VA Vol 15 No 1 Jan 1987

STRAIGHT
AND
LEVEL by Bob Lickteig
Restoration Corner
When your EAA Antique/Classic Divi­
sion was formed in 1970, the founding
fathers and charter members estab­
lished objectives to guide our future ac­
tivities.
Our number one objective is to en­
courage and aid the restoration and fly­
ing of antique and classic aircraft.
Maybe we are, as they say, "the chosen
ones" - not only the keepers but also
the responsible ones to preserve the
treasures of this golden era of aviation.
We are indebted to the men who
created these timeless machines:
Eddie Stinson, Walter Beech, C. G.
Taylor, W. T. Piper, Claude Ryan,
Benny Howard, Matty Laird, Don Lus­
combe, Clyde Cessna to name a few.
Now we have the opportunity, the re­
sponsibility and the ability to assume
custodianship of this exciting segment
of aviation. Beginning with the Feb­
ruary, 1986 issue, a monthly series of
"Restoration Corner" articles covering
all aspects of an aircraft restoration pro­
ject have been printed in THE VIN­
TAGE AIRPLANE. I believe this is the
first time any organization has attemp­
ted to present a step-by-step series of
"how to" articles covering a complete
aircraft restoration. This series has
been authored by your EAA Antiquel
Classic Division officers and directors
and our good friend Dip Davis.
2 JANUARY 1987
On behalf of our membership and
yours truly, I would like to thank and
congratulate these contributing editors
for their individual articles.
Aircraft Selection & Locating a Restora­
ble/Rebuildable Airplane - George York
- February, 1986
Selecting & Buying and Purchase Price
- Buck Hilbert - March, 1986
Retrieving your Treasure - Ron Fritz ­
March,1986
Family Involvement - Art Morgan - April,
1986
Researching Your Vintage Airplane Wes Schmid - April, 1986
Disassembly of an Aircraft - Stan
Gomoll - May, 1986
Inspection and Storage - Buck Hilbert ­
May, 1986
Where to Start - Butch Joyce - June,
1986
Fuselage and Landing Gear - Buck Hil­
bert - June, 1986
Engines - Kelly Viets & Ron Fritz - July,
1986
Round Engine - Dale Gustafson - July,
1986
Tail Group and Wings - Stan Gomoll ­
August, 1986
Fabrics and Finishes and Installation
Thereof - Dip Davis - September, 1986
October, 1986
Assembly and Rigging - Gene Morris ­
November, 1986
Certification Requirements, Inspection
and Run-Up - Dan Neuman - De­
cember, 1986
Taxi Tests, First Flight and De-Bugging
- Steve Wittman & Norm Petersen ­
January, 1987.
I know by now that all of us can ap­
preciate the dedication and the talents
exhibited by these men. I was sched­
uled to write an article for the series,
however after seeing the expertise of
the other authors, I decided my con­
tribution would not be up to those high
standards . . . and why not quit when
we are ahead.
I had selected the topic, "Enjoy Your
Pretty Bird." This doesn't need any
mechanical genius to write, and the
subject is what EAA Antique/Classic Di­
vision membership is all about. Enjoy­
ing your new restoration comes natur­
ally and requires no special instructions.
During the lengthy project, all of us have
dreamed of what we would do with our
love affair when it was completed.
A special thanks to our editor of THE
VINTAGE AIRPLANE, Mr. Gene
Chase, for his help in editing and
scheduling this series. To you, our
members, thank you for your support,
encouraging thoughts and for your fine
comments on the value of this "Restora­
tion Corner" series.
Welcome aboard, join us and you
have it all. •
PUBLICATION STAFF
PUBLISHER Tom Poberezny DIRECTOR MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Dick Matt EDITOR Gene R. Chase CREATIVE ART DIRECTOR Mike Drucks MANAGING EDITOR/ADVERTISING Mary Jones ASSOCIATE EDITOR Norman Petersen Dick Cavin FEATURE WRITERS George A. Hardie, Jr. Dennis Parks EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INC. OFFICERS President
R. J. Lickteig
3100 Pruitt Rd.
Port St. Lucie, FL 33452
305/335-7051
Vice President
M.C. "Kelly" Viets
Rt. 2, Box 128
Lyndon, KS 66451
913/828·3518
Secretary
Ronald Fritz
15401 Sparta Avenue
Kent City, MI49330
616/678-5012
Treasurer
E.E. "Buck" Hilbert
P.O. Box 145
Union, IL 60180
815/923-4591
JANUARY 1987. Vol. 15, No.1
Copyright " 1987 by the EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc. All rights reserved .
Contents
2
Straight and Level
4
A/CNews
5
Vintage Seaplanes
6
A Pilot and Plane from England ...
Auster Mark 6A
by Bob Lickteig
by Gene Chase
by Norm Petersen
by John Morris and Norm Petersen
11
12
Calendar of Events
Type Club Activities
by Gene Chase
13
Vintage Literature
by Dennis Parks
14
Volunteers ... A Book of Heroes
by Art Morgan and Bob Brauer
15
Roger and Belinda Dunham's Waco YK5-7
by Gene Chase
16
Wedell Williams Photo Album
20
A Pair of British Veteran Aircraft
by Truman "Pappy" Weaver
by Michael Peare
DIRECTORS
John S. Copeland
9 Joanne Drive
Westborough, MA 01581
6171366-7245
Stan Gomoll
1042 90th Lane, NE
Minneapolis, MN 55434
6121784-1172
Dale A. Gustafson
7724 Shady Hill Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46278
317/293-4430
Esple M. Joyce, Jr. Box 468 Madison, NC 27025 919/427-0216
Arthur R. Morgan
3744 North 51st Blvd.
Milwaukee, WI 53216
414/442-3631
Gene Morris
115C Steve Court, R.R. 2
Roanoke, TX 76262
817/491-9110 Daniel Neuman
1521 Berne Circle W.
Minneapolis, MN 55421
612/571-0893
Ray Olcott 1500 Kings Way Nokomis, FL 33555 813/485-8139 John R. Turgyan
Box 229, R.F.D. 2
Wrightstown, NJ 08562
6091758-2910
S.J. Wittman Box 2672 Oshkosh,WI54903 414/235-1265 George S. York 181 Sloboda Ave. Mansfield, OH 44906 419/529-4378 ADVISORS
Page 6
21
Book Reviews
22
Restoration Corner ... Steve Wittman on
Taxi Tests, First Flight and De-bugging
24
New Products
Page 16
by Gene Chase
by Norm Petersen
by Gene Chase
25
1940 Experiment in Air Freight
by Bob Geier
26
Volunteers At Work
by Gene Chase
27
Page 20
Mystery Plane
by George A. Hardie, Jr.
27
28
Sun 'n Fun Reservation Form
Welcome New Members
FRONT COVER ... 1916 Sopwith Pup N5195/G-ABOX on a beautiful
grass field in England. See story on page 20.
(Photo by Mark Edwards)
BACK COVER ... John Morris flies his award-winning silver and black
Auster Mark 6A over the farmlands of Illinois. For the story on this
ex-warbird, see page 6.
(Photo by Ed Burns)
The words EAA, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM , SPORT AVIATION , and the logos of EXPERIMENTAL
AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC., EAA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION INC.,
INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB INC., WARBIRDS OF AMERICA INC., are registered trademarks . THE EAA
SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION INC. and EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are
trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above associations is strictly
prohibited .
Timothy V. Bowers
729-2ndSt.
Woodland, CA 95695
916/666-1875
Robert C. "Bob" Brauer
9345 S. Hoyne
Chicago, IL 60620
3121779-2105
Editorial Policy: Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles
are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. Material
should be sent to : Gene R. Chase, Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE , Wittman Airfield , Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.
Phone: 414/426-4800.
Philip Coulson
28415 Springbrook Dr.
Lawlon, M149065
616/624-6490
Robert D. "Bob" Lumley
Nl04 W20387
Willow Creek Road
Colgate, WI 53017
414/255-6832
The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by EAA Antique/Classic Division,
Inc. of the Experimental Aircraft Association , Inc. and is published monthly at Wittman Airfield , Oshkosh , WI 54903­
3086. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh , WI 54901 and additional mailing offices . Membership rates for
EAA Antique/Classic Division , Inc. are $-18.00 for current EAA members for 12 month period of which $12.00 is
for the publication of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation.
S.H. "Wes" Schmid
2359 Lefeber Avenue
Wauwatosa, WI 53213
414m1-1545
W. S. "Jerry" Wallin
29804 -179 PI. SE
Kent, WA98031 206/631-9644 ADVERTISING - Antique/Classic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through our -advertis­
ing . We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising
so that corrective measures can be taken .
Postmaster: Send address changes to EAA Antique/Classic Division , Inc., Wittman Airfield , Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
Compiled by Gene Chase
RARE AERONCA LC ON DISPLAY
AT EAA AVIATION MUSEUM
One of only two Aeronca LCs known
to be flying in the U.S. today has been
placed on display in the Antique and
Classic Gallery of the EM Aviation
Museum. This beautiful aircraft was re­
stored by Dave and Phyllis Powell (EM
194005) of West Des Moines, Iowa over
an eight-year period from 1975 to 1983.
Dave and Phyllis along with their
youngest daughter lost their lives in an
aircraft accident in July 1986 and
Dave's sister, Julene Powell, executrix
of the estate, made the Aeronca avail­
able to EM.
The plane had been idle for four
months and EM members Harold and
Mike Lossner and Tom Burmeister of
Des Moines prepared it for its flight to
Oshkosh on November 5, 1986. It was
flown here by member Jim Thompson,
who owns the other flyable Aeronca LC.
The 1937 LC is registered NC17484,
SIN 2060 and was one of the last of the
low wing series manufactured. It is pow­
ered with a 90 hp Warner. An article
about this aircraft appeared in the Au­
gust, 1983 issue of THE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE.
NASM TOUR, APRIL 25-26
The 7th annual tour of the National
Air and Space Museum's Paul E.
Garber Restoration Facility will be
hosted by EM Chapter 4 of the Wash­
ington, DC area. This program has
been a great success in past years and
is a chapter project for raising funds for
the EM Aviation Center.
The featured after-dinner speaker
this year will be Mary S. Feik (EM
102696, AlC 2760). Mary is on the re­
storation staff at the Paul Garber facility,
and an acknowledged authority on the
restoration of vintage aircraft. Dinner is
limited to 200.
The dates of this popular activity are
April 25 and 26, 1987. For information,
contact Margaret Scesa, 9611-51 st
Place, College Park, Maryland 20740.
Phone 301/345-3164.
4 JANUARY 1987
Carl Schuppel Photos
Jim Thompson and the
Aeronca Le.
SKYWAYS
This was the subject of Dennis Parks'
"Vintage Literature" column in last
month's issue of THE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE. SKYWAYS was the title of
a magazine published from 1942 until
the final issue in 1963.
A publication titled SKYWA YS will
once again be available to aviation
buffs, this time in the form of a quarterly
journal starting with the January, 1987
issue. The complete title of this new
publication is SKYWA YS, the Journal
of the Airplane 1920-1940.
In addition to featuring aircraft and
events of that period, a Models section
will show work in various areas of scale
modelling of the '20s to '40s, including
structural and three-view drawings.
SKYWA YS will be edited by Kenn
Rust of Glendale, California and pub­
lished by Leonard E. Opdycke (EM
1076, AlC 6933), 15 Crescent Road,
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 . Leo's name
will be familiar to many readers of THE
VINTAGE AIRPLANE as the publisher
of WW I Aero, the Journal of the Early
Aeroplane. This outstanding publication
comes out five times per year.
SKYWA YS will start on the basis of
four issues per year, with the same con­
tribution system as with WW I Aero:
members contribute what they think
best, starting with a minimum of $20.00.
Checks can be sent to the publisher's
New York address (see above).
The current December 1986 issue of
WW I Aero is the 25th Anniversary
Issue. For this we congratulate Leo Op­
dycke and wish him equal success with
his new venture, SKYWA YS.
NOMINATIONS
FOR
ANTIQUE!
CLASSIC DIVISION OFFICERS AND
DIRECTORS
In accordance with the Division's
Bylaws, the terms of six Directors, the
Vice-President and Treasurer will ex­
pire at the Division's Annual Business
Meeting at Oshkosh, Wisconsin on Fri­
day, August 7, 1987. In addition it is
anticipated that a Resolution to amend
the Bylaws of the Corporation will be
presented at the annual business meet­
ing so as to permit the election of an
Interim Director to fill the present vac­
ancy on the Board of Directors. If the
Bylaws are amended to provide for
such a position, the person receiving
the highest number of votes for Interim
Director will be elected to that position
for a one-year term.
Nominations for any elective office
(including the six elective Directors, the
Vice-President, the Treasurer and the
Interim Director described above) can
only be made on official nomination
forms which may be obtained from EM
Headquarters (contact Mrs. Carol
Blake) . Each nomination form must
contain a minimum of ten (10) signa­
tures of members in good standing, to­
gether with their membership number
and expiration date. The nominating
petition shall contain a brief resume of
the nominee's experience and back­
ground and shall be accompanied by a
recent photo. To be eligible for nomina­
tion, a candidate must be a member in
good standing.
Nominating petitions must be submit­
ted to the Chairman of the Nominating
Committee, clo of EM Headquarters,
no later than the end of the sixth month
(February 28) prior to the annual busi­
ness meeting. Voting instructions and
the official ballot will be published in the
June, 1987 issue of THE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE.
HOW TO ORDER
The following information was inad­
vertently omitted from the book review
on Iowa Takes to the Air - Volume Two
in the November 1986 issue of THE
VINTAGE AIRPLANE: Order from
Aerodrome Press, Box 44, Story City,
Iowa 50248 for $24.95 postpaid. Iowa
residents add $1.00 state sales tax.
We regret any inconvenience this
omission may have caused .
FAA GRANTS ADDITIONAL AP­
PROVALS FOR AUTOGAS USE
The EM Flight Research Center has
been working with the FAA to allow cer­
tain airplanes whose type certificates of
"Group 2" documentation did not call
out the use of aviation gasoline (refer­
ence was made to "gasoline"), to use
autogas. The rationale was that
airplanes could use any gasoline since
no specific gasoline was mentioned in
the certification paper work. We have
received written confirmation from
the FM that "ATC" and "Group 2"
airplanes approved prior to July 10,
1929 can use autogas without the
need for a Supplemental Type Certifi­
cate (STC).
Although these aircraft likely used au­
togas in the 1920s, modern autogas is
formulated differently. The EM has not
tested autogas in these airplanes and
the following should be considered be­
fore commencing its use.
1) Both leaded and unleaded autogas
can be used but unleaded is recom­
mended because of the absence of
potentially corrosive chlorine andlor
bromine lead scavengers.
2) The affects of additives or high
concentrations of aromatics have
not been tested in the fuel system
components of these airplanes.
3) Because of its higher volatility, au­
togas may increase the tendency to­
ward carburetor icing . Antique
airplanes could have marginal or no
carburetor heat rise. Caution should
be used when icing conditions are
present.
4) The higher Reid vapor pressure of
autogas contributes to the tendency
toward vapor lock in fuel systems of
inadequate design. Since no testing
has been conducted in these antique
aircraft, caution should be used
especially in low wing airplanes.
The approved airplanes make up a
list of over 100 manufacturers repre­
senting over 900 different models. In­
cluded in this list are:
Aeronca C-3
Curtiss Robin
Travel Air 4000 (Curtiss Wright)
Fairchild KR-21
Fleet, 1, 2, 7, 9
Ford Tri Motor
Great Lakes 2T-1A series
Lockheed Vega series
Monocoupes - various
Stearman C-3-B
Stinson SM series
Timm Collegiate
Waco ASO, ATO, GXE, RNF
For additional information, call Dick
Roemer, Senior Project Engineer, at
EM Headquarters, 414/426-4800 . •
--VINTAGE SEAPLANES-­
Photo by Norm Petersen
Resplendent in the early morning sunshine is a Stinson 108-3 Station Wagon mounted on Edo 2425 floats. Registered CF-ZHZ, the
Stinson was flown to Oshkosh '86 by Ric Henbel, Box 911, Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba, Canada. Note Hartzell constant-speed prop
signifying something more than standard 165 hp Franklin engine!
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
A PILOT AND PLANE FROM ENGLAND ... Auster Mark 6A by John Morris and Norm Petersen
(Photos courtesy of John Morris, except
as noted)
It's the next best thing to an open
cockpit.
So says John Morris of his rare Aus­
ter QA. ''The visibility is incredible. But
then it ought to be, surrounded by all
that perspex."
All that what? Yes, perspex. You folks
this side of the Atlantic call it plexiglass.
For both John, 34, and his Auster are
British. Both are imports. And both
came into this world in January 1952 ­
John in Hull, England, and the Auster
at what until a short while before was
Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) Ltd.,
at Leicester, a Midlands city surrounded
by William Blake's "dark satanic mills."
From there the Auster went globetrot­
ting, serving its country in Korea and in
the Suez campaign before finding a
friendly home with renowned test pilot
and British aviation figurehead Air Com­
modore Allen Wheeler. But more of that
later.
For those of you who see Taylorcraft
characteristics in the Auster - yes,
6 JANUARY 1987
they're there. Much of the structure
looks the same; the wingspan's the
same; the airfoil is the same NACA
23012. However, nothing is inter­
changeable with the American-built
cousins.
And for those of you who ask why the
British turned a perfectly good, 1,200
lb. gross weight T-craft design into a
2,300 lb. beastie, there is an answer:
military needs. At 1,490 Ibs. empty, the
Mark 6 Auster will carry a load of 800
Ibs. - as much as an empty BC-12D
T-craft! Or the emptier it is, the more
impressive its short field performance;
in civilian life the mark was limited to
towing only two gliders at once!
First, a brief history of the link be­
tween the American and British Taylor­
craft companies. It all began in 1938.
Members of the British County Flying
Club were so impressed with their new
40 hp Taylorcraft Model A they deter­
mined to build it under license. Thus
Taylorcraft Aeroplanes (England) Ltd.,
was formed in November of that year.
Separately, five American model Bs
were imported into England in 1938.
. ,It,was decided to build the Taylorcraft
Model B instead of the A, with various
refinements to meet different British
standards.
Manufacture began at the end of
1939 with the British Model C, powered
by a 55 hp Lycoming 0-145. Some 24
were built before World War II broke out
in September, 1939.
Taylorcraft replaced the Lycoming
with a 90 hp Blackburn Cirrus Minor en­
gine - a four cylinder inverted in-line,
and this became the Model Plus D.
From mid-1938 the British War Office
began studying the Army's views on Air­
borne Observation Posts, but wasn't
enthusiastic.
Trials in February 1939 showed that
the Westland Lysander and Hawker
Audax biplane were too fast and too
heavy for this job. Taylorcraft volun­
teered its Plus 0 in the face of official
derision.
As part of the trials, the T-craft had
to dogfight a Spitfire - and it proved
that flying low and slow gave it a good
chance of survival.
The British T-craft's biggest battle
Auster A.O.P. 6 (later G-APRO) in its early life as an aerial observation plane in Seoul, Korea. Picture taken at K-16 airfield on
September 10, 1954 by Charles N. Trask (EAA 69291, AlC 3163), York Haven, PA.
Interior of the Auster Mark 6 upon arrival from England. Single controls and quadrant throHle are typical of type including the large
"Turn and Slip" indicator. Note parking brake on lower left side.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
Off loading the Auster following shipment from England in the
summer of 1984 at The Landings near Huntley, Illinois. Note the
large oil tank mounted on the lower firewall.
John peels off some scale as the framework is bared for a
complete rebuild. Overall condition of the airplane was very
good considering the trials and tribulations of over 30 years of
service.
Photo by Gene Chase
Julie Morris dopes the surface tapes on the ailerons as the
rebuild begins to go together. Note quality of workmanship
which caught the judges eye at Oshkosh.
was with bureaucracy, but it finally won.
In early 1942 the Army received its first
Taylorcraft Auster 1 (really a modified
Plus D). And so the Auster line was
born. Just!
Austers served in all subsequent
theaters of war.
Continuous development led to the
first flight of the Auster AOP6 in May
1945. Some 312 were built for the RAF
by 1953.
The aeroplane was essentially a
beefier version of the 130 hp Lycoming
0-290 powered AOP5, but with a British
engine: the 145 hp deHaviliand Gipsy
Major four cylinder inverted in-line.
By the end of the war the name Aus­
ter was much better known in England
than that of its maker. So in March 1946
the company became Auster Aircraft
Ltd.
After the war many military Austers
were converted into civilian airplanes,
8 JANUARY 1987
Side profile of Auster G-APRO (NX370WJ) at Oshkosh '86 re­
veals Taylorcraft influence in overall design, especially in the
NACA 23012 series wing. Silver and black paint scheme is very
rich looking.
including G-APRO.
This particular aeroplane began in life
as a 145 hp, Gipsy-powered, green and
brown camoflaged AOP6 in January
1952, and was lent by the RAF to the
Army. A year later found it in Iwakuni,
Japan, and in service in Korea based
at K-16.
The British had a penchant for haul­
ing metal around the globe, so WJ370,
as the Auster was then serialled, re­
turned to the UK in 1954 and went to
the Fighter Command communications
flight at Middle Wallop .
Suez cropped up in 1956, and
WJ370, painted in sand and brown de­
sert camoflage, ventured forth with 651
AOP Squadron.
Despite one or two intriguing refer­
ences to WJ370 as ''the veteran of the
Egyptian campaign" nothing can be
found to illuminate this chapter in its his­
tory. However, the 30-year ban im­
posed by the Official Secrets Act on
opening up 651 's logbooks and news­
letters expires this year, so something
might come to light.
The Auster quietly returned to Eng­
land and was put out to grass until
bought at the end of 1958 by Allen
Wheeler.
The Air Commodore began his career
in aviation in 1925, and became very
friendly with Richard Shuttleworth ; in­
deed that friendship before World War
II was the driving force behind his post­
war career as a trustee of the
Shuttleworth Collection , Britain's pre­
mier "keep them flying " museum.
During the war, he commanded the
Royal
Aircraft
Establishment
at
Farnborough, and established proce­
dures for investigating aeroplanes with
problems that are still used today. Later
he commanded the experimental and
research station at Boscombe Down,
Photo by Norm Petersen
Head-on view shows what a bug sees just before he enters the cooling air intake! The German-made Hoffman propeller works very
well according to John - albeit a bit spendy!
Photo by Norm Petersen
The Auster restoration is complete, right down to the English " Dunlop Tyres", which are a tad larger than our 6:00 x 6.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
Photo by Gene Chase
Tail surfaces of the Auster reveal excellent workmanship and
meticulous rib stitching. Our FAA is to be commended for allow­
ing the English registration to remain on the aircraft along with
the U.S. registration on the rudder.
and was a member of the panel that
investigated the DH Comet airliner dis­
asters in 1954.
On leaving the service he acted as
technical advisor to such films as Those
Magnificent Men in their Flying
Machines and Blue Max and in 1964 he
became president of the Popular Flying
Association .
He regularly flew the Shuttleworth
Trust's aeroplanes, and personally
owned a Tiger Moth and a Spitfire as
well as the Auster.
Not surprisingly, the Shuttleworth
Trust engineers were called upon to
civilianise WJ370, and it flew from Old
Warden aerodrome as G-APRO in 1961
- the first civilian conversion of that
mark of Auster. Allen Wheeler used it
mainly to commute between his home
and the Trust.
He owned G-APRO until his death in
1984 at the age of 80, and it became
well known in British aviation circles as
his personal mount.
Enter John Morris and his wife, Julie.
They visited England in December 1981
and saw G-APRO lurking quietly in a
hangar in the Shuttelworth Trust. They
already owned a Taylorcraft BC-12D
and were dreaming of buying a British
cousin as a stablemate.
Allen Wheeler was willing to sell, but
the price was more than they could af­
ford .
Then about two years later, out of the
blue, came a letter: Allen Wheeler had
died. Mrs. Wheeler wanted to know if
they were still interested.
"When an aeroplane comes begging
for a home, what can you do, ?" asked
John Morris.
The dollar was exceptionally strong
at that point, and a transatlantic buy,
sight unseen, seemed feasible. Friends
over there helped out, and in July 1984,
G-APRO arrived in a container at The
Landings airport, near Huntley, Illinois.
A quick inspection showed that time
had taken its toll. The Auster was air­
worthy, but only marginally. Some of the
10 JANUARY 1987
Photo by Gene Chase
Unique trailing flaps are constructed of metal and quite effec­
tive, allowing the useful load of 800 Ibs. to be handled nicely.
Large perspex roof can be warm in the hot sun!
Photo by Norm Petersen
A smiling John Morris holds the plaque awarded at Oshkosh '86 for the Outstanding
Limited Production Aircraft in the Classic Division.
Empty weight ­
Gross weight ­
Useful load ­
Wing SpanLength .
PowerPower loading (gross) ­
Airfoil Section ­
Chord ­
Cruise ­
Stall (full flap, power on) ­
Fuel-
AUSTER 6A G-APRO
(NX370WJ)
1,488Ibs.
2,300Ibs.
8121bs.
36 ft.
23ft. 7 in.
145 hp
15.86 Ibs per hp
NACA23012
5 ft. 3 in.
97 knots at 1900 rpm
30 knots
26 gallons
TAYLORCRAFT
BC-12D
6401bs. 1,150Ibs. 5101bs. 36ft. 21 ft. 9 in. 65hp 18.46Ibs. per hp NACA23012 5 ft. 3 in. 95 mph at 2150 rpm 38 mph full power 12 gallons (nose tank only) 24 optional (2 - 6 gallon wing tanks) Irish linen on it proved to be over 30
years old, and wasn't quite a match for
the fabric tester!
Nothing to do but recover it. "So we
thought we'd do a complete rebuild, "
said John. "And that's a story in itself,
especially as neither of us had ever
done this before."
Fourteen months and 1,500 man and
woman hours later, and with the help of
many friends with their various skills, G­
APRO flew again in October 1985. John
has flown 60 hours in it , and owns the
aeroplane alone since he and Julie are
now divorced.
Although it would pass muster as a
genuine warbird, John decided not to
camouflage the Auster but to leave it in
civilian colors in deference to Allen
Wheeler. In addition, John grew up as
a line boy at the Battle of Britain airfield
at Biggin Hill in Kent, and his personal
nostalgia harks back to days when
Cessnas were rare and all Austers ­
which formed the backbone of British
flying clubs - were silver.
"I always dreamed of owning one,
and now I do. It's funny that the dream
came true on this side of the Atlantic,"
he said.
John is business editor of the Mil­
waukee Journal newspaper, and still
flies the Taylorcraft as well as the Aus­
ter. He is also building an aerobatic ver­
sion of a 1946 Taylorcraft with a 180 hp
Lycoming engine, "but you won't see
that for a few years yet," he smiled.
No other Taylorcraft-type Austers are
currently flying in America. Another
Mark 6 is under rebuild in Oregon; a
purely civilian J-1 Autocrat with a Cirrus
engine is a candidate for restoration
with the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum; and
a Lycoming-engined Mark 5 is stored in
Idaho. In addition two or three non­
Taylorcraft Mark 9s are known to exist
over here, although only one - Charlie
Luzier's in Florida - is flying. That's it
for the US Auster population. A mere
handful of Mark 6s grace the Canadian
register, but few venture south of the
border.
Between 1939 and 1965 a total of
3,607 Austers were built, including post­
war civilian versions.
Australia now has 138 Austers of all
marks left out of 311 imported ; Canada
has about a half a dozen Mark 6s and
one Mark 5; and England has about 320
assorted marks. That's a total of 464.
Adding those in Europe, South Africa,
New Zealand, Scandinavia and Pakis­
tan , there are probably no more than
550 Austers of all types left in the world .
Auster Aircraft went out of existence
towards the end of 1960 when it was
merged with Miles Aircraft and Wallis
Autogyros to form a British Executive
and General Aircraft Ltd. (BEAGLE),
makers of the Pup and 206 executive
twin. Beagle itself has since expired as
well, closing another chapter in British
aviation history.•
AUSTER COMBAT NOTES by John Morris
Air Chief Marshall Sir David Lee wrote in
his book Eastward that Austers were the
most versatile of all aircraft deployed in the
Malaysian campaign in 1953 and 1954,
being used to mark targets for strike and
transport forces , making low level reconnais­
sance, constantly used for communications
flights , leaflet dropping and casualty evacua­
tion.
Here's one short description of Austers in
action, taken from a recent newsletter of the
International Auster Pilot's Club. It's written
by a Mr. Barwick, who served as ground
crew in the British Army; "I came back from
Tripoli in time to join 654 squadron for the
invasion of Sicily. Capt. Butterworth was our
pilot. We went up through central and east­
ern Sicily; charged around Mount Etna quite
a lot. My job as well as engine mechanic ­
which took up very little time - was de­
spatch rider, anti-aircraft gunner, bren gun,
part-time cook, truck mechanic, slit trench
digger and anything else which came along .
"After Sicily we loaded the Austers into
trucks for the invasion of Italy at Salerno.
Captain Carr - we didn't nickname him
'Crasher' for nothing - won a Distinguished
Flying Cross for doing battle with enemy re­
giments. In the Auster he used to offer him­
self as a target to tempt them into disclosing
their positions and then bring down the wrath
of whatever the artillery had on them. It was
him that landed in a potato field , down the
rows. Once, in a bog, we had to go and turn
the kite back onto her wheels and borrow a
yoke of oxen to pull it out. He flew high rank­
ing officers to look at the ground they were
approaching and seemed to be completely
oblivious to the risks he took. He crashed so
often only because he insisted on flying from
the strips that were most convenient from a
gunnery point of view. One strip, 113 of my
paces was regarded as long enough , was a
clover-like crop which when wet with dew
gave no braking. It terminated in a ditch . The
trick there was to get up before light and land
in first light, which meant a wet surface. After
he'd slid into the ditch we had a broken prop,
bent exhaust stub and bent longeron to fix
before the next morning. We, the ground
crew, decided to be brakes. To this effect we
waited a few yards from the ditch and tried
to grab the struts as the kite hurtled by. It
only partially worked and tended to end up
with the whole bunch of us in the ditch with
the prop to change and the longeron t o
straighten out. The Austers were definitely
second hand when we'd finished with them .
"Once we had a mainplane wrecked on a
Mark 4 and they sent us a Mark 1 mainplane.
We fitted it. The first Auster with flaps on one
side only! The C. O. came to fly it out - we
told him not to use his flaps, or if he did , to
expect some funny effects.
"The Austers were popular with our front
line troops because after Crasher's efforts
the enemy were loth to use their guns when
one was in the air. I remember the 2nd Parat­
roop regiment holding a section north of
Casino complaining about there being no
peace at meal time - until they gave us the
times required and we put a stooging flight
for them which ensured a peaceful meal
break.
"The Germans had Storches to do the
same job but they were far too big. We could
dig in an Auster in a few minutes and with a
couple of nets it could be hidden very effec­
tively. The Americans had Pipers, but they
didn't seem as effective as our Austers
(perhaps they didn't have enough Crashers).
The British Government's Official History
of World War II states that at the Battle of
Anzio the Germans soon associated the air
observation posts with their difficulties . 'The
great activity of American and British spotter
aircraft, which were unaffected by the
weather because they hopped off and on to
their airstrip and flew very low, gave the Ger­
mans the impression that all their prepara­
tions were observed, and lowered their
morale.' But there were losses; two British
Austers were shot down and their pilots kil­
led; three more with artillery and anti-tank
guns closely packed in a small area, were
hit by their own shells. At Anzio, not one
single sortie was called off for unserviceabil­
ity or abandoned for engine failure .
"Normally an observer was not carried un­
less enemy fighter aircraft were expected in
the vicinity: then the observer would watch
for those while the pilot carried out his nor­
mal spotting duties.
After the war many military Austers were
converted into civilian airplanes, and many
more were built specifically for the civilian
market. Between 1939 and 1965 a total of
3,607 Austers were built, including the civi­
lian versions .•
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Three Rivers, M149093, 6161279-2540.
JUNE 25-28 - HAMILTON, OHIO - 28th Annual
National Waco Reunion. Contact: National
Waco Club, 700 Hill Ave., Hamilton, OH 45015.
JUNE 12-14- TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA-Na­
tional Ercoupe Fly-In. Contact: Skip Carden, P.
O. Box 15058, Durham, NC 2n04.
JULY 19-24 - SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - 19th
Annual Convention of the International Cessna
170 Association at Montgomery Field. Primary
motel is the new Holiday Inn on the airport.
Contact: Duane and Prieta Shockey, 7141278­
9676.
JULY 24-26 - COFFEYVILLE, KANSAS - Funk
Aircraft Owners AsSOCiation Annual Fly-In.
Contact: Ray Pahls, 454 South Summitown,
Wichita, KS 67209.
JULY 31-AUGUST 7 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN
- World's Greatest Aviation Event. Experi­
mental Aircraft ·Association Intemational Fly-In
and Sport Aviation Exhibition. Contact : John
Burton, EM Headquarters, Wittman Airfield,
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086, 4141426-4800.
MARCH 15-21 - LAKELAND, FLORIDA - 13th
Annual Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In. Contact: Bonnie
Higbie, P. O. Box 6750, Lakeland, FL 33807.
APRil 25-26 - WASHINGTON, DC - 7th Annual
Tour of the National Air and Space Museum's
Paul E. Garber Restoration Facility. Dinner
speaker Mary Feik. Limited to 200. Contact:
Margaret Scesa, 96"-5,st Place, College
Park, MD 20740, phone 3011345-3164.
MAY 2-3 - WINCHESTER, VIRGINIA - EM
Chapter 186 Spring Fly-In at Municipal Airport.
Trophies for winning showplanes. Pancake
breakfast Sunday. Annual Apple Blossom Fes­
tival downtown. All welcome. Contact : George
Lutz, 7031256-7873 .
MAY 22-23 - JEKYLL ISLAND, GEORGIA ­
First Annual Twin Bonanza Association Con­
vention with headquarters at the Ramada Inn.
Technical seminars and social activities. Con­
tact: Richard I. Ward, 19684 Lakeshore Drive,
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
I
~ ~ype
ClubActivities Compiled by Gene Chase
AERONCA LOVER'S CLUB
Emergency Locator Transmitters
(ELTs) are required equipment on most
of the vintage aircraft flown by EAA An­
tique/Classic Division members. The
following maintenance tips appeared in
an issue of the Aeronca Lover's Club
newsletter and are reprinted here as an
important reminder.
To continue to fly legally, the battery
in your ELT must be replaced according
to the date shown on the sticker. If the
sticker is missing you can remove the
battery from the case and check the
date on the battery itself. It makes it all
the easier if you record the date in the
aircraft log book, too.
For most batteries, the replacement
time is 20 months although it does vary
with different makes and models. CAU­
TION - observe how the battery is in­
stalled. If the replacement battery is in­
stalled backwards and/or the leads con­
nected improperly the ELT will be per­
manently damaged. Be sure to connect
the red wire to the red wire and the
black wire to the black wire.
Also, before discarding the old bat­
tery you should clip the wires off so they
cannot make contact. If they do make
contact the battery can get very hot and
may start a fire in your trash can.
For information on the AERONCA
LOVER'S CLUB contact Buzz Wagner
at Box 3, 401 1st Street East, Clark, SD
57225. Phone 605/532-3862.
AERONCA CLUB
Operators of early Continental 65s
made before November, 1941 which
still have the original crankshafts with
the 1-3/16" lightening holes in the crank
pins should know that pre-World War
Two AD 296 PROHIBITS grinding the
crank pins. The FAA no longer lists this
AD but it is still in effect. This includes
some ADs on Aeronca airframes, too.
12 JANUARY 1987
It seems that a number of ADs were
dropped from active listing after the war.
Those who are restoring pre-war Chiefs
or tandem models should contact the
AERONCA CLUB for a copy of these
ADS.
On another subject regarding Conti­
nentals, if you need an "up" exhaust en­
gine for your pre-war Aeronca or Piper
Cub Coupe, it is legal to install the "up"
exhaust cylinders from the -3 engine
onto the -8 engine. We were aware that
they would fit, and we have the corres­
pondence from Continental confirming
the legality per Continental Service Let­
ter 47-16. If you are contemplating such
a conversion , drop us a line for addi­
tional data.
For more information on the
AERONCA CLUB, contact Augie and
Pat Wegner, 1432 28th Court,
Kenosha, WI 53140. Phone 414/552­
9014.
FUNK AIRCRAFT OWNERS
ASSOCIATION
1986 Annual Funk Fly-In
Many owners of Funk aircraft at­
tended including 13 Funks and several
others types. The airport at Coffeyville,
Kansas was immaculate thanks to Bob
Ingmire, the new airport manager (his
title is Airport Industrial Complex Coor­
dinator). He gave his full support to the
Funk Fly-In, obtaining publicity in the
newspapers and on radio. He got most
of the business occupants on the airport
to set up exhibits in the hangar as
added evidence of more local support.
Members attended from as far away as
California and Alaska.
For information on the FUNK AIR­
CRAFT OWNERS ASSOCIATION,
contact G. Dale Beach, 1621 Dreher
Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. Phone
916/443-7604.
HEATH PARASOL CLUB
The one and only Heath Model TN is
owned by Paul Schumacher (EAA
246138, AlC 9423), 18430 U.S. 12
East, White Pigeon, MI 49099. Paul is
restoring this rare, two-place Heath and
is looking for a Velie M-5 engine.
Jim Jacobson, (EAA 11188), 2461
Lake Street, Niles, MI 49120 is looking
for Heath Super Parasol parts and a
Heath/Henderson engine for the local
EAA Chapter 865 project of building up
a Heath for donation to the Smithso­
nian's National Air and Space Museum.
Anyone having information and/or
available parts, etc. is asked to contact
these gentlemen direct.
For information on the HEATH
PARASOL CLUB, contact Bill Schlap­
man, 6431 Paulson Road , Win­
neconne, WI 54986. Phone 414/582­
4454.
TWIN BONANZA ASSOCIATION
'87 Convention Headquarters
Changed
As announced in the November 1986
issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE, the
First Annual Twin Bonanza Association
Convention will be held at Jekyll Island,
Georgia, May 22-23, 1987, but the
headquarters site has been changed
from the Hilton Inn to the Ramada Inn.
Beech's
prototype
B-50 Twin
Bonanza was first flown on 11 /15/49
and certificated on 5/25/51. Most are
now in the hands of dedicated owners
whose interest is high in the upcoming
convention. A good turnout is expected.
For information on the TWIN
BONANZA ASSOCIATION, contact
Dick Ward, 19684 Lakeshore Drive,
Three Rivers, Michigan 49093. Phone
612/279-2540 .•
by Dennis Parks
EAA Library/Archives Director
Heath Airplane Company, Inc.
Chicago, Illinois
turrnlhilltl fur _\ir ([raft
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QL' AI.IT\'
Heath 2 B Tractor Biplane 2 B Motor ror this Machine, $550.00 Price, complete, assembled. with motor. ... . .
. .$1,975.00
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Box assorted holts .. .
Box assorted ..crcw ." .
Aviator scat ... .. . . ..
Ft. ~" cahie stranll..
Ft. ¥.I:.t cahle strand. .
Ft. %t ("ol1lr :11 cahle . .. ...
Set Heath .lipl:l.I1c 'itlinl-!"... . . .
No.2 standard t\lrnh\lckll·S....
Ileath cahle clamps...
No. 25 ptllley~ . ..... ....
No.5 standard ttl1"TllH1cklcs
No. 4 standard tU1"Ilhudes.
Ytls. Heath Aero Fa"r ic..
Gal. If eath A("ro Proof..
J:olls rih hinding tape..
Lhs. Swedish tack~ ............
5·gal. ftl~ilage tank..... ... . •. .
Steering column ...
I{udder har cOl1tro l ..... .• . • . ..
Bahy snap Iwoks .. .. .......... . • .
I-wa y terminals.. ..... ..... .
Ileavy terminals.......
Com plete bluc print ....
WOODWORK
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Block and hnttoll type rills ......... .
!!eavy block and hatton type rihs .. .
Entcring ('dge heams ............ .
Trailing edge hattons
Wing bars ...... ,,""
C01"lle r Cll1"\'(,S .• ••
Wing end curvcs ..
. ... . .. . . . .
Aileron ('lIcl rihs.
.' .... .. , _.. .
Aileron heams ............. .
Ash fusilage beams, 15 ft. long
Ft. strutting ..... . ................. .
Engine heams .......... .
!3 ';XldlII:t;~':~~t;'
...... . ...... .
Elevator and rudder le vers.
2 Wing skids ...... .
Stabi lizer materia l ........ .
Woodwork for turtle back.
6 Support blocks .. . 1 Cockpit curve .......... .
Rudder material...... . .......... . . .
E levator material, including curv('s ..
Total woodwo rk
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Grand total ....
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Complete hill as abo\'e ....
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HEATH CATALOG "K"­
1919
Charles B. Hayward in his Building
and Flying an Aeroplane of 1912 stated
that expenses could be cut down by the
builder making all the necessary parts
at home, or they could use a supply
house, for "there is practically nothing
about the modern aeroplane which can­
not be found in stock at one of the
aeronautic supply houses."
Ed Heath, later famous for his parasol
aircraft, founded one of the first large
supply houses. It was established in
Chicago in 1909 as the E. B. Heath Ae­
rial Vehicle Co. The Heath Company
sustained itself by manufacturing parts
for the homebuilders.
His company made and sold propel­
lers, wire , cables, turnbuckles, fittings,
dope, etc. If the required item was not
on hand it would be made in-house to
specification.
In 1912 Heath bought the Bates
Aeroplane Company, also in Chicago.
His company began to produce
airplanes and introduced the idea of sei­
ling do-it-yourself planes in kit form . The
name of the company was then
changed to the Heath Airplane Com­
pany, Inc. After World War I the com­
pany also sold surplus military aircraft.
The EAA Library has a copy of one
of the older aircraft/parts catalogs. It is
listed as Catalog "K". The company did
not date its catalogs, but the back page
stated that the company had been in
business for ten years, so 1919 seems
to be the publishing date.
The catalog which contains 23 pages,
lists complete aircraft, aircraft kits, plus
aircraft parts and supplies. The intro­
duction to the catalog stated that though
the most immediate demand was for
military aircraft, "Aeronautics is fast be­
coming related to every line of human
endeavor and it is about to extend . . .
as a popular sport and for utilitarian
purposes."
The first section of the catalog was
devoted to "Complete Machines. We
are builders of all the standard types of
aeroplanes, and produce machines that
cannot be improved on in workmanship
or material. "
Twelve complete aircraft were listed
including Monoplanes, Biplanes and
Flying Boats. Among the Monoplanes
were Bleriot, and Nieuport types. The
Biplanes included Curtiss, Farman and
Wright types along with Heath's own 2B
and 6B Tractors. Prices ranged from
$800 for a Curtiss Biplane type to
$10,000 for a Heath 6-B Flying Boat.
The company was also able to furnish
all the aircraft unassembled. This was
the start of kit building. "The parts are
so made that anyone with ordinary abil­
ity can readily put them together,
thereby gaining the gratification, and at
the same time saving money.
A Curtiss Biplane kit went for $265
and Heath 2B for $325. The motor for
the 2B cost $550. Included on the left
is a listing of the bill of materials for the
Heath 2B kit.
The rest of the catalog was devoted
to aircraft parts and supplies. Some of
the items and their prices: Goodyear
tubes - $3.00, tires - $9.00; Varnish ­
$4.00 per gallon; Fabric - 55 cents per
yard ; Bleriot Turnbuckles - 40 cents to
$1.00. They also provided Spruce, Ash
and Bamboo for construction . Instru­
ments available included an air speed
indicator, a skid indicator and an angle
of incidence indicator - a very neces­
sary instrument for the beginner to pre­
vent stalling .'"
Heath was in business from 1909 till
his death in 1931 . This must hold some
kind of record in the aviation kit and sup­
ply business. Untold numbers of build­
ers over the years must have been influ­
enced by Mr. Heath and his company.
---
•
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. J2:i,lKI THE WAY WE TURN OUT PROPELLERS
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
YOLUtl,.EERS A Bool< Of Heroes Photo by Jack McCarthy
Unfortunately, not everyone could be present for this group photo of the Antique/Classic Aircraft Parking Committee at Oshkosh '86.
(L-R) Back row standing - Bill Campbell, Earl Nicholas, Ted Peterson, Ben Olcott, Jerry Hanson, Geoff Foote, Karl Bishop, Reinhart
Kuntz, Jeff Hinklin, Roy Hinklin, Peter Vine, Cletus Cisler, Selene Bloedorn and Anna Osborn.
Back row, on bikes, etc. - Geoff Robinson, Tom Howard, Ann Howard, Milon Thorley, Brett Howard, Bob Brauer (kneeling), Ken
Kuick, Bob Mason, O'Niel Gederos, and Bob Majka.
by Art Morgan and Bob Brauer
This first installment of a new monthly
feature in THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE
will serve as an introduction to a column
devoted entirely to EM volunteers. It
will tell their stories .. . some funny . .
. some sad . . . some just plain and.
simple . .., but all heroic.
We will attempt to tell the stories in a
way that will praise all and embarrass
no one, and hopefully encourage those
who have never "gotten involved" to join
in the fun and "have it all".
But, before we go any further, let's
examine the words "volunteer" and
"hero":
Volunteer - to offer or bestow vol­
untarily (one's service) of their own free
will, without receiving any real or valu­
able consideration.
Hero - a person admired for their
14 JANUARY 1987
(achievements and qualities). One who
shows great courage.
So says the well-known word mer­
chant, "Webster" in his New Collegiate
Dictionary. When you read those defini­
tions they both seem to say the same
thing. You're looking at courage,
achievement and free will whenever
you go to a fly-in and see someone
working on the flight line or garbage
truck or whatever. Where do they come
from? What makes them tick? Are they
any different than you or me? Well, I'll
tell ya neighbor, they are about as dif­
ferent as two peas in a pod.
The average volunteer is 16 to 80
plus years of age, male/female, execu­
tive/blue collar, airplane owner/non­
airplane owner, from the midwest, east,
west, north and south. They come from
every free country in the world and a
few that aren't so free. That's quite a
variety, don't you agree?
In describing EAA volunteers, we say
they are a unique group of people who
do have one common bond. Oh, sure,
we all love airplanes and we all enjoy
people, but the EAA volunteer seems
to be beyond that. In fact, we can't come
up with a hard and fast definition of an
EM volunteer. That's just great, but
where does it leave us?
To say the volunteer has commitment
is trite. Of course they do or they
wouldn't be there. Do they do it out of
a sense of responsibility? Maybe. Is it
because they have so much fun in sport
aviation that they want to give some­
thing back? Sure, sometimes. Maybe
it's just to have fun. Yer dern tootin'. It
is fun. Each and every volunteer has
his or her own reason. And that old saw,
dirty, sweaty EM cap screwed down
on their heads so the wind won't blow
it off. They are the ones with that certain
sparkle in their eye, and a big, wide
toothy grin stretching from here to there
that says for all the world to hear. "Hot
dog. That's fun ."
Here is where the stories will be told
of those behind-the-scenes heroes who
"do it" because they love it. And we will
tell it because they deserve it.
It's our honor this month to give a tip
of the Oshkosh kepi to all EM volun­
teers, past and present. "Stand tall
y'all. "
By the way, "Join us and you have it
all." .
Photo by Jack McCarthy
(L-R) Bob Brauer, Art Morgan and Dani Sandlin. Bob and Art are co-chairmen of the
Antique/Classic Aircraft Parking Committee at Oshkosh.
is the common bond.
They are there every year - every
fly-in - everywhere - working 10-12
hours and more a day. They're out in
the sun or rain , or working in a hot
kitchen. They are bumping their back­
sides into black and blue blisters riding
over a rough field on a motor scooter,
designed for sidewalks.
You can recognize these volunteers
at a glance. They are the ones with the
sunburned nose and wet feet with a
Editor's Note: Art Morgan is a
member of the Antique/Classic Divi­
sion board of directors and Bob
Brauer is an advisor to the board.
They have long been involved with
the Division's volunteer program at
EAA's Annual Convention at
Oshkosh and will co-author a
monthly column on the subject. The
authors' intent is to recognize the
efforts of these dedicated people at
all levels from the smallest local
chapter activity to the annual big one
at Oshkosh . . . G.R.G.
ROGER AND BELINDA DUNHAM'S WACO YKS-7 I,
Roger and Belinda Dunham with daugh­
ter Blair.
by Gene Chase
On July 20, 1986, the Roger Dunham
family stepped into their newly-pur­
chased 1937 Waco Cabin and departed
the Seattle, Washington area for their
home in New Milford, Connecticut with
a planned stop-over at Oshkosh '86.
That's faith in an airplane and the per­
son who restored it.
The restorer of this Waco YKS-7,
NC17736, SI N 4665, was George Fran­
chini (EM 57692, NC 3076) of Black
Diamond, Washington . He bought the
plane in Southern California and re­
stored it in 1984. The Waco had spent
most <pf its life on the West Coast.
George is currently restoring two other
Wacos for a customer, a 1934 model
and a ZPF.
Roger Dunham (EAA 90676, NC
5912), his wife Belinda and daughter
Blair had an uneventful flight to Osh­
kosh behind the smooth-running 220 hp
Jacobs. Roger has it fitted with a fixed
pitch wood propeller which he says
yields .115 mph cruise, a noticeable im­
provement over the original Curtiss­
Reed metal prop.
Roger isn't new to Wacos, having
owned a 1936 YKS-6, NC16236 which
he sold in 1985 to a fellow in eastern
Pennsylvania. It is being restored in the
colors of the Civil Air Patrol, and hope­
fully will be flying sometime this year.
The Dunhams camped in the Show­
Plane Camping Area at Oshkosh '86
and thoroughly enjoyed meeting many
new friends. He particularly had a good
time flying in the Parade of Flight on
Tuesday, August 5. He followed an
older Waco in the traffic pattern and en­
joyed being a part of the show.
Roger calls the Annual EM Conven­
tion and especially the Parade of Flight,
"a great tradition" and he plans to attend
the 1987 event and partake some more
of the "good EM hospitality.".
The Dunham's 1937 Waco YK5-7, NC1n36.
VINTAGE AIRPLAN E 15
Photo
Air Force Photo
Jimmie Haizlip, being congratulated by Amelia Earhart and Senator Hiram
Bingham. Jim had just returned from New York after setting a new transcon­
tinental record of 10 hours and 19 minutes.
by Truman C. " Pappy" Weaver (EAA 151476, AlC 7699) P.O. Box 707 New Baden, IL 62265 Editor's Note - Truman C. "Pappy"
Weaver is a recognized authority on air
race history, especially the 1929-39 era.
His intense research has produced
some of the most comprehensive arti­
cles of that period. He also co-authored
with S. H. "Wes" Schmid, the EAA pub­
lication, The Go/den Age of Air Racing
recently re-printed in two volumes total­
ling nearly 600 pages. Pappy is a retired
U.S. Air Force command pilot and holds
several FAA pilot ratings. Until recently
he lived on the airport at the original
Wedell-Williams Field at Patterson,
Louisiana where he was curator of the
Wedell-Williams Memorial Aviation
Charles E. Thompson Trophy
The three Wedell-Williams racers are pictured with the Wedell-William
third in the 1932 Bendix Los Angeles-to-Cleveland Trophy Race. PicttJ
Jimmie Haizlip (who had just set a new coast-to-coast speed record),
Ross, Guy Kaufman, Palmer Peterson, Cyril Vetter, Don Young and F
Thompson Race.
16 JANUARY 1987
,
Wedell­
Williams
Album
Museum. This museum was estab­
lished by the Louisiana Legislature as
the Official State Aviation Museum and
is responsible for the preservation and
exhibition of documents concerning all
of Louisiana's aviation history. The
Wedell-Williams Memorial Foundation
has several levels of membership par­
ticipation starting at $15 per year. Mem­
bership includes a quarterly newsletter
containing much air racing history and
detailed accounts of yesteryear's avia­
tion events. These newsletters, titled ,
"Home Pylon News" have become col­
lectors items among aviation history
buffs.... G. R. C.
-
Roscoe Turner and, I believe, Cecil B. DeMille, MGM movie director, with the
Gilmore Special - taken in California in 1932. Note Gilmore Lion Cage in
background.
Vincent Bendix Trophy
USAC Photo
S crew in front of the Cleveland hangar after finishing first, second and
Ired as they prepare the racers for the Thompson Trophy Race are left,
Walter Wedell, Jimmy Wedell, R. D. "Bo" McNeely, Eddie Roberton, Roy
~oscoe Turner. The team finished second, third and fourth in the 1932
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
University of New Orleans Photo
Part of the Wedell-Williams crew - taken in
Patterson during September, 1930. Across
the top: Doug Worthen, Frenchy Fortun,
Harry Williams, R. Henderson, Eddie
Roberton, Charlie Fersen, Stanley Lasha,
Tom Lemmon. Sitting: Snake Hurst, R.
Hendrick, A. J. "Shine" Adams and Fulton
"Dub" Felterman. Aircraft pictured is .t he
#90 Cirrus Racer, the Wedell-Williams
Lockheed Sirrus NC-167W - left wing of
#90 "We Will" and right wing of " We
Winc" #92 just visible.
Wedell- Williams Photo Album Lockheed Altair departs Patterson Air­
port. Thought to be James G. Hall's air­
craft. He had held Three-Flags record
prior to Jim's 1931 December speed run.
Hall had been in Patterson during Sep­
tember 1931 to have long range fuel tanks
installed for the Bendix. The Lockheed
factory was unable to handle the job in
minimum time and they sent him to
Wedell-Williams for the installation.
Arrow
Jimmie Wedell and #44 in California after
setting the Three-Flags record in-De­
cember 1931. Jim always flew in a new
suit. Before each race or record attempt
Pop Rizzo, Patterson tailor, would tailor
Jim a new suit and Rizzo cravat.
The Wedell-Williams #92. Picture taken
in Cleveland shortly after Mary Haizlip's
world record run of 255.513 mph.
Wedell-Williams #44 shortly after the
Bendix Race 1932 - note oil streaks on
fuselage. No outward visible changes
were made for the three-capital record
flight.
PrattIWhltney
Jimmie and Mary Haizlip at the Cleveland
Air Races 1932. Bendix, Transcontinen­
tal, 1000 CII and world speed record win­
ners.
A PAIR OF BRITISH VETERAN AIRCRAFT by Michael Peare
12 Nash Drive
Redhill RH1 1LH
Surrey, England
The Sopwith Pup N5195/G-ABOX
was built in 1916 and was last flown in
October, 1918. It was discovered by
Desmond St. Cyrien in a grain silo in
1960 and he acquired it and stored it
until the late seventies. Desmond's last
Pup N5182 was put into the RAF
Museum at Hendon leaving Desmond
with nothing to do, so he decided to re­
store N5195.
N5195 was rebuilt with the aid of
British Aerospace, British Caledonian,
and several local companies. The en­
gine was dug out of the ground in Salis­
bury Plain and rebuilt using French,
British and American components plus
locally machined items. Andrew Cox re­
built the engine, a LeRhone rotary of 80
hp.
Altogether a lot of effort was put into
the rebuild of this aeroplane, and I feel
very honoured to be the appOinted pilot.
The Pup flies like an angel and does
tighter turns than anything I have yet
flown. She's a gentle and easy aero­
plane to fly.
I am trying to get some decent aerial
photographs, but since the Pup can
only fly when the airport director's "back
is turned," this is difficult.
The Heath Parasol is an American
design and this one, G-AFZE, was built
in the late twenties in Epsom, England .
It is powered with a Bristol Cherub two­
cylinder aero engine of 32 hp. This
aeroplane has a long history of crashes.
It has done more miles on the road than
in the air, but when flown properly is
safe enough .
The Heath has been stored for a
number of years, but now it is to be re­
built yet again, continuing its colorful
career.
Editor's Note - This article and accom­
panying photos were obtained by An­
tique/Classic Director Gene Morris of
Roanoke, Texas. Gene flies for Amer­
ican Airlines and met Michael Peare on
one of his layovers in London. We have
since learned that the Pup was dam­
aged in a crosswind landing at Middle
Wallop. Pilot Peare was unhurt but the
Pup received damage to its landing
gear, upper wing, engine casing, cowl­
ing and propeller. It is being rebuilt. . .
. G. R. C.•
Photo by Mark Edwards
Heath Parasol G-AFZE and the Sopwith Pup.
20 JANUARY 1987
by Gene Chase
BOX SEAT OVER HELL by Hardy D.
Cannon. Published by the author,
1985. 138 pages, numerous photos.
This is the true story of America's
World War II Liaison aircraft and the
brave men who flew and maintained
them. From training bases in the States
to combat areas in Europe, Asia and
across the Pacific, these L-Bird mis­
sions were vital to the war effort.
These light, unarmed aircraft were
flown under extreme conditions, from
decks of ships, narrow roads, unpre­
pared fields , wherever and whenever
needed. Read about General Patton 's
use of an L-Bird, how one of the "Grass­
hoppers" downed an Me 109, how a
THE FL YING KEY BROTHERS AND
THEIR FLIGHT TO REMEMBER by
Stephen Owen. Southeastern Print­
ing Company, 1985. 128 pages, plus
photos.
On July 1, 1935, two pilots in Meri­
dian, Mississippi proved to the world
just how far an airplane could fly and
how much it and its pilots could endure.
When their Curtiss Robin J-1 , NR526N,
named "Ole Miss" for the state of Mis­
sissippi landed before a wildly en­
thusiastic crowd of more than 30,000
well-wishers , AI and Fred Key had
stayed above the earth longer than any
other human beings.
For 653 hours and 34 minutes - a total
of 27 nonstop days and nights - the
brothers had circled the city of Meridian.
Had their flight been in a straight line,
they would have circumnavigated the
globe more than twice . Not until 1973
would man stay above the earth longer
- when NASA's Skylab II mission was
launched.
Although other brief accounts of the
Key Brothers' long-standing world re­
cord flight have been written , Steve
Owen's book is the first comprehensive
work of this fantastic accomplishment.
Read about the brothers' early flying
days and the inspiring story of their
struggles to reach their dream of setting
the world endurance record .
By accomplishing their goal, the Keys
showed the world the extent of their
tenacious spirits. During the Great De­
pression, operating on a shoestring
budget in one of the most impoverished
areas far from the nation's aeronautical
centers, they assembled a ground and
mid-air refueling crew that displayed as­
tounding genius. What these men and
women lacked in formal education, they
Liaison pilot downed a German Storch
with his .45 Colt.
The reader is in for some surprises .
. . most of us know the designations of
the L-Birds but how many know that
Monocoupe built some. The research
by author Cannon and his friend Bill
Stratton (EAA 147044, NC 6853) has
resulted in a book you will not want to
put down until you've read it all. This
book is long overdue and is guaranteed
to bring the respect so well-deserved
by everyone involved in the wartime op­
erations of L-Birds.
Order for $7.50 plus $1 .50 postage
from : Hardy D. Cannon, Rt. 5, Box
388M, San Antonio, TX 78221 .
improvised with pragmatic down-home
American ingenuity. For example, the
fuel shut-off valve in their refueling
equipment is virtually the same as used
in today's daily air-to-air refueling mis­
sions by the military.
The brothers had lots of help in their
efforts and they earned the support of
not only the local townsfolk, but some
well-known aviation personalities in­
cluding (then) Major Claire Chennault.
One of their prinCipal motives for the
endurance flight was to draw attention
to aviation in the Meridian area so that
the Municipal Airport would not be con­
verted back to farm land. This they ac­
complished and lots more. When the
U.S. was drawn into World War Two, AI
and Fred Key enlisted and both flew
heavy bombers in combat. They were
highly decorated for their wartime
exploits.
The Brothers' Curtiss Robin "Ole
Miss" now rests in the Smithsonian's
National Air and Space Museum in rec­
ognition of the importance of that re­
cord-setting flight over 50 years ago.
This book pays tribute to the memory
of AI and Fred Key and I heartily recom­
mend it as a welcome addition to any
aviation buff's library.
Order for $7.95 (postage paid) from
Southeastern Printing Company, P. O.
Box 5027, Meridian, MS 39302.•
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
Restoration Corner This is the twelfth and final installment
of the current series of "Restoration Cor­
ner" articles. The series began in the
February, 1986 issue of THE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE and the subjects covered are
summed up in President Bob Lickteig's
"Straight and Level" column on page two
of this issue. The intent of the series was
to present information of a general rather
than highly detailed nature, therefore
more could have been written on each
subject. We encourage readers to share
their restoration techniques with us for
future "Restoration Corner" articles.
... . . ..................... GRC It is one thing to spend years restor­
ing an airplane with attendant sore
hands, tired muscles and a flat pocket
book - only to suddenly realize - now
you have to fly the critter! To enlighten
us on the many details of flying a newly
rebuilt airplane for the first time, we
asked the old master, "Steve" Wittman
to give us his thoughts on the proper
procedure.
The first item on the agenda, accord­
ing to Steve, is to properly "rig" the
airplane during final assembly. This in­
cludes putting in the proper wing dihed­
ral and wing incidence. And when es­
tablishing incidence, don't forget the all.­
important "wash-out" at the wingtips per
the manufacturers recommendations.
"Wash-out" tips the trailing edge of the
wingtip upward, allowing the wing to
stall first at the root of the wing progres­
sing to the wingtip in a very controllable
fashion . "Wash-in" lowers the trailing
edge of the wingtip, causing it to stall
first. This is a bad situation for two
reasons: The stall is violent and uncon­
trollable and the wingtip can suffer
structural failure from overloading.
Don't be lulled into using the old
"eyeball" method. Use proper means to
establish the necessary measure­
ments, be it a plumb, inclinometer,
transit or incidence board. A final mea­
surement to determine that both wings
(or four on a biplane) are square with
each other and the fuselage is most im­
portant. And along this line, make sure
the stablizer has the proper incidence
(most often negative).
Steve says that years ago it was com­
mon to rig for ''torque'' - the large,
22 JANUARY 1987
STEVE WITTMAN ON TAXI TESTS,
FIRST FLIGHT AND
DE-BUGGING
by Norm Petersen
imaginary hand that would twist the fu­
selage opposite to the crankshaft rota­
tion . "This was a bunch of gobbledy
gook!"
"I once flew Bonzo into Cleveland for
the National Air Races only to read a
story in the evening paper that it
couldn't fly! Supposedly, there was in­
sufficient aileron to offset the huge
amount of torque! The newswriter esti­
mated that 300 mph was necessary be­
fore Bonzo would fly straight and level!
I am most happy to report that such was
not the case!" Steve went on to explain
that when you have a mid-wing aircraft
using a thin wing section with a large
chord , the propeller slipstream is "anti­
torque" as it goes by the wing, allowing
the aircraft to be nicely controlled by the
ailerons about the roll axis.
Once the rigging is determined to be
okay, the taxi tests may begin. This is
almost an art in itself and should only
be attempted on a tail dragger if you
have tailwheel experience. Without ex­
perience along this line, the taxi tests
can be dangerous endeavors! If you
don't feel comfortable making the taxi
tests yourself, by all means, swallow the
pride and find a competent taildragger
pilot whom you can trust.
The taxi tests allow you to check
many items, including wheel alignment,
brakes, tailwheel control, rudder effec­
tiveness at low speeds and control
pressures in general. This author well
remembers a Minnesota pilot who had
finished a total rebuild of a red and silver
Porterfield. Anxious to take it up for the
first flight, he taxied downwind to the far
end of the hard surface runway. As he
came to the end of the runway, he step­
ped on the brakes - in that same in­
stant he remembered he had not con­
nected the brakes! The Porterfield went
off the end of the runway into tall grass
where it promptly went up on its nose,
shattering the new wooden propeller
and bending nose metal.
Steve Wittman's wise words coming
from sixty years of experience: "Don't
fly until you are ready to fly. And when
ready, have your mind made up - don't
extend the agony!" Steve relates how
they once lost a "Knight Twister" at Osh­
kosh because the pilot wasn't sure what
he wanted to do. Making a high speed
taxi down the runway with the tail in the
air, the pilot abruptly closed the throttle
and lowered the tail. The resulting in­
crease in angle of attack caused the
Twister to leap some 10 feet into the
air. The pilot was so surprised he "lost
it" and proceeded to wrap the small bip­
lane into a ball.
Photo by Dottie Gheen
Steve Wittman and 40 hp Taylor E-2 Cub.
According to Steve, his normal proce­
dure is to take off and climb for altitude,
watching the temperature gauges
closely. Once he has 1500 feet AGL, he
checks for wing heaviness and pro­
ceeds through stalls and slow flight.
This helps to relieve the tension about
coming in for a landing . If the aircraft
will stall at the proper nose-high at­
titude, he knows it will make a three­
point landing. (And a minimum of 1500
feet is the best insurance you can have
when doing these manuevers.)
Some years ago, Steve was invited
to fly another racing airplane, only to
discover in flight that it had a vicious
stall and would not get into a normal
three-point attitude! The only option left
was to make a tail high wheel landing,
which he did with the usual Wittman
finesse. After the flight, he wondered
what might have happened if the engine
had failed, as it would have been an
absolute bearcat to land without power.
Curiously, the owner never gave so
much as a hint of the weird flight charac­
teristics before the flight!
The nearest thing to such an unusual
flight envelope in a commercial airplane
was a twin-engined pusher amphibian
which Steve was invited to try from the
ASP
co-pilot's seat. Following take off, Steve
says, "I was in the right seat as we
leveled off in cruise and the pilot turned
it over to me. After a few turns, I slowed
the bird to check the stall. The pilot
looked over at me and said, 'Watch it,
it comes off the hook pretty fast! ' Be­
lieve me, never in my life have I heard
a better description! It was a clean ,
sharp, abrupt stall - just like someone
had cut the string!"
When queried about the age-old
question of toe-in versus toe-out, Steve
thought a minute and answered, "Toe
in is the worst of the two as it exacer­
bates the swing of a turn arid makes it
worse. Toe out is easier to control , how­
ever, on hard surface runways, it will
wear out a set of tires in nothing flat! I
have always liked 'straight ahead' the
best with neither toe-in or toe-out. I love
grass over hard surface runways as you
can fly for years from a grass runway
and never wear your tires out! The in­
side of the tire carcass will look like new
after many years while the outside gets
all weather checked and cracked ."
When it comes time to get your nicely
restored classic or antique up to its ad­
vertised cruising speed, Steve says
there are many little things to consider.
Close fitting fairings are important along
with eliminating lumps, bumps and ex­
traneous protuberances. Be very critical
of any intersection of less than 90 de­
grees as they create extra drag. Round
tubes should be faired to a streamline
shape and gaps should be sealed.
Good common sense will help a great
deal in ''tweaking'' your airplane to op­
timum performance. Even a close look
at a Wittman "Tailwind" will give you a
number of clues as to making an
airplane go fast. A look at the strut stub
reveals a cleaner juncture as the bolt
head and nut are moved out of the high
speed air! Even the wing roots and the
wingtips are tapered down in size to
save drag on each end. Little, tiny im­
provements, when all added together,
make for a very fast airplane.
One of the real joys in life is to sit
back and observe Steve Wittman look
over an airplane from nose to tail. As
each part is examined by Steve, you
can almost hear his brain figuring out a
way to make it go 25% faster. It is just
a natural thing with Steve - and after
sixty years of dOing the same thing ­
you get pretty good at it!
Thank you , Steve Wittman, for setting
an example for the rest of us to follow .
•
TI• • RE-UVE IT!
\
The fabulo us times of Turner. Doolittle. Wedell
and Wittman recreated as never before in this
600-page two-volume series. Printed on high grade
paper with sharp, clear photo reproduction. Official
race results 1927 through 1939 - more than 1,000
photos - 3-view drawings - scores of articles about
people and planes that recapture the glory, the drama,
the excitement of air racing during the golden years.
Volume 1 and 2 sold at $14.95 each- add $2.00
postage for first item and $ 1. 00 for each item there­
after - a total of $3.00 for both volumes. SPECIAL
OFFER! With purchase of both THE GOLDEN
\ AGE OF AIR RACING , Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, above,
. you may select FREE, one of the following: EAA Pilot
Log Book (#11 -16552), EAA Propeller (or rotor)
Log Book (#11 -16566), or EM Engine and Reduc­
tion Drive Log Book (#11 -13951). Offer good while
supplies last! Send check o r money order to: EAA
Aviation Foundation, Wittman Airfield. Oshkosh ,
WI 54903-3065.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
~ew
Vr-()ducts
Compiled by Gene Chase
GUIDEBOOK FOR AVIATION HIS­
TORICAL RESEARCHERS
A new, specialized report has been
produced by the Ottawa Chapter of the
Canadian Aviation Historical Society in
response to a perceived need for a
guidebook to assist aviation historical
researchers in finding their way about
the complex and confusing structure of
libraries, museums, institutions, clubs,
etc., in the Ottawa region that collect,
husband and dispense information in
this field . To the embryo researcher it
can serve as a primer on where and
how to get started ; and to the more ex­
perienced it can help speed access and
do much to ensure that comprehensive
searches are done.
The booklet is entitled "A Survey of
Sources of Aviation Historical Informa­
tion in the Ottawa Region ." In its present
first edition form it lists approximately
30 primary sources of information and
each is described in tabular form ac­
cording to the resources offered , the lo­
cation, address(es), contact persons,
nature and cost of services available,
accessibility, physical amenities, and
hours of operation. In each case a brief
description is provided of the scope and
depth of the information available. As
response to the report and cir­
cumstances warrant, the contents will
be updated periodically to include addi­
tional significant sources (including pri­
vate collections), and may ultimately in­
clude repositories outside the Ottawa
region as well. A short cross-index lists
subject categories of research and
serves to bring the researchers' atten­
tion to specific sources that may be
most relevant to his or her area of study.
For reasons of economy, and in rec­
ognition of the highly specialized nature
of the guidebook, only a limited number
have been published and placed at
selected locations. Some of the loca­
tions are:
A) Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum
Society, 1747 Summer Street,
Halifax, NS, B3H 3H6.
B) McGill University Library, 845
Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal,
Quebec, H3A 2T5.
C) Public Archives of Canada, Ot­
tawa - Library Division, 395 Wel­
lington Street, Ottawa, Ont. , K1 A
ON3.
24 JANUARY 1987
D) Toronto Public Library, 40 Orchard
View Blvd., Toronto, Ont. , M4R 1B9.
E) National Headquarters, Canadian
Aviation Historical Society, P. O.
Box 224, Willowdale, Ont. , M2N
5S8.
F)
Western
Canada
Aviation
Museum, Inc., Hangar T-2, 958
Ferry Road , Winnipeg, Manitoba,
R3H OY8.
G) Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame,
Edmonton Convention Centre, 9797
Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alta. ,
T5J 1N9.
H) Canadian Museum of Flight and
Transportation, 11040 Cambie
Road , Richmond B.C. V6X 1L2.
Over the years, many airplanes have
changed hands between American and
Canadian owners, and this new infor­
mation source may provide research
data previously unobtainable or at best,
very difficult to obtain.
For additional information, contact
Mr. Christopher Terry, President, Ot­
tawa Chapter, Canadian Aviation His­
torical Society, 648 Denbury Ave. , Ot­
tawa, Ontario, K2A 2P3, Canada.
Engine exhaust gaskets by Rapco, Inc.
REPLACEMENT ENGINE EXHAUST
GASKETS INTRODUCED BY RAPCO
A complete range of replacement en­
gine exhaust gaskets have been de­
veloped by Rapco, Inc. for all Continen­
tal and Lycoming engine applications.
The gaskets are being manufactured
in two types - one being a solid high
compression style, made of solid stain­
less steel. The other is also made of
stainless but is designed with a heavy
duty "spiral wound" insert. This insert
allows for movement between the
exhaust system and the cylinders
caused from expansion and contrac­
tion . This in turn assures tight sealing
of the exhaust gasses over long time
periods.
A new catalog showing engine appli­
cations and features of both gasket
types is available free from the man­
ufacturer. Rapco Inc., which stands for
"Replacement Aircraft Parts Company,"
is the holder of a number of FAA ap­
proved products being produced for the
aircraft aftermarket. Their products are
marketed by a network of Warehouse
Distributors stationed throughout the
world.
For information contact: Michael
White, President, RAPCO, Inc. , N16
W22020 Jericho Drive. , Bldg. 3,
Waukesha, WI 53186. "
1940 EXPERIMENT IN AIR FREIGHT by Bob Geier
2202-5 River Run Drive
San Diego, CA 92108
Air freight to small towns has come a
long ways since 1940 when experi­
menting with it was conducted in, of all
things , an open cockpit biplane.
"We have had a refrigerator shipped
to Los Angeles by air from the East and
for publicity purposes need to have it
shipped here to Santa Ana by air,"
explained the Montgomery Ward store
manager to Martin School of Aviation
owner Floyd Martin in early 1940.
When he described the appliance
and its size, Martin said, "We don 't have
any ship here that could handle that big
an item ."
"Maybe I do," Bob, a recently licensed
Commercial pilot listening to the con­
versation , said. "I know it won 't fit into
any of your cabin jobs, but maybe I can
get it into my open job." He was refer­
ring to his old Lincoln Page biplane.
"Let's do some measuring and find out."
Together they trooped over to the di­
lapidated, leaky-roof hangar in which
the Page was resting on the old Eddie
Martin Airport. Measuring across the
top longerons, they found that there
was a little extra room in that direction
but the dashboard presented an obsta­
cle fore and aft.
"I can probably remove the dash and
fasten it in the front cockpit," Bob, need­
ing the cash , explained. Measuring it
that way found it would fit. So, he had
the job.
With "all" of the instruments attached;
an altimeter, compass, oil pressure and
water temperature gauges and ignition
switch , (there were a few less of them
than on a 747 panel) it took a little less
time to rearrange. He fastened the
panel in place in the front cockpit with
wire and reconnected the instruments.
The removal of the cowling around the
two cockpits was a cinch , exposing the
two top longerons and somewhat di­
minishing the overall beauty of the fuse­
lage.
The rear joy stick was easy to re­
move, and the pedals were low enough
that they did not interfere. The plane
already had dual controls in the front.
So the funniest looking biplane in
Southern California was soon ready to
head to the Telegraph and Atlantic Air­
port in East Los Angeles to begin the
experiment in air freight.
Its landing attracted a crowd, all howl­
ing with laughter at this plane with the
wide "slot" across the middle of the fu­
selage. The laughter escalated to a roar
when the Wards people set the re­
frigerator in the back cockpit, resting it
on the seat. Its top extended an inch or
so above the top wing. The sweat (not
perspiration, but sweat) was rolling off
Bob, worried more about the CAA tak­
ing away his newly won Commercial
ticket than about whether the appliance
would interfere with the rear controls of
the plane. But after all, he thought,
didn 't he have a "Commercial" ticket,
and wasn't this a commercial venture,
er, experiment? So the plane wasn't
licensed for air freight. Neither was the
Wright Brothers' plane licensed for flight
and look what came from that experi­
ment.
Since the horizontal stabilizer trim
was adjusted by a "joy stick" affair on
the right side of the rear cockpit and
could not be reached from the front
cockpit, Bob had to guess at where to
set it for the fifteen minute flight to Santa
Ana. He estimated it to weigh a little
less than a man and set the control ac­
cordingly.
After seeing that the device was sec­
urely tied in place so it would not fall out
if he should feel the urge to attempt a
slow roll enroute, he ignored the
"friendly" advice of the local experts ­
and their peals of laughter - and
headed for the end of the runway .
As he started the take off, and had
not seen any men with badges, he was
able to forget about the CAA but began
to worry about aircraft control. To his
relief he found there was little trim
change from normal, except that while
he had guessed pretty close about the
stabilizer, he still had to hold forward
pressure on the stick to keep the plane
level. This got a little tiresome by the
time he reached Santa Ana.
The first commercial air delivery to
Orange County was completed without
incident and with a landing that was de­
scribed by an onlooker as if it was "set­
ting down on eggs." The completion
was accompanied by more howls of
laughter from the Santa Ana locals who
witnessed the bizarre looking aircraft re­
turning, but their amusement was over­
shadowed by the sighs of relief of the
Wards management at the safe delivery
of their refrigerator. They were espe­
cially overjoyed at being able to start
publicity concerning their air freight ven­
ture.
Fortunately, everyone forgot to tell
the CAA about the experiment, so Bob
kept his prized ticket and had the addi­
tional "joy" of rebuilding the cockpits of
his air freighter, the forerunner of the
somewhat larger Air Force C-5A .•
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
Photo by Irene Gomoll
Stan Gomoll, Minneapolis, MN and John
Fogarty, Roberts, WI after loading the
cupola and parts for the two observation
towers fabricated by John at his home
and loaded onto his truck for transport to
Oshkosh. Stan and Irene Gomoll painted
the units at John's place two weeks prior
to Oshkosh '86.
Photo by Gene Chase
John Fogarty (EAA 24499, AlC 1834) with the cupola and its base for the Red Barn. In
the background are the two observation towers he assembled after arrival at Oshkosh
on 7/22/86, 10 days before the Convention.
VOLUNTEERS AT WORK by Gene Chase
Photo by Gene Chase
John points to the ultimate location of the cupola atop the Red Barn.
Photo by Bill Johnston
One of the two observation posts in use
during Oshkosh '86.
26 JANUARY 1987
Photo by Carl Schuppel
The ever-popular Red Barn -
Oshkosh '86.
·
....
.....
.....
.
... ....
by George A. Hardie, Jr.
Here's another entry in the "Iight­
plane" race in the Golden Age era. This
was the period when the supply of
cheap war-surplus Curtiss OX-5 en­
gines was nearing exhaustion. Man­
ufacturers were designing lighter weight
aircraft to meet the rising demand re­
sulting from the Lindbergh boom in avi­
ation. The photo is from the AI Meyers
collection in the EAA library archives.
Location is not given. Answers will be
published in the April, 1987 issue of
THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Deadline
for that issue is February 10, 1987.
The Mystery Plane in the October,
1986 issue of THE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE is the West Coast WCK2
"Sportster", also known as the Schmuck
Brothers "Sportster". Little else is known
about the airplane or builders, but this
was Tony LeVier's first experience as
test pilot when he flew the tests on the
airplane.
As this issue of THE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE went to press, no correct
answers had been received for the Oc­
tober mystery plane .•
Sun 'n Fun '87
March 15-21
Antique/Classic Division Room Reservations
Rooms are available from Friday, March 13th, through Saturday, March 21 st
at the Ramada Inn in Lakeland. Earlier arrivals may not be able to get a room
as this is prime season for all Florida motels. Room rate per night is $44.10 for
single or double per night. One night deposit is required. Please complete this
form and mail your deposit (make your check payable to Ramada Inn) to:
Rod & Sandy Spanier
502 Jamestown Ave.
Lakeland, Florida 33801
If you have any questions you may call Rod or Sandy at (813) 665-5572.
NAME: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ANTIQUE/CLASSIC #
ADDRESS: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _---.JANTIQUE/CLASSIC CHAPTER # _ __
CITY/STATEIZIP ~·_ _ _ _ _ _ _--'-EAA
# _ _,--_ _ _ _ _ __ __
PHONE: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _C,HECK IN DATE: _ _ _ _ _ _ __
NO. OF ROOMS: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _CHECK OUT DATE: _ _ _ _ _ __
_ _....J.JDOUBLE OR _ _ _-'SiNGLE
COMMENTS :
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS The following is a listing of new members who have joined the EAA Antique/Classic Division (through October 14,
1986). We are honored to welcome them into the organization whose members' common interest is vintage aircraft.
Succeeding issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE yvill contain additional listings of new members.
Sonnenschein, Brian A.
Willowbrook, Illinois
Stough, Lynn D.
Bryan, Ohio
Mann, James R.
Ontario, Oregon
Towerton, Carol L. J.
Austin, Texas
Jorgensen, David L.
Riverside, California
Gay, Steven C.
Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania
Hinkle, Jim
Dayton, Ohio
Oler, Robert Gayles
Dallas, Texas
Brasseur, Donald R.
North Andover, Maryland
Granfors, Gary M.
Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
Simpson, G. D.
Hanna, Alberta, Canada
Stanger, Mary Louise
Poplar, Missouri
Perrier, Jack
Baltimore, Maryland
Futrell, Roger
Wausau, Wisconsin
Smith, Harry J.
Mason, Michigan
Bauer, Steven
Western Springs, Illinois
Hoffman, Paul
,Mount Airy, Maryland
Pixley, Henry J.
Phoeniz, Arizona
Shepherd, David L.
Bakersfield, California
Walters, Linn
Palm Bay, Florida
McNeill,D. L.
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
Hasenfus, William A.
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Pase, Richard L.
Jupiter, Florida
Watkins, Mark D.
Port Neches, Texas
Fox, H. B.
Ickenham, Middle England
Wheelock, Robert L.
Dayton, Ohio
Hall, Harry Scott
Park Forest, Illinois
Dirkse, Harold D.
Holland, Michigan
Christie, William C.
Tallahassee, Florida
Packard, Howard S.
Laguna Hills, California
Warner, Joel S.
EI Segundo, California
King, Andrew
Valley Cottage, New York
Gebhardt Jr., Charles
Lombard, Illinois
Hampshire, Tom
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
Gennuso, George
Lakewood, California
Grady, John F.
Rockville, Maryland
Hurthlbise, Michael D.
Cornell, Michigan
Holloway, Howard A.
Acacia Ridge, Queensland, Australia
Talsma, Donald
Saline, Michigan
Compton, Burt
Miami, Florida
Hamm, William R.
Rockford, Illinois
George, W. E.
Indianapolis, Indiana
Wiesner, E. P.
Littleton, Colorado
Kukulski, Michael
APO, San Francisco, California
Miller, Travis L.
Lees Summit, Missouri
Weaver, Ted R.
Smyrna, Georgia
White Jr., Murray M.
High Point, North Carolina
Towery, Daniel T.
Cheswold, Delaware
Pohlman, Mike
Boynton Beach, Florida
Mercer, Geary P.
Lakewood, California
Beck, Douglas
Plano, Texas
Sellers, Dorothy F.
Berwyn, Pennsylvania
Rheams, William
New Orleans, Louisiana
Humphreys, Randy G.
Levelland, Texas
Humm, Joseph D.
Bloomsbury, New Jersey
Abernathy, Tommy
Mount Holly, North Carolina
Holtz, Jeff
Woodridge, Illinois
Boos, M. L.
Palatka, Florida
Hoffman Jr., Paul
Mount Airy, Maryland
Galpin, Henry M.
Kalispell, Montana
Woldow, Frederic
Peoria, Illinois
Browne, A. M.
Rosmere, Quebec, Canada
Weeks, Larry J.
Orangeville, Ontario, Canada
O'Connor, Timothy P.
Marietta, Georgia
Hamilton, Franklin C.
Reno, Nevada
Harvey, Todd E.
Highland Park, New Jersey
Alexander, John
Sacramento, California
Pester, W. Bruce
Bonita, California
Hays, Gary R.
Phoenix, Arizona
Clark, David J.
Renton, Washington
Potvin, Michael F.
Winona, Minnesota
Hultberg, Randy S.
Newport News, Virginia
Miller, David P.
Plainfield, Illinois
Sherman, Robert S.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Johnson II, Warford B.
Columbia, Missouri
Davidson, Morris J.
Tucson, Arizona
Hodges, Ronald
Miamisburg, Ohio
Horsley, Garnet R.
Neche, North Dakota
Gowell, Earle
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Collier, William S.
Allentown, New Jersey
Trub, Rudolf
Aarau, Switzerland
Piraino, Robert David
Minnetonka, Minnesota
Lindeman, David
Rockford, Illinois
Martin, R. Jan
Argyle, Texas
Bell, Burke, A.
Boulder, Colorado
Bowers, David
Washington, D. C.
Vonlanthen, Bruno
Schmitt, Switzerland
Otzen Jr., Lorenz D.
Flagstaff, Arizona
Kirby III, John Henry
Houston, Texas
Marsh, Richard G.
Howell, Michigan
Williams, J. D.
Fort Worth, Texas
Cahill, Robert R.
Cape Coral, Florida
28 JANUARY 1987
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet... 2~
per word, 20 word minimum. Send your ad 10
The Vintage Trader, Wittman Airfield
Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591.
AIRCRAFT:
Stinson L5-E, N5624V. Partially restored. Parts,
manuals complete. Two engines. Fuselage and
controls finished. Hard work done. N. Howell, 213/
317·5646 or 805/488-9353. $6500.
Rare 1948 Emigh Trojan, 1640 TT, C90, 460
SMOH. Recent annual. $11,900 or $12,500 w/KX­
170A KT-78, etc. Excellent. 503/838-1292. (1-3)
PLANS:
POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited
in low-cost pleasure flying. Big, roomy cockpit for
the over six foot pilOt. VW power insures hard to
beat 3'12 gph at cruise setting. 15 large instruction
sheets. 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.
ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of
unlimited aerobatics. 23 sheets of clear, easy to
follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical draw­
ings, photos and exploded views. Complete parts
and materials list. Full size wing drawings. Plans
plus 139 page Builder's Manual - $60.00. Info
Pack - $5.00. Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing ­
$15.00. The Technique of Aircraft Building ­
$10.00 plus $2.00 postage. Send check or money
order to : ACRO SPORT, INC., Box 462, Hales Cor­
ners, WI 53130. 414/529-2609.
ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and
sport biplane. 20 pages of easy to follow, detailed
plans. Complete with isometric drawings, photos,
exploded views. Plans - $85.00. Info Pac ­
$5.00. Send check or money order to: ACRO
SPORT, INC., P.O. Box 462, Hales Corners, WI
53130.414/529-2609.
MISCELLANEOUS:
BACK ISSUES ... Back issues of THE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE (and other EAA Division publications)
are available at $1.25 per issue. Send your list of
issues desired along with payment to: Back Issues,
EAA-Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591.
FUEL CELLS - TOP QUALITY - Custom made
bladder-type fuel tanks and auxiliary cells, any
shape or capacity for Warbirds, Experimental, Vin­
tage, Sport and Acrobatic aircraft. Lightweight,
crashworthy, baffled and collapsible for installation .
Typical delivery 2-3 weeks. Call or write for details:
1-800-526-5330, Aero Tec Labs, Inc. (ATL), Spear
Road Industrial Park, Ramsey, NJ 07446. (C5/87)
WANTED:
Wanted - Operation and Construction plans for
1927 Buhl Airster, two-cockpit biplane, Model CA­
3A, Wright J-5 motor. George W. Polhemus, P.O.
Box 1208, Pembroke, North Carolina 28372 (3/87)
Wanted : "U.S. Civil Aircraft" by James Juptner, Vol­
umes 1, 2, 3, and 5. Ron Testerman, 1839 Oxford
Ave . S. W. , Roanokae, VA 24015. Phone 703/345­
2320 (2-2)
VINTAGE TRADER AD fORM Send check or money order with copy to Vintage Trader - EAA, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.
Total Words _ _ __ Number of Issues to Run ________________________
Total $,_ _ __ Signature _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. -_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Address
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
THE JOURNAL OF
THE EARLY AEROPLANE
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION The most authoritatille
journal on ll10se \lbnderful
hying Machines 1900-1919
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 of age) is available
at $18.00 annually. Family Member­
ship is available for an additional
$10.00 annually.
WORLD WAR I ~,INC.
15 Crescent Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. USA
ANTIQUE/CLASSICS
EAA Member - $18.00. Includes
one year membership in EAA An­
tique-Classic Division, 12 monthly
issues of The Vintage Airplane and
membership card. Applicant must
be a current EAA member and must
give EAA membership number.
Non-EAA Member - $28.00. 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. Sl?!'rt Aviation not included.
]
FLYING AND GLIDER MANUALS
lAC Membership in the International Aerobatic Club, Inc. is $25.00 an­
nually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics. All lAC members are required to be members of EAA. 1929 - 1931 - 1932
Price: $3.50 ea. ppd.
SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO:
EAA A VIATION FOUNDATION, INC. WITTMAN AIRFIELD ­
OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3065 Allow 4-6 Weeks for Delivery
Wisconsin Residents Include 5% Sales Tax
WARBIRDS
Membership in the Warbirds of
America, Inc. is $25.00 per year,
which includes a subscription to
Warbirds. Warbird members are
required to be members of EAA.
LIGHT PLANE WORLD
EAA membership and Light Plane
World magazine is available for
$25.00 per year (Sport Aviation not
included). Current EAA members
may receive Light Plane World for
$15.00 per year.
FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with
a check or draft drawn on a United
States bank payable in United
States dollars.
It's Exciting! It's for Everyone!
See this priceless coillection of rare, historically
significant aircraft, all imaginatively displayed in the
world's largest. most modern sport aviation
museum. Enjoy the many educational displays and
audio-visual presentations. Stop by - here's
something the entire family will enjoy. Just
minutes away!
Make checks payable to EAA or the
division in which membership is
desired. Address all letters to EAA
or the particular division at the fol­
lowing address:
WITTMAN AIRFIELD OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086 PHONE (414) 426-4800 OFFICE HOURS: 8:15-5:00 MON. FRI. 30 JANUARY 1987
EA~
~ FOUNDATION
"....'"""~ Wittman Airfield
414-426-4800
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3065
HOURS
8:30 to 5:00 p.m.
Monday thru Saturday
11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sundays
Closed Easte~ Thanksgiving. Christmas
and New Years Day (Guided group tour arrangements must be made two weeks in advance).
CONVENIENT
LDCATION
The EAA Aviation Center is located on
Wittman Field. Oshl<Dsh. Wis. -just off
Highway 41. Going North Exit Hwy. 26 or
44. Going South Exit Hwy. 44 and follOW
signs. For fly·ins-free bus from Basler
Flight Service.
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Above prices include shipping for Continental U.S.A. Only. Send $9.95 for each 16 oz. bottle or save an extra $3.95 per bottle and send $72.00 for each case of 12 - 16 oz. bottles to : EAA • Wittman Airfield. Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086
Wisconsin Residents Add 5% Sales Tax
VINTAGE AIRPLAN E 31