STRAIGHT AND LEVEL

by Bob Lickteig

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION'S

Here we go again - that time of the year we all think about how much better we are going to be in the New Year. We refer to these thoughts as new ideas and pledges - New Year's Resolu­tions. These promises cover an area that span our entire lifestyle. It is said most New Year's resolutions are made to be broken. However in defense of this theory I am suggesting just one and I hope we all keep it throughout the year - that is to fly safely in '86.

For the past 50 years, the marketing experts, including Henry Ford, have told us you can 't sell safety, and when we witness some of the programs and promotions in modern day selling, safety is not one of the most common words used. In addressing th is to our EM Antique/Classic members who normally are safety conscious, perhaps I should call it just a New Year's remin­der

All of us read the same newspaper reports on page one and see the same lead story on network or local TV cover­ing general aviation accidents. The statistics for last year will not be re­leased for some time, however, I as­sume they will not be good. I recently checked on three non-fatal accidents.

One was a grossly overloaded airplane that ran off the runway on take off caus­ing considerable damage. The second one was a fuel starvation forced landing with one wing tank full and the selector cock on the empty tank. The third one was caused by water contaminated fuel. The owner did practice draining the fuel sumps but no one told him that with a tri-gear high wing aircraft one should also lower the tail to drain all of the water from the tanks.

These may sound like simple basic pilot responsibilities ... but they are ignored and they do cause accidents.

Most New Year's resolutions are made with a hint of personal guilt, and maybe we all have some of that. Our love and intimate knowledge of our old birds may make us too complacent at times. How about our pre-flight. We know no one else flies it but did we do a complete pre-flight - top off the tanks, check the oil , drain the sump, check everything that moves, every time? How about the long trip with full fuel and an extra heavy passenger or two plus baggage. Did we do a weight and balance check?

We all talk about the weather. Do we check each time? It doesn't cost any­thing and flight service is supposed to know more than the local TV weather folks. How about filing a flight plan . Some think that's for student pilots try­ing to complete their cross country re­quirements for their private. But when things go bad, it's nice to have someone know where we intended to go.

Did we use our check list every time? It may be second nature to us, but we have all skipped one or more important items - especially when we are number one for take off and there are ten lined up behind us. Then we have enroute weather. How many times did we stretch the weather beyond our own or the aircraft's capability. Scud-running may be fun for some, but even in famil­iar territory, it is also dangerous.

When we attend flying events and the arrival pattern is full, do we see all of the planes and take our turn to land? Most mid-air collisions happen in good weather. Then there's the landing. We all try to grease it on in front of our friends, sometimes forgetting about the crosswind or other aircraft on the run­way. When we taxi to park, do we follow the volunteer flagman or do we cut across the grass and ignore this help. How many props and gears were dam­aged last year by unseen holes and ruts. It becomes an expensive two min­utes saved just to get into the food line sooner. Please remember, it's the little mistakes that hurt you.

With all of us flying fewer hours per year due to present costs, it is more important than ever to keep up with our efficiency checks. How long has it been since you asked a qualified instructor to ride along with you in the right seat or you asked your biennial flight review check pilot to really work you over and thus, get your money's worth.

Maybe we can't sell safety, but as the old saying goes, aviation accidents are very unforgiving.

I don't have any statistics to back me up, but I did talk to two insurance under­writers, and they say antique and classic aircraft and pilots are a good risk. I also know that friends of mine flying antique and classic aircraft have not experienced any problems in re­newing their insurance and at reasona­ble rates. Our parent EM and our EM Headquarters staff have stressed safety for years, and our record of the past shows our commitment to the high standards set and practiced by all EM divisions.

So I am back to promoting my one New Year's Resolution - fly safely. Then we can look back on 1986 and our personal guilt won't be as bad for our resolutions for 1987.

Welcome aboard, join us and you have it all .•

2 JANUARY 1986

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

FEATURE WRITERS Dick Cavin

George A. Hardie, Jr. Dennis Parks

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INC.

OFFICERS

President Vice President R. J. Lickteig M.C. " Kelly" Viets

3100 Pruitt Road Rt. 2, Box 28 Port St. Lucie, FL 33452 Lyndon, KS 66451

305/335· 7051 913/828-3518

Secretary Treasurer Ronald Fritz E. E. " Buck" Hilbert

15401 Sparta Avenue P.O. Box 145 Kent City, MI 49330 Union, IL60180

616/678-5012 815/923-4591

DIRECTORS

John S. Copeland Stan Gomoll 9 Joanne Drive 1042 90th Lane, NE

Westborough, MA 01581 Minneapolis, MN 55434 617/366-7245 6121784-1172

Dale A. Gustafson Espie M. Joyce, J r . 7724 Shady Hill Drive Box 468 Indianapolis, IN 46278 Madison, NC 27025

317/293-4430 919/427 -0216

Morton W. Lester Arthur R. Morgan P.O. Box 3747 3744 North 51 st Blvd.

Martinsville, VA 24112 Milwaukee, WI 53216 703/632·4839 414/442·3631

Gene Morris Daniel Neuman 15C Steve Court, R.A. 2 1521 Berne Circle W.

Roanoke, TX 76262 Minneapolis, MN 55421 817/491-9110 612/571-0893

Ray Olcott John R. Turgyan 1500 Kings Way Box 229, R.F.D. 2

Nokomis, FL 33555 Wrightstown, NJ 08562 813/485-8139 6091758-2910

S.J. Wittman George S. York Box 2672 181 Sloboda Ave.

Oshkosh, WI 54903 Mansfield, OH 44906 414/235-1265 419/529-4378

ADVISORS

Timothy V. Bowers Phill ip Coulson 729 - 2nd St. 28415 Springbrook Dr.

Woodland, CA 95695 Lawton, MI 49065 916/666-1875 616/624-6490

S.H. " Wes" Schmid W. S. "Jerry" Walli n 2359 Lefeber Avenue 29804 - 179 PI. SE Wauwatosa, WI 53213 Kent, WA 98031

4141771-1545 206/631-9644

JANUARY 1986 • Vol. 14, No. 1 Copyright ,. 1986 by the EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc. All rights reserved .

Contents

2 Straight and Level by Bob Lickteig

4 AlC News by Gene Chase

5 Vintage Literature by Dennis Parks

6 Gary Rudolph 's Heath LNA-40 by Gene Chase

10 Post/Rogers Memorial Flight Page 6 by Roy Cagle

12 Oshkosh '85 - Showplane Owner's Sketches

by Larry D'Attilio and Pam Foard 14 Becky Hart's Aeronca Super Chief

by Dick Cavin 19 Mystery Plane

by George Hardie 20 What's So Great About Flying

by F.J. Joffrion 21 Calendar of Events Page 10 21 Vintage Seaplanes 22 A Tribute to Jean Roche

by Mike Melfa 23 Welcome New Members 24 Type Club Activities 25 Letters to the Editor 26 Member's Projects

by Gene Chase 27 Vintage Album

by Gene Chase 28 Vintage Trader Page 14

FRONT COVER ... 1932 Heath LNA-40, winner of Outstanding Silver Age Antique award at Oshkosh '85. Owned by Gary Rudolph, Vincen­nes, IN. See story on page 6. (Photo by Gene Chase)

BACK COVER ... Becky Hart's 1947 Aeronca 11 BC Super Chief was named Oshkosh '85 Reserve Grand Champion Classic. See story on page 14. (Photo by Roger Hess)

The words EAA, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM, SPORT AVIATION, and the logos of EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC., EA.A. 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.

Editorial Policy: Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are soley those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. Material should be sent to: Gene R. Chase, Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, Wittman Airfield , Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone: 414/426-4800.

The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc. of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. and is published monthly at Wittman Airfield , Oshkosh, WI 54903­3086. 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.

ADVERTISING - Antique/Classic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through our advertis­ing. 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

TOM POBEREZNY NAMED PUB­LISHER

After some thirty-three years as pub­lisher of EAA publications, EAA Presi­dent Paul Poberezny has named Tom Poberezny to this position. Tom is Executive Vice President of the Experi­mental Aircraft Association and will as­sume this added new responsibility be­ginning with the January 1986 issues of SPORT AVIA TlON, LIGHT PLANE WORLD, THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE and WARBIRDS.

DOUBLE NICKELS TO SUN 'N FUN '86

Double Nickels to Sun 'n Fun '86 is a deluxe motorcoach tour from the snow­bound midwest to the Spring celebra­tion of flight in Lakeland, Florida. The adventure begins on Saturday, March 15, as the motorcoach departs Oshkosh to complete its complement of passen­gers in Milwaukee and Chicago.

Optional side-trips to Orlando attrac­tions, the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In, and the return home on Sunday, March 23, will complete this aviation escape from the midwestern winter.

Chuck Larsen, former Chapter Direc­tor and current EAA Education Director will be your companion and guide. Dou­ble Nickels to Sun 'n Fun '86 will depart

March 15 and return March 23. Total cost is $349 and includes round trip motorcoach transportation and six nights lodging near Lakeland, Florida.

For more information, contact Chuck Larsen, Double Nickels to Sun 'n Fun, P.O. Sox 2431, Oshkosh, 54903-2431 . Phone evenings 414/235-8714.

AlC CHAPTER 13 VISITS WW I MUSEUM

S. H. Pietenpol Chapter 13 of the EAA Antique/Classic Division held their September meeting at Ed Doyle's museum at Seed's Lake Airport near Hampton, Iowa. Members and guests spent almost three hours viewing the memorabilia of the private facility.

The displays are housed in climate controlled buildings with carpeted floors and the quality is first-rate. The collec­tion includes a Sopwith Pup, Nieuport and a Fokker Tri-plane. There are also many artifacts and photos.

Many groups from allover the U.S., including a number of EAA chapters, have visited there. Chapters 13 mem­bers are from several southeastern Min­nesota communities.

CHARLES KLESSIG, 1911-1985

Charles Klessig (EAA 40563, AlC 357) of Galesburg, North Dakota suf­fered a fatal heart attack on November 4, 1985 in New Mexico. He was buried at Page, North Dakota on November 8.

Charles was a widely known restorer of antique aircraft and will be remem­bered for flying his OXX-6 powered 1917 Standard J-1 to the EAA Conven­tions at Oshkosh in 1971 and 1972.

He regularly attended Oshkosh and last year was frequently seen at the OX­5 Tent autographing copies of a book he had recently completed about his varied and colorful aviation career.

Charles will be sadly missed by his family and many friends and we extend our deepest sympathy to al l.

LEA ABBOT IS HONORED

Lea Abbott (EAA 115247, AlC 3271) 4244 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX 75205 was named September/October Texas Pilot of the Month by the Texas Aeronautics Commission. Abbott is an active 78-year-old retired airline captain who has been flying since 1929.

For the past several years he has been a regular participant at Oshkosh, decked out in vintage aviator clothing and flying his 1910 Curtiss Pusher rep­lica. In addition to Oshkosh he also flew in airshows during 1985 at the Corpus Christi Naval Air Station, Fort Sam Houston, Denton and Kelly Field in Texas . •

4 JANUARY 1986

VI~TA(3~ LIT~I2ATUI2~ by Dennis Parks

AIR FACTS -1938 Air Safety, Yesterday and Today

The first issue of Air Facts was dated February 1, 1938 and subtitled "Facts, Knowledge, Safety." In the editorial for that first issue, Leighton Collins, foun­der and editor, stated the reports were made for pilots, not for the general pub­lic; that the "efforts do not represent an attempt to sell you something of cheap news value, but, rather, to give a clear cut picture of how safe flying can be on one hand, and yet, how on the other hand it is unreasonably hazardous un­less done with a high degree of cau­tion."

The first editorial mentioned that air­line pilots flew about 51 ,000 hours per pilot fatality. It was said that private pilots should do better because of slower landing ships, flight mostly in daylight and mainly in good weather. But, in contrast, the record for private aviation was "Tragic and needlessly tragic." "The Airlines lose ten pilots in the same time we (private aviation) lose 150, with little difference in total miles flown." It was also stated the accident record had not improved since 1928.

It was given that only after there was a sensible accident record, would there be "A market permitting low price, high performance airplanes'" and all that was lacking was "FACTS and a WILL on the part of our ... pilots."

Thus the existence of Air Facts. The early issues dealt almost exclusively with accident records and studies in an effort to educate pilots for safer flying .

Along with articles on the basics of flying and reports of recent accidents, Air Facts carried in-depth reports on the accident records of particular types of aircraft. In 1938 the magazine had re­ports on 10 aircraft types. Included were Cubs, Taylorcrafts, Aeroncas, Fairchild 24s, Monocoupes, Stinsons, Wacos and Beech 17s. There was also a long article on the reliability of the Warner 125 and 145 engines and their mainte­nance history.

Here we take a look at some of the light plane accident reports for 1937 and compare them with the antique and classic light plane records for 1985.

The Cub was the first aircraft to have its safety record examined. "As a start­ing point for doing something in the in­terest of safer flying, let us get a picture of what happened to the average of ap­proximately 854 Cubs in circulation dur­ing 1937." The author stated the Cub

was not picked because it had a worse record than other ships, but because it was the most generally used ship for student flying .

What followed was intended not as a criticism of the Cub but "simply to invite a full understanding of the airplane." The Cub was described as a remarka­bly sturdy, well-built airplane that was capable of doing a lot with the available power - a 40 hp Continental.

The writer stated it was a well known fact that on hot days the rate of climb of a Cub fell to between 100 and 200 feet per minute, that students get so ac­customed to it that they flew at an al­titude of 300 to 500 feet with a "degree of attention that would better fit a couple of thousand feet altitude."

Following the introduction was a list of 33 serious Cub accidents from 1937. The most common accident was the re­sult of a stall. There were 10 such acci­dents accounting for 33 percent of the total. The next largest group of acci­dents were take offs (12 percent) and landings (9 percent). Crashes as a re­sult of aerobatics accounted for 9 per­cent of the accidents. No other causese were of a significant number. The rate of pilot injury was high in Cubs with 52 percent of accidents being fatal and 36 percent serious. 1937 also saw one structural failure of Cub wings, but the aircraft had previously been damaged.

The 29 accidents reported for 1985 through mid-September (J-3s and PA­18s) indicate the largest problem occur­ring during take off. This accounted for 28 percent of the accidents. Take offs, stalls and crashes each accounted for 10 percent. 1985 only saw one case of a crash caused by aerobatics. The 1985 record saw a much lower rate of fatalities - 28 percent - than that of 1937. However, that is still high com­pared to other light aircraft which have had a fatality rate of 12 percent so far this year. There were al~o no injuries in 28 percent of the Cub cases. Of further interest, 1985 showed 4 accidents as a result of engine failure or loss of power compared to one for 1937. Are the older engines becoming harder to maintain.

The amount of aircraft damage was not listed for 1937, but in 1985, 34 per­cent of the accidents resulted in total damage and 55 percent in serious dam­age.

In May 1938 an article was published about the new Taylorcraft. By 1938 there were 300 Taylorcrafts sold and it was not until 1938 that the first fatality in one was reported. An estimated re­cord of 35,000 hours flown per fatality was a "respectable figure for any

airplane." It was claimed the safety of the ship

was due to the wing section used (NACA-23012). "It is one in which the center of pressure travel is less than most of us are used to as the airspeed varies." The handling in the stall was described as "squirmy" long before it re­ally stalled and that to get into the stall the nose "must be held ridiculously high."

It was felt the squirminess was much more evident than with the usual nose heaviness of the Clark Y airfoi l. The au­thor also felt the time element during the stall was an important factor, and he noted the Taylorcraft wing did not stall as abruptly as others, making it more predictable and thus safer.

There were no accident reports given for the Taylorcraft in the article of 1938, but in 1985 there have been 12 re­ported. Landing accounted for 42 per­cent of the accidents and take offs 17 percent. There was one crash and a forced landing caused by engine prob­lems.

The resultant damage was minor in 58 percent of the cases and substantial in 33 percent. Of major interest is no reported injuries in 75 percent of the ac­cidents - a very good record. There was also one fatality - the same as in 1937-38.

The August 1938 issue of Air Facts published a statistical summary of the accidents as reported in the monthly columns "Recent Accidents." The acci­dents mainly involved light aircraft with 164 being reported. 1985 has shown 158 accidents reported, through mid­September for light antique or classic airplanes.

The major cause of accidents in 1938 was stalls and stall spins, which ac­counted for 53 percent of the reports Of these, 24 percent involved aerobatic fly­ing and 10 percent during take offs. In contrast, 1985 saw stalls implicated in only 10 cases of 6 percent; 5 of these were during take off. Only 3 accidents involved aerobatics. Are pilots getting smarter and/or is training better?

Conversely, few landing accidents were reported in 1938, but 1985 saw 37 percent of the total during this flight re­gime. The second greatest number of accidents occurred during take off ac­counting for 22 percent of the events. In 1938 take offs accounted for 10 per­cent of the accidents. Could this be due to tricycle gear pilots having problems with taildraggers?

The amount of engine failures for

(Continued on Page 19) VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

GARY RUOOLPH'S HEATH LNA..40

Story and photos by Gene Chase

Among the most popular homebuilt planes flying in the U.S. in the late '20s and early '30s were the diminutive Heath Parasols powered with con­verted Henderson motorcycle engines. They were built from either plans or kits supplied by the Heath Airplane Com­pany of Chicago, Illinois. The com­pany's founder, Ed Heath, built his first Heath Parasol in 1926.

Continually improving the design over the next five years, Heath received Approved Type Certicate No. 456 in De­cember, 1931 . The model was desig­nated LNB-4 and was powered with Heath's own conversion to the 4-cylin­der in-line Henderson motorcycle en­gine. This power plant, rated at 25 hp at 2500 rpm, was designated the Heath B-4 and was also certificated.

By this time the company had moved to Niles, Michigan and it is believed about six LNB-4s were produced. The number of planes sold in kit form is un­known.

The following year Ed Heath received

A.T.C. No. 487 for his Parasol , now de­signated LNA-40 and powered with the 4-cylinder opposed Continental A-40. This engine developed 37 hp and was an excellent match-up with the airframe. The LNA-40 was the lowest-priced cer­tificated aircraft in the U.S. and could also be licensed as assembled from factory-produced kits.

The beautifully restored cream and red Heath LNA-40 displayed and flown at Oshkosh '85 received the Outstand­ing Silver Age Antique Award. It was manufactured on 4/9/32 as Serial No. 161 . It is currently registered N16GR as the original N12814 was reassigned to a Cessna 172 during Heath's 45 years of inactivity.

SIN 161 was flown 278 hours during its first two years. It went through four owners including Thompson Flying Ser­vice of Salt Lake City until it was cracked up in 1937. At that time a young sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Corps purchased the remains and stored them in a barn in Michigan.

Forty-five years later in 1982 the ex­airman, Ernie Moser (EAA 204, AlC

1915), retrieved the Heath and trucked it to his shop in St. Augustine, Florida where he used it as a pattern to build a new one from scratch . Over the years Ernie acquired all the records for SIN 161 and also much other information on Heath Parasols including EAA's re­prints on how to assemble a Heath from the factory kit.

THe current owner of the Heath is Gary C. Rudolph (EAA 189784, AlC 7225) , P. O. Box 901, Vincennes, IN 47591. Gary, along with friends, Courtney "Court" Myers and Claude Spradling, spent 1-1 /2 years restoring the Heath back to original configuration.

As with all proper restorations the plane was taken down to bare metal, then cleaned and primed. The wings have all new wood spars and ribs, how­ever many original drag and anti-drag wires, hinges and metal fittings were salvaged and used. Gary and his two friends spent six months building up the new wings, working many long hours.

The ailerons are also constructed of wood and are full span, actuated by push/pull tubes (no cables). Speaking

Gary Rudolph and his 1932 Heath Parasol LNA-40. 6 JANUARY 1986

The Heath was trailered from Vincennes, IN to Oshkosh and was assembled near the Antique/Classic Red Barn.

of full span, the wings are the longer "Colorado wings" developed for use at high altitudes with 169 sq. ft . of area instead of the normal 135.5 sq. ft .

Gary chose the new light weight Stits HS90X fabric with Stits polyurethane paint and figures he saved 25-30 pounds over a cotton and dope cover­ing job. In researching Heath literature for a paint scheme, Gary chose the one he most liked and Claude Spradling painted it. No colors were specified in the Heath literature so they chose cream and a deep red.

Both Claude and "Court" Myers are A&P mechanics who run the commer­cial repair shop for Vincennes (Indiana) University. The shop maintains all the V.U. Flight School planes and also takes in outside work. "Court" helped with most of the Heath's restoration and Claude, in addition to painting it, was instrumental in getting the plane licensed.

The wheels are not original but are similar. Gary bought 14" motorcycle wheels and installed bearings to fit the Heath's axles. As on the original, there

are no brakes and the plane has a tail skid. The interior was done by Ralph Hunckler of Vincennes, who does a beautiful job with leather and up­holstery.

Although the plane picked up some weight through the added instruments, wheel bearings and cockpit refinement, the use of Stits' new light weight cover­ing process nearly balanced things out. The empty weight of Gary's Heath is 475 Ibs., only 10 Ibs. heavier than the original. With a gross weight of 700 Ibs., this provides a useful load of 225 Ibs.

Crew of the Heath (L-R) Everett M. Sager, President, EAA Chapter 625; Glenn Gauger, EAA President Paul Poberezny stopped Treasurer, EAA Chapter 625; John Rudolph, Gary's son and pilot of the Luscombe SA by to talk with Gary and admire the Heath. "chase plane"; Gary Rudolph, Hank Watkins, Dale Gauger and Ken Shults.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

Gary displayed his Heath-Henderson converted motorcycle engine at Oshkosh '85. This was the standard power plant in early Heath's and several other homebuilt aircraft.

This single ignition, 37 hp Continental A-40 engine was a considerable improvement over the converted motorcycle engines used in the early Heaths.

The Heath sports a beautiful wood instrument panel. Note the single ignition switch ­two positions, ON or OFF. 8 JANUARY 1986

Gary has the original factory weight and balance sheet and the c.g. of N16GR falls nicely within the envelope.

The FAA was very cooperative re­garding the licensing of the Heath al­though the process took considerable time. The problem was obtaining the necessary paper work; for example, Gary spent six months in obtaining one bill of sale.

Apparently the FAA records do not indicate the present owner of A.T.C. No. 487 covering model LNA-40 Heaths, so Gary could not get a Standard Airwor­thiness Certificate for his plane. It is licensed in the Experimental category, but this has its advantages because Gary was issued a Repairman's Certifi­cate for maintaining the Heath.

The instructions for rigging the Heath were extremely vague and Gary was somewhat concerned about this aspect on the first flight. But his fears were un­founded because the plane flew beaut­ifully. Gary realized that Ed Heath knew what he was doing when he specified 11 washers inserted under the leading edge of the stabilizer at both left and right side mounting bolts. These instruc­tions were followed verbatim and N16GR flew hands off.

Gary explained that the landing gears on Model LN Heaths had an inherent weakness and his was no exception. During a normal landing the gear col­lapsed doing minor damage to the plane and breaking the Sensenich pro­peller. A replacement was ordered but couldn 't be delivered in time for Osh­kosh, so Gary had Ray Hegy make one so the plane could be flown at the Con­vention. The needed repairs were made to the Heath, including beefing up the landing gear which solved the weak­ness problem.

The fuel capacity is 9 gallons, con­tained in two 4-1 /2 gallon wing tanks. Gary figures the fuel consumption at 3 gph giving a respectable 160 mile range with a 30 minute reserve at 65 mph cruise speed. The Heath takes off and lands in 300-400 feet (no wind) .

Gary prefers to use 80 octane avgas but on occasion has burned 100LL and auto fuel. Like so many antiquers, he is a strong advocate of the use of Marvel Mystery Oil and religiously adds the prescribed amounts to both the fuel and engine oil.

At Oshkosh '85 the Heath had been flown 28 hours since restoration with Gary flying about 15 of those hours. He says it's a lot of fun to fly and is respon­sive to the extent it will turn in the direc­tion the pilot leans!

Gary admits that handling the Heath on the ground with no brakes and a tailskid is a bit different, but with his more than 1000 hours of tail dragger time, he caught on to the technique pretty fast. Naturally, he prefers to fly off grass and is able to taxi the plane with the tail up as slowly as 10 mph.

GARY RUDOLPH'S HEATH LNA~40

Although Gary grew up around airplanes (his father owned an Aeronca Champ in the late 40's and 50's) he didn't start flying until 37 years of age. Typically he was an active model plane builder and on a school teacher's salary he couldn't afford flying lessons.

This picture changed when he quit teaching and got into the wholesale food business, selling Wisconsin cheese and sausages. Soon they had need for a company plane and Gary ac­quired his multi-engine and instrument ratings. He now has 4,000 hours includ­ing 25 hours of aerobatics and has added a glider rating .

Gary hopes that his special fondness for old planes will rub off on his 18-year­old son, John, who is also flying ... then they can share the enjoyment of flying N16GR and other vintage airplanes . •

The "typical of the era", large control surfaces are necessary for ground maneuvering with no brakes and a tailskid. Note the positive incidence in the stabilizer created by inserting 11 washers under the leading edge, per the plans.

1932 Heath Parasol LNA-40, N16GR, SIN 161, winner of the outstanding Silver Age Antique Award at Oshkosh '85. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

POST/ROGERS M

Phil Hocker's Cessna 180A.

Story and photos by Roy G. Cagle (EAA 15401 , NC 1691) 9096 Minor Court Juneau, AK 99801

My friend Phil Hocker (EAA 166011 , NC 9180) , Juneau, Alaska, and I took off work a couple of days to fly his Cessna 180A north to Pt. Barrow on the Arctic Ocean to observe the fiftieth an­niversary of the Wiley Post and Will Ro­gers fatal crash. That old Arctic weather held true to its mode and we had to turn back short of our goal.

August fog in the Barrow area is not to be played with . . . sometimes one can pick up a lot of ice while flying through it. It was freezing the day we hit the Arctic coast at the Colville River, 10 JANUARY 1986

Over Brooks Range Mts. 400 miles north of Fairbanks.

MORIAL FLIGHT

Northway Airport, built as a refueling stop for fighter aircraft being ferried to Russia during WW II. This field was very hard to locate and many aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed near here.

At Anaktuvuk Pass on the north side of Brooks Mountain Range, over 200 miles south­east of Point Barrow. This is an emergency landing strip built by Wien Airlines after WW II. There are no trees from here to the Arctic coast. Roy Cagle can be seen plotting the course to Pt. Barrow.

just 150 miles east of Pt. Barrow, and a 35 mph wind was blowing off the Arc­tic ice field . That was as close as we got to the crash site.

This was our first trip to the North Slope area and in spite of the bad Arctic weather, we did have a good time. En­route we stopped at a couple of very remote Eskimo villages. In some cases these inland people live over 200 miles from other folk .

When flying north of Bettles, the jumping off place for the Brooks Range and the North Slope, one must plan ahead for fuel stops. Phil has an EAA STC for the use of auto fuel in his Cessna and this was a great help in keeping fuel in our tanks.

When available, auto fuel can usually be purchased for about $2.65 per gallon in the north region , but it can be as high as $5.00. On our way up from Juneau we found aula fuel at the following air­ports: Northway, Fairbanks Interna­tional and Bettles. Fairbanks Interna­tional offers free camping for pilots and their aircraft and we were the first to use this new facility .

Incidentally, in flying his Cessna 180 over 400 hours, Phil has always used auto fuel when available. To date he has had no problems with either the air­craft fuel system or the Continental 0­470 engine.

Last summer the Cessna was flown from Juneau, Alaska to Mexico and re­turn and on the aforementioned trip to the Arctic and return without even cleaning a plug. Outside air tempera­tures on the jaunts ranged from freezing to 107 degrees, serving as a good field test for the use of auto fuel. •

Eskimo village. Glaciers near Palmer. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

Oshkosh '85 Showplanel Owner Sketches Story and photos by Larry D'Attilio and Pamela Foard , AlC Press Co-chairmen (EAA 150262, AC 8265) 1820 N. 166 St. Brookfield, WI 53005

AERONCA 15AC SEDAN OWNED BY BURL A. ROGERS

N1363H, SIN 15AC-410, is a brightly colored 4-place Aeronca Sedan pow­ered with a 180 hp Lycoming sporting an 82-inch prop. Burl Rogers rebu ilt this

Burl Rogers ' Aeronca Sedan was parked in the Show Plane Camping area.

particular one in 1981 and says that the bright colors and scheme are based on the pattern of an air taxi operator in Alaska. Orange and yellow show up real well against the black base color and Burl is glad to have this scheme since he and his airplane reside in An­chorage, Alaska.

Along with the Super Cubs, Helios,

Wendell D. Smith and his 1952 Piper Pacer.

The customized wheel pants designed and built by Wendell D. Smith. 12 JANUARY 1986

Maules and others these big Aeroncas are valued by bush operators. They can carry big loads and still manage short field performance, and Burl 's offers an increase over standard Sedan perfor­mance by virtue of that big prop. He figures it gives him a 10-15 percent per­formance increase. He is also seeking a multiple STC for this modification.

Burl also says there are at least 18 of these unusual classics in his im­mediate area and thinks there are 360­370 left on the registry. If you watch Trade-A-Plane you certainly won't see them advertised for sale very often and it isn 't surprising to see that most are up north.

This particular big Aeronca started out in 1949 and went through four other owners before Burl. When Burl got it, it was the usual sorry mess with corroded wings and no landing gear or floats. It took some devotion to bring it to its pre­sent attractive and useful state.

Burl 's interest dates back to being 14 years old and taking out the family plane to practice S-turns for a week and a half at 50 mph. Learn by doing school of thinking? That was the beginning and though his interest started out as fun with the family plane it all eventually led to his being professionally involved with aircraft repair and restoration.

We are all glad of that because this fine Aeronca is a great example of Burl 's abilities. Thanks, Burl, for once again demonstrating that something old can be very utilitarian and also an object of beauty.

1952 PIPER PA-20 PACER, N1830A

Wendell D. Smith, Battlecreek, MI , works for the government as an artist and the decorative scheme of his Pacer shows the professional artist's taste in its appropriateness to the airframe. What you can't see in the photograph is the careful workmanship of the ex­terior. It is painted with Imron without any clear on top and is the culmination

Donald and Cheryl Matthews and their yellow and black 1946 Ercoupe, N2977H, SIN 3602.

of a partial restoration that was finished recently. Wendell has owned the plane for 15 years and it is his second Pacer. Before that he owned a J-3, Luscombe and a Vagabond.

Most interesting are the wheel pant fairings on this plane. Wendell used his talent to redesign and improve the pants and then built a pair. The fit is exact and they compliment the lines of the plane. We found this very hand­some bird in the camping area, so we urge all of you to inspect that area of the Convention, too.

ERCOUPE N2977H

Cheryl and Donald Matthews flew to Oshkosh in their very pretty Ercoupe from their home town of Mt. Clemens, Michigan. Like a number of other ac­complished Ercoupe pilots their choice of airplane was partly dictated by med­ical reasons. Donald has a neurological disorder that requires leg braces. Cheryl likes to fly but does not have a license yet so Donald does the honors.

The Ercoupe is beautifully restored with the Matthews doing part of the work and some of it being hired out. They have owned this classic bird for 10 years. The finish is Imron with an additional coat of clear over all. They designed the color scheme which seems to emphasize the Ercoupe's best curves. They do not wax the finish, but use baking soda and water to remove bugs and assorted gunk.

It was a pleasure to meet this en­thusiastic yO\,Jng couple , members of Detroit's EAA Chapter 13. We loved their airplane.

BIG BEAUTIFUL HOWARD

As you walk up and down those long lines of antique and classic showplanes, certain ones catch your eye because of familiarity with the type, colors, elegance or other undefinables. Some planes seem to have an unexp­lainable aura that suggests the owners

had great empathy for that particular aircraft.

The Howard restored by Paul Donoghue and Jim Ross, both of the Boston, Massachusetts area gets more intriguing the more one looks at it. Paul and Jim are airline pilots who have also restored a BT-13 and a Stearman. How­ever, this is their first complete restora­

tion and they estimate they spent 4,000 hours on it.

The project had been a basket case without engine or prop. The wings had been rebuilt and the fuselage was in fine condition This Howard served as a VIP transport in the Navy during WW II and the log showed 6000 hours total time. The plane was covered with light weight Ceconite and finished with Ran­dolph Ranthane paint. Dick Martin of Green Bay, Wisconsin did the final trim work.

Interiors often separate a mere resto­ration from a great one. This is the latter and it reflects a lot of effort on Paul and Jim's behalf to obta::1 authenticity. They determined what the original material looked like from a 1939 company brochure. That manufacturer was out of business but they found the identical material at an antique car restoration place called Baron and Bonney in Amesbury, Massachusetts. This place also had some of the correct interior hardware as many aircraft companies used off-the-shelf auto parts.

We hated to leave this beautiful airplane and hope that Paul and Jim didn't observe us drooling like the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood. •

(L-R) Paul Donoghue and Jim Ross with their yellow and black 1944 Howard DGA-15P, NC52986, SIN 988.

The Howard's panel is authentic except for some modern instruments. VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

BeckyHart's Aeronca Super Chief

Photo by Roger Hess Becky Hart and Roger Hess with N3923E.

by Dick Cavin

(Photos by Becky Hart except as noted)

One of the unsung rewards of report­ing on airplanes is the outstanding people you meet and come to know well. One of these is a petite lass of 27, Becky Hart (EAA 160782), a truly out­standing young woman, whose im­maculate 1947 Aeronca 11 BC Super Chief was the recipient of the Oshkosh '85 Reserve Grand Champion Classic trophy, a single honor that reflects the esteem of a team of gimlet-eyed judges. As a matter of fact, Becky's Aeronca N3923E, SIN 11 BC-5, came within an eyelash of copping the Grand Cham­pion Classic title, if that helps you to appreciate how truly impeccable it is.

Now in case you are inclined to think a winner of a top restoration award is a grizzled old A&P with a fancy shop and This was Becky's first sighting of the Super Chief. 14 JANUARY 1986

that a mere slip of a girl couldn 't possi­bly have done all those things so skill­fully by herself - BEEP - forget it , Mac! Yes, she had a little help on some operations, but it's only rarely that someone does it all themselves. Perhaps it's only words of advice from a pro that is sought, but no one is an island these days.

Becky gives credit to her mechaniC, Ray Johnson, for overseeing and advis­ing her all along the way, but make no mistake, she did the lion 's share of the work. Let's go back to the beginning , though, and follow this talented young lady's pursuit of perfection in her very own Magic Carpet.

She and her boyfriend, Roger Hess (EAA 160502), met in college where Roger got his private license in October 1979 via the flying club of University of Wisconsin-Madison. After both gradu­ated with degrees in Electrical Engi­neering they moved to Minneapolis where both were employed by the Hon­eywell Company to do radar systems engineering. Becky hadn't really in­tended to take up flying , but did decide to enroll in ground school to help her understand what it was that fascinated Roger so. That was in September, 1980.

She found out rather quickly and by February, 1981 , she too had a private license. Now, both she and Roger have started aerobatic training and are look­ing forward to the day when Roger's Pitts is flying .

Since airplane money was scarce for both, it narrowed their options. As so often happens, the unexpected got things off dead center. One day Roger spotted an ad on the local FBO's info board and convinced Becky they should go look at it. Neither of them even knew what an Aeronca looked like or even had serious thoughts about buying an

airplane. Out of curiosity they drove out to the edge of Minneapolis where it was tied down in a farmer's field. It looked pretty bedraggled and obviously hadn't had much care. The log showed 1580 hours on the airframe and engine and a linen recover in 1960.

Becky said she bought the plane be­cause she fell in love with its classic rounded lines. It was still licensed, so she had it ferried to Crystal Airport where she had rented a hangar. That was June 29, 1981 and after she looked at it for a month without flying it, she made the decision to recover it and get it back in A 1 shape. After Ray Johnson assured her he would check her work at every step, the project began with stripping the fuselage of old fabric.

Right here the entire project changed direction. The log showed all woodwork

Stripping the fabric off N3923E.

The fuselage frame is primed with Steel-Cote two part epoxy. Formers, stringers, win­dow frames, etc. are all new wood.

replaced at the prior recover, but it was obvious that the formers and stringers had merely been reinforced with stouter pieces of wood and much hardware, with the originals rotten and warped.

With the airplane now completely dis­assemblsd, off came the engine, land­ing gear and tail group. Here's what she found : badly deformed landing gear bolts, brake cables broken and spliced, numerous wasp nests in all the control surfaces and wings, mouse nests in both wingtips, badly damaged gear fit­tings, bent and damaged landing gear, damaged rudder, tail post, and left wing lift struts. Apparently it had been ground looped often, as outboard ribs and tip bows had had numerous repairs (unlog­ged). Mice had chewed the left rear spar so badly at the aileron bellcrank that a legal splice couldn 't be done. Add 34 years of accumulated oil , dirt and rust to all that and you can see why she might have considered a chain saw as the easy way out.

Not our gal Becky, though! She set to work methodically cataloguing hardware, labeling every bolt and nut as to where it went, drawing sketches, and taking dozens of photos (which were the most valuable of all on re-as­sembly). She also had a service manual to correlate with her photos, etc. As it turned out, none of the carefully labeled hardware was re-used.

She said the remainder of the fall of 1981 was spent chemically stripping the fuselage and sheet metal and this was the most inefficient phase of the project, as she wasted time stripping metal that wouldn 't be re-used. The fuselage was the worst of all. She hand stripped it thoroughly, then applied a hardware store red oxide primer (which only pro­tected it during the winter) . This re­quired two months of hard work when winter called a halt.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

sawed through and found to be in per­fect shape, too. The damaged left strut was also cut in two near the bottom to reveal a completely rust free interior, suggesting that the airplane may have been hangared most of the time.

A new rear spar was made, with ap­propriate doublers and bushings added. After sanding, all spars and formers were epoxy varnished. The warped and bent trailing edges were replaced, along with new wingtip bows that Roger welded up. All aileron bearings were beyond rejuvenation and were replaced with new KR-4s.

While Becky was involved with wing work that summer, Roger did the fitting of the fuselage formers and stringers during a lapse in his Pitts project. This is an exacting task to come out with smooth compound curves that disguise the triangular frame adding eye appeal to the Chief's fuselage. It's also an exer­cise in frustration to avoid unsightly bumps and protrusions.

Determined not to lose another winter, Becky rented a heated hangar at Anoka County Airport from the same EAAer who had sold her the airplane. During the winter all the pre-cover as­sembly of the fuselage was completed, including replacing copper fuel line with aluminum and installation of all new wir­ing. All control cables and pulleys were replaced, using new ones throughout.

The badly bent gear was replaced with a new one from Univair, but after assembly it was noticed that the axles pOinted downward. After much long dis­tance discussion with Univair, they dis­covered the company that made these struts to Univair had jigged them wrong. (Who knows now how many Aeroncas have the bow-legged look?)

After all this the airframe was in­The newly restored wings are fitted to the fuselage. spected and signed off for cover on

April 30, 1983.

When spring came she got rid of the oxide primer by having it sandblasted, after which the fuselage was im­mediately painted with a gloss black, two part industrial epoxy (Steel-Cote) , which has given excellent results , with no peeling or chipping.

During the winter, Becky had made patterns off the old formers and strin­gers and sawed new ones out of 1/4" aircraft mahogany plywood until her apartment neighbors squawked at the noise. (Those dern ground pounders!)

The summer of '82 was used to re­build the wings. Both wings were disas­sembled completely, although the ribs weren't slipped off the spars. Most of the nails holding ribs to the spars had fallen out and were replaced with air­craft brass nails after epoxying the ribs to the spars. All fittings were removed, sandblasted, checked and repainted or plated. Spars were checked for cracks, rot and condition and were found to be excellent. The damaged spar was Freshly majored Continental C8S engine. 16 JANUARY 1986

Roger Hess made three sets of baffles before he was satisfied with the end result. Apparently no commercially-made baffling for the 85 hp Chief is available.

Before covering, though, the airframe was re-assembled to check rigging and the fit of the wing with the new left struts and rear spar. This was a good move, as some adjustment was required. Also, at this time, Roger decided to put the Pitts on the back burner and help Becky finish her project earlier. This would give them a flying airplane sooner. In exchange, Becky would cover the Pitts for Roger. This turned out to be a good idea, as things started going together in high gear. They each began averaging 30 hours per week on the project.

The last task on the wings was instal­ling a new leading edge. Not knowing better, Becky duplicated the originals, which were half hard 5052-0 .016 aluminum. These are very soft and Becky grieves about not using 2024 T­3, as she knows that sooner or later she'll get a big dent or so.

Becky couldn't go for the PK screws the factory used to fasten the fabric and leading edge, so she dimpled the sheet metal and used flat head metal screws for attachment to the ribs . She also bonded the sheet joints for a real smoothie leading edge.

Becky said that beginning in June 1983 she spent eight straight months covering the Aeronca, using the Stits process exclusively. This didn't include the final spraying , which came later in the early spring of '84. She followed Stits' excellent instruction manual to the letter and had no problems whatsoever. She also used Stits flat polyester ribstitch cord, in combination with Stits' hidden knot stitch method, resulting in a super smooth finish on the ribs . Aeronca ribs don't hold their shape well , so special attention was paid to keep them precisely aligned.

tension, so she made balsa fillets to beef up the area and it worked out beautifully. She also learned that the steel tail surfaces would bow under fab­ric tension and that a little outward pre­bowing before cover would then give one a straight line under tension . Later learning this wasn 't a new technique, she said they had to learn it themselves.

While Becky was covering Roger spent his time on the sheet metal work, replacing all cowling, fairings and baffl­ing . The largest cowl required a 3' x 10' piece and it was re-made three times before they were satisfied with the fit. Similar effort went into the other cowl­ings and the result was the best fitted cowls you 'll probably ever see on an Aeronca (Amen, Ed), and a big

aluminum bill . To prevent the eventual deterioration

of baffling into aluminum lace, Roger used heavier gauge aluminum, rein­forcements, and expansion jOints. For some reason no commercially made baffling is available for the 85 hp Chief and Roger said it was the most frustrat­ing part of the metal work. Also it was the reason he made three sets before pronouncing it perfect and he is justifi­ably proud of the fit. All of the sheet metal was scuffed with Scotch-Brite, fol­lowed by acid etch, Alodine and Stits epoxy primer.

Fabric spraying began in January '84, using a pressure pot and a 2 hp com­pressor, which made it possible to spray heavy and fast enough to avoid over­spray. They averaged spraying 5 coats of silver, (2 more than Stits minimum). With much laborious sanding between coats, with the leading edge receiving several extra coats. The weave of the 2.7 oz. 0-103 fabric wasn 't completely hidden at this stage, but due to the ex­tensive sanding it was close to it.

The standard Stits finish is Poly tone, the equivalent of butyrate dope, and an average of four coats was applied, with sanding between. The colors used were Pontiac Red and Insignia White, with Dakota Black for trim. White was painted first, then red and black were masked and painted in that order. Stits red is non-bleeding, but Becky said she didn't want to tempt it. Masking was done with expensive 3M Fineline Mask­ing tape, a green polypropylene, which makes the cleanest lines you'll ever see, with no bleed through or need to seal edges, giving outstandingly good results .

Becky and Roger really outdid them­selves on the Polytone finish , which normally does not dry to high gloss. To

She soon found the light ribs in the The Chief was covered using the Stits process throughout. Using much sanding and aileron bay wouldn 't hold up to fabric buffing Becky and Roger attained a high gloss finish with that "deep wet" look.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

to purchase an Airtex interior to save time and she was delighted with the

BeckyHart's Aeronca Super Chief

The mostly black Airtex interior contrasts perfectly with the dark red upholstery and carpeting. The white vinyl headliner and nickel trim provide the final touch of elegance. Note black leather covered instrument panel.

get a high gloss finish they wet sanded with used 600 grit paper, followed by hours of machine buffing with liquid rub­bing compound . Many people thought it was polyurethane enamel as there was no fabric weave visible and it had that deep "wet" look.

They used Stits Aluma-thane to paint the metal parts, which has a superior color match, but since they were never able to get a dirt free surface (despite all precautions) they switched to Poly tone. It was sanded and buffed to a brilliant finish like the fabric and is non-shrinking, but they've found it not as resistant to solvents and stains, so requires more care and frequent waxing than a polyurethane finish would.

Between sanding and painting ses­sions the engine was majored, even though the log showed a top overhaul 40 hours back. Not only had it not been topped, but also they found two cracked cylinders in addition to evidence the en­gine had been run dry of oil. They were able to save the crank and cam shafts by grinding undersize, along with the case and sump and the other two cylin­ders. They also were able to use the intake and exhaust systems. 100 oc­tane valves were installed and the en­gine balanced before sign off by the FAA repair station . Mags and carb were

lines, ignition harness, ducting, and plugs were replaced with new ones. A new Sensenich prop was purchased to replace the old McCauley (serial #9). The engine has performed beautifully now for some 60 hours.

With the end in sight Becky decided

quality, durability, and the ease of in­stallation. The mostly black interior con­trasts perfectly with the dark red up­holstery and carpeting. A non-shrinking white vinyl headliner and nickel trim pro­vide the final touch of elegance. Interior sheet metal is spotter painted "Static Black" Polane, much like the Christen Eagle interior. The instrument panel (also new) is covered in black leather, as a handsome touch to accent the all­new (or refinished) original instruments.

After replacing all windows and windshield with 1/8" Plexiglass edged in aluminum channels, the fuzzy half of a Velcro strip was used to line the chan­nels and secure them. Window latches and door locks were also made so the airplane could be left unattended when needed. Polished stainless steel hardware was used inside and out, as they decided painted hardware would soon show signs of wear or rust.

N3923E was finally completed on Nov. 2, 1984 and was inspected and signed off the same day with a resound­ing "Well done!". Bill Witt, a friend, made the uneventful first flight a couple of days later and he also took on the task of teaching Becky and Roger to be tail­dragger pilots. They made excellent progress, too. Becky says, "I've found landings are not really so difficult but are difficult to do really well."

So, after some 2200 hours of work on Becky's part and nearly that much by Roger, they have a superbly crafted airplane to fly, an outstanding one to be admired. Certainly it qualifies for the title of "Reserve Grand Champion ." Our hats are off to this talented and person­able young woman and Roger Hess. 'Bet their Pitts will be another prize win­ner, too .•

Photo by Jim Becker

overhauled and all control cables, fuel Becky Hart flying her Oshkosh '85 "Reserve Grand Champion" Classic. 18 JANUARY 1986

by George A. Hardie, Jr.

Since the beginning of aviation there have been attempts to produce a suc­cessful STOL (short take off and land­ing) aircraft. The autogiro appeared to be the perfect solution, but was soon eclipsed by the helicopter. Designers are a persistent lot, as exemplified by this month's Mystery Plane. The photo was taken at the Flying Ranch Airport in New Jersey in 1961 and was submit­ted by John Lengenfelder of Lawrence­ville, New Jersey. Answers will be pub­lished in the April , 1986 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Deadline for that issue is February 15, 1986.

The Mystery Plane in the October, 1985 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is the Langley Twin, Model 2-5-90, ATC #755. This was one of many designs featuring a formed plastic construction that appeared just before and during World War II, with the idea of conserving metals used in the de­fense industry. The airplane was de­signed by Martin Jensen of Dole Derby air race fame, and the license to build was acquired by the Andover-Kent Avi­ation Company in 1942. Production was suspended because of the low priority allotted to the company. Attempts to re­vive it in 1946 brought no sales.

Many members recognized the Mys­tery Plane. Charley Hayes of Park Forest, IL wrote:

"This four-placer was constructed al­most entirely of molded plastic plywood. It was powered by two Franklin engines. No mechanical fastenings such as nuts,

bolts or screws were used to hold major parts of the plane together (apparently bonding was enough). Aeromatic props provided constant variable pitch. Gross weight was 2650 Ibs., high speed 160 mph and range 450 statute miles. It would hold altitude on one engine at full gross weight (it didn 't say how much altitude) . This attractive little twin was priced at $8,500 in 1946. As far as I know, only one was built."

References can be found in Juptner's U.S. Civil Aircraft, Vol. 8; Jane's All the World's Aircraft for 1941 ; and Flying magazine, December, 1941 .

Others who submitted answers (some with much detail for which we don't have space) were: Frank E. Hand, Jr. of Cow-Town, TX; Lynn and Carol Towns, Eaton Rapids, MI; Ken Pruitt, Belen, NM ; Douglas T. Rounds, Zebu-

VINTAGE LITERATURE . .. (Continued from Page 5)

both samples were about the same ­11 percent in 1937 and 12 percent in 1985. Considering the ages of the en­gines today that would indicate a good maintenance record .

Regarding injuries, there are far fewer today. In 1937, 130 of the 164 accidents involved fatalities , whereas in 1985 only 24 fatalities resulted from the 158 accidents. Is this difference a result of the types of accidents involved, or the increased structural strength of air­craft built after the 1930s?

lon, GA; Herman H. Fasnacht, Pontiac, IL; M. H. Eisenmann, Garrettsville, OH ; Kelly J. Bare, Richardson, TX ; John B. Hyde, San Leandro, CA; H. Glenn Buf­fington, San Diego, CA; Joseph Tarafas, Bethlehem, PA; K. W. Kleinen­dorst, Hop Bottom, PA; Ed Beatty, Hamilton, IN; LeRoy Falk, Carpen­tersville , IL; Wayne Schubert, Kingston, NY; and Harold H. Swanson, North Branch, MN .•

Air Facts provides some very in­teresting food for thought as to the causes and results of accidents. For anyone owning or flying or considering an antique or classic from 1938 on, Air Facts is a good source of real life infor­mation dealing with these aircraft both in accident reports and flight tests.

The EAA Library has a nearly com­plete set from 1938 to 1976.

Note: The 1985 data is from prelimi­nary accident reports and because data was not yet available for the full year, comparisons are made in percentages rather than total figures . •

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT FLYING ANYWAY?

by F. J. "Buddy" Joffrion (EAA 186296, AlC 7045) 83 Teardrop Court Newbury Park, CA 91320

What's so great about flying anyway? That's what I'm asking you, and I'll bet you can't tell me. I've heard just about all the propaganda there is on the sub­ject, and I'm still not convinced. After all, I too know a little about this busi­ness. And, I just don't understand why people get so emotional and poetic about it. It's really not all that it's cracked up to be.

You don't need to tell me what it's like to break ground at early morn when the air is a limpid, undisturbed pool, and your stirrings are the first to even make a ripple in this pristine stillness. I've known the flush of floating aloft on that buoyant ocean of ether while the sun reluctantly rises out of its nightly slumber and slowly brightens the purple halo of the mountains into a dazzling azure blue. I've experienced all of this, but I don't get get all dreamy eyed and gushy about it, not me.

You must also realize that I am aware of what it's like to come in off a flight, certain that you have given it your best shot and that your best shot was a lot better than just good. I know all about that glow of elation from a glassy smooth touchdown after a flawless ap­20 JANUARY 1986

proach when that noble, obedient machine transfers its allegiance to a new set of laws, as it abandons the sky, re-embraces the earth and rolls you smoothly to your tie-down. Along about then, you're at least ten feet tall, and your only regret is that the whole world wasn't looking on. I understand these things. Still, you don't see me getting carried away about it. No sir!

It's just that, over the years, I have experienced most of it either first or sec­ond hand, and I guarantee you that it's not all that much. I've even picked the brains of those lucky guys who race at Reno. I can vividly picture what it must be like charging around Adrenalin Alley at over 400 per and polishing those py­lons ever so closely while that angry Merlin in front of you screams its de­fiance. And though I've never had the good fortune of trying it, I can actually feel and appreciate the exquisite, un­equalled thrill drawn from man and machine striving mightily to gain advan­tage over an incomparable field as they hurdle furiously around that checker­boarded course. Even as a spectator, I am at once, both drained and exalted by this magnificent spectacle - I hon­estly sense and suffer those outrageous "G" loads as each charger attacks those pylons in a vertical bank! ANY IDIOT KNOWS THAT ALL OTHER FORMS

OF RACING PALE INTO NOTHING­NESS WHEN COMPARED WITH THIS! But still, I don't get worked up about these things like some folks. Never!

And just in case you're wondering­well, I've done a little instructing, too. You can't tell me much about the deep, stirring satisfaction you get from taking a 16-year-old kid and teaching him to tread the skies safely. His first solo will be forevermore etched into your mem­ory. No mother robin, seeing her fledgl­ings test their wings for the first time, could know greater pride and, yes, self­importance than you do at this moment. You almost feel that, from this point on, the kid belongs t9 you. After all wasn't it you who gave him life! A friend of mine calls it a "soulful experience", but he's inclined to let his emotions get a bit drippy at times. You have to remember that instructing is just another job ­certainly nothing to get excited about. Not in the least.

I really want you to know that I am not without some knowlege of these things. I know first hand the matchless exultation of pulling an acrobatic bip­lane straight up into the deepest part of the sky, watching the airspeed and wind noise fade away and then that majestic indescribable instant when, at last, the nose falls through and that sublime

machine plunges downward, gracefully retracing its footsteps back to earth.

Yes, I put this elegant biplane through its paces - paces that tested this lovely lady's very fibre. This sensitive aristoc­rat and I did things that no hawk or spar­row would dare try - twisting and turn­ing, rolling and diving as the wind strum­med a haunting melody through her wires. And silently, through it all, we were both dreading that inevitable mo­ment when we knew we had to return to stodgy earth. I'm only telling you these things so you won't think I'm just blowing smoke on the subject. It's just not all that great.

I could tell you a little about camaraderie here, too. How airplane folks are somehow magically drawn to­gether no matter where they happen to find themselves. Yes, and that unexp­lainable bond of kinship linking them ­a kinship that seems to surpass all others. You either belong to this infor­mal, worldwide brotherhood, or you are just tolerated with studied indifference and pity. As far as I can tell , no one has satisfactorily figured this one out. Let two or more of these people get to­gether, and there is never a lull in the

conversation. Even the oldest stories command attention. Not only that, they gain stature and excitement (as well as padding) with each telling . Say, did I ever tell you about the time that . .. well , I'll get back to that later. I suppose you 'd find some sort of camaraderie even among stamp collectors and birdwatch­ers, but I don't know what they'd talk about.

Another thing - I have never under­stood why airplane people are so ir­resistibly drawn, as if by some invisible magnetism, to those religious shrines they call airports. And I can, in no way, comprehend why it is that, wherever you find a grassy field with a handful of airplanes on it, you 'll also find a group of these folks hunkered down, spinning yarns tournament style. Some of the stories are really too much. Have you noticed that some people just don't know when to quit exaggerating? There's this guy with the big yap over at Fla-Bob who tops everything I say. But anyway, what do you suppose it is that attracts these jocks to every cow pasture in the country that has a hangar on it? It sure beats me. I go to this little airport near me every chance I get, but ,

you understand, it's just to study this strange breed firsthand.

Now, I'm willing to concede that, in my own career, there have been times when I was more than just a little pleased with myself - like when I had brought a four engine jet and 400 pas­sengers out of Kennedy, through a mid­western squall line, to a safe uneventful landing in CAT II minimum at LAX. On an occasion like that, after the engines are shut down and the check lists com­pleted, you 're inclined to slump down a little on that cockpit throne, think back on the unbelievable experiences of the last five hours and say to yourself, "Was that really me?" You have to admit it's a heady wine, but then it's really no big deal. I could never get emotional or poetic about it - that's for sure!

Anyway, getting back to my question - now truthfully, what's so great about flying? It's not actually all that much when you think about it - at least not like a lot of folks would have you be­lieve. If you have an answer, I'd like to hear it, but it's gotta be right now! This guy offered me a ride in a Staggerwing Beech and I'm not about to be late for something like that! •

VINTAGE SEAPLANES

Consolidated Fleetster with 550 HP Hornet engine on EDO 5300 floats.

(Courtesy of Edo Corporation)

Pan Am vs. New York, Rio, Buenos Aires

The aircraft pictured was one of a fleet of Mail/Passenger machines which were used by New York, Rio, and Buenos Aires Lines on scheduled routes along the east coast of South America. The aircraft could carry up to seven passengers and had a top speed of 165 miles per hour.

In 1930 after a fierce battle for U.S.

Government mail contracts, the victori­ous Juan Trippe of Pan America Air­ways euchred Ralph A. O'Neill , then president of NYRBA, out of his airline with a prize of 32 of the most advanced aircraft on the market as well as a net­work of ground facilities and other as­sets worth millions more than the ac­quisition price.

The merger of Pan American Airways and NYRBA removed the last obstacle to Pan Am's monopoly of the U.S. air routes of Latin America . •

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

We would like to list your aviation event in our calendar. Please send Information to the Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, Wittman AIrfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Information must be received at least two months in advance of the issue in which it will appear.

FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 2 - CASA GRANDE, ARiZONA - Arizona Antique Aircraft Assn.'s Annual Cactus Fly-In. Make your own reserva­tions. Bring tie-downs. Contact: Tom O'Connell 602/567·3271 or Forrest Kline 6021567·4588.

MARCH 16-22 - LAKELAND, FLORIDA - 12th Annual Sun 'n Fun Fly-In. Antiques, classics, homebuilts, warbirds, ultralights and light planes gather at Drane Field. For information contact Bonnie Higbie, Sun 'n Fun Headquar­ters, P.O. Box 6750, Lakeland, FL 33807 or phone 813/644-2431.

APRIL 25-27 - KITTY HAWK, NORTH CAROLINA - 4th Annual Wilbur Wright Fly·ln at Wright Brothers' National Memorial. Gather­ing of antique and classic airplanes along with vintage automobiles. Awards in various categories. For information contact Gene O'Bleness, managing director, First Flight Soci· ety, 919/441-3761.

JULY 28-AUGUST 1 - MANASSAS, VIRGINIA - International Cessna 170 Association Con· vention. Contact: Byrd Raby, 3011743-7623.

AUGUST 1-8 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN ­World's Greatest Aviation Event. 34th Annual EAA International Fly·ln Convention and Sport Aviation Exhibition. For information contact John Burton, EAA Headquarters, Wittman Air­field, Oshkosh, WI 54903·3086, phone 4141 426-4800.

AUGUST 10-15 - FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN - lAC International Competition. Fond du Lac Sky Port. For information contact Jean Sorg, lAC, EAA Headquarters, Wittman Airfield, Osh· kosh, WI 54903·3086, phone 414/426-4800.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

A Tribute To Jean Qoche Story and photo by Mike Melfa

We should never forget where our light plane heritage began and honor those who through their selfless efforts laid down a tradition that lingers and grows more each passing year. We, the recipients of this heritage, do and should strive to keep it alive by replicat­ing those designs that brought us to where we are today. With this in mind and to create a long remembrance of flying the C-3, I took the daddy of the C-3, the C-2 and sort of did my thing to make it lighter with traditional construc­tion methods but using modern mate­rials. As a result its simplicity of design and aerodynamic integrity has resulted in one of the most excellent handling aircraft I have ever flown, bar none. It is 88 pounds, lighter than the original design, and I am sure this accounts for most of this .

The design of the C-2 is the result of years of selfless effort of Jean A. Roche - a man with a dream of a true light plane. He saw the need for a cheap economical airplane; an every poor man's airplane. It started in the early 20's and the design got a shot in the arm while he was employed by the Army Air Service at McCook Field, Day­ton, Ohio. The service wanted him to develop a training glider for them . This opportunity led to the refinement of the airframe and the discovery of a new air­foil , the Clark "Y". With the help of a friend, John Dohse, they completed the airframe and utilized a Henderson Motorcycle engine which proved in­22 JANUARY 1986

adequate to lift it off the the ground. As fate would have it, Roche was part

of a design group at McCook and a fel­low engineer by the name of Harold Morehouse was developing a 2-cylinder opposed engine for the service to blow up ballonets for blimps. Roche liked what he saw and approached Morehouse. After Roche explained his need Morehouse became enthused and threw himself into the project to develop a similar powerplant that would deliver the required horsepower.

Morehouse, working on his own and with the help of others, developed a 2­cylinder opposed engine that delivered 29 horsepower. This little engine ran flawlessly and as a consequence Jean Roche's little airplane flew in Sep­tember, 1925, with Dohse at the con­trols. Dohse had not soloed but had only held the controls of an airplane in the air. Dohse claimed that he had not intended to fly it but it hopped into the air. (Where have you heard this story before?) Dohse flew it out about five miles and turned her around and put her down successfully.

If there was any occasion to testify to the stability of his design this was it, and we must hand accolades to Morehouse for his little engine; it ran flawlessly during the next 200 flights. Everyone who flew it was unanimous in their praise. Jean Roche, however, was not immediately successful in finding a manufacturer for his little bird until the summer of 1929. The rest is nostalgia, yours and mine.

This current design is very similar to the C-2 in outward appearance. When

you get close to her you will begin to notice the difference. It is two feet shor­ter, there is no cabane and the gear is different. The wing, however, is the same as the C-2; but with different con­struction . The internal components are made of aluminum.

Of course, the engine is different. I have chosen the Global engine be­cause it appears to be the most practi­cal solution in view of the wide spread availability of parts world wide. I feel that any problems in its design will eventually be resolved. I believe this to be true for there has been much im­provement since its introduction. I per­sonally am striving to work on low end vibration. I am sure there are others in the field who are expending effort to im­prove it and eventually we will all be­nefit.

To date I have flown Mike's Mouse (named by Capt. Ray Fow, Delta Air­lines) about 35 hours. It's a delight to fly. Several old heads have flown it and can testify to its handling characteris­tics. It's a sweetheart, stable, forgiving and gentle. You would think it's an ul­tralight by the way it takes off and lands, but it is overweight. This weight problem is being worked on.

All I can say is thanks Jean Roche and Aeronca's chief engineer Schlem­mer for the C-2 wherever you are. Now, I've got to get busy on the replica C-3. I've got a Hapi engine in a crate and it's got to go to work.

Editor's Note: For information on these types of airplanes, contact Jason Aircraft, 7215 SW 61st Street, Miami, FL 33143 . •

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS by Gene Chase .

The following is a partial listing of members who have joined the EAA Antique/Classic Division (through August 21 , 1985). We are honored to welcome them into the organization whose members' common interest is vintage aircraft . Succeeding issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE will contain additional listings of new members.

Toenjes, Robert B. Austin, James M. Boike, R. G. Choper, Dr. W. S. Waverly, Iowa Fort Worth, Texas Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Highland Park, New Jersey

Startz, John D. Littrell, C. E. Persons, Grady Anderson, Billy R. Houston, Texas Smithville, Missouri Boulder, Colorado Longmont, Colorado

Steed, David G. Corlett, Sam Korta, Steve Churchwell, J. W. Richardson, Texas Ponca City, Oklahoma Weathersfield, Connecticut Little Rock, Arkansas

McKay, Mike Jerale, Lance F. Parmelee, Phil Crookham Jr., Garry O. Albany, Oregon Manitowoc, Wisconsin Culver City, California Jenks, Oklahoma

Good, Paul M. Fullerton, Paul S. Frost, Richard L. Williams, Munsil Phoenix, Arizona St. Ignace, Michigan Derby, Kansas Pickett , Wisconsin

Willson, Gary W. McEwen, Charles L. Mason, Robert E. Dunden, Walter J. Columbia City, Indiana Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada Canfield, Ohio Eugene, Oregon

Johnson, Walter L. Traeder, Terry J. Pflanzer, Carl T. Watson, David Newport News, Virgina Lisle, Illinois Rome, New York Sunnyvale, California

Kishel, Robert Jacobson, Ralph Williams, Michael Anderson, Robb C. Saddle River, New Jersey Rockford , Illinois Columbus, Indiana Shoreview, Minnesota

French, Jr., Richard A. Chastain, Phillip L. Smith, Bob G. Sowers, Vernie L. Henniker, New Hampshire St. Louis, Missouri West Richland, Washington Murdock, Kansas

Gustine, Larry G. Givens, Steve Borre, Alan D. Parkinson, Brian Chelsea, Michigan Anderson, Indiana Palmyra, Wisconsin NSW Australia

Dempsey, Sean McGowan, Rick Jacobsen, Richard A. Brissette, Paul L. Eagle, Wisconsin Celina, Ohio Rudyard, Michigan Bay City, Michigan

Tierney, Michael B. O'Neil, Murray Schneider, William R. Weltman, Keith E. Peotone, Illinois Woodslee, Ontario, Canada Aurora, Colorado Lombard, Illinois

Penny, Howard G. Hulme, R.A. Dion, Joseph A. Parkinson, Daniel Cary, North Carolina Santa Maria, California Salem, New Hampshire Blanchardville, Wisconsin

Zens, William F. Pearce, Norman Lucas, James L. Eaton Rapids, Michigan Alymer, Ontario, Canada Arlington , Virginia

Edwards, James S. Auvil,Jack Martin, Sidney J. Fremont, Michigan Feeding Hills, Massachusetts Nacogdoches, Texas

Shellenberger, Dr. W. D. Santi, Bruce D. Stilley, William D. Sharon, Pennsylvania Roseville, Michigan Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Pancake, Jr., C. William Sprague, Rodney C. Hardin, Douglas Keyser, West Virginia North Bloomfield, Ohio Marne, Michigan

Lockhart, Don Bolton, Earl C. Reed Jr., Jerrell S. Louisvi lle, Kentucky Boulder, Colorado Winnsboro, Texas

Chase, C. Max Tillman, Bill Chesnut, Bruce Medford, New Jersey Spring Hill , Florida London, Kentucky

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

~ I ~ype ClubActivities CompIled by Gene ('hase

FAIRCHILD CLUB

The Fairchild Club's display in the Type Club Tent at Oshkosh '85 was very well received. A new banner an­nounced the location of the booth and a lot of new information was available for hand-outs. Quite a few new mem­bers were signed up.

The Fairchild Forum on Monday af­ternoon lasted two and a half hours and the exchange of information was very good.

Among the many visitors who stopped by were Ian Farquhar from Au­stralia, Patrick Nerrant of France and two gentlemen from South Africa, Max Chase and Chalky Stobbart. Max and Chalky said there are six or seven Fair­childs flying in their country and they described the annual fly-in at Margate, South Africa. Although not as big, it is their version of Oshkosh.

On display at Oshkosh '85 were five Fairchild 24s and seven PTs. The 24s included two past grand champions: Charlie Bell 's (NC77655) and the one owned jointly by Dick Buck, Jud Gudeh­ous and Tom Leonhardt (NC77661).

A Fairchild Reunion is being planned for the first weekend in June 1986 at Coldwater, Michigan - more on this later.

For information on the Fairchild Club, contact the Club President, John Berendt, 7645 Echo Point Road, Can­non Falls, MN 55009, telephone 507/ 263-2414.

AMERICAN BONANZA SOCIETY

On July 26, 1985, the Southwest Chapter of the American Bonanza Soci­ety under the leadership of Dr. Howard Wisner (EAA 162316, AlC 5861) of Gar­land, Texas kicked off a Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Expedition flight to the far north. The group spent the first night in Laramie, Wyoming, with subsequent stops at Calgary, Ft. Nelson, Whitehorse, Fairbanks, Point Barrow, Anchorage, Juneau, Ketchikan and en­ding in Victoria, British Columbia two weeks later.

The weather was outstanding VFR 24 JANUARY 1986

except for about 30 minutes "VFR on top" over the Brooks range going up the pipeline to Prudhoe Bay. Mt. McKinley was a tremendous sight to see in beau­tiful weather.

Eleven airplanes and crews had a most enjoyable two weeks. No customs hassles, everyone spoke English, and only a minor currency exchange. The most expensive gasoline was $2.92 per gallon at Point Barrow, by cash or check. The only cold day was 45 de­grees at Point Barrow where the sun never set on the night of July 31 . Everyone circled the monuments at the Post-Rogers crash site. August 15 was the fiftieth anniversary of that day when they went down.

A highlight of the trip was a float plane excursion out of Juneau over the glacier fields, stopping at Taku Lodge for a sal­mon bake. Another outstanding restau­rant was Pepe's Mexican Restaurant adjoining the hotel at Point Barrow. A full American menu was available at all stops, featuring a lot of salmon and crab in Alaska. Food costs ran approximately 20 percent higher than at home.

Next year, the group is planning a trip around the world and several members have already signed up.

Dr. Wisner and Frank Haile (EAA 132571) of Dallas, Texas set an around-the-world formation record in July 1978 in their Bonanzas. This re­cord was previously held by the pilots of two of the Douglas World Cruisers who made the trip in 1924.

See page 000 for the "Post/Rogers Memorial Flight" - an account of an unsuccessful attempt to reach Point Barrow two weeks later than the above­mentioned trip . . . G. R. C.

For information on the American Bonanza Society, contact Cliff R. Sones, P. O. Box 12888, Wichita, KS 67277, phone 316/945-6913.

The library of the Short Wing Piper Club, Inc. has begun the initial work to establish a video tape collection. As a result of the demand for the loan of the video tape "Wings for Industry", the promotional film produced by Piper to extol the virtues of the TriPacer as a small business aircraft, the library is

going to start collecting and creating other video tapes.

The tapes will be of Short Wing Piper National Conventions, forums, Chapter fly-ins and other subjects closely as­sociated with Short Wing Pipers. These tapes will be available for loan to the Club membership.

For information on the Short Wing Piper Club contact Larry D. Smith, Membership Chairman, Rt. No. 11 , 708 West Annie Drive, Muncie, IN 47302, phone 317/289-5487.

Round-The-World PA-12 Located

Ray P. Allison, 209 Hickory Lane, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 , reports that he owns the Piper PA-12, NX3671 M that George Truman flew around the world in the company of Clifford Evans, Jr. in PA-12 NX2365M. This latter air­craft is in the Smithsonian's Paul Garber facility in Silver Hill , Maryland.

Information Needed

John Underwood (EAA 1989, AlC 1653), 2054 West Mountain, Glendale, CA 91201 , the noted aviation author (and a Cub Club member) is doing a book about Cubs. He needs factory photos of PA-11s, celebrities with Cubs (like Frank Hawks and a '36 J-2, How­ard Hughes with a Cub seaplane he flew from time to time, and Lindbergh with a Cub). If you can help John, please do. His aviation books are excel­lent.

Maintenance Note

R. C. "Rick" Duckworth (EAA 87492, AlC 1206), 3361 North Bagley Road, Alma, MI 48801, an owner of a fabric covered tail dragger found heavy rust­ing on his plane's elevator spars. This was caused by tying the control stick in the aft position when tied down outside. The absence of drain holes aggravated this condition.

Rick is an AI and the Events Chair­person for the Cub Club.

(Continued on Page 25)

Showplane camping area at Oshkosh? I currently own a Cessna 120 and am Letters To Editor usually found "about Row 51 ", but am

Gentlemen:

I was fortunate in being able to attend Oshkosh '85 and promptly returned to Albuquerque and joined EAA and the Antique/Classic Division. Attending the Convention was the thrill of a lifetime for me. I was the guest of Red Wing Shoe Company in their Turbo Comman­der 690B.

At one time I demoed Aero Comman­der and Aerostar aircraft all over that part of the country while working for Northern Airmotive. I'm not sure but I may have demoed the Aerostar to Bob Lickteig at Albert Lea, Minnesota. I was pleased to see Buzz Kaplan do'so well with his Savoia Marchetti . I demoed air­craft to him several years back. He has always been a devoted fan and a credit to General Aviation.

I would like to relate an experience we had when we started the first helicopter service in the Upper Midwest. Based at Minneapolis, we were known as Heliflights. During that time we had trouble fueling our Bell 470 as airports were usually off our course, and cruis­ing under 70 mph it took a lot of extra time to get to them. To compound mat­ters, there frequently were several Cubs and T-craft, etc. parked around the gas pumps and, as you know, a helicopter can really blow light planes around.

I had read someplace about the Shell Company experimenting with the use of their high octane automobile gasoline in aircraft engines of less than 250 hp and six cylinders or less. I contacted a local Shell representaive who in turn contacted the people doing the testing.

In a few days they gave me some data and the local representative and I worked out a formula resulting in a mix­ture of 4 cc. of TCP for 25 gallons of Shell high octane gasoline. I purchased some bottles of TCP from a pharmacy and also bought a gallon from Shell.

Our Bell helicopter had a 200 hp Franklin 6-cylinder opposed engine mounted with the crankshaft positioned vertically, powering the rotor through a Sprag Clutch assembly. Because of the down draft carburetor and position of the engine, the two top cylinders would get the richest mixture, the middle ones the correct mixture and the botton two the leanest mixture.

At that time we were using 80 octane aviation fuel and changing the bottom spark plugs every 15-20 hours of flight time. After using the mixture of Shell auto gas and TCP for a few hours, we checked the plugs for lead and any other deposits and found no problems. We put the plugs back in and didn't change them until the regular 100 hour checks.

Shell said at that time they would not talk about it with anyone but asked me to send all information to them. The year was 1958.

Sincerely,

Richard A. Stevens (EAA 258513, AlC 9777) 1412 Jewett Drive, N.E Albuquerque, NM 87112

Dear Editor,

EAA Chapter 4 is again sponsoring the Air Museum tour of the National Air and Space Museum and the Paul E. Garber restoration facility in 1986. Our program has been a great success in past years and we are employing this activity as a means for raising funds for the EAA Aviation Center.

Please note our announcement of this activity in your Calendar of Events.

Sincerely,

Margaret Scesa EAA Chapter 4, Inc. 9611-51 st Place College Park, MD 20740

Dear Sir,

I have recently obtained a Luscombe T8F, but have been unable to obtain much information on it. Do you have any information on this type, or can you direct me to any sources? Any informa­tion at all would be helpful

Sincerely,

John B. Hyde, (EAA 14657, AlC 9454) 925 Maud Avenue San Leandro, CA 94577

The EAA Library has no technical infor­mation on the Luscombe T8F. If you haven't already done so, we suggest you contact both Luscombe Type Clubs listed on page 17 of the September 1985 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. They may have copies of technical manuals available as a ser­vice to their members.

Perhaps some of our readers will contact you with helpful information as well . ... G.R.C.

Hello!

Can you tell me what qualifies a classic aircraft eligible for parking in the

starting to consider a faster and roomier IFR airplane and want to retain "classic status" Specifically , what year(s) Cessna 180 would qualify?

Thanks for your help.

Yours,

Jaime Alexander (EAA 97663, AlC 5496) 800 Broadway Crystal Lake, IL 60014

EAA 's definition of a classic aircraft is, "An aircraft constructed by the original manufacturer, or his licensee, on or after January 1, 1946 up to and includ­ing December 31, 1955." Accordingly, the early Cessna 180s do qualify. . . . G.R.C .•

CLUB ACTIVITIES . .. (Continued from Page 24)

For information on the Cub Club, con­tact John Bergeson 6438 W. Millbrook Road, Remus, MI 49340, phone 517/ 561 -2393.

\'01DE HAVillAND

MotH cum

The de Havilland Moth Club of Canada was founded by R. de Havil­land Ted Leonard in October 1981 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Tiger Moth DH82A, contribution made to Canadian aviation by Tiger Moth CF-AVG, and devoted to interests of all DH Moth aircraft.

Just as the first Canadian GATHER­ING OF MOTHS was held (in 1981) to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Tiger Moth DH82A, now there is every hope a second gathering of Moths can be held this summer to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the DH60 Cirrus Moth. It was suggested by Club member, Mr. Mike Sifton, President of Torontair (Toronto Airways) and owner/ operator of Toronto-Buttonville Airport, that a Moth Rally might be considered for a highlight of AIR FAIR '86 to be held at Buttonville. More information will appear in the next issue of "DH Moth Newsletter" as well as various aviation publications.

For information on The de Havilland Moth Club of Canada contact R. de Haviland Ted Leonard, Founder and Di­rector, 305 Old Holmstead Road, Kes­wick, Ontario, Canada L4P 1 EG, phone 416/476-4225.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

MEMBER'S PROJECTS ... by Gene Chase

AERONCA C-2, NC10304, SIN A-66

Several years ago Dale Wolford , George York and Jim Gorman of Man­sfield, OH purchased a basket case Aeronca C-2, consist ing of a fuselage and four engines. With the help of Aeronca, who supplied them with draw­ings, Dale has completely constructed new wings.

Since these photos were taken, the control surfaces have been covered and the project will be completed during the winter months. They have been suc­cessful in locating an authentic altimeter and tachometer. The wheels are off a sulky, and are also authentic.

The three are hoping for a first flight in June, 1986. The test pilot will be de­termined by the toss of a coin, with the "loser" being so-named.

Pre-cover assembly of the C-2 to be sure everything fits.

The 26 hp Aeronca E-107A engine is mounted. The wheels are from a sulky.

The new wings are held by three friends who stopped by to help assemble the Aeronca.

KREIDER-REISNER KR-21-B, NC954V, SIN 1502

Antique/Classic Division President Bob Lickteig hoped to have his 1931 KR-21-B at Oshkosh '85, but the resto­ration wasn't completed until Sep­tember 1985. The first flight was without incident and Bob says the plane flies great.

According to Juptner's U.S. Civil Air­craft only three of this model were built with two more being converted from the earlier version KR-21 . Power is the 125 hp Kinner B5. The colors of this beauti­ful restoration are red and silver with white trim . •

26 JANUARY 1986 Bob Lickteig's KR-21-B at the Albert Lea (Minnesota) Airport where it is currently based.

The pilot of this modified DH-4 replenishes his fuel and water supply at a roadside "filling station," circa 1920s.

TIMJ:. RE-LNE IT! \

'\ \ The fabulous times of Turner, Doolittle, Wedell and Wittman recreated as never before in this 6OO-page two-volume series. Printed on high grade paper with sharp, clear photo reproduction. Offical 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 @ $14.95 each - add $1.50 for postage and handling. Special ­both volumes $28.50 postage free. Send check or money order to: EAA Aviation Foundation.

. Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3065.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet... 25¢ per word, 20 word minimum. Send your ad to

The Vintage Trader, Wittman Airfield Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591.

AIRCRAFT: 1932 Monocoupe 110 Project - 75% complete less wing. Includes fresh majored Warner 125. $13,500, negotiable. 704/594-5938. (3-3)

Tiger Moth Enthusiasts - We have Australian­made parts to suit Tigers and wish to trade for U.S. antique aircraft or parts (e.g., Waco, Stearman, Travel Air, Fleet). Large variety Tiger parts avail­able. Write Tony Stinson, P.O. Box 531 Brookvale, N.SW. 2100 Australia, phone (2) 981-5611.

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.

Don't Miss This One! 1931 Buhl Pup. Szekely powered. A rare antique priced to sell. 818/883­5670. Santa Paul, CA. (12-2)

STINSON GULLWING V-77. Approximately 500 hours A&E. Recovered 1980. No radio, $22,500. Will trade for Cessna Airmaster. 516/421-3839. (12-2)

1933 Fairchild 22 with Menasco D-4 Super Pirate - in very good show condition. Needs nothing; some engine spares. Make serious offer. 3121358­4035 or 3121742-2041. (12-2)

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unlimited aerobatics. 23 sheets of clear, easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical draw­ings, 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 Techniq\Je of Aircraft Building ­$10.00 plus $2.00 postage. Send check or money order to: ACRO SPORT, INC., Box 462, Hales Corners, 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.

REFERENCE GUIDE FOR EAA JOURNALS. This publication allows the user to locate (by topic), any article or item of information that has been written in any issue of SPORT AVIATION, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, LIGHT PLANE WORLD, SPORT AEROBATICS or WARBIRDS. It is logically or­ganized and simple to use. 1953-59, $5.00; 1960­69, $5.00; 1970-74, $5.00; 1975-79, $5.00; 1980­84, $5.00; 1985, $4.00. SPECIAL - ALL SIX FOR $25.00. Copy service available for 25¢ per page, $3.00 minimum. Can make copies from any issue. John Bergeson, 6438 W. Millbrook Road, Remus, MI49340.

"GRAND CANYON", 2-hour spectacular helicopter exploration VIDEO. Breathtaking music. Critically acclaimed. Details FREE. Beerger Productions, 327-V12, Arville, Las Vegas, NV 89102, 7021876­2328. (C-10/86)

ENGINES & ACCESSORIES: Gnome Engine, model N9, 160 hp., single valve, Dixie mags. 0 time since new in 1917. 704/526­3514. (12-2)

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 .

For Sale: Old aviation memorabilia. Books, manu­als, magazines, photos, parts, etc. No list. Send a SAS.E. and state your wants. Aviation History, P.O. Box 72, Parsippany, NJ 07054 (1-2)

WANTED: Wanted - C-4 Menasco Engine. Prefer in run­ning condition; if not running, prefer engine to be complete. Let me know what you have. Call 2161 843-7990, evenings. (12-3)

WANTED : Carb air filter intake housing wlside scoops for Wright engine R-760-8 as used on Navy N3N Biplane. Will buy complete engine if it comes with air intake set up. J. Martin Lowe, 703/825­6230. (1-2)

VINTAGE TRADER AD fORM Send check or money order with copy to Vintage Trader - EM, Wittman Airfield , Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

Total Words ____ Number of Issues to Run ______________________

Total $,____ Signature ___________----________________

Address

28 JANUARY 1986

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FABRIC DEVELOPED ESPECIALLY FOR AIRCRAFT COVERING. * NEW 68 PAGE MANUAL #1, REVISION 13, WITH DETAILED IN­

STRUCTIONS FOR FABRIC COVERING, REFINISHING FABRIC SURFACES, AND PAINTING AIRCRAFT FOR CORROSION CONTROL.

* LATEST CATALOG AND DISTRIBUTOR LIST.

STITS POLY-FIBER AIRCRAFT COATINGS

P. O. BOX 3084-V RIVERSIDE, CA 92519 PHONE (714) 684-4280

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The EAA Aviation Center's staff uses RACE GLAZE to preserve and protect the museum's price­less collection of aircraft.

Classic owners! Interior looking shebbyf

Finish it right with an Girtex interior

Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation.

Custom Quality at economical p-ices.

• Cushion upholstery sets • Wall panel sets • Headliners • Carpet sets • Baggage compartment sets • Firewall covers

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• Seat Slings • Recover envelopes and dopes

Free Catalog of complete product line. Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials: $3.00.

.,::rQlr· tex products, inc. 259 Lower Morrisville Rd. , Dept. VA Fallsington, PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

• CLEAN • SHINE • PROTECT

For the discriminating Pilot and F.B.O. who demand excellence in performance products. RACE GLAZE® Polish and Sealant is EAA's choice.

• Easy To Use • Reduces Drag • Removes Exhaust Stains • Protect Leading Edge • Removes Oxidation • Resists UV Fading • Cannot Yellow • Unbelievable "Gloss"

List: $12.00 per bottle

EAA Price: $9.95 per bottle

EAA Case Price (12): $72.00 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 AIRPLANE 29

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

EAA Membership in the Experimental, Aircraft Association, Inc. is $30.00 for one year, $58.00 for 2 years and $84.00 for 3 years. All include 12 is­sues of Sport Aviation per year. Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $18.00 an­nualry. Family Membership is avail­able for an additional $10.00 annually.

ANTIQUE/CLASSIC 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. In­cludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Divison, 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Air· plane, one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards. Sport Aviation not included.

lAC Membership in the International Aerobatic Club, Inc. is $25.00 an­nually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics. All lAC members are required to be members of EM.

WARBIRDS Membership in the Warbirds of America, Inc. is $25.00 per year, which includes a subscription to Warbirds Newsletter. Warbird mem­bers are required to be members of EAA.

ULTRALIGHT Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn. is $25.00 per year which in­cludes the Light Plane World pub­lication ($20.00 additional for Sport Aviation magazine). For current EM members only, $15.00, which includes Light Plane World publication.

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS

Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn.

Make checks payable to EAA or the division in which membership is desired. Address all letters to EAA or the particular division at the fol­lowing address:

WITTMAN AIRFIELD OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086

PHONE (414) 426-4800 OFFICE HOURS:

8:30-5:00 MON.-FRI.

30 JANUARY 1986

If your plane is on this list ... You could be wasting money!

NOW AVAILABLE! STC's for Lycoming 0-235 and 0-290 engines. Also, you can convert your Cessna 152 to auto gas by modifying the Lycoming 0-235-L2C to use 80 octane fuel - STC's now available exclusively from EAA.

Over 10,000 aircraft owners get more flying for the dollar with EAA's AUTO FUEL STCs.

As a result of EAA's leadership in alternative fuels research and development, FAA has fully approved the use of unleaded auto gas for 317 different aircraft models and engine combinations. Auto gas STCs (Supplemental Type Certificates) are available from the non-profit EAA Aviation Foundation at SOct per engine horsepower: Example - 8S hp. Cessna 140-(SOct x 8S) = $42.S0. Send check with aircraft N number, aircraft and engine model and serial numbers and EAA member number.

AERONCA AERO COMMANOER GRUMMAN AMERICAN PA·2S-151 PA-22-150AA-5. AA-5AIncluding S. L.Including Beflanca. PA-22S-150AA-5BIndustriesChampion . Try/ek . •J3F-50. -50S . -60.AA-1100Wagner, B & B -60S. -65. -65SAA-1AARCTIC AIRCRAFTAviation , Inc. •J31 . -So -65. -65S

CO., INC. AA-1B AA-1C PORTERFIELO50-lC S-1A LUSCOMBE65-TC (L-3J ) Including Rankin.

BEECHCRAFT65-lAC (L-3E) B, SA. C, 0, E. F. l-BF Nonhwest YO-5S Including Bonanza CP-55MOONEY0-5SB 35 , A-35. B-35. C-35 . CP-65 5O-5BB M-1SC CS-65 0-58A (L-3A)

0-35, E-35. F-35. M-1BC55

7AC G-35, 35R TAYLORCRAFT

CESSNA M-1BL M-18LA BC

7CCM (L-16B) 7BCM (L-16A)

BC-65120, 140. 140A MORRISEY ?DC BC12-65 (L-2H) 7EC

150, 150A-H. 15OJ-M. ~A150K-M BC12-0

7FC BC120-B5152,A-152 PIPER 170. 170A. B BC120-4-B5J-3C-407JC 172. 172A-E. 172F BCSJ-3C-50

S7AC 7ECA (T-41A) . 172G, H. BCS-65

1721 , K, L. M J3C -50S

BCS12-65J3C-65 (L-4)S70C BCS-120175. 175A, B. C. P1720 J3C-65SS7CCM 177 BCS12-0-B5J4S7EC 180, 180A-H. 1BOJ BCS120-4-B5J4A11AC 182 . 182A-P 19J4A-S11BC 305A (0-1A) F19J4E (L-4F)11CC 305B, 305E (TO-lO , OC-65 (L-2 , L-2C)J5A (L-4F)S11AC 0-10 , 0-1F) OCO-65 (L-2A. B. M)J-2S11BC 305C, (0-1E) , 3050 BC12-01J-3S11CC (P-1G ). 305F BCS12-01J5A-SO 50-C KCA

L-4AERCOUPE VARGA 65-C L-4B (NE-1) 2i5OIncluding Aireo, Forney,

L-4H65-CA Z150AAlon. Mooney L-4J (NE -2)S-50-C 21BO415C. 4150. E. G, PA-11

7GCA S-65-CA 415-CO

PA11S 7GCB

F-1, F-1A PA-17 °Note: Only lhose J3F

7KC A-2. A-2A

PA-1S and J3l models pre­7GCBA

M-10 PA-19 viously modified to use

7GCAA FUNK E-2 Teledyne Continental 7GCBC PA-2B-140 Molors engines are 15AC

"iiiduding McClish PA-2B-150 approved .BB5C

Since 1980, over 2700 engineering flight test hours have been conducted by EAA in the Cessna 150, Cessna 182, Cessna 172, Piper Cherokee, Beechcraft Bonanza and Ercoupe. Additional aircraft were approved by FAA based on fuel system similarities. All approved aircraft are powered by 80 Octane Continental engines (not fuel injected) and Lycoming 0-320-A, C and E engines. STCs are only approved and sold for the engine/airframe combinat ions listed above.

Complete, low cost, protection, including auto gas coverage, is available through EAA's approved insurance program. EAA's Auto Gas Airport Directory which lists over 300 FBOs that provide auto fuel service is now available at $3.00.

EAA LEADS TH E WAY Join EAA - Be a part of the Aviation Association that is actively engaged in making flying safer, more enjoyable and more affordable for you. Annual membership $30.00, includes monthly magazine SPORT AVIATION and many other benefits. Join today and get your STC at the special EAA member rate.

Write Attention: STC - EAA Aviation Foundation EA~ Wittman Airfield

~FOUNDATION Oshkosh, WI 54903-3065

EAA OFFICIAL

VIDEO VHS & BETA

'i"h~ official EAA Founda­tion video collection of­fers these great tapes for your viewing pleasure: EAA '84 55 minutes of Fly-In excitement from pre-Con­vention preparation to the arrival of Voyager. Includes great Warbirds show scenes .

.$52:00" $39.00 EAA OSHKOSH '83 A 26 minute film covering the complete '83 Convention and the dedication of the EAA Aviation Center. $39.00 EAA OSHKOSH '77 The '77 Convention plus excellent excerpts of the Spirit of St. Louis Commemorative Tour. $39.00 AERONAUTICAL ODDITIES 17 minutes of fun featuring the oddities and comedies of the early flight as seen in news­reels of the day. A great addition to your personal library. $29.95 WE SAW IT HAPPEN 60 minutes covering the history of flight as seen in rare early footage and interviews with many aviation pioneers.

-$§9:00' $49.95 WINGS ON DREAMS (1981) This famous John Denver film is an in-depth look at EAA Oshkosh '81 and features ground breaking ceremonies for the Aviation Center. $29.00 BASIC AIRCRAFT WELDING Learn the intricacies of welding with practical demonstrations on the subject. An excellent film for the builder. $39.95 IN PURSUIT OF DREAMS - New Release EM member actor/pilot Cliff Robertson is narrator host of a film that features Founder Paul Poberezny and tells of EM's early days, philosophy and accomplishments. $29.00 (16 minutes) BASIC AIRCRAFT WOODWORKING - New

Release Woodworking knowledge is essential to any homebuilder project. This tape covers the basics of wood construction techniques. $39.95

Add $2.50 for postage and handling Wisconsin residents add 5% sales tax

Guaranteed Immediate Delivery

Watch for New Releases

THE JOURNAL OF THE EARLY AEROPLANE

The most authoritative journal on Those \\bnderful Flying Machines 1900-1919

WORLD WAR I ~, INC. 15 Crescent Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. USA

] FLYING AND GLIDER MANUALS

1929 - 1930 - 1931 - 1932 Price: $3_25 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

It's Exciting! It's for Everyone! See this priceless coillection of rare, historically

8:30 to 5:00 p.m.significant aircraft, all imaginatively displayed in the Monday thru Saturday

world's largest, most modem sport aviation HOURS 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sundaysmuseum. Enjoy the many educational displays and

Closed Eastec Thanksgiving. Christmasaudio-visual presentations. Stop by-here's and New Years Day (Guided group tour something the entire family will enjoy. Just arrangements must be made t'Ml weeks

in advance).minutes away! CONVENIENT LOCATION The EAA Aviation Center is located on Wittman Field. Oshkosh. WIS. -just off Highway 41. Going North Exit Hwy. 26 or

EA~ ~ FOUNDATION

N 44. Going South Exit Hwy. 44 and followI""''T Wittman Airfield signs. For fly-ins-free bus from Basler

Flight Service.414-426-4800 Oshkosh. WI 54903-3065

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31