you just make an arrival and call it
good!"He walked off,chuckling.
LatethatnightIfeltrestless. Idonned
myjacketand strolled acrossthedewy
airport grass. I had to see the old gal
once more,for she would soon be dis-
mantled for restoration. As Iwalked up
toher,athickfog rolledthroughtheau-
tumn trees lining the runway. Iran my
fingersaroundandacrossherwetskin.
An old Robert Frost poem came to
mind.Ijumbledthewordstomakethem
more fitting.
"The years have been long, lovely
and sweet, butIhavepromisesto keep
and skies to search before Isleep."
Ipulledmycollarupagainstthedamp
night and made for home,still smiling.
It isn't often a fellow gets a free ride
back to yesterday.
THE TECHNICAL SIDE
Submitted by Bill Rhoades
(EM 227742, NC 9568)
Route 3, Box 145
Northfield, MN 55057
III
Bill is SecretarylTreasurer of the In-
ternational Cessna 1201140 Associ-
ation. Although the information con-
cerns two specific models of aircraft,
some of it (for example, item 2 -
Brakes) relates to systems found on
several different aircraft. Readers
might be surprised to learn there are
approximately 3,500 Cessna 1201
1401140A aircraft on the current FAA
registry. . . . G. R. C.
"I just finished rereading the De-
cember, 1985 issue of THE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE and enjoyed the article on
the Warner Scarab Fairchild 24 from
Western Flying. While going through
files of early Cessna 140 dealers, I
came across a letter from G. E. Malonf.
There was no more information other
than that, however from the material in
the letter, Mr. Malonf was probably a
dealer representative from Cessna in
late 1946." .. . Bill Rhoades
SERVICE NOTES ON CESSNA 120/
140 AIRCRAFT
by G. E. Malonf
1. Main Landing Gear
The main landing gear is of one
piece, chrome vanadium steel , 6150,
5/8" thick. Each piece is heat treated to
2500 degrees then shot blasted. Do not
attempt to repair gear unless factory
part. Replace with factory parts where
advisable to save customer money and
avoid inferior material. Each leaf is
stamped after heat treatment and shot
blasted and a small corner that is cut
off is stamped with a corresponding
number and these pieces turned over
to the Chemistry Department and there
kept on file. If upon finding a landing
gear failure, be sure to note the number
stamped near the extreme top and re-
port this number to the factory. They
have a piece of the same gear and they
can then run a complete analysis on it.
The gear is attached to the ship be-
tween two bulkheads with a "gear box".
The Gear Box is made of 4130 and heat
treated to 1500 degrees. The box is fas-
tened to the two bulkheads just under
the cabin floor with high shear rivets.
Replace high shear rivets with AN bolts
only.
The leaf of the gear slips into the gear
box, between two chromolly tubes and
bolts into place with one high shear bolt.
There are three places on the ship that
they are used; four in each axle, two in
the landing gear and all engine mount
bolts. The axle is of bar stock 24 S.T.
and machined.
The importance of shot blasting the
gear cannot be too highly stressed. In
tests the gear was deflected 12 inches
300 times a minute for 21 ,000 times
after shot basting, more than tripling its
strength and flexibility.
2. Brakes
The brakes are single disc Goodyear
brakes, one master cylinder on each
brake pedal. The single piston has only
one seal, a small "0 " ring. In case of
spongy brakes or brake pedal creeping,
this ring is easily changed. It is not
necessary to remove the entire master
-cylinder from the ship to do this. Discon-
nect the rudder pedal linkage and also
the parking brake linkage and metal
band and unscrew top of master cylin-
der. This will remove the piston and
spring. Slip off the old "0 " ring, near the
bottom, replace with new ring and reas-
semble cylinder and linkage. This will
save moving flooring and disconnecting
hydraulic lines, also no fluid is lost.
The cylinder at the wheel also has
one seal and is disassembled by re-
moving the spring clip on inboard side
of cylinder.
Two "Biscuit" brake linings, one on
each side of the brake disc, are
squeezed against the disc by action of
the wheel cylinder. There is no adjust-
ment on these brakes, only pressure of
hydraulic fluid to prevent too much
clearance.
In case of a dragging brake, first try
bleeding the cylinders, and if this fails,
the "biscuits" Or lining must be removed
and ground away as the biscuits will al-
ways be quite close to the drum, even
touching. Brakes should be bled from
the bottom with a pressure oil can and
small leather washer for a seal. Fill until
a good quantity of oil has run out of the
cylinder at the brake pedal. This oil will
run out the vent in the cap so place a
rag around the cylinder and on the floor
so that the fluid is not spilled inside the
ship. Fluid used is "Univis" number 40,
mineral base, or any mineral base hyd-
raulic fluid.
These brakes do not require much
service but one thing to watch on
periodic inspections is the brake tubing
running from the wheel cylinder up
along the trailing edge of the main gear
and into the fuselage for hardening and
cracking due to flexing of the gear.
The wheel is made in two pieces and
when mounting new tires, look for a red
dot on tire and yellow dot on tubes. The
red dot on the tire is the lightest part
and yellow dot on the tube the heaviest.
Match both dots for wheel balance.
The single disc brake is held in place
by four spring steel clips sliding over a
small shoulder on the wheel, check the
clip for tension.
3. Fabric
The only place fabric is used is on the
wings. This is all grade "A" fabric and
rib stitching is not used. Fabric is held
in place by elongated "U" shaped clips
that slip into holes in the rib. Should
these holes become elongated through
use, move clip up or down a trifle and
drill new holes. Covers will come in slips
and kits for replacement.
Use two coats clear dope, unless hot,
brushed on first coat thinned 20%. Sec-
ond coat thinned 1 0%. Factory uses:
one coat clear, brushed on, one spray
coat, opposite direction, two hot coats,
pigmented sprayed on.
4. Wings
Gas tanks are in the wings and made
of .052, S. O. and the bulkheads are of
.032 SW. the remaining ribs are of .020
S.T. Aileron hinge rib is .040 S.T.
The wing tips are formed and spot
welded and removed by four screws,
wing tips are interchangeable. Ribs are
made in three pieces. Leading edge is
.020 - 24 ST. Front spar is .091 - 91 ST
and rear spar is .064 - 61 ST. All parts
of the wings come as a unit, such as
new leading edge, main spars, auxiliary
spar for aileron and sections of the
wing. These sections are shown in the
parts book.
5. Rigging
Wings are attached to center section
by two bolts through front and rear
spars. Struts are bolted at fuselage by
(Continued on Page 26)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
VINTAGE LITERATURE . ..
(Continued from Page 22)
Parks, Boeing, Ryan, Spartan and Lin-
coln. Model airplane companies also
accounted for five pages of full page
ads.
May saw no ads by aircraft manufac-
turers. During the whole year there
were only a few such ads. Occasionally
Porterfield and Taylor had quarter page
ads one of which is illustrated below.
The November issue had a full page ad
from Beech lauding the winning of the
Bendix Trophy by Louise Thaden and
Blanche Noyes in a stock Staggerwing.
The January 1946 issue of Flying had
39 pages of full-page ads. The largest
number of advertisers were schools and
general aviation manufacturers. Janu-
ary had 11 pages of ads for planes. In-
cluded were Cessna, Funk, Swift, Lus-
combe (in color) , and Piper.
Schools with ads included Spartan,
Northrop and Cal-Aero. A new product
being widely advertised in 1946 that
wasn't in 1936 was aircraft radios.
Among the radios advertised were
those of Lear, Motorola, and General
Electric. Prices started below $300.
Popular Aviation was definitely popu-
lar in 1936 as it had a higher circulation
than Aero Digest and A viation com-
bined . This popularity may have been
because of its broad-based appeal to
all kinds of enthusiasts both by subject
and age level. Flying in 1946 seemed
more aimed at the large number of new
pilots created by the war.
One aspect of Popular Aviation that
didn't continue when it became Flying
in 1940 was its coverage of modeling.
This included articles on designing
models and the scale plans for built-up
rubber-powered flying models by Paul
Lindberg.
A feature that was new to Flying that
reflected the interest in buying a per-
sonal plane was its "Check Pilot" series.
These were flight tets of the new light-
planes. The first one was of a Stinson
Voyager which appeared in the May
issue. Others tested during the year
were the Ercoupe, Culver V and the
Cessna 140.
A striking difference in editorial con-
tent of the two years in question was
the good coverage of homebuilding
by Popular Aviation. During 1936 there
was quite a lot of coverage of the home-
building rage of the time - the Flying
Flea. The February issue stated that the
plane's popularity was growing "by
leaps and bounds. " The first U.S. built
example was reported in the same
issue.
In a more practical vein, the
magazine had a series of articles on
homebuilding design practices by Rau l
Hoffman and others. There was also the
monthly report on what the readers
were constructing in the "What Our
Readers Are Building" series.
Of course this was not an area that
was covered by Flying in 1946 for such
activities were of a very low profile and
would remain so 'til the regulations
changed.
The issues of these journals in 1936
and 1946 give interesting insights into
two eras of personal flight. They were
two periods of growth in enthusiasm
and in lightplane production that proba-
bly will never be seen again. The only
period that has come close in spirit and
activity since has been the rapid growth
in homebuilding starting in the late
1970s .
THE TECHNICAL SIDE . ..
(Continued from Page 25)
one bolt and form a "V" out to wing
where they attach by two bolts. The
wing is rigged "flat", one degree of di-
hedral on both front and rear spar, this
is obtained by adjustment on ends of
each strut.
The angle of incidence is one half de-
gree and adjusted on the rear spar only.
If the right wing of a ship was reported
heavy, always wash out left wing and
vice versa. If by attempting to wash in
the heavy wing, the wing tips may stall
out or lose their lift due to incorrect
angle of incidence on wing itself.
When installing flaps, line flaps to
contour of wing. If ailerons are to be
rigged or installed, first line up flaps and
rig ailerons to level of flaps. When rig-
ging ailerons, stick must be in neutral
and full forward. Bellcranks in wing in
neutral and tighten cables. Align ailer-
ons in neutral and to the flaps by adjust-
ment on push-pull rod from bellcrank.
Ailerons to be rigged with 14 degrees
down travel and 22 degrees up travel.
Flaps are rigged for 40 degrees full
travel and adjustment obtained by
turnbuckle aft of baggage compart-
ment. The flaps are returned to a neu-
tral position by two springs; also aft of
the baggage compartment bulkhead.
When running new cables for ailerons,
remember they cross from right to left
and left to right on pulleys aft of bag-
gage compartment.
The rudders are rigged with pedals in
neutral position and rudder travel is 16
degrees either way. The rudder stops
are adjustable and located at extreme
rear of fuselage.
The stops for the flaps are located on
rear wing spar and adjustable so as to
align flap to contour of wing in up posi-
tion. Two stops on each flap.
Elevators rigged from neutral position
with stick in neutral and stops located
on rear spar of vertical fin set for 20
degrees travel up and 20 degrees
down. All measurements are plus or
minus one degree.
In rigging the "120" or "140" the
mechanic should use good common
sense as to cable tension, cables too
loose cause a sloppy control system
and cables will bounce and rub, too tight
will cause a stiff control on the ship and
hard to control. There is no set tension
recommended by the factory although
the control cables should be around 30
pounds.
The trim tab is set for 6 degrees up
travel and 33 degrees down travel. If
installing new cables, equalize the
chain on the sprocket and set chain 1/4"
from sprocket on extreme travel. Adjust-
able stops for trim tab travel are located
on cables, aft of baggage compartment.
For your information in rigging: .192
= 1 degree.
The serial numbers on these craft run
from 8000 up and any report you wish
to make should always carry the serial
number.
The level line for flying position when
weighing 120 and 140 is the splice plate
on the side of the fuselage.
Keep conversant with latest bulletins
from Cessna through serVice manager
and I shall attempt to answer any further
questions you may have on these ships .
MYSTERY PLANE . ..
(Continued from Page 23)
verted air-cooled in-line four that deliv-
ered 100 hp at 2100 RPM.
"Crosley built two other designs in
1929. The C-1 , also called 'Moonbeam',
was a three-seat parasol monoplane
looking a lot like a Vulcan V-1 with a
110 hp Warner. The C-2 was a similar
four-place cabin monoplane with a 165
hp Wright J6-5. A subsidiary of the
Crosley Radio Co. , Crosley Aircraft
never really got going and faded from
the scene after the great Depression
started."
Other replies were received from
Doug Rounds, Zebulon, Georgia; Char-
ley Hayes, Park Forest, Illinois; E. C.
Garber, Jr. , Fayetteville, North
Carolina; M. H. Eisenmann, Gar-
retsville, Ohio; George W. Noreen, Port-
land, Oregon ; Frank M. Pavliga,
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio; Joseph J.
Tarafas, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania;
James M. Wright, Tullahoma, Tennes-
see; Lynn Towns, Eaton Rapids, Michi-
gan ; Bob Winchester, Charlevoix,
Michigan; Paul A. King, Watsonville,
California, Tony Morozowsky, Zanes-
ville, Ohio; and Vernon E. Knezel ,
Brodhead, Wisconsin .
Budd Davisson wrote a flight report
on the airplane in the July, 1971 issue
of Air Progress. This airplane was of-
fered for sale in the November, 1986
Trade-A-Plane - asking $50,000 negot-
iable .
26 FEBRUARY 1987
than embarrassment and the loss of $600.
The remains ofthe Sportwere hauled off
Letters To The Editor
to a repair shop, but I don't recall it ever
Gentlemen:
Ihappened to be going through my VIN-
TAGE AIRPLANE magazines recently and
came acrossaphotoofthe,Rowinski asthe
Mystery Plane in the May,1984 issue. This
caught myattention immediatelyas Iwas a
student at Spartan School of Aeronautics
and a witness to her final accident at the
Tulsa,Oklahoma Municipal Airport .
IdorecalltheRowinskiSport(itwasrefer-
redtoastheSport)wasdisplayedalongwith
otherairplanesinawingofthehangaratthe
time,with asuggested price ofsix hundred
dollars, negotiable.
Ihad previously seen the Sport at an air-
show in Shreveport, Louisiana. It was very
fastcomparedtoourlocalOXTravelAir,OX
Command-Aire, E-2 Cub and Fleet.
The Sport was based at Tyler, Texas at
the time and I assume it was Jess Green,
DirectorofSpartan,whoflew itfromthereto
Tulsa. Itwas InTulsawhen IarrivedinJune
1937.
StanleyOsburn, whomyou mentioneddid
infactpurchaseandwreckitonTulsaMunic-
ipal on his first landing.
C. W. "Clem" Whittenbeck, a yvell-known
stunt pilot and former Spartan student was
inTulsaatthetimeand agreedtotestflythe
Sport before it was turned over to Osburn.
Whittenbeckowned aGreat Lakes in which
he flew exhibitions. He would roll inverted
and skim the field, and I do mean skim!
"Whittenbeck was written on the side ofthe
fuselage upside down, which according to
newspaper accounts was the way he spent
mostof his airtime.
We pushed the Sport out of the hangar
and "Whit" climbed in. He took off in one
corner ofthe field, proceeded to test it, and
when satisfied, he greased it on, taxied to
the hangar and pronounced the airplane
"O.K."
He cautioned Mr. Osburn to handle the
Sport gingerly on take off as it had a ten-
dency to swerve when power from the 165
hp Continental was applied. He added,
"Don'tlet it gettoo slowon landing!"
Osburn'S take off was good enough and
he flew north of the airport where he pro-
ceeded to do stalls and get the feel of the
ship. He eventually came in for a landing
and, asWhithaddone,landedstraightsouth
toward the waiting group. Every insructor
and student on the field was watching.
TulsaMunicipalhadtwo asphaltrunways,
plusgrasstouseandbecausetheSporthad
atailskidOsburnwasusingthegrass.When
he flared hewasalittlehigh and fast and as
the Sport slowed, either a gust or a stall
caused the right wing to drop. The airplane
hitandcartwheeled,endingupapileofjunk.
Luckily Osburn sustained nothing worse
having been rebuilt.
IleftSpartaninMayof1938thenreturned
in January 1942, joining Class 42G, Spar-
tan's first cadet'class ofWorld WarTwo. By
then several former students were instruc-
torsand needlessto say Ihad aball.
I hope this little bit of information will in-
terestyou halfasmuchasitdidmeinrecal-
ling it. I must say, SPORT AVIATION and
THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE are my favorite
reading material.
Sincerely
Cecil H. Roy
(EAA 100036, AlC 2386)
240 Palm Lane
Lake Jackson, TX 77566
P.S.Myairmancertificatenumberis43092.
Dear Norm,
Thank you for the very nice article you
wrote aboutour CubintheNovember, 1986
issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. All my
family enjoyed reading it.
Ihope to see you atOshkosh '87.
Yours truly,
HankGeissler
(EAA86004,AlC 4179)
Rt. 1, Box 177C
Webster, MN 55088.
CALENDAROFEVENTS
MARCH 15-21 - LAKELAND, FLORIDA- 13th
AnnualSun'nFunEAAFly-In.Contact:Bonnie
Higbie, P. O.Box 6750, Lakeland, FL33807.
APRIL25-26- WASHINGTON,DC- 7thAnnual
Tour ofthe National Air and Space Museum's
Paul E. Garber Restoration Facility. Dinner
speaker Mary Feik. Limited to 200. Contact:
Margaret Scesa, 9611-51st Place, College
Park,MD 20740, phone 301/345-3164.
MAY 2-3 - WINCHESTER, VIRGINIA - EAA
Chapter 186SpringFly-Inat MunicipalAirport.
Trophies for winning showplanes. Pancake
breakfastSunday. Annual AppleBlossomFes-
tival downtown. All welcome. Contact:George
Lutz, 7031256-7873.
MAY3- ROCKFORD,ILLINOIS- EAAChapter
22 Annual Fly-In Breakfast at Mark Clark's
Courtesy Aircraft, Greater Rockford Airport. 7
a.m. to noon. ATIS 126.7. Contact: Wallace
Hunt, 815/332-4708
MAY 22-23 - JEKYLL ISLAND, GEORGIA -
First Annual Twin Bonanza Association Con-
vention with headquartersatthe Ramada Inn.
Technical seminars and social activities. Con-
tact: Richard I. Ward, 19684LakeshoreDrive,
Three Rivers, MI 49093, 616/279-254Q.
JUNE6-7- JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA-
EAA Chapter 633 and Air Force Association
Chapter 221 "Aviation Day" Fly-In of civilian
and military aircraft at Cambria County,
PennsylvaniaAirport.Contact:BobGohn,814/
266-1055or Don Fyock, 814/266-8737.
JUNE 7 - DEKALB, ILLINOIS - EAA Chapter
241 Fly-In Breakfast, 7 a.m. to noon. DeKalb-
TaylorMunicipalAirport. Contact:JerryThorn-
hill,3121683-2781.
JUNE12-14- TAHLEQUAH,OKLAHOMA- Na-
tional ErcoupeFly-In.Contact:SkipCarden,P.
O. Box 15058, Durham, NC 27704.
JUNE25-28- HAMILTON,OHIO- 28thAnnual
National Waco Reunion. Contact: National
WacoClub,700HillAve.,Hamilton,OH45015.
JULY10-12- MINDEN, NEBRASKA- National
StinsonClubFly-In.ContactGeorgeandLinda
Leamy, 117 Lanford Road, Spartanburg, SC
29301, 803/576-9698.
JULY19-24-SANDIEGO, CALIFORNIA-19th
AnnualConventionofthe InternationalCessna
170ASSOCiation atMontgomeryField. Primary
motel is the new Holiday Inn on the airport.
Contact: Duaneand PrietaShockey, 714/278-
9676.
JULY24-26- COFFEYVILLE, KANSAS- Funk
Aircraft Owners Association Annual Fly-In.
Contact: Ray Pahls, 454 South Summitown,
Wichita, KS 67209.
JULY31-AUGUST7- OSHKOSH,WISCONSIN
- World's Greatest Aviation Event. Experi-
mental Aircraft Association International Fly-In
and Sport Aviation Exhibition. Contact: John
Burton, EAA Headquarters, Wittman Airfield,
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086, 414/426-4800.
AUGUST 10-14- FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN
- Annual lAC Championships. Contact: I"ha-
ron Heuer,758GrovewoodDrive,Cordova,TN
38018, phone 9011756-7800 .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
SUN'NFUN'87
/' 0
SUfoI "NFUN
INtRANel
n."n ..
TMS......,\1 OR laOW
_".....ILL
The new E-W sod runwayisshowncrosshatchedabove.
Sun 'n Fun '87
March 15-21
Antique/Classic Division Room Reservations
Rooms are available from Friday, March 13th, through Saturday, March 21st
at the Ramada Inn in Lakeland.Earlierarrivals maynotbe abletogetaroom
as this is primeseasonforall Floridamotels.Room ratepernightis$44.10for
single ordoublepernight. One nightdepositisrequired. Pleasecompletethis
form and mail yourdeposit (make yourcheck payable to Ramada Inn) to:
Rod & SandySpanier
502Jamestown Ave.
Lakeland,Florida33801
Ifyou have any questionsyou maycall Rod orSandyat (813) 665-5572.
NAME:___________ANTIQUE/CLASSIC# ______
ADDRESS:__________ANTIQUE/CLASSICCHAPTER #___
CITY/STATEIZIP________--'-EAA #._ ___________
PHONE:___________CHECK IN DATE:________
NO.OFROOMS:________CHECKOUTDATE:_______
__--""DOUBLEOR____SiNGLE
COMMENTS:
Welcome ...
. . . from Sun 'n Fun and the Florida
Sport Aviation Antique & Classic As-
sociation(EAAAntique/ClassicChapter
1).
A lot of thought has gone into the
special needs of antique and classic
airplane owners who attend our Con-
vention. And as always,the Antique &
Classic Headquarters Bwilding will be
the center of Southern Hospitality. We
have even added a few conveniences
to make yourstay with us more enjoy-
able.
DuringtheConvention,March15-21 ,
1987, agrass runway will be available
forusebyantiqueandclassicairplanes.
Special procedures for arrival and de-
parture are required. Contact Sun 'n
Fun, P. O. Box 6750, Lakeland, FL
33805,813/644-2431.
Registration for antique and classic
aircraft only, will be available near the
Antique & Classic Headquarters. You
can registeryourairplane,pickupjudg-
ing forms, show plane wings (one pair
per registered owner), and "Do Not
Touch"informationcards rightintheim-
mediate area! Sun 'n Fun Participant
Plaqueswill alsobegiventoall attend-
ing aircraftdating 1936 and older. You
will receivetheplaquewhenyourplane
is registered.
If you need motel accommodations,
use the motel reservation form below.
As there are alimitednumberofrooms
available,it is importantthat you make
your reservations soon.
Evening activitiesare planned atthe
Antique & Classic Headquarters for
your added enjoyment - from quiet
socializingtobluegrass.Forcurrentup-
to-date information, checkwith Antique
&ClassicHeadquartershostsand hos-
tesses daily.
If we can be of any further help,
please write or call your Antique &
ClassicCoordinators:.
Bonnie Ware
5504Oakway Drive
Lakeland, FL 33809
813/688-5033 - home
813/644-2431 - work
Rod Spanier
502 Jamestown Avenue
Lakeland, FL 33801
813/665-5572 - home
813/682-5777 - work
28 FEBRUARY 1987
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet...
perword,20wordminimum.Sendyoureel to
TheVIntageTreder,WIttman AIrfteIcI
08hkoeh.WI 54903-2591.
AIRCRAFT:
1948 Stinson108-3- 200 hrs.sincerestoration.
$19,500.00. Forpicturesand full information, send
$1 .00to:RobertB.Brebner,Box474,MiddleIsland
Road,Marquette,MI 49855. (3-2)
PLANS:
POBERPIXIE- VWpoweredparasol- unlimited
in low-cost pleasure flying. Big, roomy cockpit for
the over six foot pilot. VW power insures hard to
beat 3V2 gph at cruise setting. 15 large instruction
sheets. Plans- $60.00. InfoPack- $5.00. Send
check or money order to: ACRO SPORT, INC.,
Box462,HalesCorners,WI53130.414/529-2609.
ACRO SPORT- Singleplacebiplane capableof
unlimited aerobatics. 23 sheets of clear, easy to
follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical draw-
ings, photos and exploded views. Complete parts
and materials list. Full size wing drawings. Plans
plus 139 page Builder's Manual - $60.00. Info
Pack- $5.00.SuperAcroSportWing Drawing-
$15.00. The Technique of Aircraft Building -
$10.00 plus $2.00 postage.Send check or money
orderto:ACROSPORT,INC.,Box462, HalesCor-
ners,WI 53130. 414/529-2609.
ACRO II- The new2-placeaerobatictrainerand
sport biplane.20 pagesof easy to follow,detailed
plans. Complete with isometric drawings.photos.
exploded views. Plans - $85.00. Info Pac -
$5.00. Send check or money order to: ACRO
SPORT, INC., P.O. Box 462, Hales Corners, WI
53130.414/529-2609.
MISCELLANEOUS:
BACKISSUES...BackissuesofTHE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE (and other EAA Division publications)
are available at $1.25 per issue. Send your list of
issuesdesiredalongwithpaymentto:BackIssues,
EAA-Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh,WI 54903-2591.
FUEL CELLS - TOP QUALITY- Custom made
bladder-type fuel tanks and auxiliary cells, any
shape orcapacityforWarbirds, Experimental, Vin-
tage, Sport and Acrobatic aircraft. Lightweight,
crashworthy,baffledandcollapsibleforinstallation.
Typicaldelivery2-3weeks. Callorwritefordetails:
1-800-526-5330,AeroTecLabs, Inc.(ATL) ,Spear
RoadIndustrialPark,Ramsey,NJ07446.(C5/87)
Identify yourself with a flying memo. Aviation
memo pads with 8 exciting designs. A sample
packet is yours for the asking. Write Flying
Memos, P.O. Box 606,Simi Valley,CA 93062. (7-
6)
WANTED:
Wanted - Operation and Construction plans for
1927 Buhl Airster,two-cockpitbiplane, Model CA-
3A, Wright J-5 motor. George W. Polhemus, P.O.
Box1208,Pembroke,NorthCarolina28372.(3/87)
Wanted:"U.S.CivilAircraft "byJamesJuptner,Vol-
umes 1,2,3, and 5. Ron Testerman, 1839Oxford
Ave.S.W., Roanokae, VA 24015.Phone703/345-
2320. (2-2)
Wanted:Damagedorneglectedtube/fabricproject
for complete restoration. Prefer four place. PA-20,
PA-22, 108-3, etc.Irv Irving,P.O.Box 1071,Wof-
ford Heights, CA 93285. 619/376-3477. (3-2)
VINTAGE TRADER AD fORM
Send check ormoneyorder with copyto Vintage Trader- EAA, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.
TotalWords____ Numberof Issuesto Run ________________________
Total$,____
Signature ____________- ___________________
Address
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
MEMBERSHIP
INFORMATION
EAA
Membership in the Experimental
Aircraft Association, Inc. is $30.00
forone year, including 12 issues of
Sport Aviation. Junior Membership
(under 19 years ofage) is available
at$18.00 annually. Family Member-
ship is available for an additional
$10.00annually.
ANTIQUE/CLASSICS
EAA Member - $18.00. Includes
one year membership in EM An-
tique-Classic Division, 12 monthly
issues ofThe VintageAirplaneand
membership card. Applicant must
be acurrentEMmemberandmust
giveEMmembershipnumber.
Non-EAA Member - $28.00. In-
cludes one year membership in the
EM Antique-Classic Division, 12
monthly issues ofThe Vintage Air-
plane, one year membership in the
EM and separate membership
cards.SportAviationnotincluded.
lAC
Membership in the International
Aerobatic Club, Inc. is $25.00 an-
nually which includes 12 issues of
SportAerobatics. AlllAC members
are required to be membersofEM.
WARBIRDS
Membership in the Warbirds of
America, Inc. is $25.00 per year,
which includes a subscription to
Warbirds. Warbird members are
requiredtobemembersofEAA.
LIGHTPLANEWORLD
EM membership and Light Plane
World magazine is available for
$25.00peryear(SportAviationnot
included). Current EM members
may receive Light Plane World for
$15.00peryear.
FOREIGN
MEMBERSHIPS
Please submit your remittance with
a check ordraft drawn on a United
States bank payable in United
Statesdollars.
Make checks payable to EMorthe
division in which membership is
desired. Address all letters to EAA
or the particular division at the fol-
lowingaddress:
WITTMANAIRFIELD
OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086
PHONE(414)426-4800
OFFICEHOURS:
8:15-5:00MON. FRI.
THEJOURNALOF
THEEARLYAEROPLANE
Themostauthoritative
journalon1llose\\bnderful
flytngMachines19OO-1919
WORLDWAR I INC.
15CrescentRoad, Poughkeepsie. NY 12601, USA
]
..................
FLYING AND GLIDER MANUALS
1929- 1931 - 1932
Price:$3.50ea, ppd,
SENDCHECKORMONEYORDER TO:
EAA AVIATIONFOUNDATION, INC.
WITTMANAIRFIELD-
OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3065
Allow4-6Weeks for Delivery
Wisconsin Residents Include 5%Sales Tax
It'sExciting!It'sforEveryone!
See thispriceless colllectionofrare, historically
8:30to5:00p.rn.
significantaircraft. all imaginativelydisplayed inthe
Mondaythru Saturday
world'slargest.most modemsportaviation
HOURS
11:00a.m. to5:00p.m.
Sundays
museum.Enjoyt hemanyeducationaldisplaysand
Closed EastecThanksgiving.Christmas
audio-visual presentations.Stop by- here' s
and NewYears Day(Guided grouptour
somethingtheentirefamilywill enjoy. Just arrangementsmustbemade t'Ml weeks
in advance).
minutesaway!
CONVENIENT
IDCATION
TheEMAviationCenterislocatedon

Wittman Field. Oshkosh. Wis.-just off

Highway41.GoingNorthExitHwy. 26or
44.GoingSouthExit Hwy.44andfollow
signs.Forfty-ins-freebusfromBilsler
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414-426-4800 Oshkosh,WI 54903-3065
30FEBRUARY 1987
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COVERING MATERIALS
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* PROVEN DURABILITY ON THOUSANDS OF AIRCRAFT.
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* WILL NOT SUPPORT COMBUSTION.
* LIGHTEST COVERING METHOD APPROVED UNDER
FAA-STC AND PMA.
* MOST ECONOMICAL COVERING METHOD CONSIDERING
YEARS OF TROUBLE-FREE SERVICE.
WRITE OR PHONE FOR FREE.

*SAMPLE OF HIGHSTRENGTH,VERV SMOOTH, 1.7OZ.
POLVESTER FABRICDEVELOPED ESPECIALLVFOR
AIRCRAFT COVERING.
*MANUAL1WITH DETAILEDINSTRUCTIONSFOR FABRIC
COVERING, REFINISHINGFABRIC SURFACES, AND
PAINTING AIRCRAFTFOR CORROSION CONTROL.
*LATEST CATALOG AND DISTRIBUTOR LIST.
STITS POLY-FIBER
AIRCRAFT COATINGS
P. O. BOX30S4-V RIVERSIDE, CA92519
\. PHONE (714) 684-4280
Classic owners!
Interior looking shabby?

.


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Finishitrightwithan
Girtexinterior
Complete interior assemblies for doityourself installation.
Custom Quality at economical prices.
Cushionupholsterysets
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SeatSlings
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Free Catalog of complete product line. Fabric Selection Guide
showing actual sample colors and styles of materials: $3.00.
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Fallsington, PA 19054 (215)295-4115

TI". RE-UVE IT!

\
)
. '
The fabulous times of Turner. Doolittle. Wedell
and Wittman recreated as never before in this
600-page twovolume series. Printed on high grade
paper with sharp, clear photo reproduction. Official
race results 1927 through 1939 - more than 1,000
photos - 3view drawings - scores of articles about
people and planes that recapture the glory, the drama,
the excitement of air racing during the golden years.
Volume 1 and2 sold at $14,95 each-add $2.00
postage for first item and $1. 00 for each item there
after - a total of $3.00 for both volumes. SPECIAL
OFFER! With purchase of both THE GOLDEN
AGE OF AIR RACING, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, above,
you may select FREE, one of the following: EAA Pilot
Log Book (#11-16552), EAA Propeller (or rotor)
Log Book (#11-16566). or EM Engine and Reduc-
tion Drive Log Book (#11-13951). Offer good while
supplies last! Send check or money order to: EM
Aviation Foundation, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh,
WI 54903-3065 .