6 8 8 1 .

i N n r
by Espie "Butch" Joyce
I would like to send out a special
thanks to Bill Eickhoff, President of
Sun ' n Fun Fly-In and also to Billy
Henderson, who is the ramrod for thi s
event, for their hospitality during my
visit to Lakeland , Florida, representing
the Antique/Classic Division. I had the
opportunity to meet a number of An-
tique/Classic members, shake their
hand and talk to them about different
issues. It was good to visit with Ray
Olcott and his wife, Jo. Ray was re-
sponsible for the Parade of Flight at
Sun ' n Fun and did an excellent job.
Brad Thomas, past president of the
Antique/Classic Division, was there . I
had an opportunity to talk with Al
Kelch, past director of the Antique/
Classic Division. AI expressed hi s
willingness to help in any way he could
with our division . I also saw Claude
Grey, past director of the Antique/
Classic Division and exchanged greet-
ings. There were many familiar faces
at Lakeland.
I also met Sandy McKenzie, who is
president of Antique/Classic Chapter
One. Sandy is a very energetic person
and has worked hard for the Sun ' n
Fun people, as Chapter One runs the
A/C Headquarters for the fly-in. All
the members of that chapter did an ex-
cellent job. I would personally like to
thank Chapter One for its hospitality
and the opportunity to meet many of
its members .
EAA sent out a number of people
from headquarters thi s year, such as
Jack and Golda Cox (SPORT A VIA-
TION), Mark Phelps (VINTAGE
AIRPLANE), and Mary Jones (EX-
PERIMENTER) . Associate Editor
Norm Petersen was talked into flying
co-pilot in a Navion (much arm twist-
ing) from Wisconsin to Lakeland and
spent the entire week on vacation. You
could tell by his smile it was tough
duty!
On Monday afternoon, Tom Pobe-
rezny arrived with Vern Jobst. On
Tuesday morning , everyone from
2 JUNE 1989
STRAIGHT AND LEVEL
Headquarters had the opportunity to sit
in on a forum at the FAA tent to ask
questions of Samuel Skinner, Secret-
ary of Transportation. Mr. Skinner is
a private pilot and understands some
of the problems that general aviation
has. Hopefully , this will be a benefit
to sport aviation.
I left Sun 'n Fun with a feeling of
accomplishment and a sunburn. They
did a great job.
In this June issue of VINTAGE
AIRPLANE, there is a ballot so you
can cast your vote for those people
nominated for officers and directors .
There is a biography of these candi-
dates in VINTAGE AIRPLANE. All
have served the Antique/Classic Divi-
sion in the past with dedication and
wish to continue to do so. Please either
cast your vote or send in your proxy.
The results of this election will be an-
nounced at our annual business meet-
ing on Thursday, the last day of the
EAA Convention, Oshkosh ' 89.
During my vi sit at Lakeland, we
were fortunate to be able to receive a
commitment from a number of people
to supply articles for VINTAGE
AIRPLANE. George York, who is
secretary of the Antique/Classic Divi-
sion and the reigning authority on the
Beech Staggerwing, has volunteered to
supply us with a number of articles on
the Staggerwing. Again, I appeal to
you as members, if you have an in-
teresting project in your area that you
or someone else is doing, or maybe an
interesting aviation person, please
share thi s information with the rest of
the membership. We are having some
very positive feedback for the VIN-
T AGE AIRPLANE. We will be glad
to review any type of article.
In last month' s issue of VINTAGE
AIRPLANE, I outlined our activities
for EAA Oshkosh '89 in the Antique/
Classic area . I am glad to report that
all of this planned activity is coming
on line and looks as though EAA Osh-
kosh '89 will be exciting. I have listed
the Chairmen of the activities and their
telephone numbers. If you have any
questions in any particular area, please
contact these people directly. I will, in
the July issue, give you more details
on these activities and bring you up to
date.
One area of the EAA Oshkosh '89
Convention is the Type Club Head-
quarters. I have heard from Julia Dic-
key and they have confirmed 13 type
clubs that will participate in the type
club headquarters this year. There will
be a "Press Area" and an information
booth. This is a service we provide for
those people who are interested in dif-
ferent type clubs. Just keep up the good
work, Joe and Julia. Thanks .
I received some communication
from Mr , Ken Hyde of Warrenton,
Virginia. Ken is the gentleman putting
together the "Jennies to Oshkosh '89"
and it appears now that we very possi-
bly could have six to eight Jennies at
Oshkosh. This would be great! Ken has
been working very hard on thi s project.
If anyone can be of any help to him,
please get in touch with Ken .
By the time you receive this June
issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE, the
local fly-in season will be well under
way. I enjoy the local fly-in s as they 're
usually laid back, lying under the
wings of airplanes, giving buddy rides
- just a good atmosphere. This is a very
relaxing week-end to me. Our local
fly-in was held in May thi s year in Bur-
lington, North Carolina. We always
have a good turnout for thi s event. Un-
fortunately, I had to mi ss this year as
I was needed in Oshkosh the same
weekend for the Antique/Classic and
EAA Board Meetings. This was a tug-
of-war for me because it's the first
local fly-in that I have missed in 15
years. I am sure the local guys under-
stand.
I hope to meet each and every one
of you who are members of the An-
tique/Classic Division sometime dur-
ing the EAA Oshkosh '89 Convention.
I will be around the Antique/Classic
Headquarters where we will have new
and exciting merchandise this year for
those of you who like Antique/Classic
logo apparel. We continue to try to
make our area of the convention a com-
fortable place for everyone to enjoy. I
would like to invite all of you to "come
& sit a spell" on our porch at Antique/
Classic Headquarters , relax and vi sit
with those friends you may not have
seen since last year. Let's keep up our
good communications within the divi-
sion. Let's pull in the same direction
for the good of avaition . Join us and
you have it all.

JUNE1989 Vol. 17, No.6
PUBLICATION STAFF
PUBLISHER
Tom Poberezny
VICE-PRESIDENT
MARKETING &COMMUNICATIONS
DickMoM
EDITOR
MarkPhelps
ART DIRECTOR
MikeDrucks
ADVERTISING
MaryJones
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
NormanPetersen
DickCovin
FEATlJRE WRITERS
GeorgeA Hardie, Jr.
Dennis Parks
EDITORIAl. ASSISTANT
IsabelleWiske
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS
JimKoepnlck
CarlSchuppel
Jefflsom
EMANTIQUE/CLASSIC
DIVISION, INC.
OFFICERS
President VicePresident
Esple'Sutch' Joyce ArthurRMorgan
Box468 3744North51stBlvd.
Madison,NC27025 Milwaukee,WI53216
919/427-0216 414/442-3631
Secretory Treasurer
GeorgeS.York E.E. ' Suck' Hilbert
181SlobodaAve. P.O.Box424
Mansfield,OH44906 Union,IL60180
419/529-4378 815/923-4591
DIRECTORS
RobertC 'Sob' Srauer JohnS.Copeland
9345S. Hoyne 9JoanneDrive
Chicago,IL60620 Westborough,MA015B1
312/779-2105 508/366-7245
Phili pCoulson WilliamA Eickhoff
28415SpringbroakDr. 41515thAve., N.E.
Lawton,M149065 SI.Petersburg,FL33704
616/624-6490 813/823-2339
CharlesHarris StanGomoll
3933Sou1hPearia 104290thLane,NE
P.O.Box904038 Minneapolis,MN55434
Tulsa, OK74105 6121784-1172
9181742-7311
RobertD.'Bob' Lumley
DoleA Gustafson N104W20387
7724ShadyHillDrive WillowCreekRd.
Indianapolis,IN46278 Colgate, WI53107
317/293-4430 414/255-6832
GeneMorris StevenC Nesse
115CSteveCourt,R.R.2 2009HighlandAve.
Roanoke,1)(76262 AlbertLea,MN56007
817/491-9110 507/373-1674
DanielNeuman 5.H. ' Wes' Schmid
1521BemeCircleW. 2359LefeberAvenue
Minneapolis,MN55421 Wauwatosa, WI53213
612/571-0893 414m1-1545
DIRECTOR EMERITUS
5.J. WiMman
7200 S.E. 85th Lane
Ocala,FL 32672
904/245-7768
ADVISORS
JohnA Fogerty PeterHawks
RR2,Box70 SkyWayBid.Suite204
Roberts,WI54023 655SkyWay
715/425-2455 SonColasAirport
SanCarlos,CA94070
415/591-7191
Copyright' 1989by the EAAAntique/Classic Division, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contents
2 StraightandLevel/byEspie"Butch"Joyce
4 GuestEditorialfbyPaulH. Poberezny
6 Calendar
7 NoticeofAnnualBusinessMeeting
10 VintageLiteraturefby DennisParks
Page12
12 VintageSeaplanesfbyNormPetersen
14 Members'ProjectsfbyNormPetersen
15 ChapterChroniclesfbyBobBrauer
16 ACubInACratefbyFrankBass
19 PlanesandPeople/PublicityCommittee
20 C-2Restoration:AJournal- Conclusion!
Page16
byGeorgeQuast
26 PassItToBuckfbyE.E. "Buck"Hilbert
30 WelcomeNewMembers
31 VintageTrader
34 MysteryPlanefbyGeorgeHardie,Jf.
Page20
FRONT COVER ...Soaking it in atEAA Sun 'n Fun '89.The airplaneis
MorleyServos'BeechStaggerwingallthewayfromOntario,Canada.
Itwontheawardfor Best Biplane. (PhotobyMark Phelps)
REAR COVER ...NC Headquarters at EAA Sun 'n Fun as seen from
thecavernousfrontcockpitofJohnnyThomson's1929NewStandard
on short final .Headquarterswas manned (and womanned) byAn-
tique/ClassicChapterOne.SandyMcKenzie.President.
(Photo bvMarkPhelps)
The words EMULTRALlGKT,FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM.SPORT AVIATION.and the logos of EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION fNC. EAA INTERNATIONAL
CONVENTION,EAA ANTIOUEICLASSIC DIVISION INC., INTERNATIONALAEROBATIC CLUBINC., WARBIRDS OF AMERICAINC., are registeredtrademarks.THE EAA SKY
SHOPPE and logos of the EAAAVIATION FOUNDATION INC.and EAAULTRALIGKT CONVENTION areIrademarf<softheabove associatklnsandtheiruse byanypersonother
than the above associationsisstrictlyprohibited.
Editorial Policy:Readersare encouraged 10 submit stories and photographs.Policy Oi>nklns expressed in articfes are those of the authors.Responsibility lor accuracy in
reporting rests wrth the contributor.Malerialshould be sentto:Edrtor,TheVINTAGE AIRPLANE,WittmanRegionalAirport,3000PobereznyRd., Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.
Phone: 4141426-4800.
The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN0091-6943)is andowned exclusivelybyEAA Division,Inc. ofthe ExperimentalAircraftAssociation.Inc. andispoblished
atWittman RegionalAirport,3000PobereznyRd.,Oshkosh,WI54903-3086.SecondClassPostagepaid atOshkosh, WI 5490t andadditionalmailingoffices.Membership
ralesforEM Division,Inc.are 518.00forcu"enlEAAmembersfor t2month periodofwhich $t2.00isforthepublicationofTheVINTAGEAIRPLANE. Membership
isopen to all who are interested in
ADVERTISING - Divisiondoesnolguarantee or endorse anyprorucloffered through our advertising.We inviteconstructive ai1icism and welcome anyreport of
inferior obtained through ouradvertisingso thai correctivemeasurescan belaken.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EAA AntiqueIClassic Division,Inc.,Willman Regional Airport,Oshkosh,WI 54903-3086.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
G ST
EDITORIAl.'
by
PaulPoberezny
Ithas been quite some time since I
wrote a line or two for our VINTAGE
AIRPLANE Magazine . All too often I
am so busy with day-to-day correspon-
dence dealing with the many and
varied problems that face the organiza-
tion, making trips to Washington,
D.C. and sometimes having the
privilege of flying the P-51 Mustang.
Unfortunately, some of our Antique
and Classic friends feel I have no love
for this phase of flying. Truly my in-
terest is a lot greater in antique
airplanes than one would realize. At
age 16 I taught myself to fly in a bat-
tered glider that I repaired. It was given
to me by my high school teacher. I can
well remember when the Curtiss
Hawks used to fly over our neighbor-
hood in the country southwest of Mil-
waukee. When I saw those two wings
flying by I thought they must be flown
by little men because the airplanes
were not in proportion with my imagi-
nation. I always thought that the Cur-
tiss Hawk was a stunt plane because of
its short, low wing. Why , I don't
know.
I can remember one night after going
to a movie theater in West Allis, Wis-
consin (only a four-mile walk, one
way) my mother told me that an
airplane had landed in the field about
two blocks away, because of fog. It
didn't take me long to head down to
the farmer's field to see it. I ap-
proached the airplane with great cau-
4 JUNE 1989
tion , seeing the shadowy outline of the
wings . I don't recall whether it was a
Waco 10, an American Eagle or a
Swallow. I circled the airplane with
caution and I must admit with a bit of
fear. I went home and got a blanket ,
went back to the airplane and slept
under the fuselage between the landing
gear. I was so excited I didn't sleep
much that night. I kept looking at the
massive wings thinking that I, too
would fly one of these wonderful
machines one day. I rushed home after
school the next day to see the airplane
again but , the pilots were gone. It left
a great impression on me .
During high school I also joined a
flying club, flying a Porterfield 3570.
I soloed it, which was quite a feat
sitting in the back seat unable to see
over the nose or around the speed ring
that contained a 70-hp, five-cylinder
LaBiond. Unfortunately, our flying
club lost the airplane because of partial
powerplant failure .
I was working at a filling station
stocking shelves to save money to buy
an airplane. I also begged my Dad to
borrow some money. He was on WP A
at the time. He borrowed the money
and we bought an American Eagle,
long-nose, Model 101 , NC 221N from
Dale Crites. It had a tailskid instead of
brakes , which was common in that
era. Dale checked me out. That
airplane taught me how to be a
mechanic and a pilot. Later, I had the
opportunity to fly Dale Crites's 1-5 ,
225-hp, straight-wing Waco. At the
time, that was flying the best of them
all.
During World War II , I instructed in
Stearmans, PT-19s and -23s - over
2,000 hours sitting in an open cockpit,
loving every minute of it. Later, I got
to fly almost all the propeller-driven
airplanes, two-engine , four-engine,
etc. But my love has always been the
older airplanes. I well remember when
I was an eighth-grader, I walked miles
to the Milwaukee County Airport, now
known as General Mitchell Field, and
was offered a ride if I would Simonize
a Curti ss Robin. I took many IO-mile
walks down the gravel road of Layton
Avenue to complete the job, only to be
disappointed when the owner and pilot
said he didn' t have time to give me a
ride - certainly one of the greatest
disappointments in my life. However,
the EAA Aviation Foundation now
owns that airplane. N50H is sitting in
our Pioneer Airport , so I finally got
my ride after all.
There are many stories I could share.
But, I would like to take this opportu-
nity to say how proud I am of our EAA
Antique/Classic Division , the work
you do during our annual Convention
and the chapters that are keeping avia-
tion alive. I am truly glad to be a part
of you and your love for those
airplanes that gave us the inspirations .
S 3 8 l f l N I I \
ICALENDAR OF EVENTSI
The Antique/Classic Valley Queen
II Riverboat Dinner Cruise will board
from the Pioneer Inn Marina at 7:00
p.m. on Monday, July 31. Tickets for
the two and a half hour sunset cruise
can be purchased by sending a self ad-
dressed stamped envelope by July 7 to
Jeannie Hill, Box 328, Harvard, Il-
linois 60033. Cost is $18.50 per ticket.
Make checks payable to the Antique/
Classic Division of EAA.
June 2-3 - Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
Biplane Expo '89, National Biplane
Convention and Exposition. Frank
Phillips Field. Sponsored by National
Biplane Association. Contact Charles
W. Harris, 9181742-7311 or Mary
Jones, 9181299-2532 .
June 2-4 - Merced, California. 37th
Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In,
Merced Municipal Airport. Contact
Merced Pilots Association , PO Box
2313, Merced, California 95344. Tel
Linton Wellen after 4:30 pm, PDT,
209/722-6666.
June 3-4 - Coldwater, Michigan.
Fifth Annual Fairchild Reunion . Con-
tact Mike Kelly, 22 Cardinal Drive,
Coldwater, Michigan 49036. Tel 517/
278-7654.
June 9-10 - Denton, Texas. Twenty-
seventh Texas Chapter AAA Fly-In,
Denton Municipal Airport. Contact
Don or Shirley Swindle 214/429-6343
or Bob Landrum 817/430-3387 or John
Price 817/481-9005.
June 10 - Newport News, Virginia.
Seventeenth Annual Colonial Fly-in.
Patrick Henry Airport. Sponsored by
EAA Chapter 156. Contact Chet
Sprague, 8 Sinclair Rd., Hampton,
Virginia 23669. Tel 8041723-3904.
June 11 - Aurora, Illinois. EAA
Chapter 579 Fly-In Breakfast and FBO
open house at Aurora Municipal Air-
port. Contact Alan Shackleton at 312/
466-4193 or Bob Reiser at 312/466-
7000.
June 16-18 Camden, South Carolina.
6 JUNE 1989
Southeast Aeronca Fly-in at Camden
Airport, sponsored by EAA Chapter
242. Contact Earl Yerrick at 8031781-
2741.
June 22-25 - Mount Vernon , Ohio.
30th Annual Waco Reunion . Wynkoop
Airport. Make your reservations at the
Curtis Motor Hotel , just one mile from
the airport, 1-800-828-7847, or (in
Ohio) 1-800-634-6835 . There will be
no Waco fly-in at Hamilton this year.
For more information, contact Na-
tional Waco Club, 700 Hill Avenue,
Hamilton, Ohio 45015 .
June 23-25 - Pauls Valley, Ok-
lahoma. Greater OKC Chapter of AAA
Fly-In. Great facility for Fly-In and
camping. Close to motels. Contact
Harry Hanna at 405/946-4026, or Bud
Sutton at 405/392-5608 .
June 24-25 - Orange Massachusetts.
EAA Chapter 726 New England Fly-In
and antique engine show. Two run-
ways, 5,000- by I 50-feet, trophies,
flea market and food. Warbirds wel-
come. Contact Joe Smolen, 413/498-
2266.
June 24-25 - Ridgeway , Virginia.
Second annual Fly-In and Pig-picking
at Pace Field (36'35"N, 79' 52"W) .
Call 703/956-2159.
July 12-16 - Arlington, Washington.
Northwest EAA Fly-in and Sport Avi-
ation Convention, Arlington Airport .
Contact Northwest EAA Fly-In, 4700
188th Street NE, Arlington, Washing-.
ton 98223 . Tel. 206/435-5857.
July 14-15 - Fort Collins Loveland,
Colorado. Eleventh annual Rocky
Mountain Regional Fly-In. Co-spon-
sored by EAA Chapter 648. Contact
3031798-6086 or 442-5002.
July 15-16 - lola, Wisconsin. Annual
Fly-In breakfast at Central County Air-
port, both days in association with lola
Old Car Show Weekend. Call 414/
596-3530.
July 15-16 - Delaware, Ohio. Cen-
tral Ohio - 8th annual EAA Chapter 9
Fly-In. Delaware Airport. Contact
Walt McClory , 614/881-4267 or Alan
Harding, 614/885-6502.
July 28-August 3 - Oshkosh, Wis-
consin . 37th Annual EAA Fly-In and
Sport Aviation Convention at Wittman
Regional Airport. Call 414/426-4800.
August 19-20 - Reading , Pennsyl-
vania. Reading AeroFest at Reading
Municipal Airport . Fly-In Breakfast
sponsored by Pottstown Aircraft Own-
ers and Pilots Association.
August 25-27 - Sussex, New Jersey.
Seventeenth Annual Sussex Air Show.
"Biggest Little Air Show in the
World." Sussex Airport. Ca1l201!875-
7337 or 875-9919.
August 31-September 1 - Cof-
feyville , Kansas. Funk Aircraft Own-
ers Association Reunion . Contact Ray
Pahls , President. Tel. 316/943-6920.
September 1-5 - Bartlesville, Ok-
lahoma. National Antique Airplane
Association Fly-In at Frank Phillips
Field. Contact Robert L. Taylor at 515/
938-2773 .
September 6-10 - Galesburg, Il-
linois. 18th Annual Stearman Fl y-In.
Contact Tom Lowe at 815/459-6873.
September 9-10 - Shirley, Long Is-
land, New York. 26th Annual Antique
Airplane Club of Greater New York
Fly-In. Brookhaven Airport . Rain
date, September 16-17. Contact John
Schlie at 516/957-9145 .
September 15-17 - Jacksonville, Il-
linois . Fifth Annual Byron Smith
Memorial Stinson Fly-In and Reunion.
Contact Loran Nordgren at 815/469-
9100.
October 5-8 - Pauls Valley, Ok-
lahoma. International Cessna 120-140
Association Fly-In Convention. Fifty
miles south of Oklahoma City on 1-35 .
Fly-Outs, games and fun for all. Close
to motels and shopping mall. Excellent
camping facilities on field. Contact
Bud Sutton at 405/392-5608 .
NOTICEOF
ANNUAL
BUSINESSMEETING
Notice is hereby given that an
annual business meeting of the
members of the EAA Antique/
Classic Division will be held on
Thursday, August 3, 1989 at
10:00 a.m. (Central Daylight
Time) at the 37th Annual Conven-
tion of the Experimental Aircraft
Association, Inc., Wittman Re-
gional Airport, Oshkosh, Wiscon-
sin.
Notice is hereby further given
that the annual election of officers
and directors of the EM Antique/
Classic Division will be conducted
by ballot distributed to the mem-
bers along with this June issue of
VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Said ballot
must be returned properly
marked to the Ballot Tally Com-
mittee, EM Antique/Classic Divi-
sion, EM Aviation Center, Osh-
kosh, WI 54903-3086, and re-
ceived no later than July 30,
1989.
The Nominating Committee
submits the following list of candi-
dates.
Arthur R. Morgan,
Vice-President
E.E. "Buck" Hilbert,
Treasurer
John S. "Jack" Copeland, Director
Philip Coulson, Director
Stan Gomoll , Director
Dale A. Gustafson, Director
Daniel F. Neuman, Director
ARTHUR R. MORGAN
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Art Morgan began flying in 1961
and received his private license in
1962. In 1965 he went on to get hi s
commercial rating.
He has been a member of EAA since
1962 and began by parking airplanes
at the EAA Conventions in Rockford,
Illinois.
Art was one of the first to start build-
ing a KR-l and although he did not
complete his project , he was instru-
mental in the completion of two of the
little birds.
In 1974 he and his wife, Kate, pur-
chased a 1939 Luscombe 8-C, which
he promptly rebuilt. After two years of
flying the Luscombe, Art and several
friends organized the American Lus-
combe Club. The Morgans also own a
Bellanca 14-13 .
Art served the EAA as a Museum
volunteer for several years; as Classic
parking chairman at Oshkosh and also
as Antique/Classic parking chairman.
Art has been a Director of the An-
tique/Classic Division since 1978 .
E. E. "BUCK" HILBERT
Union, Illinois
"Buck" is a native a Chicago and a
graduate of Lewis College. He began
learning the "pilot's point of view"
while working as a line boy at the old
Elmhurst Airport near Chicago in
1938. The pay wasn't much, but it was
"flying" time and he soloed an Aeronca
65LA Chief in October, 1941.
He enlisted in the Air Force shortly
thereafter, into the Training Com-
mand, where he flew and instructed in
many of the training aircraft of that era.
He flew gunnery training at Las Vegas
Army Air Field in B-17s and finished
up teaching Chinese Nationalist Pilots
twin engine transition.
Recalled for the Korean war,
"Buck" qualified as an Army Aviator
and flew with the HQ . Company Air
Section of the 24th Infantry Division.
"A most rewarding and memorable ex-
perience," he reports.
"Buck" and Dorothy and their four
children are at home at "Hilbert's
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
Funny Fann" where he has an airstrip
and keeps a stable of interesting and
flyable "old" airplanes. Buck is a re-
tired United Airlines captain.
Buck is no stranger to the Antique/
Classic Division. He is past president,
having served from 1971 through
1975 . He currently is Treasurer of the
Division and is also a member of the
EAA Aviation Foundation Board of
Trustees.
JOHN S. "JACK" COPELAND
Westborough, Massachusetts
Jack received a degree in mechani-
cal engineering from Illinois Institute
of Technology in 1954. He served as
an Aircraft Maintenance Officer on ac-
tive duty in the U.S. Air Force from
1955-58, attaining the rank of captain
in the USAF reserve.
Jack holds a commercial pilot
license with a flight instructor rating.
He joined EAA in 1971 and the An-
tique/Classic Division in 1975 shortly
after purchasing his first aircraft, a
1948 Cessna 140. At that time Jack
lived in the Chicago area and partici-
pated in pre-Convention weekend
work parties.
He has been an active volunteer at
the last ten annual Conventions serving
at various times as Classic Parking Co-
Chainnan, Manpower Co-Chainnan,
and Manpower Chainnan. He was
named an advisor to the Antique/
Classic Board of Directors in 1979 and
served in that capacity until 1984 when
he was elected to a Directorship.
Jack earns his living as a profes-
sional engineer and in addition to his
EAA involvement is active as a Cap-
tain on the Massachusetts Wing Staff
of the Civil Air Patrol.
8 JUNE 1989
PHILIP COULSON
Lawton, Michigan
Phil was born on a fann in south-
western Michigan. His first ride in an
airplane was at the age of 16 in a Fair-
child PT-23, owned and flown by
Horace Sackett, a local pilot and A&P.
Twenty-years later Horace would be
Phil's guiding light in restoring his
1930 Waco INF.
Phil learned to fly off a grass strip
in Lawton, Michigan in 1962. His
original dual instruction and solo fly-
ing was in a Piper J-5. Throughout the
years he has owned several aircraft, in-
cluding a J-3 Cub, Taylorcraft, Tri-
Pacer and Cessna 190. He and his
wife, Ruthie, are lovers of Wacos and
greatly enjoy flying their Kinner-pow-
ered 1930 INF. They also own a Model
G Bonanza.
Phil's military career consisted of
four years in the U. S. Air Force during
the Korean War.
Phil is a lifetime EAA member and
began attending EAA Conventions in
Rockford, Illinois. He is a charter
member of Antique/Classic Chapter 8
and also a past president. Phil has been
chainnan of the annual Parade of Flight
at Oshkosh for the past nine years . He
was appointed advisor to the Antique/
Classic Board in 1985. The Coulsons
live in Lawton, Michigan.
STAN GOMOLL
Blaine, Minnesota
Stan soloed a J-3 Cub on his 16th
birthday on 11-30-42. In 1945 he
served in the U.S . Air Force as a
ground crewman on B-29s based at
Guam. Stan received his A&E license
in 1949 at Spartan School of Aeronau-
tics, then returned home to Min-
neapolis where he worked at a small
airport.
In 1951 he was hired by Northwest
Airlines as a mechanic, progressing to
Flight Engineer, Co-pilot and he cur-
rently flies as Second Officer on Boe-
ing 747s.
Stan's first airplane was a 1939 40
hp Taylorcraft. Currently he owns and
flies a 1936 Waco Cabin and a 1946
J-3 Cub. Over the years he has restored
many airplanes.
Stan has been active in EAA work-
ing on various committees at the An-
nual Convention. In 1976 he was
muned Advisor and elected to the
Board of Directors in 1984. He is cur-
rently President of Antique/Classic
Chapter 4 in the Minneapolis area.
NOTICEOF
ANNUAL
MEMBERSHIP
BUSINESSMEETING
INFORMATION
DALE A. GUSTAFSON
Indianapolis, Indiana
Dale hasbeen interestedin airplanes
since he was asmall childand tookhi s
first plane ride in 1939 at the age of
10. He started taking flying lessons in
1945 and soloed at 16. After high
school, he worked at the airport in
South Bend, Indiana servicing airlin-
ers, handling cargo and doing field
maintenance.
Dale attended Spartan School of
Aeronauticsin 1948and 1949toobtain
additional pilot ratings. After this he
freelanced as aflight instructorandran
a small FBO at South Bend until he
was hired as aco-pilot on TurnerAir-
lines in Indianapoli s in 1950.Through
name changes and mergers, the airline
is now USAir. He had been with the
airline for more than 35 years when he
retired. Hisplans now are to spend his
time between Indiana and Florida,
where he has property adjoining a pri-
vate airstrip.
Through the years, Dale has owned
various aircraft including a Stinson V-
77, Piper Colt, Fairchild 24, Cessna
150 and several modem airplanes. He
currently owns a Cessna 195 plus a
Stearman PT-17 and Piper J-4 which
are being restored. Recently Dale and
his wifeoperatedasmall airportnorth-
west ofIndianapolis. He is a member
of several organizations interested in
antique, classicand homebuiltaircraft.
He has been a member ofEAA since
1960and the Antique/Classic Division
since it was organized. He has served
as an Advisor to the Division and cur-
rently isservingas aDirector. Forsev-
eral years, Dale hasjudgedantiques at
Oshkoshand servedas ProgramChair-
man for the Antique/Classic Division
awards.
DANIEL F. NEUMAN
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Dan soloed a Fairchild KR-31 in
1935 and obtained his A&P license
while still in high school in Detroit ,
Michigan. Hisfirstjobwas in final as-
semblyatStinsonAircraftCorporation
in 1938. Later he was employed by
Warner Aircraft Corp. in the engine
testing department.
Prior to WW II he was chief pilot
for an F.B.O. at Detroit City Airport
flying Stinson Model "U" Trimotors,
Sikorsky S-38 amphibians, Wacos,
Stinson, etc. Dan was also a flight in-
structor in the C. P. T. program.
In 1942 he was hired by Northwest
Orient Airlines and flew as captain
from 1943 until retirement in 1978.
He has been actively interested in
vintageaircraftsince 1947owningand
restoring various types including a
Beech Staggerwing, Spartan Execu-
tive, Stinson Reliant, Monocoupe,
Waco, etc. In 1968 he won the AAA
Grand Champion Award with his Cur-
tiss JN4-Dand the EAAGrandCham-
pion Award in 1982with hisBuhl LA-
I Pup.
Dan owns and operates Midland
Aviation Co., an F.B.O. in Min-
neapolis. He was namedan Advisorin
1982 and elected to the Antique/
Classic Board ofDirectors in January
1985.
EAA
Membership in the Experimental
Aircraft Association, Inc. is $30.00
for one 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 EAA An-
tique-Classic Division, 12 monthly
issues ofThe VintageAirplaneand
membership card. Applicant must
be a current EAA memberandmust
giveEAAmembershipnumber.
Non-EAA Member - $28.00. In-
cludes one year membership in the
EAA Antique-Classic Division, 12
monthly issues of The Vintage Air-
plane, one year membership in the
EAA 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 members ofEAA.
WARBIRDS
Membership in the Warbirds of
America, Inc. is $25.00 per year,
which includes a subscription to
Warbirds. Warbird members are
requiredtobemembersofEAA.
EAAEXPERIMENTER
EAA membershipandEAA EXPERI-
MENTER magazine is available for
$28.00peryear(SportAviationnot
included). Current EAA members
may receive EAA EXPERIMENTER
for$18.00peryear.
FOREIGN
MEMBERSHIPS
Please submit your remittance with
a check or draft drawn on a United
States bank payable in United
Statesdollars.
Make checks payable to EAA orthe
division in which membership is
desired. Address all letters to EAA
or the particular division at the fol-
lowingaddress:
EAA AVIATION CENTER
OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086
PHONE(414)426-4800
OFFICEHOURS:
8:15-5:00MON.-FRI.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE9

A VIATION HEADLINES OFTHE
1920s and 1930s
We are all aware of the impact
Lindbergh' s New York-to-Pari s fli ght
had on the public, but what other avi-
ation events of the 1920s and 1930s
were deemed ofenough importance to
gamer headlines in the newspapers?
Scanning throughthe newspaperhead-
lines in the EAA Aviation Library
gives somecl ueas tothe typeoffront-
page coverage that avi ation received
then.
February 22, 1922
GIANT ARMY DIRIGIBLE
WRECKED
Norfolk,Va.- Victimsperishwhen
ROMA burstsintoflames afterfall;
collapseofruddercausestragedyon
shorttrial flight.
At Hampton Roads, Virginia, in
what was the greatestdi sasterto befall
Army aeronautics, the Italian built
semi-ri gid airship ROMA's structure
broke up during hi gh speed fli ght and
went out ofcontrol.
Apparentl y the substitution of two
Liberty motors for two of the six
li ghter Ansoldo engines subjected the
airship to stresses for which it was not
designed and thi s resulted in tragedy.
This incident gave Itali an airship
building a bad reputation from which
itdid not recoveruntil the Itali an-built
R- l NORGE fl ew to the North Pole in
1926.
May 10, 1926
BYRD FLIES TO NORTH POLE
Kings Bay, Spitzbergen
America's claim to the North Pole
was cinched tonight when, after a
flight offifteen hours and fifty-one
minutes, Commander Richard E.
Byrd and Floyd Bennett, his pilot,
returned to announce that they had
flown to the Pole.
Flying from SpitzenbergenIsland in
a Fokker F.VIIA-3m trimotor named
"JosephineFord"afteroneofthespon-
sors' (Edsel Ford)daughter, Byrd and
Bennett fl ew a round trip to the North
Pole just beating out the airship
NORGE which left from Spitzbergen
two days later. Since the day of the
event there have been'studiesdoubting
b,., ()ennis Varks
Byrd's reaching the North Pole. For
one thing, the Fokker would have had
to average over 93 mph to make the
trip in the time it was gone..
May 12, 1926
NORGEFLIES OVER
NORTH POLE
Reports herfeat to TIMESbywire-
less;GoingonovertheArcticwastes
to Alaska. First message ever re-
ceived from the North Pole.
Norwegian explorer Roald
Amundsen led the expedition whi ch
made the first airship fli ght over the
North Pole. The Italian-built airship
fl ew from Spitzbergen Island over the
Poleand cont inuedontoAlaska.Other
crewmembers included the American,
Lincoln Ell sworth and theairship'sde-
signer, Umberto Nobile.
May 21, 1927
LINDBERGH STRIKES OUT
ACROSS OCEAN
New York- Flying to meettomor-
row' s rising sun Capt. Charles A.
Lindbergh left all land behind him
tonight when he passed over New-
foundland and struck out for Ire-
land,1,900milesacrosstheopensea
on his attempted nonstop flight to
Paris. Ships in the North Atlantic
have been requested to radio shore
station ifthe flier is sighted.
May 22, 1927
LINDBERGHDOES IT!
Paris - Lindbergh did it. Twenty
minutesafter10o' clocktonightsud-
denly andsoftly thereslippedoutof
the darkness a gray-white airplane
as 25,000 pairs ofeyes strained to-
ward it. At 10:24 the Spirit of St.
Louis landed and lines of soldiers,
ranks of policemen and stout steel
fences wentdown beforeamadrush
as irresistible as the tides of the
ocean.
June 19, 1928
AMELIA EARHART FLIES
ATLANTIC
BurryPort, Carmathenshire, South
Wales - The first woman to cross
theAtlanticsuccessfullybyair,Miss
Amelia Earhart, Boston settlement
worker, alighted in the seaplane
Friendshipherethismorningon the
broad expanse ofLoughor Estuary,
afteraflightof20hoursand40min-
utes.
Ameli a Earhart was a passenger in
a Fokker tri motor piloted by Wi lmer
StultzandLouis Gordon.Theyarrived
with enough fuel to continue on to
Southampton, but fog forced a stop-
over.
November 30, 1929
BYRD SAFELY FLIES TO
SOUTH POLE
Little America, Antarctica - Con-
queroroftwopolesbyair,Comman-
derRichard E. Byrdflew intocamp
at 10:10 this morning, having been
gone eighteen hours and fifty-nine
minutes.
Fl yingaFordTrimotornamedFloyd
Bennett after Byrd'spilotontheNorth
Pole fli ght , the fl ight over the South
Pole was the culminationofanexped-
ition that had begun the previous Au-
gust and involved acrewofmore than
40 people.
August 16, 1935
CRASH KILLS ROGERS, POST
Point Barrow, Alaska - Death
ended the arctic aerial trip of Will
Rogers, famouscomedian,andWily
Post, round the world flyer, when
theirplanecrashed15milessouthof
here at8:18 pmThursday.
Will Rogers hired Postto fly him to
Alaska in search of material for hi s
newspaper column. The pontoons that
wereordered fortheirLockheedOrion
were late in arriving in Seattle, so a
heavier pair were attached making the
plane nose-heavy. Thi s led to tragedy
when the engine quit on take-off from
a lake near their destination.
May 7, 1937
HINDENBERG BURNS IN
LAKEHURSTCRASH
Lakehurst, N.J. - The zeppelin
Hindenberg was destroyed by fire
and explosions here at 7:28 tonight
with a loss of thirty-three known
dead and unaccounted for outofits
ninety-seven passengersandcrew.
10 JUNE 1989
The accident happened just as the
dirigible was about to dock four hours
afterflying overNewYorkCityonthe
last leg ofits first transatlantic voyage
ofthe year.PreviouslytheHindenberg
had made 10 round trips across the At-
lantic in 1936.
July 14, 1938
AROUND THEWORLDIN
FOUR DAYS
New York- Howard Hughes, mil-
lionairesportsmanwhoflies''forthe
fun ofit" and his four companions
at noon Thursday were nearing
Floyd Bennett airport here with a
new record for girdling the globe.
They virtuallyclippedthreedaysoff
the record set in 1933 by the late
Wily Post, who flew around the
world in seven days.
Using a Lockheed Model 14,
Hughes and his crew made an around
the world flight in a record 91 hours
and 14 minutes.Withthesophisticated
radio equipmenton the plane the crew
was able to be in contact with the
ground station in New York for most
ofthe trip.
August5, 1938
CORRIGANCHEERED BY A
MILLION
New York- DouglasCorrigan,that
daring youg man of the flying
machine,rodeupBroadwayFriday,
cool and brashandgrinninginfecti-
ously as thousands upon thousands
cheeredhimforflyingacrosstheAt-
lantic by "mistake."
Douglas Corrigan, flying an aged
1929CurtissRobin,tookofffromNew
York on July 19, 1938 supposedly to
fly to his home in California. He ar-
rived 28 hours and 13 minutes later in
Dublin, Ireland. His flight was the
sixth successful west-to-east solo
crossing ofthe Atlantic - accidental
ornot.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
VINTAGE SEAPLANES
by Norm Petersen
From the Norman Collection of photos in the EAA Archives, we present a photo taken in the early 1930s in Italy where this Breda 25
biplane trainer was used on wheels and floats. It is estimated that over 10,000 pilots were trained in this model. On floats, the Breda 25
was refered to as the "Idro" and used the 240hp Walter "Castor" engine built in Czechoslovakia. With a gross weight of 2486 Ibs. on
floats, the "25" would cruise at 93mph with a top speed of 118mph. Ailerons were located on the lower wings and conventional
construction of steel tube fuselage and wood wings was employed. The seven-compartment floats were of aluminum and featured dual
water rudders. Note civilian registration "I-ABFG" on side of fuselage. Most Breda 25 aircraft were two-seat (tandem) trainers, however,
this floatplane model is the single seat edition. The tandem trainers featured dual controls, however, the studenfs controls could be
disconnected from the instructor's controls while in flight!
Three Hamilton Metalplanes on floats (also made by Hamilton) ride at anchor in this photo
from the EAA Archives. It is known that three Hamlltons were delivered to the Province of
Ontario, Canada. Two of the aircraft pictured carry sequential Canadian registration, CF-AOH
12 JUNE 1989
~
A Loenlng "Duck" thunders across the water on takeofffrom Cleveland In this photo from the old American Airman files in the EM
Archives. Tex Marshallsays, ''The Terminal TowerofClevelandIs Inthebackground.These planescarriedsixpassengersandacrewof
two.Cruisingabout100mph,theLoenlngswereequippedwithtwo-wayradio.Theengineswere575hpWrightCyclones.Iwaspresident
ofTrans-AmericanAirlinesthatoperatedtheseplanesIn1929and1930betweenClevelandandDetroit.Wehadsixofthem.Ihadabout
75 hoursaspilotIn theLoenings,ferrying newplanesandusingthemfor business."
-
andCF-AOI. Thecenterplanehaswhatappearstobe militarymarkingsontherudderand
wingsurfaces.Allarepoweredby525hpWrightengines.Cananyreadersprovideadditional
informationastothelocationofthephotoandthedetails?
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
MEMBERS' PROJECTS...
by Norm Petersen
A one year and three months restoration project produced the very nice looking Stinson 108-2, N9835K, SIN 108-2835, shown here. James
Evans (EAA 298808) of Lander, Wyoming restored the Stinson with help from Gene Ferry (EAA 63787) who is also rebuilding a Super Cub.
James reports the Stinson flies very well and he is quite happy with the end result. This project was also featured in VINTAGE AIRPlANE
in February, 1988 and August, 1988. Congratulations, Jamesl
Nicely restored Piper PA-11, N4594M, SIN 11-97, is shown at the Cub Fly-In at Henning, Minnesota in 1988, flown by its owner, Dick Weber
(EAA 319736) of Buffalo, Minnesota. The "cherry" PA-11, complete with 85hp Continental and metal wheel pants, has since been sold to
Dick Falen (EAA 212982) of Star Prairie, Wisconsin.
14 JUNE 1989
C ER CHRONICLES
by Bob Brauer
When Chapter II was formed in
1983, it already consisted of an active
group of longtime EAA members . This
chapter is based at Capitol Drive Air-
port in Brookfield , Wisconsin near
Milwaukee. Meetings, are held at the
airport on the first Monday of each
month and feature speakers and dem-
onstrations on fabric-covering and
routine airframe and engine mainte-
nance . On occasion, these subjects, as
well as those covering the restoration
and flying of antique aircraft are pre-
sented on film or video.
President George Meade reports that
in addition, most meetings include ap-
proximately 20 minutes of aviation
education by local flight instructors or
other authorities. Pilotage, biennial
flight review requirements and A TC
procedures as applied to the new
"airspace stuff' have been useful areas
of instruction. Treasurer and school
teacher Debra Schroeder occasionally
conducts air-education sessions during
the week at the airport for youngsters
from the area. These children are from
local elementary and junior high
I
chools and Debra reports they always
show tremendous interest in whatever
she shows them at the airport.
The activities of Chapter II, how-
ever, are not limited to monthly meet-
ings. Bob Lumley , who organizes
some of the chapter's ventures,
explained that members participate in
monthly flyouts to airport restaurants ,
breakfast rallies , grass airstrip tours
and various types of special interest
trips. The frigid winter months of Wis-
consin are no barrier to flight because
the low temperatures frequently pro-
duce good visibility and high ceilings.
When these conditions prevail there is
Happy antlquers from the March '89 Chapter 11 trip to Dayton. Left to right; Herb Thacher,
Red Perkins, Carl Pedderson, Dave Broadfoot, Charlotte Zem, Demo Staver and Clarence
Schreiber.
hardly a comment about the cold.
The members do like to go places
and have taken extended week-end
trips to the Smithsonian Air and Space
Museum in Washington, D.C. , to the
Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson
AFB in Dayton, Ohio, a group flight
to Prince Edward Island and several
flyouts to airports with camping
facilities available.
The most recent trip was the one to
Wright-Patterson during the week-end
of March II. Twenty members and
friends flew or drove to attend an inten-
sive two-day tour of the Air Force
Museum.
Of the approximately 70 aircraft re-
gistered to chapter members, more
than 30 are antiques ranging from
Aeroncas to Wacos . There are four re-
storation projects underway and one
spearheaded by Dave Broadfoot was
recently completed for the Smithsonian
Institution. Steve Wittman's original
racer, "Buster" was completely reco-
vered and refurbi shed and returned to
the National Air and Space Museum
for prominent display.
Because of the chapter's proximity
to Oshkosh , the members provide
many volunteers and participants for
. our annual EAA Convention. Some
hold key positions in the areas of An-
tique/Classic aircraft parking, flight-
line safety, show-plane camping and
A/C Convention Headquarters (the
Red Barn). In addition, they conduct
more custom aVIatIOn restoration
forums, organize the A/C flyout pic-
nic, produce hi story of aviation vid-
eotapes and manage the Convention-
area tour trams.
Each August the chapter holds an
ice cream social fund raiser at Capitol
Drive Airport to support various chap-
ter and EAA projects. The money goes
for sponsorship of a youngster to the
EAA Air Academy, toward the pur-
chase of Duane Cole's T'Craft for the
EAA Museum and a general donation
to the museum .
If you are looking for ideas for your
chapter's participation, assuming
things are a little quiet out your way,
try using some of Chapter II's ac-
tivities as a checklist!
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
WOULDYOU SEND
A CUB UP INA
CRATE LIKE THIS?
by Frank Bass
(EAA 132867, NC4434)
I got home one evening last summer
and had a message on my answering
machine from an Engli shman by the
name of Ike Stow . He was visiting thi s
country and someone at a truck stop in
Bozeman, Montana, had told him if he
was interested in old airplanes, he
needed to get in touch with me. He
said he wanted to look at some vintage,
American-type aircraft and he would
call me the next day. Sure enough,
early Saturday morning he called
again. He was at Big Timber, Montana
and would be at my place in a couple
of hours.
He and hi s lovely wife arrived and
I gave them a tour of my place, the
Beacon Star. I showed them all my
planes and then took them into town to
see my J-5 Cub, which I had recently
decided to sell . I thought my new-
found friend only wanted to look at old
airplanes! I was surpri sed to realize he
16 JUNE 1989
was interested in buying! And guess
what? His little wife was as surprised
as I was, but it seemed OK to her. It
was pleasant to see such agreement and
trust between them; it wasn't even spo-
ken. I just felt it in her acceptance of
whatever he wanted to do. I really en-
"joyed being with these nice people who
talked so differently and lived so far
away .
He looked the Cub over and while
we were in town we attended an old
par show. Later that evening I cooked
them a Montana steak and put them up
for the night. They got up the next
morning and went into Moore for
church, which was probably a nice ex-
perience for people from England. I
fixed them a big breakfast, Montana
style: flapjacks, bacon & eggs and they
went down the road about noon. I
smiled as I watched them drive away.
I'd made some good friends and de-
cided that maybe I'd stop in England
some day and visit Ike Stow, never re-
ally dreaming that I'd ever hear from
him again.
A few weeks went by and I came
home from town one day and on my
answering machine was a big long tale
from Ike! He was calling from England
and had checked into what it was going
to cost him to transport the Cub. So I
thought, well , he would be getting
back to me. About a week later it' s Ike
again; he reached me this time . I was
in the shop and we "visited", using his
terminology. He likes to haggle about
price. Well , Danny Simpson and I had
decided that we could build the trans-
port crate for $500. We were going to
make a little profit, maybe, if Ike
wanted it done. Well , that was a
dream! Ike got the paperwork taken
care of and sent me a draft. I might
add that doing business with Ike was
indeed a pleasure. There was not a
thing, you understand, signed between
Ike and me. Not one solitary docu-
ment. He wired the money in full to
my bank. I really feel honored about
this. He is a neat, wonderful guy; a
great businessman , with a great deal of
faith in mankind. I guess he knew I
wasn't going to cheat him, but how'd
he know that? I guess he reads peoples'
minds pretty good. He wired me the
money and said he would get back to
me with shipping instructions. In the
meantime, we were flying the Cub as
much as we could. We got about four
or five hours in because this was the
last she was going to fly in the U. S.
With a Montana sticker on her tail, she
was heading for England! Our good
Director of Aeronautics, Mike Fergu-
son , would be mighty proud that he
now has an ' 87 and '88 Montana regis-
tration sticker flying in North England
on the old J-5 Cub! How about that,
Mike?
The crate project got to be quite a
procedure. Neither Danny nor I had
ever seen an airplane shipping crate.
Neither one of us had ever seen an
airplane shipped, let alone know what
kind of crate it should be in. Danny,
with his ingenious mind for designing
and building and being an A&P and AI
mechanic that he is, said that he could
just build this crate and make the
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
airplane a part of it. Sounded good to
me, so away we went . He ordered a
load of lumber and I went to town and
bought about $190 worth of dimension
lumber and another $225 worth of
rough out 112 inch plywood. You can
see my $500 was almost gone already!
We enlisted the help of another friend
of ours , Ed Mussleman, because he
had told us how he had seen airplanes
shipped to Hawaii when he was with
the airlines in California. So I said to
Danny, "We'll get Ed to come over
and tell us how to build this crate." So
Ed flew over in his Scout, landed and
came up to the hangar. I said, "Well
Ed, how is this going to work?' Ed
said he didn't know , so we proceeded
to follow Danny's design and Ed
turned out to be a good helper, but he
had never seen a crate being built
either! Ed had flown the airplanes to
the airport and other fellows disassem-
bled them and put them in a crate and
then helped put them together again in
Hawaii , but he never did see the crate!
So that was our overseas crate builder!
We made a deck out of two-inch
lumber with a rail down the center.
Then we took all the landing gear,
wings, prop and tail feathers off the
airplane. We made brackets to fasten
the main landing gear mounts (to the
crate) and built a step to fasten the tail
to. Now the fuselage was part of the
deck of the crate. We then built the
double 2 X 4 framework over the top,
put cross pieces in it and stood the
wings inside. The wings were fastened
by the strut mountings to the sides and
the spar mountings to the back end of
the crate, so now the wings were part
of the crate. Finally, the prop was fas-
tened down to the deck and the landing
gear was all lagged down. All loose
fairings, cans of screws and whatnots
were wrapped in paper, taped down
and fastened inside the fuselage . There
was not one loose piece of airplane.
They could have rolled the crate upside
down and it would not have moved!
By now the aircraft was secure inside
the crate, but we didn't have the side
panels built yet. You must remember,
we put this thing together with impact
air wrenches and screws - not a nail in
it! When it was completed with panel-
ing on the sides and re-enforced cor-
ners, we took the tractor and loader
and lifted one end of the crate six feet
off the ground and the crate did not
bend.(24 feet long, seven and a half
feet wide, six feet high and that crate
did not bend!)
We started the crate on Tuesday and
18 JUNE 1989
Danny & I finished on Saturday. Ed
spent about three days with us. We put
instructions on the outside concerning
the wing bolts , what panels should
come off to unfasten the wings, etc.
We also put instructions for Customs
on the end telling them which was front
and back and which panels should be
removed for inspection; and, of
course, what was in the crate. The
shipping people from Chicago had a
trucking firm from Lewiston come out
and pick up the plane (crate). It barely
went inside their 40-foot trailer! It had
about an inch to spare on each side.
Loading this monstrosity was quite a
sight, indeed! We got one end hoisted
up, put barrels under the crate, backed
the truck under it, raised the other end
and slid her into the truck. Ladies and
gentlemen, on November 18, 1988,
old NC35183 was on her way to Eng-
land and I expect to be hearing from
Ike any day , telling me that his airplane
has arrived. I'm told the trip should
take about six weeks .
This has been a very interesting ex-
perience for us. We've had a great time
doing it and it's certainly something
that has never been done in Montana
before. Now we are in the export bus-
iness here in central Montana; we' ve
exported our first aircraft to Grand Old
England and we wish Ike Stow all the
luck in the world and we hope he'll be
as happy with the old orange and yeller
J-5 Cub as we were.
Editor's note - Frank has gotten word
that the Cub arrived in fine shape and
was being assembled when last he
heard .
Planes& People
BILLY PANCAKE
bySharron Mitchell
By volunteers 0'the Antique/Classic
Press Committee
Larry O'Attilio and Pamela Foard,
Co-Chairmen
Thereal storyaboutAeronca 1390E
is what goes on under the wing at
Oshkosh. Billy and Saundra Pancake
have opened their doors, cowling,
panel and heartsto visitors to the EAA
Convention. They were joined by
Saundra's parents, Irene and Richard
McDowell and theirdaughter, Stacey.
The circle of lawn chairs is open to
new and old friends who want to stop
in to say hello ordiscuss airplanes.
In a soft southern drawl, Billy re-
veals that he spent much ofhis youth
at the airportdoing whateverit took to
get an airplane ride. He was into
mechanicalthingsandin seventhgrade
Billy managed to get into trouble at
school by building "shock" boxes that
zappedtheteacherand principal. After
that little incident he was high on the
listofsuspectswhenanythingmechan-
icalwas involvedin mischief.He built
rockets making his own black powder
from grocery items. Fortunately, he
soon discovered aviation which cap-
tured his interest and his energy.
At 14, he began flying with Joe
Brown in the same AeroncaChamphe
later restored. Pancake became an in-
strument-rated pilot, an A&P
mechanic, an IA and a CFI. For 10
years he flew forest fire patrol (200
hours/year) .Pancake' smechanical tal-
ents were put to use. He assembled at
least 131 Heath testkits making him a
master builder. In 1968, he began to
restore and customize Aeronca 7AC
1390E, a 1946 Champ. John Houser
of Aeronca Inc. supplied him with
blueprints and David Baker(the origi-
nal owner and a distributor for
Aeronca) supplied old books and pic-
tures . The entire plane was disassem-
bled, stripped, primed and painted.
Pancake covered the plane with Irish
linen and butyratedope. Hecompleted
the restoration in nine months .He had
built his own woodworking, metal,
upholsteryandelectronicsshops which
enabled him to work very efficiently.
Althoughhehassincebeeninvolved
in a number of restorations back to
original condition, he had decided to
customize 1390Erightfrom thebegin-
ning. In 1975, he designed a brand
new IFR panel. He has completely
redone the panel four times and you
really have to see it to believe it. It's
a work ofart! Aeronca 1390E may be
just another beautifully restored 7AC
at first glance, but a closer look will
convince you that Billy Pancake's
Champ is really something special.
Pancake customized his Champ by:
-removingthe nosetank, replacing it
with two wing tanks (26 gallons) . He
neededthespaceforthenewIFRpanel
he had designed. Recently someone
claimed his plane wasn'taChampbe-
cause it didn' t have the nose tank.
Even after Pancakeexplained what he
had done, the man still insisted it was
anearlyCitabriaorsomething. He still
chuckles softly about that.
-replaced the engine with a loo-hp
Continental 0-200.
-modifiedthe landing gearby adding
grease fittings and longer oleo strut
bushings for better wear.
-put shock mounts, grease fittings
and and a teflon ring seal (to retain
grease and prevent dirt from getting
into the packing) on the tailwheel.
-designing a fully IFR panel to re-
place the original panel. He has a full
gyro panel (artificial horizon, direc-
tional gyro, tum coordinator) a 720-
channel Edo Aire RT536 navcom, a
Narco ADF 141, a Narco AT 150
transponder, a Narco Encoder, AR
850, a Narco Nav 122 with markers
and glideslope receiver, a Terra 720-
channel transceiver, a Narco DME
195, a Silver fuel flow meter, a Dav-
tron 855 for air temperature, density
altitude, pressure altitude and voltage
and a Davtron 811 digital clock and
timer.
-puttingin an alternator(but no star-
ter) to power the panel.
-rewiringthe entire panel. Pancake' s
skill as an electronic technician and
masterbuilderofHeathkitsisevident.
Heremovedpartofthepaneltoexpose
the workmanship.
He has a one-time STC for all these
changes - imagine all that paper
work!
Billy is no stranger to restoring
airplanes. He was instrumental in the
restoration ofJimThomson's Aeronca
Sedan(EAAChampion, 1980),Harold
Armstrong's Waco 10 (EAA Reserve
GrandChampion, 1981),DavidLaw' s
Aeronca IICC (EAA Best of Type,
1983). He uses the pictures and blue-
prints from the factory to geteverything
original. Ifaclipcamefromthefactory
at an angle, Billy will restore it that
way. Unfortunately,someoftherecent
bookson Aeroncas containerrors.Be-
cause he has the factory information,
he is able to spot some ofthe errors.
His attention to detail, plus his total
commitment to originality and neat-
ness have made the planes he has
workedonexceptional.Pancakeiscur-
rently restoring another Champ. It's
going back to original right down to
the last detail. We look forward to its
arrival atOshkosh.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
C-2RESTORATION:
A/OURNAL
Conclusion
byGeorge Quast(EAA 123836, Ale8885)
January 3,1985
I received a letter from Dick Baxter
of Spencer Aircraft Industries, Inc . in
Seattle, Washington. Dick had gotten
my name from the Aeronca factory and
said that he was in the process of re-
storing C-2, sinA-71 and that it should
be flying in the spring. He was just
starting to cover his plane and would
like to see some pictures of my C-2
during the restoration and after the
completion.
January 5, 1985
I sent a letter to Dick Baxter on De-
cember 31, 1984 and he sent his first
letter to me January 2, 1985. He re-
ceived my letter the day he mailed his,
so he sent a follow-up letter that I re-
ceived today . In his two-page letter,
Dick told me the history of his C-2 and
that he flew it in 1938 when he was 14
years old. He purchased half of the
wingless C-2 a few years ago and
started his reconstruction project. He
is a good friend of Bob Cansdale who
owns a C-2. Dick built up a C-3 in
1954 and flew it for 350 hours before
selling it to Bob Cansdale.
I wanted to collect information on
all remaining C-2s and Dick Baxter's
letter was the first I received after writ-
ing to all registered C-2 owners . From
his letter, he sounds very interesting
and keeps himself busy.
January 10, 1985
I received a letter from the Antique
Airplane Association in Ottumwa,
Iowa today . I had asked for informa-
tion on its C-2 and also if anyone there
had an address of the former owner of
my C-2, Vince Burke. AAA's letter
included Vince's current address in
Anaheim, California and told me that
the Airpower Museum in Ottumwa
does have C-2, N 10168, sin 301-44
and that the fuselage had just come
back from San Antonio where it had
been rebuilt from a few original pieces.
New wings had to be built now. I had
located the former owner of this
w--&w A ~ R O N A . .
airplane, Perry Roberts of Billings,
Montana back on October 18, 1983.
AAA also enclosed a copy of THEAN-
T1QUER dated March 1966. This
whole issue was dedicated to the
"Aeronca Club" which was going to
have its 1967 fly-in that September.
An article from the October 1929 issue
of AERODIGESTwas reprinted giving
excellent information on the early C-2.
A photo of Bob Cansdale and his
award-winning C-2 was printed along
with a story by Erwin Eshelman. In
September 1930, Erwin met Dixie
Davis from Cincinnati , who was on a
nationwide tour to advertise the C-2.
This was Erwin's first look at a C-2 .
In the summer of 1931, he got his first
ride in a C-3 . The airplane cost around
1,295 Depression dollars. In 1937,
Erwin bought his first C-2, sin15, built
in September 1930. He kept the C-2
out at the old East Dayton Airfield and
always felt quite honored by having the
C-3 owned by Jean Roche right next to
his in the hangar. In 1939, Erwin sold
the C-2 and in the spring of 1964 he
purchased a C-3.
January 16, 1985
I received a letter from Dale Wol-
ford and he wrote a short profile of the
flying experiences of George York,
Jim Gorman and himself, all owners
of Aeronca C-2, sin A-66. Dale then
told about the C-2 restoration project
and sent a photocopy of an Aeronca
brochure. The original brochure was
donated to them by a friend .
I received a letter from Hardy Can-
non. Hardy had written an article for
VINTAGE AIRPLANE in the De-
cember 1984 issue. After I read it I
dropped him a letter. The article was
titled, "The Rebirth of an Aeronca C-3
Master," and tells of the Antique Air-
craft Rescue and Restoration Company
(AARRCO), being formed by Hardy
together with Bill Stratton, and their
reconstruction of C-3, NC 14640.
Hardy's reconstruction agenda in-
cluded a 1935 C-3 Master, two 1934
20 JUNE 1989
C-3 Collegians and another C-2,
planes and parts coming from Hous-
ton, Texas, Arizona, New York and
Blakesburg, Iowa.
Dick Baxter wrote a letter and re-
turned a photo of the engine and
exhaust pipe that I had sent him .
Dick's father had started in the aircraft
business in 1922 and Dick himself had
been at it for 54 years. He described
flying the C-2 as more fun than any-
thing else he had flown . Dick said,
"You do have to fly it, rather than
herding an engine through the sky like
most modern airplanes, but it is easy
to fly, very forgiving, makes a lot of
noise and you don't go no place in a
hurry! " He sent along a photo of the
front of his C-2 showing the pilot seat,
gas tank and dash .
After suppper that evening, I called
information and was given a phone
number of the former owner of my C-
2, Stanley Gerlach from Palmyra, Wis-
consin. I called and his wife, Helen
answered. I was saddened and disap-
pointed to have her tell me that Stanley
had died on November 29, 1984 at the
age of 71. He had flown for 52 years
and had owned NC 10303 before he
got married . Helen was still quite upset
about losing the companionship of
Stanley but told me he was very active
and flew airplanes till the day he died .
She told me that he attended all the
EAA Conventions and was at the last
one. This made me think. I had at-
tended many of the activities held sol-
ely for the Antique/Classic Division
members at the EAA 1984 Conven-
tion. Stanley was there too. He could
have walked right by me without my
knowing who he was. I had lost a first
hand source of information about the
C-2' s early history because I hadn't
taken the time to act sooner. This was
a good lesson for me.
Editor's note -In 1966, Stan Gerlach
helped a young pilot repair his 1929
Parks P-2A when a friend ground-
looped it on landing at Palmyra.
Stan donated parts, hangar space
and moral support to get the airplane
back into the air so the young man
could continue his barnstorming jour-
ney into the past . The pilot was Richard
Bach. You can read about Stan on
page 68 of Nothing By Chance by
Bach (Avon Books) .
I asked Helen if she might help me
find out something about Guy and
Floyd Congdon from Palmyra who
owned the C-2 before Stanley did back
from 1936 to 1955 and if she had any
photos of the C-2 that I could copy.
Then I called former owner Roy
Oberg again to talk with him about the
C-2's original altimeter, which he had.
I wanted to find out if I might get it
back into the C-2 or not. Roy had not
been too responsive to the letters and
pictures that I had sent him, so far. We
talked about the C-2 and then about a
1952 Ford 8N tractor governor. Fi-
nally , I asked him if I might have the
altimeter. He said, "Yes."
January 23, 1985
Duane K. Berke, owner of Aeronca
7-AC, N 2259E, the airplane once
owned by my father, wrote a letter to
me telling a short history of the
airplane. He owned it since 1976. It
was converted to 90 hp and flown as a
sprayer in the late 1950s. It was re-co-
vered in the 1960s and an 85-hp engine
was mounted on it which it still has
today. An implement dealer owned it
and then a few farmers before Duane
Aeronca 7-AC once owned by my father.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
bought it in 1976.
That night my mother woke me put
of a sound sleep at II :30 pm. There
was a phone call for me and as I picked
up the receiver I was just barely con-
scious. It was former owner of my C-2,
Vince Burke. I had written Vince on
January IS, using an address given to
me by the AAA. He was calling from
California where it was only 9:30 pm.
We talked about the C-2, how he flew
it, why he sold it to my father and how
he flew it to Hutchinson from Iowa
back in 1964. I was very happy he
called but much of what he was telling
me wasn't registering in my sleepy
brain, so I told him to write it all down
on paper and send it to me and I would
keep him informed on the project.
February 5, 1985
EAA Director of Information Ser-
vices, Ben Owen sent information on
the EAA Aviation Foundation's C-2,
NC 13089 and included a photo of the
airplane taken at the old museum at
Franklin. I will compile this informa-
tion with other materials collected on
the remaining registered C-2s. Ben
said if he could help in the future he
would be happy to try and that I was
to give his regards to Max.
February 11, 1985
I received five legal-size pages,
hand-written on both sides from Vince
Burke along with photocopies of
magazine articles and color photos.
Vince told me that he had owned 47
airplanes, so far, and that the C-2 was
strictly a "fun" airplane to fly. It was
kept at a museum in Sioux City, Iowa
and he would fly it to flight breakfasts
to promote the museum.
I landed at Blue Earth Airport in
Minnesota a few years ago and told
the airport operator that I was from
Hutchinson, Minnesota. He asked if I
knew of a C-2 located up there. I said
I did and he told me that it came to
Blue Earth in the 1960s during a strong
windy day and landed, facing into the
wind, flying backwards. That sounded
like a good story and, I asked Vince
about it. In his letter, he told how the
wind at the Blue Earth Airport was
about 30 to 35 mph. He put the C-2
over the runway and it drifted back-
wards as he reduced the throttle. In-
creasing power and easing the tail
down, he landed the C-2 at three mph.
Vince said he had some relatives Iiv-
ing in Hutch and here' s an interesting
point. It seems Vince' s cousin had a
nephew named Joe Dooley! Joe's Aunt
Bernice is married to my cousin, Stan-
ley. We are all related .
I worked on the first trial decal for
the C-2 using the overhead projector
borrowed from my church. The color
transparency of the tail decal emblem
was projected onto contact paper and
this image was then hand-painted with
acrylic paint and checked for size and
color.
February 13, 1985
Second attempt at the tail decal.
March 12, 1985
I received a letter from Helen Ger-
lach. She had talked to some of her
husband's flying friends and asked
them about the C-2. They were sure
that there weren't any photos taken
back in the 1930s because no one had
a camera and even if they had, they
didn't have any film . Helen was going
through some of Stanley's papers and
if she came up with anything she would
send it along. She also invited me to
stop at her home if I visited Oshkosh
again .
The EM Aviation foundation's C-2 at the old museum In Franklin, Wisconsin.
22 JUNE 1989
Taxi-testing NC 10303 on the grass.
April 1, 1985
The weather was changing. Snow
piles were melting into the ground and
it was too warm to snow and too wet
to do any field work. It was the perfect
time to finish the work on the C-2.
I installed the dash panel which was
painted with black wrinkle enamel and
baked in my mother's oven. Then I
placed all the instruments in the panel.
The gas tank, sealed and painted, was
placed back behind the firewall on the
fuselage.
April 6, 1985
I started to hand prop the engine and
check for leaks in the gas tank. We
were trying to figure out the technique
to start the E-113C engine.
April 8, 1985
Rubber grommets purchased from
Hutchinson Wholesale Supply were
placed on all the holes of the firewall
where cable, wires and gas lines came
through. Spreader bars were put on the
flying wires.
April 1015, 1985
I taxied the C-2 on the grass strip
along the main runway on these days,
getting the feel of the airplane, using
some of the engine and rudder to tum.
Because there were no wheel brakes
on the airplane, using slight forward
stick and a boost of power from the
engine would tum the little C-2. I prac-
ticed snaking back and forth to gain
confidence and control. I tried a few
fast speed runs but I never pulled the
airplane off the ground.
April 30, 1985
NC 10303 was flyable. When I
started this project I set my goal of
having the C-2 in factory-fresh condi-
tion and I had the patience to do the
perfect and exacting work, but not the
"know-how." After a while, I decided
I would do the best possible work I
could and get the C-2 flying again.
Once flying the C-2, there would al-
ways be time to make little improve-
ments. The C-2 wasn't going to be per-
fect, but practical. When I think back
to all that was done in those two and
a half years, there are a few things I'd
change if I ever did it again. There's
a lot I had learned but there's one thing
I wouldn't change. I'd do it all again
with the same people.
I finished checking everything out
on the C-2 with Jim Wechman late in
the afternoon. He suggested that I wait
until the wind calmed down and a few
of the airport spectators left for home
and then go test hop the C-2. I was too
tired that night.
May 2, 1985
I got out of bed, dressed and hurried
out to the airport. Not wanting to give
my mother a coronary thrombosis, I
'said not a word about my morning
plans. Arriving at the airport at 6:34
am, I pulled the gas-filled, oil-
checked, rocker-arm-greased C-2 out
of Joe Dooley's hangar. The sky was
clear blue with the wind out of the
southeast at five mph, directly down
the runway.
I peeled offthe bedsheets, secured
the tail to the comer of the hangar with
nylon rope and chocked the front
wheels. I ran through the preflight in-
spection. I knew every nut, bolt and
cotter pin on the plane and I checked
and rechecked the turnbuckles on the
aileron cables. No one was at the air-
port except Max and a few sparrows
that lined the hangar rafter to watch.
The engine was reluctant at first, but
after some coaxing it started with a
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
"I sow the wheel stili spinning and the grass faili ng away."
"Let's not be a Jerk and screw upl"
Joe Dooley's enthusiasm got the project off the ground in 1982. Irs fitting that he
witnessed the first flight.
24 JUNE 1989
loud "BANG." Making a mad dash
around the whirling propeller, down,
around and up through the wing's fly-
ing wires, I pulled back the throttle and
slowed the engine down.
As the tethered C-2 idled, I put Max
in the pickup truck, gave him a hug
and said, "I'll be back soon." I put him
in the truck for his own safety because
I certainly didn't want anything to hap-
pen to him now. Besides, I wanted to
know exactly where he was .
I pulled the chocks from the front
wheels, untied the tail and walked the
C-2 away from the hangars, across the
blacktop over to the grassy strip
alongside the hard-surface runway.
The morning grass was wet on my
shoes and it made the smooth tires
shine. I spread open the seat belt, put
my right foot on the seat and pulled
my body through to the other side.
Then I pulled my left foot in. The pro-
cedure reminded me of stretching into
a newly-washed pair of long under-
wear. Oil pressure was good so I taxied
the C-2 to the far end of the runway .
The low-pressure tires, the small
spring in the tailskid and the seat cush-
ion helped soften the ride.
Once I came to the far end of the
runway, I stepped out of the cockpit
and swung the tail, turning the C-2 into
the wind. Climbing back in and fasten-
ing the seat belt, I scanned the instru-
ments and made a final run-up . I slip-
ped on my pair of high school chemis-
try goggles, pulled the hood of my
sweatshirt over my head and put on a
pair of welding gloves. My father's an-
tique pocket watch said it was 7:44 am.
Since he couldn't see the flight, I
smuggled along his watch for good
luck.
I'm no Chuck Yeager, so I asked
Jesus if He wouldn't mind paying a
little attention to what was going on
down here at the end of the runway . I
reminded Him that I was a current Sun-
day School teacher with two sections
of class to be taught, yet. I also vowed
that if he helped me pull this off, I'd
make some improvements to my cur-
rent lifestyle. After making the pledge
at 7:45 am, I eased the throttle for-
ward. There was a short hesitation, and
the C-2 moved forward, shaking me
like an electric belt massager jiggles a
fat man. The engine revolving faster
produced a deafening bark and flicks
of grease and oil caught my face and
goggles.
The C-2 moved down the rough
grass runway, the wheels raising a
roostertail of water. The jarring of the
fuselage on the ground became more
and more abrupt and sharp until, sud-
denly, the choppiness stopped and the
engine continued to bang away. I
checked over my right side to see the
wheel still spinning and the grass
slowly falling away.
As busy as I was concentrating on
what I was doing, my eye caught a
familiar shape sitting on the blacktop
runway approach down near the hang-
ars. It was Joe Dooley'scargo van.He
had stopped out at the airport, by
chance, towitnessthefirstflightofthe
C-2 since 1965. How appropriate it
was forhim to seeme fly it forthefirst
time since it was because ofhim that
the project first started back in 1982.
You might say he got the project "off
the ground" back then.
I waved to Joe and made a slow
gradual climb and then turned cross-
wind to downwind. The flight went
very slowly and I thought to myself,
"I'm up here now. Let's not be ajerk
and screw up!" Myoid instructor,
Vince Keltgen taught me to fly by the
seat ofmy pants and that feel for the
airplanewashow Iwas flying theC-2.
I pulled the throttle back and im-
mediatelyfelt thecockpitcool. Slowly
descending, I turned from downwind
to base and then lined up on the grass
runway. Drifting down, I cleared the
engine and slid over the top of the
grass. It was as ifthe ground came up
to the airplane and pulled it down
softly until the wheels touched. The
ground roll was short and I let out a
big holler. It was like kissing thepret-
tiest girl in town, getting your pilot's
license and eating a Dairy Queendou-
ble banana split with chocolate syrup
and nuts, all at once. I was ecstatic.
JoemetmeatthehangarsandIgave
him my camera, told him where to
stand and took off again. This time,
Joecaptureditonfilm. Onethesecond
landing, the right wing lifted and Joe
thought I was going to lose it, butev-
erything wentfine. TheC-2hadflown
for half an hour. Butch Wechman
stopped at the airport on his way to
school so he took apictureofJoe, the
C-2 and me.
ButchleftandJoehelpedmeputthe
airplane back in the hangar. Max con-
gratulated me, not so much for the
flight but for letting him out of the
truck. Joe left to go to work and I put
everything back in its place and then
loaded Max back into the truck. I sat
in the pickup for a short moment, just
thinking what my father would say to
me now. I could almost see his face
smiling and hearhim saying, "The kid
did all right!"
.
.AERONCA.
- - .
Here I stand next to NC 10303 at our family airport, established by my father.
Walter H. Quast-
"My father and teacher. Because of him, I am now the steward of the C-2."
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
An information exchange column with input from readers.
by Buck Hilbert
(EAA 21, Ale 5)
P.O. Box 424
Union, IL 60180
On our recent West Coast trip,
Dorothy and I were having dinner with
Bob, "Red Baron" von Willer and Lor-
raine Kivi at their house near Gillespie
Field at EI Cajon, California. People
down around San Diego know the Red
Baron for his enthusiasm and drive.
He's past president of the Fleet Club,
has done yeoman duty as a volunteer
and docent for the San Diego Air
Museum and is a constant helping hand
to any antiquer of otherwise aviator
who will ask him. His phone bill must
look like the national debt.
26 JUNE 1989
He had a little bad luck last year,
losing a battle with a scaffold on the
job and broke both arms above the
elbow. He was out of service and hur-
tin ' real bad but managed to rehabili-
tate himself by working on airplanes.
He spent about all his time in "Glue
Alley" (a row of T-hangars occupied
by antiquers, builders and such), work-
ing on his Fleet and Lorraine's Com-
mandaire project. This despite the fact
that he has only about 90 percent
movement in his right arm and about
15 percent in his left. Wanta see some-
thing funny and yet heartbreaking?
Watch Bob try to put on his helmet and
goggles when he can' t even touch he
tip of his nose. I have nothing but ad-
miration for this guy . Instead of feeling
sorry for himself because he can' t fly ,
he recruited me to be his safety pilot
while we flew down to Ensenada for
Mexican Aviation Day.
If I'd known he was trying to bribe
me with that filet dinner, I'd have told
him to save it. All he had to do was
ask! About six years ago, I'd flown
with him in this same Fleet 7 to the
Marana Fly-in. This Model 7 has orig-
inal tube and fabric wheel fairings. It
also has a Kinner B-54 engine which
is the smoothest of that B-5 series. It' s
a delight to fly. Bob has it equipped
with intercom and a battery operated
transceiver so ingress and egress at Gil-
lespie and crossing the border were
easy - but I'm getting ahead of my-
self.
With all the sweet talk out of the
way, we made concrete plans . I was to
be at Glue Alley no later than nine
ayem because Dorothy and the rest of
the ladies would ride down in the sup-
port van and they needed about a two-
hour head start . The plan was for a
Saturday arrival at Ensenada, RON
down there, stay until the last minute
on Sunday and plan our trip home to
clear U.S. Customs at Brown Field,
arriving back at Gillespie before dark.
Friday was wet , rainy and nasty all
day. I had doubts that we' d even be
able to go. Then a cold front pushed
through, everything froze that night
and Saturday dawned CA VU. The
forecast was for a high of about 48
degrees and brisk winds. "Freeze-
dried" was all I could think about.
We arrived at 08:30. Von Willer
must have been there hours before we
were because he had the Fleet out and
was giving it the last minute once-over.
His normal preflight reads like my re-
cent "Spring Breakout" article - ex-
cept that he has the added responsibil-
ity of two wings and a bunch of wires.
He was polishin' and fussin' and
greeted us with the word that the coffee
was "on" over in Armin Holle's hang-
ar, next door. About that time, some-
one else showed up with Dunkin' s "fat
pills" and the bull session began.
It WAS cold! You don' t expect 30-
degree weather in San Diego. When
we got up that morning , my brother-in-
law's front-yard fountain was frozen
solid. The Red Baron, realizing that
we weren't prepared to fight the tem-
peratures had somehow accumulated
what I'd call ideal cold-weather gear.
He set me up with an extra sweater , a
genuine reproduction Air Force-type
flyin ' suit and a nice down-filled ,
weather beater jacket. All of the stuff
was king-size too, so there was little
struggle getting suited up.
Getting the Fleet fueled came next.
We topped it off with lOOLL... Would
you believe it? IOOLL in a Kinner? He
added a liberal dose of TCP and a
couple of pretty good doses of Marvel
Mystery Oil to ensure overhead lube
and to throw off the lead . You know
it worked! The Kinner was very hard
starting but once it did, it ran smoothly
and without any sign of a bellyache.
And now we waited. Bill Allen was
coming over from Montgomery in his
Stearman. We waited. The ladies had
long-since departed as scheduled at
nine o' clock. I was getting warm so I
began de-suiting. Armin Holle was on
the phone filing the multiple-plane
flight plan and getting authorization
from the Mexican Customs people. I
brought him a cup of coffee which he
promptly spilled all over the push-but-
ton phone. Ed Lockhart's
RampTrampChamp was ready, John
Domer's Mong Sport homebuiIt bip-
lane was ready, Holle's Starduster Too
was ready and we were ready. Where
was Bill Allen and his Stearman?
The coffee was coming through so I
ducked around the corner to the rest
room. When I came back there was
Bill Allen and everyone was waiting
for me. Bill' s.is one real dressed up
Stearman, all white and trimmed in in-
ternational orange. Very pretty and
sporty. Bill himself was togged out in
the neatest winter flying garb I've ever
seen. This guy knows how to go first
class. We all got underway about 10:30
with the Fleet leading, followed by the
Champ (no radio), the Mong (also a
norad) the Starduster and the Stear-
man. After run-up , we departed in
pairs and headed south over the moun-
tains and under the traffic inbound to
Lindbergh. We passed right over
Brown Field and Tijuana International
in Mexico. The famed Baja Coast was
beautiful. Our flight plan that Holle
took so much time and trouble to file
with FSS turned out to be SNAFU and
we had to do it all over again in the
air. The Mexicans were expecting us ,
though, and we cleared by radio. No
sweat.
One thing I've got to touch on ... this
is real neat. The homebuilts and the
Stearman all have smoke systems.
After the mishap between the Cessna
and PSA going into San Diego, most
of the homebuilders equipped their
machines with smoke.Yes smoke.
Von Willer cleanln' and pollshln'. Hilbert freezln' and complalnln'l Now when they want to be seen, they
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
John Domer's 1984 Mong Sport.
Armin Holle's Starduster Too.
Bill Allen and his Stearman, (finally) ready for take-off.
28 JUNE 1989
squirt a little smoke. You know, "Star-
duster 711 Mike Hotel three miles
southwest, landing." (squirt) "Stardus-
ter on downwind" (squirt). Instant rec-
ognition, and there is no doubt as to
hi s position. Well, the Mong, the
Stearman and Holle's Starduster are all
smoke equipped so we had no trouble
keeping them in sight. They'd squirt
about every eight minutes and that,
friends, saves a lot of eyeballing! The
Champ and the Fleet, being standard
category airplanes don't have smoke.
Almost wish they did.
About 50 minutes into the flight, we
saw Ensenada. There was quite a bit
of Mexican chatter on the radio and
when we got a word in, we were told
that there were skydivers in the area -
cleared to land. We lined up on down-
wind and then asked the tower for a
low pass. Right in the middle of the
pass, the whole place was suddenly full
of jumpers. No problem! They landed
in front of the crowd and we flew by
as everyone waved and cheered. The
crowd really liked the simultaneous
arrival. We weren't so sure.
I love the Mexican FAA. After land-
ing, we were met by the head man and
hi s briefing went like thi s, "Welcome
to Mexico! We are very happy you
came and brought your airplanes. Now
GO FLY, but don't hurt nobody! " And
that's the way it went for the two days.
The jumpers jumped. The Starduster,
Stearman and the Mong did aerobatics
and rat-raced. And I flew rides in the
Fleet.
I flew an assortment of Mexican
FAA people, airways traffic and con-
trol tower people, the base comman-
dant and anyone else the Red Baron
lined up . There was no language bar-
rier here. We were all aviators and
used the same sign language. Rides in
the Fleet brought promises of great re-
wards if we ever came to their offices
or airports. I'll tell you, it was almost
like the old Swallow tour all over
again. I flew out that tank of IOOLL
and got some 80. The Kinner never
missed a beat.
Finally with the wind blowing a real
brisk 25 knots and the cold getting to
everybody, we broke it off, tied down
the airplanes and went off to our motel
at Mission San Ysabel. Talk about con-
fusion, 25 skydivers and all us aviators
- by now a pair of T-6s had arrived,
too. We all adjourned for Tecate Time
which sharpened our appetites and it
was back to the base (14 in a van) for
the dinner sponsored by our hosts .
Those poor cooks never did get food
out on the tables, but they did break
Von Willer's Fleet Model 7.
The Fleet has the original fabric-covered wheel pants.
Joyce Northcutt, Joanne Hall, Joanne Beeson, Bill Allen (profile), Bill Dutton, Armin Holle
and Buck and Dorothy Hilbert.
out the beer and everyone got happy.
Back to town. We lost a guy (one
of the Warbirds, wouldn't you know
it) and only had 13 in the van. Then
we spread out to see the town. It was
one continuous cruise night, cars
bumper to bumper, horns blowing and
stereos going full bore. Baja buggies,
four-wheelers , taxi cabs - Hey man,
this is Tijuana brass and everybody is
happy! It was cold, though, so we
headed back to the hotel and were glad
to get there.
Sunday dawned bright and cold. Bill
Allen found us a real nice restaurant
and with his command of the language
we were treated like royalty. I've sel-
dom had better food anywhere and
their coffee was great.
Back at the airport the crowd was
much smaller than yesterday after-
noon. The jumpers were at it again and
the Mexican Air Force Shorts was run-
ning them up about every 20 minutes.
It was too cold for open cockpit stuff,
but the three smokers went up and did
a little formation flying and aerobatics.
When it warmed up, I started flying
passengers again, this time some of our
own people. We all sat and watched
the R.C modelers fly their machines
and then we had another go at it.
Finally, about two o'clock we made
preparations to leave, but they
wouldn't let us go! The T-6s dusted
off the area and flew some formation
passes between jumpers. Holle did
some smoker aerobatics and so did the
Mong Sport . Finally, we were called
up to the speaker's stand and they pre-
sented Holle, our spokesman, a beauti-
ful appreciation plaque. We thanked
them, formed up and headed out.
The Customs people at Brown Field
were courteous and, at the same time,
very adamant about that $25 fee. Von
Willer and I were the last to clear and
the RampTrampChamp flew with us
back to Gillespie. We landed just as
dusk was falling and the nine of us
headed for a warm Chinese dinner right
near the airport. As we talked and
dined, the warmth of friendship and
the sense of having really done some-
thing began to creep in. We all went
home with a tired but very happy feel-
ing.
And that ended the Mexican A via-
tion Day excursion. I can't say enough
about the hospitality shown us and the
enjoyable time we had. I'd like to go
back next year. Are you reading me,
Baron von Willer?
Over to you,
Buck
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
WELCOME NEWMEMBERS
The following is a partial li sting of neW
members who have joined the EAA
Antique/Classic Divi sion (through Jan-
uary 12, 1989) We are honored to wel-
come them into the ori ganization
whose members' common interest is
vintage aircraft. Succeeding issues of
VINTAGE AIRPLANE will contain
additional li sti ngs of new members.
Larry La Magdeleine William E. Marsh
Plainfield , Illinois Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Paul E. Larsen Richard Martin
Spring Hill , Florida San Marcos, California
Jean Lavallee Jim Mason
Pointe des Cascades, Quebec Upper Lake , California
William W. Lee Bill E. Masters
Tavernier, Florida Rochester, New York
David H. Leipf Robert A. Mather
Cranston, Rhode Island Ponce Inlet, Florida
Ralph Lerch Thomas A. May
Boone, Nonh Carolina San Diego , California
J . R. Leuthauser Robert G. Maybee
SI. Louis , Missouri Royal Oak, Michigan
Lucien Levesque James McCabe
Ville De Laval, Quebec Markle, Indiana
K. Eugene Levings Howard J. McCann, Jr.
Marion, Ohio Fall ston, Maryland
John H. Lewis H. C. McDermott
Cascade , Virginia Boca Raton, Florida
Stephen J. Lingl Sandy McKenzie
Rochester, New York Obrien, Florida
Donald Linn Kenneth McLaughlin
Aston, Pennsylvania Nashua, New Hampshire
Mark E. Logan Tim McManus
Springfield , Vennont Ponland , Oregon
Duane E. Logsdon W. R. Meister
Alva, Oklahoma Mississauga, Ontario
Ronald G. Lovenberg Ralph E. Merkle
Howell, New Jersey Orlando, Florida
Hermon D. Lowery David G. Migura
Pekin, Illinois Del City, Oklahoma
Forrest Lucas Devery S. Miller
Plentywood, Montana MI. Laurel, New Jersey
Frederick E. Ludtke Jerry A. Miller
Freeland, Washington Conyers, Georgia
Richard Mac Vicar Paul B. Millett
Middletown, New York Claremore, Oklahoma
William G. Maclaughlin George L. Minor
Fon Plain, New York SI. James , Missouri
Frank A. Machin Michael D. Mitchell
Paradise Valley, Arizona Nashota, Wiscons in
Joseph T. Madziarczyk Anton Moehrke
Alsip, Illinois Newton, Massachusetts
Fred N. Mair Terry A. Monteith
Keller, Texas Orion, Illinois
Tony Marchese Rudolph A. Monteleone, Jr.
Wilmington, Illinois Haines Fall s, New York
Henry E. Marotzke Lee Montgomery
Rosemount , Minnesota Central ,Alaska
Raymond L. Moreau
Slidell , Loui siana
John M. Morss
Chestnut Hill , Massachusetts
James M. Morton
Nonh Cape May, New Jersey
Xen Motsinger
Cayce, South Carolina
Karl Muller
Kloten , Switzerland
Clifton Murray
Cl inton, Ohio
Joseph J . Nicholas
Altamonte Springs , Florida
C. R. Nickle
Garl and, Texas
Mary Noack
Camarillo, California
Stephen Nugent
Durham, New Hampshire
John D. O' Brien
West Newton, Pennsylvania
Steven P. Ohnigian
Boulder, Colorado
Thomas W. Olson
San Antonio, Texas
Sharon Lee Ormosen .
Yuba City, California
Michael E. Osborn
Crowthorne, Perks, England
Roland Othnin-Girard
Sevres, France
Mike S. Panner
New Hannony, Indiana
Donald E. Patterson
Plymouth, Minnesota
David A. Paul
Amarillo, Texas
Jeffrey M. Pedersen
York, Pennsylvania
Byron Penrod
Brazil , Indiana
Bert Pertuit
Jackson, Mississippi
Norm J. Pesch
Miami, Florida
Gary L. Peters
South Deerfield, Massachusetts
Gary J. Phillips
Laurel, Maryland
Andrew J. Phillpotts
Papakuna, Auckland , New Zealand
Larry Philyaw
Pontiac, Illinois
Don Pierson
Denton , Texas
Thomas E. Pittman
Appomattox , Virginia
Donald Powers
Green Bay, Wi sconsin
Robert M. Praker
Scottsdale , Arizona
Susan Pross
Merzalben, West Gennany
Reginald L. Pulley
Lancaster, California
Wayne Rakittke
Rolling Meadows, Illinois
Jan Odiorne Randle
Mocksville, Nonh Carolina
Robert C. Rawlings
Sault Ste. Marie , Michigan
Aldo Rebsamen
Wil, Switzerland
William D. Remington
Glendale, Arizona
Dennis Rexroad
Taylorville, Illinoi s
Jon Rider
Millville, Pennsylvania
Donald L. Riggs
Asbury , New Jersey
George Riley
Banlett, III inois
Roger L. Ringelman
Holmen, Wisconsin
Peter M. Ripley
Sackville, New Brunswick
David Roberts
Mentor, Ohio
Kenneth A. Robinson
Chomedey Laval , Quebec
David J. Rockefeller
Newbury Park , California
Christopher T. Rogine
Rhinebeck, New York
Paul C. Romine
Indianapolis, Indiana
Charles L. Rooks
Fon Wonh , Texas
David B. Rossetter
Boulder, Colorado
Jim Rossides
Claverack , New York
Geoffrey Roth
Sedona, Arizona
TomL.Rowe
Rock Island, Illinois
Ed J. Russell
Tustin, California
Michael Russell
Galway, New York
Arthur H. Ryan
Farmington, Michigan
Randall R. Ryan
Southfield, Michigan
30 JUNE 1989


Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet...
perword,$5.00 minimumcharge.Sendyourad to
The Vi ntageTrader, Wittman Regional Airport
Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591.
AIRCRAFT:
(2)C-3AeroncaRazorbacks,1931 and1934.
Package includes extra engine and spares.
Fuselage, wing spars and extra props.
Museum quality! $30,000 firm! Hisso 180-hp
Model "E".0 SMOH with prop and hub and
stacks.Bestofferover$10,000.1936Porter-
field 35-70, the lowest time Antique ever!
Less than 200 hrs. TTA & E. 20 hours on
engine.$12,500.Notirekickers,collectcalls
orpenpals,please!E.E."Buck"Hilbert,P.O.
Box424,Union,Illinois 60180-0424.
FORSALE- Michigan,1940Funk,135hp
Lycoming, 761 SMOH, TTAF 663. Com-
pletely rebuilt 1984,all newparts.Stits cov-
ering, excellent STOL, standard airworthi-
nesscertificate.Flyingregularly,neverdam-
aged. No electric. $8,500. 616/867-3862,
616/832-5532 (work). (6-1)
Antique"Little" Stinson- 1940Modell0,
in very good condition. Inquiries to Spring
House Aviation, R. R. 1, Box 38, Widgeon
Road,WilliamsLake,BC,CanadaV2G2Pl ,
phone 604/392-2186. (7-2)
Piper PA22-108 Colt - 1962 remanufac-
tured 1988lbasicairplane/ALPHA200. Ask-
ing $10,000/will consider "project" in trade.
POB 2431,Oshkosh, WI 54903-2431. (8-3)
PLANS:
POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol -
unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying. Big,
roomycockpitfortheoversixfootpilot. VW
powerinsureshardtobeat3V2 gphatcruise
setting. 15largeinstructionsheets. Plans-
$60.00. Info Pack - $5.00. Send check or
money order to: ACRO SPORT, INC., Box
462, Hales Corners, WI 53130. 414/529-
2609.
ACROSPORT- Singleplacebiplanecap-
able of unlimited aerobatics. 23 sheets of
clear, easy to follow plans includes nearly
100 isometrical drawings, photos and
exploded views. Complete parts and mate-
rials list. Full sizewingdrawings. Plansplus
139 page Builder's Manual - $60.00. Info
Pack- $5.00.SuperAcroSportWingDraw-
ing - $15.00. The Technique of Aircraft
Building- $12.00plus$2.50postage.Send
check or money order to: ACRO SPORT,
INC., Box 462, Hales Corners, WI 53130.
414/529-2609.
ENGINES:
hub; remarkable inside (run once). Missing
push rods. Rusty casing, in original crate.
215/340-9760or 215/340-9133.
1943 Daimler Benz, model DB601 V-12.
Removed from a Messerschmidt 11OB.Ap-
pears to be rebuilt. Complete. Excellent
cosmetic condition. Min. bid:$15,000. 1916
Clerget9cylinderrotary, 130hp.,built by
Ruston, Proctor & Co., England. Has oil
pumps. Missing carburetor, magnetos and
propellershaft.Excellentcosmeticcondition.
Min.bid:$12,000.1914Gnome9-cylinder
rotary,model9N,165hp.Completewithtwo
magnetos, carburetor, oil pumps, ignition
switch and propeller hub. Fair to good
cosmeticcondition;someminorsurfacerust.
Min. bid:$12,000. 1916Gnome9 cylinder
rotary, model 9N, 165 hp. Has two mag-
netos and propeller hub. No oil pumps or
carburetor. Excellent cosmetic condition.
Min. bid:$10,000.1917Siemens& Halske
11-cylinderrotary,modelSH3,160hp.Has
twomagnetosandcarburetor.Oilpumpmis-
sing. Excellent cosmeticcondition.Min.bid:
$8,000. Ca 1929HispanoSuizaV-12, 650
hp. Engine is complete (no exhaust man-
ifolds) .Six carburetors,twomagnetoes.Ex-
cellentcosmeticcondition.Min.bid:$6,000.
Ca 1917 Lawrence 2-cylinder opposed,
model A3. Complete with timer and Zenith
carburetor. Probably never run. Excellent
cosmetic condition. Min.bid $800.Note:All
engines havebeen in the museum's collec-
tion for manyyears;theirmechanical condi-
tion is unknown.All museumcollectionsob-
jectsofferedforsalehavebeensubjectedto
arigorousreviewandhavebeendetermined
to be eitherduplicates,in poorcondition,or
out ofthe scope ofthe museum'scollecting
areas. In all cases this determination has
beenmadebytheappropriatecurator,astaff
collections committee, the President, and
the museum's Board of Trustees. Funds
realized from the sale ofcollections objects
are restricted to the acquisition of new ob-
jects for the collections orthe conservation
of existing collections. The above engines
willbesoldbysealedbid.SendbidsbyJune
30, 1989 to Sarah Lawrence, Chief Regis-
trar, Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Vil-
lage, 20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, MI
48121. Inspection is by appointment only.
Contact Sarah Lawrence or Larry McCans
at313/271-1620. (6-1)
MISCELLANEOUS:
SuperCubPA18fuselagesrepairedorre-
built - in precision master fixtures. All
makes of tube assemblies or fuselages re-
paired orfabricated new. J. E. Soares Inc.,
7093 Dry Creek Road, Belgrade, Montana
59714, 406/388-6069, Repair Station D65-
21. (c/ 12-89)
Cessna 140- stainless exhaust and heat
muffs,$150.Taylorcrafttail surfaces,set5-
$250., MarvelScheblerCarbMA-3for65-75
hp Continental - $300. , Continental valve
covers aluminum - $25., steel - $5., Conti-
nental 65hpCase- $50., Continental65hp.
spring starter and case mounts rear case -
$50. , Eisman Mag AM4, 65 hp, no gear -
$60. , Case mag 65 hp - $35. , Lycoming
generator and brackets - $50.,Tripacertip-
lights and brackets - $40 each. , Sensenich
6850 metal prop, bent tips - $50. 315/363-
4915. (6-1)
WANTED:
WANTED- C85-8F/FJ.Cash for reasona-
blepricerunningwithlog. Also,anypartsfor
Aeronca L-16. Ed Jarnagin, 8125 S.w.205
Terrace, Miami , FL 33189, 305/232-8936.
(6-2)
Wanted- Anzaniengine,anycondition,for
Bleriotproject. 805/942-0428. (6-1)
Wanted:CallairA2, A3orA4basketcaseor
flying. Harold Buck, Box 868, Columbus,
Georgia31902,404/322-1314. (7-2)
EAAAVIATION
OPPORTUNITIES
FORYOUTH
PARTICIPATE INTHESE SPECIAL
EAAACTIVITIESDEVELOPED
EXCLUSIVELYFORYOUNGPEOPlE!
"'IIEAAYOUTH MEMBERSHIP
FullEAAMemberbenefitsforonly518annuall
"'IIEAAPROJECTSCHOOLFLIGHT
Buildingrealairpl anesInschoolsandyouthgroups.
"'IIEAASCHOlARSHIPPROGRAM
Providi ngsupportforthoseseekingaviationrelated
educations.
"'IIEAAAIR ACADEMY
An intensivehands-onsummeraviationexperience
attheEAAAviationcenterInOshkosh.
"'IIEAAAIR ADVENTUREDAYS
Aon&day,hand"",,navi ationworkshopforyoung
peoplepresentedatsitesacrossthenationbyEAA
ChaptersandclubsoftheAcademyotModel
Aeronautics.
EAAAirAcademyprogramsaresupportedbytheAVEMCQInsurcnceCo.
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Chucklarsen.EdUCOfIon Director
EAAAviationfoundation

EAA
WlttmonAlrfield

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31
Flyhighwitha
qualityClassicinterior
Completeinteriorassembliesfordoityourselfinstallation.
Customqualityateconomicalprices.
Cushionupholsterysets
Wallpanelsets
Headliners
Carpetsets
Baggagecompartmentsets
Firewallcovers
Seatslings
Recoverenvelopesanddopes
Freecatalogofcompleteproductline.
Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and
stylesofmaterials:$3.00.
I I
INC.

259LowerMorrisvilleRd.,Dept.VA
Fallsington,PA19054 (215)295-4115

FlightFest!
ANTIQUES & CLASSICS
Gather in KENOSHA, WISCONSIN the
weekend before the EM Convention
in Oshkosh. ComeJULY 21-JULY 23.
FabulousAirshow
GreatOn-GroundDisplays
Plus...TerrificFriends!
LASTYEAR'S FLIGHTFEST
DREW MORE THAN 100,000VISITORS!
Formoreinformation,contact :
Bob Carlson 414-656-1846
orDennisEiler
Kenosha MunicipalAirport
9900- 52ndStreet
Kenosha,WI 53140
(414) 656-815B

STITSPOLY-FIBER
THEMOSTPOPULAR
AIRCRAFTCOVERING MATERIALS
INAVIATIONHISTORY
HERE'SWHYI * Proven DurabilityonThousands ofAircraft.
* FAA-STCforOver660AircraftModels, * Over23YearsService
History. *SuperiorQualityCoatingsDevelopedandManufactured
UndertheQualityControlofan FAA-PMAespeciallyforPolyester
FabriconAircraft,NotBrittleAutomotiveFinishes,ModifiedShortLife
Water BorneHousePaint, orTintedandRelabeledCelluloseDope.
*Will NotSupportCombustion. * LightestCovering Approved
UnderFAA-STCandPMA. *MostEconomicalCoveringMaterials

VIDEOTAPEAVAILABLE
FABRIC COVERING WITH RAYSTITSSponsoredbyEAA
Aviation Foundation. Before Making ExpensiveMistakes,See This
TapeandLEARNHOWTO DOITRIGHTTHEFIRSTTIME. VHS
orBeta, $49.95. AlsoDirectfrom EAA(1-800-843-3612), and from

WRITEORPHONEFOR FREE *Sample ofHighStrength,
VerySmooth1.7 oz. Patented PolesterFabricDeveloped
EspeciallyforAircraftCovering. '*Poly-FiberManual with
Detailed InstructionsforFabricCovering andPainting Aircraft
forCorrosionControl. * LatestCatalog andDistributorList.
STITSPOLYFIBER
AIRCRAFTCOATINGS
P.O. Box3084-V, Riverside, CA92519
Phone(714) 684-4280


UTI.rN SEAVa
p.o. box 88
madison, north carolina 27025
(919) 427-0216

AWWA
MEMBER
'Gli)
MEMBER
I ANI( PAINIINb AND REPAIIING
SANOILASTING. TANK LINUS AND COATINGS
PREVENTIVE lANK Ioo4AINTENANCE INSPECTION SERVICE
lADDER SAfETY EOUIP"ENI
RESERVOII LINUS AND ROOfS
DISMANTLING AND 1oo40VING IANKS
NEW. USED AND RECONDITIONEO IANKS
32JUNE 1989
"WHEN AN OSHKOSH STORM
BLOWS,IT'S APLEASURETO BE
INSUREDWITH AVEMCO:'
RobertJ.Schroeder, Esq.
In Canada Call
1-800-263-1631
According to eyewitnesses, even the strength of eight men
and women couldn't prevent a level four storm gust from
severely damaging Bob Schroeder's picture-perfect 1936
Taylor "Cub" J-2 at the 1988 EAA Oshkosh fly-in.
AVEMCO claims representatives on the scene went to
work securing the aircraft and assessing the damage. Soon
after the claim was settled, Mr. Schroeder sent kind words
for what he termed "exceptional service" in handling his
claim. We appreciate his thanks, because it confirms that
our fast, fair claims service is one of our most valuable
assets.
Whether you fly a classic, a homebuilt or a standard
production aircraft, when you're insured with AVEMCO
you can expect quality service if an unexpected ill wind
should blow your way. Call us today for an immediate, no-
obligation insurance quote.
r ~
LL DIRECT TC
10TEFROMA
-800-6
m
'"-
- '-
III
CAVEMCO
THE SPOIIfI4IWION ASS<XiAfION
INSURANCE COMPANY
Aviation Insurance For Aviation People.

by George HardieJr.
The historyofaviationrecordsmany
attempts to design the "foolproof'
airplane. This one was the product of
the designer of the most famous
airplane in the world. The photo is
from the EAA library collection, date
and location unknown. Answers will
be published in the September 1989
issue ofVINTAGE AIRPLANE. Dead-
line for that issue is July 10, 1989.
That neat little floatplane in the
March 1989 "Mystery Plane" column
drew some interesting answers. Roy
Oberg ofRockford, Michigan writes:
"It'sa ParamountSportster, builtin
Saginaw, Michigan in 1930. The pic-
ture was taken on the Saginaw River
at BayCity, Michigan. WaltCarr, de-
signer of the Paramount Cabinaire
didn't have anything to do with the
Sportster. I remember him telling me
once he was gladhe wasn'tassociated
with it, for while it looked good, its
flyingqualitiesleftalottobedesired."
Answers were also received from
Robert F. Pauley, Farmington Hills,
Michigan (see accompanying story);
StanleyT. Pileau, Holland, Michigan;
RobertC. Mosher, Royal Oak, Michi-
gan; and R.C. Duckworth, Alma,
Michigan.
34 JUNE 1989
THEPARAMOUNT
AIRCRAFTCORPORATION
by Robert F. Pauley
The Paramount Aircraft Corpora-
tion, Saginaw, Michigan was created
by Joseph EdwardBehse, wholearned
to fly as amilitarypilotin WorldWarI
and who served as an Air Corps fly-
ing instructor after the war. Behse
came from a wealthy family that
owned the ModartCorsetCompany in
Saginaw. In 1927, the business was
sold to the GossardCompany and as a
resultofthesale,Behsewasinafinan-
cial position to pursue hi s aviation in-
terests. He formed Paramount on Au-
gust 28, 1928 and named himself as
president and treasurer. For chiefen-
gineer, he hiredWalterJ. Carr, awell-
known Michigan pioneer aviator who
had built several airplanes ofhis own
design in the Saginaw area.
For Paramount, Carr designed a
four-place, single-enginecabinbiplane
known as the "Cabinaire." Between
the years of 1928 and 1930, a total of
nine were built. They were powered
by a variety ofengines ranging from
the 1l0-hp Warner to the 165-hp
Wright J6-5. On November 2, 1929,
the Cabinaire was awarded Approved
Type Certificate Number 265. One
Cabinaire (NC 17M) participated in
the September 1930 Ford Reliability
Air Tour with Walter Carras pilot. It
finished in 15th place in a field cf18
entrants. That same Cabinaire, sin 7,
still existsandis now beingrestoredin
Florida.
In 1930, Behse hired Ralph
Johnson, an aeronautical engineer
from the Detroit area to design a new
"sporty" airplane for Paramount. This
new design was known as the
Paramount "Sportster." It was a low-
wing airplanewithtwo-place, side-by-
sideseatingandpoweredwitha11O-hp
Warner engine. Behse felt that there
wasaneedforafloatplane in theGreat
Lakes area, so it was equipped with
EDO floats. However, italsocouldbe
used as a landplane with optional
wheels.
The Sportster was of conventional
1930s construction and had a 29-foot
wingspan and a lengthof22 feet. The
color scheme was light yellow with
blacktrim and the registration number
was 495K.
The first flight ofthe Sportster was
made on April 10, 1931 by StanleyE.
"Dutch" Hammond, a local
barnstormer pilot. It flew beautifully
The ParamountSportsterontheSaginawRiver. WalterCarr'sParamountCabinaire.
according to his comments. The very
next day it was taken by truck to De-
troit, where it was placed on display at
the National Aircraft Show, held from
April 11 to April 19. The sporty ap-
pearance of this new Paramount
airplane attracted much attention and
Behse later reported that he had taken
several orders at the show.
After the show was over, the Sports-
ter was returned to the factory at
Saginaw where it remained for several
weeks. On May 16, 1931 Behse took
the airplane to the Saginaw River near
the Milwaukee power plant to make
some demonstration flights. The first
flight proved uneventful when Behse
gave Lester Grove, one of his flight
students, a short ride. On the second
flight of the day, Behse went up with
25-year-old Whitney Merritt, an air-
craft mechanic who worked at
Paramount and had helped build the
Sportster. Shortly after 4:00 pm, they
took off smoothly, climbed steeply
into a brisk wind to about 150 feet,
entered a right banking turn and dove
straight down into the water, hitting
about 30 feet from the river bank.
Behse and Merritt were killed instantly
and the airplane was a total loss.
And so, only 36 days after its first
flight the Paramount Spotster, Joe
Behse, Whitney Merritt and the
Paramount Aircraft Corporation came
to a violent end .
The Golden Age ofAirRacing-Pre-1940
Vol. 1(No.21 144S2) .. $14.95
Vol. 2(No. 2H44S1) . . $14.95
Includepostageandhandling
$2.40faranevalume- $3.65 bothvalumes
EAAAVIATIONFOUNDATION/WriteDept.MO
EAAAviation Center Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086
The LegendaryPre-war Races
Thedaysofheroes-namessuchasDoolittle,Turner,Wedell,
Wittman,Chester,Howard-immortalizedastheworld's
premierracepilotsduringthe19305.It'sallhere!Relive
thesegreateventsastheyunfoldinthisincredible6QO-page,
two-volumeseries.Includedareofficialraceresults1927
through1939-morethan1000photosand3-viewdraw-
ingsthatrecapturethedrama,excitementandgloryof
airracingduringthegoldenyears.Neverbeforesuch
complete,in-depthcoverage.Printedonhigh-gradepaper
forsharp,clearphotoreproductions.Majorcreditcards
accepted-writeorcall
1-800-843-3612.
(WI residentscall414-426-4800)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 35